The Express.
London, England, 1866-02-02 00:00:00

FOHN BROG.DEN.

ORIGINALGOLDCHAINBUNIIPAOTORY,
le, iIICNILIZTrA-BTRELT COVENT-GARDEN

JOHN BROGDEN'S GOLD OHAINI3.

JOHN BROODER'S GOLD GUARD GRAM

JOHN BROGDEN'S G OLD ALBERT CHAINS.

JOHN BROGDEN'S GOLD BROOCH CHAINS.

MESSRS. WATHERSTON and SON,
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of the Latest Reda/mg, suitable for
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LONDON must have a SUPPER and MUSIC
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"EVANS," after the Corent-garden Pantomime, tnd the
Theaires.

gilt eramoo•

TO 001111.111PONDINTS.
Ldrulloseasots Intended for " The Express' London Evening
ir, must be at the Moe, 10, Bowterle-street, by Two
cCk on Use day of publication.

HAYMARLIT.
This EYasisO, BROTHER SAM. Hews. &then; Back-
and Compton; Ulna Nally Moore. Snowdontister .--
ORPHEUS IN THE HAY MARK RT. Maws Farren D.
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PRI RCM&
Tulle /Mum QVLTP wow Nos.—After which IT 18
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LYCZUM..

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BRITANNIA.
THis Emig*, OLD DADDY LONGLEGS AND SIR REGENT
CIRCUS.—K. and Aldine. Mertasebarts —Signor Berant —The
Golden Bain.—Johny Day.—BLz Survivors from the Crew of the
Steamship London will appear.—Olmar.—And BI ITER COLD.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON-BRIDGE.
TEE DAT Morning, Eh. 41m..... Afternoon, 311. 59m.
204101L10W Magda& la. lain. —.Afternoon, eh. 32 en.

LONDON, FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 2.

CONSIDERING the nature of the duties which
public expectation and the known intentions of
the Government have imposed on the new Parlia-
ment, and the probability that its first session will
be marked in an unusual degree by the conflicts of
parties and principles, it is exceedingly satisfactory
to observe that the proceedings of the House ef
Commons at its first sitting were occupicl
with demonstrations of respect and courtesy.
Only to the most superficial observation can
the business in which the House was engaged
yesterday appear otherwise than important. It
is the wise conduct of its debates, as much as the
magnitude of the interests affected by them, which
has made the House of Commons the first delibe-
rative assembly of the world. This wisdom has,
in the course of generations, embodied itself in
rules, which are invaluable, as pointing to the
true parliamentary spirit in which they origi-
nated ; but without the continual presence
of that spirit to inform them these rules
would be of little value. Experience has
again and again shown, that no fervour of pa-
triotism, no extent of political knowledge can avail
to make a representative assembly efficient, without
something of that aptitude for internal organization
which our successive Houses of Commons have
possessed. The order and ease with which the
House transacts an amount of business unat-
tempted by any other parliamentary body in
the world, has suggested the analogy of
a vast and complicated machine, but the
result is due to the existence of a skilfully
devised order of procedure, of which the SPEAKER
is the administrative interpreter, and in an equal
degree to the traditional spirit and temper peculiar
to the House, which new members learn first to
admire and then to imitate.

To outside observers the report of yesterday's
proceedings may explain better than more political
debates the feeling which makes membership of
the House of Commons the highest object of am-
bition to so many thousands of educated English-
men. The well-considered words of the speakers
on both sides of the House told not only of conscious
dignity arising from a due estimate of exalted
functions, but of a spirit of community, a
feeling that all were participants, though with
unequal titles, in the character of the House,
which so many statesmen, orators and patriots
have contributed to form, and which has in-
creased in power and responsibility as the ria-
ration has advanced in wealth, education, and re-
finement. We shall soon enough see how broad
are the lines which divide member from member
and party from party ; but before that saps-
tion takes place, it is agreeable to be perm;tted
to observe how deep a common sentiment binds
together those who have been sent from mighty
cities and from quiet towns, from the seats of com-
merce and manufactures, and from ancestral
homes, to speak in the name of their countrymen.
It was impossible that the thoughts of the
House at its first meeting should not revert to the
memory of the statesman who for so many years
guided its deliberations with unexampled success.
Lord PALMERSTON knew the special character of
the House of Commons better than any of his
contemporaries, and no leader before him had
ever made so dexterous a use of his know-
ledge. He knew exactly when to urge
and when to forbear, when to watch
the development of a contest and when to inter-
pose with effect. No doubt his management of
the House was intimately connected with his ideas
of the work to be required of it, and might not
have been equally successful in the hands of a
statesman bent on carrying measures in the face of
an opposition more firmly grounded on principle
!hart that which he had to confront. It is neoee-
aary to remember this when Mr. Dutra= appeals
to Mr. GLADSTONE to imitate his "genial spirit
" and moderating wisdom." Still Lord PALmr.a-
rrrow's conduct of the House was a remarkable dis-
play of qualities which Englishmen will always
admire. The language in which Mr. GLADSTONE
referred to the late PREMIER, reserved as it
necessarily was, will doubtless be read with equal
pleasure by the friends of the departed and of the
living statesmen.

The re-election of Mr. DEN/SON by the unani-
mous vote of the House, accompanied as it was by
the high praise of Mr. GLADSTONE, Mr. Samar,
and Mr. Disasimi, was one of the moat
honourable testimonies ever offered to a Speaker
of the House of Commons. Mr. DISRAELI made
the sound remark that re-election to the chair of
the House is, in fact, a greater distinction than the
original choice ; for, " although political man-
" oeuvres and parliamentary passions may contiive
"to raise an individual to that post, they cannot
" keep him there." And this is the third
time that the present SFEIHRS has been
chosen by the unanimous vote of the
representatives of the nation. The election
of the SPEAKER is the most important business
which tke House of Commons has to perform