THE LATE AND PRESENT MINISTRY. 



teration further, propelling the mutilated thing into motion again. 

 Few as were the claims of the late ministry to confidence or respect, 

 they are now considerably less. The members are almost precisely 

 the same, with the exception that Lord Grey has gone put, and Lord 

 Duncannon (who was in the ministry, but not in the cabinet, before) 

 has stepped into office. The late secretary for the Home Department 

 takes the Premiership, and his vacated place is supplied by Lord 

 Duncannon, who, in his turn, vacates the Woods and Forests for Sir 

 John Cam Hobhouse, now created a cabinet minister. Now, what is 

 to be thought of such arrangements ? Have they the look of stability 

 about them ? or, is it to be supposed, that the people of England 

 have suddenly thrown up the reins of their judgment, and are con- 

 tent to shut their eyes to the movements of men responsible for the 

 direction of the energies and power of the empire ? Still we are to 

 have the blunders of Lord Althorp staring us in all the nudity of 

 downright folly ; and are to be told, that, though he is a wretched 

 chancellor, he is very good-natured. A portly gentleman, who loves 

 a prize ox and a show pig, and does not insult every one he meets, is 

 privileged to tumble the revenue into chaos, if it so please him, and 

 announce his errors with a smile. Who could find it in their hearts 

 to object to a financier, who discovered that the resources of Great 

 Britain would admit of a reduction of the duties on tobacco pipes and 

 sheep dogs ; and modestly asserting, all the while, that the fatigues 

 of office would at length oblige him to resign the management of 

 such portentous affairs. Business at the Admiralty and the Post- 

 office is supposed to be capable of taking care of itself; and a couple 

 of golden-headed canes are appointed to report progress. The very 

 profound quietude of political matter in Spain, and in fact all over 

 the Continent ; the well known forbearance of Don Carlos ; the paci- 

 fication of things in Turkey, and the proverbial inertness of Metter- 

 nich, the Czar, and his majesty of Prussia, sufficiently justify the 

 continuance in power of that official walking-stick, Lord Palmerston. 

 O'Connell and Irish tithes, with the wholesome agitation attendant 

 thereon, are entrusted to the keeping of the discreet Mr. Littleton, 

 to^whom ministers are indebted for the upsetting of Earl Grey. A 

 few cyphers are studded here and there, to save appearances. With 

 the solitary exception of Sir John Hobhouse being added to the ca- 

 binet, what have the country gained? LordDuncannon's promotion 

 to the Home-office ! And this is by way of a set-off for the removal 

 of Earl Grey. The War-office is well enough, perhaps, in Mr. Ed- 

 ward Ellice's hands ; and the colonies certainly could not be better 

 disposed of than by leaving them with Mr. Spring Rice, who is the 

 only man of business and sense in the lot, and more he does not pre- 

 tend to be. 



Here, then, is a goodly crew with which to man the vessel of the 

 state. 



Where is the master mind to model these materials to any useful 

 purpose ? why, of all men's in Christendom, Lord Melbourne's ! And 

 who is Lord Melbourne ? When we have said that he is not nobody 

 (no sin against Murray, by the way), we have said every thing. 

 Martin, the madman, ceased to be an ordinary maniac, by the extra- 



