The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-09 00:00:00

amongst the independent Liberals were put 11P /pa
smother it with talkee. Smothered it Wneither
thenceforth they assumed that reform was re
needed nor sought. The amendments of our rely,
sentative system, which a few months before :We
had declared to be imperatively necessarY, t° be haz-
ardous and judicious they now affected to treat asof
and ill-timed. A more discreditable breacliver
faith, a grosser fraud, let us rather say, was worst
committed even by a Liberal Ministry. But the w°,,;,
sinner ought, according to that older proverbial hi,
losophy which is not hidden in books, but enshrlUm
in the nation's heart, to have his due, and so shi°;),
this Ministry with all its offences. Nothing, in", be
can be said to excuse them ; but it must, at leas4Bo
allowed that there are very few persons who hale 0
right to complain of them. As Conservatireebielt
may, indeed, denounce the false pretences uP°lllv be 6
they overturned a Conservative Government ;be
on the other hand, as Conservatives, we cannet ti;
indignant that they did not put forward all,„,lish
force to carry a measure subversive of the P7,cler
constitution. We should have had a inue.,ll
fight to make for the cause of liberty and 'aN'i„,rs‘
than now. The " bubble" had not then P-0,
England has learnt a great deal in the last five Yet.ing
Men who used to believe in the right of the wor'jio
man to the suffrage, and to be sanguine that he a 5
use it judiciously and wisely, have come to dre,abo
reduction of the franchise far more moderate
ieo
that for which they then shouted. The Govern,- one
has given us five precious years—years in etic-ottos
of which the feeling in favour of sweeping '.`"."3, the
has grown fainter and slacker—years in wlllonv-gth,
Conservative party has steadily grown in eti•cean
until now it can laugh at any attempts to re 00)0
agitation -which then •it might have needed a
determined effort to resist. We will not eeta
then, of the Ministry that they have bur ked r
re will;
and made the name of Liberal synonymous, 00
that of hypocrite.
But if the Conservatives u°,oo
complain no one has a right to • complain.for
Whig-Radical majority is particeps criminis• to 0
not complain of the violation of pledges WA' eataccepted that violation with indifference, sun too
with satisfaction. Nothing can be more absurd dot
the outcry which some of the soi-disant indePerribitil
Liberals, now that a dissolution is apPos-foce•
raise against the Ministry. It is part of theo;the
What have these gentlemen done to l'e`,r pat
Government to its pledges ? Have they evicovee,
the slightest pressure on it ? Have theye
their pretended dissatisfaction by any oPY—
Certainly not. They have been as docile Woo
Brand's whip since the Reform Bill was witbaieoce
as before. They have supplied the clearest 8,-31i es,
that they did not regard the breach a iaditicto
deserving of any censure. Look at the ouplleri.,ce!
their leaders—of those Reformers, pal' exc'totr
who in their speeches subordinate everything
great question. Take Mr. Stansfeld, for 1r..; anti
'That promising middle-aged young man
time during the last five years, been readY4"4
upon the necessity of immediate reform. A• roe+
Stansfeld accepted office under Lord rablivereo
knowing that reform was shelved, that the 13tight.
would have none of it. Then there is gr.al de°
He is now rather violent again, and in vi°,-1-0 pref,
not spare the Premier, but at the time wv.,,,,--ethivf.
sure might have made the Premier try st"011'
Mr. Bright was faithful enough to the Gov o1`;
The repeal of his paper duty purchased his 'gat
tion of the Ministerial ill faith. We repOr;
ho b
Liberal majority did not make one gent',
_,1110,-eo,
effort to keep the Government to its pw'e to
aided to evade them, and in pretending tiro Gc:
indignant and disconsolate at the failure 01 tiestieC,
vernment to do anything on the Reform (liot by
they are guilty of a shameless hypocrisy agitapliOX
public, and gross injustice against the t taer'
'They are all alike, Ministers and independfline ioe;
hers. The censure of the Ministry by 171, Ulae"'d
pendent members is the pot calling the kets -000;
Mr. H. Seymour took occasion on Tuesday 0 star
to deplore that the Government had take° 11,0d,uteit
to redeem its pledges ; he described ite,Ap-d,
correctly ; each one of the taunts was just"lkereZ
what has Mr. Seymour, or what have Lor"„„ttirn
of Sir F. Crossley, who also, although
much better satisfied with the Government, ,0 tope
ought to have grappled with Reform, done,' lievdt
it do so ? Have they put on the screw ah°;,,
they ever shown that they really care a 13,11 y 0.
the passage of a Reform Bill ? Never ; riiurstrYhat
been obedient supporters of the
grumbling now and then, perhaps, a lit,, ).
always ready to support it in ay emergeneJ "eriy.
are not worse, they are not mores profound 11913_,,c'
than the other occupants of the Minisvtrtilaroltb;sl::o,
but they are fair samples of that
pendent Liberalism which raves about Reforiv,
election or in prospect of one, and forarefuses,
Francis Crosley himself tells us, to vote 0.511°
form Bill because the enactment of such a
must be followed by a dissolution.