4 JULY 1840, Page 14

A CROSS-STICK ON MINISTERS.

" Tins life is all chequered with crosses," says an old song; and however cheap some may hold " an old song," we incline to think this one may be in the right. The ancients had crosses to punish delinquent slaves, and the moderns have crosses to reward the highest degree of merit of all kinds. Pugilists and Parliamentary leaders are notoriously addicted to " tight a cross," and Lord ALTIIORRE and members of the Highland Society doat upon cross- breeds. Artists and picture-dealers have often to bewail the effect of cross-lights. 11 certain class of politicians would find it diffi- cult to disconnect the idea of O'CONNELL from that of a Death's head and cross-bones. We have cross-roads, cross wives, and on each recurring Good Friday hot cross-buns. The Joe Miller wit of cross-readings is not yet quite obsolete. The old adage declares that " an oyster may be crossed in love," and Whigs protest that the Spectator is a cross-grained depreciator of their virtues. But the cross of crosses has been discovered by the Globe, writing in rather a cross mood on the hopes of their party crossed in the di- vision on Lord STA.NLEY'S Irish Registration Bill, which took place on Friday scnnight. Some of the delinquent Whigs absent from that division without a pair, plead, it scents, in extenuation, that they were attending the Queen at Lady RAVENSWORTII'S pleasant " ddeuni: dluatoin" at Percy Cross. Can it be that her Majesty is after all only playing at "cross-purposes" with Lord 'MELBOURNE?