NEWS OF THE WEEK.
Notwithstanding the materials for Cabinet-making lie around him in such abundance, Sir ROBERT PEEL can find none exactly to his mind, or at least none such as the King thinks fitting for his purpose. Therefore, overlooking the preeminent merits of the mighty Duke's younger brothers, and of the Red Tapists of the "PEEL and DiAwsoN crew;' the new Premier sent into Staffordshire and Cumberland in search of Lord STANLEY and Sir JAMES GRAHAM. But here he was destined to meet with disappointment; for Lord STANLEY will not risk his character in company with the Tories; and even Sir JAMES GRAHAM is said to recoil from a junc- tion with a PEEL and WELLINGTON Ministry. Sir JAMES is not supposed to be "particular," but he has yet some regard to decency left. Two of the Duke's journals, the Post and the Herald. are exerting themselves to overcome the scruples of Lord STANLEY and Sir JAMES to a coalition with the Tories; and are so singularly' indiscreet as to quote, by way of precedent for such an abandon- ment of principle and party, Mr. Fox's coalition with Lord NORTH! That passage in Mr. Fox's life has ever (till now) been held up as a beacon to warn all future aspirants to power from sudden anions with political enemies. It was considered; even in those days of laxity, as an insult to the nation. Its consequences were disastrous in the extreme; and it required all the eloquence and Vigour, and real goodness of CHARLES Fox, and years of services to the popular cause, to procure the national forgiveness even for him. And now Lord STANLEY is urged on to the same precipice, by the arguments which Fox was compelled to have recourse to, in order to break his fall, and give the semblance of principle to what was too evidently the result of ill-regulated ambition. We say. to Lord STANLEY, or to any other eminent member of the Whig party, who may be solicited by the King or Sir ROBERT PEEL to join the Tory Cabinet, remember the fate of the Coalition Ministry ! Are you stronger in the' public filatit than CHARLES FOX was ? Dare you brave what so nearly crushed him ? If not, hold fast to your party, and to your principles, such as they are, despite the blandishments of a court and the lust of power. Among the rumours of the day we should mention a most pre- Posterous one—no other than that Earl GREY, of all living men, its offered, on certain conditions (not specified, of course), to Join the Duke! If the People of England can be cheated into the belief that the Tories have become sincere Reformers, they may certainly be expected to...swallow any thing. In order to fathom the extent of their gullibility, we presume, has this rumour been circulated. The Tories are good at a trick, better at a lie : it does BOI hurt their consciences to be found out, or they would never IIITe given currency to a slander of such magnitude. Throughout the three kingdoms little is heard but the din of Preparation for the coming elections. A dissolution may be almost daily expected. On several accounts it is manifest that it must be resorted to. It has been suggested, no doubt, that the new Ministers would perhaps meet the present Parliament, and take
the opportunity of declaring their policy, and announcing some popular measures. But by whom are their plans and policy to be expounded? Sir Roma's. PEEL is no longer a Member. His leading associates must also vacate their seats on being appointed to their respective offices. Parliament would meet without Minis- ters in the Lower House. There is no machinery, during the
prorogation, for getting the new Ministers elected. In the case of vacancies caused by death, the Speaker, being certified of the facts, isssues the new writs; but he can only issue them by the direction of the House when vacancies occur from the acceptance of offices under the Crown. A dissolution seems therefore to be inevitable ; and as we have reached the middle of December, it is plain that no time is to be lost.
There is little to be added to what we stated last week respect- ing the general feeling in the country. The Tories dare not call public meetings. This is a confession that the Country is aeainst them. In the days of Anti-Catholic fury, the leading Tories showed no reluctance to Penenden Heath and such-like gather- ings. They have never shrunk from employing the mob, or using the prejudices of the ignorant for their own ends. Now they feel that the masses are opposed to them, and therefore confine their exertions to hole-and-corner assemblies.
Further inquiry confirms the opinion that the Tories are much better prepared for the next election than the Reformers. The latter have been negligent in the matter of registration ; the former, stealthily active in preparing for the struggle which their leaders had the best possible reasons for deeming near at hand. Still, the preponderance we may confidently expect to find on the Liberal side. The minor differences of the Reformers have been abandoned. There has, however, been a far greater approximation of the Whigs to the Radicals than of the latter to the more aristo- cratic section of the Liberals. The Movement, in other words, has gained by late events.
The Tory minority in the new Parliament will be very for- midable. It will possess numbers, wealth, activity, zeal, and or- ganization. This expected gain by the Tories will not, however, be productive of unmixed evil. It will cause the Liberals to unite
more firmly together, and demonstrate the folly of despising the foe, whose Parliamentary weakness has hitherto misled many as to his real strength and power to do mischief in the country. At the same time, it ought to prove a stimulus to exertion on the part of the constituencies. There should be a general and uniform en- deavour to make up by prudence and activity for the loss of nume- rical strength, which the neglect to register votes will cause to be sensibly felt in some instances.
