The Express.
London, England, 1868-02-18 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY

responsibility and initiative fall should have
authority in the Cabinet, that power
.of d •
in the last appeal, that almost co-esdisote ant*
city in their own depertmenp with the
departments without which there mat be a di
empire, or dualism in the Government. The Prise
Minister only can have this authority. The prece-
dency which is assigned to the First Lord of the
Treasury, and which is as little recognised by thelaw
as the Cabinet itself, has come into existence
in obedience to a real necessity. To sopa-
mt.!. Se office Of First Minister from the leatkirlip
of the House of Commons is to diVittii ate Premier-
ship—that is to say, to destroy it ; for there cannot
be two first. The rule that the Prime Minister
shall be in the Lower House ought, we think,
to become an unwritten but unvarying principle of
English constitutional government. If it be
accepted, its adoption marks out Mr. DIREA2LI as
Lord DERBY'S successor. The personal objections
to him are many ; but considerations of public
convenience outweigh them.

• . • • ,•• r • °Mass.
• eAyt4
•
MILL
'he New notices at conaidellaible
M. Mire pamphlet on the subject of " Nagliad aad In-
ked." Ilk kn. member tea Weakalankri ft Km
hew wreie with more judicial eabnassas wavity, and
knanisity than in this paper. Mr. ILIP, mar& the pre.
mat SS the most formidable maaineirstien el Irish dime-
teat which our rulers have been sailed to 'mounter ;
Ind if there is 'anything sadder than the ealamite
itself, it is the nrmistakeable sincerity sad good faith with
which numbers of Englishmen meshes themselves 'papal*
of comprehending it. Mr. Mill holds that the Irish are no
longer reduced to what they can get, and no accommoda-
tion is henceforth possible that dose not give
the Irish peasant all that he meld gain by revolu-
tion—or all that a successful Hoche could give him—
permanent possession of the land, subject to Axed
burthens. Such a change may be revolutionary,
but revolutionary measures are the thing now frepleei. Ib
is not necessary that the revolution should be ebbed, still
less that it should be unjust. It may and wilt to se-
eped existing interests which have the essodea of law.
An *Moines or • qualined separation al the two
countries would, in Mr. Mill's oplaion, be • die-
honour for one and a serious misfortune for both ; and
he sees nothing which Ireland could pin by • mew
ration which might not be obtained by union except the
doubtful pin of being governed solely by Irishmen. Mr.
Mill proposes the appointment of • commission, with com-
pulsory powers to examine every farm in Ireland that is
let to the Utast, and to commute the present veriable far
• fixed rent. There must be ascertained in eash ease what
annual payment would be an equivalent to the landlord
for the rent he now receives, provided that rent
be not excessive, and for the present value of
whatever prospect there may be of an increase
from any other source than the peasant's own
exertions. This annual sum should be seemed to
the landlord nada: the guarantee of the State. He should
have the option of receiving it from the national Treasury
by being inscribed as the owner of Console sufficient to
yield that amount. Every farm not farmed by the pro-
prietor would then become the permanent holding of the
meant, who would pay either to the landlord or the State
the fixed rent that had been decided on. The Daily New
commends the pamphlet to the thoughtful consideration
of its readers.