Lord Russell and Mr. Gladstone have both sent replies to
the Committee of the Reform Demonstration to be held at the Crystal Palace on the 30th inst. Lord Russell does not like celebrating leaps in the dark' till the dark has cleared away, and he knows that he has improved his position by the leap. He specifies " other measures unconnected with the Reform of Parliament," which seem to him to be necessary " to assure the future of this country," and he mentions " a general sound unsectariau educa- tion of the people," " the abolition of Church-Rates," and a redress of Irish grievances both in regard to the relations of landlord and tenant, and to the maintenance of the Church of the minority. " Upon all these measures," he adds, " the present Government will, I conceive, use the influence they have acquired to resist and suppress" these remedial movements. Mr. Gladstone is milder, and it seems still possible that he may attend the meeting. He only says, in qualification of the good which Reform has secured, " Of course your satisfaction would have been more complete bad some other parts of the subject, and especially the redistribution of seats, been treated in the same comprehensive manner as the borough suffrage, and had the enfranchisement in boroughs not been connected with provisions so inconvenient and irrational with respect to the payment of rates through the owner." Mr. Gladstone's bowels still yearn after the Compounder. Till the mother forget her sucking child, he will never forget the Compounder.
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