21 MAY 1842, Page 11

SO MUCH FOR BUCKINGHAM.

"Piais coronet opus."

IN plants the period of their flowering, in insects that of their met:ging from the chrysalis •into the winged state, as they are the most beau- tiful stages of their existence, so are they the infallible tokens that death is nigh at hand. In like manner, the consummation of a po- litician's (or other public performer's) glory, when be is feasted and 'presented with a " testimonial," is in ninety-nine cases of the hun- dred " his last appearance on that stage." In general it is followed close by his retirement from the turmoils of public life ; in some casse it has been known to be the immediate precursor of apostacy—of an experiment whether as much may not be made out of one side as has been made out of the other. The cold and guarded cha- racter of the proceedings at the presentation of "the Chandos tes- timonial" are not of a nature to lead one to anticipate that the Duke of Summon/km will prove the hundredth, the exceptional case. A written address was read by the presenters ; a written reply, elaborated beforehand, was read by the presentee; in neither was one word said about the Corn-law or the Cattle-tariff, or the reasons which keep the Duke out of the PEEL Cabinet. Even at a later period of the evening, when the wine had done its good office and his Grace adventured upon an extempore speech, the allusion to these topics was distant, vague, and unmeaning. He regretted that, not being eligible to the House of Commons, he could not discharge his duty in a manner more satisfactory to his hearers— but even the House of Lords afforded opportunities of doing something for the farmers : and "I have lived with them in their days of prosperity and happiness, and I hope soon to see the day when we may not be disappointed as we have been " : again, " The farmers of England may feel as- sured, that although I have witnessed the day when my hopes and expectations have been disappointed, still I am awake, and will continue to be their faithful sentinel." Words these which snay mean any thing or nothing ; cold comfort for the farmers of England, whose eyes have waited upon the Farmer's Friend. The Duke has done what Falstaff advised the Prince of Wales to do when he bade him " go hang thyself in thine own heir-apparent garters." The farmers must look about them for a new " friend"; for they are not likely to see or hear much more of the gentleman who on the evening of Wednesday last walked out of the grand temporary pavilion at Aylesbury, carrying under his arm " a noble column or ,pillar of silver gilt, standing four feet six inches high, its weight 1,800 ounces, and its cost upwards of 2,0001."