The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-25
The Approaching Elections In England-Ths
Great Reform Movement.

The Approaching Elections In Ensland-The
Great Reform Movement.
Thousands of citizen processonists parading
the streets of London, and the organization of
a mass meeting in Hyde Park last Sunday in
condemnation Of the State Church establish
| ment and denunciation of the action of the
House of Lords in the recent Parliamentary
effort to sustain it, afford new and startling evil
struggle in which will be decided, with Disraeli
| and the tories on one side and the toiling
masses on the other, the question whether
there is ''finality' of reform or if the English
people can complete constitutional revolution
within the constitution and by its operation.
The Irish and Scotch Reform bills, with the
Boundary bill, which defines the electoral
limits In which the constituencies shall vote
| under the English Reform bill, having been
signed by Queen Victoria, the event of general
election for members OF a new British Parlia-
ment next November becomes a matter of GER
tainty. In the cities, boroughs and counties of
the United Kingdom all persons claiming the
voting right will Immediately seek to be regis
tered according to law, and the revised lists
OF enfranchised men-perhaps of women also
certified and issued by the presiding judges
of these courts will contain a roll of
citizens qualified to cast the most impor-
tant vote ever before given in that country
vote which may have the effect of COM
pletey altering the political structure on which
the Crown rests for support, and thus bringing
to legitimate issue the great principle which
was evolved, but not thoroughly understood,
there before General Monck announced the
Restoration to its legislators.
When the Reform bill of 1882 was put
in operation the liberal and radical
leaders Of England proclaimed ''The bat
tie of the constitution must be fought in the
registration courts" The people accepted
the great truth and acted on it. Dur
ing the thirty-four years which have
the inscription on their banners, and slowly,
but patiently and surely, gained victory after
victory, at the hustings and in Parliament,
over the oligarchcal and tory interests. They
repealed the corn laws, obtained free trade,
emancipated the English dissenters in matters
of conscience, annulled Episcopal sees and
extinguished, in name, the 1.-THE system in
Ireland, reformed the judiciary and police
opened all government situations to those de-
clared the best qualified to fill them by COM
petitive examination, pronounced the Irish
Orangemen miserable, monopolizing mi
nority," and most important of all, by the
enactment Of the Encountered Estates Sales
bill for Ireland acknowledged that the law of
first entail in real estate is completely within
| the jurisdiction of Parliament
| This fine advance in the direction Of COM
plete reform in Britain has not Injured, how
ever, to the substantial benefit of the people,
In truth, II was not made fairly and squarely
| by the people, but obtained, to very great
extent, through the rivalries and jealouses of
the party leaders in both houses of Parlia-
ment, who, by changing Minister and conced-
ing a measure now and then, adroitly evaded
an open and manly discussion of principles
with the immense democratic power which
they kept hooded in dread Of its huge proper
| tons.
| The issue of the American civil war, by
| its splendid attestation Of mans cspability
for selfgovernment, removed the aristo-
cratic bandage from the eyes of the
people of England. They looked about and
beheld q million of their fellow men in
the warehouses; wages ruinously low, employ
ment precarious, and every interest in the land
| deprecated except those of the aristocracy
Ireland was exhausted by emigration, the
| highlands Of Scotland depopulated by the
same agency, taxation heavy, although indi-
rect, and nothing unchanged except the
"rights" of the mobiles, entwined with the
privileges of the Crown, vedetted by the Church
and flanked by the powerful patronage Of the
army and navy.
The people of the three kingdoms casped
hands In political resolve. From that union
comes the new Reform bill and the ap-
proach of a general election. The tories
witnessed the act and have been since pre-
pairing 10 stand face to face with free citi-
zeus. Earl Derbys retirement from Office,
| Disraeli's accession to power, and the recent
conversational remarks of the Prince Of Wales
on Anglo American politics give evidence
that they are not, however, prepared to fight
on the old exclusive 'line," while the angry
scenes which occurred in the House of Lords
on the Sd and 4th Of July-when Earl Russell
and the liberal minority left the chamber
in body-prove that the cohesion of class
is being resolved, and that large number of
the peers Of England will be very likely to take
the popular side during the great contest in
November. Should this inference prove cor
rect II will moderate the heat of the conflict
considerably and the constitution will be
gracefully adapted 10 existing circumstances
The British people cannot lose in any event