The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-04 00:00:00

THERMOMETER.

Thia day at Two o'clock 3O
Barometer-30.00.
Wind—East ; fresh, and very fine.

1-4
444' f
Og' ."44NOPPArib''' Snit
**LA.

LONDON, SATURDAY, JAN. 4, 1864.

Parliament is already coming within our ken, is
now almost visibly looming up before us at the end
of the very brief perspective of a few weeks in
this next month of February. There is a toler-
ably clear understanding, too, on all sides that the
coming session is not to be allowed to follow the dull
pattern of its three or four do-nothing predeces-
sors. The Parliament itself moreevar is coming with-
in easy distance of the date of its own dissolution.
Meaning by that, its dissolution simply in the
natural course of things as a septennial Parlia-
ment. Nominally only our Parliaments are Eep.
tennial. Ever since they became septennial they
have as a rule become more shert-lived even thin
seven years. They have been dissolved, instead of
tranquilly lapsing into non-existence. The Seven
Years of Perliament, like the Seven Ages of Man,
are seldom enough to be trav-3rssd, throughout, to
the very end. And when a Parliament as charac •
terless, as sluggish, as dawdling, almost one might
say, as utterly indifferent as the one last summoned
into existence, is in existence, the sooner a quietn,
comes to be administered to it, the people out of
doors get to think at last, the better. Remembering
how little there is, that can be set down as
among the achie7ements of the Parliament now
in a few weeks more to he summoned back
again ,to Westminster for the despatch of urgent
public business—one really, without any particle
of affectation, looks forward with a sense of relief,

with a sense nearly of exultation, to the prospect
of its dissolution. It has done, actually done
little or nothing, since it was first called together
in the summer of 1859, when Mr. EVELYN DENISON
was elec ed Speaker. More than that, it has hardly
attempted to do anything. It has scarcely made
any pretense of affecting to do anything. It un-
happily had the excuse afforded to it for idling
away a whole year in consequence of the sudden
and terribly premature death of the beloved Consort
of the SOVEREIGN. The nice balance of parties
again—keeping things almost in a state of absolute
equilibrium—has served since then to perpetu•
ate, if not actually to justify, the do-nothing-
policy of a Cabinet without any great
ruling principle whatever, beyond the one
cherished principle of all Whig Cabinets—to hold
office as long as possible ! In the maintenance of this
very curious do-nothing policy, a policy so very curi-
ous on the part of a Ministry notoriously made up
of Reformers—a ministry that actually ousted its
predecessors from office on the plea of their impeding
the rapid acquisition of large and comprehensive
Reforms—in the steady and continuous mainten-
ance of this do-nothing policy, the present Adminis-
tration has been sustained by two things, each of
which two things has certainly been all the while
sufficiently within every one's comprehension.
First of the two—by the strong predilection for
Conservatism all his life in the heart of hearts of
Lord PALMERSTON. Second of the two—by the
ready connivance, aid, assistance, and co-operation
of the powerful Conservative Opposition. Upon
Lord PALMERSTON'S popularity the present Cabi-
net has all along rested entirely as its only foun-
dation. And the Premier, who is one of the last,
as he is also in another sense one of the first, of the
Canningites, if he has ever before in his life
cherished Conservative predilections, has done,
is doing so, now that he is approaching the ripe
age of an octogenarian. Old age is not
fond of innovation—is certainly not fond
of inaugurating innovations. Lord PAL-
MERSTON never, even in his youth, having been
solicitous about the prosecution of bold and
sweeping reforms, has ling since got to be
wholly and avowedly indifferent to them.
And in sweeping altogether out of view
all idea or design of Reforms, of a large or small
kind, as Lord PALMERSTON, if any man living has
done, has most unquestionably done, has done
eagerly and done with a wilt—he has been steadily
and strenuously aided in so doing by the eager co-
operation of her MAJESTY'S Opposition, Why the
latter have thus readily consented to assist the
Ministry in their do-nothing policy—needs hardly,
in truth, to be specified! For one thing,
while so doing, they, the Opposition, have
been all this time enabling their antagonists,
in the most signal and effectual manner,
to stultify themselves. They (the Opposition)
have so acted that the result has been the
shelving of all reform by the very Ministry which
was called to power in order to secure the triumph
of reform principles! More sweeping reforms
than those they themselves (i.e., the Conservatives)
were prepared to carry out in 18e39, had they been
allowed to do so by the Dag-in-the-Manger Re-
solution of Lord RUSSELL, then still Lord JOHN
RUSSELL—more sweeping reforms than those
sketched out in Mr. DISRAELI'S rejected measure,
neither he nor his colleagues were prepared to
assist in carrying through Parliament. The Oppo-
sition, therefore, have been perfectly consistent in
furthering Lord PALMERSTON'S endeavour, the noble
veteran's very successful endeavour, as it has turned
oat to be, to bring about the shelving of Reform
altogether. So effectually has it long since been
shelved in consequence of all this, that the reputed
Great Reformer among Great Reformers in the
House cf Commons has quitted that arena
for the Lords—has long since accepted hie
coronet as an earl, and has been further
rewarded—for his " Resolutions," of course
—by tieing made a Knight of the Garter.
Hence his memorable expression of satiety when
recommending the nation to " Rest and be Thank•
ful." A Parliament in which all this has come to
pass, we have no sentiment in regard to, unless a
sense of absolute indifference can be called a senti-
ment. We look with apathy to the prospect
of its dissolution. Before the date of its dissolution
comes, however, there will, in the natural course of
things, come a party struggle ! Probably the
party struggle will arise this next session : and this
—because of the blundering of Ministers, particu-
larly in their Foreign Policy and because of the
simultaneous aggregation of strength numerically
to the Opposition.

They who attempt to give advice, or to offer sug-
gestions to the King of PRUSSIA, have but a sorry
task, and do not meet with a very gracious recep-
tion. In the present instance his MAJESTY'S
answer to the address is a most ungenial one, and
be takes very good care to let the refractory and
presumptous deputies know how greatly they have
erred in their attempts to teach him his duty, and
to hint to him how he should manage affairs. Thus
we read in the Reply, that the King " desires to
assume" that no intimation given to him could pos-
sibly be intended to trench on his exclusive right
to decide and dictate the course necessary to be
taken with respect to foreign politics. According
to this idea it will be very difficult to determine
what remains for the representative Assembly to
do, if all action is denied to them, and they are
not to be allowed to come forward in any decisive
manner, and sway the destinies of the country at an
important juncture. This is a new doctrine to be
promulgated in a Constitutional country, and
seems to extinguish the last faint hopes that may
be entertained of his conversion to a wiser and a
better course. Now when we hear of this enuncia-
tion by the King that the decision arrived at re-
garding these affairs can only be settled by himselt
alone—if this be true, some reflective persons might
ask, what is the use of having a Chamber of Depu-
ties at all. If their mission is but to follow the old
advice of seeing, and hearing, hut saying nothing,
it would be quite as well if they did not undertake
the task at all. It is at all events so far satisfactory
that King WILLIAM does not agree to the tenour
of the advice accorded to him, although his mode of
declining the suggestion is quite characteristic of
the arbitrary style which has gained for his rule so
much animadversion, and called down such bitter
reproach. It is one step gained in the unequal
struggle now taking place, that the treaties of
1862 are not to be given up recklessly,
or without due consideration, and what-

ever arriere pensee the King may entertain,
whatever may lurk in the background, we can but
rejoice eo far at his resolve to maintain intact and
inviolate the engagements entered into between the
Powers of Europe. The concluding passages of the
reply are very carefully worded, and prove the
KING to be a skilful diplomatist and an acute
watcher of events. The very haste and precipita-
tion with which the Deputies have acted are turned
to account against them ; and the zeal for aggran-
disement abroad, and the mistaken notions of up-
holding the Federal rights at home, which have
lately so falsely actuated them, are now shown up
in their true coloars. When any sect or party
become hesitating in their course, it follows as a