The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-04-26 00:00:00

innocent victims of society, quietly waiting for
those Concessions 0.44 hands of their present
rulers, whiCh are Jac to 'them, they are unwilling
to associate with them any of the usual attri-
butes of self-interest or violence, which belong to-
the depositaries of unbalanced power. When we
cease to act upon the 'prnaciple that government
is a compromise and a' balance, the English Con-
stitution must, of course, fall to pieces; but, then,
sooner or later, the whole social fabric , must
follow its fate.
The advocates of progress who, by a sort of
habit of mind, entertain with favour any measure.
that proposes an advanee in details, based upon
an already established principle, form the larger
part of the Liberal supporters of the present bill.
These men are not discontented with the present
political system; are quite satisfied even with the
present rate of progress; yet, acknowledging the
necessity—whether fictitious or factious—for some
measure of Parliamentary Reform, are disposed
to support one which proceeds upon an old prin-
ciple—the gradual extension of the franchise.
Sir G. C. LEWIS may be taken as their represen-
tative. From him we learn that their opinion
about the proposed change is, that it is not by
any means fundamental ; that it is in a great
measure nominal more than anything else; that,
in fact, it is so small as not to challenge the
resistance of any Constitutionalist. These men
may be betraying the Constitution they admire.
The principle previously acted upon in our system
of politics has been not to be continually extend-
ing the franchise throughout whole. areas of
society, which may go into all sorts of dark
corners, and include unknown and unclassified
masses of population, but to afford the privilege
to the individual whose fitness to exercise it may
be properly taken for granted. Down to a certain

point the best mode for ascertaining this fitness

may be by a qualification that takes in whole
classes of men,' though it inevitably includes some
prOportion of those who are unfit to exercise the
common privilege ; but when we get to the point
where this proportion -may be expected to be
above a certain: limit, the mode of enfranchising
whole areas of society is dangerous to the political
system. Many a man who pays only half-a-
crown a-week for his house may be fit to exercise
the franchise ; but it becomes a pregnant question,
whether for one fit there will not in all probability
be half-a-dozen unfit ? Whether, therefore, the
addition of a large class with almost " homo-
genous" sentiments and interests will not over-
, balance existing arrangements and swamp the
general constituency ?
The third Oasis represented by Mr. BRIGHT, who
are really at the bottom of the whole, agitation,
and who on Tuesday night issued their " sum-
mons ,to Parliament," are the most dangerous
spirits of this crisis, just as they expect to be the
triumphant leaders in the next. The representa-
tive system is, after all, merely a means for
securing the most useful and the most virtuous
form of government. These, it must be confessed,
are the most sincere, and indeed common-sense
reformers, and have nothing to conceal, qualify,'
or compromise. It is because they want an
entirely remodelled government, and dif-
ferent rules of policy, that s . they 'agitate
for a Parliamentary revolution. Happily,
though incautiously, the expounders of this
want. have let us into the secret of the prin-
ciples that are to guide the policy of the futura
—that is, if they get command of ' the
future. Those who impose taxation, and those
who pay it, are to be entirely two different

classes. The propertied class of the country,
•technically and exclusively so called, is to meet
the public expenditure which the defence, the
support, and the nurture of the manufactures
and _ trade with which it has no connection,
involve. Iu short the due relation, social ' and
pecuniary, between all classes in the common
wealth, is to be subverted, and "numbers'; are
to have, not' their rightful place, but the
all-controlling, oppressive, and absorbing pre-
eminence.

Such are the partieS' and the principles
have Englat4 and its Constitution in hand a'

present time.