New-York tribune., 1873-04-09


replace them with men still less in harmony
with the country at largo. NJ. Theirs has been
all his life an admirer of the English system.
He, as well as his great adversary ana rival
NJ Guizot, labored in widely different ways
during the reign of Louis Philippe to plant
and cultivate this exotic in the soil OF France
lie assumed the Executive Power Oh the
French Republic with the same wishes ana
ideas, but two years of practical experience OF
government have convinced him that the
American system, with all its faults, is better
suited to the changed conditions OF political
life which have resulted from the vast e1teh-
sion of the suffrage in modern times. His In
fluence with the late Committee of Thirty was
constantly employed in this direction. While
Prim remained at the head of the Spanish
Provisional Government, while he always pro-
fessed strict regard for constitutional prac-
tees and principles, in reality he treated with
indifference several important parliamentary
defeats, being convinced that IN general ne
possessed the confidence of the Cortes, and
ought to remain where he was until his work
was done.
II is natural that this distrust Of their own
system, which has served so well for ages
past, should be slow in arriving at the public
mind in England But there are many indl-
cations that the subject is one which excites
great interest among thinking men, The late
Intellectual and useless crisis has had the
effect we predicted, in eicting a good many
significant expressions of opinion in regard to
the Constitutional question involved. The
Irish University bill was a matter of compro-
,,,ia nd a
which ought to have been vital to the exist
ence of the Ministry. Yet it was made so,
and its failure, though an ordinary and not
unexpected event, paralyzed for the time being
the whole machinery of executive and legis-
lative government The English papers call
attention to the fact that by the usual parli-
amentary practice all the departments of the
Government must pay the penalty of the
one which il mOmentarily at fault. The sew
eral ministries may bo working exceptionally
well but if Mr.. Gladstone or Mr.. Disraei
8" lose his head or the House Of Commons its
temper, all has to be done over again" IL
is evident that not only the members of
Parliament, but the members of all parties as
well, shrink nervously from the labor and
outlay required by general elections The ex-
less likely to be used. We have seen how the
alternative resort of resignation may some
times fail by the fat refusal Of tho opposition
to take Office The question thus inevitably
arises whether the present system OF minis
terial appointment and responsibility Is the
best possible in the existing conditions OF
political life in England The following SEN
tence, which we quote from a leading English
journal, shows that intelligent Englishmen
have no hesitation in admitting and express
ing tacr doubts upon this important subject :
"Of course all free communities must have
:" their changes of Executive Government; but
" the question is whether the many incOnve-
"niences which are necessarily coupled with
"them are better eased of, and reduced more
NEARLY to minimum, under system OF
periodical retirements from Office or under a
System of retirements of which the date de-
"pends upon sheer accident" An expression
of doubt so decided as this, from source so
thoroughly English is a sufficient confirmation
of our suggestions upon the same subject