The Express.
London, England, 1868-10-21 00:00:00

OUR
(Tinto Ds ,J •

_..4....---
ma. RILL AND aDi. DOITINNIN.

concurring in the general principles laid
down by the liberal pram% in the dimenueion ariang out of
tho correepondenoo between Mr. Mill and Mr. llouverie
. . _

in reference to Mr. Mille

of Mr. Chad-

wick to the electors of Kilmarnock, the Daily News, at
the same time, does not thiuk that all the elements of a
fair judgMent upon the case have been held before the
public. It should be borne in mind that Mr. Chadwick had
already been requested by a section of the constituency to
come forward in opposition to Mr. Bouverio before Mr.
Mill's letter was written, and the bon. member for West-
minster did not write nod tomb but was asked for his
opinion. Even then his letter was a general one, recom-
mending Mr. Chadwick to any constituency whatever.
But, says our contemporary, unless our memory much de-
mires us, we have seen Mr. Mill censured in columns
where the offence imputed to him, if it be an offence, is
daily repeated. With what justice or decency can an
anonymous journalist, who morning after morn-
ing praises one candidate and disparages another
in public, find fault with Mr. Mill for fairly
stating the qualifications of a gentleman whom
he has known many years? The result of an inquiry into
all the facts of the case shows that the opposition to Mr.
Bouverie at Kilmarnock is not an affair so purely per-
sonal and gratuitous as it has been represented, and that
it, at any rate, was not an invention of Mt. MilL
The Times comments upon the correspondence in a ban-
tering tone. The new fashion of furnishing gentlemen
who " want a place " in Parliament with what in bumbler
spheres of life aro usually known as " characters," to
show their possible employers, has not given as much
general Labs/action as its novelty and ingenuity would ap-
pear to merit. The faithful few who believe that whatever
Mr. Mill says or does is right, have not taken to it kindly,
although they would not, perhaps, object to it if it could
be kept exclueasely in Mr. Mill's hands ; but, as there is no
constitutional precedent for bestowing on any one man a
patent for making M.P.'s, rash outsiders will try their
Laud at it, and then the process will look very like that
tilt., and somewhat vulgar expedient known as a "Mutual
Admiration Society." Anticipating that its readers would
be interested in endeavour lug to trace the marks of that
une'ampled capacity for a political career which has
elicited such high pmiso from so high an authority, our
contemporary reprint, a speech recently delivered by Mr.
Chadwick at Kilmarnock, but thinks that the result will,
on the whole, be disappointing. What autobiography he
gives is, says the nil.; rather olcrure, °scold, indeed,
that he is the " son-in-law of a Scotehman who was the
father of cotton manufacture." lie is, therefore, himself,
our eoutempotary presumes, its brother-in-law, with a
claim to represent manufacturing interests somewhat re-
sembling that of the gentleman whu set up as a wit on the
strength of Laving married a cousin of Sydney Smith. Mr.
Claidwiek'r claims upon the constituency are based upon
his profound knowledge of the laws of sanitary science.
bet surely neither he nor Mr. Mill can seriously think
that it is worth while to create a factious spirit in the
libtoil pas ty, and risk the less of a liberal scat, merely in
r to ge t the possessor of such knowledge Maids, tho
Hum e of Commons. The head and front of Mr. Bouverie's
off. suileg is that he did not invariably vote with Mr.
olaiistetiti; that. as Mr. Mill puts it, he oecaiianally
&flirted tho part of an '• independent nicinlier." It is a
Lttle odd to End Mr. Mill, ill any case, denouncing such
a I art, supposing it played honestly and oa public
grounds. hut it is doubly ield, in this particul caw, in
*Lich he Lliartif assumes the functions of an aidependent
member.