The Express.
London, England, 1866-02-05 00:00:00

THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE SURREY LIBERAL&

The sense of onetraint which it perceives to have
weighed on all the speakers at the Guildford dinner, save
Mr. Locke King ; their reticence ; their passive attitude,
and harmless discourse, are attributed by the Times to the
fact that the probable good to be effected by an org►nic
change is far less manifest than in the contest of the last
generation ; while the possible dangers are now, as ever,
indefinite. The conviction that a class ought to have the
franchise, or is " mocrlly entitled to come within the pale
of the constitution," especially after it has so often
been promised rimlssion, is not in its nature so cogent
as the feeling that it is suffering • practical grievance
by exclusion, or the persurrdon that, if admitted, is would
find an accumteation of abuses to clear away. The reason
why the liberal members for Surrey are quietly awaiting the
result of Lord Russell's deliberations, end not actively
urging him forward, is that a molerate weigure, involc'ng
no sweeping transfer of powers, would be s►tisfactory to
their conititnents ss well se to themselves. It may seem
a paradox to some, but the Times ventures to submit that
if a Reform Bill is to be int:raked at all, • moderate
Reform Bill dealiog with proved abuses could hardly be
,introduced under more favourable conditions.

An exceptionally Interesting character is given to the
Guildford meeting, the Daily News remark., by the nom-
, platoons of the victery it celebrate; the return of nine
liberals out of the eleven apportioned to the county and
boroughs, and by the fact that the guests represent very
fair'y the several schools and sharing of opinion in the
petty. Litera4, old and new, advanced end moderate,
met at Guildford as allies to celebrate their own
and each other's victor( over the common enemy. The
example of un'on which they have afforded only fore-
shadows, we hop•, the cordial co- aperation of the several
sec'ions of the party, to one co other of which all of them
belong. Mr. Lrya•d, who is • very good sample of libe-
ralism in office, and who has had opportunities of becoming
aoquaioted with the &sweeter and views of Lord Russell
which not many ether men have possessed, was able to
echo, and by echoing to confirm, the trust in the principles
and intentions of the Prime Minister which the country
entertains. No one would a:knowledge more heartily that
a liberal government holds office to give effect to
liberal principles or would be less likely to in-
troduce • measure whisk in affecting to do some•
thing shall in reality achieve nothing. Al no one
supposes that the government proposition will go beyond a
ed, rental qualification in boroughs, which would not add
more than 220,000 voters to the existing constituencies,
Mr. Buxton's alarm ma to the submergence of the upper
and middle by the lower classes is irrelevant, and, we fear,
may be mischievous. Opposition to a moderate reform
bill, or the fa'nt support which invites opposition to it, is
the surest way of preparing for an extreme
The Post sees in the gathering a demonstration, and
nothing more. It demonstrates that fanners will be well
content with insipid speeches after an insipid dinner, that
the exports and imports of the country have increased, that
Surrey returns nine liberal members, and that none of those
nine are agreed as to wh►t is desirable in the way of re-
form, but that, in &general way, they have sufficient confi-
dence in the administration they are "pledged to support"
to vote for whatever it proposes.

Though the Herald thinks some of the liberal repro-
acalstivat of Surrey are able men, yet a gathering
of avenge democrats of Manchester or of Bir-
mingham would hardly, it says, have produosd a
larger flow of vapid declamation than the meeting at
Guildford. The only speech deserving causiderstkin is
Mr. Buxton's, and as that boa. gestleman must be aware,
there is not oat of the articles—exceptiog one relative to
telt' at the universities—which he gives is oonstitntiog his
liberal creed which • 000servative would not fully and
tenably wept. It is the conservatives who desire to see
all shams, not mere numbers, fairly represeated ; end it
is coaasnatien especi►lly who have taken the material
well-being of the poor usdsr their care. Every
financial measure of which Mr. Gladstone ►as really
bona the author—orrery remission or Masers et taxa.

tile except those whisk the ociaiervatives forced upon him
—the redaction of the duties on wine and cigars, the altera-
tion of tin spirit duty, the abolition of the paper daty—
have bean for the advantage of the rich at the expense of
the poor. In so far as Mr. Buxton's profession of faith
truly expresses his political opinions, be is not a liberal, but
• eonservative ; he thinks with Lord Derby, Mr. Disraeli, or
Lord Cranborne, and not with Lord Russell, Mr. Glad-
stone, and Mr. Bright; and the time is at hand when be
most either abandon his principles or vote against his party.