TOPICS OF THE DAY.
POLITICAL GOSSIP OF THE WEEK.
REFORM having been made unfashionable, and that " supineness or apathy," which Lord DURHAM at once deprecates and pro- motes, being the order of the day. we have no choice but to con- tent ourselves with noting the gossip which at present passes for politics. It was said that the Conservatives were well rid of the Duke of CUMBERLAND when he departed for Hanover. He has managed, however, to injure them from a distance more seriously than would have been possible if he had remained an incumbrance to them at home. As yet, they have not mustered courage to disown him. Until they shall do so, all the odium of his tyranny will attach to them. Though his behaviour to his subjects is scarcely worse than that of the MELBOURNE Cabinet to the people of Canada, it is far more hurtful to the Conservatives than was the Whig attack on the constitution of Canada to the foolish men who belied their profes- sions by that act of tyranny. It was believed that the Whigs had unwillingly, " reluctantly " as Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, yielded to some necessity : in the Conservative case, we hear of nothing but "Tory principles illustrated by the King of Hanover." One may steal a horse, while another must not look over the hedge. The Conservatives may learn from this, that their Liberal pro- fessions obtain no credit; that the hatred which they acquired during their day of power and insolence is not yet worn out; that the punishment which they merited in bygone times is not yet over ; that professions and promises, coming from them, are of no avail; and that nothing less than good measures in plenty will be accepted by the country as an expiation of their past offences. A more amusing matter of gossip this week, has been the fact that a furious Tory—not a Conservative, but a Tory—is a candi- date for Parliament on DURHAM principles. 01(1 BURDLTT sets up for the representation of North Wiltshire ; and, in order to re- commend himself to the Tory squires and parsons of that county, declares himself a Durhamite ! So thoroughly has the course of events since Easter 1836 confounded the greatest political dis- tinctions. Our youthful Queen must be sorely puzzled, we should think, to make out which is which and who's who, amongst the parties and the men of whom she has heard most. But at any rate—and here is good cause for rejoicing—she is in a fair way of learning that the grand point, after all, is measures. The grand point, however, just now, with the MELBOURNE Whigs, seems to be corruption, which naturally flourishes in the midst of "supineness and apathy. See the CHURCHILL-MARL- BOROUGH correspondence. More, very much more of the same sort of thing that has been brought to light by the publication of these letters, will go on during the profound political calm—the complete "apathy or supineness"—that promises to succeed the elections. By approximating more and mere to Anti-Reform principles—perhaps even to the extent of Lord DURHAM'S attach- ment to "the Lords" and "the Established Church," and by profusely bribing Anti-Reform men, Lord MELBOURNE may form a stable, or as Sir JOHN HOBHOUSE has said, a "strong, bad"
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Government. We really see at present no other prospect, if the elections should give Lord MELBOURNE a majority, of which there can be little doubt. But if, unexpectedly, the Tories should gain a majority of but one, so as to outvote Lord MELBOURNE on the first address to our youthful Queen, why, then, Reform would probably come into fashion again. In saying this, we only raise a question which may be much discussed before the meeting of Parliament ; namely—which is best fur the country, that the pigs should be in or out?
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