next election may be deemed certain,—provided always that Whigs and
Radicals work together, for on their union success de- they were "useful, and, generally, well-digested" But whenwas this said ? On the 2d day of April. To what measures did pends. Whether that union will be restored—for at present it is this qualified approbation refer? To the Irish Corporation Bill broken—depends very much upon the immediate conduct of Mi- (lost); the Consolidation of Stamps B.11 (abandoned); the Re- nisters. To quote the words of one of the most wealthy and in- gistration of Voters Bill (grossly neglected by Sir JOHN CAMP- ithential landowners in the South of England,—a clear-headed PELT., and finally rejected); the Post-office Bill (lost); tile Ec- gentleman, by no means ill-disposed to the Whigs, Mr. BERKE- clesiastical Courts Bill (abandoned); and the Registration of Births LEY PORTMAN,—" The Reformers shouldchoose a leader in whom and Marriages Bill (damaged). To the English Tithe Bill the they could place confidence; and if Lord MELBOURNE bad not commendation did not apply ; for, admitting the difficulties of the courage and prudence enough to enlarge his measures at the pro- per time, he was not fit to lead them." This is the way to pre- mode of explaining the provisions of the bill, and denied that it vent the continuance or increase of the se-much dreaded divisions would effect a settlement of the question. Moreover, it should be among Reformers. Lord MELBOURNE must " enlarge his mea- remembered, that in the matters of the Carlow Election and the
sures," and then we may safely defy the Tories. Orange Lodges, Ministers had conducted themselves manfully ; The progress of Liberalism has received other confirmation this and their tone at that time led to the expectation that they were week. At a dinner of the Worcestershire Reformers in Stour- prepared to act vigorously in defiance of the Lords.
bridge, Mr. EDWARD HOLLAND, hitherto a good deal more Whig Bearing in mind, first, that our praise was bestowed on the 2d than Radical, declared himself in favour of a measure for curb-
of April, and secondly, the measures to which it was applied, our ing the power of the Lords, and a convert to the Ballot. His
readers and Sir HENRY PARNELL will also recollect, that it was announcement of these opinions procured him enthusiastic cheers after Easter that Ministers opposed tile Ballot, the Revision of the from a numerous party of agricultural constituents. There is a Pension-List, the Abolition of Military Flogging ; it was after sign of the times, Lord MELBOURNE !—signs which are coming Easter that they introduced their mock Chancery Reform Bill, and
thick upon us: may they not be lost upon you! their Pluralities Bill, and that they explained the provisions of
We have devoted a considerable portion of our space this week their English Church Reform Act. The inefficient Irish Church to a report of the speeches at a Birmingham dinner, which has Bill was also introduced after Easter; and it was subsequent to scarcely been noticed in the London daily papers; but which, our commendation that their wretched policy of truckling to the when considered with reference to the power of the speakers over Peers was developed. In short, almost every thing for which the masses in the Midland Counties, is of no slight importance. they deserve credit was done before, almost every thing by which " The men of Birmingham are all quiet," has been the Tory they were damaged or disgraced came to pass after the date of taunt : "Yes," replies one of their leaders, "quiet as a barrel of our praise. We are the more particular in fixing this date, be- gunpowder—ready to explode at the first touch of fire." The cause the same passage in tile Spectator was quoted, for a similar time for applying the match is not far off. When men are pros- use, by Mr. HENRY BULWER, in his pamphlet. perous and bread is cheap, all goes on quietly in Birmingham and There are some parts of Sir HENRY PARNELL'S speech which its extraordinary neighbourhood; but let furnaces be " blown are highly creditable to him. He is the first man connected with out," and the price of wheat and bacon rise, and then there are the Administration who has spoken intelligibly and without sub- processions with black flags, meetings on Newhall Hill, demands terfuge on the trying questions of the day. He manfully avowed for unnersal suffrage, and other troublesome symptoms. Well— his belief in the necessity of Peerage Reform ; and he declared his there were twenty furnaces " cold" in Staffordshire last week— determination, next session, to vote against the Governmeut, and throe ing out of employ, as Mr. Arrwoon calculates, twenty thou- resign his place, rather than support a Ministerial measure of sand persons; an ugly fact to begin with. Bread and provisions which he disapproved. He dealt candidly and honestly with his are wry much dearer ;—and behold! the Birmingham Radical constituents; disdaining the humbug which some other official men leaders are meeting and discussing the propriety of holding the have practised, he grappled with questions it would have been con-
match to the barrel of gunpowder ! venient for him to shirk. Although his connexion with the Ministry .. If we turn to Scotland. we shall find an unequivocal mark —fettered as it has been by the wretched policy of resisting ques-
t. 1: the dissatisfaction of the manufacturing population, in the tions which an Executive Government had no business to meddle ',reception 'Inch Sir HENRY PARNELL met with from his consti- with—compelled him to disappoint the wishes of the Dundee Merits, actual and virtual, in Dundee; where electors and non- Reformers too often, we are sure that they will appreciate the electors, in the common character of inhabitants of the town, were frank independence which marks his bearing. But, from the assembled by the Chief Magistrate to hear Sir HENRY render his fact that Sir HENRY PARNELL, once so popular, and still so re- account. Sir HENRY PARNELL is in sonic respects the most spected personally, scarcely got a cheer for his speech in Dundee,
times successively, in a way which few Members . f the House of
Letters on the Foreign Policy of The Cabinet of Modern Art—New Commons can boast, almost without expense, as without trouble,
and twice without so much as personal attendance. He has se--
Births. MarriaOla, and Deaths ... 1110 The Army dom spoken in the House; but was known to be diligently occu- The Gazettes 1119 pied in the public service, and that was enough for the excellent
patriots of Dundee. There has been one, and only one, grave
cause of offence. The Dundee Reformers know that their Repre- sentative's heart is with them : but then, some of his votes are NEWS OF TIIE WEEK. not—they are given on some important questions against the known
wishes of his constitutents and his own avowed opinions, or they are not given at all. It was inevitable that the public character of
THE domestic and foreign intelligence of the week possesses Sir HENRY PARNELL should be damaged, and his standing with
Much interest. First as to affairs at home. his constituents lowered, by this conduct. His defence, in substance, The additional accounts of the Registration, some of which we amounts to this—that the intentions of Ministers, and their mea- are happy to say are more precise and complete than those pre- sures so far, have been good ; and that more is gained for his consti- viously received, justify our belief, that on the whole, the pro- tuents by his adhesion to the Government, than would be gained by feedings in the Revising Barristers' Courts have resulted in an his withdrawal from office, and truly representing Dundee on certain increase of the Liberal strength. In the City of London, the questions, in which it is now misrepresented, or, through his ab-
four Reformers are safe ; and for the Metropolitan County we sence, ha3 no voice. As Sir HENRY observed, the validity of this
plea rests upon the fact or the assumption, that the policy of,Minis- have excellent hopes. The success of the Middlesex Tories, as ters, and their measures, are wise and beneficial to the country.
regards the objections to voters, turns out to be utterly insigniii- With respect to their general policy, our readers know that we cant, if not altogether delusive. From Somersetshire and Wor- have been compelled, though reluctantly, to acknowledge its im- cestershire, we have statements which may be relied upon, show- potence when in collision with the LYNDHURST policy of reducing Mg a determination on the part of the Liberals to maintain their Whig promises to nothing. With respect to their measures, Sir ground and " something more " in those counties; and there are HENRY PARNELL appealed to the Spectator as an authority that many boroughs from which the expulsion of tile Tories at the they were " useful and well-digested:' Of a portion of the
Ministerial measures of last session, we certainly did say that
Whigs and Radicals work together, for on their union success de- they were "useful, and, generally, well-digested" But whenwas this said ? On the 2d day of April. To what measures did pends. Whether that union will be restored—for at present it is this qualified approbation refer? To the Irish Corporation Bill broken—depends very much upon the immediate conduct of Mi- (lost); the Consolidation of Stamps B.11 (abandoned); the Re- nisters. To quote the words of one of the most wealthy and in- gistration of Voters Bill (grossly neglected by Sir JOHN CAMP- ithential landowners in the South of England,—a clear-headed PELT., and finally rejected); the Post-office Bill (lost); tile Ec- gentleman, by no means ill-disposed to the Whigs, Mr. BERKE- clesiastical Courts Bill (abandoned); and the Registration of Births LEY PORTMAN,—" The Reformers shouldchoose a leader in whom and Marriages Bill (damaged). To the English Tithe Bill the they could place confidence; and if Lord MELBOURNE bad not commendation did not apply ; for, admitting the difficulties of the subject, we had complained of Lord JO RUSSELL'S slovenly
HN
Sigus of the Tittle 1113 popular member of the MELBOURNE Administration. Owing s The The4tres 1113 iris first unanimous election for Dundee neither to local con-
nexions, private canvassing, nor showy eloquenee—but to his
Provinces—Kings Narrative of public reputation as a Liberal politieian, a useful administrator, a Journey to tile Shores of the and an honest man, whose unbendirg integrity had been put to
Earl .e returned the proof under
GREY—he has been sin
three Lord MELBOURNE may learn, that the feebleness of the Ministe- rial policy has alienated frotn him, to an alarming extent, the confidence of Reformers, and, if persevered in, will put all his- adherents, who represent large towns, out of Parliament. Mr. O'CONNELL is once more in Dublin, and indefatigable at his old employment of "peacefully agitating" his countrymen. At meetings of the General Association and the Trades Union, he has delivered long speeches on Tithes, Toryism, Poor-laws, and the necessity of standing by Ministers in and out of Parliament. Resolutions calling upon all the Irish Liberal Members to support Lord MELBOURNE, were passed by the Association on his motion. On the subjects of Tithes and Poor-laws, Mr. O'CONNELL has not spoken intelligibly. He says at one time that he will insist on the total abolition of tithes; at another, that he will take an " in- stalment " of his demand. On this point, however, he was to ex- plain himself clearly in a discussion of Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD'S Resolutions, which was fixed for Thursday. With respect to Poor-laws, Mr. O'CONNELL seems still "at sea." He delivered a long speech on the subject to the Trades Union ; in the course of which, while denouncing Poor-laws as degrading to every people who adopted them—as impracticable in Ireland, on account of the enormous sums they would extract from those who are not paupers—and undesirable, if practicable, on account of the stimulus they gave to beggary, and the cheek to natural affection and charity,—while thus inveighing against Poor-laws, he is represented as approving of a system of compulsory support for the aged, the sick, and crippled. But we wait for the report of the SHARMAN CRAWFORD debate, and for the revised and Com- plete edition of his speech, with notes and documents, whickMr. O'CoNNELL has promised to publish as a pamphlet.
With the settlement of the Tithe question, the readers of the Spectator are aware, that, in our opinion, the establishment of Poor-laws ought to be connected. Tithes might be commuted at their full value, for a rate on the land. The revenue derived from that rate would form the foundation of a Poor-fund. The existing claimants on tithes might have a life-stipend out of the Consolidated Fund, till the whole die off; and the saving on the Irish quota of the Army Estimates would soon make up the deficiency in the revenue, perhaps go beyond it. At any rate, to lay the basis of justice and peace in Ireland, it would be well worth while to expend some three-quarters of a million an- nually, even in an economical point of view. To provide relief for the aged and infirm, would be a small part only of what is needful : perhaps the Tithe-fund might be sufficient for that pur- pose: but employment and support for the able-bodied paupers must be sought, by some of the other means which the Irish Poor-law Commissioners recommend, and especially by extensive emigration.
