The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-05 00:00:00

THE SUN.

TUESDAY. OCTOBER 5, 1858.

A glimmer has just been afforded as to the views
entertained upon the subject of Parliamentary Re-
form by her MAJESTY'S
Opposition. It is only a.
glimmer—the gleam as of a farthing rushlight.
Yet it is sufficient, at any rate, to render the hitherto
impenetrable obscurity—what MILTON terms" dark-
ness visible"—just enough light to move by—suffi-
cient to let us see an inch or two before us, but no
further. Els&where, in our impression of this
evening, we have caught the reflection of this
" new light," and• display it conspicuously for what
it is worth. It will be understood, after a glance
through our columns, that allusion is here made to
one of the numerous little speeches addressed on
Friday evening to his constituents by the Right
Hon. Baronet the member for Radnorshire, until
February last Chancellor of the Exchequer in Lord
PALMERSTON'S Government. Sir GEORGE CORNE-
WALL LEWIS availed himself of the opportunity
then presented to him, by the circumstance of his
presiding as chairman over the annual meeting of
the Agricultural Association of Radnorshire—he
availed himself of this convivial opportunity to
indulge, first of all, in a little political retrospect,
and, next, a trifle of political ratiocination.
Politics generally, of course, were to be eschewed
at this banquet of farmers and yeomen, just as
politics were eschewed recently by the cutlers at
Sheffield. The speakers, all of thew, upon both
occasions conveniently forgot the " es" somehow,
and, instead, " chewed" the cud of politics to
their heart's content, or, in other words, deliberately
and thoroughly. The Chairman of the agricultural
assemblage at Radnorshire, for example, had a
word or two to say about Cherbourg, a passing
reference or so to the Anglo-French Alliance,
sundry suggestions and observations in regard to
the close of the Chinese War, a few cursory re-
marks upon the East Indian Rebellion, and last,
but decidedly not least, a variety of bold, blunt
sayings upon the great prospective theme of discus-
sion for the approaching session of 1859—the long-
talked-of project of a second great measure of
Parliamentary Reform, a bill contrived with a view
to rectify the blunders and to compensate for the
oversights, of the great Act of Parliamentary
Reform passed on the 7th of June, 1832, under the
auspicies of Lord GREY'S Administration.
It is amusing to note how the dumb oracles of
the Treasury bench when Viscount PALMERSTON
was Prime Minister, suddenly become loquacious,
even garrulous, when they find themselves in
Opposition. " I observe," says Sir G. C. LEWIS,
" from the reports of some meetings of a similar
description to that at which we are assembled
to-day, it has been virtually announced by some of
her MAJESTY'S
Ministers that they contemplate at
all events proposing in next session of Parliament
a measure of Parliamentary Reform as a Govern-
ment proposition." 'Whereto are lustily given forth
cries of " Hear, hear," by the Radnorshire
Agriculturists. " Well, then," adds Sir GEORGE,
with an affected air of contentment at so
very merciful a dispensation, "if that party
of which the administration now in office
forms a portion proposes a measure of parliamen
tart' reform, that of itself must be taken as an in-
dication that parliamentary reform is no longer a
party question." However this may be, Sir G. C.
LEWIS finds the strings of his tongue suddenly
loosened. He can speak now fluently enough where
he formerly sat mumchance. He not only talks
ad libitum upon the abstract question of parliamen-
tary reform, but he ventures at last complacently
to give a few hints to the Tory reforming or Libe
ral Conservative projectors of the New Bill. Seve-
ral of these hints we cannot but hope may not be
altogether overlooked by her MAJESTY'S Ministers ;
more particularly that hint direct," conveyed in
the emphatic conclusion at which Sir G. C. LEWIS
arrives, when he says distinctly—" In my opinion,
in whatever form a Reform Bill may be introduced
into the House of Commons, it will come out of that
house a real Reform Bill, increasing the popular
character of the Legislature. It will give greater
weight to the voice of the people in the councils of
the House of Commons, and if any Government
should entertain different views, and propose a Re-
form Bill not having that object, in my opinion
they will not only be grievously disappointed in
their expectations, but -will attempt to pasti off a