THE MINISTERIAL CHANGES.

" At which account the ladies were greatly concerned; but being told the family re- ceived no lout. they were extremely glad ; but tieing informed that we were almost killed by the fright. they were vastly sorry; but heating that we had a very gaud night, they were extr.mcly glad apin.--Vicar t f Havield.

Like Lady Blarney and Miss Carolina Wilhehnina Amelia Skeggs, the trumpeters of a Ministry that lives from day to day upon delu- sion, are ecstatic upon small matters. Confiding, sanguine men,

-whose credulity led them to hope against hope, and wire supported the Government whenever there was a possibility of doing so. are dissa- tisfied with the late changes, and openly express their discontent, or refuse to lend their support to a "reconstruction " that so entirely dis- sipates the fond delusions they cherished in May, when the Melbourne Ministry reassumed office. But the Lady Blarnies of the Bedchamber Ministry, though "greatly concerned" for the statesmen who have lost

their places, arc "extremely glad again" when they look upon their successors. The spirit of humbug, by which designing treachery strives to impose upon an ignorant simplicity, was never more pleasantly

exposed than in the exquisite fiction of GOLDSMITH ; and perhaps a richer specimen of the reality is not often met with than in the Examiner's leading article of last Sunday, called " The Ministerial Changes." It is rich in its regrets, rich in its consolation, rich in its assurance, rich in its hopes, and rich in its undoubtine [less.

If any defect can be pointed out in this masterpiece of our courtly contemporary, with the /dude of which we shall adorn our pages, it is

in the opening, which appears to us to involve a slight inconsistency-

" The sham Reformers," (moth the Examiner at starting, "the sham Re- formers, who can discern nothing satisfactory in the changes in the Ministry, veuld rind it difficult to show any one respect in which the Government is Iceacasd in character, efficiency, and liberal spirit."

Unless our memory ntisgives us, our contemporary at one time ex-

claimed against the status quo, as insufficient to give satisfaction, or to insure stability. Part of his drafts upon the Bank of Faith in May

last, involved, we think, a promise of a "reconstruction," which was to command, we know not what, and which loyal consideration for the feelings of our Queen, apart front political objects, rendered indis-

pensable. And this time twelvemonth lie utterly scouted the idea of only not weakening the Ministry- " But for this," [the occupation of "a higher and a stronger popular ground,"] said the Examiner in the last week of August 1838, "or for any other purpose be it better or worse, it is certain that the Government must undergo some repairs, some renovation ; for, constituted as it is, it cannot go through the first stage of the next session. A deplorable deficiency of the facul- ties for business has lately been observable in Parliament. This must be cured, for at most certainly will not be endured."

Well, has this "deplorable deficiency" been cured ? and if not, we think the Examiner as well as " sham " Reformers ought to.discern "nothing satisfactory in the changes in the Ministry." After this slight discrepancy—the effect of a had memory—all pro- ceeds with a perfect consistence ; not the least of many excellencies

being, that last and hardest task of expressing a thorough satisfaction with every thing which a patron does

" Blest be the great, for those they lake away,

And those they 'cave me."

The Examiner is at a loss which to admire most, those who go, or those who remain. "Upon the new Lord he holds forth thus- " Against Mr. Spring Rice they [" the sham Reformers"] have directed the most indiscriminate abuse. Well, Mr. Spring like retires ; but the writers who thund every fault in him, when in office, rut discover no gain in his re- signation I A word here for ourselves upon Mr. Spring Rice. We have been amongst his censors, and have remarked, often we believe with asperity, upon his opinions adverse to our views of reform; but we have also recognized and acknowledged in .3Ir. Rice stone merits and amrl'iCCS lehinh we respect and prize. We honour the manliness with which he opposed the pharisaical attempt to deprive the poor of their innocent enjoyments on the Sabbath ; and we hare known how to value the just spirit with which he opposed the amen- against the Beer-houses. 17pon the Education question, too, Mr. Rice rendered geed service, and his speech was one of the ablest and most tffictire on the suljeet; SuccEssCUL As WERE ALSO THOSE or IDS COLLEACUES, Lord Lansdowne, Loral .101m Russell, and Lord Morpeth. The merits to which we have alluded are the more to be honoured in 2.1r. Spring Rice because of the very faults in his character having an opposite hiss. Opposition to cants and clamours it more praiseworthy in a man whose foible is assentatian, thou in use of a less ductile character. The disposition to go e ith the stream of plausibilities ap. pears to be one of Mr. Spring Rice's faults, and the more credit therefore he deserves for just and courageous conduct in despite of it." [ So that a person who occasionally resists his vice is to have " more credit " than Im who is without the vice.] The following remarks on the new Lord's successor are equivocal perhaps ; but a squeeze of the lemon is desirable to temper the sweets. It was the cite in CHARLES the Second's days to ridicule the man of business, C LA HENDON.

"In Mr. Spring Rice's successor we see on the whole neither any gain not loss. Ills opinions as to reffirm ate about as objectionable to Radicals as those of his predecessor. Ile has the reputation of being a good nom of busioCS$1 and is reputed nest to Mr. Babbage's invention as a calculating machine. It Moths were in want of a dour-keener, Mr. F. Baring would be his man, and this is a recommendation for the guardianship of the Exchequer."

In dealing with Lord Howlett., our ")anguage," as Annisosf said of MILTON, " sinks under" the censor-panegyrist. Ile can only express the thoughts with which his bosom labours, by a recurrence to the Latin poets, and very much after the style of Dr. Pangloss- " Lord linwick's retirement hasgiven no more satisfaction to his Tory-Ra- dical assailants than that of Mr. Spring Rice. At the close of his official career we cannot say c nunquatn si quid uihi credis round hunt hominem.' We have seen much to admire in Lord Llowieb. acts of high courage proceeding on a West, of justice. Ills opposition to the Negro Apprenticeship, and his de- clarations as to the Irish Church, are near la he 1i.rgotbn. As for attain- ments and reflection, he has few superiors. But, amidst his good qualifications, surgit amari aliquid; ' and his temper is reported to be as unequal as his views obviously. are. 'Upon the particular subjects instanced we had to admire the extent of his forecast, but Ills views appear to have length without breadth— he sees through vistas, far in a particular line, and with a most narrowly- bounded vision in other directions, like a man in Jorest with an tIVelltle branch- ing off here and there, instead of like one on it height, with the full command of the prospect, and the connexion of objects spread out before him. Lord Ilowick took the justest views of the Slave question and the IrisIrChurch question, but he is blind to the Ballot, and has shown a most perverse spirit in endeavouring to mar the grace of his colleagues' concession on that important subject. " This passage in Lord Ilowick's conduct has marked him out as ' a detri- mental,' mid without disparaging any of his points of merit, we declare that we look npou his retirement as of good augury for the progress of refbrin, especially in connexion with other signs."

The foregoing are incidents where Lady Blarney's "extrentely glad" must be chequered by her " vastly sorry. For the new comers all is gratulation- " The two new appointments, those of Mi. Sheil and Mr. Wyse, are indi- cations of the purposes of the Ministry. Mr. Shell, tee are convinced, would not have taken office except on the assurance of the progress of Reform. There is no mom more strooghy perscaded of the policy and necessity of advancing than Mr. Slid!, and ere ate sure that he unmet hare bunch what he was about, both for the public objects which he has sincerely at heart, and for his own high reputation as a ffiremost champion of the popular cause, when he accepted the place he now holds."

Fudge!

[" But previon,ly I shoal have mentioned the very impolitie behaviour of Mr, Limeheil, who, during this discourst% sat Will his face turned to the tiro, and at the conehhion of et y sentence would cry out, FioNc an expression which displeased us all and in some measure damped the rising spirit of the eutivmsation."—I'icar of " In the choice of Mr. 'Wyse we see another earnest of good purpose, he having devoted himself to the promotion of National Education without any sectarian distinctions. As this must have been Mr. Wyse's recommendation, the resolution of Ministers to persevere in the work that does them the greatest honour mud lie is/ erred, and we may reckon not only OIL the he.st aelet1115• tnttion of the present means ibm the object, but also oil the endLavour, in despite of bigot prejudice, to render the plan adequate to the great exigency-, and worthy of the nation."

Fudge ! According to Cocker, the Ministerial majority for their Educa- tion plan was two. Carry over MslisERS SUTToN eke Baron MoNTEatThsf, and parties are equal. Let the man of the bitters* and his brother-in- law Mr. Wool) stop away—not to mention the pure old Whigs, whom the GlitAS are very likely to carry with theta—and the Tories arc in a majority on the Education " plan. '

BLARNEY rem TWO.

" The exchange of places between Lord John Russell and Lord Normanby opens a field fiw the services of the haler nobkman. In the few words on the subject in our last number, we showed no disposition to lIntlerralliC the laboorsof Lord John Russell in the Home Lhpartment. Compared with his predecessors, he lam done well. llis limits, especially in the exercise of the prerogative of mercy, have been faults belonging to a defective system ; his merits in correct- ing the insolence of the magistracy have been all his own. But in the last respect he has only made a beginning. The rebuke of arrogance and incapacity conjoined, is a great improvement on the countenance or the sufferance of them, but more is wanted; the due administration of justice, and what is equally inv._ portant, confidence in the due administration of justice, require the removal of incapacity from the magistracy wherever it is clearly detected. We praised Lord John.Russell for his excellent letter of rebuke to the Renfrew Justices, who had shown that they neither knew their duty nor were capable of learning it ; but we at the same time contended, and still contend, that the rebuke,

• "Surgit amarialiquid."—Dr. Pangtossjunior.

though good as fur as it went, was not sufficient, and that such proved incom- petency required dismissal, it being an injury to the public to submit it to the authority of men so unqualified for their important offices. as In Ireland Lord Normanhy performed the service, despite of aristocratic clamour, of purifying the magistracy of some of its disgraces; and if, extend- ing the scope of the same service, he applies himself watchfully, energetically, and fearlessly to the superintendence of the administration of justice in the Home Office, he will effect a reform of transeendant importance, and not the less honourable because in advance of public opinion, the public not being as vet generally alive to the wrong of intrusting the administration of the laws io men without knowledge or judgment, and who are suffered to do injustice, herau,e, forsooth, they do it gratuitously.

The spirit of Lord Normanby's govermnent of Ireland, parcere subjectis et deliellare superbos; conciliating the people and restraining their oppressors,

trill Is tarried into his tail, department with excellent effect, the there are abundant occasions for the exercise of it within the range of the controlling authority of the Home Secretary. It may be said, that in the Colonial dtpart- meet the saute qualities aught hare /band the saute employment ; but avio.- innately in the alliiirs of distant colonies there manot be the same immediate and distinct hameledye of abases to be corrected and wrongs to be redressed ; and a mind that night he perplexed in proportion to the desire to do good by the multitude and doubtfulness of colonial questions, might grapple eagerly and energetically with the clearer cases under home view. Lord Normanby has a noble task befhre him, and his high reputation and the hopes founded on it call bins to the perfbrinance of it"

GAIN ISV THE CHANGE 01' LORD JOHN.

" The transfer of Lord John Russell to the Colonial 011ice will have the ad- vantaie which has been pointed out, of giving the conduct of the important Colonial measures which inust be brought fiwward in the next session to the leader of the House of Conninins ; and Lord :Jan Russell having directed much of his attention to Colonial a ffairs, is peculiarly well prepared Mr the task."

finis commit opus," quoth Pangloss. In our last number we said- " All Eagland dues not contain the impudence to assert that Mr. Thom- son is lit, or other than very unfit, to enact the part of Dictator in Canada during next winter." This was said prematurely : our con- temporary winds up his confidences by a confidence in Pow ; not, how- ever, for any fitness discoverable in hint, but because the Great Man at home has faith in the Dictator. Ilere arc the

REASONS Volt CONFIDENCE IN POW, AND TRUST IN HIS SUCCESSOR.

6' :"..;to far we find matter of satin/'action and ;pod expectation in the new illinidcrial arrangements; and as for the other changes which we have not diseased, the balance in them is at least even, and Tory Radicalism cannot pretend that the Government is the weaker or the worse for them. We hare thmht that Pon/eat Thennsun tciltins% Lard .11dInntrne's coltidenee in his government of the Canadian Caroms, and we know that he has a worthy successor in Mr. Labotteltere, a man of the best dispositions, and of an enlighten- ment sod ability to give effect to them."