PLAIN JOHN'S PROMOTION.
THE promotion of Sir Jonx CAMPBELL to the Irish bench has given rise to a controversy between the Ministerial and Opposition journals ; to which the retiring speech of his predecessor, the father of all the Hannibals, has imparted additional zest. The reported words of the late Irish Chancellor—who, though he has resigned office, certainly is not resigned to his fate—are these :
"Efforts had been made to induce him to tender his resignation ; but, deem- ing such a step on his part unnecessary and unwarrantable, he had declined to comply. However, an application had been subsequently made for the same object, and from a quarter where he owed such deep obligations that he felt himself coerced at once to give way : but with the circumstances which had led to his resignation he had no concern whatever, directly or indirectly. With the proceeding he had no connexion—he strongly disapproved of it ; and he did not feel himself in any measure responsible for its consequences."
If the obligations under which Lord PLENKET lay were so deep as to "coerce" him to do what was improper, people of fastidious delicacy may think that they ought to have prevented his revealing the delinquency of his benefactor. His declaration, too, that he is not responsible for the consequences of an act which he disap- proves, yet commits, reminds one forcibly of Pilate washing his hands. In fairness, however, it must at the same time be remarked, that the abuse heaped upon Lord PLIINKET in the Ministerial press is analogous to the vituperation poured out by felons at the Old Bailey against their accomplices who turn King's evidence. But the conduct of Ministers and Sir Jonx CAMPBELL is of more practical importance than that of Lord PLUNRET. Vehe- ment eulogiums are pronounced on the new Irish Chancellor, for his disinterestedness in declining a retiring pension in the event of his removal from office by a change of Ministers. He cannot have renounced a claim which he could not have. Lord PLIINKET will make the third dowager Irish Chancellor now drawing pensions, and no more can draw them at one time. The effect of Sir Joint CAMPBELL'S promotion is to saddle upon the revenue three Ex- Chancellors for Ireland drawing pensions, and an actual Chancellor drawing a salary, instead of two pensioned Ex-Chancellors and one acting Chancellor. has Lord PLUNKET becomeincapable of discharg- ing the duties of his office since Ministers threw up the Administra- tion of Justice Bill because they were not to have the nomination of the two new Judges to be appointed under it ? Are we expected to believe that Sir Jona CAMPBELL abandons a lucrative practice at the bar for what may be the barren honour of officiating six weeks as Chancellor for Ireland, at the moment when the perma- nence of the Ministry, upon whose tenure of office his own depends, is perilled upon an election the event of which no one of any party pretends to foresee ? Sir JOHN CAMPBELL'S promotion is, in so far as the public at large is concerned, to use the mildest phrase that suggests itself, " very suspicious."
When Captain Brown inquired whether Dumpling could "carry double," Dandie Dinmont assured him his steed could carry a dozen "if his back were long enough." Ministers seem to be equally confident in the carrying powers of their Free Trade mea- sure. Not satisfied with mounting the whole Whig party upon it, they have laid the Syrian and Indian wars upon the crupper behind them ; and now they have added the Irish Chancellor job,— expecting the gallant brute to carry this unconscionable load through all the fatigues of the election.
Previous page
