The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-29 00:00:00

LONDON, IRIDAY, MAY 29, 1868.

The public will learn with satisfaction that the
Scotch Reform Bill has been virtually finished, and
only the supplementary clauses have to be consi-
dered. This is well, for the time is getting on, and
any further delays that would have deferred the
bill until after the Whitsuntide holidays would have
been much to be deprecated on every account. We
are not surprised that the committee should have
exhibited signs of impatience, and resolved at all
hazards to get on with the business before them.
It was all very fine for those prejudiced in
the matter to begin discussing abstract prin-
ciples, but men of sense had to consider
whether or not the bill was to be finished
this Session, and to shape their course accordingly.
On the whole, the Government seem to have made
wise concessions, and the result has been that they
have been strong enough to withstand the opposi-
tion made to them. Some of this was not inconsi-
derable, and Mr. GLADSTONE and Mr. BRIG= again
exerted their eloquence in vain. The representa-
tion of minorities is most obnoxious to the hon.
member for Birmingham, and he loses no opportu-
nity of testifying his dislike to it. The committee
were, however, proof against all his objurgations,
and it is fortunate they were, for the proposition
may as well be tried, and if it prove efficacious it
can easily be extended at a future period to other
places. Mr. BRIGHT never measures his sentences
or weighs his words when he has a point to serve,
and hence it is no wonder that we find this repre-
sentation of minorities characterised as an " odious
innovation," and verygrievous to all the constituen-
cies of England. He made a long statement, to the
effect that it must not be agreed to, and wound up
by describing it as an emanation from the House
of Lords. Perhaps this initiating reminder may
account for the circumstance that he became so
vehement in his language, for we know that the
mere " mention of the other place" is enough to
raise his wrath in the greatest degree. Mr. LID-
DELL was venturesome enough to accuse Mr. BRIGHT
of preferring American principles to everything
else, and he drew down upon himself thereby such
a torrent of reproach that the Chairman had to in-
terfere, and remind the hon. gentleman that he was
getting unparliamentary in his tone. Mr. LIDDELL
adroitly added that at any rate Mr. BRIGHT admired
American manners. Mr. GLADSTONE, in a more
moderate style, put his veto upon the principle, but
seemed very undecided about its merits ono way or
the other. It is not to be expected that the mind
of the rigbt hon. gentleman can always jump at
conclusions as it did with respect to the Irish
Church Establishment. The Committee declined,
however, to wait until he was ready to affirm
or deny the principle of representation by
minorities, and Mr. DISRAELI showed very clearly
that they had to decide between the minority prin-
ciple sanctioned by the House last year and a new

scheme. The result of the division gave a majority
of fifty-nine against the amendment of Mr.
GRAII AM. Mr. MILL created some amusement
by declaring that if all places had their rightful
number of members Glasgow should have six.

An attempt was made to combine the counties of
Sutherlandshire and Ross, which provoked a spi-
rited speech from Lord R. LEVESON-GOWER, and
Mr. DISRAELI and Mr. GLADSTONE concurred in
opposing the amendment. Upon a division the amend-
ment was rejected. In order to settle the difficulty