NEWS OF THE WEEK.
" WHAT will Sir ROBERT PEEL do with the Duke of Boca- isinnAst ?" was the question asked all round, as soon as it was known that Sir ROBERT had some thought of altering the Corn-law. Some people imagined that there would be no change in the law because the Duke was one of the Cabinet ; others, that the Duke must leave the Cabinet because there was to be a change in the law. The week has brought forth one explanation of the mode in which the Gordian knot may be cut : the Duke is sent, ac- cording to the Morldng Chronicle, not out of the Ministry, but only out of the country : he is to go as Ambassador to Paris ; de- cently withdrawing in order to avoid surrendering after he has so long and so loudly cried " No surrender."
It is no sooner understood that one difficulty had been disposed of, than another is started : how is it possible to convert the Duke of BUCKINGHAM to any use as an Ambassador ? The question is not of much present importance. The matters which absorb the attention of the statesmen of Europe,—such as the illness of the Charges d'Affaires in St. Petersburg and Paris ; the King of Prus- sia's itinerary, which is said to be so framed as to put a slight upon King LEOPOLD by avoiding his kingdom ; and the delivery of let- ters to Queen ISABELLA or ESPARTER0,—these small matters oc- cupy such a prominent place in European attention as to imply that no very weighty affairs can be stirring just now ; nothing, probably, beyond the grasp of a BUCKINGHAM. Then Paris is so near to London, that the residence of an Ambassador, in ordinary times, is little more than a form : thirty-six hours will carry the instructions of Sir ROBERT PEEL himself or of the Cabinet to the Duke, if need be. And even some slight disadvantage abroad might be compensated by sending his Grace out of the way at home. Nothing seems to show why the last of the PLANTAGENETS might not be a very serviceable pageant-ambassador at Paris ; and it is certain, that to remove him from his troublesome and embarrassing post as leader of the agriculturists, would be a public convenience.
If Ministerial papers are to be credited, however, these specula- tions are baseless, for the Duke is not going to leave the Cabinet : there is no foundation for the report, they say,—except, in the words of one among the contradicters, the " very remote probability " that "the exigencies of the public service might recommend a change in his position, as in that of any other member of the Cabinet." On the other hand, the articles among which the one containing the rumour appeared, are attributed by the leading Ministerial journal, the Times, to no less an authority than the late Foreign Secretary ; who, according to the antagonist writer, is employing his leisure and his sources of information as a newspaper assailant of his suc- cessors in office. If the supposition is true—if Lord PALMERSTON is thus using up the duplicate portfolio which he carried out of Down- ing Street—he gives an additional proof of the conclusion which we have drawn above : if he had any tremendous disclosure to make, of impending danger to this country, out it would come, if not for the patriotism of the thing, at least for the sake of harassing an opponent party. But no; all that the writer in the Chronicle can muster to swell his account of growing foreign embarrassments, is the small-talk of diplomatic drawing-rooms, official lobbies, and ministers' servants' halls. Treat the rumour how you will, it is of no such urgent importance but what people will be quite willing to wait for the solution of the mystery.
