New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-02-28

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"peace ANONYMOUSLY sought and ignominiously
obtained, which will diminish your authority
"and perhaps endanger your independence.
3" You will, in due season, with democracy,
" find that your property is less valuable, and
"that your freedom is less complete"
A second attempt to procure parliamentary
reform was made, under Lord Palmerston's
government, lin 1860, by Lord John Russell.
His bill proposed like Dsrael's, to extend the
franchise in counties to f10 occupiers, but in
boroughs.as low as to GO oecupiers; adding
257, 900 voters in boroughs, all from the work.
ing class, but keeping up, pretty nearly, the
old unjust proportion between the rural and
the urban districts Dsraeli opposed this bill it
met also with middle-class opposition, and was
defeated
The third and last Franchise bill was intro
duced in the year 1866 by Mr.. Gladstone, then
leader in the House of Commons. This bill
aimed a death-blow at Disraelis favOrite re-
form-the equalization, namely, of representa-
ton in town and country for instead of the
Go occupation qualification which Disraeli had
urged for both equally, it proposed fourteen
pound qualification for voters in counties and
n sepen pound qualification for voters in Dor
oughs. The practical effect of this bill would
have been to add $4,000 new voters to the
county constituencies, and $4,000 to those of
the boroughs together an increase of $4,000
less by nearly 100000 than Disraeli's PROPOSE
ton. 1t was calculated that the Gladstone bill
would give the franchise to nearly t'cO out Of
fire of all the wOrking-class in towns while
in the country one out Of four only of the
same class would be voters under its provis-
ions.
Gladstone, in support of his bill, put forth the
principle of the rights Of man, subject only to
the limitation that the change by which the
enjoyment of such rights should be conferred
ought not to be sudden Every man." he says
in one of his speeches, "who is not presuma-
"bly incapacitated by some consideration of
personal unftness, or Of political danger, is
"morally entitled to come within the pale of
"the Constitution in other words, is NOR
ally entitled to vote.
Against this principle Disrael stoutly pro-
tested. He alleged that seven pound qualfl-
cation in towns would soon he followed by other
concessions that six pound, or, at all events,
a five pound qualification, would give the work
ing class an actual majority, and thus lead to
democracy. "You will extend the franchise
"again," he said, "and you may go to man
"hood or universal suffrage. The moment
"you have universal suffrage it always happens
chat the man who elects despises the elected.
"Then, there will be no charm of tradition, no
"prescriptiyc spell, no families of historic
lineage none of those great estates round
(Which men rally when liberty is assailed, no
craftsmanship, no eloQuence, no learning no
"gcnius. Instead of these you will have a
chloride Of selfish and obscure mediocrities, in
capable of anything but mischief, and that
" mischief devised and regulated by the raging
"dcmagogue of the hOurw
From the above it is easy to gather Disraeli's
position as a Reformer. He favors moderate
Parliamentary Reform, provided the landed
interest can have a fair share of representation
in the House Of Commons, and provided the
working classes do not obtain a majority of
voters He rcpudiates democracy. AS to any
reform in the laws which favor the monopoly
of land, such as the law of entail, backed by
that device of evil introduced soon after the
Restoration, strict settlement, together with
the law of primogeniture. and the like, 1t Is
evident that he clings to them as venerable
traditions of the past. He enumerates "great
estates" as among the safeguards and rallylng-
points of freedom 1t does not appear to have
occurred to him that one of the greatest dan
gers to which the English system is exposed
arises from the constantly increasing number
of overgrown landed estates, by the formation
of which the peasant is gradually crowded off
from his native soil In this respect France is
more secure than England, because n much
larger proportion of the French peasantry own
small farms or patches OF land. The extension
of the elective franchise in England will have
failed in its best result until it causes the repeal
of laws which provide for the unborn at ex-
pensc of the living, and add one thousand acres
after another to swell the enormous possessions
of those who are already surfeited with luxury
and overwhelmed with wealth.
As an orator. Disraeli is usually more happy
when suddenly called out on some great Occa-
sion than when lac makes a set speech, elabo-
ratcly prepared. He has at command wit, pun
gency, great plausblity, and considerable logi-
cal force admirable tact, and uniform self
possession. His first effort in Parliament, in
1897, was a complete failure but he took
courage, studied the temper of the House, and,
two years later, made creditable speech. His
career il remarkable one. Without the aid
of wealth, or the support of family influence
in spite of the prejudices which attached to his
Jewish descent, his talents, industry, and per-
severance have raised him to the most exalted
position, next to royalty, in the British Empire.