TOPICS OF THE DAY.
WHAT HAS THE DUKE GAINED BY THE ELECTIONS ?
TEE Treasury say, twenty-one votes-fifteen in England, four in Scotland, and two in Ireland. The smart and rather malicious pamphlet, whose title we quote below,* says they have lost twenty-six. Our estimate-and the pamphlet in question, in its plan and much of its materials, is but an expansion of one of our little notices on this subject-went much higher. The object of our remarks, however, and that of the writer of the pamphlet, were different. We wished to impress on the Duke the necessity of strengthening his weakness in the House, by such popular and judicious measures as would procure him the support of the com- munity at large. So far from wishing to make the feebleness of his Ministry a reason for its overthrow,-if its feebleness prevent it from fostering abuses, and fit it to the wiSe and salutary re- trenchment of our enormous expenditure, to the extension of our constituency, to the better regulation of our legislature,-if such be the consequence of its feebleness, we would most heartily say, may the present Ministry live for ever, and. may it never be strong ! Contests for mere place will not now be borne. An Opposition which sets itself to thwart a measure not because it is bad, but because it is Ministerial, cannot succeed. To render himself po- pular, says our pamphleteer, the Duke will probably propose some mitigated plan of Parliamentary Reform, such as giving members to the great manufacturing towns. Good, we say : will the Oppoi sition do more ? He will cut down the Civil List below even the most sanguine wishes of the economists. There is not much danger of that ; but if he do, we say, Good again : what more will theOpposition do ? He will throw opea the trade to China. Excellent : what more can the Opposition do ? He will not attempt any modification of the tithe system just now, but the writer hints that he may by and by : will the Opposition do as much? In short, the argument of the pamphlet seems to be this-The Mi- nistiy will do a great many things which are extremely desirable ; they will introduce Parliamentary Reform, they will extend the free- dom of commerce, cut down monopoly, reduce expenditure, all in such a way as to exceed the utmost expectations of their friends and enemies : but the Opposition will exceed no man's hopes-they are moderate people; therefore the King must change his pre- sent Cabinet and get a new one„„ Is , fins the plan by which the Opposition hope to succeed ? So-,;le't us, in -Heaven's name, -keep our Lord ELLENBORODGH, OgyMP. PEREGRINE COURTENAN, even our Mr. Gouraiumv, and all the rest of them. If the talents of the Opposition and their power can promise no more than that they will not attempt reform, that they will not extend trade, that they will not diminish expenditure, the Duke may have another election before Easter, with the certainty of gaining much more largely than he lost in the last.
* The Result of the General Election; or, what has the Duke of Wellington gained by the Dissolution?
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