The Express.
London, England, 1859-03-21 00:00:00

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HIGH MATT A AT LONDON BPJDOL
re, Da a• if On.
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LONDON. MONDAY, MANCH 91.

Tux great battle between the country and the
mOovernmeet begins tonight. These are the setaal
combatants in she 'precooking contliet, Lord JOEIN
RVAELL Wag but the veprisentative and mouth-
piece of the nation. his amendment at once ex-
presses the convisties et Reformers on the subject
of Reform. sad eendemas in the most direct and
unqualified manner the leading principle of the
°event:eat BilL The triumph of the amendment
involves sea necessary enenteenos the deenwition of
the present memoms. Some of the more unernpulees
supporters of the filevereneset, who an reedy se
sacrifice everything—the kat remmest et hanger, writ
ciple, aid deeency—for a kw weeks' longer tenure
of office, affect to dewy this. They maintain that the
difference between the Amendment and the Bill is
not one of principle, but el detail, that may be ad-
justed is Committee. Bat this is obviously a sug-
gestion prompted by the lowest instinct of self-
preservation, reckless of all results,—the mere
clinging to official life when all that renders it
worth an tionour*We man's acceptance is gone. The
Government Itself has not accepted this humiliating
position, nor do we believe its leading members
would ever descend to such a depth of
voluntary and useless self-degradation, They have
deliberately chosen their ground, and will, no doubt,
maintain it to the last. They have volentarily
raised the great issue which is about to be tried, and
it ha. the advantage of being a clear and definite
one. The question to be debated this week in the
Home of COMM= is not one of detail, but of broad,
well-defloed principle, and the result involved in of
the highest constitutional importance.
The great question to be decided is—shall the re-
presentation of the oouny be sectarian or national?
Shall it be confined to one or two classes, or include
a portion of every class ? In other words, shall the
more intelligent of the working classes remain, as
heretofore, wholly nuenfranchised, or shall the
franchise be extended to those who, by their industry,
prudence, and general culture, are fitted and fairly
entitled to enjoy it ? Thin is the real principle in-
volved in the question whether the borough qualifi-
cation shall be lowered or not. These cusses
live in towns and cities. To lower the borough
qualification is to admit their claims ; to refuse to
do so is to rejoin them in the mem distinct and decided
form. For us there can be only one answer to this
question. Ever since the agitation commenced
we have maintained, through evil report and
through good report, that the working amen
ought to be represented; that intelligent artisans
deserve the franchise; and that in any fresh legiele•
tion, therefore, the borough qualification meet be
lowered. We have maintained this on every
ground both of justice and expediency. The
clue of industrious and intelligent artisans pressmen
every qualification which the Constitution requiem
as necessary to the possession of the suffrage. Both
in character and position, in mental culture and usual
independence, i's members are, as a body, equal to
the ten-pound householders enfranchised in 1832.
Altogether apart, therefore, from any question of
abstract right, they are entitled, on the ground of
constitutional usage, to claim the suffrage. To give
it, then, is simply an act of justice which ought net
to be any longer delayed. We have always held that,
instead of regretting this necessity, we ought to
rejoice at it—that instead of looking upon this class
with fear and suspicion, and devising every possible
expedient to delay the recognition of their claims,
they should be treated with generous confides"
and gladly welcomed to the right of citizen*
ship. It would he in the highest degree wise
aid patriotic to give them the suffrage at once. The
constitution would be invigorated by a large iallax
of sew end healthful blood, the political atmosphere
cleared and sweetened by dissipating the poisonous
exhalations of a standing grievance, end the sta-
bility of the empire secured by developing ander a
discipline of responsibility the native loyalty of the
people, and renting so much vigour and sagacity
on the side of order, freedom, and regime.

Bat apart from these higher grounds of jostles
sad patriotism, we have pointed out that •a a mire
matter of policy it is highly expedient to in-
tend she suffrage generously sad without endue
delay. It is degrading and mischievous dm
the Government of • country like this
habitually to delay needed reforms till it is too
Ists—to refuse all concessions till it really has no

choice, but is ignominiously compelled to yield. The
opponents of Reform, who regard the popular els-
anent as a grave evil, and dread its preponderance in
the Legislature, create the very evil they strive so
blindly to avert. Their obstinacy gives to melee
movements a power they would tit otherwise proem
If the love of constitutional liberty which is natural
to the people of this country is ever seeded isle de-
mocratic linear*, it will be by these ligotted entho.
Masts of our political system who resolutely oppose an
ratioosleitange. The suffrage must be extended mem,
and it is better to do it deliberately, and is psi
time, while the act may still have ecesathiag of
rase and dignity 'beet it, than to wait till it i• ex-
tatted is tones too load, thmatenisg, and authorita-
tive le be refired. Os all grenade, therefore, high
as well am low, from ceessidoratkas of justice sad
patsietiem, so well as from them of praises* cad
peaky, we have advocated a■ extension of the cof-
fee", to the name intelligent of the worlds; slams.
Having answered the questime at Mew is the
Aimed'', we have lard as the only misdeal II
hem is which that Reply scold be embodied the
ndoction of tie town franchise. The time
he. now fully cm' for doing this. It is,
in feet, the reel question at issue, end it would
• ir%coory to to: muse of Reform to spew any
ofhoial or Othlifiefe. to Aeon it•
the rival partiee in the coming Main age ranged
on either side of this central principle of the Reform