TOPICS OF THE DAY.
PROGRESS AND PROSPECTS OF CORPORATION REFORM.
THE purpose for which the Corporation inquiry was instituted, is in a fair way to be accomplished. By the exertions of the " roving" Commissioners, the necessary materials for legislation will pro- bably be ready by the time Parliament reassembles. In the cases of the Leicester Corporation, the Merchant Tailors' Company, and perhaps a few others which may lie under similar suspicion of misappropriating their funds, an act of Parliament may be neces- sary to compel disclosures; and such an act the Government would not find much difficulty in obtaining, provided they are thoroughly in earnest about their work.
It is to be hoped that Ministers are aware of the state of pub- lic feeling on this subject—of the determination which exists in the country to put an end to the old system of self-election, and the irresponsibility of public servants from the highest to the lowest grade. They were not, they couldemt have been, well-informed on this point, when they adopted the mode of electing Aldermen for life into their scheme for the municipal constitutions of the New Boroughs. But Lord Baouonam must have seen and heard enough since the promulgation of his bill, to convince him that, as respects this and other provisions, material alterations will be requisite in it. We shall have plenty of time hereafter to discuss the projected bill . it is sufficient at present to remark, that if Earl GREY and his colleagues attempt to put the nation off with any thing short of a . full and effectual measure, their downfal will be sure and imme- diate. To them, Corporation Reform is as vital a question as Par- liamentary Reform was ; and an endeavour to conciliate the Anti- Reforming Peers by paltering with it, would be as dangerous as the adoption of Lord Hannowny's half measure would have been last year. On the other hand, by vigorous legislation—by providing muni- cipal constitutions according with the spirit of the times and the demands of the people—the Ministers will make the most of a golden opportunity for regaining their hold upon the national good opinion. They may rest assured of receiving pardon for most of their past offences, should their measure of Corporate Reform be such as the country expects. As far as we have seen, there is nothing unreasonable or exor- bitant in the expectations prevalent throughout England upon this subject. The establishment of an efficient and responsible local Magistracy, whose election and continuance in office shall depend upon the good opinion of their fellow-citizens—the re- storation, wherever it is practicable, of the public funds which have been misappropriated, to the uses for which they were be- queathed, together with the future control over their application— these are the principal things insisted upon : and unless the right of the people to good government is denied, and that of irresponsi- tole peculators to oppress and defraud them is maintained, there is no ground upon which their demands should be resisted. Resis- tance, however, and a powerful and determined one too, there is good reason to anticipate, and the Government should be prepared for it. The majority in the House of Peers cannot but consider this cleansing of the close corporations as a deadly blow aimed at their remaining, and, though tottering, still extensive influence in the land. As such, they will spare no pains to ward it off. But they will find themselves in a mistake, if they imagine that a re- jection of this measure will be as quietly endured by the na- tion as some of their votes at the close of the last session. No doubt, the loss of such bills as those for the repeal of the Fo- reign Enlistment Act and for the establishment of Local Courts, did the House of Lords much disservice; but at the same time, people were wearied and disgusted by Ministers and their House of Commons, and little disposed to quarrel on their behalf with the Peers. The case will be very different if Ministers put them- selves on a good footing with the country at the opening of next session, by bringing forward a searching and well-digested bill of Corporate Reform. They may then safely challenge the Conser- Tative Peerage to the combat; for they will be stoutly backed by every friend to good government in the kingdom; and we all know what the result must be.
Our anticipation of the Ministers' success on this question rests 'Very much on the supposition that they lose no time in proposing it in a complete and practicable form. If they defer it until they have exasperated the various conflicting parties, which will soon show themselves in the House,—by opposition to the repeal of the Corn-laws, the Assessed Taxes, the Malt-duty, and the reduction of the Army, -if, in short, they do not seize upon the earliest op- portunity to take their position on the vantage-ground that will be offered them, there is much reason to fear that they will be worsted in the contest with the Powers of Corruption, and that the interests of the community will receive serious damage at their itands.
True, the defeat of Ministers would not be the defeat of the measure, the final success of which is certain. But it is danger- ous to trifle with the present temper of the nation; whose pa- tience has already been severely tried. Great things are expected next session in the way of retrenchment and reform : should these expectations be disappointed, there is reason to apprehend, what would be a much more serious matter than any mere change of Ministers,—namely, a fearful addition to the numbers of those who have prematurely given up all hope of seeing their grievances redressed by the Reformed Parliament, and look forward to further organic changes, which would materially alter our form of government, and perhaps establish a Democracy, in the place of King, Lords, and Commons.
Previous page
