The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-20 00:00:00

THE WEEKLY PRESS.

The Saturday Review doubts whether any public meeting
has within the last year expressed the smallest desire for
the only reform bill which is likely to pan the House of
Commons. The probable opponents of the bill, it thinks,
display unusual sagacity in waiting for the production of
the measure before they object to its provisions. Re.
finance will be hopeless unless the majority is divided. The
success of the measure will largely depend on the temper,
the firmness, and the adroitness of Mr. Gladstone. It Is
especially desirable that he should satisfy the house and
the country that the government intends, to the best of its
power, to preclude the need of further changes daring the
present generation. Whatever may be thought of the
advantage of preserving the smaller boroughs, it will be
easier to defend them on principle than to recommend the
alteration of the franchise on the ground that it will facili-
tate changes in electoral districts which are not considered
practicable at present. It may perhaps be fortunate
that Mr. Gladstone some years ago urged the
expediency of ret►ining a certain number of small
constituencies. Although he may fairly have changed his
opinion on this point, he will be more fully trusted by the
House of Commons if he repeats his former arguments
than if he is supposed to share the ulterior designs of Mr.
Bright. His most dangerous tendency in debate is to utter
general propositions which are not necessary for the esta-
blishment of his practical conclusions. It is useless and un-
desirable to challenge opposition by the employment of ab-
stractions and generalities. A bill which might command the
approval of parliaments a 'solution of an immediate diffioulty
would almost certainly fail if it were offered as an instal-
ment of universal suffrage, and as a partial recognition of
the right, of man. There will be sufficient interest in the
conduct of the inevitable struggle, without the creation of
superfluous obstacles. The House of Commons ,will not
pan a reform bill on the ground th►t the Eoglish constitu-
tion is thoroughly faulty, or that the system of taxation
ought to be remodelled. If Mr. Gladstone will only culti-
vate reticence on all suitable occasions, there its no reason
to fear that he will be wanting in eloquence.

It seems, says the Spectator, that some of the extraordi-
nary reports of courts-martial and their results published
in the Colonial Standard of Jamaica were actually written,
as was suspected in England at the time, by omrespondents
shocked beyond measure at the brutality of the measures
adopted, and only able to convey their horror by throwing
an extravagance of cynical emphasis into their approval of
the bloody measures adopted, which slightly overleaped the
bounds of real sympathy. Thus the correspondent of the
Standard, who reported the fifty lashes given to each of a lot
of supposed &oats as a mere caution, and the immediate Imag-
ined Geo. Marshall, a brown man,be c sus° at the forty-seventh
lash he ground his teeth and cast a ferocious look at the
provost-marshal—writes now under his own name,
A. W. H. Lake, reporter to the Colonial Standard, to
confess that he loathed the cruelties committed, but
dared ►t best only to indicate them in this manner. Some
of those masted as political prisoners were his most
intimate friends. and known to be so. "If I at all
merit *ensure," be says, "it is far possessing a natural
dread, a desire to avoid the laceration of my flesh
by way of cautioa.' Alt! and a floosie placed around
my neck!" "I hesitate not in declaring," he
writes, "that the atrocities committed at Mount Bay
during martial law by the provost-marshal, under the sane-
Mon of the authorities, will muse a blush on many a
British cheek when chronicled. I hesitate not to say mur-
der, fool murder, has been perpetrated in the fan of day,
and 1 fear not to tell it that Mr. George William Gordon
has been cruelly slain by the authorities, not a tittle of
legal evidence having been adduced to warrant even his
being placed upon his trial." The notes of this trial have
come home, and are to be published in a few days. Mr.
Lake adds that "some of her Majesty's justices of the peace
were being near catted by the provost-marshal." That
would have been a very dramatic assertion of the perfect
impartiality of the law. Will Mr. Cardwell now repeat his
flagrantly untrue assertion that "comparative safety was
speedily restored to all persons, of whatever race or colour,
who desired to live in pates and orderly submission to the
law I" Mr. Lak ), who was on the spot, positively affirms
the contrary. . . .

As a matter of principle the Economist is disposed to deny
that a protracted tenure of subordinate office is a good pre-
paration for high office. in most cases it is an incurable
bane to statesmanlike capacity. Ooe consideration which
in Mr. Goechen's ease will have immense weight with
English society is that he is a pecuniary loser. None
of the displeased under-seenstaries an say, "I might
have been one of the richest men in England only I did not
choose." What Mr. Gosehen will make of the Cabinet no
one can tell. In the Bank court, however, where generally
a young man has little influence, Mr. Goschen by his know-
s ledge of the money market and his energy in a rather heavy
atmosphere did gat inflames and keep it. Bat unless he
can acquire not only the ear of the house, which he has, but
the oommand of the house, which as yet of (nurse he has
not, he will not only not ries, but he will fall in public
estimation. He must quickly become greater, or he will
quickly become less. An unattsche 1 minister, like the
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, is permitted to
speak on many subjects ; he is to be useful where he can be
usefuL If Mr. Gamboa will use the evening liberty well,
we shall not regret, bat rejoin that be was not hindered by
the laborious routine of a common office in a morning.
Referring to prat occasions on which its exclusive infor-
mation has proved authentic, the Press to-day asks its
readers to believe that Earl Russell requested each member
of the cabinet to give him an answer in writing to the
following extraordinary ultimatum :—" Shall we take away
the endowments of the Irish Church saving existing in-
terests, or shall we erect alongside of it a coequal sod co-
oedinate establishment (i.e.. endow the Romish Church)
The Press understands that the majority declared them-
selves in favour of the latter proposition, which will be sub-
mitted to parliament. .

_
The John Bull refers to gonip, which it says is
current at the clubs, that Lord Stanley is to lead
the Conservatives. It this be true, the Tory

party wouli lose the support of most Churchmen
worthy of the name. The Charob, which looks with.
confideece to such statesmen as Lord Csruszvon. Sir
Stafford Northoote, Mr. Walpole, Mr. Gathorne hardy, and
many other trusted Conservatives, will never brook the
leadership of a nobleman who has separated from his party
on Church questions ; and whose sympathies are rightly or
wrongly suppose Ito be with those who would sap the
foundations of the faith by denying alike the authority of
the Bible and the church. There is no see being squeamish
er reticent in such a case. Let us hope that the mere men-
tion of the report will prevent the plan being further con-
templated ; and that a happy solution of the difficulty—if
difficulty it be—may be found in the Earl of Derby con-
senting to sacrifice, if necessary, his personal predileotteus
for the good of the cause which he has so nobly served.

VISIT OF THI PRINOZ AND PRINCESS OP WALLS
TO LILLINHALL AND TRENTHAL—We understand that
the Prince and Princess of Wales are about to pay a visit
to the Doke sod Dsohess of Sutherland. Their royal
highness are expected to arrive at Lilleshall on Tuesday
scut, and stay there over Thursday, and if the
weather is suitable, no doubt the Prince will
enjoy the shooting, as the duke's estate abounds
with game. On Friday their royal highnesses will
mamma; the duke and dachas to Trentham. We
understand that the Prime and Princess will remain at
Trentham for several days, and that a distinguished party
will be invited to inset their royal highnesses and partici-
cipate in the duke's hamitalitisa. At a meeting yesterday,
at Newport, to &neap for the neeptioe of their royal
highboys; ft was stated that they would arrive at the
Newport station at 3.25 as Tuesday afternoon, would re.
main at Lilleahall until Friday, when they would ppaa♦ a
' visit to the railwa7 works at Crewe, prier to going to hest.
ham.—Stefordelure Advertieer.