The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-19 00:00:00

course. On the one hand Ministerialists may con-

trian Government are wise they will not lose an
hour in useless discussion which might be turned to
so much greater profit elsewhere. It will add
greatly to the difficulties hereafter if they do not at
this juncture show themselves prepared, for so
desperate are the Prussians that they will stop short
at nothing which promises to gain their ends.
Such a crafty foe must be met with skill, and, above
all, with speed, for we have of late had sad instances
of the disasters that have ensued through the too
tardy management of military affairs.

tend, not without reason, that it is Reform which
the house dislikes, not the Government, and that if
it were put to the vote whether the present Cabinet

should retain their seats without Reform or another

Ministry assuming office with Reform, they would

gain an overwhelming majority ! They may

argue, too, that the fact of the adverse
division having occurred on a subsidiary question
after the Government had carried what they de-
clared to be the vital points, their majorities on
the second reading, on Mr. WALPOLE'S amendment,

and Mr. HUNT'S amendment, though small, were
sufficient to save their dignity ; while Capt. HAY-
TER'S still more adverse motion was negatived with-
out a division ; and on Lord STANLEY'S sudden
assault they gained a decided victory. They may,
therefore, if they choose, under the excuse of the

unwillingness of the House, the indifference of the

public, the troubled state of Europe, and the haste
with which part at least of their bill was prepared,
withdraw the measure altogether with the promise
of introducing another and a more comprehensive
one early next session. On the other side it will be
said that the Government, having failed in this
cardinal point of their policy, must abandon the at-
tempt to legislate for the country. When a newly-
elected house declares so unmistakably against
them they cannot retain office with credit to them-

selves or with satisfaction to the country. True

they have the resource of a dissolution of Parlia.
ment, to which they can resort if they please :

but so soon after a general election, which they
declared to be highly favourable to themselves, it

is scarcely probable.

Whether the result would

be favourable to them if they went to the country

on this bill may very fairly be doubted. There
would be cheers at the hustings, and cries for this
and that reduction of the franchise, but the evil of
an unreformed Parliament is one which helps to

perpetuate itself, and the middle classes, whose poll
tical rights were so hardly won in 1832, are now
unwilling to share their power and influence with
others. The enfranchised classes have the votes,
the unenfranchised may agitate, but until the agita-
tion is strong and general it will not influence the
return of members. The present House was returned
with a flourish of trumpets for a great Reform
campaign, whereas its members have gone over to
the enemy, have fought inch by inch and step by
step, by ambush and by countermine, to oppose and
thwart the progress of Reform. This they have
done, not as they might reasonably have done on
the ground that the Government measure was
poor, insufficient, and unsatisfactory, but on the
plea that a £7 and £l4 franchise was too lot,
and they have tried on every pretext to place the
limit higher. They may esteem themselves fortu-
nate if the next Reform Bill stops at £7 ; they will
more likely have to accept £5 as " the plank be-
tween them and ruin."
The bill itself, as we have said from the first, is a
partial measure, good so far as it goes, but not
going far enough, or dealing with the question in a
manner that is likely to settle it for this generation.
If passed it could only be accepted as an instal-
ment. But from a Liberal Ministry, with a declared.,
majority, we might reasonably have looked for
a measure which should have enlisted the
hearty sympathies of the public, which should have
enrolled among its supporters every genuine Re-
former, which should have taken the temptation
from the voter, while it enabled the candidate really
to represent the constituency, . which should have
added tenfold to the power, the influence, and the
dignity of Parliament, because it would render it
in fact what it is in name, the reflection of the
judgment, the intelligence, and the patriotism of
the British.people. Such a bill we have not had,
but if the Government had had sufficient
liberality
,to frame it, and courage to bring it
forward, they might fearlessly have turned from
Parliament to the people, from the disaffection of
class legislators and partizans, to the approval and
support of the community at large. This alterna-
tive now offers them but few attractions. What,
then, will they do ? The question must virtually
be answered by one man, for on Mr. GLADSTONE'S
decision the whole issue rests. The Whigs, we
know of old, will accept any alternative rather
than abandon office ; but Mr. GLADSTONE be-
longs to a different order, and the doubt
is, hOw far he may consider himself
pledged by his too hasty declarations at the begin-
ning of the session. If Mr. GLADSTONE feels that
he cannot with undoubted honour and fidelity to his
word retain his office he will resign, and with him
must go the whole RUSSELL Ministry, unless we are
to have a repetition of the old play, " Hamlet,
with the part of Hamlet omitted." His indivi-
dual exclusion from office cannot be long, but the
Whigs collectively 'have had so long a trial of
office, with so few results, that they can have no
reason to complain if the country refuse again to
,rust their patriotic professions.

Nothing of a decisive character has as yet taken
taken place on the Continent. The Prussians still
continue their course, and are hourly expected in
Bohemia. The Austrians are holding back in a sur-
prising manner, and whatever their tactics may be,
they are decidedly mistaken ones. The Prussians
have now occupied Dresden, which is a position of
great importance, and it is stated that they have
cut off the communications of the Hanoverian army,
and rendered its junction with the Anstro-Federal
Corps impossible. This is just what might have
been expected from the absurd delays that have
been taking place, and if the Austrians do not
take care they will lose the advantages they might
have gained from their superior numbers and the
greater unanimity that prevails among their people.
It is reported that an engageulent has taken place
between the Prussian Hussars and an Austrian
corps at the extremity of Saxony. Hostilities have
also commenced between the Prussians and the
Federal army, in which the former gained the ad-
vantage and secured the railway. In view of all
these active doings, the Austrian Cabinet seems to
be making plans which take some time to
carry out. It has summoned the Bavarian
Government to unite with Austria in car-

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY . EVENING, JUNE 19, 18664

,OM PARIS.