The Express.
London, England, 1861-01-23 00:00:00

AT. JASIVCS.

TOM EYEmign, MY WIVES Jot RNAL-TIIY. lALE OF ST.
Tts•PY2 and Kum", Mrs. Itnckinottarn White.
Awt KNI6Y MIAIN Sau zhty thatCrfe.l f.rrtbeloon.
lfeaan C. Young It Belooner . taws M.( Am*, Ilerbtat. Ruiner.

BIUTANNIA.

. —.....
TRW WIDOW TFIN minx AND THE OGRE Messrs.
rtes, Parry. Few% bow. Lary. sad Newham 31.111.,
NI. A. IF,•••insr, Mrs. W. Oraketord.—Arl A ‘16...D1C VVCnft
TIIE II.A. Nevi. Reynold% awl Pro)tlu.,t.. %Ds. L. Vars.,ld.

NION WATER AT LONDON LOUDON
To DAT —llarsAng, 181. Aftersees. I lA.
Ansisual. 06. A=.

LONDON, WSDNILYDAy, JAN. IM.

is many remarkable respects the position of
the country and the 4;ot-eminent regarding Reform
resembles closely that of thirty years ago. The •
history of the period commencing with the year
1828 and ending with the year 1832 is indeed
full of instruction ; and some new gleams of
beacoielight have recently been cast upon it well
dvsening of notice. We allude to the publication
of several interesting and important letters ad-
dressed confidentially by the great Anti-Reform
leader of the time to some of his most influential
supporters, and which have now fur the first time
been given to the public in the concluding volumes
of the politimil ~,,, /ha, of Betainykain.
During the ten preceding years the expediency
and justice of some general measure of extended
franchise and re-distribution of seats had been
discussed in the pole and in the Legislature.
great diversity of opinion prevailed, however,
amongst Liberals as to the nature of the changes
required. Nearly all admitted that the growth of
the country in wealth and population having been
gnat, yet very unequal, some scheme of re-adjust-
ment and concession was necessary to restore the
constitution to its ancient vigour and its ancient
freedom. Sonic, like Lord Dr anAm and
Sir FRAM. I. BURDETT; were for going much
further ; while others, like Mr. CANNINIi and
Lord 31staoritsr, could not make up their minds
to move at all. Thu consequence was that the
various general projects of Reform brought for-
ward from 1818 to 1828 by Lord Joust RUKARLL
and others feU to the ground ; and, in despair of
anything better, many resolved to try what could
be done in the way of bit-by-bit Reform. Lord
SAN mos undertook the charge of two Bills in the
Session of 1828, the first of which proposed to
transfer the two seats that had belonged to the
corrupt borough of Penrhyn to Manchester, and
the other of which proposed to transfer the two
seats similarly forfeited by East Retford to the
town of Birmingham. Both Bills passed the Corn-
; but ill the Lords the Duke of Wettis.asor
agreed to amendments that virtually amounted to
their defeat, and the consequence was that Mr.
111'..LIVIIPN, with the more liberal Conservatives of

his Cabinet, resigned. It was the last time of
asking, and all compromise thenceforward was felt
to be impossible. The Court end the Conserva-
tive classes generally believed that they had
crushed the hope of popular progress, and that
they had only to remain firm iu their position of
resistance to keep things permanently as they were.
The Duke of Wra.wrirros adhered to this convic-
tion, as we now know, steadily to the end. Ina letter
to his Grace of BVLIIIINUII*X,datid March 24, 1831,
and written after the second reading of Lord
Gees's Bill in the Lower House, he sap :
" There is no course open to me excepting to per-
" severe in my opposition to this HilL I can see
" no reform, however moderate, that will not vio-
" late some principle ; and f cannot for the life of
"me lee that any reform is necessary. In my
" opinion, the fault of which those have been
" guilty who oppo.se the measure is the admission
" that any reform is necessary ; which, if they
" will examine their own opinions, they will find
"to be inconsistent with the truth, and to be an
" admission which leads to all the consequences of
" the measure now under discussion. . . . 1
"quite agree with you in respect to the effect of
" the Reform Bill now depending ; and I certainly
" never ester the Homo, i f Lord, from the
" Mane that it paws. I shall continue to serve
" the King aa long as I shall be permitted to do
" so with honour ; but I will not be degraded
" even with the House of Lords."

Here then we have front the greatest and wisest
Tory leader that has bets' in England since the
days of Mr. PIT r, a frank and full confession of
the policy of resi+lance, not spoken in haste, but
deliberately written with a view to the conduct of
the obstructive party, and acted upon consistently
from first to last. The threat of personal
secession from Parliament was indeed never
realised, and serves now only to indicate
the depth and earnestness of the veteran's
feelings on the subject. But as we have
said, from the beginning to the end of what may
be termed the first Reform period the Duke of
WLLLIN.:TON spoke and acted, in and out of Par-
liament, on the persuasion that no enlargement of
the suffrage whatever, no re-distribution of
seats, was wanted. Translated into the dialect
spoken at Knowsley, at Hawick, and at various
other high places of resistance at the present day,
the creed of Anti-Reform is still the same. Who
has forgotten the exclamation of Lord DEASY,
that "fur his part he could not find out that any-
" body wanted Reform ;" or the declaration of
the present Earl Garr, that if any change in the
constitution were requisite it was in a different
direction, insomuch as "the power of government
" as now constituted has diminished, is diminish-
" in 4, and ought to be iecreewd "! The difference
betw,•en the anti-popular chiefs of 1831 and 1881
consists iu the consistency of their conduct rather
than in the logic of their principles ; and the com-
parison, we must say, is upon the whole favourable
to the f. inner, not the latter. Without the probity
or the pluck of the inflexible Dues, the chief oppo-
nents of concession now•a-days seek to achigve the
same end. They will neither promote tentative and
gradlial measures when brought forward, nor coin-
pn:heusive schemes for " st :ding " the question.
They believe, or at least they profess to believe,
that in a country of rapid growth and constant
expansion, signal powers of organization and
unexceph:d enlightenment, it is possible for
that 1,114;ed proprietary in alliance w.th the ;

Church to maintain unmodified a system Of
national representation, which every year ceases
more palpably to represent the wants and feelings
of the nation. What might have happened had
Lord tiaNuoN's Bills been suffered to pass. in 1829,
and had some reasonable extension of the franchise
been sincerely proposed by the Duke of WELLING-
TONS Government in 1830, who can tell t Other
and further claims would, probably enough, in the
course of time have been brought forward ; and
it is possible that some of these being rejected on
specific grounds, and others conceded on their in-
trinsic merits, we should by this time have got
into the way of dealing with our Constitutional
House as we do with everything else of value that
we possess ; and that instead of waiting heedlessly
until a tire or a storm renders wholesalen:construc-
tion indispensable, we should act upon the ancient
wisdom of our race, which used to make and
mend, modify and rebuild, disfranchise and en-
franchise, here a little and there a little, from time
to time, as occasion seemed to require—never rash
or whimsical in discarding what was old, and never
obstinate against adopting what was good because
it was new. In the true spirit of Conservatism
there is indeed no other wise or permanent policy
than that of cautious but constant progress. But
the party of Resistance would not listen in 1828
or 1831, and they will not listen now. They
were then, as they usually are, utterly disconr
filed ; and they will no doubt be discomfited again.
For the people the example and the parallel are
fraught with salutary lessons of encouragement ;
and it is, therefore, the duty of those who would
advise them truly to dwell on such admonitions.
In the coming Session Ministers are pledged to
obtain as much of concession as is possible ; and if
this cannot be done in a single measure it may be
done in several. But history, prudence, and good
faith concur in warning them against passive com-
plicity in the obstructive policy of their competi-
tors for power.

Vbe Court.

• --

WINDSOR CASTLE, JAL 2.

The royal dinner party yeaterilay included the
Prince.. Altos, FriUM Philip of Wortemberg. the Hon.
Mr.. Grey, and M..por-General aed Lady Emily Seymour.
The bead d the Scot. Feather Guards played dm.*
dinner—
The .neliMer" Wean Meyerbeer.
" Also " _ Nemec

seleetine, •• Leeffee'
able. • hr, as et the Chem" Canal
holds Need" Nix farren.
Her Meieetl,'e pried, heed performed afterwants in the
drawid;•room the
twprture, ** Lee Nome de herseelie"
Ter sotto. . V
Ave de alastaeer Herehe, " laefeet
Prodheee

The Qom. saboalad by Lady Maraissaid, walked in the
Imam of the Castle this memehsg.
The PrWee Consort, with Prim Arthur, skated in the
licenelark, attended by this OuriOmen in Waiting. The
younger enembers of the Royal Runny were present.
The Duchess of Kent viand her Iliiiesty, and took
luncheon.

hoed Riven and Captain Sr W. Monte. R.N., have sue.
needad Lord Camoys and Lientenant.Coloael Kingvote u
Lord and ()axon ili Waiting.

A deputation of the Committee of the Church Missionary
Society respecting the present state of New Zealand had an
interview with the Duke of Newcastle yesterday at the
Colunial.oftioe. The deputation consisted of the Earl of
Chichester. president ; Hon. A. Kinuaird, M.P.. Hon. Cap.
tans Maude, R.N., ILsjoy•Ceueral Alexander. Messrs. J. F.
Thomas. A. Lang„ I.'arish, J. M. Strachan, and W. Dug-
more. Rey. J. Relgeway, Rev. S. Gedge, and the Secreta-
ries. the Herr. H. N, eon, Rev. W. Knight, Rey. T. Clap-
; man, Major H. :Ankh, and Colonel Dawn% and was ac-
compulied by Mr. C. J. Selwyn, Q.C., M.P.
A deputation from the Artistic Cm/right Committee of
the &musty of Arta, oonsistiag of Sir Charles L. Eastlake,
P.H.A., Sir F. Landover, Mr. W. Mulready, ILA., Mr.
G. T. Do% ILA., OM Thomas Phillips, Mr. W. Hawes, Mr.
E. W. Field, Mr. I'. Le Neve Faster, Mr. A. W. Red.
grave, sad Mr. J. M. Dodd, had an interview with Sir G.
C. Lewis, at the HamesaMos yesterday.

His Excellency the Minister for the Howse Towns
wall return to the residence of the Leptiou us Friday from
the Coetiteet.

The Earl Brownlow comes to town to-morrow
from Belton House, Lincolnshire. His lordship will shortly
leave England for the Continent.
Thu Earl of Wilton is about to receive a succes-
sion of visitors at F.gertoe Lodge, Melton Mowbray.

Lord awl Lady FrVerlthalll left town yesterday
far Oak Hill Park, Herta.

Lord and Lady Cranworth come to town on
fietarday next from Hohromi Park, Kent.

The marriage of the lion. George Waidegrave
with the Countess of Rothe, wee solemnised yesterday at
All Souls Church, Langhain-place, in the presence of a
hags party of relatives and friends of both families. The
cereenwey was performed by the Hon. and Right Rev. the
Lewd Bishop of Carlisle, brother of the bridegroom. The
bride was givei away by the Hon. and Rev. Henry Cour-
limy. Yr. J. Bwreeford Herbert acted al best man "to
lie bridegroom The brklesauaids wore surfs of the Leslie
tartan, of which elsa the bride is the bead. After the cere-
mony the bride and bridegroom, with their friends,
repaired to Chapinan's Hotel, Cavendish-square, which
had been Salm for the 00011400, and partook of a mag-
nificent &holster, at which a large patty assembled. In
the afternoon the newly-marrial pair left town in a caning,
sad four for the Norwood station of the Brighton Railway,
en route for Folkestone.

On Monday and yesterday the health of the Duke
of flatherlaad materially improved ; so much so that the
Marquis of Stafford and his family have left for their seat
at Lillsehall House, Shropshire, sod the Dowager Duchess
of Norfolk arrived at 'heathen yesterday afternoon, ow •
visit to the duke and duchess.

We read in fike;frutiti:—" Sir James Outram,
celebrated for his long and valuable services in India, is at
present in Paris. His numerous tripods will learn with
regret that the hon. baronet's health has been very severely
impaired by his long residence in the List. He is now
under medical treatment, with, we ace happy to state, the
beet hopes of his speedy restoration to health."
VINT or Mesas. 5e HOLEFMLD AND BRIGHT TO
TITRNINOHAD. —lt has been arranged (says the Birasitaigettat
Aid, Pan) that our two parliamentary representatives,
Meows Acholefield and Hr 4" ht, will address their consti-
tuents on the evening of Tuesday next, the 211th instant.
The near approach of the *maim of parliament, and the
ingsninnt questions of nuance and foreign policy which will
engage attent.on. ins est the opiiiions of such a power in the
house as Mr. bright with greet interest.
MR. AIERLY, M.P. AT LA NARK. —Mr. Merry,IL P. fir the Falkirk District of Burghs, addressed the
elector. and nomelectors of lanark in the Connty Build-
ings. on Friday night. Mr. Merry, in a short address,
stated that be had voted for the Iteform Bill and the French
treaty, cud with the Holm of Commons against the Lords
on the leper duty question. Ile said lie approved of the
volunteer movement, and thought dud our army and navy
should he maiatainerl in its prment position, end concluded
by sayiu4 that. though he could not refer his comtitnents
to any 'pearly' he had made, he eould refer them to his
votes and conduct to show how •trduotiely he had wrought
in their service. After answering some iumaities, the meet.
`ing gave three cheers for Hr. 31erry , and the proceedings
terminated.

Itr.racirrrATioN or Sot iti Witrs.—A meeting
of the comervatives of south Wilts took place yesterday at
Mlishuiy, at which a requivition signed by upwards of
1,200 electors was presented to Lient..Colonel Bathurst,
sou of Sir F. H. if. Bathurst, Bart., of Clarendon Park, re.
vesting him to allow himself to be put in nomination for
the neat vacated by Baron Hobert of Lea, iti opposition to
Mr. Grove. The pliant colonel expresse.l his wil-
lingness to stood, and in the course of the day
Israel an address, in the course of which he ay.:—
C Mg with the ropiest so largely and influentially
put forward, I am very much influenced by an earnest desire
to vindicate the entire independence of this division of the
comity. The political opiutons on which I seek your vote
are ennservat:ve. I come forward on no individual interest,
but 1 will give my au pert to and, rioakmite measures of re-
form as are likely to lao beneficial to the people at large. I
am not for the aladition of ehmeh-rates, 'but any measure
which, whilst ameliorating the law is that respect, does not
deprive the chlireh of her proper tines, will receive my care-
ful coos:der...tom. lam a strong advocate for maintaining,
in a proper state of efficiency (as muck in coeformity as
posisitle with strict economy) our forces both by ma and
1...4 I will ala.,ra alidr•rt those measure. which are
,alculate.i to uphold the integrity of our glorious consti•
tutaen."