Year: 1872




incipiency. win gather the brains and sinew Of
the country into its fold. The Mr. Beatty of
the Leader, whom our correspondent reports,
says that If they ''wanted union with America
(sic) plenty of men and papers would give
expression to the sentiment in the morning"
This but proves our expression that the plant
OF independent journalism is q stranger there.
II there had existed single independent news
paper in the Dominion the significant article
in the Times would have met an immediate re-
joinder that now England was willing to let
them 60 they would think about it. Instead
OF this course we see faltering, whining
and begging which no people, no matter
how debased, could couhtenance.


The work of concentrating the movement
towards independence must therefore be slow
at first, but once the people lose their hesi-
fancy and find that progress, national exist
ence and immunity from war lie in the easy
path before them, the establishment Of an in
dependent Canadian Republic will follow nat
urally If then the Canadian republicans de-
sire to become part of the Union we shall feel
at liberty to entertain the idea. Long before
the arrival of either of those alternatives the
Canadian press will have learned to appreciate
the truth of the HERALD's expressions and to
thank even the London Times for its insult.
Tho Prussian Reform Bill-The Par


lament and the King.


The Lower House of the Prussian Diet has
passed the County Reform bill by vote of
288 as against 81. 1t is well that our readers
should understand this new German question
The bill now before the Lower House of the
Prussian Diet provides for the extension of
municipal privileges to the rural population of
Prussia and for large improvements in the
matter of local self-government. Rural Prus-
sia has hitherto been too much under the
control Of the potent lords of the soil. This
bill extends the suffrage and so limits the
power of the rural landlords. Already the bill
House, and already it has been rejected by the
Lords 1t will be remembered that the King
interfered, and that in spite of the wishes Of
the Emperor-King, the Lords threw out the
bill. The Diet was prorogued and the Diet
again has met. In slightly modified form
the bill was reintroduced into the Lower House.
In its new shape it has passed its first reading,
and it is perfectly safe to say that it will pass
it's third reading and be sent to the Upper
House. The Emperor-King is in favor Of the
bill, and he has promised that if the Lords
should continue to rebel second time he
I'm nj fIxra
and create as many peers as shall be necessary
to pass this bill into law. In connection with
this question we have more than once referred
to the deadlock which occurred in the prog
ress of the English Reform bill in 1872.
On that occasion the British House of Peers
resisted the Commons and the King came to
the rescue He did precisely what the En-
peror-King now does He threatened to
create as many new peers as should force the
Reform bill through the House of Lords. The
fulflment of his threat was not necessary, for
the Lords gave way and the bill became law.
Privileged orders hate parvem4s in Prussia
quite as much as they do in England and it
is safe to take it for granted that the Prussian
aristocracy will yield rather than have their
numbers increased by vulgar recruits The
bill, with the aid Of the King, is sure to pass,
and the result will be gain to the popular
Germany. Bismarck has found out that if
Prussia is to be relied upon for fighting men
the fighting men must have vote. The
County Reform bill must, therefore, become
law.