The Express.
London, England, 1849-01-23 00:00:00

intrinsic or improved vales in the registration court
would mi awe be got rid et. The nun of every
qualified person woad be pissed upon the electors'
list, or rulet er, the 4s4onr list would be a mere
transeript
so mach of the rate-book. The bill
of lest esseiss was indeed deteetive, imam& as
it dl I net exteed this beneficial ohmage of system to
the towns where the mirage is, eenontllY sproklog,
earedto me limited a motion et the emnrannity as
ia the imjerity et our English boroughs. But It
semi to Wiwi very general satisfied= sa a begin-
s's* ends In the right direction. No ties
wheleur was offered within the walls of
while in Inked the project was hailed with geared
Whereupon it was, of cures, abse-
iled tri her Majesty's minister% who seemed to
have resolved that even in their own way they
would be betrayed into no one act of canoes-
don to popular with
which popular demands
were aecompaided with wild mimosa and wilder mi-
nim on the part of those who assumed the office of
being their expounders. We deplored at the time
the error of confounding the reckless talk of a hand-
ful of saucy but shallow with the delibe-
rate judgment at a whole peep We believed that
whatever power the advocates of anarchy wielded
for a time was founded en the prevalent sense of neg-
lect and injustice,
. and the feelings of deep discontent
naturally arming therefrom. And we are convinced
that if the same or a worse species of political ineen-
diarism is to be averted in for the future, the
grievances which are its apt and inexhaustible materials
must be swept away. Of theme it is impossible to
name cue more signal or more shameful than that of
a praotioal denial of the ordinary rights of represent-
ation to the great mass of the community.
We sometimes bear it said that it is not the number
of members from Ireland, or their coincidence in
opinions with particular clams or creeds, that is the
thing most needed, bat an improvement in the sort of
men whom Ireland sends as her representatives is the
imperial senate. There is some truth, bat there is a
great deal more of cant, in this objectias. The
people of an Irish county or town have rarely the
opportunity of really making a free selection of the
sort clams whom they would have to representthem.
Between the balance of parties, the expense of elec-
tions, and the predominant influence which cliques or
individuals are ever sure to exercise in small consti-
tuencies, little if any room for choice is left to
independent voters. They have only to determine
between the Orange enemy or the condescending
friend—between the open foe to the concession of
their rights and the lukewarm proselyte to the doo-
trine that popular claims ought not absolutely to be
refused esi, .n—in a word, between aristocratic
liberalism and aristocratic toryism. The consequence
necessarily is, that each party looks out—not for
the best or ablest candidate—but for the richest or

the least obnoxious man. Personal unfitness or un-
worthiness is not °mid( red so much as what are the
chances of winning the seat t and thus the character
of the Irish representation is lowered, and its utility
destroyed. But let the free action of the representa-
tive system be restored—let the people feel once more
that they may elect whomsoever they will--and then,
no logger balancing between miserable jealousies of
family or property or creed, they will instinctively
I seek out men of more ability and zeal to utter their
desires and proclaim their wants.