The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-22 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY, JULY 22, 1867.

We are not at all surprised that the Earl of
DERBY announced to his friends, on Friday, that
the resolution of Earl GRRY would, if carried,
destroy the Reform Bill. The succeeding remarks
which he made fully proved the truth of the
assertion. His lordship said that he would
not refer a bill to committee which had received
the " stigma" of a resolution that was insulting
to the House of Commons. This is strictly
correct, for it must be remembered that
the bill in question was passed unanimously by the
other branch of the Legislature, and it would be a
direct affront to its judgment to allow Lord GREY'S
invilious Resolution to be ctrried. All the Peers
present on the occasion referred to cordially agree
with the noLle Premier in the daermination to

Ina:;(,‘ a stand ag,aillst the threatened attack ou

Government measure of Reform. We feel no
anxiety a. to the result of the contest in the

I louse of Lords, which is to commence
this evening, for Lord DERBY has taken up the
matter with right judgment and in a bold spirit,
and those who were ignorant of the real meaning
of the proposition, or perhaps rather indifferent,
must now rouse from their apathy and collect their
scattered senses. If Lord GREY sincerely desired
the Reform Bill to become the law of the land in
this Session he should have waited until it was
in Committee to make his desired alterations,
instead of prejudging the affair and seeking to
commit the House to an unfavourable opinion of
it before it has actually been put before it.
It is curious to notice that the greatest obstruc-

Vous that have been put in the way of the passing
of this bill have come from those who have made
the most ado about the importance of speedily pass-
ing a measure of reform. Mr. GLADSTONE'S objec-
tions and interruptions proved a hill of almost in-
superable difficulty to the Government in the con-
duct of their bill through the House of Commons,
and now Lord GREY aims at being the Marplot

during the next stage of the proceedings before the
" four benches of the upper school." With far les3
excitement, but with great interest, the public will
watch the passage of the bill through the House of
Lords ; and if it should not, unfortunately, be car-
ried unanimously by the House of Commons, the
fault will not lie with the Tories, but with those
who may follow Lord GREY in his captious course.
A better illustration could not begiven of the fallacy
of keeping so much to figures and not to facts,
and of believing that changes and alterations must
only take place according to rule and precedent.

e noble lord who is to move the resolution has
'or a long time ably expressed his views on the sub-
ect of Reform, but now that the opportunity has
offered itself to him of proving the truth of his
professions he goes on the wrong tack, and in-
stead of reaching the accepted time he sets
forth to show how much better the work
could have been done than it has been
done, and how much worse the Government
have managed matters than was expected of them.
No doubt he will make out a very good case for
himself in the abstract, but he has forgotten that
the end in view is the passing of a Reform Bill this
session, and that there is no time left for quibbling
and for straining at gnats, and still less that a col-
lision between the two Homes will not improve
things before the country.

Birmingham seems likely to see strange sights
before the forthcoming election is over, and we

expect that the most striking lesson which its

events will teach will be the sort of toleration that

can be displayed by those who profess to be
extremely liberal. Mr. BRIGIIT may not consider
himself responsible for the whole of the doings of

his friends, but it is at any rate in no wise credit-
able to him that an affair under his auspices should be

characterised by such displays of intolerance as those
which disgraced the opponents of Mr. LLOYD. The
greatest indignation has been expressed at the un-
worthy course pursued at the meeting on Friday.

The Town-hall was given to Mr. LLOYD on Friday,
as it had been to Mr. DIXON on Thursday, but
with a very different result. On the former occa-
sion order prevailed, and no attempt whatever was
made to interrupt the proceedings, but on Friday a
perfect hurricane prevailed, and when Mr. LLOYD
attempted to speak confusion worse confounded
took the place of the attention that had been paid
to the proceedings of the previous evening. For
two hours and a half no abatement took place in
the scene of riot and disorder, and it was perfectly
impossible for the candidate to obtain a hearing.
An ingenious mode of appeal was resorted to, by
placing a placard up in front of the gallery, with
the words on it—" Is this freedom of speech?" but
those whom it was sought to improve proved inex-
orable ; they were like deaf adders, indeed, to
any influence of reason or suggestion of right.
Such a scene is a disgrace to the cause
of those whose interests these " roughs"
are supposed to serve. To succeed through the em-
ployment of these measures is no triumph in the
opinion of the clear-headed and right-judging, for

it is evident that those who will not hear what an
opponent has to say cannot think his remarks are
answerable, An " outrage" such as took place on
Friday must be very offensive to the good sense, good
taste, and goal feeling of the respectable inhabi-
tants, and it is not astonishing to hear that great
indigrlation was felt on Saturday at the affair in
the Town-hall. It is true that Mr. DtxoN's com-
mittee declared that they had done all they could
to stop the disturbance, still many electors have
made it known that they will vote for the Conserva-
tive candidate, which they had not intended to do,
because they think he has been treated unfairly.
The consequence of the uproar on Friday was that
Mr. LLOYD could not be heard at all, and hero is
a fine specimen of fair play and justice, be-
cause, however, those present differed from his
views and opinions, they were bound to hear him,
while we cannot speak too strongly in condemnation
of the course pursued by those who interrupted the

proceedings on Friday. It by no means follows
that the general opinion of the town was illustrated
by the affair. On the contrary, a decided change
has taken place in the political feeling of the place
in many instances of late, which is not to be
wondered at after all that has occurred iu Parlia-
ment and elsewhere. The very fact of its being
expected that a very close run will take place at the
election proves this most completely and unmistake-
ably. At the time of the last election Mr. BRIGHT and
Mr. SCHOLEFIELD were ahead of the Conservative
competitor by some thousands, and it may afford a
subject of contemplation to those who are curious in
such matters to ascertain the reasons for such a
change. To those who regard the affair unbiassed
by party interests and uninfluenced by bitter-
ness and prejudice, it must be evident that
while the Liberals have decreased consider-
ably in political reputation and character
for assiduity in the course of progress the
Conservatives have more than proportionately in-
creased in the right direction. The utmost that
can be done in the way of talk has bean done, but
not to much purpose, because people must see for
themselves the meaning of the matter.
Under all the circumstances of the case, wo think

that Mr. LLOYD'S return for Birmingham would be
a fitting testimonial renderedthe
presentbythat Gerntoowvntomethnet
important services which
have rendered to the country, and be in no
way inconsistent with the liberal opinions
which it has always been fo.ind uphold.r )fir.s
BRIGUT'S aim is being the dictator of Birming-
ham, but his election to such a post will not con-
duce much to freedom of opinion or enlightenment
of judgment. Let the electors judge for them-
selves, and not be deceived by adopting or taking,
we will not say by plausible persuasion, but by fierce
invective and opposition, a course akin to American
rowdyism rather than congenial to English
tastes. At any rate, if Mr. LLOYD is de-
feated, it cannot be said that he was
allowed a " fair fight," for his opponents have had
their side enforced by the great champion from Lon-
don, while he has not been allowed to speak at all.
Sometimes,however, the best-laid plans are defeated,
and it will not be surprising if in this in,tauce the
battle is not to the noisy but to those whose acts
must speak for them, since monopoly of speech is
claimed by their competitors, whose very intolerance
and insidiousness may in the end prove to have been
their ruin.

Wimbledon has brought a worthy conclusion to
a week of unusual festivity and excitement, and,
unhappily, the weather has kept up its character till
the last. Very probably, when the Sultan is safe
in Turkey, when the Viceroy is moralising in Egypt
on the wonders of Western civilisation, when. the
brave's Beiges are recounting to their stay-at-home
countrymen the adventures of their trip, the stun
will come out in undiminished splendour, and -we
shall have a repetition of that =broken fine watt) er