The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-02 00:00:00

MINISTERIAL TACTICS.

Under the the heading " Ministerial Tactics " a corm--
spondent of the Daily News gives an interesting
sketch of what he thinks will be action of the Con-
servative party in Opposition. Having got Mr.
Disraeli out of office—to the writer an easy matter
—Mr. Gladstone's trouble will begin. He
will find the subject of disestablishment and
disendowment so large, that he will have to
divide the measures into two parts—one enacting
immediate disestablishment, gradual disendowment,
and the appointment of a commission to receive the
funds as they fall in ; the other defining the eventual
appropriation of the money. He will then attempt
to re-enact his tactics on the Reform question.
But to this the Conservatives will demur, and will
move that the whole of the measures to be considered
be brought before the House. The correspondent of
the Daily News thinks that here also Mr. Gladstone
will have a majority; but not so pronounced as he
would have supposing the question were moved on
the Address. There will be another " Cave." It is,
therefore, probable that Mr. Disraeli will rather resign
before the kddress than allow a division to take
place which is certain to be against him, and to
shew the whole strength of the Liberal party.
The argument of the correspondent is very plausible.
It should, however, be added that a denial has already
been given, "on authority," to the story as to a
premature resignation. But, for that matter, what
is not said " cn authority " new-a-days ?

THE BALLOT.

The impetus given io the Ballot during the recent
elections must have astonished even its most ardent
admirers. From all parts of the country the same
tale of coercion and intimidation is heard, and the
conversions to secret voting may be counted by
scores. The Liberal papers seem determined
to give publicity to every gross instance of
undue influence, the effect being that many of the
most influential members of the Liberal party, who
have hitherto strongly opposed or only given a half-
hearted support to the Ballot, are now convinced that
its adoption is absolutely necessary. At the contest
in South Devon on Friday, Lord Courtenay, M.P.,
the eldest son of the Earl of Devon, took up his
position in the polling-booth at Kingsbridge, where his
father's tenants came to vote. His lowish ip was, however,
compelled by the under-sheriff to leave. In another
county—South Shropshire—a clergyman, finding
that numbers of his parishioners had promised to
vote for Mr. More, the Liberal candidate, went about
telling them that they were going to vote for the
Pope, for the Queen to be beheaded, and Pro-
testant clergymen to be burnt for their faith.
A number of cottagers living in a village on the out-
skirts of Shrewsbury received a letter from their
landlord " ordering " them to vote for Mr.
Gore and Lord Newport, and deliberately
threatening them that if they did not obey his
mandate they would have to quit their cottages
forthwith. The two defeated Liberal candidates for
Southampton have issued addresses, in which they
deliberately state that the main causes of their defeat
were coercion and corruption, in proof of which they
bring forward several instances. Again, the great
difficulty which the Liberal party have had to con-
tend with in order to seat their men for counties is
adduced as another instance why the Ballot should be
taken up by the next Liberal Government, in order to
counterbalance the tremendous influence now wielded
by large landed proprietors. It is therefore suggested,
that a memorial should be at once prepared and for..
warded to Mr. Gladstone by the Liberals of every
town in England, setting forth the absolute
necessity of the Ballot, and calling urgently upon him
to direct his attention to the subject. It is believed
that Mr. Gladstone would not be able to resist such
an appeal, And that he would follow the example of
his present and his ex-" whips," Mr. Glyn and Mr.
3rand, in being converted to the justice of 51194 4
measure.