The Wilmingtonian., 1884-11-01
nnolYN wIrm vHELoRps! .

demonstration that Gll,d the streets Of Lon.
don last week. II was the voice Of the pop
alaee giving vigorous expression to feelings
that had long lain latent awaiting such an
opportunity as the present one. Public opin-
ion desired to demonstrate to rhe uppel
CLASSES the genuineness Of its endorsement Of
the government measure of enlarging the
franchise aud al the same time to uuve ID
the House of tile Lords what little love was
left ii their breasts fol is ancient psrroga-
tive and power.
The cause that provoked this administration
was NE persistent opposition maintained by
the House of Lords against tie passage Of a
bill thrJugh parliament attending more ex-
tensiye franchise powers to the masses.
There are three political conditions, or
'estates, as they are called, embodied in
the Englisu 1onat.sU,:...- .he King. Cor
Queen), the Lords, and Commons. The
Lords are hereditary legislators, just as if,
Tor instance, in the Bayard family there ex-
isted an inherent right to a seat in our ma
tonal senate that right pass ng from the
incumbent, at his death, to his eldest son,
and 50 containing linealy. The Commons,
on the contrary, are am elective body, chos-
en- by the people, practically similar to our
representatives. The Lords and Commons
together, represent parliament or tholegisla-
ture.
Before Tall bills must appear and receive
approval before becoming the Law of the
land. The SoYereign,as with our President
has the veto power-but it is needless TO add
upon the Twice of the prime minister, VIII o
in turn, would not suggest such action un-
less he were positive Of a strong support in
Parliament, or, otherwise of popular feeling.
The prime minister, that is to say, the head
of the cabinet is thus virtually responsible
for the acts Of the sovereign and is literally
held accountable tllerefore--ilustrating the
old saying ''the King can do no wrong" 1t
is strange fact that though the King Cor
Queen, as it is just now) appoints the head
Of the cabinet, or prime minister the sover-
eign il restricted through custom and pre-
cedents, in his choice to the leader of the
most numerous party, the party that has the
stronger parliamentary following. There
are two distinctly crystallzed parties in En-.
glish politics, the liberal and the conserva-
tive, which for illustrations sake may be
compared to our Democrats and Republi-
cans parties. II is notorious that when
= .Isrz2li l,a .a.l ti,s -nnsnsqa Ii vas. ls,aeig-
cd an adverse vote on an important measure
before parliament, and was necessitatcd to
retire from the premiership, with what re-
pugnance Victoria sent the portfolio to the
leader Of the opposition, Gladstone, for
whom she had personal dislike--indeed it
was an open question in higher circles as to
whether the Queen would ask the new
prime minister to Windsor Castle.
The custom Of the English cabinet is that
when the government receives an adverse
vote, the whole of the officials, premier and
all the secretaries send in their designations:
Supposing, for instance, the Republicans
being predominant in legislation just now,
and, that they brought i'll a certain measure
before congress, that the result should be
that congress failed to pass it--all the pres
eut secretaries of State, War &C., should
according to England etiquette, send in
their resignation-the offices to be filled by
appointments from the Democratic ranks.
Though the parallelism is not strictly ap-
plcabe here: its value in Eng lish policy is
this, in theory, that as parliament represents
the major weight Of public opinion, and as
the sovereign is limited i'll her choice of cab
party in parliament, il follows that her ad-
visers are those who, though indirectly,
represent the weight of opinion coming
from the more numerous party Of the people
when sides are taken upon any proposed
measure.
The House of Lords has the power of
veto upon any measure emanating from the
Commons and vice versa the Commons have
similar vetoing power in regard to measures
proposed by the Lords.
English representatives, that isto say the
Lords and Commons receive no compcnsa-
tion whatever for their services in parla-
ment, not even travelling eXpenscs
The present measure which gives such
umbrago to the House of Lords, is one
brought forward by the prime minister,
William Ewalt Gladstone, in favor Of an
extension of the franchise, combining in its
provisions more rational distribution of
representation in populous districts, than at
present exists. The bill has favorably pass
ed the Commons and now only awaits the
approval Of the Lords and the Sovercign's s
consent, (Which latter, in Ihis case is fore
gone conclusion) to become tie law of the
land. The Lords hold that the new bill will,
in its ultimate workings, trench upon their
ancient rights and privileges aud they stur-