New-York tribune., 1867-08-22

AMENDMENTS - REPRESENTATION OF MI
NORITIES-MR. BRIGHT MIR. GLADSTONE, AND
MIR. LOWE-TIIE REFORM BILL PASSED.
From Own Correspondent
LONDON, August 10, 1867.
No debate of the session has been more ex-
citing than that of Thursday night on the amend
ments which came down from the Lords. SO little
was it expected that the Upper House would make
any serious alteration in the Reform bill that very
large number of the Commons had left town. and for
the past ten days the business of legislation had been
in the hands of a minority of perhaps GO members
Upon the adoption in the Lords of the three amend
ments for raising the Lodger Franchise to Els for
the Representation of Ninorites is 10 constituencies
and for the introduction of Voting Papers it became
evident there must be another contest in the
Commons. and the Tory and Liberal whips
moned back their truant lieges There was talk
of sending the SeTgeant-atATms for reluctant menl-
bers, but without his help they came troopng back
from country homes, from Scotland, from Paris from
half Europe, and crowded the benches early on
Thursday afternoon. The public needed no whip.
Eager strangers filled the lobbies halfway out to
Palace Yard few Of whom ever got within view OF
the door of the House. The House on a heid-mght
has often been and often written about, yet is
like the ocean in the perpetual changes OF ITS monot-
Ony, and storm IN either always offers salient points
for description Those which are impressive 70 the
imagination will leave to the imagination, and try
to deal only with those which relate TO matters OF
fact.
MIR Disrael began with a temperate statement
repeating for the hundredth time that this was
measure which had been carried thus far only by
cOnciatiOn, and dwelling upon the good spirit
shown by the Lords in abandoning the El5 lodger
franchise after they had adopted 1t. This meant
that the House was to be drawn upon for similar
concession. believe said in my last letter that as
Lord Derby and Mr.. Disrae had both declared them
selves opposed to the Representation of MlnOrtles
scheme, and as the Commons, following the lead OF
Mr. DisTaeli had rejected ii by great majority the
Reform III might be deemed safe from this lnnova-
tOn. 1t appears however, that the regard OF these
gentlemen for what they describe as their convc-
tOns is slight in comparison with their love for
bargain. Mr.. DsTaeli accordingly announced that
although Her Maiesty's Government on principle
opposed the proposition, and though he would
not for a moment say he approved IT,, never
theleSs, in Difference TO the spirit OF 1alr,
compromise shown by the Lords, he thoughtit "pru;
dentD to support the clause which their LOrshps had
introduced. Mr. Gladstone very justly said IN reply
that so far as he could See the compromise IN the
Lords had oil been on one side. Whenever Liberal
had been rejected because it would be inter
ference with the bill as settled In the Commons
Whenever Tory amendment had been proposed, no
such difficulty had been found to exist, ana amend
ments of TeactiOnaTy character had been freely
adopted But il was well understood that the reae-
tiOnary party in the Cabinet had carried the day,
that this Minority cOntTivance was welcomed by the
Tories means of limiting ultimately the Liberal
effect of the BILL that is would, moreover, paTtcu-
larly offend Mr.. Gladstone and Mr. Bright and there
fore was to be adhered 10. There was known 10 he,
also a split among the Liberals on this question: ana
altogether Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Bright came down
to the House, resolved TO ma Ike resoute stand
against this mschlevOus plan, but pretty wen aware
that they were to be beaten. ~
discussion upon two minor points fo!loWed MI
Disraeli's opening address. when the MlnoIltles
clause came on. Mr. Bright rose and moved that the
House do disagree with the amendment OF the Lolds'
He spoke for an hour in his most Jealous. though
not, think in his very best mood. lhe House was
crowded in every part. Ii heard Mr.. Bright with an
attention which few speakers receive yet II was not
in temper TO yield unTeservedly 10 the sway winch
he sought TO exercise. The truth IS, Mr.. Bright had
spoken on the same subject two nights before IN the
Free Trade Hall of Manchester, with freedom which
offended many. He described this scheme rs the
spawn of feeble minds" The expression Is strong
among those who supported If they did not all orlgl-
nate the measure, were not only Mr.. Lowe and LORD
Cairns, but Earl Russell and John STUART NH.
There were other expressions in the Manchester
speech at which Offense had been taken, when,
though proper enough, were of character not likely
TO be repeated in the 'House, where custom puts
some complaint that Mr. Bright should address pop
uar audience III different tone from that Whlch ne
Thought best adapted to influence the House and
even hint that it showed a want of pl luck. why
don't he come down here,p exclaimed one eminent
member and say to what he says Of us TO a Man
chester crOwdP thought the question answered
itself But at any rate Mr.. Bright thoroughly
in earnest and made one Of his best PaThaWentaTy
speeches 1t abounded in telling passages IN hunor
in splendid defamation, above all III serious aGgl-
ment of that kind which is most impressive to the
House. an argument based upon the practical imme-
diate results Of the measure ITS utter antagomsh 10
all existing constitutional law and ltS previous Ie
lection by the House. lie touched very lightly on
theoretical objections for theoretical discussion IS
precisely that of which, even when coming from the
most authoritative sources the House OF Commons IS
most inpatient 1.-The House" said member to me
who knows il well, will tolerate anything but an
abstract ideao For this reason perhaps, Mr. Bright
did not TO press the argument .Whlch Is,
theoretically speaking, decisive against thls
proposal. viz: that Representative Government
is essentially government by maJortles, ana that
q 1ofaxyf fha oh af
both 10 egisate and 10 act for the minority MOI 90
see the reason why, if this scheme for representing
mnOrties at the expense OF maJorltes DE adopted III
the constituencies ii should not be adopted as wen
in the Legislature If the minority OF One-tnIrd IN
an electoral district is entitled TO its member why
is not the minority OF the House enutied 10 pass one
third of the laws And in that what will become
of your Government fThe question Is OF great inter
est and is certain TO come up for discussion III Amer
ica but must resist the temptatl0h ana 20 on WIN
nv letter Mr. BeresfOrd Hope followed Mr.. Bright
He is not man of great consequence, yet happens 10
be known in America by the bitter violence, WIN
which he supported the Rebellion. lie is slnpy the
most disagreeable speaker / ever heard with an
angry feebleness of manner which would destroy the
effect of any good sense nc might by accident nave
in his mind. Out OF 80 members hi pr present. ynst
going into the tea-rOom to dinner, whittier also
went escaping good part OF Mr. Hopes speech, ana am
all of two or three unmportant harangues which fol-
lowed. Mr.. Gladstone rose about nine. There was
genuine patbOs In the beginning OF his speech NO
one could mistake the sincerity Of his declaration
Government yet that he was not about TO discuss it
from party point of view. Indeed, il is remarkable
that in both the great speeches IN which this
crotchet was opposed, it was opposed on grounds
wholly independent of party, while the Government
in adopting it had better argument to urge than
the poor necessities-which after all only cti-
tiOus necessities-Of the dispute between the two
Houses. / should say of Mr.. Gladstone, as of Mr.
Bright that he failed, from the intensity of his de-
livery to come up to his very best order of speech
1t is the fashion here to say that Mr. Gladstone can
talk only politics. that he cannOt, for instance make
speeches have heard from Mr.. Gladstone was at the
Newspaper Press Funddn 1t is supposed that
in Iolf fant,N tinn al