7 FEBRUARY 1936, Page 14

A Hundred Years Ago

" THE SPECTATOR," FEBRUARY 6TH, 1830.

The Session of Parliament was opened on Thursday, with a Royal Speech,. soon followed, we are happy to say, by a Tory defeat. Sir Robert 'Peel moved an Ainendment to the Address, which was negatived by a majority of 294 to 243. Thus perish the hopes of the Opposition ! Behold the result of six months' unwearied agitation, and the punishment of political fraud!. It is in the House of Commons that the fate of parties is to be decided, and the Peel House of Commons has again decreed the exclusion of Peel from office.

The Speech seems to have been framed with a view to prevent a collision on .the first day of the session ; and there was not a single paragraph in that document which rendered it necessary for the Tories to reject or to alter it. As usual, it contained assur- ances of the friendly disposition of Foreign Powers ; and though an addition to the Navy Eitimates was announced, this was declared hy Ministers to be merely a precautionary step, with a view to maintain our relative position as ,ii maritime power. We have no doubt that the real object is to have a check upon Russia—to give greater weight to diplomatic representations. We trust that it is only in• the way of negotiation that this country will interfere in the affairs of Eastern Europe. Nobody can tell where or how a war, once begun, shall end ; it is like a fire, which may be kindled iu a corner, but devastate a whole city before it can be extin- guished.