Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-03-31

THE LATE mIETsTERT1L CRISIS.

zateressfsg Lesler frsm Aeadons
Special Cofrespoudsnee Phi adslphia InqEiTarI
THE LATE MINISTERIAL CRISIS
LONDON, February q, 1564-Thsrs 10 moth
ing in the construction and practice Of tee
American Government, and especially Cf the
United States Congress, by which you can gain
Esy idea Of the proceedings this week in the
British Parliament. With you Cabirst min
ister, or indeed, all the ministers IN = body may
reign, or be dismissed, and their places would
be rsfllsd The next or the Sane day, Ishile the
policy Of the Government as represented By
the President hinsslf, would remain unchanged
HsIe It is vastly different. According to irnme-
mortal custom, when the ministry find thsm-
selves without msjority of supporters in the
House Of Commons, or whsn decided vote has
besn passed By that body, amounting to tho ez-
preston of what is called "a Harr of conf
dence" in the minis tsTs, that body resigns, OF,
technically, ''dissoIvss."
In other words, ths various members Of the
ministry rsturn theif seals Of Office 70 the , re-
mie-, who, In turn, presents them collective ely,
including bis own, to tle Queen, who i5 then
temporarily left ia reality what ct other times
she is only neminslly, the monarch Of her realm.
OF course her tiIst business Is to form n5W
ministry, and in doing this, contrary 70 ths
practices in the United States, she resigns her
oWn freedom Of setisn, fer il il absolutely com
puisoFy upon her, morally speaking, 10 call
sEoUad her set Of nsn whose political pEinei-
piss and ideas of State policY sTe diamesresly
opposite 70 those of the ministers lust discarded
The Opposition, if successful in thsr raid sgsius:
the Goveru1nent, stand before The county viz
tuslly pledged 70 effect an entire changs in the
oondGes Of the great questions of the day, aad
especially Of the particular ore, the discussion
Of and action upon which has Brought about tie
great change in the Government.
Fer Instance, the Opposition make e stand
upou the policy aud ae5Ion Of the G0YeInmsns
in reference to Aleriesn sffliEs fhis policy
and action having been thoroughly discussed in
the House of Commons, the ministers and thelr
Lends Insisting tbas their coarse has been right
and proper, and sheir opponents urging exactly
the TeysrEs; ihs cns asserting the policy OF
Dsutraliiy ard n0n-intervsutiou, and tie othsT
declaring in favor Of the recognition Of the
South at Eil hsgards g vote is g length reached
II may be upon some apparently triaiRg gUes-
ton, the demand for instances, for certain papers
which She Government declines TO prc6Hee but
if the ministers find themselves ia = minorty it
is regarded a. ministerial defeat, IS tas ex-
pression Of 4 want Of confidence, and tEey in
coniinsntIy Tssign There seems never 10 be
any thought ef yieIding to the will Of tds M.
lrisy, and changing their old policy 10 suit theE
demands; this would, doubtless, ba considered
iRfra dag aEd the visWs Of Government are
promptly surrendered iRtO the h1Rds Of their
lsts antagonists.
The secret of this lies ia the excssiiug strict
ness with wAich lines are dawn IN tkis eoan-
Try. The Opposition, having ones thus ts5.sd
aud sse. rtsiled their strength, W0ald DO IN
honor bound to EAintsin thsir position. Every
man Of IT would be whipped into active tram
ing, sad the ministers would nos be allowed 70
retain their positions, even if they mzds ell the
concessions at first dsmaH3ed. II they should
chance to betTay the least disposition 20 defy
thsir Vct0Ts and retain their positions, the next
step would be TO eutvote the ministerial party
on soma question Of supplies, when, Of course,
all the wheels of government would instantly
stop ard chsas would ensus. The ministry
dare not run the risk Of producing a cstastro-
phe like tbis for they would know sat il would
be ultsfly ruinous to their hopes of future sle-
walton, when their own party should again be in
tie ascendant Sc they make the bess Of a bad
bargain, aad 20 0us OF Office pe2eeably, snd, if
possible, coed nstuTedly.
A crisis Of this sort was imminent last Tues
day. IRdeed, It was only aEerted 5y = trick
on the part Of ono party, and shTsBd paFlia-
meAtary practice on that of the other TIE
question was the Danish ons. Mr.. Disraei as
the leader of the Opposition, opened the bali,
aud was followed By some of the beat speakers
on this side Of the H0UEe. The policy Of the
were repudiatsd, and the ministers accused Of
sciing unisirly and eishonostly both towards
that nation and towards England herself. As
ths daba.e proceeded il beesTns thoroughly sYi-
deut that he ministerial party was in decided
majority; and had the vote been tGksn at eef-
tain stage Of tie discussion, an overwhelming
defeat OF the Government would have been the
ineyiRbls result. CQTiousIy enough, this was
result that neither party desired. The Gov
= I. ~ "a
Opposition were not prepared to change places
wish them.
Mr. DisYaeli found, to his sssonishnans, that
be had been taken at his word, and had raised
storm which il wss difficult to quell Ths less-
ers Of both fsetioRs then acted in concert, in
order TO avert the impending evil. Oae Of the
0o7eEnmsat ministers appealed to the House
not 20 press matters to a crisis during the ah
senee Of Lord PalmsTston, an absence which
was declared 20 be unavoidable, as his loTd2hip
was Gnhap2ily confined to his residence By an
attack Of the gout. A smile Of doubtful char
&C. .er ran over The House IS this announcement,
foT il is not The iTss time hat the Premier has
found it convenient 10 absent himself fEom ais
post under the same plea. Mr.. Disrasli, how
ever, put the question plainly to the Premier
colleagues, who assured ths Houge that such
was really the case, thus YiTtuaIly pledging
their hone TO the truth Of the s.assInent.
OuAoL kA4rBc NAAsN---5la8Go9s nj OGeLael IT,
claged that he would not persist in bis measure,
and even urged bis friends not to press the mat
ter TO a vote on that occasion. He fourd him
sslf, however, poHeTless to allay the excitement
he had raised, and so determined was his party
to carry cut their purpose then and there that he
fo0nd tie only way to prevent the result WHICH
he had been apparently aiming at was to retire
from the House with such nUmoer Of his i'm
usdats friends as he could command. THIS be
did, asd the ministers were thus left in q small
majority. Thsy were then anxious enough to
pTsss ths question to vote, aad did 50, thus
saving themselves from the calamity that had
stared them go boldly in the faes. What will
you think when I'tell you FhEt not G7s minutes
elapsed after the'AnHoUnesment Of ths result bs-
/ fore Lord PalnerstoB, whom bis colleagues hsd
zssertsd wss confined TO his room, waik0d ini0
the House snd to0k bis seas with as n-reh nor
chglance as thoag hs hsd eceuFisd il ths whole
evening and had Only just returned from a visit
to the coffee room.
This Is IS f1if a1 account "a I can give Of
the occurrence, which you viii End vsriously
described II the L7nden newspapers Of the
week. As for Lord PelnieHston, bis triekery
and anscrupulsusness are 30 thoroughly under
stood that no one pretends to be surP9eed at
the part he played n the nsfter. But the I'M
poriant lesson Ehieh the alan tssehes Is one
IN which you a-e daeply interested. ! hsVe
assured you bsfefe that, an tbs eVenf Of .
change in the Government, there would be no
change in the policy and eoEdEes o. MS cenn-
4 trv in regard 10 American atfalrE. HIS proves
ii Tbe Opposition could havs ssnt the minie-
| tFy 10 the wall last Tuesday with perfsct eAss,
I 8ls what WoGld have been The Fesultf They
would have come into power pledged before the
tcountsy and the wagld not only 70 rsVeEse ths
action ot The lals Government IS to Danish az
fairs, on which Fhe crIais BqRipaAy arose, has