The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-05 00:00:00

must contain an advertisement of PALMERSTON
and Co.'s Reform Bill, and the Premier must

issue a pretty full prospectus afterwards for the
country to study after Honourable Gentlemen
have fled to the moors or to the sea shore. Some
of this advice may be honestly meant—but we
knew the meaning of most of it, and it is neither
more nor less than this—spare poor Lord PAL-
MERSTON, burdened as he is with his large ma-
jority.

Now we have no kind of sympathy with this
mawkish pity for PALMERSTON. One of the First
Peers of the Realm, the Noble Leader of the
Conservatives in the House of Lords, was pleased,
in quoting our Candidates' Catechism, and the
remarks connected with it, to mention us as
among Lord PALMERSTON'S supporters ;—we are
the supporters of no man, as such. We have
supported Lord DERBY when we thought him in
the right, and we have thoroughly exposed Lord
PALMERSTON when we thought him in the wrong.
And, however right we thought him on the Chi-
nese question, if he cannot come up to our stand-
ard on the great domestic question of this Parlia-

ment, we shall show him no more mercy than
Manchester, Huddersfield, and Salford showed the
League. Already he has fallen behind expecta-
tion in the Chinese business. Witness his truck-
ling to routine and the Horse Guards in the nomi-
nation of a General, his loss of time in getting of
guc-boats and reinforcements, and to clench all—
the Transit again ! Pity Lord PALMERSTON I No,
we cannot. Pity a Premier with THREE HUNDRED
AND EIGHTY Members elected to vote for him—
pity him ! what for 1 Why, because these three
hundred and eighty were elected to vote for Pal-
merston and Reform, and it is believed the Pre-
mier, and perhaps the Court, wants the PALMER-
STON without the Reform.

Now we quite agree with those who demand
that the QUEEN'S Speech announce a H,eforn
We will not accept a Jew for a Reform Bill ;
neither will we accept a Reform Bill next year
for one this year. We do not want a Btltic sett-
sion. We have given our Government one hun-
dred guns more than the enemy, and. woe t.) the
demander if he close the campaign with only a
look at the Conservative Cronstadt. Lat him
remember Sir CHARLES NAPIER. If he does not
we shall ; for we feel no doubt that if he do nob
avail himself of his superiority in the way the
country expects be will be dismisse I from his
command by another session. His successor
would do little better than he, and the nation,
after having elected a Reform Parliament, will
see the enemy's fortress left intact at the end of
the war.

It shall he no fault of ours if this cajolery do
succeed. We believe it is a deliberate design
to boas the nation. If Reform can be shuffled
•ut of now, it will be evaded next year, and for
ever, Parliaments without end. From the days
of NEBUCHADNEZZA.II till now the drift of puzzled
magicians and conjurors has bean to gain time.
Time and the chapter of accidents h the last de-
fence of anti-Reformers ; it should therefore be
the one thing refused by Reformers. When time
is demanded they may be sure that it need 4 but

a vigorou assault, and the Malakoff is t ►ken.
No statesman pleads want of time when he has
anything better to plead. A few weeks ago the
Premier's Moniteur told us that he had hardly
wasted three weeks, instead of a year ; if sl, why
have we not as much time to deal with Reform
this session as we should be likely to have in any
coming one ? We say deliberately that t) put off
a large measure of Reform till another session is
to put it off till the Greek K►lend=, or till Mr.
GLADSTONE will arrange an honest income tax.

One word more. We are not exacting in de-
tails. We can well leave all that really requires
some time till next session. What we want is
one or two simple and easy extensions of the suf-
frage and voting by ballot. It would be easy, for
instance, in a few days to make the suffrage and
paying to the poor-rates co-extensive, and at the
same time to abolish the zate-paying clauses,
leaving the overseers and the law to settle their
own business. The franchise in counties ought to
be the same, and that is the only alteration we
should suggest to Mr. LOCKE KING—A clause,
namely, that if the franchise were extended to
any class in towns, the corresponding class should
enjoy it in the counties. The cant about the im-
portance of different franchises for boroughs and
counties is too transparently Eldonian to impose
on a child. But the Ballot is the reform
which is the first necessity. We maintain now,
as we have maintained before, that if but
one reform can be carried, it ought to be
this. Before all other reforms, let a vote be a
vote—a reality—the act of the person who gives
it, not of another who uses him as a tool. Talk,
indeed, of the mechanical character of the Billot I
Why, what on earth is more mechanical than the
vote of the tenant-farmer, the mortgagor, the
dealer, the retail tradesman ? Open vctiug is a
►mechanical device for depriving the votes of de-
pendent persons of their free and intelligent cha-
racter. The Ballot is a mechanical device tar), if
you will ; but it is one for making a vote an
affair of judgment, free will, conscience. We
care not who is the Minister to do it ; but we
would support the veriest 01l Tory Premier who
could be found in any of the old political strata if
he would but give us the Ballot.

Yesterday morning the ceremony of charching the
Q seen was performed in the private chapel at Bucking.
ham Pa see, by the Hon. the Very RdV. the Dean of
Windsor. His Royal Highness Prince Albert, the
Prince of %Vales, the Princess Royal, the Princess Alice,
a id the Marchioness of E,y, were present.
The Countess de Neilllly and the Duke and Duchess
de Nemours visited her Majesty yesterday.

Tile Hon. Mr. and Mrs. Vernon have arrived at the
St. George's Hotel.

Sir Francis and Lady Arabella Baring some to town
t:.-morrow, from their seat in Hampshire, for the season.
Sir Bebjarnin Halt 14 London yesterday tor Man-
che-ter, to attend the opening of the Art Treasures Ex-
hibition.

Lord Faversham arrived in town a few days since
from Duncombe Park, Yorkshire. fitr ladyship remains
at Duncombe Park.

Lady ale is txpectid in town in a few days from
acton, near Exeter, for the season.
Lord Lilford has lelt the St. Goorge's Hotel.
The 11.ght Hon. Sidney Herbert, M.P., and Mrs.
Herbert come to town to-morrow, from Wilton House,
far the season.

The E trl and Countess of Lanesborough returned to
town on Saturday, from Swithland Hall, Leicestershire,
for the season.

The Earl and Countess of Darnley return to town to.
tnnrrow for the seagon.

Viscount and Viscountess Boyne have arrived in Bel-
grave“quare, from their seat, Burwarten Hall, Shrop-
shire.

Lord and Lady Poltirnore arrived at their house in
Grosvenor-square, yesterday, from Paris.
Tae Lady Augusta Fien. es gave birth to a daughter,
yesterday morning, in. Prrtroan-square. We are glad
ladyship and the infant are pro-
at.:
eat;
eninnogu
fnacve, thatu; her
y

Her Royal, highness the Duchess of Kent dined with
the QUe;il in the evening.

OR Thursday it is expected that her Majesty and
Prince Albert, with the Royal Family and ladies and
gentlemen in waiting, will take their departure for the
Queen's marine residence at Osborne, Isle of Wight.
A Cabinet Council was held yesterday at the official
residence of the First Lord of the Treasury, in Down-
ing-street. All the Ministers were present.
The Qaeen wi.).l hold a Privy Council w-morrow (Wed•
liesday) M Buni‘,l4igham Falay.