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

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TimEs.—We know not whether the House of
Commons was satiated with Reform by the number-
less speeches on the Franchise Bill, or whether
Foreign Affairs or the Panic in the City have dis-
tracted its attention, but it is somewhat remarkable
that the debate on the Bill for the Redistribution of
Seats should have collapsed during the dinner-hour
on the very first night of the discussion. Mr. Dis-
raeli began yesterday with an elaborate speech on
the distribution of political power in our represen-
tative system as proposed to be affected by the Go-
vernment Bills. Mr. Cardwell followed him, and
there it may be said that the debate ended. The
announcement made by the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, in reply to Sir Stafford Northcote, that
the Ministry had resolved upon accepting Mr.
Bouverie's suggestion for fusing the Seats Bill and
the Franchise Bill in Committee, effectually allayed
the faint curiosity which up to that time held the
house together, and directly it was made the sub-
ject was dropped. On Monday week, the 28th, the
House of Commons will go into committee upon
both bills, and members have until that time to
make up their minds what they will support and
what they will oppose, the points on which they are
willing to accept a compromise and those which they
deem so essential that they cannot be modified.
Mr. Disraeli's verdict on our present position is
plain, if idiomatic. We are all in a " scrape" on
this Reform question. The phrase is classical, ac-
cording to Mr. Disraeli, for Dean Swift often used
it, and it is the only phrase which expresses the posi-
tion of all parties. This Reform problem, which
every one has talked about and Ministry after
Ministry has attacked, is still not understood ; it is
not understood by the country, it is not understood
by the House of Commons, and it is not understood
by her Majesty's Government. The Ministers of
the Crown are, indeed,. particularly backward, for
they are ignorant of their ignorance, although it is
an ignorance of facts as well as of principles. The
only thing to be done is for the Chancellor of the
Exchequer to withdraw the bills he has laid upon
the table, and to begin the study of the prin-
ciples' of Reform. He may then, if he is dili-
gent., be able to introduce a comprehensive
and well-considered measure next Session.
Ignorance, Mr. Disraeli declares—and the state-
ment commands our assent—never settles any ques-
tion; but it must be added there are qualities with-
out which knowledge seems equally powerless. Mr.
Disraeli avoided the errors of Mr. Gladstone's
speech of 1858, and the arguments he advanced in
defence of small boroughs were sound and just, and
free from the suspicion of partisanship. He was
equally forcible in showing the anomalies created by
the principle of grouping when applied only to
boroughs already represented. On the other hand,
his arguments against increasing the political power
of the largest counties and towns by increasing the
number of their members were fanciful, and in pro-
posing to group unrepresented boroughs alone he
would introduce anomalies compared to which those
incident to the Government plan are trifles. Criti-
cism is no doubt the proper function of an Opposi-
tion, and in criticism Mr. Disraeli was strong;
but as soon as he came to practical suggestions he
was powerless. Fortunately, however, the position
of the question is well understood. The Reform
Act of 18G6, if by and by it appears, as we hope, in
the Statute-book, will be a compromise, the leading '
features of which are now known, ar,d all that re-
mains is to settle its details. The worst that can be
said of the proposed act is that it is a sop ; but even
a sop has its uses. If the Opposition be wise, they
will offer all possible assistance in disposing of the
question. Some debate and division may reasonably
be expected on the particular figure of the county
andperhaps of theboroughqualification ;,the borough
leaseholders must certainly be withdrawn, leaving
the borough freeholders in the possession of their
present anomalous privileges; and a more satisfac-
tory settlement of the question of boundaries must