TOPICS OF THE DAY.

THE SPECTATOR'S POLICY AND POSITION.

CONSIDERING all the circumstances in favour of the MELBOURNE Government, under which the recent election took place, the gain of the Tories is a most remarkable event. With office, the Court, and a new reign, not to mention the Duke of CUMBERLAND'S doings as King of Hanover, all on their side, if the MELBOURNE party bad not gained in numbers, it might have been fairly said that they had lost in strength. They have lost power, then, in- asmuch as they have not gained in numbers ; and further, they have lost absolutely so many votes in Parliament, that they can- not be sure of even a bare majority on any of the questions as to which they have materially differed from the Tories. But this is not all their loss. In the first place, it seems likely that they will lose some more votes before Election Committees.* In so far, again, as a great deal of the bitter and active hostility which has injured them at this election in England, arises from their de- pendence on Mr. O'CONNELL, and also as many of their own ad- herents in England and Scotland have, on account of that depend- ence, been half-inclined to join the Tories like STANLEY and GRAHAM, they have lost by becoming more than ever dependent upon Irish support. Moreover, they have lost support from the English and Scotch constituencies to a greater extent than is shown by the election returns,—to the further extent, namely, of the increase, as compared with the election of 1835, both of Tory votes absolutely, and of Tory votes in proportion to votes in their behalf. Finally, it is generally admitted, and was indeed given as a reason why Lord MELBOURNE should dissolve the PEEL Par- liament as soon as possible after his Queen's accession, that the Tories will gain considerably, this year, in the registration courts, where, rather than at the polls, " the battle is really to be fought." So that, upon the whole, three things appear certain : first, that a general election, with the Tories in office, would give a decided Tory majority in the Commons ; whence it follows, that the exist- ence of the MELBOURNE Government depends entirely on their favour at Court : secondly, that the present Tory minority will be rather increased than diminished by casual elections : and, thirdly, that, at all events, the Tory party in and out of Parliament, led as it is by a large majority of the Lords, is strong enough to govern in opposition, just as the Liberal Opposition really governed when they forced the repeal of the Test Acts and Catholic Relief from a Government of nominal Tories. Conservative government— whether Whigs or Tories have the pay and patronage, or share them in coalition—to this complexion we have come at last. 'When did the course of events begin, of which this is the catas- trophe? It began after the Easter recess of last year, when LYNDHURST, leading the Tory Lords, defied and insulted the Commons and the MELBOURNE Government ; and when the MELBOURNE Government, leading the Commons, tamely sub- mitted to the outrage. Then it was that the Tory party all over the country, roused by the boldness of their chiefs in the House of Lords, struggled out of the slough of despond into which they bad been cast by preceding events: it was then, also, that "disunion " and" supineness or apathy "began to take possession of the Reformers. Till then, it had been imagined, by Tories as well as Reformers, that Lord MELBOURNE had not succeeded Sir ROBERT PEEL without providing means for carrying the measures brought forward by his Cabinet : LYNDHURST'S conspicuous triumph over that Cabinet told a different tale; and thus, while the Tories were greatly encouraged to battle for the principle of Obstruction, the Reformers were discouraged and disheartened in the same proportion. It has been said, and truly we have no doubt, that Lord MELBOURNE could not have resisted the Tory policy of 1836, as proclaimed and managed by LYNDHURST after the Faster recess, without resorting to active measures—without attacking his assailants—without pursuing a "bold and decided course, ' calculated to stimulate the Reformers cut of doors; and that it' lie had so done, he would probably have been deserted by many of his Mere Whig supporters, and left in a minority in the PEEL Parliament. It may have been also, that the King would not have let him appeal to the country upon a policy calculated to defeat that of LYNDHURST. The adoption of such a policy, in short, involved great risk of losing office for a time. Lord Mk:LBOUBNE would not run that risk. He therefore adopted the policy, u hich he afterwards avowed, of retaining office by means of a bare majority in the PEEL House of Commons. In the PEEL House of Commons, it would have been impossible for Lord MELBOURNE to retain a majority, if he had done any thing to foifeit the support of his Mere Whig adherents. He was thus compelled to pursue a course always directed by their very Cen- sers ative dispositions ; taking care of Mr. °Coat:am-1. by means of patronage, (which really involves a great principle in Irish politics,) and contenting the Radicals in Parliament, or at least securing all that he wanted from them—namely, occasional votes "against the Tories "—by professing to "bombard the Lords with good measures" for rejection, and "ripening the pear of Peerage Reform." His Canada Coercion Bill being a merely gratuitous piece of Ccanial-office Toryism, was no part of his system. His system was to keep office at all events, by means of • The Tory papers ludicrously exiggerate the possible amount of this loss; but we learn from a shrewd Ministerislist, of great experience in the practical working of Election-law in the Committees of the House, that seine loss on the Liberal side is certainly to be apprehended. the Peat Parliament ; and this ma:piked that be should be ter„ enough to arid displeasing the Mere Whigs who had hitheet,-- supported him. The boldness of the Lords in attacking 6-- MELBOURNE after Raster 1836, and his tameness in submittntli to them, formed the beginning of the end which has come. ° For the plan of relying on the support of Conservative Whi the House, rather than on that of the earnest Reformers in tb a et): try—the mere party system which Lord MELBOURNE adopted; 1836—has been continued to the present hour. As be bowed to tbi, Lords last year, and refused open questions at the beginning oflut session, all for fear of giving offence to Conservative Whigs,s0 the dissolution of Parliament, the members of his Government 'as. peen; to the constituencies, adopted so Conservative a tone 'alit their addresses would have come aptly from Sir ROBERT Pien Lord DURHAM lent powerful aid to this Reform-damping, Tory. a;dirg plan. We do not suppose that Lad MELBOURNE'S system was in enled to damp Reform and aid the Tories. Its only purpoie was to retain the support of his more Conservative adherents Ever since last Easter .twelvemonth, both in and out of Palk: meat, his grand aim has been to avoid giving offence to those of his supporters who were Obstructive or Conservative in principle, and who would have deserted him long ago if party pride had not forbidden them to join the Tories. The result has been far trots his intention. As a Reform Minister, he cannot stand. Although freed from the hostility of the Court, although he possess the es. tire confidence of a new and popular Sovereign, and although the new House of Commons be of his own choosing, lie will be out- voted in this, the MELBOURNE Parliament, unless be go a step

further in Conservatism, by abandoning those questions as tn

which he has hitherto differed from Sir ROBERT PEEL. By taking so much care not to offend the Conservative Whigs, he has arrived

at the necessity of submitting to the Tories. For a time yet-.

such is the force of habit and association—be may be called a Reformer; but Sir ROBERT PEEL, at the bead of her Majesty's

Conservative Opposition, will really govern. Nor is it very un-

likely to happen, that the Tories, strengthened as they have bees by this election, and growing as their strength appears to be, should manage, ere long, to get at the pay and patronage as well as the governing power. The governing power is already theirs; so that, at all events, whether Whigs or Tories have the pay and patronage, REFORM, in the only true sense of' that word, is indefi- nitely postponed. Such is the consummation of the timid, truck- ling course of rubbing-on-any-how, which the MELBOURNE Go- vernment have pursued since they first bowed low to Lysimiunsr after Easter 1836.

A journal, published but once a week—debarred by its price and the nature of its contents from circulation amongst the millions—

never under the obligation of patronage from any Government,nor at any time the organ of a party or sect, but always representing the individual opinions of its editor and sole proprietor,—a paper thus inherently destitute of the means by which influential jour- nals commonly acquire their power, is just now the observed of all observers. We venture to say that there is no previous example in the history of periodical literature, of such a journal as the

Spectator obtaining so much notice from its contemporaries, as has been bestowed upon us during the last three or four weeks.

All who are acquainted with the newspaper press generally, will bear us out in this assertion. Our statements, calculations, argu- ments, and opinions, form a subject of comment with, we had almost said the whole, but at any rate with a very large propor- tion of the whole newspaper press, not only in London, Edinburgh, and Dublin, but throughout the country. Why is so much im- portance attached to the sayings and doings of a humble weekly paper? The remarkable fact may, we think, be explained by reference to the foregoing review of Lord MELBOURNE'S course since Easter last year. When his Government and Reform were first vigorously assailed by the Tories, we felt that it was neces- sary for him, and for us, to "take a line "—to adopt a policy regu- lated by the new event. Ile took that of retaining office for his party by means of bending to the Tory Lords, and conciliating the most Conservative of his supporters. We, who bad hitherto stre- nuously, and he knows how efficiently, supported him, took that of

abiding by Reform, which lie then deserted, and which has since deserted him. Reform, discarded by the MELBOURNE W lugs, became independent; and we added to our old motto of' Reform, that of Independence of Party. Separated from the MELBouRNE Whigs, because we could not join them iii "playing the game of the Tories," it behoved us to show, or rather show up, the whole progress of that foolish play. This has given mortal offence to the mere pars Csans of the Government. Above all, they have been enraged at our exposure of the "Lords-bombarding" and "pear-ripening "pre fences, with which the convenient "friends" of the MELBOURNE

Government sought to delude the sincere Reformers. Many sincere Reformers have been deluded by those pretences, but are now be- ginning to open their eyes. The mere partisans and parasites of the Government, therefore, have had a strong motive, and have now a stronger one, for seeking to intimidate the Spectator ,to

run it down by abuse, to deprive it of weight and authority with

the public, and above all, to disparage it with those sincere Re- formers, who, being very much disappointed and vexed, hardy yet know whether to wreak their wrath on those who have cheated,

or on him who endeavoured to warn them. The Tories, on the other hand, glad enough to see that the Whigs were playing their game, have been gratified to find the fact admitted and illustrated by a journal equally attached to Reform and to Truth. We thus account bath for the abusive and the complimentary notices of the Spectator, with which the Wing and Tory press has lately teemed. We are independent and plain-spoken—that is the foundation of our present consequence, not to say influence. If we please the Tories by exposing Whig pretences, and displease the Whigs by showing how they have played and are playing the game of the Tories, the fault is not ours in either case : nor, con- sidering our abiding attachment to Reform, let who may desert or oppose it, will either party be much gratified to learn,that the cir- culation of the Spectator has been steadily growing during the last year and a half, and was never so large, for any corresponding period, as during the last half-year. l•