The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-03-20 00:00:00

Ely citoattriby Olperim.

SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 1869.

DISSOLUTION OF THE REFORM

LEAGUE.

A day or two ago Mr. Reales, President of the
Reform League, and Mr. Newell, its Secretary,
resigned, and not only has it not been thought
worth while to fill up the vacancies, but it has
now been decided to dissolve the Reform
League itself. The grounds of this decision are
stated to be the resignations alluded to, the
probability of the ballot, and the repeal of the
ratepaying clauses of the Reform Act beiag car-
ried under the present Government, and that
the League has accomplished its original pro-
gramme. Some of these points are open to
dispute. We cannot see, for instance, sufficient
ground for the conclusion that the ballot and
the repeal of the ratepaying clauses are likely to
be carried by the present Government. We be-
lieve, on the contrary, that the ballot at all
events is yet far off. Nor are we much concerned
whether the League has or has not accomplisded
its original programme. But we confess we are
delighted to hear that the Reform Leagne is
dissolved, and we should think that this feeling
is pretty general. Conservatives and Liberals
of course look at the announcement from differ-
ent points of view, but while the former, per-
haps to a many, are doubtless glad of the disco-
lotion of the League because an organisation for
political agitation is broken up, some of the
more advanced Liberals are probably of opinion
that it would have been well to have kept the
League in being, seeing how much more Reform,
as Liberals understand the word, has yet to be
effected. We venture to think, however, that
the dissolution of the League is matter of re-
joicing, independently of purely party consider-
ations. That the League did much towards the
accomplishment of parliamentary reform cannot
well bo disputed, and it is reasonable to suppose
that were it still in organisation and working, it
might do nineb towards the accomplishment of
imy other plaice' obj, et to which it might de-
vote itself. But admitting, tir the sake Of argu-
ment, that the League might have been neces-
sary for the attainment of parliamentary reform,
it does not follow that it is either necessary or
advisable for ulterior objects. The League has,
in fact, literally and actually worked itself to
death, and we suppose that it dies with the
proud satisfaction of having done its duty. Bo
this as it may, we must not in future look to
National Reform Unions or Reform Leagues for
political or social amelioration, but to Parlia-
tuent and the Press. We have now is largely ex-
tended suffrage and a House of Commons which
fairly represents the entire people, and all the
year round we have, on the whole, an honest and
an earnest Press, the people being thus doubly
represented. Add to these the right of public
meeting, and we think it tuust generally be ad-
mitted that we have no need of the Reform
League. That body, whatever goed it might
have done, worked solely by agitation. " Agi-
tate, agitate, agitate," as O'Connell said, might
have been its motto ; and we think the country
ims now had quite enough of agitation. With

such a snll'rag as we now have, the national will
CAll be carried out without Leagues or Unious,
which at one time might have been deemed
necessary.