The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-02-28
CHI A r L ES TON
THURSDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY %, 1856
THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

the Queen on the opening Of Parliament. "ltnl.l
+bo ,ast few days the maiI has brought us English
papers. containing in full the oeoa1e III oo'D
Honses on the Address from the Throne. In tne
onse of Lords, the address ut the evening si'Iiii6
was moved bv Lord BEA UcHAMP, and seconoeo ps
ord DE1,AalERE, who briefly glanced at the vail
ons subjects, dealt with in the speech, ana more
particularly dwelt upon the Irish pohcy OF 5i'
Government, which he cordially approved.
lord JOHN RUSSELL, or properly Earl RUSSELL
spoke next He stated that his side OF the HOUSE
had no objection to offer, nor amendments TO mo'e
to the Address; but he, nevertheless, proceeoeo 10
analize very sharply, though in perfectly courte'
ous language, the several topics touched upon III
the Oueen's speech. He alone Of all the speakers
in either House that evening showed temper This
was moro particularly the case when ne came
to critcise the paragraph in the address, referring
to the question Of Parliamentary Reform Inc
noble Earl can neither forgive nor forget the un-
fair means By which the present incumbents GUST
ed him and his compeers out of their very COM
Portable places on the Treasury Benches to which,
his language would almost imply. he thought they
had prescriptive right in perpetuity. He t1rst
quoted the passage in question, from the queens
speech:
esYour attention will bo again called to the state
of the representation OF the people IN falGaen.' y;
and Trust that your delibera !2ns, conducteo IN
spirit Of moderation and mutual forbearance, may
lead to the adoption Of measures Whlch, wltnout
unfiuly disturbing the balance Of political power,
shall freely extend the elective Tanchlse.
Earl RUSSELL next proceeded, at some length,
to give tho history of Parliamentary Reform from
1889 to the defeat Of his Ministry in 1885, and then
said: BY our bill of last year we proposed an
occupation franchise Of ELL in counties, and IL IN
borouehs; and how was that met? Why, by
proposition which could not fairly be considered
either honorable to the persons who made It, or
safe for the country have referred to the speech
made by the noble Earl Lord DERBY) at the open
inp of last session, in which lie found fault with
nv conduct in regard to his bill of 1859. The noble
Earl said. oHow mat bill WAS encountered, de-
.ed aud got rid Of, perhaps the noble Earl has
now forgotten. I can assure hip~f have not"
Then. going on to make declaration of the course
which he should himself pursue with respect to
any measure Introduced by the Government, on
February G, 1856, the noble Earl proceeded as fol-
lows aI will express no opinion upon their
measure until have seen it. hope it will be
sncb a measure as T shall be able to sup
port. that it VII be q reasonable and
satisfactory settlement Of this great and
important question, which I believe it is
desi able to settle, and settle once for all. And
promise The noble Earl another thing-that his bill
shall have fair play, ministerial cheersl that
shall not be thrust aside by my underhand meth
ods: that there shall be no factous movements or
combinations against it on the part OF those who
can combine for nothing else, [renewed Ministerial
cheers that it shall be dealt with on its merits;
that if we can approve it we shall give it our cor
dia support; but that on the other hand If we
disapprove it and think it is imperfect inadequate
or dangerous, and, above all, we think it one
leading to future agitation within brief period OF
perilous character, then, with whatever means
| we may possess, We shall do our best to throw it
ont by fair debate ard honorable opposition"
rCheers and counter cheersl.' My Lords, it is my
privilege to give my opinion on this matter, and
\; ust say think our bAdid not have 'fair play
that it was encountered by ssunderhand oethods"
and by sefaosbhs movements and combi lations on
the part of those who rorld combine ftr nothing
else" [cheers] that it uas not 'dealt HH Upon its
merits :" and that it szss not met BY 'Ier d',bate
and honorable opposition" [Chesrs.I That my
Lords, is statement o; my opinion.
He next traced the history ct this measure, and
the causes of it's defeat in the House of Commons,
and closed the subject by giving Lord DERBY q
sspiece Of his mind" as follows
They endeayored to defeat it by underhand pro-
ceedings, and by proposal contrary to oil the
rules Of the House Of Commons, and the practice
| of honorable opposition. It was contrary to the
regulation thas all parties have adopted for many
wears, that OF giving notice of any important
amendment, and placing it on the votes in print
ed form, so that those who have to meet it should
know what that motion is. That step was taken
without any such notice, and without any knowl-
ton was about to Ea made. That was the course
| adopted by the Opposition. [Eear; hear, I call
that an unfair and underhand course. 1 say that,
with regard to the bill of the late Governments.
it was not met on it's merits, but an attempt was
made to form combination, against it on the
part Of those who we're unable to combine on
| any other subject. IF [ am well-founded in my
history Of what then took place, the noble Earl
opposite had no occasion to thank God
that he vas not as other men were, and not
as those Publicans of 1859, because he was quite
as bad as those Publicans. "a laugh.l With re-
spect to the Bill which the noble Earl is about to
produce only hope that it WI be produced 3 soon; @
be considered by the House Of Commons Formy
own part neither promise to support it nor do
threaten opposition to it. II it be good Blu, no
doubt we shall be happy to see it carried. If it be
bad BIZ th an incomplete Of 9s.a Tcb n m
noble Earl truly objected Above oil, il We think
it will lead on future occasion to agitation Of
perilous character it will be our duty to oppose it.
II the House OF Commons pass fair Bill, and
the artisans Of this country the privileges which
they are well fitted to perform, that OF exer-
cising one of the most important functions
which can be exercised in q free country In
L. DoS~So oHNrt
in selecting men on whom the coduct, power,
faith, and freedom of this country de-
pend for many year's-if you give them that adyan-
tage freely and fairly and to proper extent, then
hope to settle thus question hv bgf on
shufaes to cheat them of that fair right, and en-
deavor to give them less than that to which they
are entitled, you will not succeed, and you Will lay
the foundation OF future agitation. l am aware "!
that many Of the public meetings have declared in
favor of manhood suffrage, but hardly any one IN
either House of Parliament wishes for such suf-
frage and if you give the working classes OF this
country fair proportion of votes you may hope to
settle this tor Gg hara Bus
be no better theme for az. alton at the general
election, which must take place soon after the
passing G. ssuch Bill than that tho present House
of Commons cheated the country. and that Ii vas
bers Of Parliament, who would do their duty to
their constituents more honestly than the members
of the present House of Commons. (Hear, hear.) Ii
I were an agitator would wish for no better
theme. [Alaugh.l The noble Earl having arrived
at the conclusion that there ought to be large
reform, will, trust, reduce the franchise to such
an extent tlMt his measures will be accepted by
the country. We all know very well that there
are different methods of reasoning which affect
different minds Some people are very well con-
vinced by the inductive method; others are moro
convinced by the method Of deduction. Some like
the alge craic, and others the geometl1c method.
But with regard to noble lords opposite there is
way which succeeds so well as being in Office. Ia
laugh.] The noble Earl, in speech delivered by
him at Liverpool in the course Of the summon,
change of Government from time to time. Iquite
agree with him in what he said; but there is H.
further advantage which he did not mention,
namely-that when he comes into Office he per-
ceives the truth of propositions which he has been
opposing for fifteen years.