The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-15 00:00:00

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.

THIS DA.Y.—Merning, 211. Sm.—Afternoon, 2h. 30m,
To-itoßaow.-Itornizlg, 2h. 53ra.—Afternoon, 3h. 20m,

A
egt 211 U,
• - ;

LONDON, TUESDAY, MAY 15, 1866.

The great excitement which attended the Reform
debate last month has certainly completely died
out. At home and abroad new questions have
arisen of engrossing interest, and so soon as it was
ascertained that the Government did not intend to
make any alteration in their own position, and that
the Cabinet would remain the same, men turned
their attention to fresh fields and pastures new,
and were glad to leave the well-worn subject in
peace. In truth, we have all heard quite enough,
for a time at least, about the virtues and defi-
ciencies
of our representative system. The
arguments on both sides are now worn threadbare ;
eloquence, humour, learning, and logic have been
exhausted on the subject—even the threats of revo-
lution, if the popular wishes are denied, and
anarchy if they are granted—have lost half their
terrors by constant iteration. And yet, notwith-
standing all these " words, words, words "—not-
wirhstanding the confidence with which all parties
have spoken, and the alarming extent of Parlia-
mentary statistics, and the length of time during
which Reform and representation have been under
discussion, Mr. DISRAELI declared last night, - amid
the cheers and laughter of the House, that
it was his painful conviction that none of
them rightly understood the subject ; neither
the country, the House, nor her MAJESTY'S

Government themselves ! There is very likely a

good deal of truth in this sweeping assert;on, but
the question is whether we shall gain any wisdom
by waiting till another year. If time assisted our
deliberations we ought certainly to be very well in-
formed by this. If there is any particular en-
lightenment to be derived from changing seats,
both parties in the House have tried the right
and left of the Speaker since Reform came
under debate. We have had war and peace,
prosperity and adversity, without coming to
a conclusion ; so there are not much grounds
for hoping that 1867 would bring any special
illumination in its train. The fact is that the
point on which our knowledge is deficient is expe-
rience, and until we have tried the practical
working of any new electoral system under
the altered circumstances of the country, no one
can definitely say what the exact result will be. If
figures and statistics would help us we should be
learned enough already, but there is a growing con-
viction in the public mind that it is quite time that
something was done as well as said about constitu-

tional reform. Candidates at contested elections
may, indeed, regret a popular topic on the hustings,
about which declamation is so, very easy and action
so very indefinite ; but most people will be very
glad to have the ghost of Reform laid for a
little while, and space and opportunity given
for other improvements in our legislation
to be discussed. It is quite evident
that Parliament has trifled long enough with
a question of great national interest and im-
portance. As Mr. DISRAELI candidly said last
evening all parties have got into a scrape, and
the best thing they can all do now is to
unite their efforts to get out of it. It is with tins

feeling that many Reformers, whb cannot heartily
approve of the Government measure, have given it
a kind of conditional support, feeling that it was
imperatively necessary that Parliament should keep

s pledges.
As for the manner of disposing of the Redistri-
bution question, it is an easy way of getting over
an unpopular thing. The difficulties which would
have attended any comprehensive scheme of disfran-
chisement maybe inferred from the opposition which
even this partial measure has called forth. Every
member whose constituency is threatened with a
change or modification naturally opposes the inno-
vation. The task of the Reformer is easy enough
so long as he only theorises about the rights of the
people, but when he comes to deal practically with
the inequalities of our representation, up start such
a host of obstacles that he is very apt to give up in
despair. It is only a few theorists who think to get
over these perplexities by basing the representation
on numbers. Such a principle is totally foreign to
the habits and inclination of our people, and would
altogether defeat the objects of popular representa-
tion amongst us. It has often been said in refer-
ence to a neighbouring state / that the capital is
the country, but he who would understand England
and the English must net confine himself ex-
clusively to the metropolis or even to the great
Mr. GLADSTONE himself • has been an
eloquent defender of small boroughs, and they
scarcely needed Mr. DISRAELI'S able advocacy last
night. It does not follow that we are to retain
nomination boroughs or revive the glories of Old
Sarum and its fellows, neither should party interests
be consulted in their retention. The great
a fair field for competi-
tion, and an adequa
objects to be gained arete
representation of our
busy various life, social, commercial, religi-
ous,,
professional, industrial,
and agricultural.
The House and the country will have plenty of time
to deliberate upon the details of the new measure
during the next fortnight, and ample opportunity
will be given in committee for any minor alteration
bill
Ds
oAII i r improvement ; but the general principle of the
wnoE7l.7aeplapt:l4 and
is likely, in answer to Mr.
c
to bereceived with satisfaction,
as at least a temporary settlement of a difficult and
important question.

,o eins.

.t of

sore lull seems to have followe lon the ex-
citement that prevailed to so great a degree on the
continent the last few weeks. It would seem as if
no party mad make up their minds exactly what to