The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-05 00:00:00

The Is eform Bill.

The Reform Bill has advanced a stage, but
not without bringing to light a strong display of
party spirit which bodes ill for the settlement of
this serious question. What the country needs
beyond all things is a prompt restoration of con-
fidence—not only in the integrity and ability of its
public men, but in the permanency of our national
institutions, and in their adaptibility and fitness
to bear every strain which time and circumstance
may put upon them. Such a confidence is the
growth of ages, and he who does anything to
weaken it is a public evil-doer. But nothing
would so much shake confidence in our institu-
tions—which is the real basis of our national great-
ness—as such a factious opposition, springing from
mere personal or party interests, as would post-
pone, or, perhaps, utterly destroy all chance of a
Reform in harmony, at least, with the spirit of
the Constitution. Not even a Democratic Reform,
after the heart of Mr. Bright, would in itself be so
demoralizing as loss of confidence in the loyalty of
our public men and in the elasticity of our Con-
stitution. We have for the last seventy-eight
years stood so long in safety watching the storm
on the Continent that any misgiving as to our own
security falls like a death chill on the national
heart. That such a misgiving as to the efficacy;pf
our institutions, political and religious, is creeping
here and there into the national mind cannot be
denied.

It is the little rift within the lute
Which by and by will make the music mute.

The evil calls for a remedy prompt, honest, and to
the purpose. There must be no half measures,
and no shuffling. What is wanting in our institu-
tions ought to be supplied with a generous hand.
A harsh and narrow or suspicious exclusiveness
ought to be as much reprobated as the levelling
tendencies of the Democratic Reformer: The
spirit which dictates measures of retaliation
against the unreasonable demands of the Reformer
only generates that jealousy of classes, which it is
the aim of malice and of the public demagogue
to enflame. A full and generous measure of Re-
form, such as is in keeping with the spirit of the
Constitution, carried out by the concurrence, if
possible, of men of both parties in the house of
Commons, in perfect reliance on the influence
which rank, and wealth, and social position, and
traditional habits have on the people of England,
would do much to prevent the alienation of
classes, and avert the dangers which threaten our
institutions. Whatever, after such a process, is
found to be really unfitting, by reason of altered
circumstances, in any of our institutions we must
not scruple to remove. In this manner we shall
best show a true Conservative spirit. A reformed
house of Commons may not, unlikely, lead to
a reform, for instance, in the Church Establish-
ment ; but we, as Catholics, need have no appre-
hension as to such a result; for we, at least, know
that the national institutions, religious as well as
political, are but the work of human hands, and are
to be reformed or removed as may seem best to
men taught by the wisdom of experience and the
lights of a fuller and more perfcet knowledge.--.
Westminster Gazette.