THE GENIUS LOCI.
Locan life is the marrow of English opinion and yet one cannot help smiling at any principle or policy connected with the name of some merely local place. Mr. Bright's speech at Bradford read comically to us Londoners when he said that the people of Pudsey were demanding why they were more unfit to be borough constituents than the inhabitants of Bradford itself, and in a few days we had a meeting of the Pudseyites to protest against their being massed up in the obscure mass of county electors. Poor Pudsey—one sym- pathises in its struggle for fame ! We notice now that Paddington claims to return a member. Paddington ! As the man said who heard of a mine of silver at Primrose Hill. "Good God—a mine of silver! I have often seen little boys playing about, but I had no idea there was a mine of silver." We too have seen the Marble Arch and the Edgware Road, and have seen Great Western trains arrive and start, and have heard of the Marylebone Theatre and of a local vestry—but we had no idea that there were the ele- ments of a Parliamentary borough around us—that there were 60,000 resi- dents all ready to furnish the usual proportion of electors.
Paddington a borough! Why, we can canvass it ourselves ; we will take lodgings there—it is a nice walk from our office—and commence by talking politics to the landlord, and taking a double allowance of beer from the next public-house. Then we can get up the local grievances. Some pump is wanting—the Edgeware Road is badly lighted—the Marble Arch is sadly neglected—yes, a thought strikes us—it has no statue. "Why, sir, should the opposite arch of Hyde Park be adorned by a colossal statue of that great warrior, who, &c., &c., while this arch of marble is left without a fitting," &c. Then we must stir the subject of communication with the city. Another line of omnibusses is required. Statistics show that four clerks were dismissed last week through being late for the 'bus ; why were not extra 'busses laid on ? If Mr. Lever gets returned for Galway because he has brought ocean steamers into its port, why not we for the new borough if wesecure a new line of omnibuses direct from the Marble Arch itself, avoiding the intricate navigation of inner Paddington, and making the journey to the Bank in five minutes less !
When the local principle is fully carried out we expect that elections will be managed in the bosom of each borough. The worthiest or wealthiest citizen—say the best hatter, or the largest button-maker—will be sent to watch our home and foreign politics in the House. The one might bonnet a bullying Ambassador, the other button-hole an evasive Secretary of State. Mr. Lever's supporters at Galway say they abjure all politics— repeal, and everything—" they have no politics now but the packet sta- tion." Very good ; we shall soon have in England a learned member for the parish schools, or some milk-and-water representative for the town pump.
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