TOPICS OF TH E DAY.
TALK OF THE CLUBS.
THE well-understood intention of Ministers to dissolve Parliament early in the spring, has been abandoned for the present ; and the change of purpose is thus accounted for. Lord MELBOURNE had, at length, made up his mind to rely on the earnest Reformers, and had consequently determined to adopt the system of open questions. From this it followed, that he would be deserted by some " pure old Whigs ;" and hence the obvious necessity of a general election in order to retain a Whig-Radical majority in the House of Commons. But just as the whole matter was comfort- ably settled, a member of the Government, the Master-General of the Ordnance, not being let into the secret., leads Sir WILLIAM MOLESWORTH to believe that the Government will not make Bal- lot an open question. If they do not, says Sir WILLIAM, I shall not support you, Sir HUSSEY VIVIAN, as a candidate for East Corn- wall. What could be more natural, or, in Sir WILLIAM MOLES- WORTH, who had previously announced that he would support no opponent of the Ballot, more consistent and becoming? How- ever, Whig pride takes alarm: what gentlemen intended to do of their ow n mere motion, they will not think of on compulsion. Yield to dictation indeed! not they ; so his Majesty's Ministers are all at sea again. The event causes much discussion as to the very different courses pursued during the last few months by certain journals, some of which constantly assured Ministers that there was no Whig-Radical disunion, nor any danger of it, while others begged, and prayed, and urged, that the union might be restored by a timely adoption of open questions. If the advice of the latter had been followed, the present mess would not have happened ; and for its not having been followed, the parasite journals are no little to blame. They asserted that the earnest Reformers, who will not be content with less than open questions, were " a small section" of the Liberals, whose grumbling was unworthy of no- tice, end that the object of those who stated the contrary, was to serve the Tories. See the result ! After all, the plan of Whig- Radical action long ago recommended to Ministers, had been approved and adopted, but so late as to make the concession look like Melding to dictation. But now, for fear of a wound to Whig +ride, the plan is abandoned ; and Ministers are to meet Parlia- ment without any plan either for managing the Lords on the one hand, or securing Radical support on the other. Well may the Tories rejoice and make merry. Still their hilarity will not last long. We would recommend to their attentive perusal the speech of Mr. RAIKES CURRIE at Northampton. Here is a wealthy London banker—a most accom- plished person—remarkable, too, fur caution and sagacity—no Ultra by temper, but moderate in his feelings and opinions—who begins his public career with a speech full of sympathy for the masses, and downright Radicalism. This is but one of many signs of the times, which show that the last hour of the two factions— desperate Tories and " pure old Whigs"—is rapidly approaching.
However, with regard to the present, it may be fairly presumed that Ministers will again change their mind as to a general elec- tion. Though the Radical leaders have not formally assured Lord MELBOURNE that they will support him next session on no other condition than open questions, he is well aware of their sen- timents. He knows that, without open questions, the Govern- ment cannot stand ; that with them, it cannot stand unless by the aid of a general election. To all, therefore, who rely upon the affection of the Whigs for place, the early dissolution of Par- liament will appear a necessity. If any should suppose that the Whigs are incapable of return- ing to the course which they have already adopted and aban- doned,—that such inconsistency or vacillation is impossible,—let him reflect on their conduct with respect to Sir WILLIAM MOLES- WORTH, and the great Lambeth meeting, which broke down by
reason of the proposed vote of unconditional confidence in Minis- ters. The gentlemen who took a leading part at the Lambeth meeting, would not, we may be sure (and a list of their names would be sufficient to prove it) have moved on the occasion, if they had not learned that agitation for Peerage Reform would be agreeable to his Majesty's Ministers, in whom they place such un- limited confidence. The only declared object of the Lambeth meeting was Peerage Reform. Yet it is for advocating Peerage Reform that Sir WILLIAM MOLESWORTH is turned out of East Cornwall by the Whigs. Can any degree of inconsistency beat that ?
This Lambeth meeting deserves another word, as it tends to ex-
plain why there is no popular agitation in favour of the sinking Mi- nistry. There can be no doubt (and this is confirmed by a letter which we print elsewhere) that the resolution of confidence in Mi- nisters would have been passed withenthusiasm, if some popular con- dition had been attached to the expression of confidence. Still more, if it had then been known that Ministers were determined to rely on popular support, and, of course, to deserve it by adopting a popular policy, the people of Lambeth would have shouted for Lord MELBOURNE as they did for Lord GREY during the inter- regnum of 1832. And in that case, like meetings would surely have taken place in all the Metropolitan districts, and in every large town of Great Britain. In that case, Ministers would have had the same support in England and Scotland, as their truly excellent Irish policy obtains for them in Ireland. At present the masses are passive; and so they will remain until there be
some definite object to be served by agitation. Ministers, in their present pickle, are any thing but definite objects. Such has been this week's talk at the Clubs.
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