1 JANUARY 1853, Page 12

While so many political activities are in motion, one sometimes

heant the question, "But what has become of _Lord Grey?" -Retired from the uncongenial strife of Parliament and the ungrateful labours of Downing Street, to cultivate the belles lettres! In the imposing array of "lite- rary announcements" with which Mr. Bentley takes possession of the New Year, amid the Hayes, Fenimore Coopers Lamartines, Wilkie Collinses, Rankes, Agnes Stricklands, and the rest, whom should we find but Henry George Earl Grey himself, publishing The History of the Colonial Policy of the British Empire from 1847 to 1851." In other words; Lord Grey is to be the historian, and of course the vindicator of his own administration. Will he throw any light on the new project' of a Convict Colony, beyond the legal jurisdiction of Cape Town, but not beyond the range of intolerable nuisance to respectable settlers, and of infinite trouble to the Imperial Government ?

The same list of literary notables gives the name of Lord John Russell as editing "The Memorials and Correspondence of Charles James Fox." Ve hope that Lord John does not also contemplate political retirement ? Ire cannot well be spared front the House of Commons, nor even from the Foreign Office in these times.