TOPICS OF THE . DAY.
THE FIRST ACT OF THE REFORMED PARLIAMENT.
THE new House 'cif' Commons has made an inauspicious com- mencement. .-An Anti-Reformer of the old Tory stamp, the chosen champion or that party which. struggled to the last in op- position to the wishes of the Nationa man whose education, family, and prejudices, are all aristocratical in the most unpopular meaning of the word—has ,been chosen by the Reforming majo- rity of the House of Commons to preside over their deliberations in the Speaker's chair. Mr. MANNERS Surrox is tbe person whom they hold forth to the People of England as the suitable organ and representative of the first freely-elected Parliament -which has ever met to watch over the liberties and promote the wellbeing of the country. C Mr. SUTTON was brought forward avowedly under Ministerial patronage. Previously to the meeting of Parliament, the whole affair was arranged. The consent of the'Representatives of the People was never. asked or thought Of.. The Ministry considered themselves competent to nominate their Speaker, and the result has justified their confidence in their "power. This was precisely the course which CASTLEREAGH and WELLINGTON would natu- rally have adopted ; and which their corrupt tools in the Unre- formed' Parliaments would have had no right to quarrel with. This was the way in which Mr. MANNERS SUTTON was originally elected by his political patrons ; and we doubt not, that he is amused and gratified in no small degree, to find that there is so little difference between the practice of the Reforming Ministry and that of the old dictators of • the Tory party. They both ar- range out of doors what the majority of the House of Commons shall enact within. The Lords GREY and ALTHORP have reli- giously followed the example set them by LIVERPOOL and LON- DONDERRY in their mode of conducting and securing the election of their Speaker. Here, however, the parallel between the measures of the avowed Reformers and their Tory predecessors ends. For no one could have been so. impudent or silly as to propose Mr. Assn.- CROMME, or even Mr. WYNNE, to Lord CASTLEREAGH, as the Speaker of his House of Commons. A leaning to Whiggisitt would have been sufficient to outweigh all the experience, talent, and suavity in 'the' world. Lord CASTLEREAGH would have told the simpleton who, labouring under some strong mental delu- sion, might perhaps have mentioned such a thing to him, that he never heard of so great a piece of folly being committed by any Minister, as to place a political enemy in the Speaker's chair. This extraordinary specimeriof •stupid inconsistency was reserved for our RefOrning Ministry to afford, and our Reformed Parlie., ment.to sanction:. ' ' But Surely, it will be said;there must have been some weighty, some unanswet able Mason for such ari unheard-of departure from the rules of 'common sense and 'sound policy. The only excuse ' which is attempted to be offered is, that Mr. SUTTON has had more experience in the Chair than any other candidate. This experience of the modes in which business was carried on in the Unreformed Parliament, was considered sufficient to outweigh all the consi- derations which derrianded the election of a Reformer. Tile Mi- nistry must pray devoutly for the continued life and health of Mr. Surrox ; or, according to their own account, they will be in a pitiable plight. ' No one else has experience in the Chair of the House but Mr. SUTTON, and what 'is to become of the Ministry and their Parliament when he dies ? Heaven only knows. For ourselves, however, we are consoled with the reflection, that even Mr. MANNERS SUTTON was once inexperienced, and yet he con- trived to get through the amazing labour, and perform the most intricate duties of his office without discredit or difficulty. What man has done, man may do again; and we do not, therefore, despair of finding a worthy successor even to the present Speaker. Although Ministers avowedly supported Mr. Surrorr ori the ground. of his asserted superiority, derived from long experience of the Spealier's duties, yet there are few persons at all conversant with the mode in which arrangements of this kind are made, who will not suspect that there was some Ministerially cogent reason for their preferring a political enemy to a friend, which it was not convenient to declare. It has been said, for instance, that the ori- ginal intention of raising Mr.Surroxto the Peerage,—sufficiently evidenced by the unusual grant of a pension to his " heir male" as well as for his own life,—was abandoned because Earl GREY did not like the :thoughts of meeting a master of his own imposing style of oratory in the Upper House ; that he was afraid of the Speaker ! . It has also been 'suggested that the election of Mr. SUTTON. was an adroit scheme for depriving the Opposition in both Houses of an able debater,' and rendering him an in- noxious personage. These Things have been said. But we under- stand that the real *sent Mr. SUTTON'S election, after all, was a split in the Cabinet; the members of which had promised their support to different candidates,—some being for Mr. ABERCROMBIE and others for 'Mr. LITTLETON. The most convenient way to re- concile the two parties was for both to concur in electing a third man. So the House of Commons was made a tool for the pur- pose ; the Cabinet divisioni were glossed over - and Mr. SUTTON was triumphantly chosen, on what many worthy members doubt- less believed to' be public grounds: . Still, however, notwithstanding the cleverness with which the affair Was managed, • it is not improbable that the result would
haie been 'different, had7the Independent. party "brought forward,
a candidate in every respect unexceptionable. Mr. LITTLETON seems not to be so regarded. We learn that he has given offence to many by a too active participation in the private business of
Staffordshire. Neither was 'he considered "up to the mark" in his political principles. He did not go far enough for many. This was MT. TErssivsox's avowed reason for voting against him. On 'the other hand, the personal regard for Mr: Surrox -was very ge- neral; and an impression prevailed that the salary was of conse- quence to him. Some, too, believed he bad been scurvily treated in the Peerage affair.. Then there was the saving of his pension of 4,0001. a year ! These considerations seem to have had an un- due weight with many weak-headed but not ill-meaning mem- bers of the Ministerial majority. Besides, all the Tories voted for their crack man. So that, as an evidence of the comparative strength of parties in the House, the division is of no value. But, whatever may be the deficiencies or disqualifications of Mr. LITTLETON, or any other gentleman who may hereafter be called upon to preside in the House of Commons, we trust that the pre- cedent just afforded of electing a pensioner will never be held in honour.' We are told by Sir FRANCIS BURDETT, that Mr. SUTTON'S pension was well earned—that it was granted for past services—and that it cannot be rescinded except nby his Own free consent. There might be something in this, if the pension had not been voted as a retiring one to an old worn-out servant. But now that Mr. SUTTON has returned to his high station in health and activity, it is only just and proper that he should be placed where he was in regard to his dependence on the House for his future pension. We suppose that Sir FRANCIS will move that an addi- tion be made to it when he again leaves the Chair; for lie has al- ready earned his four thousand pounds per annum, we are told, all his services to come must be put down, therefore, in a fresh ac- count, to be presented in due time.
It may be asked, what will the Electors of Great Britain say to this Ministerial manoeuvre and Parliamentary truckling ? will they look upon the election of an Anti-Reforming Speaker as an honest or discreet act with which to commence the session? or will they not rather consider it as evidence that some of their repre- sentatives are any thing biit the stanch Reformers they professed to be ?
As for the Ministers, their conduct on this occasion affords,a proof that it will be necessary to watch them closely-to take nothing from their hands upon trust.
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