The Express.
London, England, 1859-03-29 00:00:00

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LONDON, TUESDAY, MARCH 29.

Tau knowledge that among those who call them-
selves Whip there exists • far stronger hatred
of popular enfranchisement than even of Tory
rule, has encouraged Ministers to protract
discussion on the Reform Bill, in the hope
that it may hourly widen the breach existing
between certain soi disont Liberals and the more
earnest men who sit upon the same side. We for-
bear to name those who it is currently said meditate
desertion at the last moment. A few hours will
show whether we are right in our misgivings, or
whether we wrong some of the high-born nonentities
to whom we allude. But one thing is clear, namely,
that if the Resolution be not carried by a decisive
majority, it will be owing to the betrayal of the
popular cause bye set of men who would never have
had the energy or the intellect to form a rem-
tionary plot for themselves, but who have been
worked upon as dupes by craftier men, who
shirk the odium while they plan the mischief.
We may be wrong in our suspicions, and
we should gladly find that we are so
But if, unfortunately, our anticipations prove
correct, and the opportunity of decisively assert-
ing the political rights of the industrious classes
shall be marred by the apostasy of ultra-oligarchs
and high-born enemies of the people, it would
only serve to stimulate more strongly than ever the
conviction that is fast spreading among all reflect-
ing men, that from a House of Commons packed like
the present no practical or moderate improvement is
to be expected, and that unless it can be speedily
got rid re, Reform must be set about seriously as a
thing to be carried like Free Trade, not within the
walls of Parliament, but out of doors.

Should the selfishness of cunning men, and the
shortsightedness of foolish men, bring about such •
result, upon their heads be the responsibility.
They played very much the same game more
than once before, and it ended in their
utter defeat and humiliation. We have never urged
the adoption of Lord JOHN Rusam.'s Resolution
upon party grounds. In our view it is of compara-
tively little moment by whom a measure of reform
is carried, provided it is • clear and decided step in
the right direction. Neither have we argued the matter
on theoretic grounds. To our minds there is but
little force in what are called constitutional argu-
ments against uniformity of franchises. What
might have been impracticable and unreal had it
been applied in the days of feudalism, or of the
Rovolution, or daring the day. of small towns, dear
postage, five miles an hour travelling, and no news-
papers, does not in the abstract seem to us so heinous
an offence against the fixed principles of liberty as
some would have us believe. But the plain and
unanswerable objection to the Ministerial Bill
consists in its refusal to meet, even half
way, the demand of the ratepaying householders of
towns to have a voice in the representation. :they
hundreds of thousands of loyal, industrious, educated
men have asked oven and again to be admitted to
the enjoyment of what is their undoubted right, and
a Tory Government bring in a Bill refusing point
blank the concession, not, ss it now would seem,
because they all deemed it wrong, or because some
of them did not actually deem it right, but because
the keen calculators amongst them, looking to the
exclusive character of the existing House of Com-
mons, believe it would be easier to carry a bad Bill
than a good one. It remains to be seen whether
these sinister calculations were just.
In the impressive speech delivered last night by
_ _

Sir JAMES GRAHAM, he warned the haute feebleste
of the consequences of the disastrous policy of re-
sistance to the rights of millions. Far from pressing
the amendment in a party sense, he threw out the
suggestion openly to them that they might
meet the difficulty in which they would be
placed by defeat, by withdrawing the Bill, and
bringing in another more consonant with the wishes
of the nation. The speech of Sir JOHN PAKINGTON,
in reply, appears to have put an end to all chance of
accommodation, and to have brought matters back

after a week's uncertainty, to where they were left
by Lord STANLEY'S speech on the 21st inst. In the
name and on behalf of the Government he declared
that the House might do what it pissed with the
Resolution and with the Bill ; it might have either
the one or the other, but it could not have both. If
the former were passed, the Bill must fall to the
ground ; and u for Ministers, he must tell Lord
PALMERSTON that he mistook the character of
these of whom ho had so insultingly spoken on
Friday night, if he imagined that they would submit
to be used as hie deputies, or be commanded to do hi.
bidding. He intimated indeed a willingness on the
part of the Government to listen to propositions of
the most liberal kind in committee: but the offer
comes too late to be of any effect. And thus while
the clamour grows louder and the talk more shrill
between rival partisans in Parliament, the interests
of the people and their expectations fade every
hour more utterly from view. It is hard to blame
men of spirit for resenting the calculated provoca-
tion of Lord PALMERSTON; but, for the sake of the
country's future peace and welfare, we cannot help
expressing our regret that Ministers have not shown
under it the moral courage which would hare enabled
them to rise superior to personal and party conside.
rations, and impelled them to bring their policy into
harmony with the manifest requirements and wishes
of the time.

WiICN Lord CLAREIWON lost night, in interro- I
gating Lord MALMESBURT on Italian affAirs, "
poeely refrained from any allusion to the topics
a which would be discussed at the approaching
Congress," he effectually divested the conversation
of any instructive and explanatory character. The
ex-Secretary for Foreign Affsirs, in asking his ques-
tion, very truly said that a deep and prevail-
ing anxiety existed in this country as to
the prospects of pesos, and he did not exaggerate
the important bearing of cornet intelligence on this
subject upon the course of business transactions•