NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE New.Year opens for England with heavy clouds in the sky, but with no sunless horizon._ Neverdid the country enter upon ayear with more work to be done. Ireland alone presents a talk without precedent : England has there to reorganize an oldgenn- trY ; to set it up in the way of obtaining its own subsistence, and to convert that social bog from a vast " slough of despond" into a fertile.field of wealth and national happiness :, the beginning of that redemption, at least, is among the work set down for this year—now, or never ! The progress of the new Free-trade policy has to be looked after. The public law of Europe is unsettled, -and an eye must be kept on that. But with all this Herculean amount of work, the country never had better means of perform- ance. The very urgency and momentous importance of the tasks compel earnest'zeal. The decay of party-spirit releases the ablest naen from smaller services to cooperate in serving. the largest in- terests of the country. For the time, political eminence, the suc- cess of in ambition, must depend on real ability and dili- gence n labouring for the public good. The man of the best measures will command the chief post. Thus, while it imposes heavier duties, the actual position of the country supplies means of such 'unwonted value, that it may be doubted whether Eng- land ever mitered upon a year with resources so available for advancing her high destinies.
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