The Express.
London, England, 1866-10-23 00:00:00

OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

(THIS DAY.)

TIM COMMIVATIVE POLICY.
The Doily News speaks of Mr. Du Cane as one of
the most agreeable of the minor conservative orators of the
Hones of Gammons, but to his wpm& to his constituent.

the other day not a few exceptions must be taken. Accord-
ing to him the oonservative party lass been really in power
for seven years, and if this be so the fall
of an honest liberal administration is explained
without the need of the hackneyed charges preferred by
Adullamites and tories. Instead of reproach, Lord Rus-
sell and his colleagues must deserve honour for having re-
.

fused to govern the country on principles other than those
which they really entertain. Mr. Du Cane's speech, like
that of Lord Malmesbury, points to the probability of a
reform bill like that of 1859, the object of which was, by
different expedients, to preserve and increase the already
excessive and injurious predombuinoe of a single class in
the legislature—the landlords. Mr. Disraeli has de.

nonnced in no measured terms " the coarse and common
expedient of what is called lowering the franchise in
towns ;" and last year candidly said that his own opinion
was opposed to any reduction of the borough franchise—
stating that the indefinite concession which he had prof-

feted In 1859 would have made no real difference—in other
words, that it would have been illusory. Mr. Du Cane is
justified in asking for a trial for the ministry of
which he is a member ; but in the face of the foregoing
facts he can scarcely complain if it is gravely distrusted
and vigilantly watched.
Like other famous strongholds, observes the Post, Castle
Hediagham has been ceded to the requirements of pro-
green and the exigencies of the epoch. The banner of
reform now floats over its ramparts, and the principle of
compromise is articulate within its walls. The garrison,
too, is reconciled to this change. At the annual inspec-
tion last week it stepped out with remarkable elasticity.
Mr. Du Cane could not have experienced a more cordial
reception if he bad declared war against innovation, and
called upon the Hinckford Club to resist its invasion to
the last. Indeed, it would almost appear that the Essex
conservatives are impatient reformers. If through the
instrumentality of the government a measure of
reform can be passed which, without touching the
balance of political power, shall extend the franchise and
improve and purify the representation, it will deserve well
of the country ; and the Post agrees with Mr. Du Cane
that, should ministers be able to see their way to thin end,
it would be wise to avail themselves of the opportunity.
The Herald congratulates the conservatives of Essex

in being able to drink with enthusiasm the toast of
" Her Majesty's Ministers." The Heroid goes on to assert
that the government will not bring in a reform bill unless
they have some good assurance that it will pets, though it
acknowledges that it is not easy to see bow such an
assurance could be obtained. The whole question depends

upon the public temper, the state of the country and of
other countries four months hence, and upon several other
factors of which we are all at this time absolutely ignorant.
The Star promises its support to Mr. Disraeli if he will
bring in a reform bill fairly embodying the just and honest
claims of the people, but it is clear from Mr. Du Cane's
words that such a measure as Mr. Disraeli's government
would bring in would have no such character at all. Mr.
Du Cane informs us that the bill he would favour would
be "a safer measure than the bill of the late government."
We cannot but remember that the want of safety about
the bill of the late government, for which the tories con-
demned it, was the fact that it proposed to admit some
few thousand working men to the franchise. No reform
bill worth having can come from among the Cranbornes,
and Malmesburys, and Hardys. Any reform scheme they
sanction will be a sham ; any measure Mr. Disraeli may
prepare without their approval will be an abortion.
When the Telegraph sees a conservative leader leaning
over the table of the House bitterly denouncing a mea-
sure, it always feels that he i simply attacking by antici-
pation some enactment of the future, to be proposed,
perhaps, by himself. That is the destiny of his party,
and Mr. Disraeli is not likely to avoid what could not be
evaded even by the genius of Peel.
The Daily News and the Post treat also of Lord Derby's
Irish policy. His lordship, says the former, is aware that
if some way be not discovered of securing support from
Roman catholics the months of his continuance in office
may probably be counted on the fingers of one hand, and
he is seeking a middle course which may conciliate Roman
catholic support without losing protestant votes. Trans-
lated into this plain language, his notion of an Irish
policy resolves itself into this:—He hopes to win the
Roman catholics by • prospect of subsidies for Ireland,
and places for Irishmen, and to retain the protestant'
by keeping on foot that substantial misgovernment
which is dear either to their pocket or their pride.
It remains to be seen whether the Irish liberals are pre.
pared, in consideration of what the tories are likely to do
for Ireland in the way of hard money, to leave to the
landlords the task of apportioning the legitimate rights of
the tenantry, and to the Orange societies the work of de-
termining the future status of the established church. In
the Tipperary election the new policy was put before the
people with all the advantages that the government could
possibly have desired, but the Daily News rejoiees to see
that that county has definitively rejected the alluring
bait.