Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-07-01
THE WILMINGTON JOURNAL.
wnmNGToN. N. c.. MONDAY. JUNE s7, 1850.
English Reform.

Eng1Sn fte1oEm"
Tt;o little strange that the great measures of reform
which are now so strenuousy insisted upon in England
were agtatd for very many years since in the less adj
vanced kingdom of Ireland The extension Of the fran
chise-he proportionng Of representation to population
the vote by ballot-the removal of exclusive tests
founded on difference of religious faith Others matters
not Justly cognizable by the civil authority.
The people in England have grown sick of routine
and redtape They feel that as things stand the
and forms of constitutional government do not include
all the substance that such name and forms I'M
ply They see how under the existing system the great
er and the lesser Offices and emoluments perquses and
privileges of the State all divided among the adher
ents of particular great families and that in the period
cal vibrations Of parliamentary leadership the first posi-
ton pertains sometimes to one member of this high
guild sometimes to another, but always to member OF
some Of the great houses It may be Russell of the
ducal house of Bedford Temple with the Irish Wis
countcy of Palmerson Stanly under the of Earl
Derby or some other of that Sort wing tory makes
little difference These people stand by their order and
between the naughty wing and tory mobiles there is al
ways more sympathy than between either and the peo
pIe and the English people, much they addicted to
Wohppng live lords have got sense enough to see this
and to feel it, especially when their pockets are made to
bleed
The miserable results of aristocratc Incompetence
and ministerial favourteism in the Crimea opened the
eyes of England to the necessity Of nusing some fresh
blood into the governmental system of the nation and
thus the agitation for legislative reform which had rest
ed during the clash of arms recommended with fresh
vgo until now the friends of the largest extension of
suffrage and the greatest equalization of representation
number some 24O members of the House of Commons,
not quite half but more than onethird of that body
The fact is that the county and minor borough repre-
sentatiYes in Parliament have formed and still FORM to
great extent quite aristocratic element as the
House of Lords ITSELF They are in many instances the
sons of peers the brothers of peers or some relatives or
connections of peers they their seats to the nu
ence of some members of the peerage Or they belong
to old and wealthy county famiiies-to that untitled
gentry who hold themselves higher than any newmadf
lord 1t is only the great ctes-the large manuacur
ing and commercial towns that send members exempt
from these influences It is doubtful however whether
other Influences equally potent not brought to bea
equally to the subversion of all real freedom O
choice among the nominal electors.
The league of cotton lords, proprietors of mills
controllers Of banks arbiters Of trade may be mad
q
power of associated capital Or accumulated wealth,
Just as irresistible and just apt to be abused by
set of men as by another hence arises the difficulty
adjusting any scale mode Of representation that will
in reality represent the free wishes of the people of Eng
and that portion of them admitted to the
else of the elective franchise.
However, as we said at frst.the reform party, repre-
sented by Bright Golden and others in England and b.
several of talent in Ireland claim such extension
of the right Of suffrage shall approximate it to tha
existing in the United States, with such modification il
the apportionment of representatives shall place tina
upon systematic basis with regard to population and
perhaps, taxation while they insist upon the vote b.
ballot as indispensable to any really free exercise of tn
right of voting.
AS things stand the real power that has forced thing
to their present position towards reform is that of tn
monied, manufacturing and commercial classes, wh
oppose high tory administration upon financial ground
Wholy-the rights of the people very secondary
the thing now is business capital against hereditar
landed investment.