The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-12 00:00:00

TitE EXPRESS, THURSDAY

Parliament since 1832 can be named in wbieh
there have not been a few members of eccentric
honesty and unminneable self-respect. Mr.
GLADSTONE mentions instances of conspicuous
isolation of the better sort ; it would perhaps be
as easy to cite examples of the worse. Nor
does the advance of liberal opinion seem to
promise that the lines of party will be more sharply
drawn in the futum, though as long as England
shall be England we cannot expect or desire that
either of the two great parties—the party of move-
ment and the party of resistance—will cease to held
the balance of the State. It is, therefore, grati-
fying to hear Mr. Hoassurr acknowledge that the
old traditions of parliamentary courtesy have not
died out, and that when he comes down to deliver
a philippic against Reform from the front Liberal
bench below the gangway, Radicals make room for
him, as the younger Tories do for Mr. Rozaucx
on the other side.

OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

(THIS DAY.)

*hem ; but great ne it is, it Is mai worthy of um occa-
sion. The Amesissa minister, k speak* in the
City the other day of Mr, Peabody's Character,
desselhed him as being ahead " species by him-
self." It is a thing, he said, taknown that a man
should entertain so large an ambition, directed so entirely
to the disinterested purpose of distributing his property
for the benefit of his fellows. It such en opinion be just,
let us hope that the species thus initiated by Mr. Pea-
body may be extended and oontinued by the force of his
example. It is not everyone wbo can express his gratitude
to Providence and to his country by such extraordinary
munificence, nor is it altogether desirable that the
example should be always copied to the letter. But
everyone might imitate the spirit which Mr. Peabody
describes as his animating motive, and if all did so in their
due proportion, the wants of humanity would be greatly
lessened.

)1:18 TOPICS.

Everybody's hands being full, the present ooeuion, the
Tines remarks, is not one for real results as to the Irish
church ; it is a battle of principles and sentiments war-
ranted to do nobody any harm just now. The Times
doubts, however, whether, if the Irish catholic* were to
get a strong government, one which meant equal laws,
equal taxation, and the speely repression of every system
and every spontaneous organisation that lifts up its hand
against the common will of the people as ex-

.essed in law, Archbishop Cullen would find his
place quite as easy as it is now. The Italian States,
formerly governed with such weakness, are now adminis-
tered with a just and equal hand, and, therefore, with an
iron rule that falls heavy on some classes. If Ireland ever
should be equally governed, she would still have to look
back with fond and foolish repinings to the present era
of slack discipline and indulgent weakness.
The Polt can see no objection whatever to the bill
which was read a second time yesterday qualifying the
Postmaster-General to sit in the House of Commons. The

.
Poet-office, as Hr. Gladdens rightly observed, is • fruitful
source of revenue, and its proceed' supply the place of that
which otherwise must be raised by taxation. As, how-
ever, the House of Commons claims absolute control in
all matters relating to finance, it is right that the minister
who represents the postal department should be capable of
personally communicating with the house.
The Telegnsph considers that the failure or success of the
proposition for a Teutonic parliament will have but small
influence on the question of peace or war. The solution of
that problem depends upon the action or inaction of the
neutral Powers, not upon the negotiations between Vienna
an 1 Berlin. If we could believe the statement that Italy
an IPrussia have concluded an offensive and defensive alli-
ance, we should indeed regard war as inevitable ; but such
an alliance would be almost nu3atory without the consent
of France ; and as yet there is no indication that Napoleon
111. has decided on any definite line of proceeding.
The Star sees in the late acts of President Johnson the
plainest signs of the policy which must make his rupture
with the republican party final and irrevocable. Not one
of the objections which might, with some show of reason,
be urged against the Freedmen's Bureau could possibly
apply to the Civil Rights Bill. This measure in some
respects fell short of what justice actually demanded. For-
tunate/3,, to be forewarned is to be forearmed ; and the
republican party has thee far developed strength instead
of weakness by its contest with the executive. The Con-
grew, which has done so much for the good name of its
country and for the honour of the Anglo-Saxon race, ex-
hibit. no disposition to surrender to the enemy. Mr.
Johnson has revealed himself in his tr ce colours not •
moment too soon, but happily not too late.