NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE restless anxiety as to what is " to be done " by Ministers when Parliament meets, has been relieved, negatively, on three points—if any thing can be considered settled in these days of astonishing changes.
The Corn-law is not to be repealed. Mr. Join( GLADSTONE, the father of the Vice-President of the Board of Trade, says autho- ritatively that no change is contemplated. The Morning Chronicle shrewdly remarks, that although no change is contemplated, it may be made; which is true enough as a general proposition. But pro- bability is on the side of Mr. GLADSTONE; for, letting alone the official-deckum of allowing one session to pass before repealing the lei of last session, it is most likely that endeavours will be made to stay the appetite of the public for concessions of " free trade," as it is called, by other means, such as alteration of the Sugar-duties.
There is to be no measure to " settle " the Church-of-Scotland question.. Ministers have made advances sufficient, and have been met, it may .be • said, contumeliously enough, to give them utter distaste to meddling with so impracticable a task, where they could gain no credit, but might incur interminable reproach. There is some talk of a large secession ; and many,- it is said, who have declared in favour of secession, have also declared that that is only their present intention,—meaning that when the time comes they will not secede.
There is to be no measure to improve " the moral and physical state of the great mass of the population." The Morning Post said that Sir ROBERT PEEL was "considering" that subject with a view to the practicability of some measure ; and the natural suppo- sition was, that he had entered upon the consideration with the view of doing something. Not at all : he was only considering the matter with a view to an abstract conclusion, negative or affirma- tive : if affirmative, the next thing would be to consider the nature of the measure ; the nature determined, the next question, we sup- pose, would be as to who should undertake it ; and the next, whether Sir ROBERT should undertake it himself: but these stages of the cogitation are not yet hinted at. However, public expect- ancy is rather set at rest on these three points—for the present.
