At Brighton, on Tuesday, Mr. Trevelyan, whom Sir Julian Goldsmid
justly termed the real author of the Parliamentary measure for giving Household Franchise to the Counties, addressed an enthusiastic meeting in support of the Reform measures of the Government, and gave an interesting account of the manner in which he had been induced, sixteen years ago, by the then newly-enfranchised artisans of the Border Boroughs, to draw public attention to the duty of giving to householders in the counties what had just been obtained by householders in the boroughs. He insisted that the result of the Fran- chise Act would be to strengthen immeasurably the hands of the Legislature and the Administration. Politics, he said, would henceforth become "less feverish." Government measures had been obstructed with tenfold energy, because it was known that Reform was behind them, and because it was desired to.get rid of a Reforming Government by a side-wind. Even the counter-meetings of the rival parties in Ireland,—one of the most critical of our recent dangers,—bad been prompted greatly, as the proclamations and handbills showed, by the dread which the Orangemen felt of the extension of the franchise. Now that the hope of avoiding a real appeal to the people is over, there will be less fuss, less desire to divert attention from the true issue, less strategy and manoeuvre. Moreover, the people at large like leaders with a mind of their- own, and despise those who always want to see which way the wind blows. The favour of the English people is always given to a strong Government.
