The Express.
London, England, 1868-06-04 00:00:00

• TUE EXPRESS, THURSDAY

_
earlier character the relation of a rich setumn
to a fervent summer [t has had its Thad stage, I
and is now in its (el,;;eira phase. The storm and
stress period is passing away. and a -serener and 'I:
calmer era follows. The tone of deliberation is
succeeding the impulse of assault. The transfor-
mation is due in some degree to the calming effect I
of line, :and the cooling snows of age ; but in
part it is due to the altered condition of political
affairs, and to the change which has taken places
in Mr. Ban. a r'a relation to them, and to the diffe-
rent 'lasses of his country men. Most of the objects
of his attack have fallen. Commercial monopoly
is at an and 1 franchise as wide as he ever con-
tended has been granted more suddenly and with
leas circumspection than even he desired. Hislatti-
tmle, like that of most men who have gained
what they want. ,a now practically con-
.ervative .f.-Le is conservative of free-trade
and household autfrage. line great abuse remains
to be overthrown, and it is already tottering to its
fall. The Irish Cherch Establishment still shames
England and disquiets Ireland. Mr. Mammy, ;
declaration that it is the business of statesmanship
ro create and not to destroy. will scarcely save that
loomed TlfititltiOn Tics idea has been at the
bottom of all tle vicious over-legislation
which has cembered "le statute-book of ,
Ergland The N ieeet and most beneficial
neetaeren ,v !itch e been passed during the last
efte :ears have been repealing acts. But when
the , rich Church Establishment is gone, the work
of destruction wil! he in great part done. The
%one will then come for creation. It will be for
statesnies to use the ;gent political instruments
which they e fashioned, mid the forces which
shev 'lave called into existence, in the accomplish•
meat of the tasks of social reform to which the
present generation is summoned. Nothing can be
more undesirable than that the new Parliament
I should be long entai.gled in the relics of an old
controversy which night :o have received its
iv ,vs three-quarters of a century ago. Mr. PITT
I should have been the hero of the exploit appa- ;
rently reserved for Mr. GL.II.,TONE. The reign of
GEOIV:It 111. ehoelil have seen that done which has
been deferred by evil chances and political apostasy
and cowardice to the reign of Queen VICIVRIA. It
is discreditable. that this chance having failed, the
Reformed Parliament of 1.468 should have to
andertalse a t'csk which the Reformed Parlia-
ment of 1S:le might have been expected
to aettle out of hand. The die-establishment
of the Protestant Church in Ireland is necessary
to give moral rorce ro the Act of Union, and to
complete the work of Catholic Emancipation.
It may be hoped that not a session of the new
Parliament will pass without seeing these arrears
cf political justice brought up. In order
that this may be done effectively, the forces of
public opinion must be organised. We hear much
of how the English. Scotch. and Irish votes will
go ; but very little is said of Wales. Yet
that Principalit! has a character of its own.
Welshmen take small part in modern politics. They
:lave been shut out by their mountains and by their
lenge age fro ni direct participation in English affairs.
Bet they have a force and will of their own, which
wiaely direct al maydogreat things. Am Mr. BRIGHT
iaid, they ar • geographically nearer than any other
portion of thesouthern part of this island to Ireland.
'fpror.irnity is on. •of th 'grounds of sympathy, they
,ught to I drawn -o their neighbours. There
is the stronger bond of race between the two
countries. The Welsh are Kelts, as pure as any that
are to be found in Ireland. They afford an instance
which conclusively ref ,ites the shallow generalisation
j'f 30111 e speculators that nation of Keltic origin
is by a sort • 4 physical necessity Roman Catholic.
The Welsh exemplify what Rueee, we believe,
called the Protestantism itself of the Protestant
religion, and the ery dissidence of dissent.
Their religious condition confirms Mr. lbw:lWe
suggestion that tine abolition of the Church Esta-
blishment if Ireland might give Protestantism
itself are. 'twee chance in Ireland. Dissent in
Wales :chows what the voluntary principle
:an du .0 v ()tide rf :illy as Roman Catho-
licism in Ireland. The fervour and enthusiasm of
a Keltic people responds to the demands which its
faith makes upon it with marvellous energy and zeal.
we do not wonder that Mr. BRIGHT felt tempted
Away from his Whitsuntide rest and holiday by the
invitation given him by his Welsh fellow-subjects.
To aid the stirrings of a new political life among
that people, and to he a missionary of political
justice among them, is a worthy and useful office.
Mr !Imam' was ander no necessity of creasing
the border to meet them. In the same way as
New York has been described as the third Ger
man city in the world. Liverpool may be described
as among the most important Welsh towns of
England. It counts sixty thousand genuine
Cymr; among its population. The energies which
on previous Occasions, now happily distant, have
found lawless rent in Chartist insurrections and
ite.,tecee riots will lie devoted, we trust, with
more wisdom old not less energy towards co-oper-
ation with the other constituent parts of the Em-
pire in a treasure . 4 political justice and social
pacificatimi

r'E F'ETROLECT3f.

Au oil in to the poor man what gas is to
the rich ; an artificial illuminating agent of excel-
lent quality Burnt in an inexpensive lamp it
gives an admirable light, and is cheaper and better
than candles had it not a slightly unpleasant
odour it would probably supersede colza, sperm,
and other oils of vegetable and animal origin. But
the paraffin oil artificially distilled from certain
minerals in this country, and the natural rock oil
or petroleum furnished by the wells of Pennsyl-
vania possess properties in relation to fire which
render them somewhat less safe than most other
oily substances If a lighted match be plunged
into any common oil the flame is extin-
guished, AM by water : and this occurs even
though the oil be as warm as it can be made in the
full glare of the hottest summer's sun. Paraffin-
oil will stand the same test. Petroleum, unfor-
tunately, fails ; for if it be only as warm as
one's hand, a match-flame will set it blazing.
It partakes, indeed, somewhat of the nature
of a spirit, and its danger consists, not only in
its having apirituoas characters—for camphino,
brandy, and other spirits may be burnt, with
proper care—but in the fact that, though
containing spirit, it is sold as an oil.
There are two w's.a by which this state of things
may he remedied. The first is to take steps for
instructing the public in the true properties of
petroleum ; the second, and less impracticable, is
to render penal the sale of dangerous petroleum,
and thus indirectly compel merchants to import
only oil of ante quality ; the latter is the method
adopted in a bill now before Parliament.
The measure at prtat.rit hangs Era on account
of the difficulty in deciding to what extent
purification of the article shall be carried so as to
secure safety Lo the public, without increasing coat,
and with the least possible disturbance to trade

interests. WI are informed, h‘evet, that the
polis4.has been submitted M able miontillo refererri
and we may hope, therefore, that the bill will bo
carried in ojirrat satildrotory to all. _