5 APRIL 1851, Page 1

As a political demonstration, the Stanley banquet in the Mer-

chant Tailors' Hall was tame and ineffective. It wanted reality; the speaking reverberated the internal hollowness of the party. Only 158 Members of the House of Commons attended: a full third of the seats were occupied by Peers, by retired politicians like Mr. Croker, or aspirants like Mr. G. F. Young. Nor can it be• said that all who were present are likely to ,join heartily in the cry of "Protection and Protestantism," which the Stanley organs would fain get up : some of the guests voted for the repeal of the Corn- laws in 1846, and more have since expressed reluctance to disturb the arrangements then made. LordStanley's address was in har- mony with the undecided character of so many of those who sur- rounded him. He avowed explicitly 'enough his preferenee for a system of protection to domestic agriculture ; but he- did not declare that he saw his way to it through his. own ac-. cession to office. The other speakers appeared to seek in an in- terchange of personal compliments the means of escape from defi- nite pledges of policy. Even these amenities were marked by a curious feature ; the announcement of almost every name coupled with a toast was prefaced by a semi-apology for the seleetion,—a tacit admission either of the want of men of decided preeminence, or of a widely_ diffused jealousy among concurrent claimants of precedence. Mr. Disraeli was toasted as the accidental leader of the party in the House of Commons ; and Lord Stanley's tribute to the "wit and general ability" of that gentleman was received —so says the report of the friendly Morning Herald—with cheer-. ing "and laughter." The effect of the demonstration has been, if anything, to weaken the impression that, was gaining ground, of Lord Stanley's ability to take office immediately: it exhibited the nakedness of the land under a strong light.