NEWS OF THE WEEK.
IT is manifestly impoiffb le that the year upon which we are en- tering should exhibit nything like the combination of notable events and visitations which marked the year just gone. We shall not again have, in one year, an Irish famine, a commercial crisis, and total absence of agricultural distress; a general elec- tion, returning an unwonted number of new Members ; an extra- ordinary session of some five weeks, with itavIrish Coercion Bill, its talk and Select Committee on the Money-laws, and its Jew Bill ; a disputed election of a Bishop; a season of uncommon mortality with influenza, and a new Sanatory Commission—pre- cursor, it hoped, of some Board of Health with more ex- tensive powerZ Such a combination can happen but once in the annals of a country. But though. we can pronounce that negative with some confi- dence, positive assurances of the future are not so easy. It will be safe to anticipate a cheqsPered future. In respect of agriculture, the anticipations are of the most cheerful kind : a vigorous de- mand seems to be met by unusual plenty ; and practical improve- ments al e making rapid progress. In trade the prospect is more equivocal and dark : panic is over, but not pressure; the bank- ing- difficulty has nearly ceased, yet a tightness of money con.. tunics ; and the only path to renewed prosperity is still through industry and parsimony. In politics additional obscurity is thrown on the future by the abience of party or of any great " cause." Those who used to count on some faction, stout in virtue while out of office, have to regret the want of those distinct party alliances which might usually be employed to attack or press the Government. This signifies, on the one hand, that pliblic measurers have to depend more on their own merits, or pp .Ae zeal of pro- moters, than on corrupt alliances ; and, on the other hand, that if flicials cannot be moved without the less worthy motives of party interest, the public will have to seek them, through the ltepresen- . tative Chamber, from other classes besides those now privileged to present candidates for office. There will probably be an Anti- Jew Bill agitation—though we see no present signs of anything very alarming of that kind. Possibly there may be a sequel to the Ilampden controversy, which has already put the Church in danger. On the whole, the year just begun presents some darkness of horizon, but ample room for hopeful exertiosn..., large promise of important events.
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