New-York daily tribune., 1857-04-27

Now that the new Parliament of Great Britain
has been, with the exception OF but aoouI nai
dozen members, elected, II may not be uninter'
esting to give brief narration OF the forms ana
ceremonies which attend the death of an EnslIsh
House of Commons and the birth of its successor.
What is termed in England "a dissolution, Is the
civil death of the Parliament, and may be effected
either by the pleasure Of the Crown, the demise OF
the Crown, or by length of time. The life of a
Parliament cannot be prolonged, even by the au-
thoriiy Of a sovereign for more than seven years.
When it reaches that age il must expire, and new
election take place. And however recently elected,
il must come TO an end in six months after the de-
mise of the Crown; for instance, should any fatal
ty befall Queen Victoria in that delicate ordeal just
approaching. the Parliament just now elected would
cease within six months to i've and another cleo
ton be inevitable. Then, of course It may be dis
solved in even less period than six months, at the
pleasure Of the new sovereign.
The last Parliament was dissolved as is generally
the case, and the new one summoned, by the pleas
ure of the Crown, or, rather, by the pleasure OF
Lord Palmerston. the Crowns chief minister.
The usual course when a Ministry is defeated Is to
resign. and it would have been not only possible
but perfectly constitutional for Queen Victoria IN
the present instance to have refused dissolution
and summoned TO her councils new Admlnlstra-
ton. But the division of the last Parliament into
so many sections, and the impossbility of forming
a combination which would command majority,
-.fp
had the Sovereign. as suspected, been unwilling 10
extend any special favor to the present Premier.
Besides the late Parliament had, according to con-
.titutonal laws but one year more to run, and the
present dissolution anticipated but by short period
its natural death.
On the dissolution of Parliament writs are at
once issued from the Office of the Speaker, who
holds his place up to the period Of the election Of
the new Parliament, and dispatched to the various
returning officers the Sherffs Of the several cOun
ties and boroughs entitled to return representa-
tiyes commanding them to hold an election for
burgesses to serve in Parliament. In boroughs
the nomination of candidates must take place be-
tween the fourth and the eighth day after the re-
ceipt of the writ; in counties, between the eighth
and sixteenth, at the pleasure of the returning Of
fcer. On the day thus fixed an open court is held
at which any elector duly registered is permitted
to nominate candidate who, being seconded by
another elector, is considered eligible for represen-
tation. After the several candidates have been
thus put forward the Sheriff, calling the name OF
each, separately demands as test OF pubic opinion
a show of hands and declares it TO be IN favor Of
the candidate or candidates for whom he considers
the largest number of dists to be elevated
A poll is then demanded by the other candidates,
which in boroughs is fixed for the next day but one
after. in counties the next day but two. For
boroushs but one days polling is allowed from
eight to four o'clock, unless the Sheriff considers
that violence has been used to prevent electors
reaching the poll when he has the power oil con-
tinuing the election from day to day In counties
two days are allowed, with the same power of pro-
longation A sufficient number of polling places
and booths, each presided over by Deputy Sheriff.
are required by law TO enable every eiector TO
record his vote within the specified time; aud at
the close of the poll the returns are made up from
all the booths by the Sheriff, who announces the
result in open court, and fills up and returns the
writ forwarded to him again to the Speaker, with
the names of the elected members.
In this form the present, appropriately termed
the Palmerstonian Parliament, has been elected.
As the returns baye come in, the leading Journals
of the various schools Of politics have busted them
selves eagerly in fixing the opinions Of the newly
elected members and computing the strength oil the
contending parties. These computations are uSu-
ally made up with so much ignorance or partallty
that it would be impossible 10 draw from them an
accurate conclusion. To arrive at anything Ike a
probable result, it is necessary to consider the
present condition Of English parties Ranged by
the old standards, the new House Of Commons will
contain about three hundred and twenty Liberals
that is, men who profess opinions mora or less
liberal; and about two hundred and fifty COnserya-
tves-that is, men who profess opinions more or
less conservative. The remaining thirty-hye en-
brace about twenty Peelites and ten or twelve &C.
centric independents" of the Henry Drum
mend school, upon whom "nO one can
depend" In computing the strength OF
the two parties, it would be well TO place in front
of our calculation sentence spoken by Sir James
Graham. one Of the Oldest and keenest members OF
the House Of Commons, in bis election speech al
Carlisle: 81 remember" said the willy baronet'
- having enc evening, in the House Vi
- Commons, offered to bet with number of tue
- most experienced brother members, that "
:. ballot was declared among the Conservative MEM
- hers and the DANES Of Lord Derby Lofu 'onn
' Russell aud Lord Palmerston, were pun "P ~,
Premier that Lord Palmerston would co'Hii"hu
"a large msi,rity of the Tory votes; and no one