The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-28 00:00:00

LAST NIGHT'S DEBATE.

The Times says, after a debate prolonged through
nine nights, and not unworthy, in the distinguished
ability displayed throughout its course, of the most
illustrious periods of our Parliamentary history, the
House of Commons divided this morning on the
Franchise Bill. In a house which, considering the
numbers struck off by election committees, was full
beyond precedent, the amendment of Lord Grosve-
nor was defeated by a majority of five. All the
power of Mr. Gladstone and the impetuosity of his
eloquence was never more apparent than in his reply,
but have thus proved unavailing to avert a practi-
cal defeat. All the desire of the House of Com-
mons to preserve the Ministry, all the loyalty to
party of members who voted for a measure they dis-
approved rather than oppose their leaders, could not
screen the Government from what is, in fact, a vote
of censure on the line...of conduct they adopted. All
the .oncessions promised from time to time to the
just complaints of their ordinary supporters could
not free the Franchise Bill from the objections in-
separable from its nature. The measure submitted
to the House of Commons was conceived in a spirit
of suspicion and distrust of the House, and as the
debate proceeded the distrust was more frankly
avowed. The House was asked to requite distrust
with confidence, to yield the most absolute faith
where it was treated with the most insulting suspi-
cion. It was asked to sanction the plans of a Mini-
stry while they were still unrevealed, to give in its
adhesion to a policy the principles of which were
kept secret, to express its approval of a scheme of
Reform without knowing what the scheme was to
be. The vote of this morning was the answer to
these unexampled demands. When the present
House was elected it was calculated that the work-
ing Liberal majority was upwards of sixty, and the
first time that the existence of the Government was
assailed—within three months of the assembling of
Parliament—the Government is nominally victo-
rious by a majority of five.
The Morning herald says :—Last night witnessed
the close of the greatest debate that has occupied
the time of the House of Commons and the atten-
tion of the country for many years past. A larger
question, a more momentous issue, could hardly
have commanded the energies and eloquence of
public men. And if the discussion has sometimes
flagged, or failed in interest, it is only because the
disputants were unequally watched. The Liberal
party—even that section of it which has supported
the bill—is not deficient in eloquence, in statesman-
ship, or in power of argument ; and if it has been,
as it undoubtedly has, signally worsted in debate,
and if it have displayed a want of power, of orato-
rical fire, and logical ability, strikingly contrasted
with the superior energy and genius of their adver-
saries, it is only because the course which the Mi-
nistry adopted was one which left no scope for ar-
gument, which defied logic, and disheartened elo-
quence. Their ill-advised original policy, their
subsequent concessions, narrowed the issue before
the house to one on which every one—their habitual
supporters as much as any—felt that they were
hopelessly in the wrong.
The Daily News says it was not Lord Palmerston,
according to Mr. Disraeli, that could have saved the
unfortunate British Constitution, had he lived, but
Sir Cornewall Lewis, whom he lamented as if Sir
Cornewall Lewis had been Mr. Gladstone's intimate
enemy. And the upshot of all this mild and mode-
rate appeal for information as to the county fran-
chise as a plea for supporting Lord Grosvenor's
amendment, was nothing less than a declared re-
solve to rescue the constitution of the country--
King, Lords, and " the Estate of the Commons"
(into which he is willing to admit the choicest of
the " handicraftsmen," on the old Plantagenet prin-
ciple)—from the parricidal hands of Mr. Bright, and
Mr. Bright's "confederates" on the Treasury Bench,
who are conspiring, it seems, " to reconstruct the
British Constitution on the American model." No
wonder that as soon as the furious attempt of the
Opposition to silence Mr. Gladstone yielded to the
calm appeal—,, Am I to be permitted to proceed ?
—the Chancellor of the Exchequer uttered an ex-
clamation of relief at the discovery that a bill for
the admission of 200,000 of the middle class and an
equal number of the working class to the electoral
franchise in counties and boroughs was interpreted
by the leader of the Tory party as a conspiracy to
reconstruct the British Constitution ou the Ameri-
can model ! His masterly speech worthily con-
cluded this great debate, and was immediately fol-
lowed by the critical division for which the whole
country has been eagerly waiting.
The Morning Post says :—At a quarter past 3 this
morning the House of Commons divided on the
motion for the second reading of the Reform Bill.
The result was that which was generally anticipated.
In a house composed of the almost unexampled
number of 636 members, inclusive of the Speaker
and tellers, the number of 318 voted in favour of
the measure, while 313 supported the amendment
of Earl Grosvenor. The Government thus obtained
a net majority of 5. That the motion for the second
reading would be carried was universally admittedl;
but those who professed to be versant with the
exact state of parties in the house ventured to anti-
cipate that the majority would not reach two figures.A
The result proves them to have been correct.t .
majority such as this cannot be regarded as substan-
tial, s the
ahn
tial, and there can be no doubt that, although
Ministry have gained a nominal victory,.
they
have,
in truth, sustained a fatal defeat. Nothing remains
for them but to resign.
The Morning Advertiser says :—Th h the de-
The
bate has had no practical result, and now cannot
have ant, in the shape of legislation, it will not be

altogether without its uses. When the question
comes again before Parliament, which it will inevi-
tably do at no distant day, the discussions which
have taken place will be of great utility. A future
Government, compelled by the power of public
ti opinion to bring in a Reform Bill, will take care to
avoid the shoals and quicksands which have been
found in the waters through which it was sought to
navigate the reform vessel which now lies before the
country and the world a complete wreck. No piece-
meal legislation on the question of reform will be
again,_ attempted by succeeding Governments.
The Daily Telegraph says : —Myriads of eager
eyes will be turned this morning to the column
which records the sequel of the great debate. In
rpfiersanhtiaielnli
evamoiteiuentnfttrrayyrt
yhoeffrrieisult, we must not forget that the
Deform is secured, not by a single
haivision, but by the will of thepcople.
the representation, resolved upon an amendment of
interpose temporary nci
over I.lle miseil-
willhavebuitt. it Fcaaentinoon moremllay
retard the real progress obstacles,
lamentretard to
-edaeyarethv motionof' the nation than it can
anbtircofrliti n
steurtahye
Liberal ranks, but the perfidy
eamsnoe tulheirihavive
rene-
gadesofbathseelyinddiitevswiedruteadl.aiTnhe4, ngi:ed
.to the ultimate
triumph caonf ctrheea to
power they abuse is but short_
by dishonest, eed
quivocal pretensions—it willas
be
sternly recalled by the constituencies whose confi-
dence has been betrayed. By an unhappy mistake
credence was given at the late general election to
men who made no more definite political profession
d
than that of adhesion to Lord Palmerstows policy.
the extent
hit will oa ionetxhtoeungtofthedouopliscity eta
general eral
onW ethe now
leapeoplren; h
and most righteous indignation, it will have.no real
effect upon the national policy. That happily is
determined by something higher and more durable
than the devices of a few unscrupulous reactionists,
who will henceforth receive the usual portion of
traitors—the hatred of the comrades they have
abandoned, and the secret contempt of their new
allies.
The Law Times says :—This sheet will be printed
and on its way to the country before the division on
the Reform Bill. As the result will be known be-
fore this page will be read, we will not speculate
on the issue. But the reader will, perhaps, like to
learn what are the events at present anticipated in
certain contingencies. If the second reading should
be lost, or carried only by a majority less than ten,
it is said that the Government will resign, and that
Lord Stanley will take office as Premier of a Con-
stitutional Ministry composed of the Conservative
Liberals and Liberal Conservatives, united upon
the platform of progress and reform, but resistance
to pure democracy.
The Spectator says :—Assuming, as is most pro-
bable, that the second reading is carried by a minute
majority, there are, in spite of a multiplicity of
rumours, but three probable combinations. We
reject the idea of a dissolution, first, because it would
irritate members beyond all endurance; secondly, be-
cause it would end in the sacrifice of the great ma-
jority which the Liberal party for any purpose except
Reform is admitted to possess. We reject also the
idea set afloat by the Star that the Government
may withdraw the bill, promising another and
more complete measure in a winter session. Mr.
Gladstone is too deeply pledged to adopt
that course, which, moreover, would not re-
move any one objection now felt to the policy of
blank reduction to which the Cabinet stands com-
mitted. But the Ministry may agree to remain,
leaving individual Ministers to retire, and endeavour
with the aid of a few recruits to work on for a sea-
son ; or they may resign, and be succeeded by Lord
Derby and a regular Tory Government ruling on
sufferance ; or there may be a coalition, under the
leadership of Lord Stanley and his friends. Of these
three combinations the third is in our judgment the
most probable, and it may be the Most acceptable
to the country. The first is only- probable in the
event of excessive difficulty in forming any Ministry
at all, Lord Derby being by no means bound to take
the helm unless he has actually defeated his opponents.

The Examiner says division this morning
upon the Franchise Bill gave the Government a
majority of 5, namely, 318 to 313. To borrow
the words of Horace Walpole, we know no more
than a prophet what is going to happen, but as,
according to Byron, the worst is ever nearest truth,
we will suppose the worst. We- wilt suppose the
success so small as to make further progress of the
bill impossible. In that event the alternative for
the Ministry will be a dissolution or resignation.
Their engagement to stand or fall by the bill
binds them, as we stated in our last number, to
leave no resource untried to carry the measure,
and the peculiar circumstances of their defeat
through a sort of Southern secession, or revolt
against the Liberal union, would make an appeal
to the country a thoroughly just and necessary
step. But the Parliament is not a year old, and the
issue of an appeal must not be counted on with too
much confidence ; and what would be the effect of
an adverse judgment upon the Liberal party, and
the prospects of Reform ? These are serious con-
siderations undoubtedly. But it seems tp us that
recourse must be hadto a dissolution by the govern-
ing party, whichever it may happen to be, and that
if Ministers refrain they will only pass the last re-
source to their opponents and successors.

The Appearance of the House.
(From the Daily Telegraph.)

Signs were numerous, outside as well as inside
the House of Commons yesterday afternoon, of
the closing hours of the great debate. A larger
concourse than had been seen on any previous af-
ternoon was collected at the Parliamentary en-
trances, and within the house there were new
faces among the members, testifying to a levy far
and wide, and to the activity of the political re-
cruing-sergeants on both sides. Indoors, however,
nothing like the audience which awaited Mr. Bright
and Mr. Lowe on the evenings when they had the
parole attended Lord Cranborne. There was a
" good house," indeed, as the notice-paper came to
its end, and the Speaker called upon that "light-
weight" of the Tories to enter the Oratorical arena.
The stream of the debate trickled thinly during
the sacred hours of dinner through the speeches
of Mr. Hibbert, Sir H. Bruce, and Mr. Baines.
The last speaker praised the bill warmly—another
instance of the adhesion of advanced Reformers to
a measure moderate but honest. Then, after Mr.
Speaker had withdrawn awhile, the solemn tones of
Mr. Newdegate were heard, taking up his burden
against the bill with his usual air of prophetic em-
phasis and intense emotion, which, however, turned
out to be principally due to the fear that Birming-
ham would swamp North Warwickshire if borough
votes were polled for counties. He was, however,
brief, following the excellent example of the even-
ing. He was succeeded by the member for Leicester,
Mr. Taylor, who usefully pointed out how every
single supporter of the amendment, without even the
exception of Lord Stanley, in pretending to enter-
tain Reform, had at the same time shown them-
selves dead against it. After Mr. Taylor, a
" sensation" occurred in the shape of a live Conser-
vative, Mr. Harvey, of Thetford, with sense and in-
dependence enough to declare for this very moderate
scheme of Reform—a declaration received amid
Government cheers, which showed how hot the fight
had become. Then, on the same side of the house,
treating him as an enemy, arose Capt. Duncombe
for the Tories, who had otherwise lost a turn in the
exchange of shots. Against this luckless orator the
first ominous cries of impatience heard in the de-
batee were launched. " 'Vide ! 'v the
wretched !" drowned hi,
wretched platitudes with which he was_ dent°P3Pi
nn
the way. The Conservative chief opened b
to
that the house was pledged to Reform ;
to slow that nobody was pledged
Russell himself.
the Crown, the Cabinet, andillE:er t
.2inndc stroveu it--including
in g
attributed to Mr.
The present "pernicious "2,31,,
Gladstone's into historical
; and then he
instead
dli at
historical reminis-
particularly a pposit e,
cences,
appear'ntly patience by both sideQ,
meande re
which(l a‘ "rights
notsf eoefb 1371,, i
but were heard with sal
Aa
turd. ni
properrno.
nt ol
ys. adyusl ol
lf, indeed,
imt,asweurencom
general directing the final charge of
speaking
twiddled in the rear of
thisakti
his troops, he , the question,
and metaphorically got his sword between his legs.
iunglelike
Loud cheers greeted the rising of Mr. Glad-
stone ; and an outrageous interruption was sup-
pressed, no less by the indignant and noble elo-
quence of Mr. Gladstone, as by the calm rebuke
of his request "to be permitted to proceed." To
his admirable, courageous, faithful, final words
we must refer the public—words that rang with vic-
tory in their sound, whether victory fax off or near