The Express.
London, England, 1867-02-12 00:00:00

OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

(THIS DAY.)

't REFORSt man- OF THE GOVEILNH L N
MR. ',ISRAELI'S SPEECH.

The 7'. rase describes Mr. Disraeli as wasting the
time of parli: r .cut and wearying it with an ingenious
and elaborate es,ay which advanced nothing, and
with meagre revelations which led to a revulsion
corresponding to the curiosity and interest which
had been excited by the previous mysterious reti-
cence. Patting Mr. Disraeli's assertion as to the
disfricehiaernent of the potwollopers of rotten boroughs in
the t o ec: tegory as Lord Russell's designation of the
Cli.sudo. clause as the origin of all evil—and describing this
a, a dikaatrous overture, the Times proceeds to follow :he
right hon. gentleman through other of his statements.
161 querulous complaint that the house had been
actuated by mere party spirit was simply ini•-
chievon.. But it is to bo feared that there was
duffic:erit reason for avoiding an explanation of
the re. !utions in detail. A set of propositions which
int,i.gible and misty, which may mean anything or
nothing, which require a vast amount of preparatory work
before they can be carried into action, would not at once
' iecononend themselves to a practical assembly. The
oontry may be tolerant beyond belief, the House of Corn-
MOUS ay be zealous to aid the ministers of the crown in
perfecting .1 difficult task, but there are plans of action so
plainly insufficient to meet the emergency that the utmost
goodwill hesitates to receive and proceed with them.
It is now too probable, adds the TitlitS, that the conduct
of refot m by the government must be a continued humili-
ation. and the only practical question is whether the
House of Commons must not take the matter into it, own
h olds :ind use the ministry as an instrument to register
I its resolutions. To eject the present occupants of office
from the Treasury bench would delay the solution of re-
! form for at least twelve months, and too probably for a
longer period ; to keep them there is to employ the ser-
vices of several able administrators, and to conciliate an
opposition which might be too powerful if unloosed. The
highest considerations demand a determination to abstain
from party triumphs.
The Daily News represents the practical conclusions of
Mr. Disraeli's lengthened exposition to be, that the go-
vernment is determined to keep office, and to let reform
take its chance. It is not, Mr. Disraeli has discovered, a
question on which the fate of ministries should depend.
He and his colleagues used the reform question as a means
of acquiring office, but they are by no means disposml to
acquiesce in its employment for the purpose of turning
theta out of office. Their policy is, therefore, one
of evasion and delay. To leave the extent to
which the franchise should be reduced until the
ditticult subject of the rating is put upon a
proper footing, is simply playing with a subject
which is already grave and may presently be dangerous.
The meaning of another of the resolutions is that care
mast be taken to secure ascendancy to • minority, and
the ren.ainder are not more to the purpose. Parliament is
asked to accept in outline abstract propositions which are
neither good nor bad in themselves, but which may be
either in their application ; and to do su in ignorance of
that application. The apparent design of the minister is,
by • scheme of redistribution, to preserve in existence the
dependent boroughs, and to clear away the independent
elements out of the counties.

The Post approves generally of the government course,
but demurs to a remark of Mr. Disraeli's to the effect that
in the event of the ministerial resolutions being rejected,
the government would not necessarily consider themselves
bound to resign. When the house goes into committee on
the resolutions, the Post conceives that it will be the duty
of the government to state the substance of the measure
they ipropooe ; as otherwise the house may reasonably
object to pledging itself to resolutions in total ignorance
of the manner in which they are to be applied.
The Herald regards the speech of last night as •• the
grandest, perhaps, in his magnificent series of orations on
the subject of parliamentary reform;" and it cannot
believe that the moderate liberal party, as distinct from
Mr. Gladstone. will allow the opportunity now offered for
a settlement of this question to pass.
The only chance of success, says the Standard, lies in
the avoidance of a party conflict, and party conflicts can
only be avoided when it is understood that the ministers
refuse to attach to the contest the rewards of s party
victory.

Ai the Telegraph understands it, this tory plan for the
evolution of an inadequate project, intended to "meow
struct the House of Commons," is one that lands us in
nothing less than a convention parliament and a provi•
Mortal government.
In the opinion of the Star a vote of want of cono,dence
in any government not prepared on its own responsibility
to deal with the representation of the people, would have
been a fitting anitmlinent to the question which the
Speaker last night put from the chair.