, 1866-07-19
FROM ENGLAND,
The Resignation Of the Ministers.


On The aGth Of June, Earl Russell statca
the causes OF the resignation Of the Ministry
to Parliament as follows:
lie said: I rise with feelings Of great
anxiety 10 state 10 your lordshIps what has
occurred with respect to the ercnt to which
referred on foT1ntr occasion, and the Fea-
sons which hare lndnced the Government to
In suspense, hare TO state that the Cnaacel-
loE Of the E1che4uer and myself went to
Windsor Castle to-day to hare m audience
with Her Majesty, md have returned TO town
bearing with us the permission Of Her Majesty
to resign our oluces, Her Majesty having in
ceptcd. (Hear, hear Her Majesty was
pleased to eay that che wished us to recou-
slider our decision. md that It appeared to her
AfAjesiy that the Government lad been de-
ure and further, that In the present state Of
the Continent, and With q war In progress, II
would be vcry cxpedtent TO have Change
Of Government. Now, with respect to the
frst Of the.e reasons given BY her Majesty
that VIC should retain Office, have to state
the position We should have held had VIC
yielded 10 It. Pledges had 70 frequently been
given By successive Governments 10 deal with
the question Of Reform, thAt Just reproac:,
would lie against any Government, which.
nuestlnpA abstained from taking advantage OF
general election offered 6ldlacf pt the iasit 4
| endeavoring 10 settle the question; and there
were very considerable suspicion and dsstrust
In the public mlnd In reference 10 the question
OF Reform having been Withdrawn. Thought it
necessary, therefore, at m early period to
propose that whatever measure Of Reform
Her Majcsty's Government might prepare,
| nc should stand or fall By that measure. We
collected Information and considered the psin-
ciple- 1t appeared to me that Lord Grey waa
vie WHEN, Introducing the bill Of ls3o, be said
he wished IL to b. vide ia order thai i might
be safe. On the present occasion We had to
consider whether It was not better 10 propose
mea.urc which would pass through Parlia-
Incnl By Offering compromise between dlf.
last as long undIsturbed as the former Reform
Act. 1t appeared 10 Us that rs taking tho
former alternative We should incns the risk
that IN three or lonr ycArs there won1d arise
. demand for another settlement, and that
settlement Of the question which we
wished TO do. We therefore considered It our
| duty not to bring in Reform Bill unless We
had reason to hope that It might endure for 2
considerable time. Such beng the principal
10 be attained. II appeared TO us that we
| must accomplish two objects: tho FIRST to
mike the measure sufficiently large to give
content to the people BY enlarging the fran
| 80 10 frame the measure that It need not giro
| alarm By Interfering unnecessarily with the
constitution Of Parliament. There had on
former occasions been proposals submitted
TO lower the occupation franchise In couu-
TIES from ESQ TO 91o, and IN borouehs
so. The % yearly value proposed by
the bill OF 1850 would have extended the
franchise to 1000 persons the e. yearly
value proposed By the bill Of this year would
extend II 10 no more than 156, 900. TINS leav-
inE out 1oa.0oo who By the proposal Of the
former bill would have bean entitled to
possess the franchise while BY the bill Of
1s5a the Eateable vulue Of e5 wonld have let
In 5o,oo: 1t appeared to me that this was a
compromise a1ready Indicated, and must say
that those who belonged to tic unrcpreseuted
people, md stated that they would not be
satisfied With anything less than E6 YEARLY
value in horoushs, and fl0 N counties, were
reasonable, In being copteuted With the COM
gong 10 speak Of the mode in which the bill
was received, aud the various amendments
proposed and discussed; but may, psrhaps,
state that tho course taken has been such al
hardly to keep the promise that vas made
early 10 the session By the noble, Earl
countenance any unfair attempt to oppose the
bill OF the Government. but would trent It IN
falr ard straightforward manner. II the
noble Earl had kept entirely n1oof from the
Honse Of Commons. I should hare had noth-
Ing 10 sag but to lament that his followers do
| not seem to follow him ; but have seen in
the newspapezs Of bis party that there were
meetings At the house Of noble Marquis
W. q q }hee nee.nss es too and
addressed them fuppostttou laughter-] I
must say that either they did not choose to
follow the advice Of the poblc E4fl. given in
OF that be has failed 10 gre them leasona
founded upon stsatghttorxard conduct with
regard TO this LII. (.tOh," from the
Opposiuon.l think the bill has been met
at every turn, sometimes bJ surprise and
has entbat the second readinGsFas carried BY
majority Of only Eve; the other divisions
have taken place in which sometimes the
Government had = talr majority. sometimes
verT small uaa}oFity, and the last division
Tss carried aSal;nss i;.an Us BY - dnn5, majority 81
Majesty truly sad. on point Of detail. aud
lfif had been merrly upon point of detail her
Nsjesty's Government might easlly have con-
sented 10 the amendment; but coming after
80 many attempts 70 oes.ruct, to delay, aud
to defeat the bill, the Government could not
bnt conssderit would be hopeless 10 acquiesce
In II in the face OF 10 determined spirit
sgainst ihe BILL Her Hajesty's Government,
therefore, resolved TO tender their resiena-
tions. considering the majority Of elevea 10
dctAil: cannot think now that the mode Of
extending the suffrage We proposed was
wropg, or that We proposed TO 50 further
than was necessary In Justice to the
wolktng men Of this country. We acted
according 10 our sincere convictions, Aad
according to what the Government Of Lord
; Grey had done. IN considering that ths r..
ducilon Of the franchise uas the vital point
. Of the bill; and teelng that the question was
!: | not one Of detail, We determined to tender
) our reslgpatiopb. The other ground on which
her Majesiy 1t first rrfused to accept our rcslg.
nations Is the prrseDt state Of foreign AGai1s,
aud the war whfch II now going on. We admit,
and your lordshfps Hill admit, the tncou EN-
r icnce of taking The conduct al the foreign
! relations Of this country 1t this juncturo oui
} Of the hands OF those who have been engaged
! 10 directing them, and place them II fhe
i hands of afiuiAtcrs NECESSARILY ignorant d
much that has been Ettu.g on but admitting
+. tbIs. still NC considered It our duty 70 keef
r our honor u public men uninJurcd, aud thai
:. no considerations Of public Inconvenience o
0 tht kind would jus.1fy u In foftel'iap
. the pledges NC bad Etren to the country or
4 The question OF Reform. hare RON
: stated the rcaeons which Induced her Macs
ty's Goyerumcut 10 tender their Fcsignatfu1s
q And have now ouly to make two remarks
' tNo one ID that trust. whatever PaEliaoeni
4 psy do, thcy viii act taitlY towards and np
8 treat With contempt the woEk1ng clssses
/ Hear. hear.1 I am assured they viii act II
| ths spirit IN v hlch spoke 10 Largo de{a
tatIpp. When ono Of them pointed ont &ha
c upiyersAl suffrage exitted In the United Statc
a and In eeTerst other countries, replied thu
J. this country had been famous tor man5 eea