The Express.
London, England, 1849-01-22 00:00:00

extend sod confirm this equality—to mike rest part
of the kingdom all metropolis. Londe' sever ma
nada that superiority over the provinces it once
local onest i
ed, Dar is iton desirable that it should
rarsi . The
blio on el a however
libe and =p metropolis, aged by the eenseerse
et public leaders who resort thither, and
I=di interests that are there urged and de-
ltas still of necessity a tinge of par-
desbrisei r
NA abido nerrowness. The circumstances
Mak have mere of originality and Inds-
peedisops ha polities, plead the previnme
a a equality in respect a polirkal
mess with mstrugelks and facilitated the co-
d merry NA provincial liberals on
Clieligill hodsg, are wasting a really natioeal
public opinion and seism of popular, power and
rights.
But, unfortunately, the change his not stopped
short at such establishment of equality—of alterna-
tion of impulse between the metropolis and provinces.
The London reformers have sunk into a state of
comparative political apathy and inertios. The
battle of corn-law repeal was all but gained before the
London forces could be brought into action; and
though the crowning and most decisive straggles w-
eaned in London, the most active sad prominent
agents were provincial. And the same inertness, the
same avoidance of earnest and effective action,
threatens to characterise our London liberals in the
great struggle for retrenchment and the alleviation
and equalisation of taxes which is now a-foot.
This is not owing to any abatement of the liberal-
ity and independence of opinion which used to cha-
racterise the metropolitan community. "In society,"
says the Spectator of Saturday last, " one hears a
sood deal maid in favour of the Manchester movement."
Sir CHARLEs NAPIER can tell what answer one
metropolitan constituency gave to his modest appli-
cation to allow him to continue to be their member.
in order to lend hiss weight with the Admiralty, and
thus place him in a position to call in his Portuguese
debts. Mr. Hawes can tell how unceremodesely
another got rid of a representative woo sought to win
them by professions of independent liberalism, is
order to throw weight into the conservative-whin
scale. In asserting local rights and ferretting out local
grievances our vestries and ward meetings are shrewd,
active, and uncompromising as ever. But to any gnat
national call our London reformers remain defies the
adder always is, and torpid as be is found in times of
frost.
This is disgracefuL "In society one hears a good
deal said in favour of the Manchester movement."
Then a h 7 not proclaim aloud what is thus everywhere
confidentially whispered ? Why not give themselves
and their countrymen the benefit of a publio avowal
of their dissatisfaction with the present system of pro-
fuse and profligate expenditure ? The opponents
of retrenchment and of reduced and equalised
taxation are not strong in themselves ; any
little strength they may possess consists in
the heel remissness of the advocates of these im-
peded objects. Not one of the opponents of re-
tioashment has ventured to meet the demand by a
}dote
blank denial that it is desirable or practicable.
admit, in general, that reductions can and ought
to made. Bat they carp and cavil at the exact
amount ; they hesitate doubts and insinuate difficul-
ties in every plan that is proposed, taking care to
propound none of their own. They enlarge upon the
number of different plans proposed, Lot with a view
to discover what they possess in common, not to
point out that they prove unanimity as to the
end even when they indicate differences as
to the means, but to furnish a pretext for
asserting that their discrepancies are irreconcile-
able. Above all they are liberal in their imputation
of ulterior and improper designs to all who take a
prominent part in recommending. economy.
have recourse to the stale and despicable fallacy Tfba
mitting that there is equity in what is proposed, and
then asserting that this proposal is a mere stalking
horse to cocceal some terrible machinations, the na-
ture of which they do not condescend to explain.
They labour incessantly to awaken vague and unde-
fined terrors. They act on the old maxim, " Throw
plenty of dirt—souse of it will stick."
Upon public opinion such paltry substitutes for ergs- 1
meat are powerless. But in parliament, unless coun-
teracted by. a vigorous and unequivocal expression of
public opinion, they are powerful. The elaborate ex-
positions of the difficulties of the task appeal irre-
sistibly to the indolence of ministers, of political
Moden of all parties, and their parliamentary gar-
denia The insinuations that irreconcilable differences
of opinion pervade the advocates of retrenchment
inspire members of parliament with hopes that their
constituents may not press hard upon them. The
groundless aspersions cast upon the leaders of the
financial reform movement supply plausible pre-
texts for not co-operating with them. The tax-
payers of the empire are warranted in laughing to
I scorn the shallow fallacies with which the cause of
public economy is assailed in so far as their own con-
viction' are concerned ; but they act unwisely if they
undervalue the influence of these sophistries upon
ministers and parliament.
It is oat of doors that the friends of reasonable ex-
penditure and equitable taxation are powerful. And
so part of tt.e three kingdoms ought to be better
aware of this than the inhabitants of tte metropolis.
They are an important section of public opinion, what
are they in parliament? The metropolitan boroughs,
with a population little inferior to that of Scotland,
with an amount of accumulated wealth within a circle
of half a mile radius round the Exchange superior to
the aggregate of that country, and including among
them the leading spirits of the age, are
represented in parliament by 16 members. A frank,
energetic, persevering demand in their own persons
for economy in the public expenditure and an equit-
able adjustment of taxation will be listened to with
respect and deference. If they leave to their represen-
tatives in parliament the task of pleading their comae,
they will be out-voted there by the members for a
dozen boroughs like Great Marlow and HighWyoombe.
The exertions that are being made in St. Pancras
and Marylebone, and in the various city wards, for 1
reforms in the matter of local rates for water, gas,
pavements, or the support of the poor, are not to be
undervalued. In this country the burden ofd
local taxation is an important part of the
general public burdens, and as t counter-agent'
to excessive centralisation it is desirable that this
sheald continue to be the ow. But is it wise in the
load communities we have alluded to, or is it oon-
indent with their self-reepect, to limit all their exer-
tion to the redress of peculiar parish gnevames, and
stead aloof from a national effort in which they have
a sleeper stake than any other equal number of the
inhabitants of the empire? Oh, for an hour of honest
old FRANZ PLACS, and the friends who used to
assemble in his back shop at Charing-cross.

Tin military operations in the Punjaub, described
with seasiderable minuteness in another part of our
impreseirk have arisen out of one of the most difficult
attempts which can be undertaken by an army—the
pussy of an important river in the face of an active
lead powerful etiem. We anticipated, on the arrival
of the former mail, that, from the posture of the
armies of Snean SINGH and Lord Gouoa, an action
more or less general was in the highest degree pro-
bable. Posted with a force now described by Lord
GOUGH as 40,000 sines, and possessing 38 pieces of
Gannon, the Sikh general had taken spa strong posi-
tion on the right, or westerly, bank of the Chenaub,
in the immediate vicinity of the town of Ramnuggur.
Around Ramnuggur there is a spacious plain,
and, during the supremacy of RIMIZET, he
found it convenient to render this particular
point of hie dominions a frequent rendezvous
tar the troops employed noon his service in
the western provinces of the Punjaub. The inten-
tion of SUCRE SINGH in selecting this advanced posi-
tion, and in placing himself so near to the capital,
does not appear to have included any design of fighting
a pitched battle in the open plain. He seems to
have reckoned upon the advantage of his strong
entrenchments and on defensive operations as suf-
ficient to keep his assailants in check. Upon
the side of the British general there was the
greatest desire to force the enemy into a formal
battle, not only with the view of deciding one of the
leading issues of the campaign, but also with the con-
fident expectation that &victory over the most formi-
dable of the insurgents would in a great measure
restore general tranquillity, and overawe incipient
disaffection.
Rising in the fastnesses of Thibet, and pursuing a
course of 540 milts, the Chenaub is considered the
largest of the five rivers which divide the plain of the
Punjaub into as many dabs, or sections, and supply
it with a name. At Rihursi, where it debouches
from the hills into the level country, it is about 200