THE 



MONTHLY MAGAZINE 



OF 



POLITICS, LITERATURE, AND THE BELLES LETTRES. 

 VOL. XIII.] MARCH, 1832. [No. 75. 



PARLIAMENTARY MOVEMENTS OF THE MONTH. 



THE principle upon which the great measure of Reform is still drag- 

 ging its slow length through the Commons, continues to be one of the 

 most accommodating and convenient character to its antagonists. The 

 ministry perseveres in its adoption of the most mild and persuasive mea- 

 sures, to preserve to his Majesty's Whigs the blessings of peace. It now 

 and then breaks the leg of some impudent Tory frog, that hops about in 

 defence of the corruption in which it was bred ; but there is evinced, in 

 the mode of breaking it, a most scrupulous adherence to the rule laid 

 down by Izaak Walton " Do it as if you loved it." We regard the 

 cavilling of the Opposition, and the calm resignation of the members of 

 Government, as emanations of the two grand principles that prevail in 

 parliamentary philosophy : that, by which the conduct of the ministry 

 is regulated, may be pronounced the Greatest Politeness Principle ; 

 while that on which the Anti-reformers so unflinchingly proceed, may 

 be recognised as the Greatest Perversity Principle. 



But without intending to undervalue the claims of a considerable 

 body of his Majesty's Reformers in both Houses of Parliament, we are 

 bound to admit that the Anti-Reformers (or, as they may be better termed, 

 the Anti-Reasonists) far surpass them in the grand parliamentary art of 

 exciting popular contempt. It is only a pity that the antics and evolutions 

 which they exhibit in argument, cannot conveniently be accompanied 

 by those outward and visible signs of pantomimic genius, which so 

 delighted us in the days of the elder Grimaldi. The reporters would 

 not then excite our incredulity, by stating that " Sir Henry Hardinge 

 was on his legs ;" but the sentence would run thus " On our re-ad- 

 mission to the gallery, we found Sir Henry Hardinge on his head" 

 and then the moral summersets, and military flip-flaps, would follow in 

 a very credible course. There is another reason why the term "on 

 his legs" is objectionable, particularly to persons of Sir Henry's profes- 

 sion ; we need only instance the Marquis of Anglesey. It would be 

 very ridiculous to say, i( we found the Noble Marquis on his leg." 



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