The Sun. — 1859-02-10 (London, England)

BAROMETER.-29.53.  WIND, South-Westerly ; light, with dull weather, and partial rain. It rained yesterday all day and night, with heavy squalls. Two o' Clock—Fine sunshiny weather.  A timely letter from Mr. COBDEN will be found in another part of our impression of this evening. A communication apropos of the Ballot-of Mr. BERKELEY'S next motion in its regard—of Mr. BRIGHT'S energetic agitation for the Reform of Parliament. Our only regret in respqt of this letter ii its brevity. Every syllable of it, however, is full of encouragement. Its whole . purport is propitious. Coming from Mr, COBDEN'S hand previous to his departure for the United States, and at the close of hisprolonged silence and retirement, it • is peculiarly acceptable. It is a letter, as will be observed, to the vice-chairman of the Ballot Society—a letter deprecating the notion that the comprehensive movement set on foot by the Member for Birmingham in anyway whatever implies the advisability of the Ballot Society abandoning their own distinct organisation. "Don't for a moment suppose this"—says Mr. COBDEN, in his homely, forceful way, adding "I'll venture to say, *when Mr. BERKELEY brings forward his motion, he will have no better advocate at his back than Mr. BRIGHT!, Seconded by Mr. BRlGHT— supported by some 230 believers - in the efficacy of the Ballot already in the House of Commons—aided by the knowledge that there is that inevitable " appeal to the country" coming fast towards us in the later part of this very session— the pear ripe—the breezes of the reform agitation rising audibly, now in one direction, now in another—the Hon. Member for Bristol is at this moment rapidly approaching that very period which he has so long aspired to witness, the period foretold years back by the Hon. and Learned exMember for the City of London, GEORGE GROTE, banker and scholar—historian of the Greeks, and champion of the Ballot ! Mr. BERKELEY succeeded Mr. GAoTE with the annual motion for the Ballot—now very speedily, we doubt not, to be transformed from a motion into a Bill, and from a Bill into an enactment. The Ballot at this hour has become the touchstone of the true Reformer. It will be the watchword in the midst of the struggle of the next general election. Whichever of the great parties contending for power first declares for it—as one of them inevitably will shortly—will receive in recompense from the country a prolonged tenure of office. The Whigs, in order to do this, would have to pass, first of all, through the painful ordeal of a flagrant and deliberate recantation. As yet, they are distinctly pledged against it. Not so the strong party now holding the reins of Government. In regard to the Ballot, they, as a party, have not yet, in either way, disthictly committed themselves. Their fate, at this moment, is in their own hands. Let them recognise frankly the necessity of the hour, and give the Ballot, and they may appeal to the country with a Perfect confidence in the result of that appeal—and they may carry their own Reform Bill almost intact through both Houses in the new Parliament—and they will secure themselves firmly in office as a popular Government. Let them, on the contrary, miss this golden opportunity_pre, cisely, at the wrong moment, declare against --the Ballot—and then—" Farewell, a long farewell to all their greatness !" They will forthwith be succeeded by men wiser in their generation. Their now con. siderable minority will rapidly collapse.to one much  smaller. They will have committed political suicide. It would be idle, however, to look for anything so inconceivable in the way of fatuity as this from men who have upon all other questions, as yet, since the date of their acceptance of office, shown such remarkable sagacity amidst the manifold toils and responsibilities of government. Whatever course Lord DERBY and his colleagues may pursue in regard to the question of the Ballot, we are at any rate sanguine of this—that Mr. COBDEN will return from his " very short visit to the United States," but just in time to witness the triumph of that Great Question, and, in all probability, himself to participate in the first advantages derived from it, by entering once more the scene of his own former triumphs, as a member of the new re-reformed Parliament.  There has been a supplement to the Imperial speech. Count de MoRNY has, in his capacity as President of the Corps Legislatif, spoken out plainly and intelligibly in favour of peace—or at least he puts that interpretation on the speech of the