The Express.
London, England, 1858-11-08 00:00:00

his consciousness of the inherent difficulties of the

attempt without

t of popular

support. It took the whole energy and talent of
the brilliant Administration of Earl GREY, backed

by the enthusiasm of the nation at large, to carry in
1832 the 101. franchise and Schedule A. If the
times are improved, and anti-popular fears are
grown less strong, it must on the other hand be re-
membered that the very need of an independent mem-
ber's Bill rests on the supposition that the scheme of
Oovernsmt will prove unsatisfactory to advanced
Liberals. To countervail the weight of Oovern-
meat and the resisting power of the House of Lords,
there must either be complete union in the ranks of
Opposition within doors, or something approaching
to unanimity without. How is the latter to be ob-
tained? To any measure whose details display an
extensive plan of local disfranchisement, local resist-
ance mast of course be counted on ; and from any
measure which, when examined, is found to refuse
electoral privileges to any important class or classes
of the community, their support would probably be
withheld. Considerations no doubt like these oc-
curred to the mind of Mr. Batons when condition-
ally accepting the trust his friends sought to confide
in him. He well knows that neither Catholic
Emancipation, nor the Repeal of the Corn Laws,
nor the Reform Bill of 1832, could have been carried
by an Opposition leader, even though Opposition
had been unanimous in following his lead. The
popular organisations which mainly caused the success
of those great measures were one and all of them
directed to the mules' iteration, in a few plain
words, of two or three great principles, whereby the
hearts of men were sympathetically stirred, while
their jealousies were not aroused nor their gnat,
reling propensities stimulated by the discussion of
legislatire details. One or two deviations from this
general rule might, indeed, be pointed out, but they
are not precedents of success. Circumstances there
may be in the present cue which form a distinction ;
and, for our parts, we are so much disposed to',
believe in the eventual good of every species of dis-
cussion, that we shall hail with sympathy and atten-
tion every project that may be put forward, come
whence it may, for the real Amendment of our Repre-
mutative System.

We may remind Miniaters that after all the country
will hold them alone responsible for the timely prepa-
ration of a comprehensive and satisfactory measure.
Parliamentary Government imposes inalienably on
the Ministerial advisers of the Executive the duty of
considering in all great concerns what the welfare
of the State demands ; and no volunteer assistance
which they may be proffered can relieve them from
the weighty responsibility which is the condition of
their official existence. On the second reading of
the Ministerial plan of Reform for next session the'
House of Commons will have to vote aye or no.
Men wto are actuated by very different motives, and
who in debate may assign very different grounds of
objection to the scheme, may, and probably will,
combine for its rejection. If Lord DERBY'S Cabinet
hope to carry their measure ultimately, or to pro-
long their own existence, they have but one course
to follow. Let them bring in such • Bill as will
obviate the necessity of any other, and then let the
Home of Commons reject it if they will. They may
depend upon it no majority will venture to do so if
their proposal is one on which they can appeal to
the country.