, 1866-03-12
BRITISH zfEFOnM AND FENIAN-
REN1.

BRITISH REFORM AND FGNlAN-
ISM.
The question Of Parliamentary Reform in
Great Britain is a question between the one
seventh Of the people who are voters and the
si1-sercnths who are not, as to how little the
formcr can do In the way Of extending politi.
cal rights to the latter, without provoking d
rebellion and revolution that would be Ger
tain to end in universal suffrage. TIE pplicy
OF Palmerston was to express sympathy with
the KefoEmers, hut to act with the Conscrva-
tiyes, aud while thus encouraging the hopes
Of each party, and enjoying the full conf
dcncc Of neither, to draw away the attention
Of both from The question ut issue by Z" yis-
orous :" and meddlesome foreign policy.
Thus for thirty -four years, since the passage
Of the Reform Bill of 1852, the country has
been withheld from making single advance
towards reform.
Many circumstances combine to render this
policy no longer possible. It was a policy
purely personal with Lord palmerston, which
he cannot transmit to any SUCCESSOR. None
OF them could keep England always on the
verge 'of foreign war without ever getting
over the brink Moreover, the close Of the
American war has demonstrated the strength
Of republican Institutions. For though the
London Iimes and Quarterly may falsely point
To our great rebellion as the alleged result Of
democracy, the radicals of England all know
that it was caused by slavery, the opposite Of
democracy, and that had our form of govern
mcnt been any other than democratic re.
public, we could never have raised the vast
armies nor levied the enormous ta1cs and
loans required to support it In short, the
leayen Of our great triumph Is working among
The English and Irish masses, teaching them
the strength Of a government founded on the
people. They have always believed In its
economy and 1ustice-now they are forced TO
admit LIS capacity OF endurance.
When John Bright declares In the British
Parliament that, could the Eix millions Of the
Irish people have their OWE wish and the
power. they would move Ireland two thou-
sand miles westward, and when he attributes
the impending Irish rebellion 10 England's
lack OF craftsmanship In not extending the
suttrnge, he expresses the sentiment not only
Of majority OF the Irish, but OF the English
people.
Unquestiouab,y Earl Russell, on assuming
the alternative to a revolution, In the re-
moval Of two Conservative members Of the
Palmerston Cabinet-General Peel and Mr..
uutt-and the Substitution Of two Radicals
Mr.. Forster and Mr.. Goschen, who arc second
only to John Bright in their devotion to the
Reform cause-Earl Russell gave promise OF
Reform. But unless the Fcniau movement
shall prove very formidable, the promise will
probably be violated. No motive but fear
ever induces those who have power to sur
render It. Already statistics are being taken
for the purpose OF showing that the extension
Of the franchise will plaee the rich at the
mercy OF the poor We copy from the last
London Quarterly an analysis, originally given
in the Ldu Times, Of the elect Of Reform in
changing the voting basis In single borough:
.-The return Of the boyoueh Of Preston. made by
The oves.ee1 hat alleady arpearcd. II Is The 1rs.
dent. occupying houses arsetssd 10 the poor-rate:
Resident houscDolders Iated II E10 and oyer, e5s1.
Number reted ai es and s1o sso: number Of cleet-
md under e. ~ IT. reduced, ass: Rated at q
and Under e I@: u reduced, 7.s;a. issted at IS
and under s5, -. Il reduced, 11.513 Under 81,
is0; std3eed. 1s,3l9 Thus it win be seen
tha,, assuming 500 Of The present constituency
si,nS ,Eer ~ n,,r, wv .rc ~. a In, ~, w u.'aes
e franchise would give The working csss na,os.
W 81 1wo sG one s EFT l a. 'hs Other Chase tossthe
to Que; and household fnirsce na,outy Of * "a
one: II e'theF case the present constituency would
nst ron jh,s netn st te 1ots1 nos lcs,. ~ ~ =,
Isted property Of the present electors IL esfa035;
me me- hna. o. the houses. r. assested a fl0, and
E,es01; while the renis or ali Tue houses rasd #
ls:s e.: ihsn sio amounts n the ageresa,c only 10
Es1 wouia ~ .re re Tx 80, o. progeny aiea Il
or occrrierB Of properly rated at .1sso61 wonid
have only s.s60 votes.
OF c,,urst. the h3ch Torr Iaoda, f},.,r,.ry,,
pfcalcts thaf such IN extension Of the fran
chise would result In dividing the estates of
he ,ich amono the roor thea ho,;,,o,, ~ ~
established church, man maahood God s satlsge, = the he
Of the pcesaec. and the complete
,r,,-t,,-rsn.. ~ ~. n~,.seS rs"a...'..,1 ~.
It is blind 10 the fact that any arrument
nrntus, ,cforn, hand or ,,,a o,,or. f,r.,s.-,, =.
..... .,.at1.E- .>1 " w aoo's " uies ny
mnD. Tim, 1,nds md mnnev ~ on ,,or,h % rana rn.n
+h.r +h,s. ,r,,, ,.., .a .r,,
lnan tnose "ho earn ana use them. This Is
the old argument Tor elavery In America.
To sboS bn1r the lo,rar, ~. 1,,-,,,.n.,- :.
york,nc .n,oro 4ba rou.r,to,s ~ Cao1ans
and I,,iand t,,a onao,, .N
two ,f 10 snoosha. as,;-osad y. ao''s sa.ea. no
mec,;n, NJ ,ha T.,,on.1 ncfaan Is,u,,'. ~ .sns ~"
49,. r. a.. . ..-,'.. .m Ns'us' one
III. ~ ,oto 1.r..,aaa ",'s'',sN .A1 wv
,,4,ns, ,.Ws ,ns 49, asun so,,.,aaaos ~ ' ,es ~
ar;ran ,n.;n,;a. H.. - ~ s.aa nu 80 eo,as oe
49, ~ p,M..as - ~ eue ~, egs VI ucspan,
49, Cora-,e.aat -, n ~rss,,:as 40 :, o''4lp''|A' .!
~ et1'a. NJ ~ '.u. ~.
,,an1,aoa % sn,r-. 49, ~ r aan,a s .,,'s sA suose ol