POSITION OF THE NEW MINISTRY. • .
FOR many years-we have not had a change of Ministry attended by circumstances of so mach-anxiety and. embarrassments Our re-
lations with France: are in a state that renders any uncertainty at ouriOWII head-niarters ereeedingly detrimental; and, apart from- that source of apprehension, the state of affairs athoine and in the
East ,not,ouv throws great responsibility upon the new Govern- ment, lant .suggeits in fear whit& cannot be dispelled, that the peculiar eiroumstances- of the Government may render it unable to cope With itatrOubles, or may induce it to sacrifice the substan- tial interests of the country to self-preservation. -The-first question is, -Whether the: new Ministry will be so -situ- ated,' and possess-Such -capacity, as to 'retrieve thern mistake made by,; Lard Palmerston. in regard, to, France. That ci,uestion . has
never turned upon the mere :provisions of tha bill: which was laid: before 'Parliament-; it has always turned -upon the conduet of
our political :relations. In the remit debate, Mr. Walpole, the new Home Secretary, kept open--for the incoming Minis-- try the power to continue Lord- Palnierston's bill, though of bourse. with the further 'power -to Modify -it: but that isTilet the,point,. The falee position into 'which thalaterMiniater betrayed.- himself- by over-iingenuity: originated in-the state-of the- .diplomatie com- munications with Fran& ; "but-the:public will nothe very haati in assuniing. that Lord Malnieshury;. said to be the-very paltieular: friend of- Leuis!Nlipolebny will he: fable Id preserve -for hie:country. a better josition than„Lord Pahnerfiton,IntiiaNapoleon'e applaud- ing but less inthriabe friend. 1 ,ii kYji.) tqi; . The new Ministry will be obliged-to -defeieditnposition at home' under circumstances ofgreat .embarrassmeut; without the cal-re- sponding materials for seliklefencei -.Although, it invaded the )ilinisterial position at thelheidnfAlletrinkjority, on the Treasury- bertchit is only -at-the lent of.- feimitiority ; land that minority is
deficient in Parlianientiizt eland not sUstained hy the bulk
ofthe people out of lloormi J al xitiqed: csf saw ,ad ..tN1 Some of its.deficieneies are even, more serious. We are involved. in a civil war in India : the conduct of Indian affairs is intrust- ed to Lord Ellenborough, :a man of vigour and some Indian exe perience, but strongly impressed with -peculiar notions, and re- garded almost as the partisan of Hindooisni.. against Mussul- manism.. The state of affairs in the East and in Europe compels a large and progressive increase, of our army; and, with all re- spect for General Peel, we may say that ',Ord Derby and Mr. Disraeli cannot -command in the. War department any statesman equal to those that will be arrayed against them. Military ex- tension will necessarily be accompanied by an extension of expen- diture,. and by he necessity.. for reforms with a view to strict economy: but Lord Derby is, compelled. to undertake the re-v aponsibility of Premier without a financier in the Exchequer. Thus devoid of some . essential elements of strength—entering office 'under circumstances of the greatest difficulty abroad and at- • home—the Ministers are certain to be embarrassed by the ine- vitable attempts. of Lord Palmerston or his friends to regain the Treasurybench ;‘. attempts whielf it will be not the more easy to parry because ' they will necessarily be carried on without a strict fidelity-to party usages. Having ceased to be the leader of the Liberal party, ' Lend Palmerston naust seek to mister a majority in the Commons by extending the basis of his operations. His failure 'inte been recent but transient ; his successes, though not al- ways self-earned, have _ been large and long-continued ; he is courageous by temperament ; and he may say more than most Premiers that this is Ms Hots& of Commons.
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