POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 482, 17 June 1857, Page 5

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

: (From the ' Home News,' March 16.) ■ ' The movements of parties throughout, the parliamentary sfrufjgle.which has eventuated in the determination of Lord Palmerston to appeal to the country, m:y be. briefly noted. The iiuerest they possess is fugitive; but it marks the agitation of the crisis. On the ?,7th February, in anticipation qf the. defeat of ministers in the cdintnpns, and the possible dissolution of the Government, Lord Derby culled liis party together at Lord_ Egliiiton's/house, in St. James's.square, tp lie.ir from him a declaration of principles. The meeting- was attended/by members of! both' Houses/includiiig upwards 0.t'150 men-bers of ■ the Common?. Tha Vnain 'qLject his Lordship appears to lia-ye had \%\ y:e>y was, to enforce the necessity of discipline; and the doctrine of instant submission to' autlioi'ity. He especially alluded to the conduct of Mr. J^entinck in moving- an'ip.de'ir .pendent amendment on.the Budget debate, and declared that; the course pursued by Mr. Disraeli had been l;iid down in council vyitlibitnself,.and that lie Would not permit any member of his p;:rty to dictate to him." He denied that there was any truth in .^be report pf-a coalition between himself and-Mr!

Gladstone; but at the same time he thought it would be-unwise to reject any accessions of. strength .that..-would,.enable,the ■ conservatives once more:to resume ; the Government. [While denying the imputed coalition, he'observed that when, by identity of opinion, members were found votiiig together, it was' impossible to deny that a political union had bten ;de facto: established; According to a statement in a Scotch p;iper, .his Lordship intimated that if he were called ii;>on to form an administration, he would make'overtures to Sir James Graham. His statement uas-received throughout with loud.demonstrations of allegiance, and the meeting separate-! in hi^h spirits. , [It is proper to observe thnt Lord Dorby in his place in parliament afterwards denied the accuracy of the r'uport of these proceedings, Of which we have here given a correct, summary; but he did,not state in what particulars it was incorrect. The • Press,' in whose columns the r-port appeared, -ays that the " inaccuracy "-.com-' plained of probably refers to the statement concerning Mr; Gladstone. Lord Derby stated that he had more ihan one conversation with Mr. Gladstone on political matters, but that there was no arrangement between ir.em. The 'Spectator,' assuming ttie report; to represent fairly his lordship's views, makes the following pertinent remark upon it; —" How can Lord Derby refuse the right which he claims when he says that the identity of opinion, and votes is a legitimate bnsis of union ? Suitly if this, principle is right in trip case 'of Disraeli and .Gladstone, it is eqimliv riyht in the case of Bentinck and Paimeiston."] '

On the '4ud of March, the day before the division was taVen in the Commons, Lord Palmerston convened a meeting/in Downing-street of the Liberal, members of the House of Commons. About 180 members were present. In the course of a long address, which was highly applauded in its delivery and at its close, hjs. .lordship dwelt forcibly on the insults and equivocating conduct of the Chinese authorities, and vindicated the proceedings of the British admiral. Several members addressed--the' meeting:, and with the single exception of Lord Goderich, expressed their determination to support the Government. . [The ' Globe.' ministerial evening paper, reporting this ' meeting on the same evening, observed, ,'< We confidently anticipate a large majority in to-night's division ; but, however this may be, one thing is certain—the country is sound to its, hearL's core.1' The confident anticipation has; been negatived by the event; but we believe that the latter part of the sentence is well founded. As far as it is as yet possible to ascerta n the state of public opinion, relieved of party influenc.'S, the country is .\yith tlie Govenlineut; am! the recent intelligence of the wholesale assassinations attempted at Hong Kong, lias deepened the popularcnYiction that th.- vote of the House, of Connnons was unwise and unjust.} On the morning of the of March, the morning after the division, Lord Granville, President of the Council, e.^led on. seyera,! of the Ministers, and finally proceeded; to Cambridge-house, tlie residence of Lord Palmerston. But his lordsliip, exhausted by the fatigue of his continuous exertions during; several previous days, had no- yet risen. He soon aftenvards, however;, received LjOr.d Grauville, with whom he"had a lo.ng interview. Other members of tlie Administration had interviews about the same time with Lord Clarendon.; and at 2 o'clock a Cal)ii\et. Couu.cil was held in Downing-street. It sat one hour and a half; and immediately after it rose. Lord Palmerston proceeded by train tbWindsoiv C.stle, where he remained till the following morn r ing.when he returned about 11 o'clock to Cambridge house. Here he was met by Lord Granville, who after a long interview, proceeded direct to the residences of several other ministers to parmnuuicate the result. Lord Palinerston then proceeded to Downitig-streßt, where he was waited upon throughout $he afternoo.n by most of the members of the Cabinet, and many members of the I^ords and Commons, eager to ascertain the course he intended to pursue, and which he and Lord Granville fully explained on the same night to loth Houses of Parliament. Duiiug these proceedings we do not hear of any movements having taken place amongst the Conservative ranks ; but the principal members of the Peel party,- Air. Gladstone, Sir James Graham, Mr. Sidney Herbert, and others, were in constant communication. ....'; '''' '■'.