New-York daily tribune., 1858-11-12
GREAT BRITAIN.

PARLIAMENTARY REFORM AND FOREIGN POLICY.
Mr.. John Bright addressed 5000 Of his constituents
at birmingham on the 9th nit. He also spoke at a
public dinner given TO him on the 18th nit The first
speech was principally devoted TO the Parliamentary
Reform question, the second to his course and
that of Government upon questions OF Foreign
Policy.
In the former speech, after sdverDg TO the illness
which for nearly three years has kept him from dis
charging his public duties.
Mr.. Bright congratulated his hearers upon the tr-
umphsnt position occupied by the supporters OF Para
mentary Reform, inasmuch as for the moment it is
taken up by those who, until this hour have been
for the most part the uncompromsing opponents Of
"Reform." The present Ministry, however, reminded
him, "in few speeches they have delivered, Of the
Condition Of that deporabe Atlantic Cable Of which
We read the other day that the currents were feeble
! and that the signals wholly Ddistinct." He
proceeds to argue the proposition that Parliament does
not fairly represent the nation, showing how, IN re-
spect to the repeal Of the Corn Laws, the policy Of
Free Trade the question of the Established Church,
etc. it has Jagged behind the people Of England;
showing how unequal the distribution of members is,
by various instances, and summing up as follows:
PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATIVES, NOW.
"There are i'll Parliament at the present moment $50
members-that is One-half the whole nunber-when
the constituents the voters put together do not num-
Der more than lSO, OCO persons. AT the same time,
there are in Parliament a members, whose whole
number of electors the total number OF those who send
them there, is upward of 2O0, GOO. And while the
$3.50 members constituents only assessed to the
property tax on fifteen millions sterling, the constit
ueIs Of the - members assessed 10 the same tax
at more than "A millions. There is beside this great
and significant fact-that wherever you go througout
Great Britain and Ireland, ont of every six men you
meet five have no woes. The Reform BILL which
am not about to depreciate-because know what 1t
cost to get it. and know something OF what II has
done, but the Reform bill was so drawn "a purp0ey
to exclude hon the st of electors the great body OF
the working classes of this country. But, suppose
that out OF six millions of grown men in the United
Kingdom there were bnt one million VINO had votes,
which is the now-suppose the one million re-
turned the present Parliament by fair distribution
Of members 10 the electors there would be IN all prob
ability very fair representation IN the House OF the
opinion of the six millions; because the opinion oi Tue
million would to q considerable extent reflect the
opinion of the rest of their feow-countrymen. But
this is not the The law has selected one million
To be the electors of the Parament and, having got
the millions, they have conirived it-party It may
have happened by accident, but much by ingenuity
and incntion--so that the political power OF this
email III ncrity of the mill is iittered away, iraud-
leny dispersed destroyed by the manner IN which
the members distributed among the million electors
who compose the electoral body
Mr. Bright goes on to say that the first question 10
OtCiOc DcIOre eltp tdh pc tohch, -
whether the Peers the People are TO be regarded
THE PEERS OR THE PEOPLE.
"The question is one which cannot be evaded-tms
question of the Peers and the people s the great
difficulty of our friends at headquarters who are Tor
REFORM and don't know how TO 30 it, 1t IS Lord John
Russells great difficulty. Now Lord John Russell
and believe that you m.y take my word Tor it-has,
probably from association, from tradition, from his
own reading and study, and from his own ldst end
honest sympathjes, more friendly feeling, to tins
question of Parliamentary reform than any otner lnin
Of his order Statesman that am aware oi. bnt,
having said this, am only saying what he would say
if he thought il prudent to tell all he knows about 1t:
But this is with him the great difficulty" How can
reconcile free representation Ct the people In the
House of Commons with the irremedi able and un-
chaDgable dispositions which reside IN the here1-
iialy House of Peers" Now, We must decide
tins question. Choose ye this day whom ye Will
serve If the Peers To be your masters, as they
boast that their ancestors We're the conqaerors OF
yours them. But II ye will serve only the laws
Of your county, and laws in the making of which you
have been consulted-then We may 20 straight on 10
discuss this question of Parliamentary reform. am
now going TO attack the House Of Lords. Some people
tell us that the House OF Peers, or that the Peers,
| have done great things for freedom. Nel II may be
SO; though have no, been successful in discover
ing il people At least since the year 1921,
thereabOuts the Peers became the dominant power
in this country. confess am not able TO discover
sipge important measure, important To human or
to English freedom that has come irom the voluntary
consent and the good will OF the House OF Peers. But,
really, how should II lou know VIVA. a Peer is. He
is of those fortunate individuals who described
a. coming into the world with silver spoon their
months loud laughter; or, TO the polished
and elegant phraseology Of the poet, you may say of
/ HIM that
Fortune smiling his youth and w,Oed &;
And purpied greatness met his rpened years"
| When he is boy among bis brothers and sisters be
! is prominent He is the eldest SOD; he viii be my
Lord. THIS vast mansion, this park, these countless
farms tins political influence will all some dsy center
| upon that innocent boy. Servants and attendants
about him know this, and they treat him SUCH He
grows mp; goes 70 school, and af.erwari Ia college:
his future position is known. He has great induce
mebt to work because, whatever he does IL is very
difficult for him apparently 70 improve his fortunes IN
! any way whatever. When he leaves the college he
finds himself in that sort OF position that there
seems 10 be necessity that be should follow artcuty
any Of these occupations which make men useful art
1 great among their fellow-mep. Well, be takes MS
seat in the House Of Peers, whatever be his chsrsc-
ter whatever his intellect whatever lis prevous rse
and, whether he be in England, or 10000 miles aSay;
whether he be tottering the steep Of age or he
! be passing through the imbecity Of a second chds
| hood, yet by means OF that charming contrivance,
made for Peers alone by the vote by proxy he gives
his vote for or against, and, unfortunately, TOO often
sgainst all those great measures upon which yOu ard
your countrynen have set yonr minds. There Is an
other description Of Peer which am afraid even 10
glance at. mean that creatuIe-vhat snail say
! Of monstrous, and may not say Of adulterous
! birth, the Spiritual Peer. Let me assure you with
the most perfect irankness aud the perfect belief
in what saw that ii is not in the nature Of things ].
j. not in human nature ibs; men in these positions
! should become willingly fountains ron which aow
good ,hiDgs and freedom 70 tie population cf ary