The Express.
London, England, 1868-06-12 00:00:00

PUBLIC 3IMINIIIII.

The Times regards the Registration Bill brought
in by Mr. Hardy last night as a satisfactory redemption of
the pledge given by the government to expedite the elec-
tion of the new Parliament. If it peas, as it doubtless
will per, with little alteration, the great questions by
what hands the nation shall be guided, and what policy
shall direct the national progress, may be decided before
Christmas. The Time! will be disappointed if the
wisdom of the select committee to whom the bill
has to be referred, does not approve the possibility of
accelerating the elections by so much more than the go-
vernment proposes as to avoid the risk of a hurried and
unsatisfactory discussion on our future government on the
eve of Christmas. With regard to the adoption by parlia-
ment of the recommendations of the select committee
on the boundary question, the Times remarks that
their decision only shows that the question of
redistribution will not oome to an end in the present par-
liament. When we have on the one side the vast towns of
which only the kernels are parliamentary boroughs and on
the other country districts surrounding what is merely a
village, and the whole forming a parliamentary borough,
people will ask what principle or system there is in the dia-
thietion between the two classes of franchise. What the
end of such an inquiry will be need not be predicted.
The Deily News remarks that the whole subject of the
redistribution of seats, and of the relations of the borough
to the county representation, of which the subject of
boundaries is a part, mud be dealt with in its entirety by
the new parliament. All that has been done or can be
done now is to make tolerable provisional arrangements ;
and to avoid one-sided dealing. Practically, the Boun-
dary Bill was pasted last night. The principles and the
chief provisions of the Scotch Reform Bill have been
agreed upon. The Irish Reform Bill is the only measure
necessary to a dissolution with which there has been small
progress. Now that its rival claimants on parliamentary
attention are in course of removal, it may be hoped that
rapid way will be made with it also.
To the Tekgrape the result of Mr. Ribbed's amend-
ment is most satisfactory ; and it is ready to acknowledge
that ministers are doing all they can to finish off the work
of the session.

It is quite clear, mys the Post, that the liberal party
have made up their minds to leave the government undis-
turbed until the meeting of the new parliament, and
henceforth during the present session their efforts will be
mainly directed towards bringing about that event as soon
as possible.
The Star dwells on the fact that the glowing anticipations
in which the government formerly indulged have now
dwindled to a meeting of the house for actual business
on the 14th of December. It is to be hoped that to this
at ►east ministers will be sternly held by the house. An
their sincerity is doubted, it might even now be well to
Make matters safe by a limitation of the supplies.
The Standard is very wrath at the failure of the Govern-
ment Boundary Bill. There is not a shadow of pretenoe,
it says, for the course taken by the radical chiefs in oppo-
sition to the bill, in reason, ha policy, or in equity. Their
one motive, the one ground on which they appeal to their
followers, which all their parliamentary arguments are
but meant decently to cloak, is that the urban votes
strengthen the Liberal interest in the counties,
and help to give to the radical party that dis-
honest advantage which was first won by the
Reform Act of 1832, and the enhancement of
which has been the object of every Reform Bill since intro-
duced by liberal governments. The opposition to the
&tindery Revision Bill was a party move ; the debate
was a party debate ; the division a party division ; the
victory valued because it SWUM to the liberals a certain
number of votes to which they have not the shadow of a
right in some dozen county constituencies.
The Herald cannot trust itself to speak of the insulting
decision of the house. It is enough to say that it can
hardly belie►e in the election of a new parliament which
will lend itself to such a contemptible breath of good
faith.