LORD DERBY AND THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1654, 9 June 1879, Page 3

LORD DERBY AND THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY.

It is announced that the Earl of Derby, who was one of the Vice-Presidents of the Lancashire Union of Conservative Associations, has, in reply to an invitation to attend the annual meeting, written as follows “ I

have to thank you for forwarding, at my request, the last report of the Lancashire Union of Conservative and Constitutional Associations. I regret that under existing circumstances I can no longer act as a member of that body, and I have in consequence to request you to withdraw ray name from it.” The “ Standard” regards this as a secession from the Conservative party ami says The position of Lord Derby at the present moment is not altogether unlike that of Lord Grenville after the formation of Mr Pitt’a second Ministry. Ho had been Foreign Secretary under Mr Pitt during his first Administration, and one of his warmest friends and supporters. But he quarrelled with him afterwards about the admission of Mr Fox to the Cabinet, and he then tried to form a party of his own. He was a man of splendid abilities, with a great folio wing and great experience. But he failed entirely to form a party as Pitt had formed one, and as afterwards Sir Robert Peel formed one. He had a few brilliant adherents. With these he contrived to hold office for a year, at the end of which ho was dismissed, to the entire satisfaction of tho people, and never again exercised any real power, though ho lived to a green old ago. His followers wore soon absorbed into the ranks of Lord Liverpool’s majority, and ho himself, as he told his physician, Sir Henry Halford, “ went back to his classics.” There are undoubtedly some indications at the present day, as there were then, that a Moderate party, embracing tho more Conservative Liberals and the more Liberal Conservatives, might bo acceptable to the country. But whenever such a proposal assumes any practical form it is generally found either that the leading men cannot agree about the distribution of offices, or that their supporters outside cannot agree about tho measures to bo brought forward, and so tho enterprise comes to nothing. Third parties, in fact, must grow ; they cannot bo constructed off-hand. Such a party did grow up .’gradually during the last days of the Regency, and, after the death of Lord Oastlercagh became the governing party of the country, without many people being aware of the change which tho Tories had undergone. Lord Palmerston’s party may bo called another instance of a third or Moderate party. But that, too, grew, and was not tho work of one man. Whatever may happen in the course of a few years, the political conditions of the present day are not yet ripe for such a process. Nor, if it happened to-morrow, would tho leadership of the new party be likely to devolve on Lord Derby. A longer time must elapse and familiarity with new friends must bo acquired, before anything of that kind could occur. In the meantime one cannot but regret that his great practical and administrative abilities should bo lost to tho service of tho country. His secession will not enable him to shut his eyes to the test questions which are rapidly coming to tho front, and which will require him either to desert his own order and with it, as we believe, tho highest interests of the country, or else virtually to support the party which ho has formally abandoned.” The “Manchester Courier ” has since tho above was written published tho following letter received from Lord Derby by Mr Councillor Middlehurst of Salford, who had written inquiring whether his resignation was to be understood as a severance of his connection with the Conservative party in general:— “ Fairhill, Tuv.bridge, April 20fch. “ Sir, —I thank you for your friendly letter of the 17th. As regards my recent withdrawal from the Lancashire Union of Conservative Associations, I do not see that it requires any further explanation than that which is supplied by facts which are already public. I have openly strongly expressed my dissent from the foreign policy of the Government. That policy appears to be in the main accepted by the party which calls itself Conservative, and it is expressly vindicated in the last report of tho association from which I h-ve retired. I do not see how it is possible for me consistently to support in Lancashire what I have opposed in tho House of Lords, and for the present, at least, I wish to hold myself free from all party organisations, “ I remain, your obedient servant, “ Deebt. “Mr J. E. Middlehurst.”