I will go still further, and say, that if at the
present moment I had imposed upon me the duty of forming a
legislature for any country, and particularly for a country like
this, in possession of great property of various descriptions, I
do not mean to assert that I could form such a legislature as we
possess now, for the nature of man is incapable of reaching such
excellence at once; but my great endeavor would be to form some
description of legislature which would produce the same results.
The representation of the people at present contains a large body
of the property of the country, and in which the landed interests
have a preponderating influence. Under these circumstances, I am
not prepared to bring forward any measure of the description
alluded to by the noble Lord. I am not only not prepared to bring
forward any measure of this nature, but I will at once declare
that as far as I am concerned, as long as I hold any station in
the government of the country, I shall always feel it my duty to
resist such measures when proposed by others.
THE LAUREATE'S TRIBUTE
[The feeling of the English nation toward the Duke of Wellington
was nobly expressed by Tennyson in his great "Ode," published in
1852, the year of the Duke's death.]
I
Bury the Great Duke
With an empire's lamentation;
Let us bury the Great Duke
To the noise of the mourning of a mighty nation-
Mourning when their leaders fall,
Warriors carry the warrior's pall,
And sorrow darkens hamlet and hall.
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