The Express.
London, England, 1861-07-24 00:00:00

TO OUR READIER&

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE

A late edition of the Express i 4 published every
eveniag during the racing season, containing the
results of the day's raoes.

Loan Joni; Rommi. has taken his farewell of
the City of London. For twenty years without
interruption be has been its chef representative
in Parliament ; and he now retires from the
arduous post just as the great commercial policy hal
bc en finally consummated for the sake of which be
was first induced to sesame it. It was when the
leaders of the Liberal party, in 1841, unfurled
the nag of Free Trade, and resolved to stake
their political existence upon the policy of unre-
stricted competition in food and manufactures

with the industry of the rest of the world, that
the noble lord first became a candidate for the
City. He was then, as now, Secretary of State,
and, next to the Perinea, that member of the
Administration on whom the greatest burthen of
governing responsibility lay. The example of
Cuntro, Sir Itosaar Paa&, said many other
statesmen of eminence, would bays justified him in
refusing to undertake the additional weight of
duties necessanly connected with the representa-
tion of the greatest seat of commerce in the
world. Party feeling at the time ran high,
sad the announcement of his candidature,
as the result of the poll sufficiently proved, was
certain to be the concentration against him per-
sonally of all the resources of that nnecrupulons
faction which, under the name of Cioneerratilm,
was bent upon obstructing industrial, as it
was bent upon frustrrting poli.ica/, progress.
Bat a feeling prevailed that the man who
was confessedly most fit to be the standard-bearer

of the popular cause ought to lead the way at the
general election of 1841, and that a decisive blow
would be struck if by were returned for London.
Lord JONw did not beetate to head the party
told off to storm the conspicuous breach, and after
a desperate struggle the flag of Free Trade was
by him planted on the highest rampart of Protec-
tion in the land. It took many a year and many
a hard fight to push the advantage thus gained to
complete victory. It was not till five years after-
wards that the Corn Lsw was repealed—not till
nine years afterwards that the Navigation Laws
were swept away ; and not until nineteen years bad
slimmed was Free Trade made the basis of our
interoouree with the neighbouring realm of France.
Throughout the protracted war against ignorance,
prejudice, and selfish fear, the Noble Member for
London bore himself well and usefully : the fight
at length is over, and being now arrived at the
climacteric of ordinary life, he reasonably asks to
be relieved from the special responsibility which,
in addition to those of office and of Parliamentary
leadership, he begins to feel too much for him.
Not that the intellestual faculties of the man or
his political aspirs.ions are less vigorous than they
wore. With all the talk about the wear and tear
of political excitement, and the iijin I to health
of hot rooms and late boars, it must be owned
that the experience of British statesmanship tends
to prove that Downing•street and New Palace-
yard are not such unhealthy places to live in after
all, and that Parliament-men who mind their
business live to • ripe old age. Earl Giurr was
seventy before be became Premier ; so was Lord
ARZILDRIII and Lord PatirearroN. Of the last-
named nobleman it has been truly said, indeed, that
notwithstanding his early and prolonged training his
powers hardly seemed to hare come to full matu-
rity until after he had turned the point of three-
score and ten. We have also had before us of late
years several marvellous examples, among the legal
members of the Upper House, of the unfailing
vigour of senators who for more than half a cen-
tury have been actively occupied in the study, the
administration, and the enactment of laws. The
newly created Peer will in the House of Lords
only resume his personal intercourse with the many
dis.inguished individuals with whom he sat so long
in the House of Commons. Far from quitting
active service, he seeks only to take the lead of
the veteran battalion, whose movement age and
experience qualify him to guide. Forty-seven
years spent in the representative branch of the
Legislature may well be deemed enough; and it is