The Committee on the Franchise Bill was completed on Thursday,
and the report is to be put down for Monday, though it seems possible that the discussion on Mr. Gladstone's Egyptian statement will hardly leave room even for the somewhat formal stage of the report. It mast be frankly admitted that after the earlier stages of the discussion were passed, this Franchise Bill has met with no obstruction ; bat we impute this leas to the good- will of the obstructionist party in Parliament, than to the astounding momentum which the popular desire for this mea- sure has given to its advocates, and the remarkable skill with which it was drawn and has been guided through Parliament. The credit of this is, of course, chiefly due to Mr. Gladstone, whose right hand has lost none of its cunning ; but we ought not to forget that to the sagacious and thoughtful co-operation of Sir Henry James, the lines of the Franchise Bill owe a great deal of their wise moderation, and their perfect' consistency.
