The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-10 00:00:00

"by turning out the Conservatives in 1859 has
that of causing Parliamentary Reform to be placed

ort the shelf for eight long years, and so causing

England to be deprived of the services of a useful
body of electors." In point of fact we may fairly
say that Lord RUSSELL and his followers have as
much cause to be ashamed of their inaction during
tho3e seven years as Lord DERBY and his friends

have reason to be proud of their exertions for the
last six months. The course pursued by the Whigs
and Liberals was, indeed, most supine and quite
unworthy of the reputation of some of their leaders.
Lord RUSSELL, with his historical relation to Re-
form, and Mr. GLADSTONE with all the promises lie

held out at one time of being its able exponent,
were alike weighed in the balance, and found to be
miserably wanting. The suddm death of Lord

PALMERSTON in office afforded them a rare oppor-

;unity; and it may be safely said that never was

opportunity so completely thrown away. With a
large majority in Parliament, a great confidence

displayed by the public, they murdered the work
completely, offended their friends, prejudiced their
well-wishers, disappointed their admirers, and
finally deceived the community whom they had led
to expect so much. Very different was the course
pursued by Lord DERBY and his colleagues. For
every advantage possessed by the Ministry of last

Session we can easily substitute a disadvantage that

accrued to the Government of this year. They had
no majority in the House, and they had bitter, jealous
opponents to deal with ; and yet while the one party
retreated in ignominious discomfiture, the other ob-
tained an extraordinary success. It is curious, as
well as interesting, to dwell upon this theme ; and
perhaps the best solution of the problem may be
found in the reflection that the Conservatives put
their work before them as the primary objeci-, and
made everything else subservient to it, while their
predecessors, on the contrary, put their own pre-
judices and predilections in the foreground,
and their persistence to force them on the House
at any cost. Mr. DISRAELI consulted the House,
Mr. GLADSTONE dictated to it, and the difference of
the result was indeed surprising. Hon. members
were willing to pass a Reform Bill, but they were
not willing to take all that the Government deemed
fitting, and still less could they put up with being
told that they were obnoxious to all change and
conspirators against the interests of the country.
As for the inactivity the late Government dis-
played for so long a period perhaps the reason may
be found in this letter. " All the soi-disant Liberals
wanted was to get into office, and when once in-
stalled they were glad enough to send Parliamen-
tary Reform to the winds." We may readily turn
from the past to the present, and be thankful for
our " bountiful harvest" of new Parliamentary
Reform. So far as the question of Reform is con-
cerned, it is indeed perfectly true what is here
said—that " no Reform Bill has ever reached man-
hood, unless our present most illustrious Premier
happens to be a member of the Cabinet. He has
carried the bill of 1867 as he did its great ancestor
in 1832, only thirty-five short years ago, for thirty-
five years is but a brief period, historically speak-
ing, however long it may be for other purposes."
We rejoice with this writer that the country has
given the present Ministry a fair trial, and the
country itself has good cause to rejoice also, for the
gain has been substantial, and the con-
sequences most beneficial. The fact is, that
historical dates and facts have been too
much overlooked of late years, and people have
been running after those who contrived by clap-
trap and other do ices to make out that one party
bad done everything, and that there was nothing to
hope from the Conservatives. As Mr. DISRAELI
rightly said the other night at the City Banquet
we had had to endure a monopoly of Liberalism.
This being done away with, we may hope for better
times and brighter days, for nothing can flourish
while monopolies are iu the ascendant. The pre-
sent Session will long be memorable as having seen
the passing of a Reform Bill, but besides that it
will be notable for having seen the destruction of
that long course of power that was held so un-
worthily by a particular section, to the hindrance
of all progress, and the prejudice of the real interests
of the nation.