NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE business of the Election canvass increases in activity. From all the facts, public or private, that have come to our knowledge, it seems plain, that on no former occasion have the Tory party showed a stronger determination to join issue with their opponents. Everywhere they are at work—in the boroughs, in the counties—in the metropolis, in the country—eagerly striving to procure for their party a respectable minority, if they cannot attain a majority, in the next Parlianient. They are not very scrupulous in the choice of means. Open violence is practised in some quarters ; secret hints, equally intelligible and efficacious, are thrown out in others; and in all, attempts at mystification are made, which may succeed, and we doubt not will succeed, with not a few honest and unsuspecting voters,—and, which is more important, will furnish many dishonest voters .with an . excuse .for, betray- ing a cause to which they were never heartily attached. In Scotland, the people are acting with that good faith and good sense which have long been their characteristics, and which never shone .out more clearly and fully than at present. To.direct intimidation the electors may in few cases be forced to submit, but they will in none permit themselves to be cheated out of their privileges. Where they have objected to a Minis- terial candidate, it has been from a wish to send to Parlia- ment one who was looked upon as more friendly to the principles of "the Bill" than the Ministry themselves. They have in no .instance taken. up the strange notion, that because Re- form has been carried in spite of Tory opposition, it is now a matter of indifference whether its maintenance be confided to Tories or Liberals. In England, this hallucination is in no small degree prevalent. John Bull, unless strongly restrained by the advice of his best friends, bids fair to adopt, in respect of the Bill, his wonted practice of fighting hard, and when the fight is won, contentedly negotiating away the whole object of the battle. The Radical party exhibit a spirit even more repre- hensible; for it is hardly possible to assign so respectable a motive as stupidity to men who shout applause to Mr. SADLER of Leeds, when he tells them that his only objection to the Reform Bill is, that it does not confer household suffrage. It is chiefly in Ire- land, however, that the Tories seem destined to gain an acces- sion of power. The friendship of O'CONNELL will, it is believed, enable them to introduce one at least if not two of their party into Dublin, where, had the Reformers honestly and consistently coa- lesced, they had no chance of success. The same friendship is at work in all the Southern counties; and wd cannot doubt, from the influence of the man, that in many it will prevail. We are not unfriendly to a good thorough-going Opposition. There never has been any Ministry, in our remembrance, from which any substan- tial good has been obtained unless at the point of the knife. Mi- nisters, even the best of them, are just upon compulsion only. We except the Reform. Bill least of all from this remark, for how could the Ministry have held office for an hour without it? But there is a distinction between an Opposition which is ready to go along with the powers that be in all measures which tend to limit popular rights, and who only oppose them when their own private and paltry in- terests are at stake. This has been the regular game of the Tories since they were in opposition, and will continue to be their game. They will join the Repealers or the Radicals in any attempt to throw out Lord GREY; because, Lord GREY excluded, they think themselves must go in : but though they hate Whiggery much, they hate freedom more, and they will readily join Lord 'GREY in any attempt to restrict or put it down. From such an Opposition, the People have every thing to lose, and nothing to gain • its only object is to strengthen the Minister for evil- and weaken him for good.
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