The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-23 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY, MARCH 23, 1857.

A fortnight from the present date will witness
the election of a new Parliament. The Fifth
Parliament of VICTOB.Ii—to which Parliament
will ba commht3d nominally for seven years, pro-
bably for five, the destinies of the British Empire,
according to the working of one of the most im-
portant provisions of the Constitution.
Already every one of the preliminary formali-
ties requisite in the carrying out of an Appeal to
the Conntry has been attended with a more than
ordinary degree of promptitude and scrupulosity.
Soarcely had the Lords and Commons listened to
:he announcement of the Prorogation delivered in
the name of Her MAJESTY by the Royal Commis-
sioners when there appeared in rapid sequence in
an extraordinary Supplement to the Gazette the
formal Proclamation calling for the new
Parliament. Scarcely had impressions of
this important document well issued damp and
reeking from the Press, when the writs were de-
spatched far and wide over the three kingdoms to
each of the various cousti tuencies. All this,
remember, taking place within the compass of a
few hours on Saturday evening—the Prorogation,
the Proclamation, and the Distribution of the new
Writs to the different constituencies I Those
writ moreover, being forwarded upon the present
occasion direct to the Returning Officer in each
locality : instead of, as formerly, to the High
Sheriff of the county, to be sent out by that offi-
cial to their several destimtions. An innovation
in the electioneering arrangements obviously colon-
lated to expedite the course of events, and, by
simplifying the proceedings in the first stage, to
bring us to the last with the utmost possible de-
gree of expedition. And so, the Executive, iu the
name of the Crown, having performed its share in
the labours of a General Election, everything
else now rests entirely with the Constituencies
themselves. Upon them devolves the whole Of
the remaining responsibility—a responsibility
affecting for that matter, indeed, each individual
Elector for the counties, cities, boroughs, univer-
sities, and cinque ports returning Members to
Parliament. The counties will have to commence
their elections at the latest alter eight days have
elapsed, and they will have 'to reach the limit of
their completion within four days afterwards. The
other elections—those for boroughs, cities, cinque
ports, and universities—have their time yet more
restricted. A minimum of three clear days, and
a maximum of six being at their disposal for the
purposes of selection among the various candi-
dates. So that we are already in a manner
within view of the End at the very time when we
can scarcely be said to have realised the initial
fact of the Beginning.
A fortnight, therefore, we repeat, will witness
the return of the new members by the several
constituencies. Palmerstonians and Derbyites,
Whigs and Tories, Liberals and Conservatives,
pleading simultaneously to the most "sweet
voices" of the possessors of the franchise—argu-
meutatively and oratorically at the hustings
coaxingly and wheedingly at the polling booths.
At the former by themselves in person—at the
latter through their agents and representatives.
Many of the more adventurous candidates, in
truth, have already "talked the matter over"
with sundry of the constituencies, as comfortably
as possible under the very peculiar circumstances
of theoccasion. Adventuring upon this course either
by a -Written Address or by a Spoken Address.
Mr. BRIGHT, for example, sending a letter from
Rome to Manchester. Sir JAMES GRAHAM, again,
going down boldly and taking the BULL by the
Horns
maatn
yCarlisle—speaking, for we don't know
hours,
as Sir JAMES GRAHAM can
speak when
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but aatmildasstt (of course!) amidst pretty general
acclamations. Others again, not content with
doing one thing, have done both—following up a
forma printed Appeal to the Electors with au