The Express.
London, England, 1867-07-24 00:00:00

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BETDOL

Tim DAT —Morning, 6b. elm Afternoon, 7b. Gm.
Tolloasow—llorabh 7h 3112.._ Aftersooh Bb. lm.

LONDON. WEDNESDAY, JULY 24.

Is the face of deprecating friends the Govern-
ment still clings to the Parks Bill. Whether it is
urged on by some malevolent power, or obeys a
native instinct of provocation, we can only conjec-
ture, but the result is to be regretted. The Bill
cannot and will not answer any useful purpose.
It will be a dead letter in quiet times,
while in periods of public excitement the vice
of its origin must suggest to the Minister of
the day the extreme impolicy of enforcing
it. By the classes against which it is directed the
attempt to pass it now is regarded as the continu-
ation of a quarrel in which Ministers have figured
most ignominiously, and so it will appear to them a
year or two years henoe. The enjoyment of the
Parks by the public is a fair subject for legislation,
thoughover-legialation is athing alwaystobeavoided
by the governments of free communities ; but the
subject should be treated in a broad spirit, and for
its own sake, not with reference to petty squabbles
of a day. The cases are very rare in which
large bodies of men will want to assemble in the
Parks. Deliberative meetings cannot be held there,
but should twenty thousand people, forsome political
reason, want to show themselves to be not fewer
than twenty thousand, perhaps Hyde-park is the
place whore they can accomplish that object
with less inconvenience to the public than any-
where else. The so-called demonstrations of this
and last year it is well-known were caused by the
foolish and persistent assertions of some speakers
and writers, supposed to represent the opinion of
certain influential sections of society, that the
working classes were indifferent to the question
of reform. Household Suffrage and the Lodger
Franchise will enable those classes to make known
their opinions most effectually, without such march-
ings and countermarchings as we then saw. Should,
however, this Bill be passed, and some occasion
arise for the renewal of the objectionable demon-
strations, the only effect of it would be that in-
stead of the processions passing along the streets
to be soon swallowed up in the Park, they would
make a circuit through the principal thoroughfares,
obstructing traffic, and causing more annoyance
to tradesmen at the West-end than if the Bill had
not been thought of. It is not well to multiply
prohibitions needlessly. There is often more wis-
dom in disregarding remote contingencies than
in minutely providing for them. The best security
fur peace and order is not an elaborate system of
police, but an administration which inspires confi-
dence by its character, and which in turn under-
stands the people and knows how to trust them.

BIRMINGHAM has not tarnished its reputation and
belied the promise of its political history by return-
ing a Tory to .it by Mr. BRIGHT in the House of
Commons. Mr. DIxoN has been elected by a
majority of sixteen hundred. That the struggle
was conducted by the Conservatives with great
spirit is seen in the fact that whereas their
candidate at the last contested election received
only 1,544 votes, on this occasion Mr. SAMPSON
LLOYD received 4,214. Mr. BRIGHT on that oc-
casion polled 4,282 votes ; Mr. Dixon on
this, 5,819—50 that Mr. ',Loy D received
yesterday within sixty-eight of the number
of votes which secured Mr. Banner's victory in
1859. Each party in Birmingham better un-
derstands both its own and its opponent's
strength than it did a week ago, although
it is important to observe that special circum-
stances gave a peculiar character to this contest,
and called forth into activity elements not avail-
able for an ordinary struggle. The result is very
satisfactory, for it is hardly conceivable that the
Tories of Birmingham will ever again fight at such
advantage. Their candidate's minority has been
swelled by the votes of very many electors who
would by no means acknowledge the Earl of DERBY
and Mr. Dumara.l as their leaders. The attempt
to trade upon the feelings excited by Mr.
Muarnir's visit to the town has had a large
measure of success, and honest, simple people
who do not care much for either Tory or
Radical left their homes yesterday to vote for
LLOYD in the belief that they were doing GOD and
their country service by recording a useful and
necessary protest against the progress of Popery.
The mind must be in a singularly perplexed state
that can confound the essentially Popish spirit of
MURPHY'S proceedings with that of Protestantism,
and fancy it sees a remedy for want of liberty in
the strength of Mr. DISRAELI in the House of
Commons ; but we all know the confusing influ-
ence of passion. The illustration now afforded of
the extent to which an election so important as
that of yesterday is liable to be affected by
considerations of this order, deserves the notice
of statesmen, and should make Liberal leaders
anxious to remove as much as possible all occasion
for misconception as to the principles which they
believe should govern the relations of the civil
power with religious bodies. No mischief, however,
has been done upon this occasion, and notwith-