The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-20 00:00:00

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TEE EXP.

TIM Mumma. 101111.10 M.

Having depicted the Prime Minister'• plight as
pitiable, and after describing him as altering his tactics
from moment to moment, the Daily News proceeds to say
that while he cannot make up his mind what to do with
respect to Mr. Bouverie's eurosedul amendment on the
Scotch Reform Bill, he has apparently altered his mind with
respect to Mr. Gladatone's Irish Church Suspensory Bill. The
Suspensory Bill, which he said last night be would firmly
oppose, is but a oorollary from the resolutions on which
he declined to divide. His tact and temper are foiling him,
and he is throwing himself upon the fanatical section of
the Conservative party, of whom Colonel Stuart Knox is a
fair type. Possibly he may seek in another overwhelming
defeat • pretext for the exersiee of that power of dissuly
ing which, he says, has been entrusted, in certain contin•
gondol', to his discretion. Unless be has lost all calmness
of judgment, he will be wary of venturing upon this rash
expedient.

The Times expecte to learn that the government will I
bring on the Scotch Reform Bill again on Monday, and '
will ask for a vote in a full committee upon the principle
attacked by Mr. Bouverie's amendment. Upon that vote,
if taken, the future roust depend. It is clear that the
government cannot accept Mr. Bouverie's amendment, and
its success would necessitate their resignation. Were Mr.
Disraeli to dissolve now he would be guilty of some-
thing little short of high treason to the con-
stitution. An appeal upon last year'. act might
be made to the country before October is over.
But the plain and manifest truth is that, unless it be
proved by its deliberate reversal that the vote of Mondry
was a surprise, the ministry must resign. " They can no
longer retain power with honour to themeelves or advan-
tage to the country." It may even become • question
whether the House of Commons should not use the means
it possesses of preventing a dissolution. if it should seem
that there is any danger of recourse being had to so des-'
perste an expedient. Parliament cannot be dissolved with-
out the previous grant of supplies sufficient to carry on
the services of the country until a new parliament may be
called together, and the House of Commons, by withholding
further supplies, may compel • minister bent on trusting
all things to hazard to consult rather the welfare of the
country than the prolongation of his ministerial existence.
The Post counsels the government, if they still value
their own dignity, much less the future of their party, to
at once resign and leave to the opposition what is now the
bitter legacy of power.

The Herald erirys it is a signal mistake to suppose that
Mr. Disraeli will resign without dissolving; and
if the opposition persevere he will unhesitatingly
invite the judgment of the existing constituencies.
If he appeals to the old constituencies rather
than the new, it will be bemiree he is forced to
do so, and the responsibility will rest upon those,
who have left him no other alternative. If, on the other 11
hand, the liberal party, after mature deliberation, should
think it desirable to admit that the division on Mr. Bou-
verie's amendment was an unfair one and taken by sur-
prise, matters will revert to the original status quo, and
the government will proceed with the Scotch bill as if
nothing had happened. lint any arrangement short of
this will render an almost immediate dissolution inevit-
able.

The Telegraph advises Mr. Disraeli to look over the
division list of Monday night and see how much he miscal-
culated the feeling of Scotl►nd when he placed the rating
clause in his bill. No fewer than thirty-five Scotch liberal
members voted with the opposition, while only five Scotch
tory members arrayed themselves on the other side. These
are significant facts, and it is for the government to consider
their full import before announcing the course which it
means to follow.