The Express.
London, England, 1859-04-06 00:00:00

LONDON, ORDNESDAY, APRIL 6.

THE disaolutioo of Parliament is either a rash ad-
venture or a fair constitutional appeal, according as
Ministers retain or surrender the policy which ham
just been condemned by the House of Commons. By
the speech which the Earl of DERBY delivered OR
Monday night, mid Mr. Disas ILI', address, which we
published yesterday, the country will be able to
judge which of them two characters ought to he
ascribed to it. For the sake of an anti-Reform Bill
the Government dissolves Parliament; but is the
very act of doing so it repodiates that measure, and
proclaims itaelf free from all engagements on this
subject. " After the vote of the House of Commons,"
says Lord 1)EIBT," we hold ourselves free from the
provisions of that Bill, and free to re-consider the
" whole question anew, without prejudice and with
"due deliberation." What is abandoned' The
promise of a 10/. county franchise, with the '
lesser electoral qualifications, its concomitants.
What is retained ? Nothing but Mr. DISRAIELre
contempt for " the vulgar expedient of lower-
" log the borough franchise," and Sir E. BELWIR
LTTION.3 principle, that " political power ought sot
" to descend to the working classes."
These doctrines and dispositions, we say, remain
to rankle in future discussions, and to obstruct, per-
haps to thwart, future reform.. But even these us
not avowed in the normal address which bears the
signature of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUIR.
In that singular composition, framed on an onhsppy
model, Mr. Dtsustl, avoiding the great questions
of State which all men are discussing, endeavours
to catch the public ear with the story of one of those
" disingenuous mwccurree," which he never fails
to discover behind a hostile vote. A Pulls-
mentary majority availing itself of its numerical
strength has " interrupted the discussion" of the
measures of the Government. But this is the na-
tural use which a Parliamentary majority makes o
its numerical strength as often as it ensoanteu of
DUI which does not deuces to become law. Thus,
& majority of the same Huse of Commons last year
" interrupted the discussion" of the Conspiracy Bill,
sad is the present year similarly cut short the debate
ea Mr. WALVOLVII Church Rats measure. In nue
of
these eases, however, was its power exerted to im-
pair the right of the minority to urge every argo.
meat which it could possibly adduce its favour of its
propositions. And really after seven nights' debate
of • Bill which bad but one unofficial defender, and
after the unlimited licence accorded to the eloquence
et a WHITESIDE and a CAIRNS, it is too much
to tell the country that the Opposition, in
defeating a Bill of which it disapproved,
has abused its power to " interrupt discussion
" and embarrass her Msitares Government." The
real embarraemeent of the Government was their
bad Bill, • fact which Ministers acknowledge, in
the haste with which they cast it from them at the
very earliest opportunity. Mr. Disttsext's peevish
accusation falls to the ground, and will be derided
wherever the reports of the great Reform Debate
have penetrated.
Mr. Ifteasiet.i describes the majority of the

Haase of Commons as distracted and -disunited,
and in a phrase which smacks of • French origin,
declares " It is fir the country to comprehend and
" remedy these evils.' la the mouth of a states-
men who had • broad, public-spirited, and
commanding policy to offer to the nation,
these words woold have at least a meaning. Not
only, however, does the rght hen, gent/man shrink
from any avowal of principles and any deobwatioa at
policy, but it is a remarkable fact, to which we invite
'Booties, that he does not think it worth his while
to assign a single definite reason why any one should
Tote for him or any other Minister. He draws a
doleful picture of the House of Commons, in which
we fail to recognise a representatioo of the essential
facts, and quietly leave., it to be supposed that in
soots way or other the stability of the State requires
the presence of Lord iltlll3T and himself in Down-
ing-street. " I rely," he says, "on the loyalty and
" public spirit of the county of Buckingham to rally
" round her Nlensly's Government, and to return
"me their member to Parliament." We doubt
whether any subject since Cardioal WoLser has so
boldly appealed to the sentiment of loyalty to the
Crown on Lis own perranal behalf. If the phrase
just footed were an isolated expression, we should
bare treated it as a slip of the pen, and passed it bye
But it represents and sums up the whole implied
argument of the Cu I.A.ELLoR's address to his con-
stituents.

We are aware that there is precedent for making
• general election turn upon a question of personal
pretenses, and an evening contemporary reminds as
disagreeably that in writing his address Mr.
DteRAZLI has had in view that which in 1837 Lad
PALSIERSToN issued to the electors of Tiverton. Bat
the language which was hardly permitted to •
great, popular, and veteran Minister who had just
terminated a vucoessful war is simply ridiculous
when assumed by a gentleman whose abilities, how-
ever eminent, hies hitherto been employed to

achieve a comely parliamentary swam There is
nothing in the twelvemonths' patient endurance el
opposition which Mr. DISRARLI so pathetical/7
described, and for which he claimed credit cm Mem
day night, to set in cousparieso with the .mines
which have won for Lord PAutIRITOIS sum wide
is European and historical.
The slight reference to foreign shire which Mr.
DISRAELI makes is peculiarly unfortunate. "The
" remnant is critical : " so unsettle everything in the
pout, and provide for two months hence. "It is
necessary that the guarani Government, engaged
" in mediating between two great monarchs, should
" be supported by a patriotic parliament ;" so let us
get rid of a House of Commons eminently incurious
and complaisant towards the Government as to exter-
nal policy, and let Lord Matmzencia's treatment el
Piedmont be dimmed on the hustings. That is
briefly and in effect the CHaircraton's account of
the relation of our foreign affairs to this election.
But why should we further examine this cobweb
which the good sense of the people will sweep away
without, it is to be feared, having first taken the
pains to admire its ingenuity ? The dissolution

impending is a serious event. It occurs at •
most inconvenient time. It damages business, un-
settles the coarse of public affairs, and takes men
away from their ordinary pursuits. For all this
trouble and lose there is only one adequ►te compen-
sation—it is, that the question remitted to the eon-
stituencies for decision shall be one of high concern
and permanent result. The egotism which persuades
itself that England is about to fight a constitutional
battle for the privilege of being represented abroad
by Lord Matmesnonr, and experimented OD at
bogie by the right honourable Member for Bucks, may
amuse the Clubs for a few hours ; but the masa of
the public will simply pus by it to the practical
business of the day. That business is to elect members
who will, before all thing., unite cordially with those
statesmen who understand the wants of the times,
and support them in settling, for a considerable
period at least, the great question of Parliamentary
Reform. Nothing can divert the public from this
issue, and to-morrow, in its earnestness, it will have
forgotten that the CLUNCELLOR Of the EXCIIEGIILI
has totally ignored it in hie address.