The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-19 00:00:00

-71 tuna ly appealed to to give now this clue and now

that to the grand unravelling. Mr. KINGLAKE,
Mr. WALROND, Mr. SCLATER-BOOTII, Mr.
BAINES, Mr. AvaTON, had Qach at different
times of the evening something to say about
Reform and the action of tho Govern-

ment. Mr. KINGLAKE and Mr. WALRoND
had both notices of motions, the former anticipatory
of the Government statement. Mr. SCLATER-BOOTII

required to know the relationshipbetween uniformity
_ _

of assessment and the principle of rating ; Mr.
BAINES asked for early information a. 3 to the pro-

posed amount of the county and borough franchises.
Mr. AYRTON took a wider range, and criticised the

action of the Government, though, as he declared, in
no hostile spirit. Mr. I)ISRAELI, in answer to se-
veral inquiries, declined, as he well might, to give

specific information on particular points ; but, in
reply to Mr. AYRTON, he entered at sonic length into

the motives which had actuated the Government
as to the course they have pursued. They thought
it, he said, absolutely necessary to have recourse to

resolutions; and who can honestly say that he be-
lieves a. Reform Bill in the present state of parties
could have been carried through the House ? " If,"
added the right hon. gentleman, " when I addressed

the House a week ago, I had confined myself to

arguments in favour of that procedure, and had
given the reasons which had induced the Govern-

meut to adopt that course, I should have been

strictly in order, and nothing more would have
been required of me." But representations
having been made to him from both sides

of the House that it was desirable that the

general character of the resolutions should be

known he thought it best to explain their nature,

and show that they indicated principles rather than

expressed details. The Resolutions are on the table
of the house, and we fully agree with the right hon.
gentleman that it would be most irregular to enter
into casual and preliminary discussions respecting
them.

The much-talked-of delay is really only no-

minal. A fortnight is certainly not too long for

deliberation on principles which aro to influence so
powerfully the future destinies of the coun-
try. If the Government had fixed an earlier

night, say last evening, there would have
been loud and not altogether groundless complaints
that they were trying to hurry or smuggle a bill

through the House without giving time for the
verdict of the public. Gentlemen who have patiently

endured that the whole question should be left in
abeyance for seven years cannot now brook a de-
lay of twice seven days. So recently as the opening
of the session it was quite uncertain whether
Lord DERBY'S Cabinet would bring in a bill

at all, and probably no one wculd have been
much surprised if the leader of the Commons
had announced that they intended to defer its con-
sideration till the latter part of the session. Neither
in presence of the great accumulation of neglected
measures could they have been justly blamed had
they adopted such a course. Bat as yet they have
manifested no desire for delay. The QUEEN'S

Speech referred directly to the subject.

On the

very first night of the session Mr. DISRAELI fixed
an early evening for explaining their intentions,

and within a woLk from the meeting of Parliament

the Resolutions upon which the Government pro-
pose to found their measures were laid on the table,

A fortnight was then allowed for their considera-
tion in and out of Parliament, and already half of
it has elapsed. It would be an unwise and unjust
manner of submitting the details of the measure to
the House and to the country to answer now this
question and now that ; to enlarge upon the best
means of defining the boundaries on Monday and
of redistributing the seats on Friday. No measure
could be fairly judged if thus partially explained
and considered. Mr. DISRAELI gave another
reason for declining preliminary explanations.
The House, he said, " might wish to modify
the form of the Resolutions, and he thought it
would be most unwise on the part of the Govern-
ment to lose the advantage of the discussion on the
Resolutions. He distinctly disclaimed any desire
for procrastination or postponement, and boldly
stated that the Government were resolved to use
the utmost energy in forwarding the question ;
they had put their hands to the plough, and would
not desist from their work unless arrested in their
labours by the House."
We are glad to find the House prepared to take
a more conciliatory and tolerant view of the
question than heretofore, and the Chancellor
of the Exchequer expressed this belief that the
house was prepared to give the measure submitted
to its consideration a fair and candid trial. We
hope that all Liberal members of Parliament will
bear in mind that their own leaders have already
tried and failed, whether from defects in their mea-
sure, or from the disloyalty of their followers, and
that consequently, if they reject the opportunity
now before them, they have no security that another
or a better bill will be presented by the Whigs.
At the present crisis the words and the conduct
of the leading politicians out of office are
naturally subjects of great interest. A.
striking contrast is offered to the readers of this
day's intelligence by the language of the more pro-
minent members of the Liberal party. Mr. GLAD-
STONE in the House last night criticised and cen-
sured the Government plan of action. He ex-
pressed his own dislike to the mode of proceeding
by Resolutions; he declared his apprehension of
further delay, and manifested a great desire for
full and prompt information. At the same time
he showed every desire to give the Government not
only a fair hearing, but a fair trial. He declared
his conviction that the country at large was deeply
anxious that the question should be settled during
this session, and, for his own part, he distinctly dis-
claimed any intention of unnecessary pressure. The
assurances of support, which he had previously
given the Government, provided their bill was such
as he believed to be really a fair one were repeated,
and coming from Mr. GLADSTONE such assurances
arc something more than mere words of course.
Factious opposition, petty intrigue, loud profes-
sions, contradicted by inconsistent practice,
personal jealousies and party prejudice, are
unworthy alike of his character and his reputation.
So far as he could answer for the conduct of his fol-
lowers, he distinctly intimated that the proceedings
of 1859 (with which ho had individually nothing to
do) should not be repeated. Being, as no one can
doubt, heartily and conscientiously interested in the
prompt and satisfactory settlement of this great
question on public grounds, Dlr. GLAnsToNE
can leave prejudice and faction behind him,
and discuss a national question in a national and
patriotic spirit.

Coming to the member for Birmingham, we
find him adopting a very different course. Mr.
BRIGHT has not yet indeed favoured the
House of Commons with his views of the
Government resolutions ; perhaps, indeed, he
thinks that assemblage too contemptible for en-
lightenment. To the Bradford Branch of the Re-
form League, however, he is more communicative.
The course taken by the Government is " an insult
to the house, and a gross offence to the whose body
of Reformers in the country." The Administration
is " bitterly hostile. to Reform," but has not courage
to say so, and therefore vas to " murder the
cause by a course olous to all honest men." After