Vrodurial.
The Conservatives of South Bucks entertained Mr. Disraeli and Mr. Dupre at Slough on Wednesday. Colonel Howard Vyse presided ; the Duke of Buckingham was present ; among the mottoes inscribed on the flags were "Disraeli and Popular Institutions," "Disraeli and our An- cient Institutions," " Disraeli and Protection to Native Industry." The usual toasts were proposed ; the Duke of .Buckingham answered for the House of Lords ; Mr. Dupre for the County Members. Then came the toast of the day—" her Majesty's Ministers. ' To this, of course, Mr. Disraeli answered. He made a long and smart speech evidently to the taste of his audience. He began mildly by recalling the circumstances under which Government took office, when a Ministry supposed to be omnipotent, fell suddenly to pieces. He described how- Lord Derby had shown no unseemly eagerness for office, but had begged her Majesty to reconsider the circumstances of the case before she desired him to form a Government. Then Mr. Disraeli described what they had done in three months. When they took office the question of peace or war with. France was not a question of weeks or days, but of hours. They had Preserved peace and vindicated the honour of the country. There were two Englishmen lingering in a foreign dungeon ; the Government had freed those two neglected and suffering Englishmen. A war between Sardinia and Naples was nearly precipitated, in order to upset a Govern- meat which was the deliberate choice of the Queen of this country. The Rita of faction pursued them on every side. There were finance difficul- ties. In the midst, of a hostile House he had to propose measures to meet the emergency, and those measures "had the singular and unpre- cedented good fortune of being passed with general acclamation." The Government had to decide upon the policy to be carried out in India.
Was it to be military occupation; was it to be manach and confisca- tion, or a discriminating amnesty ?
"Was it to be respect for private property, toleration for religion, and a due and decent regard for the manners and customs of the people ? (Cheers.) Were we or were we not to distinguish the great body of the millions—who after all are her Majesty's subjects in India—from those military and treacherous rebels who have received or will receive their due weed of re- ward? (Renewed cheering.) These are the great three subjects, gentle- men, which have occupied our councils and which have demanded our man- agement since we came into office—foreign affairs, that involved the question of peace or war; financial arrangements, that involved the question of mil- lions of a deficiency and a reduction of taxation ; and the principles upon which a great empire should be reconstructed in India—three great subjects, gentlemen, and we have been in office three months ! (Renewed cheering.) And yet we are told that we are a weak Government and have done no- thing Gentlemen, we have had to perform this difficult task under unprecedented difficulties. I am bound to declare, especially after some ob- servations that have been made today, that I for onc—and from my position I may be considered a candid and impartial judge—have no reason to com- plain of the present House of Commons. Considering that it was elected under the auspices of our rivals, considering that it was supposed to possess an overwhelming majority against us when we assumed the reins of office, I am bound to say that the Government have received final the House of Commons, as a body, a generous courtesy, and that on more than one occa- sion the sense and spirit of the House of Commons have baffled the unceasing intrigues and the restless machinations by which, from the first moment of our entering office, the Government of the Queen has been assailed. And, gentlemen, this leads me to the very key of the position. There exists at this moment in England that which has not existed since the days of Charles II. There is in England at this moment a Cabal—a Cabal which has no other object but to upset the Government of the Queen, and to obtain their ends in a manner the most reckless, but the most deter'. mined. Now, this Cabal consists of some scheming English politicians, and some foreign intriguers. They possess resources of all kinds, and in con- siderable amount, and they are reckless in the mode in which they dispose of them. Their social influences are considerable, and they are perverted without the slightest remorse to obtain their political ends. (Cheers.) They possess great sources of political information, especially with regard to foreign affairs, obtained in a manner not very constitutional. (Cheers.) They have succeeded in doing that which no Cabal in modern times, I am proud to say, has yet, succeeded in accomplishing—they, have in a great degree corrupted the once pure and independent press of England. (Loud cheers.) limn- cent people in the country who look to the leading articles in the news- papers for advice and direction—who look to what are called leading organs to be the guardians of their privileges and the directors of their political consciences—(Laughter)—are not the least aware, beeause this sort of know- ledge travels slowly, that leading organs now are place hunters of the Cabal, and that the once stern guardians of popular rights simpdr in the enervating atmosphere of gilded saloons. (Cheers and laughter.) Yes, gentlemen, it is too true that the shepherds who were once the guardians of the flock are now in league with the wolves—(Laughter)—and therefore it is that though we have been only three months in office, though during that space we have vindicated your honour, maintained the peace of Europe, which was in manifest peril, rescued our countrymen from a foreign dungeon, made up a great deficiency in your finances, and yet reduced taxa- tion, and laid a deep foundation for your future empire in the East, —inno- cent people in the country who read leading organs believe we are a Govern- ment that do nothing; that we are a weak Government and not entitled to the confidence of our country. (Cheers and laughter.) But, gentlemen, what would happen if the Cabal were successful ? You know our policy, and you can judge of it by its fruits. Let the Cabal be successful and m foreign affairs you will have a truckling foreign policy, while in home affairs you will have gradually established a strong and strict centralized Government, on the model of that Government which the Cabal ad- mire ; and whenever the spirit of the country is interested iu those improvements which the spirit of the age demands—whether they be social, or financial, or constitutional—and the settlement of which is the first duty and the most pressing task of a real statesman, then you will have your attention distracted from this Conservative progress by incomprehen- sible wars carried on in distant parts, commenced for no earthly purpose, and terminating in the waste of your resources, and perhaps of your repute- lion. (Loud cheers.) Well, then, you have to choose between our policy and the policy of the Cabal, and I am here today to ask the people of the county of Buckingham, and to ask the people of England, will you support her Majesty's Government against the Cabal ? (Loud cheers, and cries of " We will !") Well, gentlemen, so deluded was the Cabal, so implicit'l'y did they believe their own leading articles written by themselves, so en- tirely did they credit the statement, that the people of England are against those who, in a moment of constitutional difficulty, at her Majesty's twice expressed wish came forward to assist her, that thinking that the oppor- tunity was ripe, having, as they imagined, a packed House of Commons, and having every advantage in their favour, they brought forward a vote of censure upon a Ministry which in three months had effected those great re- sults to which I have alluded. (Cries of " Shame !" and cheers.) We gentlemen, the moment notice was given of that motion it was consider among shortsighted hangers-on in polities that our doom was sealed as cer- tainly as is that of a man who has been committed and sentenced, and is only waiting for the arrival of' Mr. Caleraft. (Laughter.) All those wise and experienced politicians thought that'the game was up. They knew, ac- cording to their own fancies, that no one would look into the merits of the question, and nobody would then remember what we had done or consider what we might do. It was in their minds a mere sum in political arithmetic, which the merest novice in politics could calculate and fix in an instant. There were a greater number of Members of the House of Commons at the 'service of the Cabal. The signal was given by the leader. There were Belem} and pious tools always at the service of the Cabal, and the thing was to be done offhand. (Laughter.) Well, gentlemen, they fixed upon an Indian subject, from which they stole their tactics, and which revealed their views. They were, in fact, resolved to loot the Treasury. (Roars of laughter.) There is nothing in my recollection of politics—which, owing to your continual confidence in me, extends to a period of no very short du-. ration, for I believe that it was on this very spot and in the presence of many of those now assembled here that I made my first speech in publin life long before I had the honour of being a Member of the House of Commons—there is nothing, I say, in my political experience of any scheme more scientifically managed than that one by which it was hoped to accomplish the fall of the Government. A gentleman in the House of Commons brought forward the motion, and he was a man of unimpeach- able character. The Cabal, which had itself rather a tainted characte.r, chose its instruments with pharisaical accuracy. (Renewed cheering and laughter.) I can assure you that when the right honourable gentleman who brought forward the motion in the House of Commons rose to impeach me I was terrified at my own shortcomings, and I listened attentively to a nisi prius narrative, ending with a resolution, Which I think must have been drawn up by a conveyancer. In the other House of Parliament a still greater reputation condescended to appear upon the human stage—(Loud laughter and cheers)—and like a Pharisee of old, with broad phylacteries upon his forehead, he called upon God to witness, in the voice and accents of majestic adoration, that he was not as other men were for that he was never influenced by party motives. (Renewed cheers and laughter.) Well, gen- tlemen, what happened under these circumstances ? Why, something which I am quite sure is unprecedented in the Parliamentary his- tory of England." Then he described the debate and its conclusion. 4' There is nothing like that last Friday evening in the history of the House of Commons. We came down to the House expecting to divide at four o'clock in the morning, I myself expecting probably to deliver an address two hours after midnight, and I believe that even with the consciousness of a good cause that is no mean effort. Well, gentlemen, we were all as- sembled, our benches with their serried ranks seem to rival those of our proud opponents, when suddenly there arose a wail of distress, but not from us. I can only liken the scene to the mutiny of the Bengal army. (Laughter.) Regiment after regiment, corps after corps, General after General, all acknowledged that they could not march through Coventry. (Roars of laughter.) It was like a convulsion of nature rather than any ordinary transaction of human life. (Laughter.) I can only liken it to one of those earthquakes which take place in Calabria or Peru. (Laughter.) There was a rumbling murmur, a groan, a shriek, a sound of distant thun- der. No one knew whether it came from the top or the bottom of the House. (Laughter.) There was a rent, a fissure in the ground, and then a village disappeared ; then a tall tower toppled down, and the whole of the Oppo- sition benches became one great dissolving view of anarchy. (Loud cheers and laughter.) Are these the people whom you want to govern the country, people in whose camp there is anarchy, between whom there is discord upon every point, and who are not even united by the common bond of wishing to seize upon the spoils of office?". (Cheers and laughter.) If "we had gone upon the hustings—which there is very little doubt we should have done before we should have fallen—I believe that the overthrow of the Cabal would have been one of the most signal in history." (Loud cries of " Hear, hear!"
Mr. Disraeli concluded with a description of the policy of the Govern- ment couched in very general terms. In foreign affairs they will pur- sue a prudent and conciliatory policy and maintain peace with honour. In finance they will reduce taxation and respect public credit. In India they will carry out the policy made familiar in the late debate. He pro- mised measures of legal reform, social reform, and measures relating to 4' constitutional improvement " ; and he appealed to the people of England for their confidence.
Sir Arthur Elton met his constituents at Bath on Wednesday to ex- plain his views upon the state of affairs. He was supported by Liberals and Conservatives. He condemned alike Lord Canning's proclamation and Mr. Cardwell's motion, and without acquitting the Ministry of blame, he agreed with "that brave and honest man John Arthur Roe- buck" that the despatch of Lord Ellenborough was an honest despatch. Its indiscretion was atoned for by Lord Ellenborough's resignation.
" Well, this question has been largely discussed in the House, and 'on the last day of that discussion General Outram's letter arrived. It fell, I assure you, like a thunderbolt on the House of Commons. Why ? Because in almost identical language it breathed the same sentiments as Lord Ellen- borough himself in that despatch. Well, that letter of General Outram's produced such an effect upon many Members of the House of Commons that when the debate was on the eve of commencing, Member after Member rose up, and I shall never forget it as long as I live—many of them going to different parts of the House to make it appear that they were more in number, and so anxious were they to stop the debate that they appealed to Mr. Cardwell to withdraw his motion, and he was obliged to do so. If he bad gone to a division he would have had a majority—a large majority (I Will not say how many)—against him." (Applause.) As to the future he said, "the present Ministry may fall in time different ways : first by inhe- rent weakness and incapacity ; secondly, through some 'blunder or delin- quency which cannot be passed over ; and, thirdly, in consequence of resisting some wise and well-considered measure for the benefit of the country which has been introduced by the Liberal party. But, I for one, -unless they commit that delinquency, or show evidence of that total inca- pacity, or resist a measure of well-considered reform, do not feel it my duty to join in a plan for evicting them from power, at a time when the whole vast interests of the British empire are at stake, and when the country has only recently recovered from a great commercial crisis." (Loud cheers.)
The Liberals of South Staffordshire presented a handsome testimonial to Mr. William Mathews, at a public dinner in Wolverhampton, on Tuesday, as an acknowledgment of his disinterested conduct at the last general election. Mr. Mathews gave up his own pretensions in favour of Mr. William Orme Foster ; one of the present Members. The bulk of the speaking had reference to the local services of Mr. Mathews, but some opinions were expressed of a wider interest. Mr. Mathews said he regarded the expulsion of the late Ministry from office as likely to be productive of salutary results. Lord Derby and his party, he said, were powerful for good, but on account of their weakness powerless for evil. In the meanwhile the Whigs had retired to a locus pcznitentiee, and they would come out fresh and reinvigorated, and better able to exercise that power which they had so wantonly trifled with. The health of Lord Hatherton having been toasted, he expressed his opinion, that no two men existed who were more desirous than Lord Palmerston and Lord John Russell to promote all necessary measures of reform, and to place the institutions of the country on a footing with the exigencies of the day. Mr. Charles Villiers took up the topic started by Mr. Mathews-
" Coming as I do fresh from the House of Commons, there is something refreshing in hearing of forbearance in a partisan, for there forbearance amongst Reformers is so extremely rare that any manifestation of it is gra- tifying to witness. (Laughter and cheers.) Various reasons are assigned for this state of things ,• and some say that if there were more consideration on the part of leaders that there would be more forbearance on the part of followers. (" Hear, hear !" and cheers.) I am disposed to think that would be an experiment worth trying. If it could be brought about it would be very desirable to secure a greater degree of union amongst those who share the same general views—more of that spirit which, as my noble friend has said, animated him in his public course and led him to concede in all minor matters to secure general. agreement. If that spirit prevailed the Liberal family would certainly, be in a happier state. Independence is no doubt a great virtue in a Member of Parliament, but like all principles it may have its limits ; and when you have two or three hundred Members acting independently of each other, and differing with their leaders, it hardly tends to a useful combination for the accomplishment of important public ends. The fact is now apparent, and has been so for some years past, that what- ever Government may be in existence in this country it cannot be ad- ministered on Conservative principles. I have seen, since I had the honour or a seat in the House of Parliament, more than one experiment made of
that kind, and I have seen those who incurred the responsibility of ad- ministering the Government, and who took office with the determination of acting on Conservative principles, compelled to carry out Liberal measures, and in doing so sacrifice the support of the party who had placed them in power ; and such Governments fall from the defection of their own sup- porters. I am sorry to destroy any illusion which Mr. Mathews may have formed with respect to the good to be derived from the existence of a Con- servative Government ; but I cannot think that a Conservative Administra- tion can administer the Government except upon Conservative principles, and I don't believe that the country will consent to be governed on such principles."
The twenty-first annual meeting of the Yorkshire Union of Mechanics' Institutions was held at Selby on Wednesday, Mr. Edward Baines of Leeds in the chair. There are now 127 associations working in cordial union. The number of members and the amount of the funds have in- creased, and the Union was never in a more satisfactory state. There was afterwards a dinner, over which the Earl of Londesborough pre- sided.
It was stated in Rochester, on Saturday, that the Lord Bishop of the diocese had announced his intention of resigning his see, provided such a course met with the approval of the Government. Dr. Murray, Bishop of Rochester, is the oldest Bishop of the English episcopal church, having been consecrated in the year 1813, and translated to the see of Rochester in 1827. The episcopal revenue of Rochester is 50001. per annum, and, should the rumoured resignation be carried into effect, Lord Derby will have placed at his disposal the first vacant bishopric.—South-Eastern Gazette.
There is a free school at Illminster founded in the reign of Edward VI. for the virtuous education of youth in literature and godly learning. It is managed by trustees who appoint the schoOlmaster. The question arose, could Dissenters be trustees; and the case being heard before the Master of the Rolls, he decided that there was nothing to show that they could not. An appeal was made against this judgment to the Lords Justices. They heard the appeal on Tuesday, and decided that the trustees ought all to be members of the Church of England, although the sons of Dissenters had very properly enjoyed the advantage of being educated in the school without being instructed in the peculiar tenets of the Church of England or being compelled to attend a place of worship where these peculiar tenets were in- culcated.
The official list recently settled of eontributaries to the Northumberland and Durham District Bank contains the names of 407 persons, holding 55,653 shares. Twenty-one persons hold more than 500 shares each. Sixty-seven spinsters and thirty-six widows hold from 10 to 360 shares each. About forty shareholders are returned as "gentlemen," two as ba- ronets, twenty-four as "esquires," and twenty as merchants. The remain- der of the list is made up of persons engaged in retail businesses and in subordinate situations. One holder of 10 shares is described as a butler, another of 6 as a gardener, another of 45 as a coachman, another of 5 as a female servant, and two holding 50 jointly as a porter and a bricklayer.
A collection of the blackguards of London baying assembled at Green- hithe to witness a prize-fight between one " Walker ' and a coloured anta- gonist, they were disappointed by Walker's not making his appearance. To console them two other fights were got up ; and the second ended fatally, Philip, a young man from Westminster—said to be quite unfit to engage in such an encounterreceived fatal blows from James Morris, "the Brighton Pet," and he died in the infirmary at Gravesend. Two of the seconds are in custody.
George Horsman, a fishmonger of Leeds, has been fined 5s. for keeping open his shop on Sunday ; he had been " warned " by the police ; the al- ternative of paying the fine was two hours' exhibition in the stocks—Hors- man elected to take the two hours instead of paying.
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