The Express.
London, England, 1849-02-02 00:00:00

peal of the corn laws has broken the manacles
which chained the landed proprietary to the
car of monopoly, profi;gate public expenditure,
all the multiform incarnations of bad govern-
ment. There are among_ the landed proprie-
tors some who are too old to divest themselves
of cherished prejudices and conform to the new order
of things. It may be some time before even younger
and more pliant minds cordially acquiesce in it. Bet
they cannot help themselves. The necessities of their
position, and the !nstinet which urges all men to take
part in public affairs, will force them into the political
arena, and there they can only keep their ground by
adopting the sentiments and views of the society of
which they form a part. The present liberals will
not long have a monopoly of the advocacy of reform
end prog ma ; numerous and able rivala in the busi-
ness-will soon crowd in upon them from the ranks of
the landed proprietors.
A new—a national—party is in the proems of for-
=floe. The corn-law repealer inoeseantly pro-
claimed throughout their straggle that theirs was no
political effort. The &negation was sincere, but the
expression was inaccurate. Corn-law repeal was not
the object of an organised party or faction, but it was
a political question—one ot the only class of questions
which are entitled to be called political in the high
and true acceptation of the word. Its agitation was
a common effort to attain a common good. The re-
peal of the corn laws was desirable, directly, for the
emancipation of national industry • indirectly,
for its neceesary tendency to lbolish class
distinctions and interests. The leaders in the
struggle for repeal unavoidably had their atten-
tion directed to, and their interest awakened in kin-
dred questions—the general incidence of taxation, the
legitimate application of public money, the defects in
our constitution which thwarted the due influence of
public opinion, the folly and criminality of war, the
importance of universal education. The habits of
public businem which they contracted in the course of
their struggle had waited a taste for it. When the
Manchester Anti-corn-law Association held its ban-
quet in January, 1839, it was countenanced and pa-
trosised by a few liberal members of parliament;
at the banquet of Wednesday last the mem-
bers of parliament present who had earned
that static's, and been prompted to ea** to it
by their efforts in behalf of corn-law reform, out-
numbered those of the old class of legislators who
countenanced and encouraged them at the outset.
This new clam of members of parliament is earnestly
addressing itself to promote the objects we have
enumerated above ; and it is only by an alliance with
it, by a sincere adoption of its political creed, that new
aspirants after political distinction, whatever their
social position, can hope to wield the publics mind, and
gratify their ambitious desires.
The first struggles of this nascent party are directed
to financial reform. Their first demand is for
• redaction of expenditure • and, to that end,
for a reduction of costly and unnecessary
armaments. The experience of the last ten years has
taught them how much can be acsomplithed through
the instrumentality of the House of Commons even as
at present constituted, and what are the most mis-
chievous defects of that body. To avail themselves of
the former lesson, they will promote the creation and
registration of for.y-shilling freeholders in the min-
,"es; enlightened by the latter, they will aim intim
tautly at the destruction of small and easily corrup-
tible constituencies. Their experience of the wily,-

ins influences of sectarian jeakinsies will lead them to
*remote equality of political rights for men of every
creed; and their experience of the dangers of popular
ignorance will lead them to promote the universal
diffusion of education. These are the objects at which
the young national pasty more immediately aim, but
their efforts will be increased and divereilled as they
pow in number and recognised influence.