The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-06 00:00:00

THE MEETING OF THE LIBERAL MEMBERS.

The Times regards with disfavour the policy
agreed upon at yesterday's meeting. Practically the in-
struction to be moved substitutes a 51. rating franchise for
the borough franchise proposed in the government scheme,
the defence for this being that in boroughs under the Small
Tenements Acts such a franchise would admit more voters
than a household rating franchise limited by the condition
of personal payment of rates. Whether this would be so
or not must, however, turn upon the facilities offered to
the compound householders to become personally rat'id ;
and when yesterday's meeting was held no one
knew what facilities would be found in the pro-
mised clauses of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
It is at leant rash to give notice of a motion which may
prove useless before It can be debated, nor can it be denied
that it is extremely questionable whether the policy of a
uniform rating franchise is, on the whole, to be preferred
to that of a franchise limited by the personal payment of
rates, as long as no artificial obstacles are opposed to their
payment. But the gravest objection is that it perils the
settlement of reform. If it is rejected, the opposition
will go into committee with broken forces. If on the
contrary the ministry be beaten, there will be an
appeal to the hustings, and if the ministry obtain
an accession of strength, the next bill will certainly
not be more liberal than the present. Those who hold
that the government bill may, with the promised altera-
tions, become a satisfactory measure, cannot be too cir-
cumspect as to the course into which they are drifting.
The Daily Neill represents Mr. Coleridge's motion as an
attempt in good faith to promote the settlement of the
question this year, and denies that the proceeding is dic-
tated by any hostile feeling towards the government.
The terms are strictly relative to the bill, and there is no
valid reason why the instruction should not be accepted by
the government. It gives effect to their professed objects,
and removes only those accidents of their scheme which
would have defeated its essence. Mr. Disraeli will, it is
to be hoped, be wise enough to adopt it now, if be has not
been wise enough, acting upon previous hints, to antici-
pate it in the additional clauses which he has promised to
lay on the table.
The Herald has authority to state that the instruction
to the committee on the Bill for the Improvement of the
Representation of the l'eople, which is to be moved by
Mr. Coleridge on Monday next, and which strikes at the
principle of personal payment of rates, on which the mea-
sure of the government is founded, will not only be op-
posed on that account, but will be treated by them as a
vote of want of confidence in the administration.

The Standard is confident that this pretty scheme of
hungry placehunters will not succeed.
The Post thinks the meeting was calculated to reassure
the leaders as to the tractability and discipline of their
followers, and to dissipate the sinister rumours which
have of late been current as to the disaffection said to
exist among them.

The TarTiraph enjoins upon the liberal party the neces-
sity at such a crisis as this of united support of the line of
action which has been agreed to. In the words of Mr.
Gladstone, it is not only the government, but also the op-
position, whom the country will hold responsible for the
failure or success of this measure. The power of the
liberal party is perfect, but success in the great work on
which they are engaged depends upon their union.
While supporting the motion, the Star does not conceal
its opinion that a stronger, broader, more imperative, and
more comprehensive resolution would better have befitted
the occasion. Certainly, if ever a party deserved credit
for forbemance and self-abnegation, it is that which Mr.
Gladstone leads, and if a real reform of the representation
results from the present complication, theirs emphatically
will be the glory. But to the attainment of this object
the triumphant adoption of Mr. Coleridge's resolution is
essential.

The Day earnestly hopes that the government will yield
no further. They are now in an admirable position for a
pitched battle. They could not accept it on a better issue.
And itthey are to win at all, they must win on the ground
they now occupy.