The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-14 00:00:00

'Prussia, and England are doing, the proposal of the
Congress itself, of course upon certain conditions,
with certain preliminary stipulatior s and modifi-
cations—it is hardly possible that they can hesi-
tate about the accptance also of the proffered place
of rendezvous.

The time has gone by for the present when
reform meetings were the order of the e,ay.. Mr.
BRIGHT'S magic eloquence that was to. rouse the
land from one end to another has suddenly col-
lapsed, and we now hear nothing of the importance
of immediate measures being adopted. Still, from
time to time, some mere earnest or energetic mem-
ber comes forward, and the old question is brought
up. At the meeting "in Bristol nothing particularly
novel or striking "was said, but the observations
are worthy of attention, and it is at all events
m g gained that the subject should be mooted
saotaeltllin
all. The chairman gave the working classes
some very r,ensible advice as to the advisability of
on themselves, and showing forth the re gly
ad-
vantagesin that they have derived from working
men's institutes and such like undertakings by their
kincreased intelligence and self-control, This is
very salutary and sensible exhortation, and the
more it is attended to, the better for the improve-
ment of their social and political welfare. No
better arguments can be adduced as to the in-
creasing of the franchise being right and fitting
than to point to the well ordered and intelligent
community of those whose predecessors a century
ago were lawless, and undisciplined, and totally ;
unfit to take any part in the management of affairs.
The resolution which was moved by Mr. WILLIAms
was an excellent one, and properly expressed the
purpose of the meeting, while it did more than that,
for it explained the great drawback which exists
in the claims of the present Ministry to popularity.
"That this meeting, while generally approving the
foreign policy of her MAJESTY'S Government,
regrets that it has not more energetically promoted
those measures of political and ecclesiastical reform
which its supporters had a right to expect." This
is strong language, but not a bit too forcible, and
it would be well if more constituencies followed
the example of that of Bristol and made
a home-thrust at the policy of an administration
that has abjured its principles. It is now more
than four years since the Derby Reform measure
was rejected by the doggedness and pertinacity of
Earl RUSSELL. No half measures for him, no
expediency, and no compromise, he could not be
content with trusting to the remedial agencies of
committees, he must have instant perfection, aut
Ccrsar nut nilal was his motto, and though he has
since chosen the easiest part of his performance he
and his immediate supporters seeia to expect the
same deference and to meet the same universal sup-
port as if he had vanquished the difficulty, and
restored the advantages that were promised to the
people. His conduct is almost unparalleled in the
annals of political duplicity and party manoeuvring,
rich as they are in the details and double-dealing
and finessing. Notwithstanding some exaggera-
tion in idea, and extreme notions in the way of
proposals, there is much in the discourses that were
uttered at this meeting that may attract attention,
and win a favourable consideration. For instance,
Mr. COSSIIAM made some very decided stateme a is
as to the perilous position in which their party
were placed by the extraordinary vacillation of its
leaders, and their want of purity of purpose and
unity of action. He said that he believed that" as
a party they would be gone" if they had not better
and more marked principles for home reform, and
that the liberal Government would sink the party
if they went on like this in matters relative to
home affairs. This lugubrious prophecy will
more likely than not be realised, and it is
now an acknowledged fact that the once
famous Liberals have not a popular cry with
which to go to the hustings. It is well, therefore'
that those leaders who have occasioned so much
mortification to the more advanced members of
the party should occasionally be told of their
defalcations, and reminded of their shortcomings,
even though the remembrance of the events re-
ferred to may have faded out of tl:e immediate
recollection of the public. Mr. BERKELEY'S speech
was spirited and to the point ; the hon. member's
views, as he said, were too well known for him to
need to divulge them, but his remarks on many points
of interest and importance may, nevertheless, re-
fresh the memory of his auditors, and also the
general public, who will read his observations.
It is in every way satisfactory that the question of
Reform should have been brought foward at this
time, because many other affairs of moment have
engaged the attention of hon. members at various
public meetings, and therefore it is necessary that
one of the chief home questions of the day should
be considered, since it is never useless to pay a

tention to these matters, even if they may no'
be coming under notice at once. At all events i

is a disgrace to the so-called Liberal Ministry
that, after years passed by them in the plenitude
of power, any assembly of their countrymen
should have occasion to make statements as were
uttered at the meeting at Bristol. The speakers
have all spoken out in a bold and manly fashion,
and with a spirit that does them honour, and,
doubtless, many will appreciate their straightfor-
ward declarations, and concur in the sharp but

salutary remarks that have been made by the
various speakers at this demonstration.

The advance and extension of liberal views among
the agricultural classes was strongly marked by the
reception accorded to the address of Sir EDWARD
DERING, the recently elected Member for East Kent.
The hon. baronet remarked that the present
flourishing condition of British agriculture shows
that when the British farmer is put on his mettle
4° is well able to overcome all difficulties and to
efoo.espete successfully with the foreigner. What our
in illeositrs have a right to demand, placed as they are
DER_ Prast.ition with the world, is, as Sir EDWARD
re-
striction. ins
(1):
th3a!tly observes, the opportunity of carry-
-I:leir oiperations unshackled by official re-
a
logic pointed
duty Was, or
Co
logic or abolition of the malt
, and brße, the inference to which this
Kentish farmers, jotyr way of encouragement to the
the question, the new
I uaber expressed his belief
e i\s_ted more than any others in
that the time was
apProhehi,
hope to have the privile,,e :fg when they might
barley to fatten their
state of the country, despite the
ciis
the American war, was naturally a
ONya cattiluelting their own
The prosperous
abutbrt.ms effect of
con-
gratulation, and truly it may be ahltoB.:
ti't of coo_
matter of surprise as thankfulness to s much a
Foreigners will marvel more than ever
at an
tie.
buoyancy of our commercial resources when
they
see the shock that was expected to half pauperise
England gallantly surmounted, and the lesson thus
taught will not, we may hope, be altogether profit-
less. Not many years since the Indian crisis
made a sudden and terrible demand on the re-
sources of Great .Britain--not SO much of the
nation collectively, but on individual capacity
and character. Those who were on the spot had
to answer for the people, and nobly they
bore the test. Far from reversing the system
of Government, the mutiny has been the means of
confirming our authority and riveting our rule in
India. In the same manner has tl.e American