The Express.
London, England, 1861-01-17 00:00:00

_MT,JAMT.W.4.

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LONDON, THURSDAY, JAN. 17.

SIN BAILING has at different periods
of his political life been one of the confidential
counsellors of the Crown. He is so no longer,
room not having been found for him in Lord PAL-
LIGNATON'S present Cabinet of Sixteen. But the
habit of taking thought about this time of the
year as to what measures ought to be officially
brought before Parliament seems to be too strong
with him to be wholly resisted ; and, as his former
colleagues have not this tune asked his advice as
to what they should do, he gives it to them with-
out their asking it. Some people may think that
Sir FKAN. I' desires to exemplify the Christian
maxim of requiting good for evil, by offering " to
" bell the eat " of Reform for a forgetful
party. No doubt there are some of his
r.-d,rnnt colleagues who would be greatly
obliged to anyone that would give the question a
dose that would put it to sleep for the next seven
years to come. As a mere instrument of party it
ban been made to accomplish its object by breaking
the pantry-window of office, and running away
with the curious rol-nts-rent of coxcombs and
fancy pastry, which their rivals had cooked with

uncommon care, and which they were prepared to
serve up as enough for a national banquet. But
this being done, and the other clwf and his troop
being turned out of doors, Reform has suffered all
sorts of neglect, until at last one tine day last
June it was actually Hung out of the window. It
is not vi easy, however, to get rid of a faithful
question by mere dint of ill-usage. Back it will
come again and again when you want wholly
to sleep and forget ; or when, in Parliamen-
tary purple and official fine linen, you dine
sumptuously every day. Here it is at the door
again, staring you in the face mutely but mean-
ingly ; and for very shame no one whom it helped
to admit to the Cabinet ventures to give it a final
kick, or to say openly, Begone ! It is a trying
position for noblemen and gentlemen to be in ;
and what can be more like true friendship than
the proposal of an ex-colleague to take the un-
welcome creature up in his arms, and quiet it for
a time, by dint of such coaxing and tit-bit feeding
as may sufike for the purpose? This is one view
of the matter, to comprehend which it is not
necessary to settle distinctly whether the tender
for making away with an importunate ques-
tion originated in any hint given from above,
or in a spontaneous wish to be useful.
Sir Favnis tells his constituents that he is, as
they may suppose, ignorant of the determination
of Ministers, as to what they will do on the sub-
ject when Parliament meets ; but nevertheless he
may have his own reasons for thinking that some
amongst them at least would not take it amiss if
he were to do this year what Mr. EDW ARD
Ether tried to do two years ago, namely, to stifle
all further talk of Reform.

There is another interpretation, of course,
which may be put on the Member for Ports-
mouth's letter to his constituents, and he is en-
titled to the benefit of it, inasmuch as it is
the construction of his motives and aims which
Its pleads for in his own behalf. According to
his own account of himself, Sir Faaxets is one of
the most earnest Reformers going. What a com-
mand he must have over his words and actions,
for none of us ever suspected it before ! It may
notwithstanding be true for all that ; and the
right honourable gentleman's way of putting his
case is not wanting in ingenuity and reason.
Taking his stand upon the somewhat threadbare
dictum of Lord BACON, that the best method of
innovation is that which is so constant as to be
hardly perceptible as a change, he urges that Re-
form should in future be spelt with a small initial,
instead of a capital letter ; and that, instead of a
Bill being brought in every twenty years,
big enough to serve as the standard of a great'
party, a succession of bit-by-bit measures should
be kept going, as the beat means of preventing
the accumulation of acknowledged abuses, and
averting the need of comprehensive change. We
matt say that the aphorism of the great Chancellor
is rather an unlucky citation on the question of
Reform. In spite of all Mr. DIXON has lately
urged in mitigation of the historical judgment
passed by successive generations on Flamm
RUI/ !I as a politician, we are compelled to regard
him as one of the wisest talkers and least effectual
workers in the cause of good government that ever
filled the place of Privy Councillor of the Crown.
What he might have done in his time, or what Sir
FIANCIPI BLAIN° might do in his, could he get
and keep an administration up to the mark of in-
cessant mending and making, re-coppering and
keel-hauling, new rigging and re-painting the ship
of State, whenever and wherever necessary, we
don't undertake to say. But the example of the
Oracular Keeper of the Seals is certainly not en-
couraging ; and the personal experience of the
Member for Portsmouth as to what may be done
by the gradual mode of proceeding is not much to
the purpose. Twelve years ago, he tells us, the
Prime Minister of the day admitted that the Fran-
chise could not remain where it was left by the
Act of 1832 ; and be reminds us that Sir
R..ssay PEEL was understood to concur with
Lord JOHN Rresina in 1848 in that opinion. A
great variety of partial improvements have from
time to tone been introduced since then ; but we
cannot call to mind a speech or a sentence uttered
in the support of any of them by the right hon.
lbarenJt. We very much fear, moreover, that the
same remark would apply with fatal precision to
those who are most likely to welcome Sir !CCU
:VA.! proposal to substitute & perpetual strra:n

' for a mill-darer and an oc.,i-oonal " aaly rush."
Why does not the Member for Portsmouth, when'
he is offering us a practical substitute, as he would
call it, for a comprehensive change, suggest what
might be done in 1861 by way of a beginning?
Honest men in bad times arc sometimes forced to
snake payments on account ; and their creditors,
though sulky, consent to wait for the balance a
little longer. But it is a very bad sign when, after
elaborate argument in proof of the wisdom of
reasonable forbearance, we find no substantial in-
stalment of the debt proffered.
One thing, however, we hold to be now pretty
clear, and that is, that unless the Cabinet are
minded thoroughly to efface their own proceedings
of last Session, and to return to the principles by
whose profession they got into power, but which
have been ever since in worse than a state of
abeyance, it is no use trying to carry a general
measure, or to get Parliament, the press, or the
people to believe them sincere in attempting to do
so. A large and comprehensive Bill they could
carry, no doubt, if they pleased ; but they could
only carry it by treating the present Conservative
Parliament as Lord GREY did that of 1830, elected
under similar auspices. The Whigs, in 1831,
knew well that they could count on no majority
in either House for Reform ; but they told
the people plainly that without it they
could neither secure for them retrenchment at
home nor non-intervention abroad ; and the people,
who up to that time had stirred but little on the
subject of organic change, responded in such •
tone as enabled Ministers to carry their measure,
for they were sick of despotic alliances and over
If Lord PALNERSToM and his colleagues
will not do this, they may undoubtedly take the
advice of the Member for Portsmouth, and instead
of a whole book of progress ask Parliament to
read a chapter or two at a time. As the franchise
lies at the threshold of the entire subject, we cer-
tainly shall not object to any specific scheme which
may be brought forward in earnest for the redress
of even a portion of tho injustice which every year
is aggravating in that particular ; and there are
other distinct and definite anomalies which might
be dealt with likewise, or which will have to be
dealt with ere long. But we cordially echo the
sentiment of Sir Passers Bxerso, that if Minis-
ten have not made up their minds to carry their
measures, whatever they be, they had much better
not introduce them at all.

Ebt Court.

WINDHOR CAffrLE, JAN. 16.
There was no addition to the royal dinner party
yesterday

The queen and Wince Consort walked in the Home-park
this sailing.

The Prince of Wales skated, attended by Lieutenant•
Wood Keprel.

The Queen and Prince Consort, accompanied by the
Primed Wales, Prince Alfred, Princess Helena, Princes.
Loolso, nod attended by the Honourable Lucy Kerr,
the Honourable M►ry Bulteel, Lord Carney., Lieutenant-
Coltmel Kinpcote, Baku... General Hon. R. Bruce, Colonel
Ponsonley, and Lieutenant-Colonel Koppl, went to Virginia
Water in the afternoon.

The Prince Consort and the Prince of Wake, with the
Gentlemen, skated, and the Queen and Princesses remained
some time.

A Committee of the Lords of her Majesty's most Honour.
able Privy Council sat yesterday in the Council-chamber to
mender petitions against the ordinances issued on the Bth
of August, IK.O. and 19th March, lle6o. by the Scottish
Universities' Commnaimera with reference to degrees in
medicine and surgery an the University of Edinburgh, from
the Royal College of Physicians of Islieburgh, the Royal
College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the Faculty of Physicians
and Surgeons of Glasgow and the Royal College of Surgeons
of England. Also • petition from the swaths Aisidemicus
of the University of Edinburgh in support of their rights,
and in opposition to the arguments of the medical corpo-
rations on the molter of the ordinances of the Universities
(Scotland) Cosiminioners of lith Auvat, 1.09, sod 19th
March, ISCO. The Leda present were the Lord Chancellor,
the lid of St. Oerans, Secretory Sir George C. Lewis,
Lord Cranwotth, the Duke of Richmoosl, au.' the Right
Hon. R. Lowe. Mr. Eleip, Clerk of the Privy Council,
attended. The Attorney and the Solicitor-General
were in attendance as amesion. Mr. R. Palmer was heard
by their lordships, and was followed by Sir H. ('aims.
Limpatches were received at the Colonial-odios yesterday
from the Governors of the West ladies, British Columbia,
sad Canada.