The Express.
London, England, 1852-12-28 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28.

YESTERDAY we had the first two indications of the
probable political future of the pew Ministry; one
given in Lord JOHN RUSSELL'S address to the elec.
t..rs of the City, of London, and the other in the Earl
of ABERDEEN s speech in the House of Peers. The
1 song in both ministerials one of " progress," and is so
far good. Th leaders both in Lords and
Commons speak of a reform of our representative
system as one of the things they propose
to undertake. Lord JOHN RUSSELL says to
the City of London electors:—" I then" (in May
last) " stated that the progress of the work-
" ing classes in knowledge and intelligence ought to
bo accompanied by an increased share of political
" power, while I was aware how difficult a task it is
" to adjust, in any plait of representation, the respect
" due to ancient prescription with the claims of
"advancing trade, increased population, and growing
"intelligence. To this task the Ministry of the Earl
of Aberdeen will anxious'y apply thenisekes" This
is satisfactory as far as it goes,—but very, very vague.
The Earl of ABERDEEN—after talking of education
and low reform as means of promoting the intellec-
tual and material condition of the people—went on
to say, "Thew reforms will not exclude an amend-
" ment of our representative system —an amendment
" not rashly, nor haitily taken ; but safe, welt eon-
" sidered, and efficient. It can scarcely be denied
" that some amendment of this system is required,
" and unquestionably the events of the last election
" have nut been such as to render any one more
"enamoured of the system which actually exists."
Replying to Lord DERBY'S rash and insulting decla-
ratiou of his wish to stem the encroachments of the
democracy, the new Prime Minister said I am
" quite ready to unite in resisting the encroachments
" of democracy, or any other encroachments, hut I
"am at a loss to see where these encroachments
" exist, and I look in vain for any such indication at
"the present moment. I should say, on the con-
" triry, that I never recollect this country more
" tranquil, more contented, less abounding in sub-
" jests of danger and alarm, than at the present
" time; and this prosperity, this contentment. and
" this happiness I believe to be mainly owing to the
" system of Sir ROBERT Peet,which it is our business to
" uphold. No doubt speculative men, and thoughtful
" men, have at all times in this country, in their
"closets, come to the conclusion that the democratic
" form of government may be preferable to the mo-
t. narchical; but these are not the men to overthrow
" states, and are, therefore, not to be feared. In a
" state of society like ours there must also always
" be men reckless and violent, unprincipled, and
" ready for any excess and outrage, it is true; but,
" at the same time, I repeat that there is less reason
" to entertain such apprehensions at the present
" moment than I ever recollect in the course of my
" life. I have great confidence in the people of this
" country; and I do believe that the imputation, and
. even the existence el' alarm, at this moment is
" almost a libel on the people of England." All
this sounds well and ',remising. May deeds follow !
The response of Lord Dewar to Lord ABERDEEN MIS
More fall of temper than 'ease, but with all his desire
to say all that might be urged against parliamentary
reform, he could only contrive a few sentences in
which vague fears took the place of sound reasons,
and selfish desires were apparent where patriotic
self-denial should have been shown. At present
the Earl of DERBY might have spared himself this
displa since both Tories and Reformers must perforce
be patient till it pleases the new cabinet to let us know
what they may be pleased to offer as parliamentary
reform. This time we want a real measure.
We want something that will do what
it professes to do, and not a mere mockery
which under the guise of electoral purification
shall simply change ono manifestation of abuse for
another. A good reform will be hailed with gratitude,
and be carried with enthusiasm a bad one will re-
ceive the treatment and meet the fate of the late
Tory budget. By a good reform bill, the ministry
may prosper and hold offiss with national honour and
public usefulness for years—by a bad one they will
inevitably be overthrown. It is difficult to conceive
that Mr. GLADSTONE can agree to anything likely to
be very acceptable to the country ; but in this age
of conversions nothing is impossible, and the new
CHANCELLOR of the Exentneea is quite clever
enough to see how needful a reformation of our repre-
sentative system really is. Should his prejudices
fail to give his better judgment fair play his col-
leagues must not permit a good ship to be lost by
the presence of one parliamentary JONAH. Mr.
SIDNEY HERBERT'S name suggests similar doubts.
He has whims and crotchets, and is apt to let his
feelings usurp the mastery of his cooler and calmer
self. But Mr. SIDNEY Rammer is by no means
either overbold or excessively impracticable. He
may be inclined to allow his real know'. dge of the
condition of the people to guide him to the conviction
that thousands now deprived of the suffrage are
fully entitled to enjoy it, and that there
are manifold anomalies in our electoral system
which must be removed to encourage the ra-
tional progress, in which alone resides national
safety. Should these members of the new Ministry,
however, prove impracticable, the only hope will
be, that they may give place to better, bolder, and
more far-seeing men. They must feel the need for
reform, or bow to the necessity of resignation.
More than a hundred scats are at this moment in
jeopardy, biding the result of inquiries before election

committees, and the decisions of those tribunals luny
! —and in all probability will—very materially change
the character of that house by which the present
' Ministry were called to (Mice by a majority of only
nineteen. Twice or thrice that number of vuu
may, two months henve, be lost by the present
Ministry, and be gained by their oppu..ents. Iknce
I they who give prudent rind timely cautions are the
best friends of the new Ministers. The quest iun really
is—electoral reform or ministet ial annihilation. If mi.
nisters ti uly and honestly advance, they :July be sate;
if they falter or pause, they must hill. lii.itmgoiw,
FRAIL, and such like 'supporters of the old system,
have brought things to such a state of utter corrup-
tion that persistence in it seems impossible even to
Lord ABERDEEN; and the time has come when
ministere, parliament, and people are alike deeply in-
terested in the preparation of a really sound, honest,
and complete plan fur the reform of the mina senta-
tion of the people. Such a plan must be prepared
and be pat before the House of Commons; and if
that assembly, with i;3 llEßEsEtikb nominees, will
not vote its own wholesome purification, it will
become the evident duty of Lord JUIIN itI.7Z•SF.I.I. to
follow a recent example by appealing to the people
fur a decision on reform, just as Lord DERRY appeared
to the same great jury fur the final verdict on Free
Trade. With the present House or Commons it
must be a formal question of self-reform or --disso-
lution.