The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-26 00:00:00

wild fancies and credulous assertions, that he is 3
ready as Signor Mazzini himself to believe in ima-
ginary plots and secret treaties concerted by others.-
Signor Mazzini used to tell us of treaties between
Austria and Russia, between France and Sardinfavr,
containing compacts of unheard-of villany ; knee
in what pigeonhole they were lodged, and could nate
the breadth and colour of the tape with which
were tied. So Mr. Stansfeld has imanined a CO..'
pact between the Conservatives and th;Adullarniteel
in virtue of which a restriction of value is to be added
to that of ratepaying—so that Mr. Gla,dstone'a re;
strictive proposition may be combined with that
the Government, and the franchise confined not on,,i);
to ratepayers but to householders of more than
rental who pay rates. This shameful compact It
the price of Lord Grosvenor's support. We are
told why the majority of the resolute partisans 01 r' 's;
strictions on both sides of the house, voted ag3i,n d
the Government, for little difficulties of this kle
never disturb the implicit faith of a Mazzinian be"
liever. However, notwithstanding Mr. Stansfeld re;
peated asseverations, we venture to tell him, on °,
uown responsibility, that the charge he has so reckless.ifs
made is utterly unfounded ; that Ministers .weeld,`rt.
soon abandon the first of their propositions—the Fury
sonal payment of rates—as that second and co-etle
principle of the bill—the removal of all absolute 3°,0
arbitrary exclusion ; and that if Lord Grosvenor
proposition were accepted it would not have tthe
effect which he supposes, but would still leave ,
small householder free to achievehis own enfranchr.tvi
ment. Apart from this ebullition of spiteful crab-11'1i
or unscrupulous malice, Mr. Stansfeld's sPeee
and, in a less explicit manner, Mr. Forster s als°'
indicate a disposition to take a course the very
posite of that insisted on by Mr. Gladstone and
Bright. Instead of denouncing the bill as hell;
lessly bad, and wishing to reserve the vote of
13th, they accept that vote and conceive it to be
business of the Liberal party to try to improve tuof
bill in 'committee, retaining the personal payment
rates as a settled question. They use stronger lag.;
guage than is at all just or consonant with tbel
real meaning, and indulge in useless insult and Pro-
vocation, by way of reasserting the supremacY
their party ; but what they really intend is it seeelT
that the two years' residence should be reduced to
one, and that the case of the compound householder.s
should be met by some compromise more favourablte
than that contained in the bill—for instance, tbat.l
as Mr. flibbert proposes, the tenant should be
allowed to pay only the reduced rate which he re;
covers from his landlord, instead of the full 011. e
This is clearly the proper and the only legititaa'n
policy of the Opposition. Any further attacks es
the integrity of the bill would be simply factil,
and mischievous. But they are entitled to rnehio.'ile
if they can, its more obnoxious details ; and t7he
success would not be a reason for abandoning
bill. On both the points raised we think then~
wrong. Especially absurd does it seem that, wile.
ratepaying is made the test of enfranchisement,
man should pay 10s. and one 7s. on houses of eclu3
value in the same street, merely because at a pr.r,
vious period the rates on the latter were paid ifs
the landlord. It is clearly just that all ratepaYe 0
who claim to vote as such should stand on the Om,
footing ; that there should be no excusals, whetheh
total or partial. But the matter is one for discfe
sion, and perhaps for compromise ; and t.t
Liberals are willing to act in a fair and loyal *al,:
to accept the bill and to try to make the best of L'
it will become the duty of Ministers to meet thew
in a like spirit, and endeavour to settle all bedis-
puted details as equitably and liberally as 0;1 a
done without sacrificing any essential principo
necessary precaution. In the meantime, if this is wt
be the policy of the Opposition, let them disconef„
themselves at once and peremptorily from the
graceful attempts at a renewal of the outrages"`,-et
last year, which are avowedly in preparation ; ,
them prove their sincerity and good faith by rep
diating and reprobating those breaches of the 'ace
which are directed to overawe the respectable class 0.
and influence the action of Parliament by bringllif
the ruffianism of London in close and unfriendly
proximity to its undefended wealth, and use thefit
best endeavours as good citizens should, to Preve-
a painful collision and avoid the necessity of bring.
ing to justice the ringleaders in riots and disorderl
whose avowed purpose makes it impossible to treie',,
them with the lenity which English law nommen
shows to disturbances untainted by actual sedition;
While the Liberal party in Parliament remain uhdie
the suspicion of complicity in the rowdyism of Al.;
Beales and his associates, they can hardly otPeed
that their good faith should be taken for graute
or that the consideration due to loyal Parliarnente%
opposition should be conceded to men who are
least willing to profit by, if they have not direct
encouraged, an attempt to intimidate a Parliarneed
tary majority by raising fears for the peace a°
security of the metropolis.