The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-07 00:00:00

shadow it has sacrificed the rights of Denmark and
the independence of America. It has been so
anxious to assure the world that nothing would in-
duce it to incur war expenses that all its diplomatic
efforts were hampered and powerless. It will
not be very easy to make out a good case at the
hustings, founded on the foreign policy which the
House of Commons has supported and sanctioned.
In matters of internal legislation the scrutiny to
which the proceedings of members will be subjected
is likely to be still closer. They may excuse them-
selves on various grounds for the foreign policy
which they have supported, and may contend that
the responsibility of that department rests mainly
with the Ministry of the day ; but what they will
find to say for themselves on the question of reform
aemains to be seen. When the country sent up its
representatives to St. Stephen's reform was the
great question of the day. Parties were outbidding
each other, and the few men who were bold enough
to object to the principle were wise enough to be
silent. Under the leadership of Lord DERBY, the
party which had always been most opposed to inno-
vation or improvement had ranked itself on the side
of reform, while the reformers proper were out-
Heroding Herod, and were prepared to adopt the
six points of the Charter without delay. How all
these fine promises have melted away into thin air,
how the noble lord, whose " Resolutions" proved
fatal to the DERBY Cabinet, and landed his
own friends safely on the Ministerial benches,
has suddenly discovered that " Rest and
be thankful" is the motto of genuine reformers,
how the reforming Parliament, which was elected to
carry out the necessary constitutional changes, has
arrived at the same conclusion, is a matter of poli-
tical history more notorious than creditable. Very
few of the ex-M.P.'s will be able to explain this
part of their story honourably to themselves or satis-
factorily to the electors, seeing that the great
Liberal party, after obtaining office by a political
manoeuvre, has held it for six years without attempt-
ing the smallest reform of that constitution which
they so loudly declared their intention to amend.
It would of course be strange if, in six years'
time, no good and useful measureshad been passed ;
and perhaps the most gratifying part of the Par-
liamentary performances are those which have
affected the general, internal, and domestic affairs of
the country. Mr. GLADSTONE may take credit to
himself for the French Treaty, for which he shares
the glory with the late Mr. COBDEN, whose straight-
forwardindependence and great ability will no longer
adorn the walls of our Parliament. Many useful
matters of domestic legislation have been dealt with,
and perhaps the session just expired, with its Union
Chargeability Bill, its Courts of Law Bill, and its
Partnership Amendment Bill, has been as produc-
tive of practical good as any of its immediate pre-
decessors. In legal reform there is still much to be
done, but the principle is gaining ground, and the
late Lord Chancellor, whatever his other draw-
backs, has done good service in this respect. Our
finance is prosperous—no thanks to the currency
laws or to the economy of our expenditure. Still
the burden of taxation has been so far lightened
that the candidates have not much to fear from the
criticism of their constituents. The House of 1859
exists no longer, it has played out its part, and has
left to its successor plenty of work, if it brings the
capacity and the will to do it.