The Express.
London, England, 1859-04-05 00:00:00

the friends from whom he had severed

times with Sir ROBERT Pau. But after he had
ultimately crossed the floor and taken up his position
beside that distinguished statesman, so little of iden-
tity was there in the scope or tenour of their pro-
ceedings in Parliament that jealousy and rivalry
were by many supposed to be growing up between
them while in opposition. And, perhaps, Mr. DIS•
HABIT could tell us who was the author of the cele-
brated pamphlet circulated industriously amongst
the Tories in 1840, under the mischief-making title
of " Who shall lead us—Peel or Stanley ?" Yet
now we are gravely told by the very man who
having taken °Mob under Sir ROBERT PEEL, quitted
him without a single follower in the great crisis
of his life, and did his best to baffle that wise
man's wisest act, that the Liberal Party is now not
fit to be entrusted with power because it contain' in
its ranks two able and experienced men, each of
whom has with credit and motes filled the office of
Prime Minister of England.
Lord DIZZY told the Peen last night distinctly
that it was not upon his rejected Reform Bill he
meant to dissolve. He took care to wash his hands
Blear of all future responsibility regarding that luck-
ier. measure. The House of Commons having re-
fused to read it a second time, he declared that he
would not hold himself bound to renew any of the
proposals it contained. Neither would he under-
take to bring in a second Bill this year. Great
stress was laid by the noble Earl on the
want of definite counter-proposals on the part of
the Opposition. The taunt was singularly ill-
timed, for while he wee yet speaking, Lord JOHN
RUSSELL had, in the other House of Parliament,
made an announcement of no little importance as to
the nature of the Bill he would be prepared to sup-
port. The 101. county franchise he regards as no
longer in dispute ; but the franchise of the towns
Lord JOHN proposes to lower from 101. to 81.—not
rating, alums: ea/me. He has further intimated
his intention of retaining some of the minor fran-
chises contained in the Bill of 18M, but these "fancy
franchisee " are to be the complement of his main
extension of the Suffrage, not ss in the Government
Bill substitutes for it. The noble lord further declares
that the ►chedule of redistribution ought at the least
to affect thirty seats. Many will think that, were
these proposals embodied in a Bill and enacted
by the Legislature, much that is important would
still remain behind. But there is no practical man
desirous of progress who will not regard this as an
infinitely better bidding than any we have had from
a statesman of Lord Joan's position during the last
seven years.

THE address of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHII-
- to his constituents, making no mention of Par-
liamentary Reform, is an audacious attempt to place
a false issue before the country at the present import-
ant crisis. It is a mere party attack on the Liberal
Opposition—an endeavour to divert the atten-
tion of the constituencies from the constitu-

tion►l to the personal aspects of the duty before
them, and _to reproduce under another form

those ambiguous circumstances" which are as-
signed is the causes of the present distracted
state of the House of Commons. These election
tactics are not without precedent, but on the present
occasion they will deceive no one, not even the elec-
tors of Bucks. Not for their sakes, however, was
this address penned. It has been thrown forward
with impatient haste, in order that it may serve as a
model for other addressee to be issued by Con-
servative candidates. Nothing an be more
futile. Of what avail is it to tell the country
that " the moment is critical," when the Parlia-
ment which it is called to elect is not to
meet—as Mr. DIBMELI explained last night—until
June or July. It is a blander to pretend that the
success of Lord MALMESBURY'S present mediation
between France and Austria can be affected by this
election. Long before its results can be known, the
question of peace or war will have been decided. As
foreign affairs have thus been unceremoniously
dragged in to serve a hustings purpose, we may
fairly remind the Government that it knows well, and
the Great Powers now at variance know well, that a
policy conformable to the honour and interests of
England may be pursued in the confidence that no
possible results of this election will endanger or
weaken it. The influence of England which Lord
Maimrsamtv is permitted for a time to wield, is a
great force in Europe, and the nation has a right to
look to him for its efficient exercise. if he and him
colleagues see cause to anticipate a diplomatic failure
and want an excuse they had better find some other
course than this petty cavilling at the Howe of
Commons.