19 FEBRUARY 1842, Page 2

On the second day of the session, Sir ROBERT PEEL

stood at the receipt of a string of questions ; among which was one by Mr. Thomas DUNCOMBE, whether the Premier would introduce a measure to prevent bribery at elections ? Sir ROBERT begged to postpone secondary matters until the great questions about to be submitted to the House had been decided. Different versions made him utter different words—one said that he spoke of questions of "absorbing importance," another of questions of "wed import- ance " ; and as the context seemed to make the former the more likely, we adopted it. Great use, however, has been made of the latter rather more grandiose adjective, and it remains unrepudiated by Sir ROBERT. A sneering comparison is instituted between the " awfulness " of the announcement and the ridiculousness of the small Corn-law change. Perfect fairness, however, must admit that it was not applied to the Corn-law measure alone : whether the ridicule will attach to all the Government measures, it were at least premature to say.