The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-03 00:00:00

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.

THIS DAY.—.Morning, lh. Om.—Afternoon, 111.21 m
To-liolmovr.-Morning, lh. 40m.—Afternoon, 211. 2m

la
/1111.

LONDON, FRIDAY, MAY 3, 1867.

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Last night the Committee on the Representation
of the People Bill decided, by a large majority, in
favour of the period of one year's residence instead
of the tern] proposed by Government. This is by
no means an unexpected result, and it is no party
triumph, because no trial of strength was made.
Sir JOHN PAKINGTON'S speech was just what we
might have imagined it would be—he defended the
proposal of two years being the limit, which was
natural, since lie was one of the Cabinet which had
sanctioned the suggestion, doubtless after mature
deliberation and upon sound conviction. He dis-
played, however, no eagerness ou the matter, and
and in this reTect his speech furnished a marked
contract to some of his earlier discourses upon the
measure.
The light hon. baronet said, to begin
with, that it was a practical question, and, as Mr.
A 'These
had said, not a question of principle.
few words dispseel of the thing so far as any
IliuisteriaLrespon:aility was concerned, and left it
to the discretion of hon. members to take their own
way, unfettered by the responsibility of impeding
the progress of the Bill, and disturbing the sta`c of
things. Sir JOHN PAKINGTON paid a just tri'.ute
to the temper in which the " majority " of the
House had met this measure, and declared t: at
he never remembered a greater display of
consideration than had been exhibited On this occa-
sion. Perhaps no better way could have been
found of putting the case fairly before the House

than that taken by the right hon. baronet, when he
said that " fortified by the Municipal Act, and by
the precedent of 1854, and convinced that they were
asking the committee to agree to a fair and effectual
security, they were obliged to test the opinion of
the committee by a division." The test has been
applied, and the result is indubitable; in point of
fact this two years' residence was the most unpopu-
lar part of the measure, and many disapproved of it
who were really anxious for the Government
Bill to pass. We take the criticisms of
Mr. BRIGHT, and others like him, at what they are
worth, feeling convinced that we should not have
heard half or a quarter so much about the injustice
of the pi oposal, and the injuries it would inflict had
they known a little earlier that the Government
would not stand or fall by the plan. All things
taken into consideration, we think that the decision
arrived at last night by the Committee is a very
satisfactory one. 'We should have been sorry for
any conclusion to have been come to which would
have marred the effect of the measure now before
Parliament, and in any degree deprived of it
of that support and sympathy which it
eminently deserves. had the Government proposal
been carried, and the two years' residence proved
as unsatisfactory in some respects, as we have no
doubt it would have done, there would have been
much to regret ; and for every reason, then, the
friends of Reform have cause for satisfaction at the
result of last night's division.

Earl GROSVENOR withdrew his £5 rating amend-
ment last night, and in doing so made some expla-
nations which did credit to his judgment. He
declared that it would be useless to take up the
time of the Committee in discussing the matter,
after the " peculiar nature" of the division which
took place before Easter. The noble lord had
by far the best of it in the remarks he made upon
those who had been busy in criticisiug his doings
and censuring him so severely for voting with the
Government. " The hon. menber for Nottingham
stated, with reference to my conduct, that no man

in the House had done more than I to cut off all

idea of Reform. If it had been my wish to cut off
all idea of Reform, I should have voted, to be con-
sistent certainly, with the hon. member for Notting-
him, and also with the right hoe. member for Colne
against the Government, because I conceive that the
result of carrying the amendment moved by
the right hon. member for South Lancashire would
have been not only to defeat the Government,
but to put all Reform out of the question for this
Session at least." This is a very true definition of
the state of things, and those who put themselves
unnecessarily forward in the matter had better hide
their diminished heads, for the sense of the House,
and the feeling of the country, are alike against
them and their spiteful insinuations. Mr. BASS
also made some allusion to the remarks which Mr.
BRIGHT had used in reference to his conduct, and if
by any flight of fancy we could conjure up the
notion of that imperious individual being
ashamed of his deeds or words, we should
think be was sorry to have his excited language
repeated to the Honse. He said that the course pur-
sued by those members of the Liberal party who
supported the Government was full of treachery,
and they would take anything rather than go back
to their constituents ; they were, in short, " rene-
()Ades '' We are not sorry that Mr. BRIGHT has
0 •
been called to an account for the very impertinent
manner in which he takes upon himself to criticise
the actions of those who differ from him ; and it is
high time he should desist from using out of doors
language that he would not presume to utter
within the House. Such a license is really
ridiculous, and we hope that he may give up the un-
suitable custom. Mr. BRIGHT tried to get out of
the difficulty he had got into, but he did not suc-
ceed in his attempt; first, he said that the cap fitted
so well that the hon. member put it on ; but this was
met by cries of " Oh," and then he made other ex-
cuses equally unavailable. There is always time
enough in a debate to say anything that is necessary
on the general topics connected with the question,
and general reflections are much better left out
Altogether. They never do any good, and very
often create serious mischief. It would seem,
however, according to Mr. BRIGHT'S theory, that
he and his clique are to say just what comes into
their heads about motives and such like induce-
ments, and those they pull to pieces must not pre-
sume to criticise the criticism upon themselves.
After the decided rebuke which he met with last
night, we are not presumptuous in expecting that
the hon. member for Birmingham will take a little
more heed to his ways when he next tries to make
a good thing out of a division list in his provincial
harangues.

It seems that the good sense of the moderate
portion of the community is likely to ex-
press itself pretty decidedly respecting next
Monday's programme. We find that a memo-
rial has been prepared for presentation to the Home
Secretary, protesting against the intended demon-
stration of the League, and that it has already re-
ceived between 3,000 and 4,000 signatures. There
is no question but that the shopkeepers and resi-
dents at the West-end view these processions and
noisy demonstrations with considerable annoyance
and apprehension, and their memorial, though
brief, is very much to the point. Possibly
their reasons for asking the interference of
the Government may have some weight with
Mr. BEALES, and serve at least to convince
him that there is another aspect to the question
besides that of patriotic adventure and oligarchical
oppression,

The memorialists, after referring to the frequency I
and professed objects of these political processions,
give three reasons for protesting against them.
First, such processions atop the traffic, and produce
much annoyance and confusion ; secondly, they
cause great alarm to peaceable and orderly per-
sons, while to the evil-minded they offer great
facilities for plunder and mischief ; thirdly, they
contend that these processions entail great losses
upon them, as they are obliged to close their places
of business, while their customers aro also afraid to
venture out. Inasmuch, therefore, as they pay
heavy rates for the public protection, they think
themselves entitled to the undisturbed possession of
their premises, and the pursuit of their lawful avo-
cations unmolested. It is certainly a great hard-
ship, in a year of exceptional dullness, for a West,
end tradesman to lose one of the days of the season;
and, according to the estimates of political econo-
mists, even half-a-day's holiday is an expensive
amusement for London. The proprietors of the
West-end establishments have shown a 1 cry
commendable willingness to meet the lawful
desires of their emplopis by granting them a
weekly half holiday, but, they hare a very good
right to object to the compulsory loss of the best
part of a day's business. So have also those em-
ployed by them, for although the memorialists com-
plain that their expenses go on while their profits
diminish, there are many cases in which persons
paid by the day will lose their day's work, and con-
sequently their day's profit. The dictatorial atti-
tude of the League is jitzt like the dictation of the
Trades' Unions. No one may dare to dispute their
authority,
or to doubt the wisdom and justice
of the mauler IA which they regulate other