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

PROVINCIAL SHARE mAiurars.

LreIMPOOL, Aran. 16.—bilim to-day : Cairdanian, 110—Great
Pastern, 28 81—Glasgow and South Western. 107{—Great
Northern A. 118—Great Western, elf gill I xd. —Lamm-
eltire and Yorkshire, 123i--Lontion, Matham, and Dover, 14—
London and North Wain, 116 16 161 16 1611: t—Man-
chester,itheffield, and Lincolnshire, 481 i ig 2
Metropolitan, 118 17$ e—Midland, 11 If
64 4-Bouth Ifttemn, 662 flit I—Whiteharen and
Furness, pref., 82—Manchester, Shale , and Lincolnshire, gti
pref. per cent., 6 7-16—GrandTrunk of Canada, 184—Oreat
IYesternot Canada, 131 xd —Erie, 381—United States 5-5381862,72
1 xd.--Great Luxembourg shares, 8 16-16 81 id —Bank of Liver-
pool, 23 -Atlantic Telegraph B per cent., 4 11-16
in.—National Steam (Ilmited'., 17 d.

Yancniern, APIUL It —A very fair business was done, and
prices showed an improvement generally. Anglo-American
Tasp. (Limited), 18}—Co roll Bank (Limited, new,
I p.—Mgrict Beak, 17 p. —Ebbw Vale Company (Limited) 16 d.
—Oreat lantern, 2E4 I 6 4—Great Luxembourg, 9 1-10 it—
Greet Northern A, 118 17}—Grand Trunk of Canada, 181—
Great Western of Canada, In 7-16 4—Great Western, 41} 2
=e, 16.1 eywood,H.
Northt 11 (limited
'6
115; 1;6 andlsi
—lfenckseter, Sheffield, and Unoolnahlre, 484,11 Irt i
8 8 73—Ditto, CU Preference, d;—Metropontin 118 17
17—Midland, 1114—ditto new, £l2 shares, p.— orth
,ffiltish, 34 14—North Staffordshire, 684—South Eiden.,
67 61 j.—Lotted States 6-20 Years' Honda 72—Atlantic
Tel , 60 14 I—Lancaster and Culla., 206—London,
ISrfghn, and South Cosa, 614—Preston and Wyre Haloes,
211—Atlantic and Great Wotan% Consolidated Mortgage
Bonds, 221.

BIRMINGH•N, APRIL 16.—1 n this market today Nottingham
Jointdtock Bank shares were sold at CZ 3a 6d. dia.—Railway
Company (Oldbury!, at 1 1.16 prem.—and Midland Con-
tract ,at 5 dia Closing prices: Birmingham and Stour
Valley Shares, sellers, at 10-South Eastern Railway stock, at
66 to 061—South Staffordshire Railway stock, buyers, at) 821
Staffordshire Joint Stock Bank (Malted% at 21 to n prem.
Birmingham Financial shares, at 11 to 1 dia—Mkßand Financial,
at II to 11 dia—and South Staffordshire Water Works, at 51 to
6 per share.

Ormni, Rent. 15.—Three per Cent. Consols, 90 139/ 90—New
Three per Cent. Stock, 7191, 89—Ditto, for account, 9th May, 39
1497,--India Flee per Cent. Mock !transferable at the Bank of Ire-
land , 1084—Bank of Ireland ,RlOO paid), 234t—lilhendan Bank-
0001P1m7 '416 paid), SR—National Balk 4.30 paid , 827 a
63 —Royal Bank (RIO paid), 32 34—Dublin and Belfast Junction
it 00 Will, 711—Great Southern and Western ;4:100 paid;, 90
901— Belfast and Northern Counties 4 per cent. perp. pref. all
89—Itiah North-Western 5 per cent. perp. pref., Class A, 24.

" BLackwoon's " Fonsoairr.— And now, before
laying aside the pen for the present, let us entreat our
friends in and out of parliament to look the situation
fairly in the face, and not, on the impulse of possible dis-
appointment and annoyance, to make shipwreck of the
constitution. Take what line they may, a franchise
founded on household suffrage is now inevitable. In the
measure proposed by the government there are provisions
which might very much reconcile the staunchest of toriesto
the necessity. Such we hold to be the residential datum ;
the clauses which provide that by mere change of occu-
pancy a voter shall not forfeit the franchise ; and the
clause allowing the use of polling-papers. Possibly, also,
a further safeguard against democracy might be estab-
lished, if, in the clause which confers the right of voting
on all persons who pay, in direct taxes, 20s. yearly,
special reference were made to the lodger classes. This
latter, however, is a point of very secondary considers-
tion, for the clause as it stands is obvious enough in its
meaning. Now, it surely does not become tories to throw
away these palpable gains, even if the government yield—
s& we honestly confess that we hope it will—on most if
not all of what are called the fancy franchises. For no
matter yet in the future can be more sure than this, that
if the government be defeated and resign, the only pros-
pect before us is in ruin. Mr. Gladstone cannot hope to
achieve a victory except by underbidding his rivals in
everything. He objects to the payment of rates ;he ob-
jects to a two-year's residence , he objects to requiring
that in any shape compound householders shall be re-
quired to put themselves on • level with other house-
holders ; and he demands a lodger franchise without
restriction, without qualification, without conditions.
Where will all this carry us except to manhood
suffrage ? and with manhood suffrage and the ballot—for
the ballot will follow, as • matter of course—we are
Americanised at a stroke. Farewell, after that, to the
legitimate infinence of intellect, property, rank, character,
at elections. Farewell to all hope that the gentry of the
country will be allowed, even if they care, to take any
part in its government. We have • chance now of hold-
ing our own—of maintaining the throne, the House of
Lords, the church, and the organisation of society which
hangs upon them. But let us miss the chance—let the
opportunity escape—and woe he to us ! A breach in the
conservative party would at this moment be • calamity
for which no triumph of either section. no gathering of a
new ppaarrtty round 3 new nucleus, could make amends.—
looter Maga.:Ane for April.