Year: 1867




GLTSH RETORM QUES7TOH.


On The 9Th OF May the House of Commons
had again an important debate on the Reform
question The Gable vaguely states chat it
was an amendment proposed 10y Disraeli which
on CHS occasion called forth an excited dis
cussion. We are not informed of the charac-
ter of The amendment; but from the circum-
stance chat il drew out elaborate speeches
from Gladstone, Bright, and Disraeli,
we infer that it concerned an import
ant feature of the bill. The two parties
again measured their strength, and the result
WAS another decisive defeat of the Liberals, the
Government obtaining a majority Of &C. we
did not need the assurance of subsequent
Cable dispatch for knowing that the preserva-
ton of the Tory Cabinet may now be re-
garded as secured. The friends Of real
progressive Reform bill can no longer expect
to reconstruct in tho present Parliament
q trustworthy majority which could be
relied upon when points OF vital importance
are at stake. The boilers from the Liberal
anks have clearly shown that they are more
sincere and thorough in their hatred OF
democracy, and of every measure looking ike
an advance toward democracy, than in their
desire to appear more liberal than the Tories.
They may again be willing to cooperate with
the Liberal party on some particular occasion,
and not shrink from causing thereby the defeat
of the Tories; but they will never he again
regarded as an integral portion OF the party
which proclaims its belief in steady progress
toward universal manhood suffrage.


The friends of Reform have reason to feel
disappointed at their defeats in the House of
Commons, but their noble efforts during the
past year are very far from being lost.
Two great results have been obtained.
In the first place, the masses of the people have
been thoroughly stirred up, and their influence
has begun to be felt The Reform agitation of
the past Winter has, in point of magnitude
and efficiency, by far eclipsed the movements
of former years. The people have spoken out
their opinion, and their words have been
needed The Tories have been intimidated
by the Reform demonstrations, and have
deemed it necessary to court the favor OF
the people by apparently making conces-
sons. If this organization of the dis
franchised classes can be kept up and I'M
proved, the cause of Reform will soon make
headway. The Tories are well aware that
nearly every one of them represents only
small community, and that even the votes OF
their few constituents are chiefly obtained by
fear. The large constituencies are, even now,
all on the side of Reform. If with them the
disfranchised masses demand the extension OF
suffrage, even the Tories cannot fail to see the
danger of their position


Already this dread of the power OF the peo-
pie which begin to demand their right has
produced q serious Generalization in the ranks
of the Tories. That portion of the party which
looks more for the purity of principles quar-
rcls with the portion that looks more for the
preservation of power. The last number
of the great organ of the Tory party, The
Quarterly Rerier, declares that the present
position of the party is most humiliA-
ting, that the introduction of the Tory
Reform bill of 1859 was a mistake, and
was the doing of Mr.. Disraeli, in opposition to
the wishes of his party. The same opinion
was held by those colleagues of Dsraeli who
recently left the Cabinet rather than subscribe
to the concessions which the majority OF the
Cabinet had concluded to make. Disr,el is
the determined leader of those Tories who CON
slider the preservation of power rs more essen
tal than the preservation OF principles. anc as
his recent abandonment of the rating franchise
for the lOdgcr franchise again Indicated would
be disposed to yield even more if thereby
he could keep the Liberals out of power. But
with every step he advances in this direction,
the number of those who are unwilling to fol-
low him will increase. Thus several prominent
members of his Cabinet, and among them Lord
Stanley are strongly committed against house
hold suffrage, pure aud simple and would
hesitate to follow Disraeli should he make Oh
this question another important concession.


While we therefore expect nothing from the
present Parliament we think there is ample
reason for anticipating steady progress of the
good cause of Reform from the more determined
attitude of the English people. The English
people deserve a better fate than to be forever
the slaves of their aristocracy, and we hope
that if their rights should be withheld from
them much longer, they will know how to
conquer them.