The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-02 00:00:00

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4.
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LONDON, TUESDAY, JULY 2, 1867.

The Committee have begun the week well, and
have made some decided progress with the Reform
Bill. Last night was, however, by no means a
propitious one in sonic respects, but the chief points
under discussion were satisfactorily settled. The
Chancellor of the Exchequer wisely agreed to give
an additional member to some of the large towns
hence Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and
Leeds will have a third representative. This is
well, all things taken into consideration, and will
very likely allay discontent and dissatisfaction in
many quarters. There has long been a great desire
on the part of many to see these huge towns more
fully represented, and as this bill now before the
House has every promise of being a lasting one, it
would be much to be regretted if any flaw was
found in its composition too late in the day, and
any opportunity given to the critics to animadvert
upon it. Mr. DISRAELI, at the commencement of
the sitting, proposed that the Government
should still be allowed to continue the
system of morning sittings, so far as to
keep them on when necessary ; and this was wisely
agreed to, for it is of the utmost importance that
despatch should be used, in order to get through
the work still before the House, in the discussion of
the Reform Bill, and allow due time for its consi-
deration by the other HoUse. Mr. DEMEAN created
some amusement by declaring that the Government
were bound to bring in his amendment in some
other form, which called forth from Mr. DISRAELI
the remark that it was evident the hon. member had
been trying to do something himself in the matter
but had not succeeded. It is certainly unreason-
able to expect that this proposition can be enter-
tained again, but at any rate the Government have
done their duty, and nothing more can be demanded
from them. Mr. CANDLISII had the credit of intro-
ducing a serviceable clause, to the effect that those
persons should be disqualified as voters who are em-
ployed as agents, canvassers, messengers, &c., at an
election. This is a very wise proviso, and it seems
strange that Mr. GLADSTONE should have supported
the proposal ot Mr. CRAWFORD, that agents should
be exempted from the operation of this clause.
Mr. HORSFALL then proposed to give " increased
representation" to three large towns—namely,
Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham. To these
the Chancellor of the Exchequer wisely added Leeds,
and explained that the Government agreed to this
compromise, but they could not do it at the expense
of the counties; and these four seats must be
taken from the boroughs. This intimation was
not favourably received by the Opposition, but
it was very unfair of them to think
one side should have all the gains and make no
sacrifice whatever. We think that the proposal to
include "Leeds" in this increased representation was
a statesmanlike one, and, as Mr. DISRAELI said,
" considering the noble rivalry between the indus-
tries of Yorkshire and Lancashire, it would be most
unwise to confer this great increase in the represen-
tation of the two great cities of Lancashire, with-
out at the same time acknowledging the claims of
one of the two great cities of Yorkshire."
In concluding his remarks, the right bon.
gentleman expressed a hope that the spirit
in which the Government made the offer to
the committee might be mutual and reciprocal, as
they did so in the sincere hope of advancing the
cause of the great measure before them. This hope
was not destined to be realised, because General
PEEL thought it necessary to oppose the scheme in
the most determined manner, and he did so with a
vehemence which looked as if the right hon. and
gallant member had been waiting for some oppor-
tunity of expressing his indignation at the course of
the bill altogether. We would remind him that he
sometimes lets his feelings run away with him, and
that last year he made a speech upon the extension
of the franchise, for which this year he expressed
his regret, and it may be so again concerning the
exhibition he made last night. We consider that
he has a perfect right not to vote for the third
reading of the bill if he does not approve of it
generally, but it would have been more becoming
if he had refrained from making use of the extrava-
gant language in which he couched his concluding
remarks. For the matter of that, he made no
charge against the Government which cannot be
easily refuted, for if there was one thing which
Mr. DISRAELI put more plainly before the House
than another it was that the Ministry did not pro-
• pose to introduce a measure that must pass without
attention, or that if it were interfered with they
must resign. It was well understood from the
• first that charges would be made, and all this after
recrimination is unworthy and unsuitable. Lord
CRANISORNE, following in the same cause, re-
• quested to know when they would be told the
particulars concerning the boroughs about to be
disfranchised, when it was quite evident that
' there was no disfranchisement imposed, and they
sought to get out of the difficulty by bravado, and
asked when they would bring about the boroughs
• that would not be disfranchised. To this the
Chancellor of the Exchequer returned the fitting
reply that he should be prepared to-day to proceed
with the Reform Bill.

The largo majority which decided in favour
of Mr. lIORSFALL'S clause proved the opinion
of the committee in respect to it, and
fully justified the course pursued by the Govern-
ment. It was not,to be expected that no collision
of interests and differences of opinion would arise in
the carrying out of so complicated a scheme as that
now before the House, and it is no exaggeration to
say that, all things considered, there have been
fewer of those contretemps than might have been
expected. This is due to many causes, chief
of which must be placed the great desire entertained
by the majority of the House for the settlement of
the Reform question. Another important agency
has been the admirable manner in which the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer has conducted the business
of the House this year. Had he shown any natural
impatience or irritation it would have been
quite
l
impossible for the Government to Lave
surmountedatu
the difficulties that have been before them, but
hich are gradually vanishing away as time

(roes on

Railway catastrophes are unfortunately nothing
new. We are seldom, if ever, able to congratulate
ourselves on having passed through a summer un-
marked by one or more of those melancholy dis-
asters which startle the public, and bring death and
desolation to many cheerful homes. The vast ad-
vantages conferred by railway travelling have natu-
rally some drawbacks, and although it may be
said that when we begin to calculate the number
of accidents we ought to take into account the vast
increase in the number of passengers, yet the
frightful nature of the injuries too often ieceived
by the sufferers renders the dangers to which all
are liable somewhat formidable. It remains to be
considered whether such risks are reduced to the

minimnre , ar td whether we must accept them as in-
separable from railway travelling. On this point
there can be but little doubt. There must unques-
tiona:,bly be always a certain possibility of danger
from causes over which the driver, and the station-
master, and the general managers of the line have
no control. But few will pretend to say that the
dreadful accidents w'eich we are from time to time
called upon to recova are inevitable or unavoidable.
It may safely be eioubted whether one out of ten
of the railway accidents which occur is not due
either to some mismanagement on the part of the
authorities Or some recklessness or negligence on the
part of the ;nen. Very often there are great doubts
in the arran,7ement of the time tables. Trains are
-sent off witt. a reckless rapidity, which heightens
tenfold the chances of disaster, and this, more
especially duri:ng the excursion season, is a fruitful
source of mischief. Then coal trucks and
goods' trai:as are allowed to pass along the
very lines by which some distant express is
shortly to come, thundering into a sta-
tion, and while the men on duty arc often
severely punished for their neglect or mismanage-
ment of signals, it may very well be asked whether
so much should be allowed to depend upon the
colour of a light or the turn of a hand. Much
may be necessary in the way of signalling, but
everything is driven too close, everything is kept at
high pressure, and the smallest possible verge is
left for mistake or carelessness or misappre-
hension. The terrible accident near War-
rington, which has already cost the lives
of seven persons, besides disabling many more,
was due to the points at the junction being left open
instead of closed. How this was done or by whom
is not yet known, and it would be unfair to attach
blame to any one until the inquiry has taken place.
But this accident was remotely due to a less obvious
cause, which, however, has often been the origin of
similar catastrophes. The dangerous custom of trains
coming up to a station at full speed increases their
liability to every sort of accident. It is doubtless part
of the professional etiquette that the journey should
be finished in style, but it is a very dangerous habit
nevertheless. It is manifest that in case of any
mistake or carelessness, points left open where they
should be closed, 'coal trains or luggage vans not
properly shunted, or any similar negligence, the
risk would be very much lessened if the driver of
the advancing train had time to look about him,
but he rushes on with unabated speed, his ears
deafened by the noise of his own train, so that
warning or assistance are useless. Thus at War-
rington when the signal " all right" had been given
by the pointsman the passenger train, we are
told, went on at full speed, and when it reached the
junction points, and found them open instead of
closed, it followed and rau into the coal train " be-
fore a break could be put on or the steam shut off."
It is quite evident that if the speed of the train had
been slackened for the last half mile the risk would
have been greatly decreased, and the accident
might even have been avoided altogether. Why
should not some rule of this sort be made, and
drivers compelled to elacken their speed within a
specified distance of every largo station ? It is much
easier to lay down general rules which shall miti-
gate the chances of disaster than it is to avert acci-
dents when the occasion arises ; while, unhappily,
when the mischief is once done, neither sympathy
nor regret can restore the lives that have been
sacrificed or mitigate the sufferings of the sur-
vivors.

The friends of the Emperor MAXIMILIAN are still
kept in a state of the most painful uncertainty re-
specting the fate of that unfortunate Prince. The
alternations of hope and fear, of confidence and
alarm, are incessant. The news with every succes-
sive mail, and thanks to the deplorable condition to
which Mexico is reduced, the Americans themselves
are absolutely perplexed as to the real state of the
case. There is little or no doubt that MAXI-
MILIAN and his immediate associates have
actually fallen into the hands of the Re-
publicans, and what we know of JUAREZ
from previous events is not reassuring. Neverthe-
less the influence of the United States Government
ought, if he is wise, to be all-powerful with him.
However indignant:with the French EMPEROR and
resolved not to tolerate a titled ruler in their vicinity,
the misfortunet of the unhappy EMPEROR and Ex_
PRESS have not failed to secure the pity of the
American people. They have interested themselves
greatly in the fate of MAXIMILIAN, and their Govern-
ment has sent a special messenger to intercede on his
behalf. Should JUAREZ disregard this appeal it will
not only be an outrage to the American sense of
humanity, but an affront to their amour propre,
which the Mexican ruler, however strong he may
now think himself, will probably have good reason
to repent. We may, therefore, hope that the tele-
gram which the captain of an Austrian frigate has
sent from New Orleans to Washington, to the
effect that MAXIMILIAN has been executed, and
that JUAREZ has refused to give up the body, is
unfounded. Should it prove to be correct, the
little sympathy left for the Republican cause will
be completely exhausted, and we can only hope
that in the cause of civilisation the United States
will curtail the career of so unscrupulous a ruler.