20 DECEMBER 1834, Page 1

The result of the grand Tory intrigue is now before

the country. It is just what might have been anticipated. There was no rea- sonable ground to expect tbe adhesion of Lord STANLEY to a Cabinet in which he must have occupied only a third place, even supposing that he was prepared, on account of a difference on the Irish Church question, to abandon the party politics of his family. We never gave credit to the unauthorized assertions of his readi- ness to desert. But had he joined the Tories, the principles of the new Government would have been substantially the same as they now are. Lord STANLEY and his associates would have added to the number of Whig rats; but a Government with the Duk.; of WELLINGTON and Sir ROBERT PEEL for its leaders must have been still a Tory one. As it is, the real character of the new Administration may be seen by a glance at the names of those who compose it. They are Tories to a man. The effort to pass themselves off as Reformers would be too ridiculous ; and it will not be made. There are seve- ral of them, no doubt, who would not scruple, in order to gain a temporary purpose, to profess themselves Radicals : but the im- posture would serve no end, except to increase the public contempt and derision, which is already showered on them in abundance. Therefore it will not be tried. Lords ROSSLYN and Lvsmninasr, Sir JAMES SCARLETT and Mr. ALEXANDER BARING, have already ratted once, and a double apostacy is not profitable in the present day.

The Times, the Standard, and all who have been dealing out unauthorized promises that Sir ROBERT PEEL would abandon his Anti-Reform opinions, and yield to necessity and the spirit of the age, have been doing that personage an injustice. He has published, under the guise of an address to the electors of Tam- worth, a manifesto of the principles on which he means to conduct the Government ; which negatives the supposition of his being prepared to enact over again " the Pro-Catholic apostacy." In- deed, it amounts to a reassertion of his Tory principles. He refers to his past conduct as an index of his future course. He indignantly spurns the notion of apostatizing on this occasion. The Globe shrewdly conjectures, that the manifesto is intended merely to put "upon record Conservative principles in the most popular shape, to be recurred to at a more auspicious season." Its tone betrays despondency : the consciousness of occupying an unpopular, unnatural, and therefore untenable position, is visible in every paragraph. Sir ROBERT has redeemed his pledge to his party, and that is all that they can demand of him.

To come to particulars. A perusal of the manifesto (which will be found at length in a subsequent column), must convince every body that, in the first place, Sir ROBERT does not intend to re- form the Irish Church. Quite the reverse. He declares that he will oppose the alienation of Church property from strictly eccle- siastical purposes in any part of the United Kingdom ; though he would extend the influence of the Protestant Church in Ireland by an improved distribution of its revenues,—in other words, he would make it still more odious to the Irish nation of Catholics, by making it more proselytizing. This declaration must be taken in connexion with the selection he has made of his colleagues in the Government. It must be borne in mind that Mr. GOULBURN—the deeply-pledged and obstinate opponent of relief to the Dissenters, the former Orange Secretary for Ireland, and the zealous defender of the abuses of her Church—is the chosen Home Secretary of Sir ROBERT PEEL. Sir EDWARD SUGDEN—a man distinguished for his unconciliatory demeanour and petulant bigotry, and whose sole knowledge is that of English Equity law—is made Chancellor of Ireland, and a most important member of the Irish Cabinet Coun- cil, at a time when an experienced statesman of enlarged and liberal views, well acquainted personally with the country, is more imperatively required than at any former period. Sir HENRY HARDINGE is Irish Secretary. GOULBURN, SUGDEN, and HAR- DINGE to have the Government of Ireland l—what a prospect It is impossible to exaggerate the awful responsibility which lies on the head of him who has delivered over the government of such a country to such men as these. Need we go any further to prove that Sir ROBERT PEEL has not become more Liberal than he was formerly?

.

As regards Corporation Reform, Sir ROBERT PEEL gives no opinion whatever. He is willing to let the Commissioners finish their report, and then lie will take the subject into his "considera- tion." It is plain that Sir ROBERT is not prepared to give English- men the same Municipal Reform that the Scotch obtained from the Whigs, and which the MELBOURNE Ministry were prepared to grant to England in the ensuing session : he is not prepared to abolish the self-elective system, the chief source of all the rot- tenness which infests the English and Irish Corporations. He has tried to blink this question : and the conclusion is that Sir ROBERT PEEL is opposed to effectual Corporation Reform.Id it be otherwise, seeing that the very corruption 'tem, is

essential to the interests of his party and the ex 4043 in the land ?

One of the very worst blots on the characte

f3/4'413-t Minis'

try, was their compact with the Court to resist

Pension-list. But does Sir ROBERT PEEL yion ot any tiling

better? No, he announces positively that unworthy recipient on the list.

Sir ROBERT only promises to take the reform cal Law into his consideration, but confesses that lately thought much on the subject.

He will not abolish Church-rates ; but approves of a plan for kiPP charging the whole country, including Catholic Ireland, Presby- terian Scotland, and the Dissenting body in Englaud, with the re-

pairs and maintenance of English Episcopal churches. He will not

concede to the Dissenters the right of admission to the Universi- ties; though he would modify the regulations of the Inns of

Court awl Medieal Colleges, su as to render the acquirement of University degrees less necessary to them. He will allow the Dissenters to be married by their own clergy men, in such a way as was pointed out in the bill of last session, which the Dissenters indignantly rejected. He wishes to see the Tithe questi ii satis- factorily settled. No doubt; everybody, lay and clerical, wishes that.

This is the sum and substance of what Sir ROBERT PEEL is prepared to do in the way of Reform—we should say, more pro- perly, in the way of preserving recognized abuses. What is there in all this to justify the notion that he has become more Liberal of late ? At no period of his political existence would he have spoken differently. Having so little to promise, Sir ROBERT PEEL is forced to refer to his former exploits as a Reformer—to his amendments of the Criminal Law, and his questionable dealings with the Currency. If his performances in this line are to be pressed into the service, it is but fair that his former votes and speeches against the reforms should be quoted. It is as just to argue with regard to his future proceedings from one line of conduct as the other—from his ge- neral defence of great abuses, as his occasional services in the removal of smaller ones.

The public has now every means of forming a correct opinion as to the probable course of the Ministry. The composition of the Cabinet and the manifesto of the Premier are before us : what more can be wanted? What other conclusion can be arrived at, than that the policy of the Administration is resistance to Itellortn--in the language of the Tories, to "stop the Movement ?" Earl GREY -sins compelled to yield to the pressure from without, although -the public regarded him and several of his colleagues with affec- -tion and gratitude, and they went immeasurably further than Sir ROBERT is prepared to go in the way of Reform. What must be the fate of that Cabinet which is composed of men some per- sonally unpopular, all politically hateful to the people—a Cabinet of High Tory Bigots, Trimmers, Jobbers, and Rats?

Not only are the new Ministers notoriously at issue with the Country on questions of leading public interest, but it is impossible to read over their names, and call to mind their past performances, without a conviction that the days of jobbing—of reckless expen- diture and corrupt patronage—are returned. Look at the Colo- nial Office, where Lord ABERDEEN (who was at one time named Ambassador to France, then President of the Council, then First Lord of the Admiralty) has at length found leoting: is not his Lordship's name a guarantee for the renewal of the old system, which under his care flourished so luxuriantly in the Diplomatic and Consular services ? What a rush will there be of the Lord CHARLESES and other scions of noble houses—numbers of whom have perhaps worldly commenced their apprenticeship to some honest calling, or depend on rouge et noir fur their support—to all quarters of the globe, where Swan River grants, governor- ships, and secretaryships, will relieve them at the public cost from the painful necessity of working or gaming for their bread ! Mr. Ilsestiss is Secretary at War. The public recollects that the attempt to make him Chancellor of the Exchequer broke up the GODERICH Administration. Why was that ? It cannot be that Mr. BERRIES was " discreditably known in the City?"

Sir Gsortas CLERK is one of the Secretaries of the Treasury. What an agreeable colleague he would have made for Sir JAMES GRAHAM! The disclosure of the misappropriation of the money granted for the use of the Navy—the tricking the House of Com- mons into a vote for one article, when the money was really wanted for another—are still remembered. Indeed the facts stand recorded on the solemn testimony of the late First Lord of the Admiralty. And u ith these facts in their eye, let the people observe that Sir GEORGE CLERK is Secretary of the Treasury—a principal officer in the control of the public expenditure. Have we said enough to justify the suspicion that the old job- bing system is about to be revived in full force ? or must wo point attention to the name of SOMERSET? Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET iS to preside at the Woods and Forests. Of him we -will only say, pray Heaven he may be a rara aria in his family, as unlike Lord CHARLES, heretofore Governor of the Cape, as possible. Although we have only mentioned a few names, it must not be supposed that we are prepared to mainta,in the immaculate purity and disinterestedness of the other members of this precious Ad- ministration. Of the great majority the country may well be sus- picious: not that any one of them would actually purloin the public money—the days of such open villany are, we trust, gone for ever, and we mean to insinuate nothing of the kind : but, with one or two exceptions among the Bigots of the Cabinet, they are all /Sable to the suspicion of using official influence and informa- tion for the promotion of personal interests, and converting their (control of the public funds into a source of support for the needy members of the Oligarchy or useful City friends. With this in- terpretation, and looking at their past conduct in office, we say that the majority of the new Ministry are " Jobbers."

At first, the miserable abortion provoked laughter; but the sub- ject is too grave for a joke. These men are invested with fearful powers of mischief ; they may seriously injure the Nation they have insulted : backed by the Court, they may endanger the very

- existence of the Monarchy, and *06* the complicated social sy stetis of England into ruinous entiftision. War abroad and at font*, on the ontinent end in Vistaed; My be impending. The safety of the conntry depends as tissi firmness and vigour of the People, on their obedience to the kart and determination to use the power the law gives them for the overthrow of the Impostors. Circumstances are not unfavourable. The Tory plot exploded too soon. The King acted too precipitately in dismissing the Whigs: the Duke had not his troops under arms : his Majesty mistook the signal—Lord SPENCER'S death was not the one agreed upon. The consequence of this hasty proceeding was delay in constructing the new Cabinet. The King thought a few days would suffice : it has taken five weeks ; and the Reformers have well employed the breathing-time thus gained. In every part of the country the Opposition has been organized ; and the intelligence received during the last few (lays indicates the essen- tial weakness of the enemy, in some quarters whero he was deemed strongest.

The hopes (if any such have been entertained) of a Tory majority in the next Parliament, are ascertained to be chimerical. But it is pretended that the King is resolved to hazard a second dissolution, in case the next elections should not produce a 1 Ministerial majority. Will he ? durst Sir ROBERT—durst the s Duke himself—advise such a dissolution ? The King is probably no great scholar, yet lie may have read the history of CHARLES ) the First's quarrels with his Parliament : if he has not, let Sir HERBERT TAYLOR whisper it in the Royal closet, and be s. not

omit informing his Master which party in the end gained predominance.