The Express.
London, England, 1855-07-10 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, JULY 10.

•
As the old party leaders prove themselves, day by
day, less and less worthy of popular oesfideace, it
'behoves the people to rely more than ever on them-
selves, and to make use, more wisely and carefully
than heretofore, of the powers and privileges they
poossa They have stood waiting in vain foe light
sad guidance from those who have assumed so long
the exclusive right to lead. They have 'acceded
them again and again preference and priority, to which
they bad no inherent claim, in the faith and hope that
they would at length grow energetic with the exigency
of the nation, as the spring that mama feeble sad
Bober when nnweighted, becomes firm and stamina
Mine an adequate weight is placed upon it.
ast the elasticity of the hereditary paid.
is gone. Oligarchy produces no SEM
wen men of political promise—only Owe.
Unions and ESSINOTOWS, VILLIERS and LAW.
ean, soldiers like Lord RUSTACE CECIL, and
anal sur like Mr. OSORGE DUNDAS. As for the
Salmuse, they seem to be fairly worn out. It is pod-
. *My pitiable to see men who once had eyes to see,
VIII tongues to speak, and hearts capable of an Emilia
purpose, tottering and trembling, and letting the Am
of the country fall in the mire, while the enemy looks
ea. It is plain that if the policy of the country
abroad is to be redeemed from its present plight, a
great change most somehow be effected at hymn
We have not merely need of new hands to week out
theold dengue in as executive sense, but we ham
need—urgent sad undeniable need—of fresh fame
illiseed into our representative system, which at
resent threatens to sink into a state of (flashed*
iferafor•
Uses are at present some half-a-dmen seals ie
Ike Legislature actually vacant or immediately ahem
%become so. How are they likely to be Ned to
Rochester and the City of Landon can hardly es yet
be spoken of; but Evesham and Cheltenham are
both vacant, and so is East Norfolk. We panne '
interest, for we feel no concern in the panty sepses of
the mater. As things now stand it ism not knit
a rush whether the buyer of a borough comes from
Brookes's or the Carlton, or, as sometimes has hap-
pened, from both. We have a coalition of courtieae
for a government, and the mere interchange of pea
social rivalries and enmities instead of party polities
is the Legislature. What can it signify, therefore,
to the people if the only choice lies between a candi-
date of Mr. MASTICS'S and one introduced by Major
BIASSFORD ? But the electors of a great meaty
and of a populous town may fairly consider
whether something better cannot be done
in future than they have hitherto seen or
participated in. It is idle to ask for Ad-
ministrative Reform, so long as the esinatitussaims
hesitate about enforcing a moral and intellectual
Reform of Parliament. The task may not be easy,
but it is unavoidable. So long as candidates are
accepted with no other certificate of character than
one from Tattersall's, the Treasury, or fashionable
clubs, the people must expect to see their hope of
good government bellied, the taxes they pay by dads
hard toil wasted, bad measures carried—nolees stopped
by tumult, and good measures turned into foot-balls
for the pastime of their rulers. Above all, es keg
as the House of Commons as now constituted
tamely endured by the people, they must expect te
see a war which was originally undertaken for a
generous and glorious purpose, turned into a
trade for the common benefit of the va•

tons sections and factions of the ruling oli-
garchy. It is quite true that, like all who gamble
recklessly and rashly, these privileged speculators
have many of them burnt their fingers. They now
confess indeed that at the outset they joined in the
cry for wsr, believing that a demonstration in the
East would suffice, and that those engaged in it would
reap an easy harvest of brevet promotions, blood-
less decorations, and extra pay. Without imputing
to them want of individual courage, we know that
many of them are sick enough of the stern realities
of the field ; and eldest sons no longer scramble for
posts on the staff, or commissions in the Guards. But
for younger brothers, sister's sons by improvident
marriages, and the whole dependent brood whose
origin is less assignable, a smouldering war, carried
on without defined aim, on a lavish wale of expense, is
regarded by the aristocracy as a providential provi-
sion. Under such circumstances jobs of every size
and degree spring up fresh and fresh like mush-1
rooms, and the great cbject with these hereditary
traders is, that the source of so much profit should
not be prematurely dammed up. To strike
Russia in a vital part would have this effect, and
therefore she is not struck. To give Austria notice
that the struggle may be made one of great prin-
ciples would speedily decide her truckling councils;
and therefore Lord CIAMINDON publicly declares that
great allowance will still be made for her perfidy,
and Lord PALMICIBTON proclaims that he should re-
gard as a great calamity the liberation of Hungary.
Every encouragement, in short, is given to our
" Apostolic Ally " to act as a buffer between the con-
tending forces; and she proves how profound is her
confidence in our present rulers by retrenching her
military preparations on the side of Russia, and re-
placing her garrisons in their usual strength in
Italy. But it is no use staring and frowning when
these things are told, if the people do not prepare
to put an end to them in the only way, and in the
only place, where they can be ended. Lord Patina-
STON boasts that he has a majority in both Houses.
How he has secured it everybody knows; but in
whatever way secured, it is sufficiently clear that, so
lonic as it lasts, his administration is secure from all
bands.—save its own ; and whatever infatuation may
seise some of his colleagues, we are inclined to believe
that the aged Viscount will joke and job on to the end
of the chapter.
We are well aware that in the counties the free-
holders have so long submitted to be bullied and
driven by the bailiffs of the land-owners, that, with-
out a large extension of their numbers, and the essen-
tial concomitant of the Ballot, it is difficult to realise
the idea of anything like a free and independent
selection. The mere expense of a county contest, as
the present fraudulent law stands, contrived as it is
for the. very purpose of keeping the county repre-
sentation. among the possessori of Large fortune*, is
in it a barrier which effectually prevents the
monopoly being broken in upon. An CaPencliturc
of 2,0004 or 3,0001. is, in the language of he political
sporting claseve, next to nothing, to try the temper
pf a county ; and we could name an musts:me w:.tor°
tree reelgegt proprietor, having the support u!.
Sir tbo Whir and ilte4* in the %math doomed it

necessary to spend little short of 10,000 i. at the last
election to prevent the occurrence a( a mutest.
Now, the people mast =ace cep their minds
either to brave in tb:air reepostive localities. as
Wei they may, all ibe disadvantages which hostile
laws and ;,stile influences impose upon them,
or, caw and for all, to prepare to overthrow the
iniquitous system which has brought as to the veep
of the precept perilous crisis. We shall watch with
more cariosity than confidence the fate of the pending
elegiacs; but of this we are convinced, that whether
sharply oontested by genuine candidates exprassisg
the prevalent discontent, or abandoned ortotetaptc-
ously by the people to the mere club-jobbers. they
will serve as themes for much seriouo comment, and
will probably mark in the memory of vast numbers
the point where their political patience was destined
to expire.

Ws have one or twice urged upon the Legislature
the necessity of making some provision for the pub-
lication of speedy, sheep, and accurate official re-
ports of mese argued in the Law Courts. The judg-
ment of the MASTER of the Roue, in the cue of
"Fume a HOLLINGSWORTH," shows strongly that

the best reports are not at present accurate, and that
great iojury is does by their inoorreetaess inasmuch
as a !ergs portion of our law is judge-made. Not to
trouble our readers with the particular point
decided in " FINCH v. HOLLINGSWORTH." it Will be

sufficient to may that it depended upon that of " POPE
n. WILITTICOMBE," a ease precisely in point, reported
in MEitivaLE's Reports. Now MERIYALIeiII Reports
are " aatherised," and held in good repute; and* the
decision, in " Pore v. Wurrricomna" has been oonsi-

dared binding, and has been cited by eminent text
writers as finally decisive of a difficult point of law.
Among others Mr. ROPER, and Mr. Justice
WiL-
LLwa, in his book on executors, have quoted it, and
founded oertain legal doctrines on , it. After all
this, it appears that the report of the case was entirely
errostione, and that the point on which it professed
to decide " not only did not arise, but the deci-
sion and decree were the other way." Lord ST.
LZONAILDS first pointed this out, and the Meaux of
the Roue, on investigating the matter, finds that
"there cannot be a doubt or question that the
Court had solemnly decided the fact the other
way from what was reported." His Honour goes
on to lament that many counsel must have been led to
give bad advice, and many text writers to teach bad
law by this bad report; and he is compelled to de-
cide against the parties who had performed their duty
under this erroneous view of the law. Surely this
state of things is inexcusable. These reports are
indeed authorised, they are tardy, they are dear, but
they are not accurate. There would be positively no
difficulty in attaining accuracy without the dearness
and the tardiness, and, in fact, in making some ar-
rangement for giving us law reports good in all
respects. No party question is involved in the mat-
ter—or perhaps we should say, but as no party ques-
tion is involved, therefore we shall never get them.