WHO ARE THE TRAITORS?
To their "insincerity" Lord FRANCIS EGERTON ascribes the un- popularity of the Whigs. He assured the Conservatives of Oldham at public dinner assembled, " that there is hardly such a phe- nomcnon as a Whig town (meaning by that term, a town which supports the principles and opinions of :Ministers) that has confi- dence in their abilities and professions ;" and he added— "I ask you to judge of the present station and representation of the Whig party, not from comments made on them by Conservatives ; and if the Minis- try be in that situation, we may well ask what is the reason why it should have fallen so low in the estimation of this country as it is, and SS I believe of the world? * * * The reason I believe to be this-1 believe that that party, as a party, rests under the imputation of rank insincerity; that, being in its essence and composition as aristocratic as any party which ever formed itself in a state, it has been used too long to courting the support of the most abandoned levetsmen in the country."
The unpopularity of Ministers it were vain to deny ; and their insincerity, up to a certain point, must also be conceded. It is perfectly true that a very large proportion of the Liberal con- stituencies were deluded, first by Lord GREY'S Cabinet, afterwards by Lord MELBOURNE'S ; but the Ministers are not now, and have not for nearly two years been, fairly chargeable with attempts to deceive the people by fidse professions. Their speeches and actions are in tolerable accordance. At the general election in 837, they promised no advance in Reform. They did not pretend that their newly-acquired influence at Court should be turned to a popular use. On the first night of the last session' Lord JOHN RUSSELL appeared in undisguised opposition to the Movement, lie took the earliest opportunity that presented itself of making his fiunous "Finality speech," declaring the Reform Bill to have been the result of a deliberate determination to maintain the predominance of the Landed Interest in Parliament and the country. As the session proceeded, the policy announced by the Ministerial Leader of the Commons was developed. The Whigs now agree with the Tories on almost every great question which can come before the Legis- lature.
They gave the Queen a Civil List of larger amount than a Tory Government would have ventured to propose. They have perhaps more effectually maintained many of the abuses of the Pension-list.
They have resolutely opposed Army Reform, and have aug- mented the Estimates.
The Tory system of Colonial misrule is defended in all its luxuriance of corruption. They unite with Tories in opposing the Ballot, Suffrage-exten- sion, and Triennial Parliaments.
They support the Corn-laws, the Sugar monopoly, and the Timber monopoly.
The Church Reform is handed over to the Archbishop of CANTERBURY; mid We see how it thrives.
In the general distribution of patronage, the convenience and profit of their own dependents is the main object. They rely upon influence at Court to maintain themselves in office.
How is it possible that men thus acting can be mistaken for
Reformem Whom can they deceive? There is no apparent effort at delusion. Whatever may have been the case formerly, Ministers have not, since the accession of Queen VICTORIA; been guilty of treachery, to the People. They have been kept in office by professing Liberals, who, for ends known to themselves and SOW of them known to us, have dune their best to deceive the People. The Members representing Liberal constituencies and
voting with Ministers through thick and thin—the "black is white ' gentry—are the real traitors. They are the insincere. The Ministers have not afforded them a decent excuse for continuing their support.
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