LIBERAL CONFESSIONS AND CRIMINATL )NS.
kr a dimmer given to the late Mayor of Manchester by his fellow- citizens, Mr. GisnonNe, returning thanks in his own name and that of the Liberal Members of Parliament, stated an undeniable truth ill style so piquant as to make the passage worthy of preservation— The health of the Liberal Members of the house of Commons, he was surly to say, was in a state which required their notice, for he believed them to be in a very had state of health. They were not suffering front any very acute dis- order—(Laughter)—if the' were, he might have some hopes of tl:eir recovery; but he was sorry to state that, in his opinion, it was a gradual decay of tile system—a decay which had been going on for some years, and would require all their energies to revive. (Laughter.) The Ministerial majority lat.t.t;;..;en war,t- ing down seat by seat ; and it arose from this simple eiretunstanc0 c.tat when they had power they did not know how to make use of it: theiftokm. quarter to an enemy which lout never given quarter to them. (Lou'! erh,s;if " hear !") lie recollected the time when the Liberal majority if the House of Commons could have done any thing in reason ; but each gentleman had pecu- liar rat:riffs of his own witieh he would advocate, while he objected to :hese of others. One gentleman would not have the Universities interferml whit, be- cause be had been a member of one of them ; another objected to an inter- ference with the Magistracy, because he had once been ott the etentniSSIO11; -while there were a number of other worthy individuals who, being able only to see their way to national holiness through the sides of a national establishment, refused to interfere with it, and would refrain from doing away with a great re- ligious evil for fear of curtailing it power of doing good. (fda,ghter.) In this way the Liberal majority of Members had gradually dwindled away ; and the Tories, who had so long been our masters, were likely to become ma,ters again. (A reire—".el'i)!") -Oh, but they would. The gentleman who said " NO!" hIld lint had the experience which he had in associating Ibr ten years with men in Parlament, and of watching their feelings and the motives Which were likely to actuate them. It most be recollected that a gre:tt portion of the Ministerial supporters were Whig Members; and he had known a good many 1Vhigs become Tories, but Ile never knew any or them become Itadieals. (Laughter.) It was, therefore, he asked them to " set their houses in order," and be prepared with Wtil to go into a virtuous opposition. Mr. GISEORNE is a little in advance of the corps of valetudina- rians whom he represented on this occasion—only a little. He ought to have told this beforehand, and then it might have been of some use. He cannot plead (what many of his Parliamentary col- leagues are too well entitled to plead) inability to foresee what was coming. IIe saw that when the Ministerial majority, bad power
they did not know how to make use of it : he saw the Liberal ma- jority dwindling away in consequence: why did he not speak out in time, and warn the Liberals that they were " wasting down"
because "when they had power they did not know how to make ose of it." It is but small sat istlietion to us, who again and again fore-
warned them of what was coming, and were maligned for our pains, to find the more intelligent of the Liberals coming in, now that the mischief has been done, and telling us " You were right after all." The Cassandra-like power of saying " I ihretold it," is but a poor
alleviation of seeing an opportunity of effeetineg great good to a nation so wantonly thrown away, as ours has been. Yes, Mr. Grs- nottNE, it is the fault of the " Ministerial majority " that things have come to this pass: and the few among them who have suffi- cient sense of principle kit must be prepared to go into opposition. As to what you say about a " riehious opposition," we fear the naughty ways they have learned about alwning Street and the Palace will render it expedient to say little about " virtue." Mr. Mer.Nert G nsoe, the new candidate for Manchester, also spoke of the Alinisterialists as a "retiring party," but contrived to slip in a good word for I am one of those, l■ ithout af,rvein7 %%NI her Majesty's Ministers on all questions, who are of opinion that the LilterAl party have east a degree of un-
deserved obloquy upon them, and have attributed to them indisposition to carry
rethrms ; whereas there has rot been a class of !It:thrillers in or out of Parlia- ment ready to back them in thtise ref ams had they propounded them. (Loud cheers.) It is relatedhy some historian that tl:e Chinese, after havieg preyed to their idols, their pat?, and finding tlmt their prayers were refused, took to whipping them for it. '['I icy never think perhaps that they have not the power of granting their prayers; and perhaps this is the fact with regard to her Alajcst..'s Ministers. (1,aavhtcr.) You Nt bill and scourg.. them, when in fact, if you were t:, 1•,o1:. into pair own hearts, you ought to sroarge yourselves
for not doing your duty. Depend upon it, gentlemen, that no reform—that
no addition to the lilserties of the people—was ever given as a free gift hy any government or by any aristocracy, but was always wrenched from them by the strenuous and untiring exertions of the people; and the only way to have your wishes is to teach the people—to direct public opinion in favour of those changes you wi01 to see all,,pted. Do that, and my opinion is that you will soon thud a MiniAry resting ttioll stud, a solid tbundation as will enable them to give the nomsuces yon sick. (./pidanse.) 1 consider the charge against her Majesty's Minieters, tlmt they have sought popular titvour in their mea- sures, one of the most fidee that has been brought against them. In my °pi- llion, they have taken the VoLN crpo,,Ite COIll'n; III some instances they re- semble the Whigs whom Sherid in describes—they not only run their heads against the wall. lint build up walls to run their heads again -t (Laughter.) 1 he fact is, gentlemen, that before we abuse Ministers, we must take care we do not tied Ministe,.s in ad vsnce of the existing constituencies." (Cheers.) Mr. GiasoN has furhed us with a fair specimen of the fidla- eious statements by whieh the majority which has wasted its power and lost its opportunity has soothed its misgivings as to its own misconduct. It is true that the people have been inert ; but it is well known that in political affairs the people are only active by starts, and in the mejority of' eases passive. They who take an active part in polities know, that the people uniformly de- volve upon /hem the task of executing, their wishes--repose con- fidence in them. It cannot be otherwise : society exists in virtue of its different members undertaking diiferent tasks. The poli- tician by prolimssiou is necessary in order that the great mass may have leisure to attend to the deity business of life. The poli- tician by protbesioa is not to be sought in the Government offices alone : the 3.1seeber of Parliament, miy, every busy spirit who as- pires to take it Iced in pobr fathrs without any official qualifica- tion, belongs to till; u% Inca :t liking to the trade ; they profess to be mptainiud f .1. the trade ; and the public, C umbered with many cares, ieteasts it to their management. Of course, if th, pubre Ihq will keep a sharp look- out imild ill thch- :..1;atcor Ftalesnion : but is it to be tolerated, that wheel thi! 1'..1.1-k is in-0011V, :Ink', the public begins to grumble, the very perties wha cajoled the said public into intrusting it to them shall t nit round and " Why v• ere you foul enough to trust Its ?" The present Alinisters cue itt it ellthiCa to shelter themselves under the getiernl stltoment that " no le linen was ever given by any government." They did not Nene into .;)ffice MI■ler ordinary circumstances : brought ie became: they promised to give reforms—and mee have SN'll it WillA juggling sense ther have kept that. promise. Bet it is not so muelm time linisters we Chime, as the whole body of the:1s with whom polities is more or less the business , of their livess-in and out of office, in Parliament and. out of Perlianment. We blame the Whigs, who have been puffing a ' do-nothing ..`mi in ist ry ; the Tories, who ha‘ St( ivimt, 110t to get business b-ier ■lone, but to get time mismanagement of it into , their own hands: the Radieele, who have htunoured the three, and , persuaded the people that the sham tight W:IS real battle. it is the hollow insi I.:1y of all snts of active politicians that has brought us into the embarrassing position we are in. It is the majority's c% il it Of kllilvdedgo hi iw to make Ilse of its power. that has arrested—who cell for how long ?--the progress of good government. linisters nor the supporters of :11 imisters
are " in advance (sf the cenetitoeeeles." The cohstitueneics are in a condition to advenee it' there wese loaders to show the way.
A sound jmu'.guleet publie inc-ti --1 he power ot' appreciating a kader e hen he eplesres. end eem,lire thithfully by him—is all that we are entitled to (-Tea from tee sseletiteencies. Were it other- wise, we should n• it need Mh,ietees and Members of Parliament. The constitueeehse ere at sea JOSE I low, laeentee among mum' public men Inutile one is to be found who is more entitled to confidence than another. They have their faulte, but they are not quite so bad as Mr. Ginees represents them. A few ambitious men, en- dowed with geed co e. t jn-liciow; boldness, and perseverance, would shoe- us tied heee is Ii lb and mettle iii the constituencies yet. Meanwhile, m.ve led on record Mr. GI:410102S speech as evidence
of the condition to which we have been reduced, and Mr. GIBSON'S speech as a specimen of the sort of talk which has been mainly instrumental in bringing us so low.
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