The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-05-08 00:00:00

by excluding the votes of women, one half of the
public from a right which they yet assert to be
inherent in all—a right, too, which, according to
their view of it, is not only universal, but inalien-
able, and indefeasible, and imprescriptible. Such,
we say, are the principles of
.those who hare
almost exclusively demanded such a measure as
this; and who are nearly its only hearty sup-
porters in Parliament. But Ministers the
authors of the measure—utterly repudiate such
views, or, at any rate, have hitherto professed
so to do. They would tell us,—or at least in
their happier moments, and more independent
circumstances, they have always told us,—that
they consider it so far only as a right at
all, as it conduces to public utility—as it
contributes to the enactment of good laws,
and secures to the people their impartial and
effective administration. It is upon this prin-
ciple, and with this object in view, that the right
of representation has been conferred. The Con-
stitution contemplates the calling to the national
councils, through such representation, men most
likely, by their superior qualifications, to know and
to promote the public interest. And surely no pru-
dent statesman—no one who was animated by the
spirit of patriotism—would ever think of aban-
doning so sound and safe a system, of subverting
such long established and settled rules of repre-
sentation—at any rate, without a reasonable
prospect, under that which they would substitute
for it, of really procuring wiser and better
representatives. There may be apparent anomalies
in our present system,—it may, we are free to
admit, be capable of improvement, by a proper
enlargement. But ought we not, in common
prudence, to be assured, before adventuring upon
such a reform, that the magnitude of the evil
justifies the danger of the experiment ?

Let it be borne in mind that it is the House of
Commons itself that is proceeding to make this
reform,—that it is they, themselves, who have
been: elected members of that House under the
present representative system, that are invited to
create a change in it, their enactment of which
would be tantamount to a sentence of self-con-
demnation. For if the system really requires
so radical a change—if the present constituencies
positively need to be vitalised and purified by so
copious an infusion of the democratic element
as is proposed—does it not involve the implication,
that they who have been returned'under a system
demanding such vitalising and purifying, must
themselves be in a false position, as legislators, in
such a case ? And can they, therefore, be justified
in the course they are now pursuing, as an estate
of the realm, if they thus repudiate their own
qualification to know and to promote the public
interest ? With what consistency, with what
integrity can they proclaim that the represen-
tative system under which they have been elected
is so corrupt, or in any wise so imperfect, as to
require an addition to the ranks of its con-
stituencies of at least two or three hundred
thousand—and they to be taken from the lowest,
and therefore the most ignorant and worst
qualified classes of the people ? No wonder,
when it is reflected upon in this sober and practical
point of view—no wonder that, even on the
ministerial side of the House, remonstrances
should be heard against such a measure. No
wonder that Mr. GREGORY, for instance, though
acknowledging himself a Liberal, should declare
that "he did not wish for such a lowering
of the franchise as the bill proposed. He
did not wish to see constituted, as was
intended by this bill, too unwieldly consti-
tuencies, to be handed over, as in America,
to the management of caucuses, combinations, and
associations, who were themselves wielded by a
few political intriguers. He did not wish to see
here, as in America, men of eminence retire into
private life ; and he did not wish to see men of
high talent, great eloquence, and great adminis-
trative ability, set aside to make way for mere
mediocrity. He did not wish to see forced from
the helm of public affairs men whose superiority
they could look up to without envy and without
cavil—men whose lofty position placed them
above the suspicion of all that is mean and sordid."
For " as England's statesmen had hitherto been
great, so had England's history been glorious,—
and the time was not far off, but was even no w
at hand, when the destiny of England and of
European liberty would have to be decided, not
by average capacities, but by England's greatest
men." It will not exonerate Ministers from
the opprobrium they have so justly contracted by
the proposal of such a measure,—an opprobrium
that is only aggravated by the factious circum-
stances under which they committed themselves
to it,—should the kingdom, after all, be spared
its infliction, either by Parliament completely
modifying it, or *rejecting it altogether. The
higher branch of the Legislature—whatever the
lower-may do—is almost expected, it would seem,
to reject the Bill, should the 16 franchise clause
be retained in it when it comes up to them ; nor
would its doing so be very displeasing, it is
believed, to a majority of the Commons. " There
is little danger," says the Saturday Review," of a
conflict between the two branches of the Legisla-
ture when the House of Lords gives effect to the
unconcealed wishes of all but a small section of
the House of Commons. On the whole, however,
it is more likely that the Bill will be wrecked
before the termination of its present voyage.
When it has foundered in a calm, impartial
spectators may perhaps admit that the cause of
the misfortune was rather in the fabric itself
than in the perversity of the elements. Democrats
and Absolutists will find ground for triumph- in
the incapacity of a constitutional assembly to
carry into effect resolutions which it has re-
peatedly announced; but a want of aptitude in
committing suicide is not, perhaps, altogether a
proof of defective vitality."

The French have commenced preparations for the.
proposed settlement on the coast of Abyssynia.

THE ESCAPE FROM NEWCASTLE GAOL.—Down to
Tuesday evening the Newcastle police had not got on to
the track of Walter Scott Douglas, the Jack Sheppard
of the north, who escaped from the gaol of that town a
second time on Sunday morning. There is no doubt
but that he has made off to the wilds of Northumber-
land—a direction he was seen to take on leaving New-
castle. The magistrates have held an investigation into
the circumstances of the escape, and the under governor,
Mr. Wood, and the warder who had charge of Douglas,
have been suspended.

THE NATIONAL GALLERY.—Formerly, alas, we
entered the National Gallery with unalloyed satisfaction ;
for, notwithstanding the smallness and incompleteness
of tke collection, excellence greatly predominated ; and
there was, at least, due proportion between the number
of great and inferior works. But now that proportion
is no more. Mere rubbish of large dimensions is begin-
ning to prevail to an alarming extent; and at the very
outset of the collection the imagination is much untoned
and nauseated by the uncouthness and imbecility of
monkish altar-pieces with their gaudy framework
—productions outraging common sense, Christianity,
nature, and art in every way—Orcagna-saints, of aspect
fit to preside at an Indian suttee, spiritualities in reli-
gious expression and artistic style only worthy of a
Buddhist monastery—idiotically loathsome pietas and
crucifixes, over which reverence and decency would
alike fain drop a veil. It is surely now high time
that the habit of purchasing such works—a halb.itttlberedor
of antiquarians and eloquent writers who know
li
0.1
upon our National Gallery as in any
tieon
nothing of art—should cease. We canndot,rweei
museum
of archwology and historical illusstoruando
of models
as a gallery of art—a good
. and
not willingly
2su'imply
crowded ac -
of objects in themselves
worthless and
cauoluastienhowever conducive to antiquarian erudition.
The national funds should not be lavished on such
for delight and emulation, a
quaint and dreary curiosities, to the end that when some
admirable work presents itself, those funds should be
found exhausted, or inadequate. Many of those already
collected are so utterly worthless, that we earnestly hope
the trustees will by and bye avail themselves of the legal
resource id' au auction for the winnowing and purifica-
tion of the huge mass; or, at any rate, that they will
send them to the shady corridors of one of our museums
of historical and natural curiosities,—Art Joufnal.