The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-18
English Reform.

The Derby Government have lost no time
after the meeting of Parliament in taking ac-
ton on the subject of reform; but that action,
our cable dispatches inform us, has failed to
give satisfaction to the bulk of the Liberal
party. And this is not surprising. The natu-
raj presumption, from that portion of the
Queens speech relating to the question of
reform, was that her Ministers were prepared
to introduce into Parliament, with all conve-
nient speed, measure for the extension of the
franchise. But instead of bringing forward
such measure, they have adopted a course
at once unconstitutional and unprecedented.
Instead of graphing with the question in the
usual way on their responsibility as a Govern
ment, prepared to stand or fall by the verdict
of the House of Commons on their bill, they
propose, as a preliminary step, to take the
sense of the House as to the plan upon which
reform, presuming the principle to be con-
ceded shall be carried out.
This looks very like shirking of the ques-
ton on their part and gives color to the in
sinuation made in some of the English jour
nails that the Cabinet, being divided among
themselves on the subject, sort of compro-
mise has been entered into by Lord Derby's
colleagues. Taking into account the circum-
few recreant Liberals succeeded in dsplacing
the Russell Gladstone Ministry, as well as the
popular agitation on the subject of reform
which followed the change of Government, the
first duty of the present Administration mani
testify was to propose to Parliament measure
at least equally liberal with that on which
their predecessors in Office were wrecked.
They were bound to propose bill free from
those alleged faults and dement's which the
bp
with them, made the principal ground of their
opposition to the late defeated Reform bill.
This they have failed to do, and the Tory
leaders consequently lay themselves open to
the charge that III opposing Mr.. Gladstone's
bill they were actuated, not by honorable and
patriotic motives, but solely by a selfish desire
to seize the reinS OF power.
1t is evident, the professions in the Queens
speech to the contrary Notwithstanding, that
the Tories are not prepared to deal with reform
in accordance with the popular will; and this
being so, it is safe to predict the speedy over
throw of the Derby Government 1t is GER
tainly clever device to propose to throw the
responsibility of framing a measure of reform
upon the House of Commons. Could the
House be induced to accept the responsibility,
it is not difficult to fOresee that the result
would be to postpone reform for at least
another twelve months, and to insure to Lord
Derby's party further loss of power. The
game of the last session would, i'll that case,
be played over again, and any bill that might
be brought in would be killed by successive
mutilatiOns in committee. But the device, we
are strongly of opinion, will not succeed, for
the simple reason that the people will no
longer tolerate delay in the settlement of the
question.
Granting that, with the aid Of those Liberals
who helped the Tories to defeat Mr.. Glad
stones Reform BILL the resolutions of which
Mr. DsraeH has given notice, are affirmed
what then The Government will not on that
account be relieved Of its responsibility in the
matter. Granting that, by the device which
has been adopted, the Liberal party should
| be so divided and weakened as to give Lord
| Derby's Government an apparent triumph
over reformers of the Bright school-what
then The victory will be dearly bought,
and the disaster speedily retrieved; for out
side of parties in Parliament and independent
of them, there is the great body of the
English people, the disfranchised masses, de-
manding that the rights of which they have
been uniustly deprived shall be restored to
them, and asserting their fixed determination
! to have Justice. No ministry, be it Tory or
Liberal, can long hold power falling to meet
! this demand.