Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-02-12
Cci1vin smith on lac Revolution in England

LcieviB Smith on t.lC Revolution in England.
1t has been flvorite idea of our Fourth OF
July orators to draw picture Of John Bull
dispensing with the services Of sovereign and
adopting Republican Constitution But
thoughtful men, familiar with English history
and English character, have not looked for the
early triumph Of our democratic notions In
Great Britain. Recent events, however, have
seemed to render such a change in the political
institutions Of England less improbable than We
AAye been wont to think it. That some such
radical revolution is going on in England is the
opinion Of at least one English scholar, who has
studied history As philosophiealy and observed
the signs of the times as carefully as almost any
man Of his time, We speak of Mr. Goodwin
Snith
ln the January number of the NORTH .fmeri-
san Beris1r he discusses the great liberal move
llent i'll England with that aouteness and clear
ness, which mark all his writings. Our readers
may be interested in learning some Of his views.
They Will bear in mind that they are the
the views, not Of an American who brings his
republican FFejudices to the subject, but of an
EuglLAhman,-a Liberal Englishman, it is true,
but still an Euglishman, and profound scholar
and thinker
lie declares that England appears at length
on the eve Of organic change. He traces rapid
ly the history Of Liberalism from the beginning
of the century down to the passage of Disraeli's
Reform Bill by the Tories. 1t has been puz-
zle to Us in this country to understand Just how
the Tories came 10 desert their old colors, hoist
those of their enemies, and extend the suffrage
Mr.. Smith holds that they we're frightened into
this measure, and that 10 save themselves they
framed their bill on the principle of ostcnsibly
granting household suffrage, and thereby out
bidding tho Liberal leaders, but clogging the
grant via such conditions as to leave the suf-
fraSe practically as restricted as it was before.
The conditions, however, broke down in the
House of Commons, and 50 the party found it
self actually landed in a wide extension Of suf
frage, while its character was ruined in the
transaction,
Tn, great class Of artisans nov have the elect
tive franchise, and they are not ike the trades
men dependent on their customers or employers
Cor opinions. They are independent and demo
cratic. Many others have become convinced
during the discussions Of the last few years that
the present system Of class government is made
quate to meet the great social problems which
demand solution in England, especially thcss
which spring from the monopoly of land ard II e
unrelieyed misery and vice of the great cities. A
government which truly represents the whole
community is needed
To gree measures must be pressed by the
majority in the new Parliament, me abolition Of
the Irish Church establishment. and some gene
raj system Of popular educatisa. The first must
bring the House into collision with the House of
Lords. and both are hkely to cause collision
with the established Church. Mr. Smith is thus
brought to one Of the most interesting and i'm
pOrtant points in his paper. the peril which
threatens the very existence of the House Of
Lords. He shows that in their time the Lords
have performed an important function. Tie
feudal baron Of the middle ages really had a use
ful work, represented social and political neces-
sity, and in his narrow way was minister Of
progress But the plutocraey which now makes
up the English peerage Is an obstacle to almost
every measure of prosress, and so incurs the dis
like of every friend Of progress. 1t does nothing
but veto, and it has tried to veto every reform
for the last two centuries 1t has yielded only
when it was afraid to resist. The nation Is also
deeply dissatisfied with the constitution Of the
House Of Lords as the ultimate Court Of Appeal.
rhe public. moreover, desire change in the laws
of primogeniture and entail, by which the great
land monopolies are perpetuated, and the peers
of course will stand by those laws to the last For
these re lsons, Mr. Smith thinSs it possible with
out any settled determination to abolish the House
of Peers, the nation may actually find itself con-
fronting that institution in the path Of necessary
progress.
He goes still further and asserts that the mon
archy itself is threatened through the House Of
Lords and the Established Church. 1t could scar
cely survive the fall Of them. Not to attach too
much importance to pasquinades on the Queen,
which have been posted on the gates of Bucking-
ham Palace, thinkers have begun to question the
value of the system Of constitutional fiction, Of
which England has 50 long boosted, and to pro-
claim that society must rest on realities The
remark is constantly heard that the nation would
not bear another George ". And We may be
perfectly sure that another George ". will come.
The peculiar training of an heir apparent tends
TO make a scandalous debauchee- When such an
enc cones, not the monarch alone, but the
monarchy must fall.
Such are the ideas of Mr. Smith concerning