The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-14 00:00:00

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.

Tins DAY.—Morning, 11h. 35m. Afternoon, 11h. 59m.
TO-Monßow.-Morning, h. m.--Afternoon, 12h. 30m.

A 4.
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LONDON, THURSDAY, DEC. 14, 1865.

Mr. BRIGHT is determined not to allow any oppor-
tunities to be lost, and he is again displaying that
activity which he so conspicuously manifested at
the period of the DERBY Government bringing in a
Reform Bill. It remains for the future to show us
whether he will continue his eagerness in the ses-
sion, or whether, as happened before, he will relax
from his efforts, and afford another notable example
of vox et preterea nihil. Ile will be doing his friends
the Ministers a door service if, before he is aware
of their intentions, he advocates the necessity of
reform in a sweeping degree, and they are proved
to entertain more moderate views on the subject.
One thing must strike the attentive observer as
rather inconsistent in the tone of Mr. -tic
speeches, and that is the indignation into which he
has worked himself up on the question of Reform.
If he considers the matter of such vital importance,
why, in the name of common sense, did he not
broach the theme before ? He has been silent on
the topic during some years, and he now rushes
forward to declaim in a breathless fashion about the
wrongs and injuries that the nation has sus-
tained in consequence of the measure being so
long held in abeyance. If the present Government
succeed in paving aßeform Bill based on a compre-

hensive plan and calculated to remedy existing
deficiencies, and consider the claims of the various
classes in the country, it will be a fortunate blessing ;
but, at the same time, let us bear in mind that they
would not palm it off upon us as a work of super-
erogation. Instead of boasting of their achieve-
ments, they should blush for the tardiness
they have displayed in putting these de-
signs into execution. Instead of prefacing
all these declarations on the subject 'with the
emphatic announcement that great gratitude is due
to them for their intentions, it should be borne in
mind that they are to blame for the shuffling cha-
racter of the policy that has ruled on the subject.
Reform is not a thing to be taken up and set down
whenever it suits the purpose of party and answers
the ends of faction.
There has been too much of all this kind of thing
going on for a long time past, and a more memor-
able instance of want of genuineness was
never displayed than in 1859, when Earl
RUSSELL and Mr. BRIGHT banded together
to destroy the attempts made by the Con-
servatives to settle the question. Mr. BRIGHT is
very indignant with Mr. DISRAELI for having said
that " England does not love coalitions ;" but, in
truth, the country has had little cause to respect or
admire the course pursued by the coalition formed
in Willes's Rooms at the celebrated meeting that
was held there. We must protest against the
whole style and tenour of Mr. BRIGHT'S orations.
He is doing his utmost to set class against class, and
section against section. This is the worst feature
of his political career, and militates against the
success which he might otherwise have achieved,
and mars the effect of his great talents and powerf al