The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-29 00:00:00

THE WEATHER.—Sux OFFICE, MARCH 29.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
57—highest since noon yesterday.
50—lowest this morning and during :he night.
55—this day at noon.
BAuomETEI-29.27—5ti1l
WIND, South-Westerly; ratherfresh, with fine sunshiny
weather, and fleecy clouds. Rain in the night.
Three o'clock.-.-The wind has shifted to N.W., blowing
fresh.with a sprinkling of rain.

Another night's debate has contributed but little
towards the settlement of the great, the all-im-
portant, question now before Parliament and the
country. It is true that Mr. EDWIN JAMES made
a maiden speech of great brilliancy; but although
unequalled at nisi pries, he has not yet attained
much legislative experience, and it was too much
of a one-sided character—too closely in accordance
with the terms of his brief—to carry with it the
-Weight which his extraordinary eloquence must
otherwise have commanded. We rejoice, however,
to see such a man as the representative
Of one of our most important constituencies
making such a brilliant maiden speech. The
new atmosphere in which he is placed will
work a decided improvement, and render the hon.
awl learned gentleman one of the most useful mem-
bers in the House. In one respect he made a very
decided hit. He characterised in just terms the
speech of the noble lord the member for TiVerton,
IPL declaring . that Ministers had accepted once
4 .with its, engagements," and that they would not
be allowed "either to resign or dissolve." This
was unquestionably " an attempt to put a strait
Waistcoat upon Ministers, and to expose them
pinioned and helpless to the derision of the House
and country." The mock paternal advice ten-
dered , was so clearly ironical, so very dif-
ferent from what the noble lord would
himself accept under similar circumstances, that
it could only be regarded as a deliberate insult. It
Was couched in. a tone of arrogance, peculiarly
offensive to gentlemen of equal rank and position
to himself, intended, as Sir JOHN PAKINGTON, in
his admirable address, declared to place the Go-
vernmeni on " the horns of a dilemma," from which
they could not escape, and which, as the Right

Honourable Baronet justly declared, they would
not tolerate under any possible circumstances, .
The debate has produced many able arguments ;
but few have been more manly or straightforward,
more clear and convincing than the First Lord of
the Admiralty. He has distinctly and explicitly
declared that the House " may pass the Bill,
or they may pass the resolution ; but if they
pass the resolution, they will not have the Bill."
This raised the true issue, defeated the various
efforts to entrap stray and wavering votes, which
might possibly be obtained under the erroneous
opinion that a majority in favour of the resolution
would not prevent the bill from going into com-
mittee, or lead either to the resignation of Lord
DERBY and his colleagues or an appeal to the
country. It was not in such a spirit that it was
framed. It was solely intended to lead to a com-
plete change of Government, and the substitution
of the Whig party for the present occupants of the
Ministerial benches. But although artfully con-
trived for the purpose—although worded so as to give
some plausible pretexts to hon. gentlemen who would
scarcely venture to oppose the second reading of the
bill, the matter has been too clearly exposed by Sir
JOHN PAKINGTON, as well as by the Attorney-
General of Ireland, and others, who spoke during
the discussion, that it can no longer deceive any
save the wilfully blind, and every voter will have
the opportunity of declaring his opinion respecting
the conduct of those who will have proved them-
selves the opponents of any practical measure of
Reform.

Is there any point in the Bill which could not be
amended in committee ? Although not going as
far as it ought to do, it contains many valuable
features, and every objectionable clause could either
be rejected, or so far modified, as to be rendered
acceptable to the community. Ministers would
then have a fair opportunity of deciding on the
course they would adopt. But that is denied by
the factious nature of the proceedings. It is, as we
have already said, " place, patronage, and power,"
that are coveted and not a measure of Reform, a
large instalment of which is required by the great
majority of the people. Neither Lord JOHN nor
Lord PALMERSTON have given any decided proofs
of zeal or sincerity in bringing the Act of 1832 up
to the requirements of the day. The former was
for nearly 20 years the advocate of finality, and it
was only when he felt that the matter might be
taken out of his own hands, and that the laurels
which he had fairly earned might be transferred to
more earnest supporters of the cause, that he again
admitted the propriety of further ameliorations !
But how did he proceed ? What anxiety did he
show to carry out the objects " which he supported
in his youth, and will not desert in his old age
Did he not permit the question to be quietly
shelved? Did he not assent to every plausible
excuse for procrastination, and permit the subject
to slumber until taken up by the present Admini-
stration, in the conscientious belief that it required
a speedy settlement ? Lord PALMERSTON had not
even the prestige that belonged to his quondam
rival and present ally. His opinions on the subject
are too well known to permit any doubt respecting
his hostility to any measure of Reform ; and the
various postponements to which he resorted, the
refusal to give the slightest hint as to what he
would ultimately tender for public acceptance,
and the virtual admission that. notwithstanding his
repeated promises, he had no bill prepared which
would clearly exhibit the chances of Parliamentary
Reform, if subjected to his tender consideration.
We regret to find Sir JAMES GRAHAM confess-
ing that he had a share in framing the resolution.
But the reasons he gave for such a course were
such as shculd induce every sincere Liberal to sup-
port the second reading, against which he'-was
prepared to vote if necessary! He objected to the
system of voting papers, because he objected to
TIIE BALLOT, and voting papers would unquestion •
ably lead to its adoption. He likewise complained
of bestowing the elective franchise on lodgers, and
to the extension of the suffrage. Hear this pro-
fessing Liberal, and declare which are the true
Reformers—the members of the Cabinet or those
who endeavour to displace them by supporting the
specious resolution now before the House.

The electors of Taunton appear to think the
present time an important one on the subject of the
Ballot—an opinion with which we certainly coin-
cide. They have taken the decided step—in which
we hope they will find many followers—of request-
their Liberal member, Mr. LABOUCHERE, not to
strengthen by his vote that of the Tory member
for the same borough, by voting with him against
the Ballot. Every professedly Liberal member
who has voted against the Ballot, or failed to vote
for it, should receive from his constituents a similar
communication with that sent to Mr. LABOUCHERE;
and we may hope that the answer would in some
cases be different. If from any cause Liberal
members have fancied their constituents did not
care about the matter—and that has been the
reason for their own apathy, or fbr their voting
with the Tories and Lords PALMERSTON and
RUSSELL—withthe proof that they were mistaken,
we might expect that they would reverse their
conduct. If, on the contrary, like Mr. LABOU-
CHERE, they have made up their minds that abso-
lute electoral independence is not to be conceded,
then, of course, we could but commend them in
preferring to place their seats, rather than their
convictions, at the disposal of their constituents.
Mr. LABOUCHERE appears to perceive that the
case is, for him, as a representative, a serious one.
The requisition contains the names of "a consider-
able number of his constituents," and he " perceives
those of many of his oldest and firmest friends."
He may well, therefore, "take with sincere pain a
course at variance with his wishes." All he has to
say is, Ist, that his opinion is unchanged, and he
should therefore be:unworthy to represent them if,
under, these circumstances he changed his vote.
2dly, that he is not unduly biassed by personal
interest. idly, that he might even gain at Taunton
if the election were by Ballot. 4thly, that his own
tenants are all allowed to vote as they please.
sthly, that he has served the borough 30 years,
amidst all the political events and changes of that
time. Hence, as he says, the simple, question is,
"whether the difference between us on the subject
of the Ballot really outweighs in your minds that
general coincidence of sentiment on other questions,
which has so long existed, and which, I believe,
still exists between us."
We do not
Well—we have here a strong ease.
like forgetting the days of " Auld lang sync," and
Mr. LABOUCHERE is one of the most respectable of
the old Whig respectabilities. He has done fair
service in his time, and may yet do more ; and pro-
bably many of " his oldest and firmest" Taunton
friends will be as unwilling to give him notice to
quit, as he can be to receive it. We should our-
selves,if electors at Taunton, refuse our vote to Mr.
LABOUCHERE with no little reluctance. We must,
however, decidedly give it as our opinion, that the
electors of Taunton would just now perform an
invaluable service to their country, and to pos-
terity, by sending a second memorial to Mr
LABOUCHERE. They ought now to inform him,
" that theiropinions, like his, arc unchanged ;" that
the difference of opinion, while a Reform Bill is

under discussion, is vital ; and that though, were
this vital question not pending, they would elect
him by ballot, they cannot elect him openly to vote
against it.

The importance of such a decision by the electors
of Taunton can hardly be exaggerated. We be-
lieve it would take its place in history. It would
spread utter consternation amongst the haughty
coteries of the old Whigs. They would understand
that such an example must be contagious. Few
places are equally bound by long personal and poli-
tical associations to their members as Taunton is to
Mr. LABOUCHERE. Lord JOHN RUSSELL would
soon receive warning from London, Sir CHARLES
WOOD from Halifax, Mr. SMITH from Northamp-
ton, and so forth; Lord PALMERSTON would, of
course, hear from Mr. ROWCROFT. In proportion
to the long and known respect of representatilie
and member for each other at Taunton would be
the weight of the testimony with the public. We
are confident that, in declining to support Mr.
LABOUCHERE any longer, many of the electors
would perform a very painful duty ;• one, indeed,
which nothing but its being a duty would dispose
them to perform.

But is it not a public ditty ? The electors have
now, by their own act, and most commendably, too,
placed themselves before all England as the first
constituency which has openly admonished a Whig
of public standing on the subject of the Ballot. It
is just the Whigs who stop the way. Did they
not leave Reform on this question, and go over in
a body to the Tories, it would have been settled ere
now. They need a public
.admonition that this
course will no longer be tolerated. Again, the
Reform Bill is the business of the session. It, is
while this business is in hand that more service can
be rendered by prompt action than at any other
time. Probably a better juncture for compelling
members to declare for or against the Ballot, and
to refuse them, if hostile to it, further support, may
not occur again for years.

Mr. LABOUCHERE thinks the evils of the Ballot
would outweigh those it professes to remedy, but
will not in a letter argue the question. • We think
the evils of the polling-book outweigh those they
profess to remedy ; but neither shall we argue now
a question we have milled often enough. These
evils we consider to be greater than those which
any of Lord JOHN'S Bills, as well as the present
Government Bill, professes to remedy. The Ballot
is the Reform Bill now wanted ; the rest would
follow, " free and independent voting" men with
the present constituencies. Just at this time,
therefore,it seems incumbent on a constituency,
which has so worthily taken the lead, to follow up
its action to its consistent results. Better, far, not
to have, sent their requisition, than, having sent it,
to be frightened by a refusal from following it up
consistently.

Nor should time be lost. On the amendment of.
Lord J. RUSSELL an amendment will be moved—an
addition—that the Ballot also is requisite to a satis-
factory Reform Bill. Shall the supporters of that
motion be left to hear their opponents chuckling to
each other over the manner in which "LABOUCHERE
soon taught those Taunton fellows their proper
place?" Shall other members be, by the silence of
the Taunton electors, emboldened to take the
haughty course tendered them by the " leading
journal ?" Or, shall constituents, from fear of a
similar refusal, be discouraged from taking action
at all? As we view the matter, the electors of
Taunton have placed themselves in the front of a
noble battle, and they have only the alternative of
retreating with dishonour to themselves and injury
to their country—or achieving for themselves the
highest place in the contest for their country's
liberties.

THE SOURCE OF THE NILE.

A letter from Marseilles, of the 2fith inst., states
that a fresh expedition has been organised for dis-
covering the source of the Nile. The expedition is
conducted by M. Miani, a Venetian, who has in-
habited Cairo for the last 10 years. He is a member
of the Geographical Society of Paris, and the
author of a map of the valley of the Nile. He has
carefully studied the various difficulties attending
his perilous enterprise. •He came to France two
months since to complete the materiel and theper-
some/ of his expedition. The Emperor Napoleon
authorised the Minister of War to deliver to M.
Miani the arms and ammunition necessary for his
escort. The director of the arsenal of Marseille& has
consequently forwarded 100 flint muskets and 3,000
cartridges to Alexandria. The expedition is com-
posed of the Parisian painter, Dumas ; Captain
Peyhoux, of the French commercial navy, whose
•mission is to make observations and fix the degrees
of latitude and longitude, and to construct boats to
traverse the lakes which the expedition may meet ;
of M. Paussel, of Avignon, secretary to the expe-
dition; a
.physician, a naturalist, and a chemist,
who are now in Egypt. The expedition will fix
its head-quarters at Kartoum, in Upper Egypt,
a town in which about a dozen natives of Mar-
seilles or Genoa reside. M. Miani is supplied
with a' formidable materiel, and his escort is
to be numerous. He takes with him a quantity
of French trinkets, to present to the chiefs
of Arab tribes, or to. African princes, or for traffic.
M. Miani's expedition has a double character—first
scientific, and next commercial. M. Miani has
already contracted with merchants in Paris for the
delivery of elephants' .teeth, gold dust, copper,
coral, indigo, lion, panther, leopard, and tiger
skins, which are of great value in Paris. The mem-.
bers oft he Miani expedition are armed with Minie
rifles which kill at 1,000 yards, and with sabres
similar to those of the Chasseurs of Vincennes,
which fit to the rifles. They are likewise fur-
nished with cuirasses and metallic masks, to
protect them from the bite of poisonous insects.
They carry with them likewise a supply of fright.
ful masks calculated to terrify the- most savage
tribes. The members of the expedition, who will
feed themselves as they can, and chiefly by the
chase, will traverse Nubia, Sennar, and Abyssinia.
They expect to go far beyond the Equator, and to
ascertain whether such a tribe of Negroes exists as
the Niam-Niam ; and, if they find protection, they
will traverse • Africa in its entire length, and come
out on the coast opposite Zanzibar. When all the
preparations are concluded, M. Miani and his col-
leagues will embark on board the English steamer
which carries the Indian mail, or on Sunday next,
on board the Tamise, of the Messageries Imperiales
Company. en arriving at Alexandria they will
claim the protection of Said Pacha, Viceroy of
Egypt.

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THE SUN.
TUESDAY. MARCH 29, 1859.