TOPICS OF TH E DAY.

REFORM WITHOUT REFERENCE TO PARTY.

LORD Meonouftwe will recollect certain entreaties or remon- strances, which were verbally addressed to him in private by some Independent Reformers, when it had become obvious that the Lords, under LYNDHURST, were, determined to stop Reform. About half a year has elapsed since then. During that period, many and earnest have been the endeavours of Independent Re- Ihrmers, and especially of sonic who with the most Radical opi- nions aro personally attached to Lord MELBOURNE, to persuade the Premier, that unless be adopted a bold and decided policy, calculated to defeat that of Lvennuosr, the Whigs would find it impossible to lead the Radicals much longer. The event shows how well-founded this friendly advice was. The union of Whigs and Radicals has not, indeed, been converted into mutual enmity : on the contrary, the Radicals are as desirous as ever to keep the Whigs in office, and. what is more, they may now enable Lord MELBOURNE to defeat the Lystenuesr-led Tories. But hence- forth the combined forces of 1Vhigs and Radicals, though always acting together for objects equally sought by both parties, will nit be commanded by the Whig Cabinet. Lord Mesnoueetz will lead the Whig, party as before ; but the natural leaders of the People—the Independent Reformers—will not rely on Lord MELBOURNE. They will rely on themselves and the masses whom they represent. Their plan of action comprises all possible sup- port of the Whigs against the Tories; but it excludes all con- cession to the Whigs upon those points as to which there is no difference between Whigs and Tories. As a necessary conse- quence, the Independent Reformers will pursue objects of their own, by means of their own choosing. In short, after four years of inactive dependence on the \V pigs, they will become an inde- pendent and active party. This great change in their position and 'conduct is pregnant with the most important results. Let us observe a few of them.

In the first place, those who, without reference to party, desire the natural consequences of the Reform Bill, may now dismiss their anxiety about the determination of Ministers as to the sys- tem of open questions. Or rather, seeing that Lord INIeeineuoNe's adoption of this system would probably convert several good Radicals into members of the Government, and thus diminish the force of the Independent Reformers in Parliament, it may be doubted whether, under present circumstances, the open ques- tion system would work well fur the popular cause. If the Ra- dicals had intended, besides strenuously supporting the Whigs against the Tories, to rely altogether upon the Whigs, then might they properly have insisted upon open questions as a condition of the alliance ; but since they intend, with or without open ques- tions, to support the Whigs against the Tories, and since they also intend to rely on themselves for whatever else relates to the cause of Reform, it appears that the system of open questions, which would tend to diminish their number in the House of Com- mons, is scarcely to be desired by them. But, at any rate, the only party which could gain much by open questions, is that of the Whigs. The subject of open questions, therefore, has lust its interest for the public*. So great and sudden is the change aris- ing from the determination of the Independent Reformers to rely on themselves. The wearisome topic, then, on which, with a v:ew to strengthening Lord MELBOURNE'S Government, we have dwelt so long and so earnestly, may now be discarded. This is a pleasant, if not a very important result of Radical self-reliance. Secondly, if the whole body of Radicals in the House of Com- mons had intended to sleep through another session in absolute dependence on the Whigs, the King's Speech would have been the only source of information as to the nature and extent of Re- form measures likely to come before Parliament this year. The King's Speech would have spoken for the Radicals as well as the Whigs. Besides showing affirmatively how little the Whigs intended to propose this year in the way of Reform, it would also have shown negatively how much the Radicals were willing to forego in return for the easy enjoyment of reliance upon others. Equally for the small measure of 11'hig activity and for the large one of Radical supineness we must have looked to the King's Speech. The Whigs would have written the Radical prospectus for the session, as well as their own, and without consulting their Radical dependents, or even- letting them see the prospectus before it was published. Whereas, now, the King's Speech will speak the sentiments and purposes of its (tethers only. The Independent Reformers will make a speech or speeches for them- selves. As to their sentiments and purposes, the public will obtain full and explicit information from what the more active of them shall say during the debate on the programme of the Whigs. This is a great change. The Radical leaders, by adopting a system of self-reliance, have incurred a new responsibility. By resolving to depend no longer on the Whigs, they pledge themselves, as it were, to bring forward and vigsrously support a number of Reform measures,—all such measures, whatever the number may he, as naturally grow out of and are rese

fur giving effect to their principles,—with the exceptit

• But not for the Whig Govanmeut, and still less for those of its Memn,•rs; viz. Sir JOHN Honnousr, Mr. Pot:Ls:Tr THomsox, and Sir HENRY PA R. N ELL, whoseopenions are lialcal. To these gentlemen and their constituents, an extract from Sir WILLIAn 31•JLESWORTH'S article iu the London and Westminster Rainy, which we print elsewhere, cannot but prove extremely Interesting.

those which may be included in the Whig programme. As we may be sure that the King's Speech will not deal very largely in Reform, it follows that the debate on the Address will this year

furnish the public with the most valuable information as to the proceedings of the session. The King's Speech has lost much of

the interest that would have attached to it if the Radicals had continued to rely wholly upon the Whigs for the defeat of Toryism and the advancement of Reform. The King's Speech may now be regarded as a document not very interesting to any but the Considering the mystery, carefully sustained by mystification, in which the Government have involved their pur- poses for the next session, this result of Radical self-reliance is extremely agreeable.

Thirdly, during, the two sessions of Lord MELBOURNZS Administration, although time Tories have been allowed an ample share of the time of Parliament for opposing both Whigs and

Radicals, the Independent Reformers have scarcely been allowed any time for the discussion of questions which were of the greatest national importance. As respects such of their objects as had not the entire approval of the Twasury Bench, they have been treated with a sort of coutempt by Whigs, as well as Tories, —as if the whole time of the Reformed House of Commons pro- perly belonged to the two aristocratic parties. Those two parties conspired to gag the Independent Reformers; who, it must be confessed, brought such treatment on themselves by their own

blameable supil.onuis. It would be easy to give many examples of the way in which they were jockeyed out of their motions : one only will suffice for the present. On the Rh of last June, Mr.

Weirs) rose to move for an inquiry respecting the sale of waste lands in the Colonies, as a means of extending the English Poor- law to Ireland, by providing ample funds for Irish emigration. The sale of waste lands in the United States produces annually more than the whole amount of the public expenditure. Mr.

O'CONNELL wa; to have supported Mr. WARD'S motion ; and it was fully expected that Sir Rousee PEEL would take a part in the discussion. Discussion was the grand point, as it

always is for any subject not yet well understood by the public. But discussion could not have taken place without exposing the ignorance, blunders, and corruption of our Colonial Govern- ment with respect to the disposal of waste lands. Therefore,

Mir. WARD had scarcely opened his lips, when Sir GEORGE GREY, the special-pleader of the Colonial Office, jumped up,

assented to the motion on the part of Government, and begged that the House might be spared a discussion which bad become

unnecessary. The Speaker nodded of' course; the Independent Reformers who surrounded Mr. Wont), enervated by their habit of reliance on the Whigs, were sleepy and silent as usual on such occasions : so the subject was at once " cushioned" in a Com- m ittee,—w hich, by the way, Sir Gsoec s: GREY attended far no other purpose, as we shall have to show in detail one of these days, than that of frustrating Mr. WARD'S object; an object which he has since declared that lie will strenuously oppose on behalf of Go- vernment. Mr. WARD, however, has given notice of a motion for leave to bring in a bill for placing the disposal of waste lands under responsible management, similar to that by which the United States obtain from this source four millions sterling per annum. Like Mr. GROTE. with his bill for taking votes by Bal- lot, Mr. WARD will, this year, be an active as well as an Inde- pendent Reformer. If there should be but a dozen such in the House, or even less, it will be impossible for the Treasury Bench, or for Whigs and Tories combined, to stop their mouths. On every subject of public interest, whether relating to organic change as a means to the practical ends of Reform, or to " practi- cal evils innumerable'' resulting from the long dominion of the Boroughmongers, or to practical national improvements within the reach of legislation without organic change,—on all these points we shall have plenty of discussion, at any rate. And not only dis- cussion, but also divisions ; together with authorized lists of the ayes and noes. In this way—who can doubt it ?—the apathy of the People, which has arisen from their want of resolute and active leaders, will be exchanged for such enthusiasm and activity as LYNDHURST s talents and resolution have called forth amongst the Tories. This is the way in which to deal with the Obstructive Lords. What portion of the time of Parliament the Independent Riformers may claim for their great purpose, depends on their relative importance in Parliament and the country. Th a would be best shown, perhaps, by a list of those Members of the House of Commons who are neither Whig nor Tory, but independent ; together with the constituency and population of each of the places for which they were elected. All of these will not, of course, be equally active in supporting their peculiar views, any more than all of those who collapse re- spectively the Whig and Tory parties in the House of Commons. Nay, it is to be expected that Radical self-reliance will be asserted, in the beginning, by a small minority of those who, being neither Whigs nor Tories, must be called Radicals; just as it was by but a very small minority of English and Scotch Reformers that Lord GREY'S system of coercion for Ireland was at first opposed. that such minorities, having justice and the sympathy of the masses on their side, soon grow into majorities ; and ultimately, if they persevere in forcing on discussions and divisions, draw over all whose principles agree with theirs. Reason and experi- ence equally indicate that it will prove so in this case. It will not be long, therefore, before we see Reform without reference to party occupy a large share of the attention of Parliament. This

reems one of the most important results of Radical self-reliance.

Lastly for the present, it seems more than probable, that the vigorous action of a body of Independent Reformers in Parlia- ment will prove the means of keeping the Tories out of office. In England and Scotland, there is at present but little political agi- tation, except on the Tory side. In Ireland, as we said last week, the masses, having active leaders, are in such a state of excite- ment as to make a Tory Government impossible, unless England and Scotland will consent to a reconquest of the Irish. But if the masses of England and Scotland should obtain active leaders, not only would they prevent the Tories from employing force against the Irish People, but they will also make a Tory Govern- ment as impossible in Great Britain, as, without their consent, it is in Ireland. Stimulated to action, as the Tories are at present, by the boldness and activity of their leaders, the Reforming masses of England and Scotland will bar the Tories out of Downing Street as well as Dublin Castle. When they shall be roused from their present lethargy, a Tory coup d'état will have become impossible. The Tory leaders have really done won- ders by promoting agitation in their camp. They are still advancing, on the move, towards, at least, the accomplish- ment of' their grand aim—a Tory majority in the House of Commons. What shall stop them but counter-agitation ?