The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-04 00:00:00

HAYMARKET.

Tens TiILWOLV AND THE LAMB. Mews.
Chippendale. theren. tt,c ; Mrs Yftswilliani, de.—A WILD
GOONS. Mama &Ahern. lisickatone. Rams. tc.: Mesdames
Barka. Chippendale, Hill, de.—And A KIM IN TIM DARK.

LYCZITIL

THIN EVISSTNO. BAMBS4II7INZ. Mr. Price and Wu
Rate ellahop. —TUB 1/I.:K ICI MOTTO. Mr. Pechter. Messrs.
Binary, Wlddlcomb, dc.: Mires Slawerthy, Grattan, and Car-
lotta Leclereq.—A Grand Ballet. M. Feigner& & Ildlle. Sophie.

STRAND.
Trim Renton), SWEKTHF.ARTS AND WIVES. Mr. Bel-
ford PYGMALION: OR, THE STATUE FAIR Mears. Thorne,
James, Rc. : Mesdames A. Swanboromtb, Rayalums. Harland,
Johnstone, Holt, & Newton.—And THE Ykt.ENCII EXHIBITION.

HOLBORN.
Teo Evallow, MY TURN NILIET. Mr. Reimer, •, Ulises
Poet* and Leienox.—And YLYINO SCUD. Meson. Neville, Rei-
mer% Blake, Ye
Wee, Ileedareee V. Jowl:.ln, C. &maulers,
Berle loot*. 114dee. Lama; Remand, &c.

BIITANNIL

THIS ETZMIM, THE. LIME IiIONAL. Meant. Reynolds,
Howe, : Mime Jane Coveney.—CßEAßY AND HAIR STAB.
Mann. Blywood, Ladle, atm, le. ; Mrs. 8. Lane and. Mimeo
Edwin, Booth, and 31acerthy.—And THE DREAM OF AILEEN.

ETON wArie AT LONDON KRIDOL
TED DAT --Mendat. 111.,4•• Abaracom, Th. 7m.
TO4TOANOW—Norathe, as. TAm..— Afterfooa, DA 49m.

LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 4.

Tun House of Commons was far more excited
last evening by the Fenian petition presented by
Mr. Baum; and the anticipated Hyde-park dis-
cusaion, than by the Ministerial Statement on
which ostensibly the fate of a Cabinet hung. It
listened with languor to Mr. Manames announce-
ment that, after due deliberation, her MAJESTY'S
Ministers had decided to proceed with the Reform
Bill. The CHANCELLOR of the Excuser:ma went
through the ceremony of a Ministerial Statement
with that ironical gravity of which he is a consum-
mate master. Ho dropped a decorous tear over
the two years' residence qualification which the
vote of Thursday had reduced by one-half. He I
deplored the unsatisfactory character of a discus-
sion in which Mr. Ammon, Sir ROUNDELL Pm.maa,
and Mr. BRIGHT, on the one side, and Sir Joux
PARINOTON and the Soweiroa-Gmrsear, on the
other, had taken part ; and intimated that if it
had been protracted the result might have been
different. It is not the admission of larger
numbers than he designed to enfranchise, but the
weakening of the principle of locality, which Mr.
DISRAELI regrets. The practice of local election is,
we may grant, involved in the social organization
and historic traditions of England. But Mr. 11
DISRAELI'S exaggerated doctrine of locality in re-
lation to Imperial affairs overlooks the principle
that every member of Parliament is not the deputy
merely of his own constituents, but the representa-
tive of the English people at large. His view
tends to the theory of delegation. The end for
the attainment of which Lord DERBY justifies the
residential test, the exclusion of the migratory and
unsettled part of the population from the fran-
chise, does not involve Mr. Dninama's newfangled
doctrine. In its practical operation, a one year's
residential qualification will imply more than two
years' actual occupation ; and the man who fulfils
this condition is not likely to be of vagrant habits.
People of wandering life do not usually become
householders at all. The present constituencies,
in which the period of residence required for
enfranchisement is twelve calendar months,
are not in a constant state of flux. They are
very stable bodies. A provision which has worked
well for five-and-thirty years does not need argu-
mentative defence, and should be secure from the
innovations of a restrictive policy, falsely called
Conservative. The inconsistency with which Mr.
MORAHAN twitted the CHANCELLOR of the Excite-
QUER, in accepting a modification of " the vital
" principle of residence," which less than a month
ago he had declared would be fatal to the Bill, is
scarcely worthy of the comments it has called
forth. No one expects or desires the CHANCELLOR
of the EXCHEQUER to be consistent. We trust
he will be inconsistent many more times before
the Reform Bill leaves the House of Commons. It
is the only chance of making the measure a settle-
ment.

We yesterday expressed the conviction that the
principle of equality between voters which the
House of Commons sanctioned in adopting Mr.
Aviiros's amendment on " the vital principle of
" residence," must, of necessity, be extended to
the rate-paying qualification of compound house-
holders above and below the 101. line. Mr.
DISnAELI has very promptly verified this anticipa-
tion. The equalization is to be effected, how-
ever, not by removing the " fine " imposed
on compound householders below 101., but by
levying it upon compound householders at and
above that sum, who are now exempt from it.
The grievance is redressed by doubling it.
There is to be equality, but it is an
equality of wrong. Mr. DINItAILT proposes to
repeal the third section of Sir Wrn.tiam CLAY'S
Act, which provides that the compound house-
holder on claiming to be rated shall not be liable
to pay more than the reduced sum for which the
landlord has conipomided. If the clause which
he intends to introduce fur this purpose should