The Express.
London, England, 1866-12-08 00:00:00

,131§4, SATURDAY

7-7

Exiillee't, anAP charffsi:sled be prow-
enesd ed on diOkw. Boit five teligra.
nal in France may rule the point we tell. One
thing we know, that if the appeal on this be rejected,
a precedent will have been set that must render any
further consideration in this eettnt7 of the Keteral ques-
tion useless and impracticable.
The Saturday Review accuses Mr. Bright of malignity, of
offering seditious suggestions, of wantonly ippesaing to in-
tolerant and treasonable propensities, and of being himself
s demagogue, who substantially relies on the argument of
brute force. It is difficult, it sap, to listen with patience
to his imputations of disloyalty. Englishmen respect the
crown, but they also venerate the constitution, and they re-
sent libelous attacks upon parliament as deeply as per-
sonal slights to the Queen herself. Mr. Ayrton's colleagues
in the representation of the metropolis will congratulate
themselves on their discreet avoidance of a meeting
which apparently does not express the sense of their con-
stituencies.
Discussing the French Empire and its critics, the Safer
day Review upholds the imperial policy, ands, expresses its
belief that notwithstanding the cases of klexiooandPrusais
the general confidence of the nation in the Emperor and in
his ability to guide and control it is byno means seriously
shaken.

—.demising the preparations for the coming session, the
Saturday Scrim allows that in preparing a reform bill
it is almost impossible not to make a large re-
duction in the qualification. Things are no longer
as they were when Mr. Disraeli prepared his last
bill, nor as they were when he said the reform be
was for was lateral reform, There is no chance that the
House of Commons will go back, after last year's long
debates, and keep the qualification as it is, or nearly
as it is. There must be a large reduction, and the
more the subject is discussed the more we believe it Wi
ll
be seen that what Mr. Henley said long ago was righ,
and that household suffrage in boroughs is the only
resting-point, and, if we change at all, we may as we e
get to it at once. If there is a large extension of th
suffrage, a conservative measure can only be conservative
because it contains counterbalancing elements. There
must be safeguards proposed against democracy, or the
conservatives would simply render themselves absurd by
proposing the measure. Of all the sefeguards the one
most probable in itself, and most in accordanoe with Mr.
Disraeli's known views, is that of extending the bounda-
ries of small boroughs so as to include large country
dis-
tricts. But evidently a conservative government will
have especial difficulty in carrying a measure based on

Mzxrco.—There is reason to believe that, not-
withstanding the statement in President Johnson's
message, the French troops in Mexico will be
brought home immediately. The unsatisfactory
statement in the message, indicating further delay,
seems to have been put out of date by the course of
simultaneous negotiations in Europe. In another
week, the French vessels now engaged in the trans-
port of the garrison from Rome will have com-
pleted their work, and these will be added
to the number of ships now fitting out for
Mexico in French porta. General Sherman
is understood to have proceeded to Brownsville,
opposite Matamoros, from whence he and
Mr. Campbell will communicate with the repub-
lican government of Mexico, and will probably cross
the frontier to its support as soon as the withdrawal
of the French to the Vera Cruz coast line shall
have taken place. The position of the Archduke
Maximilian is meanwhile ambiguous and obscure.
Letters from the spot represent him as little better
than a prisoner of Marshal Bazaine ; and the com-
plete diisorganization of his Austrian and native
forces has destroyed his independent action, and ne-
cessitates his return with the French troops.