The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-14 00:00:00

" Scandit fatalis machina muros

Rota armis."
That, said the right hon. gentleman, is not my bill. Now,
that is not a very apt quotation, but there is a curious feli-
city about it which he little dreams of. The house will re-
member among the proofs of the degree in which public
opinion is enlisted in the cause of reform, that this is the
fifth bill which has been brought forward since 1851. Well,
just attend to the sequel of the quotation. jam not a be-
liever in the " S ortes Virgilianie," but I wish the house to
hear what follows:

" 0 patria, 0 Divum domus, et inclyta bello
Manila Dardanidum! Quater ipso in limine porta)
Substitit, atque utero sonitum quater arms dedere."
(Laughter.) But that is not all—

" Instamus tamen immemores co3cique furore,
Et monstrum infelix sacrata sistimus arce."
(Cheers and laughter.) I abominate the presage conveyed
in these last two lines; but I mix my confidence with fears.
I know I am addressing a new Parliament, whose inten-
tions, whose actions, are as yet hidden by the veil of futu-
rity. It may be that they will take the advice tendered to
them with so much eloquence and authority by my right
hon. friend. It may be that we are destined to avoid this
enormous danger by which we are confrcinted, and not, to
use the language of my right hon. friend, be forced to com-
pound with danger and misfortune. But it may be other-
wise. All I can say is, if my right hon. friend succeeds in
carrying this bill through Parliament—the passions and
interests of the day are stilled—l shall not envy him his
retrospect. I covet not a single leaf of the laurel that en-
circles his brow. His be the glory—if such it be—to carry
this measure; mine, to the utmost of my humble strength
and ability, to resist it. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. C. VILLIERS, in reply to Mr. Lowe's speech, said—
The question of reform was one, he declared, on which the
House of Commons was not trusted by the country; for
wherever one went, and whoever he talked with, the same
sentiment was expressed, that they presumed the bill would
be thrown out because it was proposed for the reform of
the house itself. He contended that repeated pledges made
it obligatoryiupon the house to agree to an extension of the
franchise, and reminded Mr. Lowe he had formerly enun-
ciated the doctrine that no reform could be satisfactory to
the people that did not reduce the qualification of voters.
He denied that the working people were so bad as Mr.
Lowe had represented them to be. If they were so, and if
they had the evil designs that were imputed to them, might
they not endeavour to carry them out now ? It was the
duty of the man, then, who dared thus to malign the people,
and attribute to them dishonest objects, to have given some
evidence in support of his reckless assertions. The truth
Was, that the 'working classes had improved in condition,
in education, and in intelligence. And why not bring some
evidence of their designs upon the institutions of the coun-
try and of their combinations to put their designs into exe-
cution ? In former days evidence of that sort might have
been produced, but just as they became more free and en-
lightened there was an absence of everything of the kind.
Equally frightful predictions to those of Mr. Lowe had
been uttered with regard to what were to have been the
consequences of the Reform Act; and he thought the pre-
sent was an unlucky moment, just as the people in the ma-
nufacturing districts had passed through a time of great
suffering with unexampled patience and endurance, to cast
such a slur upon them. He did not know whether the bill
would be carried or not, but of this he was convinced, that
if it were rejected the time was not, far distant when they
would find themselves in the position of haying to pass a
measure of a much more sweeping character.
Mr. R. N. PHILIPS tendered his grateful thanks to the
Government for their bill. He had resided all his life
among the working classes, and was sure they were worthy
to possess the privileges proposed to be conferred on them.

Mr. LEATHAM gave the bill his hearty support, be-
lieving that it would give satisfaction to an industrious,
loyal, and contented people.
Mr. A. PEEL would have preferred a £lO franchise in
counties, and a £5 franchise in boroughs, but was willing
to accept the £7 rental as a settlement of the question of
the town franchise for many years to come. He looked to
the Government, however, to supplement the present mea-
sure with another for the redistribution of seats.
Mr. ALLEN also supported the bill.

Mr. SCHREIBER was of opinion that the house was
invited to legislate on the question upon inadequate and
imperfect information.

Mr. LONG said the bill was either a sham or a reality.
If it were a sham, then the members below the gangway,
followers of Mr. Bright, were bound to vote against it;
whilst, if it were a reality, it could only be as part of a great
scheme, and the house was entitled to demand an explana-
tion of the remainder of that scheme before it accepted this
instalment.

Mr. DULLER stated several objections to the measure,
and amongst them that the creation of a savings' banks
franchise would be an injustice to fundholders, and that
the proposed lodger franchise would have a most demo-
cratic and revolutionary effect.
Mr. ACLAND, having taken a fling at the professed
Liberals, who, he said, had been stabbing the Government
.measure from the rear, remarked that if the Government
or the house did anything that could be regarded as trifling
with this question their honour would be deeply at stake.
He sincerely believed that they might trust the people, and
that the house would not be doing its duty unless it allied
itself with popular sympathies. As to the fear of demo-
cracy, that he left with the other side of the house. He
Considered the bill was marked by an honest and earnest
desire to give the working classes a fair share in the repre-
ell,raand that it was a reasonable solution of one im-
Mrn.INVI3IInI'efhEoSIIIDhEe qsuaiedstitohna.t although the question had I
been spoken to wwitoholgareoat ability, and although the prin-
the seconn
examination ipleo f t h the boi daerrgo more close and searching
he yet would venture
to submit one or two observeaatpidoriinnnsg:tsol the house upon the
or rather the no
question as it stood. The
principle of the bill, was beginningiPtee' uoundierstood. It
was a remarkable fact that no one ads nok
the bill on behalf of the Government save the siTgwillt:htoonf.
gentleman the President of the Poor Law Board,
• had
made a speech in which he had shown in what thorough
contempt he held the British constitution. (Hear, hear, and
laughter.) The only hope he (Mr. Whiteside) entertained
was that the right hon. gentleman did not recollect what
he was saying, and that no one in the Cabinet would be
anxious to abide by the principle which he enunciated.