TOPICS OF THE DAY.
BONDS OF UNION BETWEEN THE MINISTERS Liberals, were benefited. Now we hardly need to tell the present the OA of the Peace, a thousand petty distinctions may be given, or withheld ; Ministers that they are not strong enough to throw away the ad- and the man is ignorant of human nature, who supposes, either that such vantage which a popular use of their patronage will procure. means are not of use in keeping a party together, or that while parties exist Great discredit was thrown upon the GREY Administration by they will not be thus applied. We do not blame those, who have this power,- the clumsy, unfinished, ill-digested measures they brought for- for exercising it; we blame those, who have the means of taking away ward. As a man of business, certainly, Lord ALTHORP never such ' shone : confident in his popularity, and secure of a large majority ministration? You sweep away the Royal Household, without scruple, whenever he chose seriously to ask for one, he was unpardonably however unpleasant the process may be at times, to the Royal feel- careless as to the state in which he introduced even very impor- ings; because you cannot safely allow the Monarch to be surrounded by tent measures. This fault must be amended, and we fully expect servants who are known to be politically opposed to the Ministers of that it will. We have good hopes of Lord JOHN RUSSELL, but his choice • you change the highest legal authority—the Lonl Chancellor— upon the self-same plea, however important his permanence in office may he to better of Mr. SPRING RICE. The public is not unreasonable : the due administration of justice : and yet you permit the King's Represents- numerous measures will not be demanded, if a few, well-digested, tives in the counties to remain unchanged, although it is self-evident that sound in principle, and good of the kind, are introduced and their influence will be used, from the moment their own friends are dis- .carried. ' missed, to counteract and embarrass the measures of their successors. You The National Representatives must be treated with confidence. may talk of neutrality being their duty ; neutrality is neither professed nor The true reasons for supporting or resisting a motion should be ohserved,—at least as things now go, whatever it may have been in former times. Look at the conduct of the Orange Lords Lieutenant io the North of manfully avowed. It is ruinous to the public character of a Mi- Ireland ! Look at the conduct of Lori Veridarn here ! in what does the nistry to put forward one set of sham arguments in Parliament, neutrality of a man consist, who stigmatizes as 'virulent, factions, disappointed, while their supporters are telling the true and different reasons and revengeful,' all the members of that Opposition, to which, be it recol- for their conduct out cf doors. Ministers should act as the re- lee.ed, his Majesty has just been pleased to confide the reins of Government ; .sponsible rulers of a great country, not as the intriguing tools of men of whom he is with us the accredited agent ? No; the Whigs must a court, choose between_their enemies, and their fliends. They must play their game Having indicated the cou:se which we think the Reformers are as the Tories have always done,—that is, as a party glute,—o: they had better
expecting to find the New Ministry adopt on some important points of principle and practice, we may add, that the Represen-
tatives of the People are bound to act, in the present state of af- fairs, with unusual care and circumspection. Every thing like un- AND THE REFORMERS. necessary annoyance should be sedulously avoided. We do not mean THE necessity of union among the Reformers, in order success- that the discussion of interesting questions should be blinked, but fully to counteract the efforts of the Tories, is too obvious to need that they should be brought forward on their own merits—not as illustration or proof. The main point to be considered is—the party questions—certainly not with the view of merely trying the best ,nethod of preserving union. Much, though not all, depends attachment of the Ministry to Reform principles. Mr. Rosuucx, upon the conduct of the Ministers. They cannot mistake the for instance, is reported to have stated publicly that he shall wishes of the great majority of their supporters in and out move for the repeal of the Newspaper Tax, in such a form as of Parliament. They must know wins: policy would be agree- to test the honesty of Ministers as Reformers. Nothing, in our able to them, or the reverse. After ',he experience of the last opinion, would be more useless or injudicious. The question is four years, they can never imagine that a truckling, timid policy, no test of any Member's attachment to Reform. Let Mr. Ros- such as Earl GREY unhappily fell into, would be approved of by Heels move to repeal that tax, and support his motion by all the Nation, or unite the mighty masses of the Reformers in their the arguments lie can urge; but let him eschew the folly of mak- support. Earl GREY'S system was not only distasteful to theCoun- ing it a test of the new, untried Administration. As to the tax, try—it did not gain one vote from the Tories, or neutralize their op- however, Mr. SPRING RICE would do well to remember, that it position in a single instance : it had not even that miserable Avail- has long been an odious one; that Lord ALTHORP actually pro- tege. The result of four years' erideavours to pacify the Opposition, mised to reduce it one half, and that he might gain considerable was the contemptuous dismissal of the Whigs in November last, and popularity at a very cheap rate were he now to make good Lord the utmost efforts to effect their ruin as. a party. Rather than ALTHORP'S engagement. But even if Mr. SPRING RICE should submit to he deprived of what they deem their lawful awl exclu- not make the reduction or repeal an item in his Budget, when sire inheritance—the right of administering the Government of many " interests" are jostling each other for exclusive favours, this country for the advantage of themselves and their kindred— we should not on that account be so unjust as to set hint down as the Tories openly declare that they will " have a fight for it." an insincere Reformer. Such is the unprincipled desperation of these men. Surely the These remarks on Mr. ROEBUCK'S motion are offered not with most timid Whig that ever held office must now be satisfied that a view to prejudice that motion—fur we hope to see it urged with the only safe way of dealing with the Tories, is to treat them as discretion and crowned with success—but to illustrate what we
irreconcileable foes, and to defy their enmity. mean by saying that questions should not be worked in a way to
As it is impossible to please the Tories and the People, Earl embarrass the Liberal Ministers. Our desire is that these Mi- GREY'S Ministry soon found themselves at war with the latter. nisters should be trusted rather than tested—fur a season ; that His Government became a Government of resistance. The spirit they should be strenuously and cautiously supported until they of Lord STANLEY too long prevailed in it, and was its evil prove themselves unworthy of support ; and that as long as it is genius. The Irish Coercion Bill was one of the poisonous fruits evident that their policy is manly, uncompromising, and national, of this influence. That ill-judged measure alienated manYg reat allowances should be made for minor faults, and the difli- friends in England and Scotland, and exasperated the Irish culties of their position fairly considered.
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