The Press. — London, England, 1853-11-12 00:00:00

■7 1 4 e: ,•., ..!,„ ,•,) • . • ' 10 . • ort4S.. • LONDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1853. PRICE SIXPENCE. No. 28.—VoL. I. ttt fuss. LONDON, S.ITURDAY, NOI'EMBER 11, ALL negotiations between the European Powers upon the Eastern question are b►oken off. The Russians have recei►•ed a substantial check in the Principalities, where, it appears, their numbers have been greatly exagge►ated. The Hospodars of Wallachia and Molda►ia have retired to Vienna ; and the Czar pro fesses now to be solely occupied m ith the design of wiping off the disgrace of his defeat. No Its of consequence can reach Prince GORTSCHAKOFF before next spring; yet, until with his present, or additional, forces he can repair the disasters which the Russians have sustained, the discussion even of the preliminaries of peace is postponed. In the meantime, there is no pretence what ever for the rumours that the Czar has evinced any disposition to accede to proposals for a (on • ference on the subject of his differences with the Porte ; and it is to the lust degree imm bable that, in any contingency, he will consent to such Conference at London or Paris. After a four months struggle with his Rus sian predileetions,and the same interval spent in elaborating terms of compromise, it was simple human nature that Lord AutiamiEs should ex -I►oet, as he did expect, to be able to announce at the Mansion-house dinner that his negotia tions had attained their end, and that a com promise had been effected. On the morning preceding the very day on which he was to gratify the City Magnates his audience was considerately prepared for the surprise by the innouneemeut in his t)rgan that " reports " from all quarters concurred in representing " that terms of tuljustment had been virtually " arranged." But, between this announcement and the auspicious hour when the Premier of England was to confirm it in a grand tableau, events hail again exploded the diplomatic bubble, and the threads of the negotiation were floating to the wind, shrunk up and scat tered in the battle-wreaths of a commencing conflict. His Lordship superfluously enough admitted that the desire for peace, on which he had so much emphasis, was no longer to be under stood as " implying the impossibility of war." In fact, the paper which recorded the credita ble profession that " the policy of her Ma " jolty's Government was a policy of peace " reflected on the zeal or adroitness with which this policy has been pursued, by reporting that the Turks had erossod the Danube at four different points, and that protracted negotia tions had procured the final rupture in a form which tendered war not only possible," but indisputably present. On such a catilitrophe, so brought about, it ap pears to be equally superfluous from our 1 t of view to oiler any comments of our own at this moment. On all sides, both at home and abroad, in diplomatic circles as well as in the looser interchange of less accurate information, the present Calbillt`t is alone held responsible for a result which they invited in wantonness and ensured by imbecility. Having afforded the Czar an excuse for attack, they have left him at last without the option to retreat, and, as they have negotiated without issue, they will probably Illellitee without effect. A Con ference is suggested as a bare aspiration, not as a hope which eau lie realised at any definite time or place ; and, in the interval which must inevitably elapse before any combination of events could induce the Czar to murrender his hereditary policy to its control, the impulses of any one people, or the aecidents of empire, may produce a preponderant.° which will com promise the peace and liberties of Europe. PARIAAMENTARY REFORM. Oca contemporaries are very busy in discuss ing the probable, or the fitting, arrangements of the "large measure of Parliamentary Re form" which is the basis of the present Coali tion Ministry. We have ourselves notieed one or two of the suggestions that have been thrown out to feel the pulse of the public on the question of the suffrage. We have shown the utter futility of what is styled the educa tional franchise, a pntjeet plausible on the surface, but which will not bear analysis. It is one of those sentimental schemes which abounded in the time of the great French Revolution, and which end always in anarchy, plunder, and despotism. We have had quite enough of political sentimentalism ! In nothing is it inure important that we should stand upon the ancient ways than in the matter of the franchise. The essence of the franchise must be property : it must in this country be a privilege, and not a right, and a privilege arising from tenure and tax-paying. We recommend our friends not to be en trapped into any controversy at this moment as to the principles on which further changes should be made in our parliamentary consti• tution. Let us hear what Sir JAMES GRAHAM and the other "large-measure Hie " have to say for themselves. We know what he said at Carlisle, nut only in his public speeches, but in his private canvass. We know ha de- • nounced Lord .Toss Russimes last scheme of Parliamentary Reform, because it did not trans fer the forfeited franchises to great towns. We know Sir Jim :s's language was so violent and revolutionary on this head, that an emi nent di sc iple of Sir HUBERT PLRL, and one of • his present colleagues, felt it this to the memory of his late mahter And to his own reputation to address an expostulatory pro tel.t to Sir .1 AUES, and to terminate their poIi• tient elinneeti tttt . Now, if there I•e one thing more clear than smother in this matter, it id, that the rural population and the l imit in Wrests of this country are untler.represented in our present system. There is another point. Events have proved that they flllll6ll which may be best trusted. The "large-measure" statesmen who talked so glibly of transferring f o rfeited franchises to great towns were either informed on the subject, which is not impro bable, or they were reekless and evil designing men, which it would pose. We believe in their incompetent.° and compinutive purity. We think, &Ism factions causes. they have fallen into au evil India of talking loose liberalism on grave subjects which they have not sufficiently considered, and have made silly pledges from which they find it 'Who'll to extricate themselves. It is the business of the Conservative party on this question of Parliamentary Reform to be re sumed until they have received the exposition of the Ministerial plan. The Tories, in the person of Sir ltosswr Pam., gave in their ad hesion to the Reform Act after it was passed. The sincerity of that adhesion WAti tauntingly questioned by their opponents, who boasted of their devotion to " the bill, the whole bill, and nothing but the bill." Wu have lived to set' the liberals recoil from their own party•work ; and the insincere supp4srters of the Reform Act have turned out to be the Radicals thew selves. The Conservative party sire freed from their pledge with respect to the measure of —32, by the conduct of the Coalition Ministry acting in deference to their engage ment with their Radical sillies. Let the Con servative party hold aloof at present. They are, by the act of their opponents, no longer bound to the maintennisee of a measure which was mainly devised to destroy their just in• fluenee in the country, though it may have failed to do so. Let us hear what the Government have to say. As for apprehensions of unpopularity from the opinion that the Conservative party are opposed, on principle, to extension of the franchise, these are idle fears. The largest extension of the franchise on record was the work of the Tories, in spite of the Radical party—viz., the enfranchisement of the fifty pound tenants, the purest and most inde• isendent portion of the constituent body. Therefore there is no truth in this allegation. Propositions to extend the franchise on con stitutional principles will always be listened to with respect. As for inventing a represents. tivu system free from a nomalies, that is au affair for the Abbe Siam. English gentlemen are far too practical to embark in such *dyer tures, fit for dreaming professors and jobbing lawyers. We must have a parliamentary con. stitution that will work in harmony with the character of the country ; that will support the monarchical, aristswrat ie. and ecclesiastical institutions of the United Kingdom; because those institutions are the only security for the rights and liberties of the people, and the greatness and peruisuence, of the empire.