The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-18 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

THE " SATURDAY REVIEW" ON TIIE PROBABLE
CHANGES OF PARTY.--The future combinations of
parties are uncertain, and old alliances are virtually
dissolved. Lord Derby, has announced his intention
of withhrawing from the head of the party which
he has guided for twenty years, and Mr. Disraeli
has perhaps at length rendered himself impossible
by trying too severely the allegiance of his docile
followers. Above all, a general concert of Liberal
opinion demands the tardy abdication of Lord RUS"
sell. A statesman who has neither forgotten the
Chandos clause nor learnt that all the rest of the
world has forgotten it is not suited to the manage-
ment of contemporary politics. The party has some
times placed a hesitating confidence in Mr. Gladstone;
but, in default of any rival candidate, it is general ally
wished that the inevitable leader should be suppord,
and at the same time restrained by the respong"
bility which can only belong the highest political
ranks. The precedent of Lord Palmerston is net
strong enough to justify a perpetual preference of
Ministers far advanced in life. Lord Russell has
none of the gaiety of spirit or of the superficial qui-
aathies which made his predecessor universally pePti-
r. Lord Palmerston was little disposed to dwell on
his youthful achievements, and Lord Russell cares for
nothing else. His retirement might be gracefully oc-
cupied in imaginary combats with wicked
Prom
of Chandos clauses, or with more criminal opponents
of Reform. The House of Commons and the country
have more pressing matters to consider, and they WWI
to be guided by a statesman who lives in the present.
There is, however, reason to believe that Mr. Glad-
stone shares the alarm of Lord Russell at Mr.
Disraeli's precipitate legislation. If Mr. Disraeli
loses the confidence of his followers, the Conserva-
tive party will probably split into two sections, re-
spectively led by Lord Stanley and Lord Cranborne.
oters
Two able members of the same party have seldom
been so diametrically opposed in opinions and ill
general tendencies. Lord Cranborne, free as he is
from political bigotry, instinctively opposes change,
while Lord Stanley is a consistent utilitarian. Tue
agitation on Reform has divided parties by trans-
verse lines, because many unprejudiced politicians
believe that the influence of a numerical majority
would be exercised in a retrograde direction. Lord
Stanley perhaps differs little in opinion from
Mr. Lowe, altough he is more cautious in avowing
unpopular doctrines. Both statesmen would be
zealous in reforming secular abuses, and they would
be equally incapable of being misled by extravagant
reverence in dealing with ecclesiastical affairs. The
intelligent minority has hitherto been usually
the source of improvements which might per-
haps be found impracticable under the supremacy
of the multitude. Lord Cranborne has adop.ted
the opinions and feelings of the thorough-ging
and imaginative Conservatives ; and so long as the
higher classes are represented in Parliament by
members of their own body, there will always be a
conscientious party of resistance. It is not of ten
that an able, versatile, and liberal-minded leader
is found to sympathise as heartily as Lord Cran-
borne with the commonplace creed of his followers.
On Lord Derby's retirement he will almost cer-
tainly place himself at the head of the more genuinke
Conservatives, while Lord Stanley will rather see
to convert his party to practicable and popular
opinions. After the fall of the present Ministry,
the different sections of Opposition will have time
enough to remodel their organisation before their
return to office.
THE " EXAMINER" ON TIIE DOUBLE VOTE.—The
most remarkable experiments in plurality of_
under the reign of the elder Bourbons in France,
those_ made
and by the late King of Prussia in his essay at
for members of a Legislature were
voting
.
a Constitution. The
and was very latter was tahreramngosetd. com-
plicated,t
divided electors into categories, according actcoheridirngto
their wealth and the am
taxa-
tion, and gave to the categories of the wealthy a_
numerical
s.preprohnisdewraanscetheeveprlatihnosendof
utnhdeispgouoisreder
way of effecting what Mr. Disraeli has announced
as his principle. What was the result ? A
succession of Parliaments completely opposed to
all the Ministries and statesmen in whom the
King could or would put trust, and conse-
quently an open breach in, or rather suspen-
sion of, the Constitution by Count Bismarck--_
a forlorn hope from which he only extricated himself
by setting fire to Europe, and triumphing on a
gigantic field of battle. The other instance of plu
rality of votes was that afforded by the
of the elder boroughs. They, being terrified at tooof
advancing Liberalism of the country, and even
the narrower electoral body, imagined that they
would borrow certain of its institutions 0
England. Previously the French deputies wore
elected by arrondissements, and in the chief townsto
of the arrondissements. Although in France
ones,
numbers of rural voters far exceeded the urban ot_les
still the superior education and influence. oh.
olor3e,
won upon the ignorance of their rustic neig b
policy
and the result was that the towns nominated the
To remedy this there were intro
tuhat is, members
de-
puties with the acquiescence of thedcoeuedntrwyhealtecwteerrse.
considered to be county members--;
but in addition to, the old
take place not instead o ,
t.
The law had eyed dis-
ei
a t electedion boyf
the
ee
richh i highest eesi te
ectlfiamsgs ot h e r i
cpha.y e
This was
a ss
to -
election by arrondisselebnfile
y proprietor class
g but also for the
for their own :peculiar member,
cthuessewdeaanitdh almost vote eforemitiwbats pneortconly
out, but
doublethe vote.Conservatives
be re-
wata tot
member of the arrondissement, and. thus enjoy a
medied, law Its first effect
Thet
took aci
the rich proprietors became a • .
mad for
bisltespvioi
oomut
elt
dead,
cncortu n g
so
and the right of artnrheeestsdhou
was a Chamber with an ultra majority
t,
France;
Chamber, but the great public o
turned
Conservatism that not only the minorfi y of
rustic as well as civic, grew disgusted,
to be-
against a system that threatened . lord and be-
,- mot which.
pm. the
priest the country, and ended by a rarilai ~nth
lution either
which led to the alternative of a revo
bout the
entered upon the resistance to Charles the INI
more eller"
effected by or against the King. Throng
years of the struggle there was no cry
getically or more universally uttered than that of
no double vote.
____---

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