NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE Regency Bill has been introduced, and the Canada Bill has passed: these are the principal events of a dull Parliamentary week. The first is not what a Ministerial jourme of' last week described it—a measure to provide the country with an acting Sovereign during the Queen's lying-in ; but to appoint a Regent in the event of a motherless infant becoming heir to the Throne. The Chancellor's speech, on presenting the bill to the House of Lords, contaius no reference to the "temporary suspension of the duties and cares of sovereignty, which the Reconcilement of her Majesty will necessarily impose on her ;" but, on the contrary, enforces the necessity of providing fbr the full exercise of' the power of the Crown during the long minority which might ensue on the Queen's death. Lord Cormnsm justified the all but unlimited regal authority which the bill would confer on the Regent, by the consti- tutional argument, that, although restricted powers might suffice in cases where the Sovereign's infancy would soon terminate, or where only a brief absence had to be provided for, it was necessary to the balance of the three estaast of the realm that the Crown should not be shorn of ally essential portion of its dignity and powers for a period of long duration. On this principle, the Regent wouldonly be restrained from assenting to bills fig altering the suc- cession to the Throne' or interfering with the rights and privileges of the Established Churches of England and Scotland. In all other respects his authority would be the same as the Sovereign's. The person of the Regent was merely alluded to in the Lord Chancellor's speech, but with sufficient distinctness, as Prince ALBERT. Not having seen the bill, we cannot say whether he alone is named, or whether provision is made for the contingency of' his decease. It would seem advisable to take that possibility into account as well as the Queen's death. In the Regency Act of GEORGE the Third, the substance of which we republished last week, the King was empowered to appoint his wife, or his mother, or any one of his uncles residing in England. Following that pre- cedent, the present Regency Bill might authorize Queen VICTORIA to name Prince ALBERT, the Dutchess of KENT, the Duke of SUSSEX, or the Duke of CAMBRIDGE.
Ministers took the Canada Bill as it was sent to them by the Peers ; whose amendments were agreed to by the Commons, on the motion of Lord JOIN RUSSELL. The Colonial Secretary corrected a mistake into which all the newspapers, including the Spectator, fell last week, respecting the principal amendment carried by the Duke of WELLINGTON : that amendment does not postpone the proclamation of the Union to fifteen instead of six months after the passing of the act, but merely confers a power permitting the Governor-General to postpone it for the longer period. Governor TuomsoNis .expected to bring the act into operation with the least possible delay ; and there is nothing in it to prevent him. Of course, it is only if he avail himself of the permission which the Tory Lords have set as a snare in his path, that the evils anticipated from postponement of' the Union will be encountered.
In the course of the discussion in the Upper House, a good deal WS said of Lord JOIN Ressnm;s despatches on " responsible government." The Peers would not see that, substantially, the two despatches of October the 14th and October the 16th con-
tained the same doctrine ; but insisted that the withholding of the first and publication of the last alone enabled Governor
THOMSON to carry the Union resolutions through the Upper Canada
'louse of Assembly. The see-saw flishion in which the Colonial Secretary endeavoured to escape from the inconvenience of a pre- vious repudiation of the doctrine of responsibility belbre be knew its meaning, accounts in some sort for their Lordships' misappre- hension. In Canada, we believe, there will be no mistake : we
expect that Governor THOMSON will practically adopt the principle " responsible government," by administering affitirs in general accordance with the wishes of the majority of the Canadian Repre-
scntatives, and selecting his Councillors from among those who possess the confidence of the Assembly. Acting under good advice, Sir Jonst HsavEy pursues this course in New Brunswick; and he meets with no difficulty. Mr. Tuostsosa loves a life of ease, and will go the same way to avoid annoyance and discomfiture.
The Duke of WELLINGTON'S treatment of' the Canada Bill was not in accordance with his usual manly sense and practical know- ledge of affiairs. To the last he opposed the bill vehemently, pre- dicting the most disastrous results from its enactment ; and yet, instead of throwing it out as he could have done, and as his reasoning, it' sound, demanded, he shrunk from the responsibility of his own advice, resorted to the weapon of a powerless minority, and entered a laboured protest against the bill—embodying several weighty considerations, doubtless, but also containing several mis- takes. Lord ELLENBOROUGH, too, " protested,"—a less unworthy proceeding in him, whom no majority follows. It was suggested last week, that Mr. Fox Msri.E's opposition to Mr. KELLY'S Punishment of Death Bill, in Committee, might prove as impotent as Lord Jons Ressms.'s to the second reading. So it has turned out. Ministers divided against the principal clauses, and were defeated. Lord Jolts Russmo announces his determination to resist the further progress of the measure; and he will succeed in throwing it out on the " report" or the third read- ing, if the Tories help him—not otherwise. Very few Liberals vote with Lord JOHN on this question, :Ind only three Tories with Mr. KELLY. The Anti-Ministerial majorities consist of the usual supporters of the Government. An attempt by Mr. Hums to procure a means of rational, inno- cent, improving occupation, for the working classes of the Metro- polis on Sundays, was baffled by the union of Lord JOTIN RUSSELL with Sir Ronmur Isnass. The motion was cleverly worded : Mr. Ilumn, as Lord JOIIN remarked, " started the British Museum against the gin-shops "—he moved to throw open the British Mu- seum and National Gallery during such hours on Sundays, as places of " cutest aimnent for man and horse" are allowed to be open. The argument of Sir Roman's Isf :Lis, supported by Mr. Gori.m7tm, was, that by agreeing to the mot ion the Legislature would give a formal sanction to the desecration of the Sabbath. The Mi- nisterial leader saw no extraordinary wickedness in the Sunday view of pictures and curiosities ; but he -"feared that other motions less defensible would be made it' this were carried. Wait till they are made, said Mr. AGLIONBY, and act accordingly. But a majority of 82 to 44 voted it an abomination in mechanics and their filar-tines to spend a portion of Sunday at such places as the National Gallery : the waste of means and health in gin-shops, and the encourage- ment of drunkenness, appeared comparatively venial to these guar- dians of the public morals.
A motion to pay Dr. llownixo for Ids services as a commer- cial agent of the Government, prodnecd a long discussion ; the principal points of which we notice in amother place.
