The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-23 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1855,

The Parliamentary campaign, which practically
commences this day, will, in many respects, be
one of the most important ever recorded in Eng-
lish history. Many deeply interesting questions
must be decided, not only respecting the foreign,
but also the domestic, polici of the country. All
relating to the war must, of course, command the
earliest, but not necessarily the exclusive attention
of both Houses. Nothing that by any possibility
can conduce to the comfort or welfare, or, still
more, the safety of our gallant troops, now sta-
tioned in tie Crimea, can be for a moment ne-
glected or postponed. All other topics, however
pressing, must yield to the superior urgency of
matters relating to the War. But, while we
yield that undisputed priority, we must also
insist on the propriety, nay more, the necessity,
of effecting other reforms, on which the prosperity
and happiness of the nation greatly depend. We
must earnestly protest against the precedent of
last session being followed, of ruthlessly sacri-
ficing everything, not to the efficient carrying on
of the War, but to the convenience of the Mi-

nistry I
In 1854 the nation was greatly excited by the
formal declaration of hostilities. Although
naturally discontented and dissatisfied at the con-
duct of the Government in the first instance, at
its truckling to the CZAR, and ridiculously impo-
tent negotiations, when any man of ordinary
common sense must have seen that no-
thing but prompt and decisive action could
have had the slightest effect on the iron will of
the AUTOCRAT, it made considerable allowance for
the desire to exhaust all the means of preserving
peace. Although convinced that the course
adopted was the worst possible, it gave some de-
gree of credit to Government, and fondly believed
that, when the sword was actually drawn, and
hostilities had commenced, there would have been
some indications of the energy and activity which
were so deplorably wanting in the earlier stages.
It did not wish to obstruct the measures about to
be adopted on the Ministerial responsibility, or to
insist on disclosures that might be premature, and
possibly prejudicial to the nation. The principle
was boldly enunciated by the thick-and-thin sup-
porters of the Joint-Stock Administration in the
public press—that because the country was at
war, no question of " confidence," or rather want
' of confidence, could be entertained ; that any de-
cided opposition which might, by a possibility,
lead to a Ministerial crisis could only be adopted
by the friends of Russia ! Ridiculous as was this
fallacy—untenable as was the principle—it was
adopted by the Ministerial Leader in the Lower
House, and acted on by both branches of the Le-
gislature. It served as an excuse for withdrawing
every Ministerial, and resisting every Opposition,
proposition. No measure on which any difference of
opinion existed could be pressed through itsvarious
stages. What is facetiously termed " the mas-
sacre of the innocents" commenced at an unusually
early period, and was continued with unrelenting
severity, so that few indeed of the many interest-
ing measures introduced arrived at maturity.
Although, before the meeting of Parliament on
the 12th ultimo, the delusion which induced
many to place reliance on the efforts of the Go-
vernment was dispelled—although the nation was
thoroughly disgusted with the incapacity and
carelessness displayed in the management, or ra-
ther mismanagement, by those in office—
still it was felt by many that the time had not
arrived for insisting on explicit information, or
enforcing categorical answers to the many search-
ing interrogatories that might be exhibited. It
was declared that Parliament was called
together merely for the purpose of pas-
sing two measures indispensable to the se-
curity of the Allied Forces in the Crimea.
One of these, the Militia Bill, was carried almost
by acclamation ; whatever differences might exist
as to the details, there was but little respecting
the principle. It was merely giving permission
to the militia to serve with their own assent in
certain colonies, so as to relieve the regular gar-
risons, and enable them to proceed to the seat of
War, should their services be urgently required !
Nor was it the assent of a majority of each regi-
ment that was required. No man could be
called on to servo beyond the limits of the United
Kingdom, without his own individual approval.
" The other question was, however, one of a very
different character, and subjected to very different
treatment. The first, respecting which there
was no difficulty, was openly avowed ; its pro-
visions were made known to the nation, so that
it was stamped with popular approbation even
before its introduction. It was also alluded to in

the Royal Speech, so that, so Lir as the Militia
Bill was concerned, everything was straightfor-
ward and above-board. Not so the Foreigner%
Enlistment Bill. It was kept shrouded in the
deepest mystery to the last moment. Not a hint
was suffered to transpire that could inform the
public mind or lead to an expression of public
opinion. Ministers felt themselves the weakness
of the case the unconstitutional nature of

the measure which, through some latent but
,powerful influence, they were compelled to
bring forward. Their consciences taught them
that success could only be achieved by means of
a surprise, and therefore a surprise was resorted
to, and, unfortunately, was but too succcessful.
The measure was carried, to the intense disgust
of the British people. And we may judge how
far the
plea of "urgency," which alone led to its
hasty adoption, was well founded, from the fact
that nothing since has been done to carry out
its provisions.

Now, however, the time has at length
arrived when all these
matters must be
fully inquired into • when
and some of his colleagues
mustLobred
arraigned at
the bar of public opinion, and when they must
stand or fall on their own merits or demerits,
receiving no adventitious aid from the fact of the

it will
existence of hostilities ; on the contrary,

constitute a more powerful reason for rendering