The Press.
London, England, 1858-08-14 00:00:00

sections with native princes has so often resem-
bled that of the man and the horse in the fable—
we have so often, to use another old illustration,
devoured the oyster for which two litigants were
contending—that we cannot be surprised if our
neglect of immediate restoration should be viewed
with somewhat suspicious eyes. Shorapore is as
much the property of the Nizam, and by its
Rajah's act is as justly forfeited by his supreme
power, as was ever any fief of the middle ages.
We ought immediately to return it, and to make
it clear that we do so not as a matter of favour
but as part of the ordinary course of our justice.
And we ought to do more than this. We are
not prepared to say what particular mark of ap-
probation should be bestowed on the Nizam in
consideration of his efficient support—that is a
matter which is best settled in India ; but that
some signal testimony
.of our gratitude should be
shown, no one who is conversant with Indian
affairs will think of denying. We are doing
much to punish those who have wronged us ;
let us hope that the case of those who have lent
such efficient aid, and whose just rights are still
trembling in suspense, will receive the early at-
tention of the Indian Government.

RADICAL AGITATION.

Jr we have at times expressed our indignation
at the bad logic and bad faith with which the
organs of the Opposition make Conservatives and
Conservatism answerable for evils which they
have struggled in vain to prevent, or vilify them
by anticipation for measures which they are guilt-
less of contemplating, it was not from any wish
to exempt Lord DERBY'S Government from Con-
servative responsibilities. We expect many real
reforms at their hands which we might in vain
have hoped for from men who deliberately left
the nation's work in arrear, and drew promissory
notes on the bank of fancy to balance actual defi-
ciencies in legislation. But at the same time we
call on them to resist with all their energies and
at all personal hazards sundry perilous changes
miscalled reforms which the via inertia of
Whiggery in office would have postponed inde-
finitely, but which Whigs in opposition will
encourage or connive for the faintest chance of a
return to office. Foremost among such changes
we have always placed the Ballot and the Aboli-
tion of Church-rates. The former offers impu-
nity to corruption and a premium for lying ; the
latter would be simply the triumph of a conspi-
racy to defraud.
The advocates of these two measures are at
present in very different positions, and will need
to be encountered in different ways. They are
both alike busy, both alike noisy ; but the
former class, the worshippers of lying, cannot
disguise their consciousness of failure—the latter,
the apostles of larceny, are visibly overflowing
with joyous anticipations of success. Something
may be learnt tom ards our future guidance both
from the similarity of their modes of action and
from the difference of the results attained. And,
first, as to the Ballot agitation. We inserted in
our number of last week an " Address to the
Public" recently put forth by the " Executive
Committee of the Society for Promoting the
Adoption of Vote by Ballot." The name is
wonderfully sonorous, reminding us of the
" Deputy-livery-stable-keeper's second assistant's
occasional under-helper," and seems to promise

Quid dignum tanto feret hic promissor hiatn ?
Marry, to a thoroughgoing Ballotmonger the
contents of the address must be rather unsatis-
factory. After showing that there was a majority
against the Ballot in 1856 of forty, "pairs in-
cluded," in 1857 of sixty-eight, and in 1858 of
ninety-seven, it proceeds with unintentional
frankness :—" This state of things shows pro-
gress• (!) It is the result of the labours of the
" society, of the personal exertions gratuitously
41given of members of the executive committee,
and of a systematic course of (1) Parliamen-
tary, (2) electoral, and (3) educational agita-
" tion."
The " progress" we readily acknowledge, and
long may it continue ! It is the real progress of
political honesty and enlightened public opinion
—a progress due to the manly, straightforward
character of Englishmen, and marked_ by in-