The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-09 00:00:00

RAIL WA

THE NEW ADMINISTRATION.

(From the Daily News )
In the present state of political opinion it is not

easy for any set of public men to agree upon what
our Transatlantic cousins call "a platform" with

regard to Reform in Parliament. For gentlemen

whose chief bond of party cohesion has hitherto

been the profession of Conservative principles, the
difficulty is of course increased. To those who,
like ourselves, occupy towards the new Adminis-
tration the position rather of vigilant observers than
impassioned party combatlnts, it has been not un-

instructive to mark the varying phases of opinion
and feeling which the re-elected Ministers have
been under the constitutional, but somewhat dis-
agreeable, necessity of betraying to the world on

this vexed question.
Between Mr. Disraeli's exposition of reform prin-
ciples to the Buckinghamshire electors yesterday,
and that of the E•trl of Derby yesterday week in
the House of Lords, there is scarcely anything in

common except that both concur in asking fir time.
The noble lord, it may be remembered, did no,
seek to conceal his convieiaon that the necessity of
doing anything at all in the matter of Parliamen-
tary Reform was an eminently un. ovr..rd result
for which the previous advisers of her Majesty
had been mainly responsible. Lord Derby de-
clared unequivocally that, for his own part, he
" should have been well satisfied if it had b eu
the pleasure of Parliament to determine
that no alteration on a question so exciting
was called for or required ;" and that on the
avowed ground " that the Reform Act has given to
the country a representative system and provided
a House of Commons which fairly and fully repre-
sents the numbers, the feelings, the intelligence,
and the property of the country. Admitting, how-
ever, that legislation on the subject had become
inevitable, the new Prime Minister expressed his
future intentions in these cautious terms :—" As

soon as the pressure of pAtliamentary business ea-
tables us deliberately and carefully to consider the
question of Parliamentary Reform, we will give it

Our attention with a sineera and ernes atsire—

should it be found in any way practicable—not to
trifle with that great question, but to deal with it
in the hope that we may be able in the course of
next session to lay before Parliament and the coun-
try a measure which, though it may not perhaps
please everybody—for that is too much for us to
expect—we trust may be accepted as a fur and
moderate measure of reform by moderate and im-
partial men." It was scarcely possible to say less ;
but the experience of a week has proved that it
would have been probably dangerous, if not im-
possible, to say more.
There are obviously two great divisions of opinion
on this question in the Derby Administration.
There are those who, like the Prime Minister,
think it a misfortune that things cannot remain as
they are ; there are others who, while joining in
the plea fcr delay, consider even extensive altera-
tions not only inevitable, but just and expedient.
Sir Fitzroy Kelly—wh se political educetiou has
of late made rapid strides, and who must now be
regarded as the "promising boy" of the Adminis-
tration—heads the extreme left of the Ministerial
phalanx. This able and zealous gentleman vents
theories that must scatter horror and dismay among
the massive and heavily acted ranks in front of
which he so daringly skirmishes. His policy is all
for extension ; nay, he does not stop there, but goes
iu manfully for the forbidden thing—the due ap-
portionment of representation to numbers—the re-
moval of those glaring anomalies which give to the
few hundred electors of the decayed borough that
share in the Government of the empire which is
denied to many a great and growing centre of po-
pulation, manufactures, and trade. Sir Fitzroy
seems to have taken upon himself as his peculiar
function the duty of illustrating that pregnant phrase
of Lord Derby's ; "a Conservative party is not ne-
cessarily a stationary party." With views so ad-
vanced and liberal on the great question of
Parliamentary Reform, with doctrines so thorough-
going as to the necessity of an immediate end
sweeping change in the time-honoured system of
Land Transfer, surely Sir Fitzroy Kelly has esta-
blished—far be it from us to insinuate that he has
paraded—his competence to take office with any
Ministry however much the reverse of stationary.
Between this advanced lawyer and the tardy
progressiveness of a Henley or a Sotheron-Est-
court the discrepancy is indeed considerable. Mr.
Henley—who may perhaps be taken as the repre-
sentative of the extreme ministerial right—has
not moved very much as yet. On church rates he
hardly seems to have moved at all ; on Parliamen-
tary Reform he has not got beyond this :--,‘ LA
me see what you are going to do, and then I'll tell
you whether I'll support you." He would not have
joined any Government in which his hands were to
be tied on the subject of Reform." The thing has
been " dangled before the eyes of the country,"
without ever having been fairly brought before it.
" His judgm 'nt has not been formed whether this
or that particular measure ought to be carried ;"
finally he declares to his constituents, as the ulti-
mate expression of his present opinion (0 on the
matter, that "he will take that or any other sub-
j et into consideration, free to act as he may think
best for the general good of the country." Friends
and opponents will alike adua't that the gentleman
who gave utterance to these oracular sentiments is
a thoroughly honest and independent man, but it
is at least equally undeniable that, as far as Parlia-
mentary Reform goes, he is not committed even to
the extent of following the line indicated by
Lord Derby. Among the rank and file of the Mi-
nisterial host, which are the most numerous, those
who are " Conservative" after the fashion of the
Attorney-General, or " stationary" like the Presi-
dent of the Board of Trade ?
Between these two extremes there is probably a
considerable section whose views on the matter have
not been inaptly represented by Mr. Disraeli and
Lord Stanley. In his very able address of Thurs-
day last the new Colonial Secretary, in somewhat
violent contrast to the paternal declaration in the
House of Lords, is reported to have said, "I believe
there is no statesman now who, in whatever part of
the house he may sit, considers or calls the Reform
Bill of 1832 a final measure. No one denies that
some modification of that bill is required. Ido hot
hesitate to repeat here, and now, what I have said
on a former occasion, that I think that in our pre-
sent parliamentary constitution there are anomalies
that are removable by legislation, and anomalies
which are not only great evils theoretically, but
which lead to practical abuses. I think that many
districts of this country have reason to complain
that they have not en adequate shore in the eepre-
sentation—a state of things doubly unfortunate,
apart from the practical inconvenience it causes,
because it produces a suspicion--an unfounded
suspicion, I am bound to say, but still a very
general one—that the present representation is
arranged in such a manner as to be rather delusive
than real." Lord Stanley, though more cautious in
hie language, is scarcely behind Sir Fitzroy Kelly
in the extent of his opinions. And now for Mr.
Disraeli. Mr. Disraeli is prudently oracular.
He, however, pledges the new Government to the
earnest and anxious consideration of " a measure
which shall not be a mere party measure, which
shall not be constructed or devised merely to
prop up a faction, which shall not be invented
merely to increase the political influence of a
political section, but which, dealing largely and
completely with all the questions connected with
the subject that are entitled to consideration, will,
he trusts, recommend itself to all temperate, ra-
tional, and sober-spirited men as a measure ade-
quate to the occasion."
Such are the principal data from which the coun-
try may form its own judgment as to the probable
action of Lord Derby's Administration on the sub-
ject-of Parliamentary Reform. Is it not perfec,ly
clear now, as it has been any time these last seven
years, that no efficient measure of Reform will be
granted till the voice of the country is raised in
earnest to demand it ! Until that is done—until
the country speaks out—men in power will only
make this question, as Mr. Disraeli truly enough
asserte they have hitherto made it, " the stalking
horse of a faction—a something to he hung up and
taken down according to the exigencies of a dis-
tressed Minister." For the last seven years this is
only too correct a picture of what has really taken
place. It is time that it came to an end. If Mr..
Henley and the " stationaries " can be kept quiet,
the country will probably be disposed to wait and
see what Mr. Disraeli has in store for it next ses-
sion ; but let it be well understood that the people
must then come to a close reckoning with th it
rulers, and insist en being no longer trifled with.

THE LIVINGSTONE EXPEDITION.—Liverpool, March 6.
—The " launch" was removed on board the screw
steamer Pearl yesterday, ander the superintendence f
Captain Bediegfield, R.N., and Captain Washington,
R.N., principal bydrographer to the Admiralty, WI 0
had come down to take part in the preparations for
starting the expedition. The Pearl is expected to sail
for her destination on Monday.
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• •

IGENCE.

CALEDONIAN.

The report by the directors of this company to
the half-yearly general meeting to be held at Glas-
gow on the 12th March says :—The revenue ac-
counts show a balance of 106,173/. ls. Hid. After
payment of dividend on—let, the original prefer-
ence stock, 16,766/. lls ; 2d, the new preference
shares, 8,435/. 8d ; there remains, 80,962/.
4s. 3id. The directors recommend a dividend on
the ordinary stock at the rate of five per cent. per
annum, 77,137/. 18s. 6d., and that the surplus,
3,8241. ss. 91d., be carried to the credit of the con-
tingent account, which will stand thus :—Surplus
revenue as at 31st July, 1857, 9,392/. Bs. si. De-
duct—let, expended during the half-year, for re-
newal of bridges, 4,0341. 10s. 2d. ; 2d, sum a- the
credit of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Company to
31st July, 1857, under the working agreement,
1,777/. 14s. 3d. Add surplus revenue on a.icoutits
f the half-year to 31st of January, 1858, 3,8241.
ss. 94d. Sum at the credit of the contingent ac-
count as at 31st January, 1858, 7,404/. Os. 10,1 d.
The revenue and working expenses are coArasted
as follows with those of the h M.-year to 31s,
January, 1857 :—Revenue, 1857, 330,358/. ; 1858,
350,654/. ; working expenses, 1857, 137,064/. ;
1851, 131,9501. The company are interested in
four bills now before Parliament, for-I,t. The
Dalwarnock Branch, from the Clydesdale Branch
at Ruthei glen to the East End of Glasgow—length
about a mile, and the estimated cost under 57,0001.
2d. The Port Carlisle Branch—to connect the main
line at its southern terminus with the Port Carlisle
Railway—length about half a mile ; estimated cost,
10,000/. 3d. The Symington, Biggar, and Brough-
ton Railway. Tnis is a branch for which an act
was obtained in 1847, but the powers expired
before the company were in a position to execute
the works. The line is now revived by the land-
owners and others locally interested, this com-
pany contributing 7,500/. towards the capital
of 36,000/., and engaging to work the branch
(exclusive of maintenance) at 40 per cent. of the re-
ceipts. 4th. The Carlisle, Langholm, and Hawick
Railway. In compliance with the power given
to the directors by the shareholders at the last half-
yearly meeting, arrangements have been made with
the promoters of this railway to subscribe 125,0001.
towards the capital of 365,0001., and to work the
line.at 45 per cent. of the receipts. No cif in should
be spared to carry this bill, and to defeat the
aggressive measure of the North British Company,
who, as already explained, seek to appropriate
traffic, and to occupy districts alrea ty assigned by
Parliament to this company, and which cannot be
given to another without breach of the conditions
of the original grant,to the Caledonian.