NOTES OF THE MONTH. 



THE House progresses slowly in the great work of reform. Little 

 has been done and very little more may be expected this session. A 

 timid and cautious policy characterizes the measures of the present 

 ministry. The boldness which marked the commencement of their 

 career gave the nation promise of better things, but subsequent mea- 

 sures have not justified such anticipations, and a loss of popularity 

 has been the consequence. In the arrogance of their intellect, 

 they affect to despise the expression of popular feeling; they estimate 

 their own strength like puny whipsters, and when flourishing the string 

 of their peg-top, fancy it a cat-o-nine-tail power. The expressed 

 opinion of an intelligent public is not to be despised. There is more 

 intelligence among the great body of the people than can possibly be 

 found in the heads of departments, and if the intelligence of the 

 people were more consulted than it is, we should not have occasion to 

 correct the monstrous anomalies which frequently disgrace the mea- 

 sures introduced by men having no practical knowledge, and 

 who are too proud to learn from the only proper sources. But 

 popular opinion will make itself heard; it is advancing slowly and 

 surely; and those who watch the progress of events cannot be in 

 doubt as to the result. We cannot but regret to see men, who 

 started so nobly, now laggards in the race. They appear fearful of 

 the strong creation of their own hands, and wish to play Dalilah 

 to their Sampson. They have set a huge stone rolling, and fancy by 

 their puny efforts to stay its progress. As soon might they stay the 

 out-breaking of Vesuvius as quell the expectations of men who have 

 for years looked to reform as the great measure of relief. The 

 authors of that great measure can scarcely have possessed that 

 great and comprehensive view of their subject which it was natural 

 to suppose would distinguish such bold and uncompromising legisla- 

 tors, or they must have known that reform was only the means by 

 which great and important retrenchment might be effected in fact, a 

 gigantic besom to cleanse from filth a worse than Augean stable, cre- 

 ated by our late reckless and desperate rulers. As well may Mr. 

 Stanley attempt, like Canute, to control the waves of the ocean, as to 

 stem the tide of public opinion. The Reform Bill is but a step to- 

 wards political regeneration. If ministers cannot see what is required 

 of them, and what must one day be performed, they are short-sighted 

 mistaken men. 



THE BUDGET has most cruelly disappointed the nation. Great 

 hopes had been entertained that the Chancellor, in accordance with 

 the spirit of the times, would have introduced some spirited measures 

 of finance, which might have stimulated the waning energies of a 

 distressed people, instead of which we find a very small amount of 

 taxation reduced, and that so ingeniously spread over so large a sur- 

 face, that the great mass of the public will in no instance derive the 

 slightest benefit. As it is, the reduction bears more the character of 



