The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 1888. REFORM AT HOME.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1800, 27 March 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 1888. REFORM AT HOME.

Although hitherto the progress of reform m. England has always been slow, yet it has been Bure, and one by one ancient abuses are steadily disappearing before the onward inarch of an enlightened policy. Ancient abuses die hard, it is tvuo, but die they do, because die they must, and happily of late years, thanks to the extension of the franchise, they get shorter Bhrift than formerly was the case. Already many an injustice has been removed, many a wrong remedied, but there are yet many more which need removal, or for which a remedy has to be found, and among them are two that are just now the subject of vigorous attacks, which are sure sooner or later to be successful. One of them is the enormous pension list which represents millions that have been unjustly taken from the pockets of the taxpayers for often questionable benefits conferred upon the nation ages ago by the ancestors of the pension naires, whose descendants to the thirtieth and fortieth generation have received enormous payments to which they were m no way entitled. It is right enough to reward those who render signal service to the State, and m some cases it may be right to assure the son of the man so rewarded — nay, perhaps even his son's son — against the possibility of want, but to carry a pension beyond the third generation, worse still to make it a charge upon the nation for ever, is both wicked and absurd. It is therefore with great satisfaction that we note the dawning of better things m what has occurred m the Bouse of Commons within the past few days. The member for Northampton, Mr Bradlaugh, who has by his action m this matter not only justified the persistent choice of his constituents, but tue action of those who fought for the removal of his disqualification, has scored a great triumph m carrying a motion affirming the expediency of at once determining hereditary pensions (always having due regard to the just claims of the present recipients), and the desirableness of thoroughly revising the system of granting pensions. It m quite likely that he might not have succeeded m getting the Houbg to affirm this had he been opposed by Ministers, but it is as significant as it is satisfactory that the Government (and that a Conservative Government) agreed to a thorough revision of the pension list, and accepted the suggestions contained m Mr Bradlaugh's motion. It is true that it is added that a Committee or Enquiry will be appointed to investigate the whole question, and we may perhaps be told that that is simply a quiet way of shelving it. Many inconvenient questions are shelved m that way, but Mr Bradlaugh, Mr Labouchere, and other co-workers are not the men to let the matter drop, but will most assuredly follow up the advantage gained. The The death-knell of another great national grievance has m lact been sounded, and the day of the abrogation of hereditary pension is evidently near at hand, J ' "' Mil I