If we are not mistaken, the festivities of the season,
and the rural retreats to which our public men customarily resort at this part of the year, have been diversified to an unusual degree with public receptions ; for mingling with the *vats parties of the season have been many public dinners, and other local, almost family entertainments. Scotland has been conspicuous in the news presented to us this week. Perth has been complimenting its Member, Mr. Kinnaird ; Dundee, Mr. Duncan; Lord Pan- inure has borne off no small share of the welcome. Among the topics handled, in one shape or other, education has been con- spicuous. Really, the difficulty would seem to consist partly in the want of an efficient Opposition, which would give concentra- tion and efficiency to the purpose of those who talk at public meetings with so small a proportion of acts in Parliament as the result.
The Perth meeting afforded Mr. Kinnaird an opportunity for showing his scheme of an " independent " party, which would operate upon the Government in the House without opposing it, and " give all the benefit to the Government of a .vigorous Opposition," without that which Mr. Kinnaird conceives to be a great evil, " the constant change of Governments." We do not see our ivay to carrying out this proposal. If the Members did exercise any control over the Government, we can scarcely con- ceive a greater opportunity and bait for corruption. But since they are not to change the Government—that is, not to give their warnings practical effect—we imagine that they would exercise no control over the Ministers, and the project would be result- less. The principle is of a kind which, if it were successful, would be dangerous and mischievous—if virtuous, useless. How- ever, it was an ingenious notion—far better than many others to promote rattling of tables and ringing of glasses.
At the Dundee meeting, Lord Panmure came out strongly on a branch of the convict question. As the Colonies will not re- ceive our convicts, the only means of checking an accumulation of the criminal element in our community, he said, is prevention, by means of education. If we put this avowal from Lord Pan- mare together with recent demonstrations in Manchester, we might anticipate a very important combination for next session. And Mr. Monckton Milnes has been vigorously taking the Baines by the horns in his own county, controverting that system which, on the lucus a non lucendo theory, is called " the Volum.-
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