The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-04 00:00:00

THE WEATHER.-SUN OFFICE, MAY 4, 1560.

THERMOMETER, TN THE SHADE.
62—highest since noon yesterday.
41—lowest this morning and during the night.
60—this day at noon.

B.k.ItOMETER-30.2'.
WIND, South-East ; moderate, with fine weather.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
THIS DAY.—Morning, 12h. 21m.—Afternoon, 12h. 45m
To-MORROW.-Morning, lh. 25m.—Afternoon, lh. 48m.

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THE SHIN.
LONDON, FRIDAY, MAY 4, 1860.

If the Opposition prefer a Midsummer Night's
Reform they have carried their point. May is to
b° devoted to real business and the Whitsuntide
Holidays, and June to the chief measure of the
session. As to the holidays, *Jose who have wasted
six days over what they might have settled just as
well on the first or second day deserve no holidays,
but as thQ naughty cannot be punished without
punishing the good also, the former must e'en have
their holidays for the sake of the latter. Let us
only congratulate ourselves that the firmness of
Lord PALMERSTON, and the growing impatience of
the country has at length put a stop to the idle
prate which has discredited the British House of
Commons in the eyes of the civilised world. Mr.
GLADSTONE exprcssed the universal feeling when he
observed that he believed there was no example
within the recollection of any member present of a
debate being continued fur six nights without there
being a nwtion upon which the Rouse was to divide.
Such a debate exhausts, he says, one eighth part of
the whole time at the disposal of Government during
V. session of Parliament ! If this be not wasting
public time, and wasting it in a manner unworthy of
an assembly which professes to be not a " discus-
sion forum," but a, meeting of business-like men,
we should like to know what is so. We have taken
as many days to get this bill read a second time,
remarked Mr. GLADSTONE, as sufficed for the work
of creation.

The proposal to defer going into committee for
more than a month, is the penalty or reward of
this factiousness. We could wish it to prove the
penalty ; but, that those who did not deserve
it would suffer also ; we hope the penalty
will, therefore, come on the obs truetives
in another shape, not that of prolongation of the
session, but of being compelled to curtail their talk
in committee. They have had enough of it already,
and since simplici(y is the merit or fault of the bill, as
parties may choose to view it, there can be no need
to make long work of such simple details. It would
almost seem impossible to find much occasion for
prolonged discussion, unless by proposing additional
elauees. The £lO county franchise seems to be a
settl©d thing. The £6 one for boroughs appears to
be, as Mr. GLADSTONE observed, the gist of the
complaint against the bill ; but that has surely been
discussed and debated and turned about in every
way wipe ad nausea:m We do not believe that
any mortal in the house or out of it can add to our
knowledge either of the number of voters it will
create or of their quality. We can hardly doubt
that the first registration will give between
160,000 and 200,000 additional borough electors,
and should be not at all surprised if tte increase be
CU below the smaller number. And as to the

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