THE LATE AND PRESENT MINISTRY. 119 



Bank Charter nothing? And the extension of the India Trade 

 nothing?" Why did he not proceed in his interrogations, and de- 

 mand, Is the Coercion Bill nothing ? The prosecution of the Press 

 nothing ? The advocacy of Flogging and Impressment of Seamen 

 nothing ? Is the transportation of old Dennis Collins, who damaged 

 His Majesty's hat at Ascot races nothing ? Is the Fast-day proces- 

 sion, and the Calthorpe-street victory nothing ? Is the retention of 

 the bread and almost every other tax nothing ? And, call you the 

 reduction of the duties on tiles, soda-water, cocoa-nuts, and sheep- 

 dogs nothing? Now, if accounts were balanced in this fashion, we 

 apprehend that the premier's credit side would not exhibit a very as- 

 tonishing sum total in his favour. We have been far from minute in 

 our enumeration ; we have not dwelt on tithe-bills innumerable, malt- 

 taxes (abolished and imposed again in a breath), pension lists unre- 

 vised, sinecures untouched, and a host of etceteras from John Key 

 and Manners Sutton upwards, Septennial acts and newspaper duties, 

 in stalu quo, are subjects seductive of discussion ; but we let them 

 be, for the catalogue of accusations is not meagre already. 



To sum up our opinion in a few words ; we say, that notwith- 

 standing all these changes, Earl Grey's retirement (effected as it 

 was) does not afford matter for exultation. Putting him for the 

 cabinet in general, it must be admitted, that if compared with his 

 predecessors in office, for a very great number of years, he will not suf- 

 fer by such trial. It is when compared with itself, at different stages 

 of its duration, that his ministry fails at the public ordeal of opinion. 

 It is downright cant to assert, that the difficulties of his situation 

 obliged him to conform to circumstances. There were no circum- 

 stances that could possibly prevent the man who carried the Reform 

 Bill from acting on the provisions of that bill. The worn-out threat 

 of a Tory Ministry coming into power, was unworthy of its utterers ; 

 and, if any thing were wanted to corroborate this assertion, have not 

 events immediately preceding the formation of the present cabinet 

 fully afforded all necessary proof. The people enabled Lord Grey 

 to bid defiance to difficulties that never could occur again j and would 

 have done so, over and over, were it possible or necessary, had he 

 not relied on his own strength, rather than on that of his indestruc- 

 tible supporters. Lord Brougham's talent, and his own elocutionary 

 powers, gave him a decided ascendancy in debate in the upper house; 

 and his influence, to the last hour, was paramount in the Commons. 

 Where then was the unprecedented difficulty " of being in a minority 

 in the Lords ?" He was in a minority in the Lords when he first 

 tested their powers on the reform question. What ensued ? did they 

 maintain their supremacy ? No : they had prudence to yield assent 

 to that necessity they found it fruitless to oppose ; and that necessity 

 would occur, as often as their obstinacy would lead them to oppose 

 Lord Grey, when upheld by the nation. Let us then hear no more 

 of those fallacious subterfuges, respecting the difficulties of Lord 

 Grey's situation. There is much praise due to the noble Earl, on 

 many grounds ; and none are more willing to award it than ourselves. 

 But there is also much censure ; and it would be folly to be scrupulous 

 in bestowing it. His radical error was in supposing that the people 



