The Sun.
London, England, 1868-11-18 00:00:00

Westminster.

WHATEVER may be the ultimate result of the elec-
tions, one event is clear, that the nominations are a
farce which might advantageously be dispensed with.
It is a formality that no longer has even the slight
reason for it which used to exist. Household suf-
frage has converted so many of the non-electors into
electors, that there is no longer any motive for
paying them the idle compliment of asking for their
hands before putting the candidates to the test
of the poll. The old Constitutional myth by
which an election was prima' facie decided at the
hustings and remained good until set aside at the
polling-booth, is one of those antiquated absurdities
which has now lost even the little vestige of life that
it possessed. On the other hand, there is every con-
ceivable argument against the maintenance of
the venerable sham. In the first place, no
one can hear a word that the candidates or
their proposers or seconders say. The crowd that
gathers round the hustings comes, if it is in a good
humour, to shout—if it is in a bad humour, to fight.
While the popular candidate is speaking his supporters
cheer him ; while the unpopular candidate is speaking
his opponents groan him. Cheering and groaning
alike render futile all attempt on the part of either
candidate to make himself heard. Even if they should
be audible, they have, as a rule, nothing new
to say. They have already exhausted all the
topics of the day at ward meetings and
indoor gatherings. It is impossible to discuss great
questions of policy standing bareheaded on a
winter's day in the open street, before a shouting and
groaning multitude. It would beuseless to do so even if
it were practicable, for long before that late hour
men's minds have been made up, and all hustings
logic is as powerless to affect the poll as M.P.'s
'speeches delivered at the close of a great debate are
to affect the division. The only possibility of novelty is
the introduction of some personal dispute, and
that is better omitted. Thus, under the most
favourable circumstances, the nomination is super-
fluous. It may be something worse. At Blackburn,
for instance, there was a concourse of 80,000 persons
gathered together, excited to the highest pitch, ripe
for mischief, ready for bloodshed. Stones began to
be thrown, blood began to flow, and a wholesale
slaughter was prevented only by the praiseworthy
energy of the mayor, who sent for troops and quelled
the conflict. But he could not quell the ill-feeling which,
bitter enough before, was exasperated still more now.
Clearly, the omission of the nomination would have
been a public benefit. If we add to these considera-
tions that the elections have become more costly than
they were before, and that every opportunity
ought to be seized for reducing the cost, we
have a further reason for getting rid of the
hustings. There really seems not one reason why
the nominations of members for Parliament should
not take place in the same way as the nominations
of members for a Town Council.

LATEST INTELL MENU.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

OUTWARD BOMBAY MAIL.
MALTA, NOT. 8.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Poonah, from Southampton, 7th instant, arrived
on the 15th inst. at 11 a.m., and left at 6 p.m. for
Alexandria.