Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-02-11
The English Elections.

Queen Victoria, is going through what may
be called its presidential election. The
English constitution has in an eminent
degree what President Grant and many
others have been trying to get for our cur
rency-elasticity 1t is constitutional to
do anything they please when they once
make up their minds to it. All that
is needed is precedent-the precedent is
sacred; so when the dreaded unconstitu-
tional thing is once enacted it be-
comes from that moment n precedent It,
self and is Immediately vested with all the
rights that pertained to predecessors which
it has overthrown.
From this elasticity" and from the
fact that the House of Commons elected
by the people, holds substantially the whole
law-making power of the nation, it comes
that when the British people really set
about carrying any measure they may do
it under the sanction Of law, more readily
in many cases than could the people in
our own national or state governments.
The King or Queen is mere figure-head
in nearly every case. The House of Lords
cannot hold out against the Commons
when the latter insist. The Lords must
Weld, for if no other way can be found
there can always be new peers enough
made to overcome an opposition. This
was threatened in 1882, and never since
have these high and mighty gentlemen
in, IF
the clearly expressed will of the nation.
The Premier, who, by precedent
again, remains premier only so long as his
measures are sustained by the Commons,
has then a power not held by our president
and is virtually the ruler of his country.
He is generally the most eminent man of
the party strongest in the Commons, and
so long a, he keeps within the limits of
what his own party will submit to, so long
may he remain the virtual dictator of Great
Britain. And the party in power will
support many measures of its ministers
always that many of its members disap-
prove of, for upon vote adverse to the
ministry the beauties of the precedent
system appear and the ministry either re-
signs, giving up its place to the opposition,
or appeals to the country by dissolving
parliament and ordering new election.
Mr.. Gladstone, the great liberal, and Mr..
Disraeli, the perhaps greater conservative,
have been for the last eight or nine years
pitted squarely against each other; in turn
each taking the part of Sinbad and each
t.Iat of the Old Man of the Sea. In the
ime of the Russell-Gladstone ministry
prior to 1866, the descendant of despised
race hung about the necks of those in
power until they yielded. Then taking
Office himself under Derby, Disraeli,
though Il conservative, pushed the reform
bill of 1867 through the House triumphant
ly. In the early part of 1868 Dsraeli, on
Earl Derby's resignation, took the pre-
miership only to be attacked and over
thrown by Gladstone who carried in oppo-
sition to him a resolution for the disestab-
lishment of the Irish Church. Disraeli
appealed to the country" that is, had
the Queen dissolve parliament and order
n new election. This took place in No
vember 1868.
The result was favorable to the liberals
and the ministry at once resigned Glad
stone succeeded to the premiership and
his old enemy has for the last five wears
again been a burden to him. Finding at
length the large majority that he had when
the parliament first assembled dwndled
into meager and unreliable one, the
premier three weeks ago surprised the
country by having parliament dissolved
and trying his chances with the people
The result is already foreshadowed and
1t is apparent that the two great statesmen
of England have this much in common,
that when in power each can and does so
manage as, burdened by the cares of gov
eminent, to give his watchful and willy
opponent who fights always at ease in the
opposition, the advantage. When either
badgered by the other, calls for help from
the country the answer is ''you have so
conducted that we will no more of YOU :
we will have the other to govern us for a
season."
The elections already held show that
two hundred and sixty-seven conservatives
and two hundred and forty-two liberals
have been returned; the full House having
six hundred and eighty-four members.
The conservatives have carried seventy
five boroughs formerly represented by
liberals. while the corresponding gains OF
the other side amount to only twenty-seven.
Rumor had it two or three days ago that
Mr.. Gladstone had resigned, but later re-
ports are that he proposes to hold office
until full returns show beyond a doubt that
he will be in minority in the new parlia-
ment.
The indications are that Mr.. Benjamin
Disraeli, now in his sixty-ninth year, will
again come to the head of affairs Oh
course it will be the endeavor of the tri.
umphant conservatives to retard the liber-
al movements which are termed some
times without much thought as to theil
true character, reforms and if it is posi-
BILE by brilliant strategy to retain power
Mr. Disraeli is the man to do it. He
never hesitates to steal the principles o.
his opponents when they will be of advan
tage to him. His doctrine seems to be thai
if bad measure must pass it is better tt
pass it himself and have the benefit of it
than to allow his enemies any advantage
from its popularity.
Altogether it probably does not make
much odds which of the two great Englisl
parties is in the ascendant Their differ
ences are mainly those of degree and no
of kind and both parties must s. move on