THE REFORM BILL
A. irmw anxiety begins to haunt those who are most solicitous for the position of the Ministry, and therefore solicitous about the Reform Bill. There is no question that the production of a mea- sure so moderately yet so efficiently conceived as the bill which stands for second reading on the 27th of this month, and so well constructed to amalgamate its different parts into a woiking en- tirety, has reconciled many who used to draw back at the sound of "Reform," and has actually increased the effective number of Re- formers amongst the more educated and influential classes of so- ciety. This is an advantage that can scarcely be lost, although it would be very desirable to take the opportunity while the advantage exists in such strength as it does at present. Later in the day, we may find some of those who are now reconciled and hopeful, exasperated and disheartened at the failure of a moderate plan. But it appears to us that the zeal of this new Reforming party, in its acquiescence and in its solicitude for Ministers, is leading it Into advice that would be detrimental to its official proteges. These friends of Ministers do not seem to be confident of being able to muster a sufficient support for the Cabinet in the contest, against the combination of Tories, of condemned borough repre- sentatives, of the Parliamentary agent interest, and of malcontents who will be certain to take advantage of a Ministerial difficulty.
On the other hand, it has been generally understood that Lord Iohn Russell considers himself pledged to stand by his measure— to stand, or to fall ; and, whether his retirement on a punctilio occasion simply his own absence from the Cabinet, or draw others with him, it is justly considered that any Ministerial question at the present moment would be very embarrassing if not disastrous to the Government, and therefore to the course of public affairs and to the country at large. Contemplating possibilities—dread- ing the loss of Lord John—turning pale at the prospect of "an appeal to the country" as the alternative, and little confident of carrying" the Bill, the whole Bill, and nothing but the Bill,"—the honest and ingenious friends to whom we have alluded are labour- ing their brains to devise a compromise : and we find this sugges- tion nowhere more distinctly put than. in the current number of Fraser's Magazine.
"Ministers," says the writer, "are bound to pass their bill as a whole, if possible. If that is impossible, as we firmly believe it to be, we see no reason why they should not endeavour to carry some portions of so large and varied a scheme ; if neither of these courses is practicable, then we say, that to rush upon certain defeat, and so inflict upon England, in the midst of a great war, the evils of shifting Government or a dissolution of Parliament, would look too like a sacrifice of the country's safety to a Quixotic consist- ency and to the fear of Parliamentary taunts." "If convinced, as he must be now, of the impossibility of carrying, as a whole, so large a measure, he should feel himself in a condition to deal with some portion at least of the subject, we think it would be a great gain to the cause of Reform. 11 he could induce the House of Commons to show its confidence in the people of this country, from whom it is about to require extraordinary sacrifices, and whose loyalty to the constitution was never more necessary than at present, by at once enfranchising the classes declared by this bill to be deserving of the franchise, we should think it worthy of him and of the House."
This latter suggestion exposes the inexpediency of attempting to carry the bill by synecdoche. It is evident that without its more popular clauses, the bill would possess no public interest whatever—would be emasculated ; on the other hand, those po- pular clauses alone, unaccompanied by the conservative portions of the bill, would more nakedly challenge rejection by the Peers,. when the measure would come before them as a fragment, without that claim to respect which the whole would command. The carrying of a part, therefore, is less practically hopeful than the passing of the whole. There appears to us to be no alternative between passing the bill as it stands, and postponing it altogether : a conclusion so manifest that we trust it will be as obvious to Lord John as to any other statesman or politician, and will ab- solve him from the punctilio which, by withdrawing him from the public service, would throw the course of affairs into disorder.
The truth is, that this bill must be regarded as a great attempt to serve the Conservative interests and convictions of the country; for no other class of the community would be benefited by the bill so much as the Conservative side. It is chiefly admirable for the way in which it reconciles the views of that party with a really popular improvement in the representation. That it could ever possess the acclaim of multitudes, no one accustomed to estimate the probabilities of public action. ever expected. All that could be hoped was that the reflecting portion of the community, seeing a reform inevitable at no distant day, would have taken advantage of a comparatively quiet time to pass such a measure as even Con- servatives could share in. It was a last chance for the slow-going Reformers : but it would seem that they either have not sufficient virtue or not sufficient energy to place their own stamp upon the next measure of Reform; and the public is thus practically to be taught that no: Reform Bill can be obtained unless the Lord Sohn Russell of the day come into Parliament backed by the shouts of " the masses" outside. Well, if it must be so, it must. If the reflecting and moderate Reformers east this laat chance to the mercy of Tories, Irish Brigade, and mischief-making malcontents, the lesson of the public now must become the lesson of the Con- servatives hereafter. That a "further Reform" must be had, no one doubts, moderate or otherwise; and if the opportunity for establishing a moderate measure be thrown away, we know the alternative. Reject this bill now, and the next must be of another pattern—such as will command the shouts of the multitude, and enable the Lord John Russell of the day to carry it through Par- liament by the panic of the hour.
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