The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-19 00:00:00

HOUGHTON'S Parliamentary life have witnessed
great and striking changes in many respects; but
though the present aspect of affairs may not be alto.
gether encouraging, there is much reason to rejoice
over what those 25 years have effected for the
good of the people. Reform, which formed one of
the leading topics of Lord IlouGuToN's address,
was viewed by him on its general principles rather
than in regard to any particular application. We
cannot agree with his convenient interpretation o'
the present humiliating, position of the Liberal
party with regard to this—the corner stone of their
policy. He gets out of the difficulty by saying that

in respect to Reform both sides of the House are
alike, and neither can say a word about the other's
conduct, for each has had a Reform Bill that has

failed. Unfortunately for Lord HouGnToN's argu-
ment, however, Lord DERBY'S Government was
defeated on their Reform Bill, were driven from
office, and have never since had an opportunity of
renewing the attempt. Lord RUSSELL'S Bills were
withdrawn, and five years of office have not enabled
the Whigs to give us their successors. Under
these circumstances there is a difference between
the position of the two parties, which does not speak
very favourably for the sincerity of the Government

side. It would be well if all politicians would
adopt Lord HOUGHTON'S enlightened and sensible
view of this important question. He makes it
rather a matter of individual fitness than of class
restriction. On the one hand he denies the right

of universal suffrage which takes away the dignity
of the vote and confers upon the thief and the
vagrant the same voice in the direction of public
matters as the honest, upright, and intelligent

citizen. On the other side Lord HOUGHTON main-

:airs that there should be no positive exclusion, that

it should not be said that such a man should never
come within the pale of the constitution. " Let it
be clearly and at once understood that it was neither
the interest nor the desire of any class in this conn•

try to prevent the admission within the pale of the

constitution of any body of men who combine an
earnest desire to possess that privilege with a de-

termination to exercise it honestly and indepen-

dently—let that once be clearly understood, and
there was an end to all danger on the queation of

reform." This is the principle on which our reforms

should be founded, but to make an arbitrary die-

tinction on account of a pound more or less in the

rent which cannot certainly affect a man's compe-

tency to j edge of political questions, is to raise angry

opposition, and to create a sense of injustice. Lord
HOUGHTON touched of course upon many other

topics of the day, and his review of his career in the

Lower House was chequered by the memories of the
friends he had lost, but on the whole the retrospect
was :a pleasant one, and he had convincing testi-

moray that he had been fortunate enough to acquire

and to retain the confidenc3 of an ancient constitu-

ency through many years of change and trial.

Several petitions emanating from the Custom
House clerks throughout the United Kingdom have
found their way to the table of the House of Com-
mons. The petitioners allege that their salary
is insufficient to meet the expenses incident to
their domestic wants and personal respectability;
and, taking the statement set forth in the said
petitions to be true, the case is evidently one en-
titled to attention and redress.

Much of this dissatisfaction has apparently
Arisen from the want of perception in the heads of
the several departments, as to the requirements of
the service and the interests of the( clerks placed
under their supervision.

Unlike the Military and Naval Departments,
whose'paucity is more than counterbalanced by their
effectiveness, the Customs establishments are
equally regardless of modernizing and simplifying
their system of accounts, and of caring for the com-
forts and welfare of the clerks.

That such a system should produce a discontent
which has at length ripened into a sense of a
wide-spread grievance, is nothing more than might
have been expected. Who can reasonably suppose
that young gentlemen, possessing the necessary
education to enter the public service, will passively
settle down upon a salary of £75 a year, with a