TOPICS OF THE DAY
THE LEADERSHIPS FOR THE SESSION.
As the Session of Parliament draws near, there is a good deal of gossiping speculation about the position which the various Par- liamentary leaders are to occupy. Respecting Lord John Rus- sell's post, of course there can be no doubt—Lord John has the undisputed virtual as well as nominal leadership on his side. But on the opposite side, there are two parties, separated by a divi- sion far wider than the floor of the House.
One point of doubt has been set at rest by the advance of Lord Stanley as leader of the Protectionist party : in that capacity, it is inferred, he has issued a circular inviting Protectionist Peers to assemble at his house—of course to review their forces and concert measures. But what sort of measures? On a calculation of probabilities, it appears unlikely that he can attempt to meddle with the Corn-law settlement, or indeed do anything in the legi- timate line of " protection." Ireland will be the great subject : any effectual measure of Irish policy will be distasteful to Irish landlords : here, it has been suggested, is a " cause " which Lord Stanley may espouse, to the injury of Ministers and the further- ance of mischief generally. There is an air of likelihood in the surmise. In any event, however, Lord Stanley is only in the House of Peers ; the political importance of which House has be- come quite secondary. It is presumed that Lord George Bentinck will be leader of the Protectionists in the House of Commons ; and as the party has not displayed any accession to its personnel since the last session, it is not likely to be more formidable than it was then ; its influence being almost limited to its voting-power, and even in that way, as a minority, rather to passive obstruction than the furtherance of any positive measures. The Protectionists, then, in this the last session of the present Parliament, will still be lookers-on; the real disposal of events lying with the other two parties—the "Liberal " and the "Conservative" sections of the party of improvement. But much discussion has arisen as to who is to occupy the post technically recognized as that belonging to "leader of the Oppo- sition "—the first front seat on the Speaker's left hand. The Standard ,claimed it, a few weeks back, for Lord George Ben- thick : but the claim was laughed down. The Morning Chronicle assigns the post to Lord Lincoln : but in that, we conceive, there is some mistake. Not that we are disposed to undervalue Lord Lincoln's abilities or earnestness, or the influence of his social " station " ; but he has yet to earn that well-recognized and com- manding personal influence which conveys mastery over num- bers. We can suppose, however, that there is " something in it"; and if there is, we guess at it through other considerations. The great, the anxious, the unsatisfied speculation, turns upon Sir Robert Peel : what will be his position ? The Protectionist papers contend that he is not really in Opposition,. and therefore cannot be Opposition leader. There is a kind of impotent confi- dence in this technicality, like the confidence of some amateur lawyer who has brought himself within the grasp of arrest, but declares that you can't.put him in prison—when he is in prison. Sir Robert, they say, can't be leader of the Opposition ; but still, wherever he pleases to sit, be is leader of the Opposition,—taking that name only as a general term for the party not in office. It is probable that in the coming session Sir Robert Peel may not prove a party antagonist to Ministers; but there may be very good reasons why he should not stand Pledged as a supporter of the pkesent Cabinet. It has as yet been but partially tried. Its strength may not prove equal to the demands upon it—which will indeed be formidable. The Whig Ministers may be unable to go far enough in some needful direction. We do not assume that it will be so ; but we can no more assume the opposite. For in- stance, it is not to be taken for granted that Ministers will be able to cope with the vast hydra of troubles, Ireland: appalled by the huge difficulties there, by the elements even of seeming impossi- bility, they might yield in despair; or they might propose half measures, quite unequal to the exigency. If so, a statesman not pledged to the party may see fit, not to oppose their measures, but to supersede them by others of greater scope and strength.
On these considerations, we hold that the position of Sir Ro- bert Peel is necessarily indeterminate. His technical position in i
the House sinks into insignificance in comparison with his re- maining free to do the best he can for the public good. We agree with his enemies, then, in anticipating that he will not be "in Opposition"; we equally anticipate that he will not be dis- posed merely to second measures tellingperhaps for the credit of a party but insufficient for the public good. In the broadest sense of an Opposition,—that is, a party out of office to criticise the acts of the party in office, and emulate it in the service of the country,—Sir Robert Peel has the best right of any man to the leadership of the Opposition : but, we say, his seat is a matter of no moment. The technical duties of that sort might be safely left to lieutenants. The speculations about his post simply attest the anxiety to know what he will do,—the apprehension of ene- mies that he will be as powerful as ever to defeat their. projects the expectation of the public generally that his great abilities and influence will still be made available for the public service, at a crisis which is among the most momentous that the country has witnessed. And rumour says that the public expectation will not oe disappointed.
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