The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-20 00:00:00

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LONDON, TUESDAY, NOV. 20, 1866.

The National Reform Union held a Conference
n Manchester yesterday, for the purpose of consi-
dering the state of things at present in connection
with the subject they have so much at heart. Dele-
gates came from meetings of the branch associations
all over the country. Mr. G. WILSON presided, and
alluded to the disappointment which had attended
the hopes they formed last year in consequence of
the large Liberal majority which the new Parlia-
ment had returned. However, it seems, that not-
withstanding these adverse circumstances, the Chair-
man thinks that the real question of Reform is now
in a very good position. It does not seem that his
reasons are very good or his arguments very clear
on this point, but the cot elusion he draws is, that
hitherto at the end of every session the Reform
question, if popular, " although at a considerable
premium with its best friends, was scarcely at the
high premium they would have liked in the general
political market; at the present moment, he thought,
it stood at a very high premium indeed, and com-
manded such a price as it never had done before in
the market." Really we do not see what inter-
pretation can be put upon this unless it be that the
promoters of this association, and of others of a
smaller degree, intend to renew the agitation that
was made last time the Conservatives were in power;
and if so it will be much to be regretted. We do
not think, besides, that it is exactly the manner in
which to treat a great public question to talk of its
being in the market ; and indeed had this view of
the matter neverbeen taken up at all it would have
been much better for the cause of Reform,
and the real triumph of those who profess
to be such zealous advocates in the service.
Too much talk has been heard in the case, and too
little action has been found when occasion demanded;
but the worst of all has been that so many have per-
sisted in putting their individual prejudices forward
to the exclusion of the general good. Mr. WILSON
at any rate gave good counsel, when he urged the
importance of co-operation, and added that they
could not afford an active opposition to each other.
" The history of the Reform agitation up to this
moment had been a history of failure and disap-
pointment, but it had also been a history of
strong faith and perseverance." He went too far,
however, when he said that they must take in those
who went for universal suffrage, those who were
members of that association, and those, also, who
were members of the Manhood Suffrage Associa-
tion' into their Conference, when they decided on
the course which should be taken, and taken con-
jointly upon the strength of that understanding."
It is by going so far that moderate and careful
people get bewildered and confused, and are
afraid to agree to any propositions put
forward by the promoters of these associations,
no matter how true may be the principles upon
which they found their efforts, and how earnest the
statements they start from.
It is certainly to be regretted that in the midst of
this Conference so much bitterness of party feeling
was shown, and it was pretty plainly shown by some
speakers that rather than take a Reform measure
from the present Government they would go with-
out one. This is not the way to set to work, if they
have the real interest of the country at heart, and so
all honest politicians and straightforward men will say.
Mr. MASON, who proposed a resolution, said he did
not do it with great pleasure, because of the " line
towards the close," which proposed " to give to any
measure which Lord DERBY'S Government might
offer a fair and candid consideration." The reasons
he gave for this opinion were that the present Mi-
nisters could not bring in a measure to suit them-
selves, and they were a set of " base hypocrites,"
and if so, " ought hypocrites to be in power ?"
He thought they had better first of all propose a
vote of want of confidence in Lord DERBY'S
Government, and then set to work. Fortunately,
the good sense of the meeting triumphed
over this factious spirit, and the said resolution was
subsequently carried after much debating on its
merit. Mr. WAINWRIGHT was very severe in his
strictures, and declared that the time for temporising
was past. He trusted " they would soon have a settle-
ment of this question, which would prove a settle-
ment of the Tory party for all time to come." It
is this unbecoming style of talk which has done, and
will do, so much harm to the cause of reform, and
brings the Liberal party before the country
in a very remarkable position. It is indeed
making the term " Liberal" lucus non lacendo,
n d thosedee l
ar
public
professingemeeting
aprinciplese that
he
objects
n tdo ugiving
his political opponents a fair trial. He may dignify
such sentiments by the name of patriotism, but
they are more clearly allied to the characteristics of
meanness and jealousy. Then, again, it has been
over and over again made a subject of reproach to
those members of the House of Commons who op-
posed Mr. GLADSTONE'S measure that they did not dis-
course in suitable terms about the working classes and
others concerned in the great political changes con-
templated ; and is it setting them an example to
call the leaders of a great party " political dirt-
eaters," and such like, to say that their antecedents
are discreditable, and that they are altogether ob-
noxious in the extreme. As for talking about their
coming in on false pretences, we think consideration
for Lord RUSSELL should suggest silence on that
topic. We wish we could see a more bold and
straightforward policy adopted by those who pu
themselves at the head of a great political move.
men

The arrival of the Moravian, from New York on
the 9th, brings us intelligence which we had good
reason to anticipate. The Republicans have car-
ried the elections in New York. Mr. FENTON, as
a candidate for the Governorship of the State, ob-
tained a majority of 10,009 votes over his Demo-
cratic rival, atthough the latter was generally ad-
mitted to be the more able man of the two. It is
to be regretted in the country at large that this im-
portant office should have fallen to the dominant
party. There is iu American politics a want of what
European diplomatists used to be so fond of talking
about the balance of power. No country can be
well or wisely governed without a fair representa-
tion of conflicting opinions, and when the wise
man said that in the multitude of counsellors there
was safety, he certainly did not imply that the
counsellors should be all of one mind I The very
principle which Lee at the root of constitutional

The Dutch Chambers were opened yesterday by
a Ministerial Commission on behalf of the KING.
The Speech from the Throne was delivered by
the Minister of Justice, and seems to have been
a very fair one on the whole. He said, in allud-
ing to the dissolution of the second Chamber, that
the KING and Ministers hoped that on the last
decision of the electors the people, Government,
and representatives will vie with each other in ful-
filling the constitutional task, which had for its
object the happiness of the country. It is to be
hoped that these aspirations will be realised, and
that unity will prevail. The Speech of the Danish
Monarch on the opening of the new Rigsdag was
a very good one, and it shows to more advantage
when we peruse the full text. His MAJESTY alluded
to the auspicious marriage of his daughter, the
Princess DAGMAR, and particularly adverted to the
kind sympathy she had received from the Danish
people before she went. He, of course, is delighted at
the prospect held out to him of receiving back among
his subjects those faithful Danes of Northern
Schleswig who have mourned so bitterly over their
separation from their friends. Great stress is also
laid upon the chief subject to be put before the
Rigsdag in this session, namely, the reconstruction
of the army. Recent events seem to have tay.ght
useful lessons to the Danish KING, and we hope
that his efforts will be crowned with success during
the ensuing session of his Rigsdag, so that he may
be able to hold his own against all intruders, and if
unhappily he should again be compelled to go to
war he may be far more able to compete with his
enemies both by sea and land than he unfortunately
was two years ago. The financial condition of the
country is good, so that there are no grounds for
apprehension on that score.

The disaster which has visited the north of Eng-
land is evidently of a very severe and extended
character. The unusual amount of heavy rains
which we have had during this summer and autumn
has been the theme of general remark. We were
not prepared, however, for their bringing so great
a catastrophe in their train as the floods in the
northern counties have proved. The accounts which
reach us from various quarters, from Leeds, from
Wakefield, from Wigan, from Doncaster, all tell
the same tale of unprecedented floods, of risk to

life, if not actual loss, and of terrible and wide-
spread destruction of property. At Leeds, on Fri-
day, the Soot was the highest ever kuow.n, the