The Portland daily press., 1880-04-29
The English Radicals.

London TRUTH
With regard to the composition of the new
Cabinet the fact that the Radicals constitute
the majority must not be forgotten, whereas in
the Parliament of 1868 the Liberals were in
the majority. 1t will not be enough for one or
two Radicals to be tolerated in the Cabinet,
they ought to be fully represented in it. A
Cabinet which seeks to maintain itself against
the greater number of its own followers by
Conservative aid will not be satisfactory. I
am not saying whether or not the Radical
creed be the better one, but it has been proved
to be that of the majority of the nation, and
moderate Liberals" must either recognize
this or go over to the Conservatives. When
was boy the term "horrid radical" was one
Of reproach. At present it is one in which
most OF the representatives of the country glo-
~. The idea that Radicals merely wish to
destroy everything and that they disregard the
sanctity of property, has disappeared. They
simply desire change where change would be
beneficial. They have no prejudice for what
is, provided anything better can be suggested.
They perceive that England, once at the head
OF progress, has Jagged behind, and they are
convinced that the interests of the country
would be benefited were institutions, which
were good enough for their day, but which are
no longer in harmony with the spirit and the
requirements of the age, amended. When the
county and the borough franchise are assimil-
ated, the absurdity of giving one man larger
share in the choice OF representatives than an
other will be so transparent that electoral dis
tricts will be the outcome. 1t having been
proved by the career of the last Parliament
that an assembly which has been elected many
years previously, does not necessarily represent
public opinion after it has been in existence
more than two or three years, the latter period
is the longest term which any parliament
should be allowed to sit. In order to create
barrier to hasty, impulsive legislation the Up
per House will have to be made a reality in
stead of sham. AS it is, the Honse of Lords
does not dare to fnlfil the functions of an up
per House. If it disagrees with the Lower
House upon any fundamental political ques-
tion it sulks but submits. This is because the
age does not recognize hereditary rights of leg
isation. All political power must emanate
from the people. Unless the Conservatives
prefer the shadow to the substance, they ought
to support a measure to convert the Upper
House into a senate such as exists in the
United States. With respect to the Gland
question:" no bill will be satisfactory which
does not put an end to the accumulation of
vast estates in the hands of few individuals,
and which does not secure to the actual occu-
pier of land the absolute right to deal with it
as he pleaseS, and to enjoy it so long as he pays
to its owner the annual rent which has been
agreed upon. These are not revolutionary
measures. They exist already in almost every
country except in England, and there is not
or later adopted by us. When they are. il will
be found that we shall go on much as we do
now, except that better laws will be passed.
many abuses will be swept away, trade and
industry will be revived, and the sum of human
happiness will be more equally distributed.
Were a Conservative should not waste any
time bewailing the inevitable, but 1 should
acpapt