g　that　the　world　is　not　yet　prepared　to　insist　on　it；which　of　course　the　world　can　never　be；　till　once　the　world　consider　it；　and　in　the　first　place　hear　tell　of　it！　　I　have；　for　my　own　part；　a　good　opinion　of　this　project。　　The　old　unreformed　Parliament　of　rotten　boroughs　_had_　one　advantage；　but　that　is　hereby；　in　a　far　more　fruitful　and　effectual　manner；　secured　to　the　new。
  The　Proposal　is；　That　Secretaries　under　and　upper；　that　all　manner　of　changeable　or　permanent　servants　in　the　Government　Offices　shall　be　selected　without　reference　to　their　power　of　getting　into　Parliament；that；　in　short；　the　Queen　shall　have　power　of　nominating　the　half…dozen　or　half…score　Officers　of　the　Administration；　whose　presence　is　thought　necessary　in　Parliament；　to　official　seats　there；　without　reference　to　any　constituency　but　her　own　only；　which　of　course　will　mean　her　Prime　Minister's。　　A　very　small　encroachment　on　the　present　constitution　of　Parliament；　offering　the　minimum　of　change　in　present　methods；　and　I　almost　think　a　maximum　in　results　to　be　derived　therefrom。The　Queen　nominates　John　Thomas　（the　fittest　man　she；　much　inquiring；　can　hear　tell　of　in　her　three　kingdoms）　President　of　the　Poor…Law　Board；　Under　Secretary　of　the　Colonies；　Under；　or　perhaps　even　Upper　Secretary　of　what　she　and　her　Premier　find　suitablest　for　a　working　head　so　eminent；　a　talent　so　precious；　and　grants　him；　by　her　direct　authority；　seat　and　vote　in　Parliament　so　long　as　he　holds　that　office。　　Upper　Secretaries；　having　more　to　do　in　Parliament；　and　being　so　bound　to　be　in　favor　there；　would；　I　suppose；　at　least　till　new　times　and　habits　come；　be　expected　to　be　chosen　from　among　the　_People's_　Members　as　at　present。　　But　whether　the　Prime　Minister　himself　is；　in　all　times；　bound　to　be　first　a　People's　Member；　and　which；　or　how　many；　of　his　Secretaries　and　subordinates　he　might　be　allowed　to　take　as　_Queen's_　Members；　my　authority　does　not　say；perhaps　has　not　himself　settled；　the　project　being　yet　in　mere　outline　or　foreshadow；　the　practical　embodiment　in　all　details　to　be　fixed　by　authorities　much　more　competent　than　he。　　The　soul　of　his　project　is；　That　the　Crown　also　have　power　to　elect　a　few　members　to　Parliament。
  From　which　project；　however　wisely　it　were　embodied；　there　could　probably；　at　first　or　all　at　once；　no　great　〃accession　of　intellect〃　to　the　Government　Offices　ensue；　though　a　little　might；　even　at　first；　and　a　little　is　always　precious：　　but　in　its　ulterior　operation；　were　that　faithfully　developed；　and　wisely　presided　over；　I　fancy　an　immense　accession　of　intellect　might　ensue；nay　a　natural　ingress　might　thereby　be　opened　to　all　manner　of　accessions；　and　the　actual　flower　of　whatever　intellect　the　British　Nation　had　might　be　attracted　towards　Downing　Street；　and　continue　flowing　steadily　thither！　　For；　let　us　see　a　little　what　effects　this　simple　change　carries　in　it　the　possibilities　of。　　Here　are　beneficent　germs；　which　the　presence　of　one　truly　wise　man　as　Chief　Minister；　steadily　fostering　them　for　even　a　few　years；　with　the　sacred　fidelity　and　vigilance　that　would　beseem　him；　might　ripen　into　living　practices　and　habitual　facts；　invaluable　to　us　all。
  What　it　is　that　Secretaries　of　State；　Managers　of　Colonial　Establishments；　of　Home　and　Foreign　Government　interests；　have　really　and　truly　to　do　in　Parliament；　might　admit　of　various　estimate　in　these　times。　　An　apt　debater　in　Parliament　is　by　no　means　certain　to　be　an　able　administrator　of　Colonies；　of　Home　or　Foreign　Affairs；　nay；　rather　quite　the　contrary　is　to　be　presumed　of　him；　for　in　order　to　become　a　〃brilliant　speaker；〃　if　that　is　his　character；　considerable　portions　of　his　natural　internal　endowment　must　have　gone　to　the　surface；　in　order　to　make　a　shining　figure　there；　and　precisely　so　much　the　less　（few　men　in　these　days　know　how　much　less！）　must　remain　available　in　the　internal　silent　state；　or　as　faculty　for　thinking；　for　devising　and　acting；　which　latter　and　which　alone　is　the　function　essential　for　him　in　his　Secretaryship。　　Not　to　tell　a　good　story　for　himself　〃in　Parliament　and　to　the　twenty…seven　millions；　many　of　them　fools；〃　not　that；　but　to　do　good　administration；　to　know　with　sure　eye；　and　decide　with　just　and　resolute　heart；　what　is　what　in　the　_things_　committed　to　his　charge：　　this　and　not　that　is　the　service　which　poor　England；　whatever　it　may　think　and　maunder；　does　require　and　want　of　the　Official　Man　in　Downing　Street。　　Given　a　good　Official　Man　or　Secretary；　he　really　ought；　as　far　as　it　is　possible；　to　be　left　working　in　the　silent　state。　No　mortal　can　both　work；　and　do　good　talking　in　Parliament；　or　out　of　it：　the　feat　is　impossible　as　that　of　serving　two　hostile　masters。
  Nor　would　I；　if　it　could　be　helped；　much　trouble　my　good　Secretary　with　addressing　Parliament：　　needful　explanations；　yes；　in　a　free　country；　surely；but　not　to　every　frivolous　and　vexatious　person；　in　or　out　of　Parliament；　who　chooses　to　apply　for　them。　　There　should　be　demands　for　explanation　too　which　were　reckoned　frivolous　and　vexatious；　and　censured　as　such。　　These；　I　should　say；　are　the　not　needful　explanations：　　and　if　my　poor　Secretary　is　to　be　called　out　from　his　workshop　to　answer　every　one　of　these；his　workshop　will　become　（what　we　at　present　see　it；　deservedly　or　not）　little　other　than　a　pillory；　the　poor　Secretary　a　kind　of　talking…machine；　exposed　to　dead　cats　and　rotten　eggs；　and　the　〃work〃　got　out　of　him　or　of　it　will；　as　heretofore；　be　very　inconsiderable　indeed！Alas；　on　this　side　also；　important　improvements　are　conceivable；　and　will　even；　I　imagine；　get　them　whence　we　may；　be　found　indispensable　one　day。　　The　honorable　gentleman　whom　you　interrupt　here；　he；　in　his　official　capacity；　is　not　an　individual　now；　but　the　embodiment　of　a　Nation；　he　is　the　〃People　of　England〃　engaged　in　the　work　of　Secretaryship；　this　one；　and　cannot　forever　afford　to　let　the　three　Tailors　of　Tooley　Street　break　in　upon　him　at　all　hours！
  But　leaving　this；　let　us　remark　one　thing　which　is　very　plain：　　That　whatever　be　the　uses　and　duties；　real　or　supposed；　of　a　Secretary　in　Parliament；　his　faculty　to　accomplish　these　is　a　point　entirely　unconnected　with　his　ability　to　get　elected　into　Parliament；　and　has　no　relation　or　proportion　to　it；　and　no　concern　with　it　whatever。　　Lord　Tommy　and　the　Honorable　John　are　not　a　whit　better　qualified　for　Parliamentary　duties；　to　say　nothing　of　Secretary　duties；　than　plain　Tom　and　Jack；　they　are　merely　better　qualified；　as　matters　stand；　for　getting　admitted　to　try　them。　Which　state　of　matters　a　reforming　Premier；　much　in　want　of　abler　men　to　help　him；　now　proposes　altering。　　Tom　and　Jack；　once　admitted　by　the　Queen's　writ；　there　is　every　reason　to　suppose　will　do　quite　as　well　there　as　Lord　Tommy　and　the　Honorable　John。　　In　Parliament　quite　as　well：　　and　elsewhere；　in　the　other　infinitely　more　important　duties　of　a　Government　Office；　which　indeed　are　and　remain　the　essential；　vital　and　intrinsic　duties　of　such　a　personage；　is　there　the　faintest　reason　to　surmise　that　Tom　and　Jack；　if　well　chosen；　will　fall　short　of　Lord　Tommy　and　the　Honorable　John？　　No　shadow　of　a　reason。　　Were　the　intrinsic　genius　of　the　men　exactly　equal；　there　is　no　shadow　of　a　reason：　　but　rather　there　is　quite　the　reverse；　for　Tom　and　Jack　have　been　at　least　workers　all　their　days；　not　idlers；　game…preservers　and　mere　human　clothes…horses；　at　any　period　of　their　lives；　and　have　gained　a　schooling　_thereby_；　of　which　Lord　Tommy　and　the　Honorable　John；　unhappily　strangers　to　it　for　most　part；　can　form　no　conception！　　Tom　and　Jack　have　already；　on　this　most　narrow　hypothesis；　a　decided　_superiority_　of　likelihood　over　Lord　Tommy　and　the　Honorable　John。
  But　the　hypothesis　is　very　narrow；　and　the　fact　is　very　wide；　the　hypothesis　counts　by　units；　the　fact　by　millions。　　Consider　how　many　Toms　and　Jacks　there　are　to　choose　from；　well　or　ill！　　The　aristocratic　class　from　whom　Members　of　Parliament　can　be　elected　extends　only　to　certain　thousands；　from　these　you　are　to　choose　your　Secretary；　if　a　seat　in　Parliament　is　the　primary　condition。　　But　the　general　population　is　of　Twenty…seven　Millions；　from　all　sections　of　which　you　can　choose；　if　the　seat　in　Parliament　is　not　to　be　primary。　　Make　it　ultimate　instead　of　primary；　a　last　investiture　instead　of　a　first　indispensable　condition；　and　the　whole　British　Nation；　learned；　unlearned；　professional；　practical；　speculative　and　miscellaneous；　is　at　your　disposal！　　In　the　lowest　broad　strata　of　the　population；　equally　as　in　the　highest　and　narrowest；　are　produced　men　of　every　kind　of　genius；　man　for　man。；　your　chance　of　genius　is　as　good　among　the　millions　as　among　the　units；and　class　for　class；　what　must　it　be！　　From　all　classes；　not　from　certain　hundreds　now　but　from　several　millions；　whatsoever　man　the　gods　had　gifted　with　intellect　and　nobleness；　and　power　to　help　his　country；　could　be　chosen：　　O　Heavens；　could；if　not　by　Tenpound　Constituencies　and　the　force　of　beer；　then　by　a　Reforming　Premier　with　eyes　in　his　head；　who　I　think　might　do　it　quite　infinitely　better。　　Infinitely　better。　　For　ignobleness　cannot；　by　the　nature　of　it；　choose　the　noble：　　no；　there　needs　a　seeing　man　who　is　himself　noble；　cognizant　by　internal　experience　of　the　symptoms　o