The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-16 00:00:00

THE HOME SECRETARY IN RENERHIVSEIRE.

Renfrewshire seems likely to give Mr. Bruce a
seat. lle has commenced stumping the county, and
appears to have had " a successful day" on Thurs-
day. He addressed meetings at Paisley, Kilmarnock,
and Johnstone. The opposition offered to him at
the first-named place was on account of his not being
a " Renfrewshire man." But a largo majority of the
meeting thought his other merits overrode the one of
birth. In his speeches he referred to the subjects of
the Irish Church, economy, national education, and
the Ballot. Those who are looking for the revealing of
" the Cabinet secret "--what will be done with the
Irish Church funds—will be disappointed by Mr.
Bruce's speech, for he contented himself and his
audience with generalities. The Government mea-
sure, he said, should be distinguished by at least two
principles—one, that no injustice should be done to
any living man; and the other,.that the question
should be so dealt with that in future it should
not be said any injustice had been done to one
religion as compared with another. The measure
would be imperfect if there were in it any seeds of
future discontent. It was a question of enormous
difficulty, and to be settled only by fair and just con-
cessions to all. The right hon. gentleman appealed
to the electors to exercise in the matter a sound
political judgment rather than a religious judgment.
Proceeding to speak on economy in n itional
expenditure, especially in the army and the navy,
he said he believed that reduction would be
effected, but gradually, not hastily. Glancing at
the increase in the expenditure on education, an in-
crease which he thought no one regretted, be took up
the general question of national education. Ile
warmly eulogised the Scottish system, and expressed
a hope that the subject would be considered with a
view to improvement during the ensuing session.
On the subject of the Ballot, Mr. Bruce said he had
in the past refrained from voting either for or against
it, as he saw objections both to secret voting and to
the system at present practised ; but what he under-
stood had been done during the last election in the
way of intimidating voters had determined him to
support the Ballot.

6-6 THE PLATFORM " OF THE REFORM LEAGUE.

The Reform League, after a great deal of trouble,
have at length fixed upon what the Americans call
" a platform." It consists of seven planks. From
the first plank we shall hear unity extolled, and work-
ing men advised to combine for political purposes.
The second is to be used incessantly, and the Ballot
will doubtless prove it to be sufficiently vindicated.
Those :who occupy plank 3 will raise their voices
for the repeal of the rating clause of the Reform
Bill ; and the abolition of the minority clause will
occupy the energies of those who stand still further
to the right. The payment of the election expenses
out of rates, the assimilation of borough and county
franchise, and equal electoral districts will also be
advocated by the Adelphi orators.

ALDERMAN GIBBONS.

London Conservatives are very angry with one of
their candidates for having, as they affirm, done a
great wrong to his party. It Is said that at the Uaty
election Mr. Gibbons voted for himself and only one
other of the three Conservative candidates, said gave
his third vote to one of the Liberals. Challenged to
deny this, Mr. Gibbons makes no reply. Perhaps he
wishes that the Ballot had been in operation.