Year: 1868


York, at the port of New York, we have Eu-
ropean dates to August 4th.


ENGLAND.


DisrasIt's Programme announced from


the ThrOne.


The London Post, of Aug. 4th, says:--"The
language which Mr.. Disrael put into the mouth
OF his Sovereign when proroguiug Parliament
dispeis all doubt as to the line which will be
taken by that minister and his supporters at the
forthcoming elections. The cry will be not
merely The Church is in danger but Civil
and relieious liberty are in danger Ia other
words, Mr.. Disraeli will solicit the support of
the new as well OF the old constituency on
the faith of the assurance that if the policy of
the leader of the Liberal party Is persisted in,
all that an Englishman holds dear will be in
evitably sacrificed. As piece of elecGioneer-
ing tactics most persons feel inclined to con-
demn, as unworthy Of Mr.. Disraelrs
an attempt and even those who might other
wise be predisposed to endorse the policy of the
conservative chieftan will find themselves
compelled to condemn minister who has for
second lime in the course OF few months
during which he has occupied the post of First
Lord of the Treasury, placed his sovereign in
the van of the battle, and sought to concentrate
upon her the odium which he knew would not
taIl to be excited by hls doubtful tactics. The
public have rot forgotten the account which
the Prime Minister gave of his famous interview
with her Majesty at Osborne after the defeat of
the Government in the House of Commons on
Mr.. Gladstone's Irish Church resolutions.
Ego et Req meus was &C lrately if not
same time MIR. SDlsraell, by offering two
courses for her majesty's adoption, sought to
throw upon her the responsibility of having
retaLed her then advisers in her confidence.
What really passed at that celebrated interview
will probably never be accurately known. Mr..
Disrael told the House OF Commons that her
Majesty had empowered him to dissolve Parlia-
ment and that he would do so as soon as the
necessary business of the session would be dis
posed Of But he did not say what course he
would pursue in the event of any obstacle being
thrown in the way of completing the very con-
siderable mass of business which then remained
to be disposed Of. He did not say what he wonld
do if supplies were stopped, or if the Irish or
Scotch Reform bills were not passed. In the
House Of Lords the Duke OF Richmond was
more explicit, and quietly stated that it de-
pended on Parliament whether the old or the
new constituency was appealed to. Meanwhile
DAYS passed into weeks, and the end of the
session approached. The battle of the Irish
Church was fought over and over again in the
House of Commons, and the materials gathered
on which the Government were 10 base their
appeal TO the country. The speeches made from
the Treasury bench were addressed rather to
the country than to the House Of Commons, and
now, at the prorogatlon, that ,spirit, which in
spired them has once more made Itself manifest
in the speech from the throne"


The Great Reform Ex xpsrimsnt.


The London Telegraph of Aug 4 says:-"The
country is about to make a great experiment.
The effect OF the reform legislation of toe last
I WO sessions Is 10 cnalge lne CONSTITUENCIES OF
the United Kingdom and to put the supreme
governing power into new hauds; and, although
the extent OF the change is at present very
much matter of conjecture, enough is known
to Stamp the political revolution as greater than
any which the present generation has witnessed.
The Reform act of 1882 was essentially a mea-
sure OF middle-class enranchiSement. 1t
created, for tue first time, uniform property
qualification in boroughs, and gave predomi-
mating power TO the ten pound householders-
that is, TO a section OF the population interme-
0iatp bptWa the highest and the lowest i'm the
social scale. That in itself was vast amendment,
but it was by no means a return to the most
ancient democratic constitution of England.
1t IS now clear beyond dispute that
III the earliest ages of Pariam entary
Government the suffrage was founded on
the widest possible basis. Until the reign OF
Henry VI, when the forty shilling freehold
qualification was introduced in counties, we do
not find the slightest trace of any restriction of
household suffrage in either town or country.
For several reasons we may conclude
that for the present the extension OF the fran.
chise will be less than was generally anticipated
within the first year. We have only just created
new and complicated machinery, and a con-
siderable time is required to get it into full
operation. 1t is therefore true only in a limited
sense that the appeal is about to be made to the
new constituencies. Even If the cumbrous pro-
cesses OF the Reform act should not be simpied
and amended hereafter -eYen if the law next
year should be just the same as it is now-it is
certain that another registration will be m ore
productive than that which is now impending.
Men will be more familiar with their rights,
VIII understand DeLLer now 10 assert tleID ana
organizations of various kinds will be invented
to assist them in eurolling their names. We
really know very little about the constituencies.
Their number and character can be but vaguely
guessed Is the residuum excluded in bOroughs
WIN the great class of twelve pound house
holders in counties be independent or subject
to territorial influence? These and many other
essential facts of the problem which IS to be
worked out at the next general election are at
present unknown quantities. But, after all, the
ignorance is a matter Of degree only. We are
certain that the constituencies are made larger,
though how much larger we cannot tell. We
see distinctly that the governed and governing
classes are brought nearer together, though
how much nearer is as yet conjectural. About
the tendency and direction of the late reform
deIed the constitution more in unison with the
general body of the communicated is TO say
rulers aud statesmen now become more directly
subject to the observation, criticism, and con-
troll of the people. As necessary consequence
political leaders of all shades of opinion will
henceforth be compelled to be more distinct in
their policy and more emphatic in their utter
ances. The actors in the political theatre will
have to speak in the clearer language and to
follow up their professions with the more en-
phatic and practical action required by the
increased numbers and the awakened intelli"
gence of the nation"


Citizen Duty.


The Liverpool Mercury of August says;-


mr Dlsraell lately insulted the understandings
and outraged the consciences of his countrymen
by declaring that the state of Ireland is one
that ought to afford us the utmost congratula-
tlon.' For aught we can tell there NAV be
minds of over-re6nement and oyer.education,
Ir N,1