LORD GREY AND LORD MELBOURNE.
WITH a constant misgiving as to Lord MELBOURNE'S firmness in his dealings H ith the aristocratic body to which he belongs natu- rally as well as nominally, we are always glad when any thing happens which is calculated to convince him that his sole reliance is upon the People. Such a circumstance is actually occurring. It is understood that old Lord GREY, whom all supposed to have retired for ever from public life, is become once more, so far as his great age permits, an active party politician. Lord BROUGHAM too, smelling (as who can doubt ?) the approaching crisis in the fate of the MELBOURNE Administration, is on his way towards London. But Lord BROUGHAM is as helpless for evil as for good. Not so Lord GREY. Though this venerable Peer be too near the ageof second childhood for taking a laborious and respon- sible part in public life, the prestige which belongs to his name, for what he did towards the destruction of the old dominion of the House of Lords over the House of Commons,—this, and his per- sonal influence at Court, enable him to meddle with effect at cri- tical times when all things seem uncertain. We had occasion to notice with disapprobation certain out-of-sig lit, under- ha nd doings of Lord GREY pending the formation of the present MELBOURNE Ministry. The venerable Earl, it is more than suspected, would then have preferred a PEEL-and-STANLEY Cabinet, with his own son for one of its members, and himself for its chief though occult adviser. He may have wished to perpetuate that wretched system of his own, under which the first Reformed House of Commons was prevented from fulfilling its mission; under which the Lords were encouraged to set up a new kind of dominion over the House of Commons; and by means of which himself became so un- popular as to be easily tripped up by an intrigue of Lord BROUGHAM. The prospect of a marked contrast between his own do-nothing policy after the Reform Bills were passed,and that of a more energetic successor who had been his subordinate, could not but be disagreeable to his somewhat jealous and bilious temper. Di ,1 he wish a Muesli.) t be so formed, that it should be incapable of lasting? What is his object now? Most assuredly, (and Lord GREY'S experience must, before that of all other Midisters, convince him of this.) Lord MELBOURNE will be again di-missed, because unsupported by the nation, if he should not take part with the House of Commons, and therefore against the Ileuse of Louts. during the present collision. Does Lord GREY wish that Lord MELBOURNE should be again dismissed ? If not, fin. that Purpose does he ►ecommend a mode of Ministerial action, er rather inaction, similar to that through which (though be and Lord BROUGHAM were alone to blame for it) Lord MELtioileant was dismissed before? If not, why does he, in every private circle, find fault with every act of the present Ministei ? The public, hearing that Lord GREY has not retired from politics, are beginning to ask why he has not, this session, uttered a single word in the House of Lords in support of Liberal measures passed by the House of Commons. Let it be known then, that if he had spoken at all, it would (unless he preferred acting a double part) have been against those measures. Lord Gutsy has, in effect, joined Lord I.VNDLIIIRST, almost as cordially as Lad STAN- LEV and Sir J M Es G RA H A m have joined Sir ROBERT PEEL. Except Lord STANLEY perhaps, there is no more bitter enemy of the MELBOURNE Allinini,tratioli than Lord GREY. Lord STANLEY and Sir JAMES GRAHAM have at least the merit of publicly ex. pressing their enmity to their " noble and right honourable friends:" their opposition to all reform is, at least, open and above board. But then, neither of them has a sou in the Cabi- net, or a son-helaw Secretary of the Admiralty, or a nephew Under-Secretary of the Colonial Office, or two sons, young Post- Captains, both with ships, or another son recently enriched by the ffit rectory of Winder, or a translateable right revere,.d brother with sore sickness among the Bishops. Considering how much Lord GREfs family owe to Lord MELBOURNE, public attacks, such as Lord Gs EY makes on Lord MELBOURNE in private circles, would be too indecent. Besides, if Lord GREY'S hostility to Lord MELBOURNE were known to the country, there would be an out- cry against the gratification by Lord MELBOURNE of Lord GREY'S nepotism. The fart is now stated broadly and confidently. The Premier has no worse, or, saving the indecency of public oppo- sition, more active enemy than Lord GREY. We speak on the- best authority, invite remark, and defy contradiction.
Previous page
