TOPICS OF THE DAY.
THE MINISTRY.
AFTER an existence of nearly three years, during which it was chiefly supported by the plans or the forbearance of its enemies, the WELLINGTON Ministry is numbered amongst "the things that have been." Its organic disease was weakness ; but the imme- diate cause of its dissolution was a word or twO of unnecessary panegyric, and an uncalled for declaration against reform. What could have induced these ill-timed demonstrations, in opposition. to the spirit of the age, it is difficult to discover. The Ministers who had persisted in non-interfeience when the country would gladly have been meddling, appeared to violate their own princi- ples in a cause which the nation favoured. Their defence of the
state of the representation was equally inexplicable. The men who had swallowed the Catholic question after a solemnly-pledged. opposition of so many years, needed not have strained at a I moderate reform ; at all events, they might have observed a dis- :
creet silence. These are points that may puzzle the future histo- rian, and at which we can only pretend to guess. Had the Duke been finessing too finely, without sufficient knowledge of the game? was he unguarded enough to quit his intrenchments on a mere supposition of support ? or did he—foreseeing the impossibility" of retaining power, but wanting philosophy to resign it—wilfully subject himself to be driven from the post he could not resolve to quit? This axiom, however, may be derived from his fate—that a Ministry of underlings can never be stable. Had he possessed more independent colleagues, the allusion to Belgium would, probably, have been differently worded. We shall not pause to ask how far the present consummation is desirable, with men whose principles might have prompted them to evil if ever an opportunity offered. It were unjust, how-
ever, not to admit that they have produced great good—whether as unwilling instruments or not, it were now ungracious to inquire. The
establishment of religious liberty is in itself an achievement of no small importance ; and its utility is considerably increased, when we consider the course whica events have recently taken. But latterly the Test Acts and Catholic Emancipation were merely outworks, which served to divide the besiegers, and preserve the citadel untouched. They are now levelled ; and the phalanx of the extreme Tories, the determined enemies of all improvement, is broken and scattered; results for which we are indebted to the agency at least of the WELLINGTON Ministry. It has also bequeathed a clear stave to its successors. There need now be no questions to divide a Cabinet, unless they are questions of degree ; there is no Mo- narch with silly personalities to gratify at the expense of the public weal ; any opposition, however numerous, must at the outset be powerless in opinion, and in Parliamentary eloquence ; the distin- anished men of all parties seem willing to amalgamate on some broad and general principles ; and the people, anxious for an effi- cient reform in all our institutions, are not disposed to call for things unreasonable or impossible. Rarely—perhaps never—did Ministers assume the reins of government with such prospects or such re- sponsibility. It remains to be seen, whether, after a career de- voted to the pursuit of petty and personal objects, they will fall to
pieces amidst ridicule and rejoicing,—or whether they will throw themselves at once upon the people, and erect an imperishable mo- nument to their own glory, by improving the institutions and ad- vancing the prosperity of their country.
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