The Express.
London, England, 1864-09-17 00:00:00

CUe erortoo.

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PHINCESS'&,

TEM ErCirpte, BORN 'TT.7OOD—LUCK. Mr. D. Murray.
And THE STREETS OF LONDON. Messrs. I. W. Ray, Darld
Fisher, D. Murray, J. Nelson. H. Forrester. and H. Mellon
tire IL Marston, Meats Barnett and Gwynn.

BRITANNIA.
This Smart TEE HARLOT'S PROGRESS.- Singing by My
R. Ctitua and Mr. J. H. Stead: Madame Pleon.—Mr. G. W.
iatter.—Coneluding with TILE MUTINY AT TILE NUKE.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON-BRIDGE.
TRIS DAT Morning, 2h. 34in... Afternoon, 2h. 56m.
ToltoltauW Morning, 9h. Wm.... Afternoon, 311. 41=

LONDON, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17.

AMONGiT other signs of reviving political life
and approaching political action on domestic ques-
tions, the tone adopted by Members ia their
autumn addresses to their constituents is not the
least significant and instructive. There is in some
quarters, especially in the speeches of genuine
Liberals, a more than usual boldness and decision
in the enunciation of principles, and a spirit, if not
of greater earnestness, at all events of greater con-
fidence intheir steady progress and gradual triumph,
thanhasbeen manifested for some years past. Wb'le
this may in part perhaps be explained by the near
approach of a general election, it is due still more
to the position of the Government in prospect of
that inevitable event. It is possible that the
present Ministry may gain a new lease of power,
the recent alliance of the Tories with the Ultra-
montane section of the Romanists having damaged
their position in the eyes of the country, and di-
minished the chances of their speedy accession to
office. But if the present Government is to con-
tinue in existence, it can only be by the active
support of the independent Liberal party,
and it is perfectly nature', therefore,
that the members of this party who
have well-defined principles of action and strong
convictions as to the duty of giving them
effect, should seek to impress their views in
a practical form upon a Government which, while
pledged to them in theory, has hitherto
bad no domestic policy at all. Mr. BAXTER,
for example, plainly tells his constituents at
Montrose that if a Liberal Government is to re-
main in office, it must do liberal things. " The
" present Ministry cannot go on in a new Perlis-
" ment trading on the measures of the Cir.a&cm.-
" LOB of the EXCHEQUER, without a programme,
" without a declared policy. There are men in
" Lord PALMERSTON'S Cabinet who have been great
" public benefactors in the put. My hope and
" confidence is that they will again be prepared to
" unfurl the old banner, and temperately, grs-
" dually, but firmly, insist on measures of progress
" and reform."

For himself, Mr. BAXTER unfurls to the fullest
extent the old Liberal banner of Peace, Retrench-
ment, and Reform, and he illustrates afresh the
necessity of insisting on these guiding maxims of
public policy by a number of most pertinent and
instructive details. The facts bearing on retrench-
ment, though comparatively few, are of peculiar
practical importance, and incidentally raise ques-
tions of the very gravest national concern. Mr.
BAITER says truly that, in common with other
advocates of economy, he has had to
harp continually in the House of Com-
mons on the old theme of the dangers
likely to arise from the prodigal expenditure of
the public money. He charges both Parliament
and the public with having been inconsiderate in
this respect, many millions during the last few
years having been thrown away on useless ships
or forts, and on other public works which the
country does not require. Mr. Gist:taro/la has
indeed repeatedly said that Parliament is more to
blame than the Government for the recent increase
in large items of expenditure ; but Mr. BAXTER
gives, from his own experience, a most striking
and even flagrant example of this truth.
It appears that in consequence of the immense iron-
clad ships lately added to the Navy someaddition
to the dock accommodation at Portsmouth was
required, and the Admiralty, instead of asking
boldly on their own resplusibility for what was
necessary, tried to shift the burden on the House
of Commons by proposing to refer the question to
a Select Committee. A Committee of fifteen, in-
cluding the Member for Montrose, was accord-
ingly appointed, and Mr. BAXTER sat in it twice a
week for three months. It was of course to be
supposed that the Committee would diligently
check, and if possible reduce the estimates of the
department. What actually happened, apart
from such explicit testimony, might well be
deemed almost incredible : " What do you
" think these fifteen did ? Why, they rejected
" the report of the chairman, Lord CLARENCE
" PAGET, as far as Devonport was concerned, and
" recommended double the works to be constructed
" there which the Duke of Soisrasrr and Admiral
" Sir F. GREY thought were wanted, and, by a
" majority of eleven to four, they actually sane-
" boned the commencement of a government dock
"at Cork as a sop to the Irish—a sort of second
" Galway contract, the only effect of which will be
" to make that unfortunate people more clamorous

" and less aelf -reliant than ever. Four Whip voted
"in that majority. The minority consisted
" of Mr. STANSPLLD, Mr. LLAMA*, Mr. Lawson,
" and myself. By-and-bye you will me in
" swollen estimates the fruits of that Report."
This gives • totally new view of the function of
Parliament, and completely reverses the traditional
relation between the Executive and the represen-
tative branch of the Legislature. It used to be con-
sidered that one main duty of the House of