The Prime Minister was also impressed afresh with the circum-
stance which he termed at the Merchant Taylors' dinner "an awful dispensation of Providence," namely, that the extended franchise of the Reform Act should be used for the first time by the people to de- cide so grave a constitutional question as that of the Irish Church ; but this time he did not repeat the religious cant of his Merchant Taylors' phraseology. He stated, however, that he considered the issue safer in the hands of the whole class of householders without distinction, than it would have been in those of "a more contracted circle, probably of a more refined and educated character." "Over- refinement and over-education," said Mr. Disraeli, "lead very often to a perversity of opinion and an affectation of philosophy that do not deal with those vigorous and robust principles upon which the
nation is now called upon to decide, with the success and complete- ness which attend an appeal to a larger and more national con- stituency." Poor old ten-pounders ! The very last thing it would have occurred to us to accuse them of would have been "over- refinement, over-education," and the "affectation of philosophy" We shall have them accused of a too spiritual mind, next. How- ever, we agree with Mr. Disraeli, though not on his grounds, that the nation will decide a great constitutional question of this kind better and more decisively than any section of it. Will Mr. Disraeli promise to repeat his act of faith in the natiqp after the decision shall have been given—against him ?
