The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-20 00:00:00

THE REFORM DILL.

The text of the Reform Bill, given in yesterday's
Erpress, affords to our contemporaries fresh matter for
comment. If it were compelled to regard the scheme in
this shape as the ultimatum of the ministry the Times would
despair of a settlement this year, but previous experience
'bows that the question for the rest of the week is rather
whether the measure is not capable of satisfactory mani-
pulation. With regard to the personal payment of rates,
it is s►id that the result of the ministerial proposals would
be a W. rating franchise where the Small Tenements Act
was adopted, and a household suffrage elsewhere. If this
be true, the proper means of amending the bill would not
be found in abolishing the necessity of the ratepaying
qualification. Personal responsibility should still be essen.
tial in the voter, and it might be secured by reducing the
limit of the Small Tenements Act, and making its opera-
tion universal. The Times does not anticipate any serious
objection to the educational franchise or in respect to that
of the possession of SOL in the savings banks or the public
funds, but thinks it evident after Mr. Gladstone's criticism,
that the taxpaying franchise must be reconsidered, and
looks upon the dual vote as certain to be abandoned.
No doubt could exist upon this point after the debate on
Monday, and Mr. Disraeli's reply to Mr Bright last night
was sufficiently significant. As to the distribution of seats
too, it is incumbent upon parliament to force a bolder
policy upon the government. Of the other provisions
the Times generally approves, though where so much is
open to debate, it regards the breaking up of the ministry
and the abandonment of the bill as a too probable event.
In another article, the Times dwells in humorous lan-
guage on the position of the lodger in our social system,
concluding that his total omission from the present omni-
vorous measure can only be explained by the rapidity of
execution necessary under the present circumstances.
We were promised principles instead of expediency, and if
principle is to decide the question it must be in favour of
the lodger, whatever the practical difficulties of his case.
The question whether, if dual voting were given up, it
would be possible to make out of the remains a measure
acceptable to the country, is one, says the Daily Noes,
which is not to be answered off hand. The difficulties are
immense, for practically what is necessary is that the
liberal opposition should reconstruct the policy of the eon.
'creative party. Only the most compliant disposition on the
part of the government could make this practicable, for
the alterations required are extensive, and ministers are
not in a compliant mood. Some of the secondary fran-
chises must go the way of the dual veto. The proposal to
recognise deposits in savings banks and posses-
sion of a small sum in the public funds as quali-
fications for the electoral franchise opens a
prospect of the wholesale manufacture of votes
from which the House of Commons must surely recoil. A
lodger franchise is also absolutely requisite if the artisans
of the large towns are to participate in the suffrage, and
after that there would still remain the difficulty of the
compound householder. There is no absolute reason why
in these particulars the bill should not be amended. All
depends on the disposition of the government and its fol.
lowers. If they are really anxious td have the honour of
settling this great question, they must make large con-
cessions to the emphatic and unanimously expressed
I opinion of the public, and make them quickly. The
Daily News thinks that the counterpoises of personal
payment at rates and duality of voting cannot be main-