The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-01 00:00:00

THE REPOILX QUESTION.

MR. DAMS' LETTER AND THE CONSERVATIVE DEPUTATIONS.
The Daily News is by no means certain that it under-
stands what Mr. Baines wants. It cannot accept his
statement that the reform party is leaderless, without •
qualification. Does an army cease to have • leader
when the general who has often conducted it to
success thinks the moment unpropitions for en ad-
vance! The costermongers of Mr. Bright's speech
are for the moment omnipotent for mischief ;
as they can transfer to Mr. Disraeli, in his most prevari-
cating mood, the majority which their constituents re-
turned them to give to a liberal minister. While Mr.
Disraeli is twisting them round his little finger they
vaunt their independence. Were they bought back with
concessions they would be more slippery than ever. Until
the liberal party is ready to unite, and either for-
mally or virtually repeal the arbitrary qualification
created in it■ vote of April 12, the principles
of the present bill can be made neither intelligible nor
durable nor equal in their application. It is not necessary
to apply pressure to Mr. Gladstone ; he is ready enough to
co-operate in improving Mr. Disraeli's bill whenever he has
the opportunity of doing so ; but no true liberal can desire
to see him made in any degree a party to a measure framed
to deceive both tortes and radicals, and certain to enrage
the unrepresented people if it should unfortunately become
law.

The Standard says that Mr. Baines makes a vital ooturti-
tutional question the stalking-horse of the office-mongers,
and that he Lopes to find his personal account in a length-
ened tenure of his seat for Leeds. He has traded on reform
during the whole of his political career, and now that he
is confronted with it as a living reality he shrinks back in
dread lest its march should sweep him before it along with
the rest of the shams.

The Star describes Lord Derby's oration yesterday as
entirely devoted to the object of inducing the working
man to accept compliments instead of rights. To vindicate
working men against the offensive conduct of those who
would enfranchise them as working men—nay, who would
even describe them as working men—is now, it would
appear, the one grand object of Lord Derby's policy. The
speech was free, indeed, from the vulgar personal taunts
and sneers in which Mr. Disraeli indulged at the expense
of his great political rival ; and it conveyed to his audience
with some frankness the intimation that the government
do not intend to stand very closely to any bard and fast
line of principle anywhere if retreat will enable then, to cling
hard and fast to office. But beyond these merits—the one
negative, the other very doubtful—the speech had none.
The Herald contends that this Reform Bill once passed,
in whatever form, will long outlast the life of Mr. Glad-
stone. The only opportunity which be will ever have of in-
troducing only an electoral system based on personal rating
Ruch provisions as he may deem 'lemur," is now afririled
him ; according as he accepts and uses, or sullenly neglects
it, will his party esteem his judgment and history pro-
nounce upon his character.

The Telegraph still contends that any attempt to cure
the inherent vice of the government bill must be abso-
lutely hopeless. The question whether the majority of
occupiers in a borough shall pay their rates with their own
hands, or mediattly by their landlords, is at present de-
termined in the several plates by local circumstances,
unconnected with political opinions. The matter is
settled in each parish by purely fiscal considerations;
the parishioners regard it simply as a question of con-
venience and economy in raising their revenue. But
here Mr. Disraeli steps iu, and says that the parochial
resolution adopted on merely economical grounds shall
have a most important political effect superedded to it.
If the parishioners have, for the accommodation of the
rate-collector, omitted three-fourths of their own num.
ber from the rate-book, those three-fourths shall also be
excluded from the list of parliamentary electors. Was
ever a more fantastic and preposterous role invented! The
only conceivable way of improving the scheme is to sub-
stitute for it something essentially different. Such poor
palliatives as Mr. Hibbert's amendment, even with all the
other patching which the government is pl►inly afraid to
resist, would never be seriously offered by those who really
understood the subject.

THE SYSTEM OF PURCHASE IN TILE
ARMY.
PARLIAMENTARY DIVISION lIST NIGHT.
Motion wade and Question put, "That, in the opinion of
this house, the system of purchasing Commissions in
the Army tends greatly to diminish the efficiency of
our military force" —(Mr. Trevelyan.) The house di-
vided—Ayes, ; Noes, 116.

A Y LS.
Acland, T. D. Forteseue, C. P. Miller, W.
Adam, W. 14. Fortescue, D. F. Mille J. R.
Allen, W. S. thildsmid, Sir F. lliteheU, A.
Amberiey. Visa. cower, F. L. Moffatt, O.
Aytonn, It. S. Cord, J. E. Monk, C. J.
Bagwell. J. Goschen, 4:. J. Morrison, W.
Baines, E. Create% H. It. Neale, C.
llazley, T. Gridley, rapt. Norwood, C. M. •
Beaumont, W. B. CriMth, C. D. O'Conor Don, The
Bright, J. Grosvenor, Capt. CV &widen, Sir C.
Buxton. sir T. F. Hadfield, O. Peel. A. W.
calthorpe, F. 11. Hamilton, E. W. Philips, R. N.
Candlish, J. Hankey, T. Follard-Urquhart,W
Cave, T. Holden, I. Potter, E.
Cavendish, Lord F. Howard, C. W. Rothschild, Baron
Clay, J. Ingham, R. Salomon*, Ald.
Clive, Cl. Jackson, W. Simeon, sir .1.
Colebruoke, Sir T. Kinnaini, A. F. Smith, J. B.
Cowen, J. Labouchere, H. Stock, O.
Crosaka, Sir F. Lamont. J. finnan, E. J.
IMIR. R. Latham,
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Latham, W. H. Tailor, P. A.
Dillwyn, L. L Leeman, O. Vanderbyl, P.
Knot, lord Link, A. White, .1.
Ewart, W. IPLaren, D. !ELLIN&
Fitzgerald, Lord 0. Maguire. J. F. Sykes, Col.
Pointer, W. E. MW, J. S. Trevelyan, C. 0.

. .
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Adderley, C. B. Greene, K. Naas, Lord
Arantall, Capt. Hamilton. 1,4 L Claud Neville-Grenville, R.
Ark.-right, R. Hamilton, Lord C. J. Newport, Vied.
Bagge, Sir W. Hemlines, Vint. Noel, G. J.
e Milli. H. J. Hardy, G. North, Col.
Barnett, H. Wirdy, J. Northeote, Sir S.
Barrow, W. H. Hervey, Lord A. Paget, R. H.
!latent'', Sir T. Ila,vter, Capt. Pakington, SirJ.
Bathurst, A. A. Heathcote, G. H. Parket 31, ajoir.W.
Beecrott, U.S. HennikerWajor, J. Parry, T.
Benyua, K Herbert, Col. Percy, klajonOen.
Beresioni, Capt. Heygate, SD P. Read, C. 8.
Bingham, Lord Hiblyard. T. B. }lepton, 0. W.
Bourne, Cal. Hem Lt.-CoL Ridley, Mr Si.
Bruniky, W. D. Holton!, R. 8. itoberlson, P. F.
Bruce, sir H. Mahan", Lord Rummell, Sir C.
Bought, Mir P. Howes, K Ifelater-Booth, 0.
Campbell, A. H. Iluddkston, J. W. Selwyn, C. J.
Cartwright, Col. Hunt, 0. W. Seymour, G. R.
Care, 8. Jones, D. Stoptord, S. 0.
Cecil, Lord E. Karslake, Sir J. Strange. BD J. .
Cony, H. L Kerslake K. K. Stuart, Col.
Cox, W. T. Kavanagh', A. Sorties, Ir.
Mk, Y. Kendall, N. Sorties, H. E.
Dickson, Major Kennard, It. W. Sykes, C.
Dimsdale, R. Ring, J. K. There'd, Sir J.
Disraeli, B. Kingscote, Col. Tottenham', IA:Co.
Du Cane, C. Knight, F. W. Turner, C
Dunkellin, Lord Knox. Col. Verney, Sir H.
Dunne. Den. lAscelles, R. W. Walcott, Admiral
Edwards, air H. Leader, N. P. Walpole, S. H.
Egerton. Sir P. Lennox, Lord H. Walrond, J. W.
Egerton, It. C. Leslie, C. P. Walsh, A.
Yielder'. J. Liddell, H. O. White, Capt.
Feliewes, E. Lindsay, Col. C. Williams, F. Si.
Mooch, Cal. Lopes, Sir It. Wise, H. C.
Garth, R. Manners, Lord J.
Getty, 8. 0. Mnotagu, Lord R. TELLBBB.
Gooch, Sir D. Morris, O. Whitmore H.
Gore, W. B, Slowbray, 3. R. Taylor, Co.l