The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-12 00:00:00

procrastinations. The Reform Bill, to which the
defunct Ministry had solemnly pledged themselves
in the Speech from the Throne, has been massacred
prematurely' not even as among the Innocents,
but even be it said in ~entra set mere—and this
not so much by any fault on the part of the nevi
Cabinet as by a defalcation on the part of their
predecessors. Parliamentary Reform, indeed, it
should be borne in mind, is not set aside for another
year by an act of commission on the part of Lord
DERBY'S Government. The dissipation of the
popular hopes in this particular is rather, it
should be said in truth, the result of an act
of omission on the part of Lord PA.LMERSTON'd
Administration. Lord PALMERSTON was pledged
to it—and his pledge, as already observed, dis-
tinctly, and formally, and emphatically reiterated.
Lord DERBY, on the contrary, it is needless to
add, was not in any way whatever pledged to it
eve• indirectly or inferentially. Si that, as the
new Leader of the House of Commons fairly enough
observed the other day in the Court House at
Aylesbury—Reform has again "fallen through "
for another session in consequence of the late
collective Ministerial resignation. It is to be re-
gretted : but it was unavoidable. We must make
our minds up to it as an unwelcome necessity,
thrust upon us by an unexpected conjuncture of
circumstances. But, in reason, in justice, in fair-
ness, we ought not to tax the new Cabinet
with being the cause of our disappointment.
The most we could, as rational men, ex-
pect from them in the matter is precisely
the very assurance that they themselves
have just now frankly volunteered. That—
with India still to be tranquillized, with its
Government to be re-organized, with the French
alliance to be secured and strengthened, with the
national dignity at the same time to be main-
tained haughtily intact, with our monetary
system to be dealt with vigorously, sagaciously,
and comprehensively, with the Income-tax, and
other desirable fiscal modifications (let us hope)
to bo equitably adjusted, with all these things
upon their hands to be taken into account, and
weighed in the balance and summarily decided—
afterwards the great question of Reform will be
accepted by Ministers at the earliest opportunity,
and will be then consoientiously taken by them
into their serious consideration. More than this,
we say, could not reasonably have been expected
from ,he DERBY-DISRAELI Government. Let
them be true to that conditional engagement, and
the fast-speeding session of '5B will not have been
altogether a hiatus in the annals of Parliament.
Not altogether I—with an Indian revolt sup-
pressed, the double-government abolished, the
currency re-considered, and law reforms effected
tike those now distinctly foreshadowed by the
First Law Officer of the Crown, reforms relating
to the transfer of lands and to bankruptcy. Ener-
getic efforts applied to such matters of vital im-
portance by the new Cabinet will the most
effectually console the Reformers of our system of
representation for the otherwise vexatious disap-
pointment of hopes so long and so vainly cherished.
Another slip 'twist the cup and the lip, while it
has again, of course, painfully tantalised, has also
again whetted the relish of the community for that
draught of parliamentary reform which must,
sooner or later, be quaffed unstintingly.
When this Reform comes, as come it will,
it can no longer be partial —it must
be complete and comprehensive.