The appearance of Lor . John Russell at Greenock is
regarded with the more interest in this autumn quiet, since he is still looked upon as practically the active spirit of the Ministry; and his speech is received as a Ministerial declaration. It makes, indeed, no new disclosure. Lord John dilates upon work still to be done, in sanitary reform, in education, in extending our liberties, and also in maintaining "the sacred duty of England" abroad ; but he tells us nothing specific with reP- 1 to the measures of next session. So to speak, all he annouuces is that the heart of the Ministry is still in the right place : a satisfactory assurance as times go, especially since the recess prevents our enjoying the occasional reports of Ministers upon their own condition.
Trade continues to bear the ferment which has been more usual, of late in the political world. The wages contest proceeds ; and although the upward tide has now begun to beat against the tide- wall which must arrest its progress, still the pressure from below continues unabated, and commercial men have an increasing diffi- culty to avoid making leeway in the stream. The prosperity which they lately enjoyed in such calm is now acknowledged by the agricultural interest ; which is literally get- ting up its steam, quite to the satisfaction of Mr. Mechi, the theo- retical agriculturist of Leadenhall Street. There is still, no doubt, much to be done before all Hertfordshire come up to the Mechi level. The five horses to the plough are still the "special bur- den" on land, which he advises them to replace by the steam- plough, and so to save ten millions a year—double the Malt-tax, mstead of half of it.
Previous page
