, 1866-05-08
PASSAGE OF THE IiEFOlsu BILL
The Reform Bill passed ohe House OF Can,

As
The Reform Bill passed ohe House OF Com.
mons on the 18th ult., By majority OF fire,
Or Ii other words, it narrowly escaped defeat
by the detection Of tho renegade Liberals.
The efforts ulade for the defeat CT thu bill
were on n formidable scale. The Influence OF
the London Times was thrown against II, and
all those who pride themselves upon aris-
tocratic connections or opinions, from Derby,
Dlssacli and Enlwer, down to the scribblcrs
Tor tho Tory papers, and the caricaturists Of
lunch. evidently thought they would lose
caste If they did not make stand against il.
new club, the Clarendon, was already
projected, and intended to BECOME Tor tho
selfsiylcd New Liberal Conservatives, what
the Carlton is for the Tories, the Reform Club
for the Liberals, and Brooks for The Rip Van
Wrinkles OF old WhIsgery. Sir John Pack
ington, Lord Elcho, and Mr. Lowe were to be
the shining lights of the new soc1alpol1tfcal
organization which attempted to trim be-
tween Tory and Liberal, and which las come
10 grief accordingly. Whether the projected
new club will be killed before 1t is fully alive,
Ike the organization Of which II was to be
the exponent, remains to be seen.
Johu Stuart Mill, John Bright, Mr.. Glad
stone, Mr. Milner Gibson, Mr.. Goschen, Mr..
Colcridgc md Earl Russell, have each aud all
contributed tloir shase to the triumph OF the
hill, and above all will the tzenchant logic and
lofty spirit Of Mr.. Mills speech b. remembered
as probably tue most fertile source Of
encouragement Tor wayeriug Commoners.
The question now is, whether the bill will
pass the House Of Lords. This body Il pos
fcsscd Of some power Of obstruction. It has
no capacity for good, but it has constitu-
tiona1 capability for mischief. The usual
course in the House Of Lords, when refor-
matory measure passes the Commons by
sufficient majority to alarm them, Is for the
Tory Peers to absent themselves and allow
the measure TO be passed by those who are
favorable to 1t. In some rare instances they
have had the courage to battle against the
Commons. They rejected the Reform Bill In
1852, and only allowed 1t to pass after
learning that the King had prepared
list Of new Peers Eulicient
in number to vote them DOWN. measure
which His Majesty, William ", resortcd to
upon learning that 200 900 men were as.cm-
bled at Birmingham to march to London with
petition, and that the soldiers could not be
depended upon to oppose their coming. In
this memorable conflict between the Lords
aud Commons, the Duke Of Wellinsion's car
riage was pelted In the streets OF London,
and Queen Adelaide, who had been especially
active in securing the defeat Of the bin, was
hanged in eftlgy. When the King had become
thoroughly frightened, lie asscnted 10 the re-
quest Of Earl Grey, TO create as many new
peers as might be necessary to secure The
f; passage Of the bill, but before the patents
could be issued the bill had passed into a
!. law.
Intlc present case the majority in the Com
! mems Ii 20 small that the Lords may deem it
safe to reject the bill. Ii they do so, the
probability is that England will become lhr
scene OF unwonted political excitement.
Now that tile bill hns passed the Commons,
it is certain to become law sooner or later,
but it may be at the end Of great commo-
ton The Queen is conscirntiously obedient
to the will Of The voters, and is accordingly
disliked by the aristocracy. She possesses
the power to pass the bill, and as her Minis.
tcrs have secured q minority In the House,
which is supposed to represent the people,
they will probably insist that shc shall use
the royal prcrogatlvc to compel obedience
on the part Of the rcfrastory Lords.