The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-16 00:00:00

THE WEEKLY PRESS.

The period of the week at which Lord Derby's proposals
have become known, being too advanced to allow of com-
ments upon them, the observations of the weekly journals
on the general subject of reform lose much of their prac-
tical significance. The Examiner, treating of the arith-
metic of household suffrage, asserts, without hesitation,
after giving the figures, that rated household suffrage
would not double the present borough constituency.

Considering the question what is to be done with the
Fenian prisoners, the Einetincr remarks that a trucclent
cry is raised once more for political vengeance. To our
contemporary, Um slaughtering of prisoners, whether in
Jamaica fashion or in Indian fashion, whether under the
sentence of drumhead court-martial, or after trial by
special commission, for any offence or upon any pretence,
a 'ye the one of blood-guiltiness, is utterly unworthy and
wholly unpardonable. In point of policy, nothing could
b 3 more shortsighted; in point of justice nothing more
indefensible. Fenianiam is lunacy, not crime, in the
sense that ordinary crimes are stigmatised and punished
by law. Capital punishment for political crime is the con-
fusion of right and wrong, which no hectoring speeches in
parliament, or Jeffreys-like charges from the bench, or
Bashi-liarouk paragraphs in tory journals, can clear or
vindicate.

The Saturday Review thinks no one can pretend to judge
of a reform bill unless he has at least done what Lord
Cranborne did, and given a clear Sunday to it. To criti-
cise a reform bill in ten minutes is to make a faint ap-
proach to the silliness of adopting a reform bill in ten
minutes. According to the Saturday Review there is no
season to believe that Mr. Gladstone shares the alarm of
Lord Russell at Mr. Disraeli's precipitate legislation. If
Mr. Disraeli loses the confidence of his followers, the
conservative party will probably split into two sections, re-
spectively led by Lord Stanley and Lord Cranborne. The
small section in the halm which follows the lead of Mr.
Bright is not disinclined to a compromise.
The Spectator continues to advocate the system of cumu-
lative voting, to which it thinks there can be no real ob-
j!ctimi, at least in the three-membered constituencies,
except on the part of those who do not wish to see a
House of Commons representative of the nation at all,
but only of the majority of the nation.

CABINET Cor Nem—There will be a cabinet
council this afternoon at 4 o'clock, at the First
Lord of the Treasury's official residence in Down-
ing-street.

The TRADEA UNION COM VISSION. —A meeting of
the commiasioners was held at No. 2,Victoria-street,West-
minster, yesterday. Present : The Right Hon. Sir W-
ilde (chairman), the Right Hon. the Earl of Lichfield,
Lord Elcho, Sir E. W. Head, Bart., K.C.8., Sir
Daniel Gooch, Bart., M.P., Mr. Herman Merivale, C. 8.,
Mr. James Booth, C. 8., Mr. J. A. Roebuck, Q.C., M.P.,
Mr. Thomas Hughes, M.l`., Mr. Frederic Harrison, and
Mr. William Matthews. The secretary, Mr. J. H. Patte-
son, was also present. We are requested to state that in
future the meetings of the commissioners will be held at
No. 1, Park-prospect, Great Queen-street, Westminster,
, where all communications should be addressed. A depu-
, tation from the late "Trades Union Conference" waited
upon the commissioners, mai • communication was after-
wards addressed to Mr. Potter, its representative, to the
effect that the commissioners had agreed to the following
resolutions :—" 1. That in addition to the presence of
such persons as the commissioners may deem expedient at
any time, the omumissioners will be ready, as • general
rule, to admit some one person connected with or repre-
senting any trade or society which seems likely to be
affected by the inquiry to be conducted on a given day.
2. That when printed a copy of the shorthand-writer's
notes of the examinations o witnesses each day be sent to
every person so attending, a, 1 to he supplied as soon as
convenient to any member of the press who may apply
for it."