REFORM OF THE PEERS; POLICY OF MINISTERS.
Tim following paragraph is extracted from the Globe of Wed- nesday. e We have little hope that ours, or any views of important madVication ut the structure of the Upper House, will be entertained at present, either by Government or by any powerful party in Parliament. We have no /mow- ledye of any preparation anywhere to grapple with the subject in a practical shape. We do not think it, however, the less necessary to contribute cur ideas on that subject to the general stock, while we can du so without bias or interruption from the contests of party." The fact is, that the question of a Reform of the House or Peers is ready for discussion, but not matured for settlement. There is no expectation in any quarter, we presume, that it will be settled in the next session of Parliament. But the Globe errs in supposing that there is no " powerful party iu Parliament " entertaining " views of important modilicatioa in the structure of the Upper House." We will venture to say, that of the hun- dred and eighty Members who were in favour of Mr. GROTE'S 1110- tion for the Ballot, there arc very few who are not prepared to effect extensive alterations in the constitution of the House of
Peers, with the view to make that body responsible to the nation. We think, too, that our contemporary is mistaken when he says that there is no preparation anywhere to grapple with the subject in a practical shape. On the contrary, numbers of earliest Re- formers in all parts of the Three Kingdoms are earnestly consider- ing the best means of effecting the projected alteration. They are engaged in impressing the public mind with a due sense of its importance, and in pointing out the utter impossibility of obtaining security for good government as long as measures of improvement can be rejected or postponed at the niece caprice of a body of irresponsible legislators at variance with the House of Commons and the mass of the People. This is the best kind of preparation for grappling with the question in a practical shape. The Reform of the Peers must be carried, if at all, by the force of public opinion—the only force on which the Liberals can rely.
There has not as yet been sufficient time to ascei Lain how the change required can be best effected ; but the principle on which any
reform must be based is settled—it must be that of real responsi- bility to the constituencies. If the question continues to make the same progress for the next year that it has made during the last, we should not be surprised to see a practical measure carried through the House of Commons the s?ssion after next. Very much depends upon the conduct of the Peers when Parliament meets again : theieLordships probably have it in their own power to hasten, or postpone for a considerable time, the reform which must be achieved sooner or later.
The Globe intimates that Government is not prepared to sanc- tion any attack upon the hereditary legislative privileges of the
Peers. It is not desired that Ministers should du any thing of the
kind. But it is expected that they will not commit over again the grand mistake of Earl GREY, and place themselves between the People and the Peers. From the tone adopted by some of the Ministerial speakers and writers, a suspicion has arisen that such is their intention. Let us warn them in all friendliness against such suicidal folly. We repeat that they are not expected to head the Movement on this question. The time will come when the British Ministry, whatever may be its party composition, must make the reform of the House of Peers a Government question ; but that time has not yet arrived, and in the mean while all that Lord MELBOURNE and his colleagues have to do is to let public opinion take its course freely. A different policy, we do not hesi- tate to say, would insure their overthrow, and hurry on the change they wished to avert,—making that violent, and perhaps too sweep- ing, which ought to be well considered and cautiously effected. Earl GREY gave a fresh impetus to the Movement while seeking to restrain it. His Ministry was shattered in the attempt. Lord. MELBOURNE, it is to be hoped, will act with more knowledge and
foresight. All that is required from him is, not to impede the progress of the great question which has been taken up so se- riously and zealously by a very large proportion of his indepen- dent supporters—men who neither have nor seek for favours or
places, whose influence is based upon their popularity, and who (as Earl GREY, Sir ROBERT PEEL, and Lord MELBOURNE ought
by this time to know right well) hold the balance of power in their hands, and must in the long run determine the policy of the Government.
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