The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-17 00:00:00

M/PCILLANEOL'S TOPICS.

The Times sees in Mr. Gla,lstone's letter to the Reform
Association of Guildford a sad despondency for which
there is no warrant in the facts, and says it would have
been kind to let the little missive abide in obscurity. The
principle of the government plan would seem to be
sounder than the principle of the rival scheme and its
ultimate effects to be larger. The difficulties in the way
of a compound householder taken at the worst, even as
they are now, are not such as would deter any zealous
politician from acquiring a vote, and they may be so
smoothed away as to become absolutely insignificant. The
great majority of the 288 gentlemen who voted with the
ayes on Saturday morning must by this time be conscious
of the exaggerated importance attributed to the inequali-
ties of the government bill, and are no doubt, thankful
that they were unsuccessful in their attempt to throw it
overboard. The Times trusts that Mr. Gladstone, despite
his letter, will appear as a vigilant critic when the com-
mittee resumes after Easter, and that he will never desist
from his exertions to improve the bill.

A similar hope is expressed by the Post. Equality of
treatment as between the old and the new voters is all,
it says, that is required, and this much cannot be refused
with any show of reason, and will not be refused if only it
is asked for with earnestness and determination.
The moral which the Star draws from the recent events
is—that Mr. Gladstone ought to have more and not less
confidence in his own powers of leadership ; that be ought
to look more to the people and leas to the whigs ; and
that he ought to seek the support of the oountry, and to
resist with a firm foot the undisciplined encroachments of
uncertain and eccentric liberals. His leadership is as
secure a political fact as anything known to our day, if he
only determines to maintai.t it.

Examining the points in dispute in the North Eastern
Railway strike, the Times comes to the conclusion that the
proposal for arbitration now made by the men is too late.
It should have preceded, instead of following, the appeal
to violence The men expected to bring their employers
to terms by sudden and irresistible pressure, imagining
that the inconvenience to which they could put the whole
country would be too great to be endured. In this they
have been altogether disappointed. Their employers have
got on without them, and they have lost the sympathy of
the public by their precipitate and ill-judged conduct. If
they were really treated with bad faith by their masters,
the fact is much to be deplored ; but, in say event, they
should have contented themselves with renewing their
notices, and carrying the contest to a peaceable close on
the terms on which it had been commenced.

Parliament, the Telegraph contends, is bound to provide
some other system than the ordinary one of winding up
railways, since railways are enterprises which it openly
regulates and restricts. It will not allow a company to
cease working; it will not allow a company to pledge the
property u security for loans ; and it cannot secure the
vested interest from the dishonest competition of specula.