The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-22 00:00:00

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LONDON, SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1867.

At any rate no one can accuse the members of
the Committee of inertness or inattention in pursu.
ing their work of discussing the Reform Bill. The,
excitement of animated debating is over, and the

interest of novelty has passed, but the importance

of giving strict attention to the subject is not over,
nor has the necessity for using diligence gone by.

The public ought to appreciate this conduct, be-
cause it is a great tax to come day
after day to the consideration of the same
heavy subject, and the same intricate
matters. Yesterday great progress was made ;
the week has closed in well. The discussion of

yesterday, indeed, has reached to within three of
the remaining clauses of the bill, so that they may
be said fairly to sight land in the prosecution of
their arduous task. Mr. GLADSTONE made a sug-

gestion to Mr. DISRAELI which the right hon. gen-
tleman characterised as unreasonable, but he sub-

sequently agreed to it; it was to the effect that the
Boundary Commission clause should be postponed

in order that time might be given for its considera-
tion ; be did so, he said, with the object of avoiding
controversy ; and, besides, he thought it would
save time in the end by avoiding discussion for the

present, which might occupy some time, if taken
immediately after the printing of the clause. Per-
haps, on the whole, this is as well, to prevent disap-

pointment. Mr. BRIGHT made a most unnecessary
interruption by delivering a very intemperate speech,

which it is difficult to account for unless he was

disappointed at not finding his name put upon the
list of Boundary Commissioners. He began by
stating that there was not a single name on the
commission which represented in any degree the
party which had been most prominent in urging the
question of Reform. By " urging," it is to be pre-
sumed, the hon. member meant that large section
of politicians who content themselves by declaiming
against existing things without assisting any one
who really desires to make a change. "It is
an unheard• of proposition," says the honour-
member, " that there should not be on

the commission a single name representing
this section." Mr. BRIGHT predicts that the
consequence of no extreme Radicals being put upon
the Commission will be that great discoptent will
be felt, and that hereafter the decision of the said
Commission will be called in question by the
boroughs affected. This is certainly a serious
threat, but at the same time the progress of busi-
ness will be greatly retarded by the introduction
of some captious critics, who will disagree for the
sake of objecting, and confuse themselves and others
by aiming at the unattainable.
Mr. DISRAELI made the very just remark that
he had hoped, since the clause was postponed, that
the discussion upon it might also be postponed. The
right hon. gentleman explained that it was impos-
sible to satisfy the hon. member for Birmingham,
because they started from different principles, as he
wished to have men of " decided political opinions"
upon the commission. We agree with Mr. Dis-
RAELI in the advisability of excluding those of
extreme opinions, because such are not so likely to
arrive at a definite conclusion easily or
readily. The right hon. gentleman went
over all the names, and showed that there
was much to be said in favour of their selection.
Mr. BRIGHT is not one of those who are convinced
against their will, because he is never convinced at
all ; he actually spoke again after the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, and went over the names again ;
he evidently was desirous of emulating the king
celebrated by the poet—.
"And thrice he vanquished all his foes,
And thrice he slew the slain."
It is really too bad to take up the time of the
House in this frivolous manner, but some people
must have their say, whoever else is prevented from
doing so, and at whatever cost to public business.
Lord AMBERLEY proposed an amendment in the
Clause, that a change from one office to another
should not necessitate the vacation of the seat in
Parliament. The noble lord's proposal was to the
effect that there should be no occasion to resign the
seat after taking office, and this seems a very wise
proviso, became the present practice entails a waste
of time, very often too in the midst of a busy session,
and we have no doubt that the custom will soon be
done away with. For the present, however, some
objections seem to be raised, and Mr. DisnAELI and
Mr. GLADSTONE did not think it advisable ; hence
it was withdrawn. A majority of fifty-four de-
cided in favour of carrying the clause relating to
the corrupt payment of rates, which subjects those
thus offending to the penalties of bribery. This is
as well, because too mueh stress cannot be laid
upon these matters, however technical they may
appear at first sight. On the whole, there seems a
good deal to show for yesterday's work, and it is
to be hoped that next week the Committee will
continue with unabated zeal and energy in the
furtherance of this important work. As time goes
on the task becomes more difficult if anything, be-
cause hon. members are weary and anxious, and
likely to be more doubtful as the chances before
them are becoming fewer and fewer in the way of
effecting a change.

The arrival of the Scotia, from New York on the
12th inst., brings us the same story of disputes and
contentions between the civil and military autho-
rities. The difficulties arising from the conflict of
authority are not likely to be easily settled. The
people chafe under military government, and the
civil rulers especially, who have been displaced to
make room for generals and their nominees of va-
rious degree, who make better or worse use of their
powers, are disinclined to submit to their successful
rivals. A sample of this sort of entanglement has
just occurred in Louisiana, where Governor WELLS,
having refused to surrender the archives of the
State to Mr. FLANDERS, General SHERIDAN sent
his staff-officer with instructions forcibly to eject
Governor WELLS. Upon this Governor WELLS
surrendered his office under protest, and Mr.
FLANDERS assumed the duties of Governor. General
SHERIDAN is one of the most arbitrary and
imperative of the dominant Generals, and conducts
matters after a fashion which must be very accept-
able to the Radicals and their leaders. The Texas
Legislature abolished two judicial districts, the
judges of which were strong Union men. General
SIIERIDAN thereupon nullified the act, and rein.
stated the judges. From all parts of the South
comes the same story of displacement and change,
carried, indeed, to so great an extent that a Cabinet
Council was reported to be held specially to con-
sider the removal of Southern civil officers, and the
outrages of BnowNLow's militia in Tennessee. It can
scarcely be supposed that such treatment as this
can tend to tranquillise the Southern States, to re-
store confidence, or to give stability to business.
The white holders of municipal offices at Mobile
having declined reappointment, General SWAYNE
has direeted the negroes to assume the offices—with