The Express.
London, England, 1861-06-11 00:00:00

INN WATU AT LONDON BRIDOIL

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LONDON, TUESDAY, JUNE 11.

PERHAPS Sir H. Wit.Loconav was not far wrong
last night in deprecating a debate on the respective
merits of various constituencies, or, aa he called it,

•' running

against each other." The

conselueuces of such a process can hardly
fail to be mutually destructive. At any
rate • debate of this kind is to the
dignity of Parliament something like a
burlesque to the dignity of the stage. It is a
wanton exposure of all the time-ho= rail
conventionalities and respectable illusions on
which the public faith is built. It is
not good to take the public behind the scenes
in this way. The House refuses, on the one
hand, to " rehabilitate" Sudbury and St. Albans,
and on the other, to give the increasing, wealthy,
and intelligent population of Chelsea and Kensing-
ton • representative. Almost every member,
English, Irish, or Scotch, who speaks on one side
or the other, has something to say against this and
that constituency. But the effect of all them
taunts is not to add dignity to the existing parlia-
mentary representation, which, in the opinion of
its dwellers, will neither bear additions nor repairs.
The House went into Committee last night on
the Appropriation of Seats Bill with less than its
usual listlemnem. We cannot say that the proceed.
ings were extremely animated, as if a great party
fight were aiming off. Still the benches on both
sides were respectably full, and, perhaps, it was
felt that it was the last opportunity this year of
venturing a few safe and vague generalities on
Reform and other kindred topics upon which a
religious silence has been so agreeably and use-
fully preserved by common consent since the first
days of the Semion.

Mr. VINCIIIIIT SCULLY considers a Bill for the
appropriation of four vacant sesta a " miserable
" scheme of Reform." Lord Jager,/ objects to
such a Bill, " in the absence of any comprehensive
" scheme of Reform, dealing with the disfranchise-
" ment of boroughs on an extensive scale." Out
of a heap of loose talk about all sorts of grievances,
local and national, which had no more to do with
the Bill in Committee than the Galway Contract
with the purification of the Serpentine, or the new
ride in Kensington Gardens with tho Repeal of
the Union, we cannot pick anything more pro-
found or to the point than theme notable objections.
Because "a great scheme " had been deliberately
shelved by the House, the ingenious Member for
Cork repudiated a Bill which had no pretensions
to greatness, but we. a simple measure of pro-
priety and justice. Mr. Sivas, now that there is no
probability of a " comprehensive" Bill, is so
ardently resolved to have nothing less than a new
Houma, that he won't hear of repairing ever so ,
slightly the aid. The "groat question," he thinks,
is retarded by a fractional and perfunctory appro-
priation of seats, which prevents the discussion of
" several new ideas "of Reform lately in circula-
tion. Besides, who would think of giving South
Lancashire or Chelsea a representative after the
late unhandsome treatment of Father DAty by
Lord PA Lig Rumor ?

So far Mr. Sou= ; but the logic of Lord
Jsurru—who advocated the claims of Sudbury,
and was willing to do as much for St. Albans—
was even more convincing. Although admitting
the abstract justice of the sentence on Sudbury,
be denied its policy, because there were so
many other similar culprits uncondemned. As
long u a single knave remains unconvicted
and unpunished, every rascal must be suffered
to go free, and the administration of jus-
tice must be suspended. There are plenty of
other corrupt constituencies, so Sudbury and
St. Albans must be restored to their rights, in
order to vindicate the grand principle of " cer-
tainty of punishment." Lord Jsasirn, too, I,ke
a good many other ardent Reformers in the pre-
sent House of Commons, demands a " compre-
" hensive" disfranchisement of corrupt consti-
tuencies ; and, meanwhile, the resuscitation of
Sudbury and St. Albans, which at all events
were not much more guilty than Gloucester or
Wakefield, inasmuch as they sinned in a more
sinful age than ours. As soon as the House
had decided what to do with electors guilty
of corruption, Sudbury and St. Albans
might take their chance in a "comprehensive"
disfranchisement, or in • " comprehensive"
amnesty. This was Lord JIIILMYN'S case last
evening, and he put it to the House with a levity
most becoming, and an assurance perfectly

characteristic of the boroughs be personified.
Colonel DUNN e, however, deepened the tone of
the discussion by making the appropriation of four
English seats a purely Irish question. This, it
seems, is the new way of paying old debts which is
to make "the Union " a reality. Instead of repeal-
ing the Union, the seats which may be forfeited by
corrupt English boroughs are to be bestowed 081
incorruptible Irish constituencies without regard
to property or population, but solely as a pledge of 1
Union, and by way of avoiding the invidious
" geographical" argument. It is by dismissing the
suppontion that propertyand population are elements
of fitness van Medical body, that South Lancashire
and Chelsea are be be sacrificed to the sentiment
of stunk.," which disdains geographical sonei-
derationsi, and flourishes best at the extremities of
the throe kingdoms. There is something so meek
better thin Repeal in this !stoat version of jeslies
to Ireland that it seems almost a pity to °astute
the claims of Cork by the vulgar tests which we
should apply to an English constituency. Yr.