The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-08-07
The Franchise. in England.

The Earl of SALISBURY made remark
| able speech in the House of Lords OF Eng
| land, on the 23d ultimo, on the subject OF
the franchise. He confessed that the
progressive age" as it is styled, had
| made such inroads in England that there
was now only q sentiment left for her old
institutions; but this sentiment was not
backed by any "great spirit to defend
them at any cost Of safety or Of peace"
The church establishment and the hercdl-
tarv peerage he intimated would have to
give way before democratic suffrage. In
presence of the democratic wave it passed
his comprehension to understand how that
/" House (of Lords) could hold its own"
1t would be said " the people must govern,
sand not a set of peers never chosen by
"the people," He did not imagine the
change would be violent, but the Lords
would be "put out" with call the ele-
gance and soltness of a dissolying view."
[Laughter.l !
The noble Earl alluded to the effects to
be wrought by placing the control of Co
vernmcnt in the hands of the masses
giving those the power over taxation who
paid the least of it. The coming events
had cast their shadows before them, and
already wonderful changes had been
wrought. People were discontinued and
aspiring. In church district inhabited
by 5000 persons he had been informed
there was "not single family that kept q
housemaid." The wealthy were leaving
the districts Of manufacturing-getti
away from the towns, and going to the
country and hard and fast line was
being drawn between employer and en-
ployed, and between persons Of influence
and those who should be guided by them.
"To trust to social influence" said he,
"under existing circumstances, is to trust
"to the greatest Of chimeras." Nor did
the noble Lord trust to education. Ten
years might prepare voter but to give
him "the franchise before you give the
education he thought fatal. 1t would
take ten years to prepare the voters; "Jut
"i auould not take Sir months for them,
"hrough their representatives, to destroy
everything that comes before them." He
| meant, Of course, uneducated voters. This
is an idea by which the Republican Con-
gress of this country might have profited
had not their selfseness gotten the better
of their judgment.
The Earl truly says =" The gift Of Suffrage
sis the most fatal gift euer BESTOWED etpon
" an unedtcated people,"
The noble Earl says everything sis 81
rantic and swift" at the present day
" gigantic wars, gigantic ships, gigantic
speculations, gigantic frauds, gigantic
"rcform bill, and" said he, 81 much tea1
"utat ace shall hare a gigantic do,onfaH.'
Like true Briton, he contended tina
however dark and dismal may be the fu
ture of England, it was their duty to stant
by their country, "into whatever hand
tho Government may pass This is ;
good resolution and loyal heartednes
that merits the emulation Of all good ant
true men in every land that is perplexet
by the developments of these days.
In the course of his remarks, the Ear
referred to events in this country-espe
cially to Mr.. Senator WADE's speech il
favor of a more equal division of property
1t is not surprising that the nobility 0
England should be alarmed at the revolu
tionary principles of the day, and draw the
darkest pictures of the future. There i:
no question about an early reformation il
England destructive of her most venerated
institutions, and we further believe this
change will be the beginning Of the de.
cline of that great kingdom. But, consi.
dering the radicalism Of the age under its
different DISCUSSES, We have no fears that
it will not ultimately meet with such
checks and notifications in all well.
grounded, civilized, and resolute commu-
mites as will render it nugatory for serious
eva, and perhaps extract from it some rea
benefits.