The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-18 00:00:00

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I th

LONDON, MONDAY, FEB. 18, 1867

Quot homines tot sententice is a trite old saying,
which appears destined to receive ample illustra-
tion every time the question of Parliamentary
Reform is brought before the House of Commons.
Mr. DISRALI had no reason to expect that he would
be more fortunate than his predecessors in securing
general approval. In fact, the only approach to
unanimity usually perceptible on such occasions is
that every one is inclined to disapproval. Reform
is an excellent thing, no doubt, and it is imperative
that the question should be satisfactorily settled
without further delay. We can all get as far as
that, but the party of Reformers is something
like the " kingdom of the just," and the mo-
ment we have generalities for details we find
agreement impossible. Mr. GLADSTONE pinned his
faith to a rental qualification, Mr. DISRAELI pro-
poses a rating franchise. Lord JonN RUSSELL in
former days proposed the reduction of the standard
to £5, the late Government paused at £7. Mr.
BEALES would have household suffrage, Mr. JONES
manhood suffrage; Mr. BRIGHT nobody knows what.
Mr. LOWE thinks the £lO qualification the only
plank between us and ruin. The patient is ad-
mitted to be in a desperate condition, but the army
of physicians gathered around his bed cannot by any
means come to even a temporary adjustment of their
difficulties.
We have had during the past week a very striking
illustration of the difficulties which beset this ques-
tion. Five Reform Bills of varying kind and com-
plexion, as Mr. DISRAELI last week reminds us, have
been successively rejected by the Commons, because
the members took exception either to some particu-
lar feature of the bill or to the manner of introduc-
ing it; and their fastidiousness, we are forced to
confess, found sufficient excuse in the indifference
of the great body of the middle classes. It would
then appear, at first sight, to that intelligent
foreigner who is sapposed to pass such innocent
opinions upon men and things, that to secure the
assent of the whole House to certain definite
propositions, and then to proceed to consider the
details of a measure in committee, would be the
best means of arriving at a really popular conclusion.
So thought the old man and his son in the memo-
rable fable, when they resorted to one expedient
after another to win the approval of their fellows;
and should Lord DERBY persuade his Cabinet to
reverse the order of proceeding next Monday, and
agree to introduce a definite and detailed bill, in-
stead of the present " vague," " uncertain," " indis-
tinct," and " unsatisfactory" resolutions, he may
depend upon it the hostility of his present critics will
not be in the least diminished—it will only change
its ground of attack.
The fact is that there are some remedies and
medecines which no disguises can render palatable
or welcome however salutary. The man who made
an agreement with Death that he would call him
when ready, founda fresh excuse with every succeed-
ing year ; and so, in spite of the loud professions
about Reform, and the sanguine anticipations of the
political Utopia which is to follow a Reformed Par-
liament, there is a goodly company who are un-
willing to have Reform in any shape. We cannot
help including a good many of the severe critics of
the present Government in this list, since it is
admitted on all hands that the opportunity is
highly favourable to a settlement of the
question, and the Government it is quite
evident, are willing to make large conces-
sions. The tenure of office by a Conservative
Ministry, which at first sight appears inimical to the
passage of a Reform Bill, has in reality some
advantages. The Conservatives are willing to go
much further in support of a measure introduced
by their own leaders. The Radicals naturally are
content with less, because they know that it will be
fact and not theory—that the Conservative in-
fluence_ can carry easily through the Upper
House clauses which if opposed by the Tory
peers must either be abandoned or become
the object of a desperate struggle. If the
House of Commons be genuinely anxious to
pass a Reform Bill it has an excellent opportu-
nity. If the public out of doors is sincerely de-
sirous of a fair and temperate settlement of the
question it may now easily obtain it. Whatever
motive actuated the Government—whatever objec-
tions of precedent or practice may be urged
against the method they have adopted—the actual
state of the case is that certain definite proposi-
tions are to be submitted to the House of Com-
mons. If it takes exception to any of them, such
for instance as the fifth resolution, respecting the
plurality of votes, it can insist upon its withdrawal.
If it be anxious of adding to their number,
the Government have promised to accept any
reasonable suggestion. 'Where, then, is the in-
superable difficulty of framing a good and practical
Reform Bill? If Mr. DISRAELI had come forward
with certain definite propositions such as a £6 or £7
rating franchise, we cannot see that he would have
had any better chance of success. Those who are
complaining now of the resolutions have yet to see
what are the actual details of the scheme they con-
demn. Manhood Suffrage, whatever the Reform
League may think, is out of the question. It is
opposed to the whole tone of English feeling as well
as to our traditional policy, and the existing examples
of its working have not done much to reconcile us
to it. The new Reform Bill, then, must give a
definite money qualification in some form, and if it
be a good measure it must contain a lodger franchise
as well. It would be highly desirable to add to
these some additional qualifications, such as an
educational, a profes.siunal, and a savings bank
suffrage. There no doubt whatever that all these
can be welded into the new scheme, while we be-
lieve that if Reformers, giving up minor points of
difference, would heartily combine to press forward
the Ballot, they might succeed in obtaining its in-
troduction.

We -observe one point in the diatribes of some
of the principal objectors to the Government pro-
posals. They complain of the vagueness of tin re-
solutions, but they are very careful not to commit
themselves and recommending positive measures. It
is so easy to deal in wise generalities, to offer excel-
lent advice with the important exception of details.
What the particular feature is that the Liberal
party at large are anxious to secure is kept
mysteriously secret. The 11103$ important reform