TOPICS OF THE DAY.
HOW TO DO NOTHING ELABORATELY.
THE Whigs and the Tories at this moment arc very Much like Jack and Tom in the sea story : when you ask what the Whigs are doing, the answer is, " Nothing, Sir," and when you ask what the Tories are doing, the answer is, " Helping the Whigs, Sir!" But whether the Tories are really helping the Whigs or only helping themselves, it is equally plain that the ship's business is not done. Assuredly, whatever may be the end of the political struggle, real or sham, now going on in Parliament, it is impossible not to resent the means directed to that end. A little before the current session opened, we made some observations on the growing nuisance of adjourned debates and Parliamentary displays, and their utter ir- relevance in nine cases out of ten to the vital affairs of the nation ; and we shall no doubt have abundant occasion, besides NVhaI arises at the present moment, for returning to the subject. It is impos- sible to conceive It more perfect specimen of a deadlock in politics, than is afforded by the spectacle of a do-nothing Ministry, con- fronted by a do-nothing Opposition, and flanked by a do-nothing neutral third party. But bad as all this " nothing " is, it is ren- dered infinitely worse by the " much ado about " it which is made, on one hand or the other,—for, we don't know how it is, but the for 'dente is at all times wonderfully aggravated by the parlare mob.
There are various _ways of doing nothing—all well known to those intrusted with the public business; but some ways are more objectionable than others. The style in which the late :Minister for the Colonies steadily pursued this great object throughout his official existence appears to us, On retrospect, to lay claim to some public advantages. We vastly more approve the heavy nobleman,
" That slept and did none other worke,"
as CHAUCER drily expresses it, than his more wakeful but not a whit less immoveable colleagues. There is some honesty in it good snore—as SHAKSPERE knew, who made Julius Ciesar desire the society of "fat men and such as sleep o' nights ;" and if "Charley " was found asleep in his box occasionally, it was a proof at least that, at that moment, he was not robbing the house com- mitted to his guardianship; which must be allowed to show some virtue in sleep. It was a frivolous charge to press against this no- bleman that he slept too well—considered as it member of an Admi- nistration sworn to do nothing, we don't know what was to hinder him from sleeping as well as Ile could : under the circumstalaces, his slumbers were rather a merit than a defect : and they hat his public recommendation, if no other—that being found napping, he was denuded ofoffice ; whereas with respect to his friends, we
" Yet live to say this thing's to do."
The present Ministers and their Parliamentary supporters have shown the country a different example—how to do nothing elaborately, and to stand still by a thousand exertions. They have not been content to give us the minimum of " wool," but have added the maximum of " cry."
Fresh in our recollection stands the memorable example of the week before last, proving that it may occasionally take fire drills to do nothing. Two months since, it cost the House of Conmoms a week to resolve that it would do nothing on the Corn question. Now the Jamaica questions—anon the Canada question—presses for settlement, at the same expense oi. the public time. These promise to be the four eardinal debates or the session. What have the English people gained, it may be asked, or what AVM they gain. by any one or all of these grand political tilts and tournamktits ? What to them has the debate on Mr. Vii.imins' motion been ?—a source of the bitterest disappointment. What was the Nolni A N 111: debate S—an atlitir of no sort of interest to any doss, but only to plummet). What is the Jamaica debate ?—a debate of undoubted importance in itself, but wholly without relation to the pressing necessities of the people of this country—who received other pledges on the hustings than those which may be redeemed by a cheap sympathy with the antipodes. The Canada debate?—ditto to the Jamaica debate. On these crutches are the maimed and battered Wings to limp through another session, if they can. The three hist-named questions, which have occupied or threaten to
occupy t:o much of the at of Parliament, are all of them widely remote from the proper affitirs of the English people; which appear to have no equal chance, or rather no chance at all, of re. ceiving the consideration of the Legislature this year—hardly even the declamation of the patriots—that seldom-stinted portion ! What a session for the nation ! Mexico, :Nlaine, Canada, Ireland, Malta, Jamaica, Belgium, Atighanistan—every quarter of the globe ransacked for materials of discussion, or objects for the legis- lative wisdom of the English Parliament, and nothing lost sight of—but England! The only first-class national question tidily, yet violently, pressed upon the attention of the House, is defeated by the enemies of' the People, in or out Of office, and " damned with faint praise," for the most part, by the rest. All attempts to bring another question of the same class of importance to a fair Issue are still more unceremoniously quashed, or still more treacherously neutralized ; those Liberals, by whom the Finality principle is not proclaimed audaciously, subserving it infamously. Such is the House of Commons at this day, such are the parties that have stamped their character Oil it—the doers of nothing and their assistants.
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