TOPICS OF THE DAY.
PROGRESS OF THE SESSION.
THAT the proceedings of the Reformed House of Commons have hitherto disappointed general expectation, is undeniable. It is difficult to meet with any person, neither a trimming Conservative nor a Ministerial tool, who holds a different language. That this would be the case as respects a very numerous body of sanguine and somewhat visionary politicians, such as are to be found in all times and in almost all countries, we clearly foresaw and foretold. But the feeling of disappointment to which we allude, is not of that unreasonable nature, or confined to those who expected to receive an almost instantaneous and miraculous cure, at the hands of the Reformed Parliament, for the evils occasioned by centuries of misgovernment. Sensible and clear-headed men, well affected towards Lord .GREY and his colleagues, and anxious to make the best of things as they are,-do not hesitate to declare their dissatisfaction at the little progress which has been made in effecting real good for the country since the opening of the session. They complain (and who can deny the justice of such complaints ?) that the disease of talking, and the reluctance to work which is indicated by it, is disgustingly prevalent in the new House of Commons, just as it was in the old : there is scarcely a man actively engaged in life, as merchant, manufacturer, or agriculturist, ivhose operations are not paralysed at the present moment by want of information as to the intentions of Government, and the apprehension, apparently but too well grounded, that all practical measures will be indefinitely postponed till the session closes. Meanwhile, the "abstract principle" of Sinecures is upheld; and millions of taxes are imposed in thin Houses, without even the meagre pretence which the speech of a Chancellor of the Exchequer has usually furnished our representatives for their votes on such questions. Five long nights have been occupied by the Irish Suppression Bill already ; and we suppose there is no human being so sanguine as to expect that it will be passed before the Easter Holy days. Really, this prospect justifies the grumbling which John Bull is beginning to indulge himself in, when he ruminates on the solemn promises made to him during the late elections. But it is not in the character of Englishmen of the present day to think lightly of the pledges of politicians. Some of the members have been made sensible of this fact since the division on Mr. HUME'S Sinecure motion. Their constituents have very earnestly, and very properly, called them to account for their votes on that occasion. Scarcely one of those votes was given by a member for a populous town or district, except in direct violation of a promise, which is most clearly remembered by the men who demanded it. The People, who almost expected as a matter of course to be laughed at and cheated by the members of the Rotten Borough Parliaments, are plainly determined to be cheated no longer; but, on the contrary, have adopted the inconvenient notion, that an electioneering promise, expressed or implied, is as sacred as any other.
The Scotch Representatives, it would appear from the following extract from the Morning Post of Thursday last, are the first to be made answerable for their Parliamentary breach of faith with their constituents. This has not surprised us. The former members for Scotland were, generally speaking, the tools of corporations, or the understrappers of the DUNDAS faction ; and accordingly the People never seemed to consider that there was any use in exposing their servility, or reproaching them with the betrayal of their duty as representatives. But now the case is altered ; as several unfortunate supporters of the " abstract principle" of Sinecures can testify. The Post says " We hear that Mr. Bannerman, of Aberdeen, Mr. Stewart, of Aldersan, and General Sharpe, have been required by their constituents to fulfil the pledge they gave of resigning their seats in Parliament, in consequence of their having declined to support Mr. Hume in the abolition of Sinecures. We expect soon to be able to give copies of the correspondence that has arisen between these gentlemen and their friends in Scotland. It is not to be supposed, after the public promises they have given to resign, that they can find any pretext for refusing to do so. We are curious to see who may be their successors, as it will furnish the best index of the present state of feeling. We bear of other Scotch members who are in a similar predicament, and who are now busily enraged in referring to their speeches and pledges at the election, fearing they are to be exposed to the same fate as the gentlemen we have named."
It is, to be sure, a very disagreeable thing to be forced to resign on account of forfeited pledges. No pains, therefore, will be spared to avoid being placed in the predicament of fulfilling them or being turned out of Parliament for their non-fulfilment. To such men, the Irish diversion, which affords so much talking to so little purpose in the House, is a perfect godsend. Many per-sons believe that Ministers and their majority are thus playing into each other's hands,—that long debates upon questions not immediately connected with that horrible thing Retrenchment are encouraged, in order that the public may be excited, amused, and tricked into a belief that their representatives are laboriously .employed ; while the real object of all this worthless discussion is ,to kill time, and stave off the consideration of practical measures, which are not equally agreeable to Ministers and to the People. This manceuvie—if such a course has really been intended— will fail. The present session may be lost to business, but it will have gained for us a corn plete insight into the characters of men who have hitherto worn masks, and it will have proved the efficiency or deficiency of the " final measure." In the mean while, we recommend that the example, so pertinently set us by our brother electors in the North, should be immediately and extensively adopted. In that case, we may venture to anticipate, even in the present session, a different result to Mr. HUME'S next economical motion.
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