The session having closed, we shall not omit the customary

ses- sional retrospect ; though our weekly reckoning has been so closely kept and constantly balanced, that little matter of retrospection is left to us. For compression, we shall glance rapidly at the pro- ceedings and results, in groups corresponding with the functions and duties of Parliament.

First—Legislation. Lord Viscount MELBOURNN declares that the session has been prolific in bills; many of which will be found to need amendment; so that the offspring of this session will beget sUccessors in the next. This is the old story : more taws wanted, because too many already. Doubtless this prophecy will be realized; but the quality, not the number of the enactments, determines the character of a legislative assembly. What is stated as an excuse, is the very matter of complaint. But let us look closer, and par- ticularize. On turning over the Vote-paper, we find that 221 hills have received the Royal assent ; of which number, 171 were "pri- vate" and of the remaining 50 the great majority passed as a matter at' course, being chiefly of a routine description. From this category, however, exclude the following measures-

• Trial of Controverted Elections, Postage, Custody of Infants, Metropolitan Police and Police Courts, Birmingham, Manchester, and Bolton Police, Shannon Navigation, Scotch Prisons, Lower Canada Government, Jamaica, Slave-Trade.

And is that all ? Has the long, draggin*, dreary session, been agent _in producing so miserable a turn-on f' work? What have members been dein," These are natural questions ; to which a Registration of Voters in England, Registration of Voters in Scotland, 'analogue of the pripnipal bills rejected, or postponed, will suggest all answer_

Fictitious Voters in Scotland, Ecclesiastical Duties and Revenues, Factories, Admiralty Court, County Courts, Clergy Discipline, District Prisons, Copyright,

Bank of Ireland, Irish Corporations,

Inland Warehousing, Canada Union, Jamaica (the first bill.) Portugal Slave-trade (the first.)

This list might he extended : many other bills were introduced, and abandoned after more or less discussion ; but they were of minor importance to those specified.

Then it appears, that in a large majority of instances the at-

tempt to legislate on matters of public interest failed. This is the fair way of meeting the inquiry which Lord MELBOURNE endea- voured to shirk. And it must not be assumed that the little actually done was done well. We have no faith in the well-working of the Controverted Elections Bill : indeed, it would be a miracle if an impartial tribunal were formed out of such materials as the House of Commons can supply. The Metropolitan Police Bills received important alterations—which the authors of those bills declared to be the reverse of improvements—from the Lords : an opinion of their value would be premature. The other Police Bills have ex- cited great indignation in a large portion of the provincial com- munities for which they are intended ; and being also the con- sequence of a blunder in a Government measure—the Municipal Act—cannot be regarded with much complacency. The Shannon Bill was a disgraceful job, which has been exposed in our columns. The Lower Canada and Jamaica measures are mere makeshifts— the result of inability to deal with the great questions affecting those colonies. The same may be said of the new Slave-trade Bill: experience and Fowerx BUXTON demonstrate that the Black traffic is not suppressible by any thing of the sort. Geod Mr. TALrounn's bill in favour of mothers and infants, is u small affair, but commendable, we think, so far as it goes. An improvement in the Scotch prisons may be expected ; and if the powers conferred by the Postage Act be honestly and vigorously used, one national measure will have been carried in the session of 1839. But there, the duty of Parliament was easy and its burden light: a short act, enlarging the authority of the Treasury and Post-office function- aries—difficult details being intrusted to the Executive.

The debt of gratitude and respect to Parliament for its legisla- tive performances during the past session is soon paid off. The truth becomes palpable, and generally recognized, that for makirik laws, the House of Commons is one of the clumsiest and most um- fit.contrivances ever devised by man's ingenuity; and that few in- deed of its faults are corrected or defects supplied by the House of Lords. This remark- applies to the workmanship of its mea- sures, and to its internal constitution. With the best intentions, the products of its labours must be insignificant in comparison with„the cost and trouble of the apparatus : but there is a heavier charge against the house, and one for which its unwieldy numbers aud inconvenient regulations form no excuse. Second—Redress of Grievances, as set forth in the Petitions of the People. In this essential part of the duties of Parliament, the session presents an almost entire blank, or worse than blank, a record stained with crime. Petitions have not only been rejected, but not even the appearance of decent attention to them has been pre- served. The refusal to allow any discussion on their presentation, is very nearly equivalent to a denial of the right ; and this refusal is now recorded on the journals of the House of Commons. The House refused to hear the middle classes, petitioners at their bar, against the Corn-tax. The House refused to consider the petition of the hand-labourers against the restrictions and abuses of the Representation. A limited claim or a large clahn, the petition signed by a few hundreds and the petition signed by twelve hundred thousand, all encountered an equal rejection or disregard. There is but one exception : the petitions for cheap postage were granted —why ? because the predominant interests were not in any wa affected by the concession.

Third—Guardianship of the Public Purse. According R.1:0 MELOVSSE, the primary function of Parliament is not tip' laws, but to vote suppiiVa andcheck cxrenditure Grants te ,f have been readily made. Admirably have the Commoti formed that part of their duty, thinks the Premier. Whatete t,

Ministers asked for, they got. But the check on expen \ where was that? Was it applied to the vote of 70,000/. Queen's riding-house? or when Lord Lassnowsre and Mr.

RICE demanded upwards of half-a-million to improve their In estates? or when the increased estimates for the Army and Navy' were laid before the House of Commons? or when Dr.14m.lita-

Tom's salary job was in progress ? No; but on one occasion the Commons did exhibit reluctance to vote away the public money— when funds for educating the people were needed, they drew in the purse-strings, and granted less than half the amount appro- priated to the Windsor stables I Fourth—Care of the Colonies. It has happened that recently questions of party predominance in England have been mixed up with Colonial questions ; and there has consequently been more pretence of attention to Colonial affitirs during the session just closed than in many preceding sessions. But never were the inca- pacity and indisposition of Parliament to perform its essential du- ties to the Colonies more glaring. The proceedings on Colonial questions were a series of blunders; and the irresponsibility of the rulers of distant dependencies is as complete as ever, although systematic sacrifice of the welffire of their subjects to selfish cliques andjobbing interests at home mai abroad, was made manifest to all men.

Fifth—Moral and Political Influence. Theoretically, Parliament contains the Mite of the land. The Representatives of the People are picked from the mass on account of superior intelligence and virtue. An assembly of isIS persons, so distinguished, must ne- cessarily exercise immense influence on society. From their place of meeting, rays of the purest light in morals and in politics must penetrate in every direction through the country. Are we describing Queen VICTORIA'S !louse ocConinions? Is the picture recognized 'S " What I " exclaims the reader, " is that nest of babbling Jobbers your place of purity ? Among the mean worshippers of official consequence—amid the noise of unprincipled lactions—in the eager struggle for selfish interests—who looks for moral improvement or political instruction ?" The retort is fair : in one of the highest duties of a representative assembly, that of elevating the tune of public morality, the present House of' Commons is s de- ficient—worse than deficient, for it sets a bud exampl. It encou- rages immorality, propagates the mean vices, and undermines in- stead of strengthening independence and honesty. Sixth—Discussion of Important Subjects. Valuable informa- tion IT1Ely be diffused by means of discussion in Parliament, although the result may be the denial of justice, a bad law, or no legislative act at all. But lights for the nation's guidance, through the maze of conflicting opinions mai prejudices, are not hung out from the House of Commons. Noissle refers to the debates for the solu- tion of difficult problems in 'polities, any more than for precepts of pure montlity. The prilicipal discussions of the session have been upon the Corn-Less, National Education, Crime its' Ireland, Colo- nial Lands, Canada and Jamaica. On these questions, the propor- tion of error and nonsense to titet :old argument was overwhelming. In the Lords, limns;ii I!.1 displayed oratorical power of a high order ; but of' the Commons tviey may it be said that we live in the days of small men. Where Pm I. and Russma., are giants, the rest must be of low stliture. At no past age of English history were com- manding intellects so rare. A few such would effect wonders in Parliament. It is astonishing how much a small band of resolute Members can accomplish. ..1.1r. Game, with half a dozen others, turned out the Whig Administration—according to the confession or complaint of Ministers themselves. Mr. WARBURTON and Mr. O'Cossum,, with small minorities, defeated, one the Copyright, the other the Bank of' Ireland Bill. But these were isolated efforts. A systematic opposition to had measures—a fearless exposure of conventional hypocrisies and plausible pretexts, whenever put for- ward—cannot be made effectual without the organization of a party under a competent leader. This would lead tom] immense improve- silent in the debates. The effect " out of doors" would soon be felt within the House. The Liberals in Parliament would receive encou- ragement and support frotti their constituents, and from public opinion. Good speeches would lead to good measures.

A question, more interesting to many than those we have touched upon, is—the effect of the session on the state of Parties.

A Government weaker than Lord Msmaireass's at the begin- ding of the session, cannot be imagined. Everybody was prepared for a Whig resignation and a 1 ory accession. The Whigs,_ in fact, were " out Par a few days ; but the Queen remained firm in her friendships and enmities, and the agencies of' Palace intrigue did the rest. A heavy blow was dealt upon the Conservative party. The " omnipotence of Parliament " is a fine phrase; but when the " influence " of the Crown is exerted, it is found that, pace Mr. DUNNING'S fillIMOS l'eSull16011, it ilaS 110t been diminished in these latter days. The 'forks tried to tbrin an Administration, but failed. The repulse of Psm. secured the Govermnent for the rest of the session.

But the Whig tenure is not worth a year's purchase. It may be lost by the gradual desertion and splitting off' of Conservative Whigs, as well as earnest Retbriners. The (limbic process is going on. At single elections the Tories commonly prevail and an ac- cident may render a general election necessary, with the certain result of' a larg.e Tory majority. Court favour is proverbially a pre- carious reliance fbr a Minister; and Lord Memmouttxs, without it, is nothing. Internal discordnay break up his Cabinet ; and there is more probability of this happening than politicking are generally 'aware of. Thus, although from no quarter is immediate danger to the Government discerned, there are several in which it is known to lurk : though Lord 1111.a.noussE may be Premier this time twelvemonth, nobody would be surprised to see him on the Oppo- sition-benches betbre Easter.

While the Whigs, though retaining office, are manifestly declin- ing, and the Tories, in Opposition, see their principles carried

out by the Government, and enjoy the near prospect of' placeal well as power, the Radicals cannot be said to exist as a party the hope once entertained of then- performing some service tal

country and the Liberal cause has utterly disappeared, th