1830.] at the Opening of the New Parliament. 555 



public conduct the reckless profligacy the glaring, open contempt of 

 all decency and principle exhibited by the late parliament, we cannot 

 for a moment wonder at its continuance. As for the present ministry, 

 we can only ask what will the poor creatures do next? 



Gentle reader, do not smile at this question. We know it is unan- 

 swerable. It cannot be solved by any principle of human action, being 

 solely dependent upon contingencies. Sir Robert Blifil will look which 

 way the wind blows, place his hand upon his heart, and assure the 

 world with a benignant smile that his opinion is entirely changed. The 

 commanding officer will tell us we are all very well off as well as we 

 deserve and assert, with his usual correctness, that the deficiency in the 

 revenue is occasioned by the long summer days, and the consequent 

 decrease of consumption in the article of candles that he is indefati- 

 gable in his endeavours for retrenchment that he has discovered an 

 error of 2s. 2d. in the computation of his quarter's salary, which he will 

 magnanimously refund finally, that he had nothing in the world to do 

 with the Polignac affair, exceptis excepiendis, which, being interpreted, 

 means, as much as the gullibility of the public will swallow. As for 

 what the rank-and-file-men " Apollar and the rest" will do or say, 

 the world and ourselves care very little. Something, however, must be 

 done effectually and soon. The people are wretched the revenue is 

 declining disaffection is abroad amongst the lower classes and revo- 

 lution is overturning the whole system of European society. We may 

 have to go to war. 



In the present state of the country, such a step must be attended with 

 the most imminent danger. We cannot go to war ! Europe knows 

 this, and has known it long. The pettiest confederacy can defy us. 

 The meanest state in Europe can mock us, and has mocked us, with 

 impunity. Our commerce depends upon the continuance of peace, and 

 the slightest derangement of our continental relations will plunge our 

 manufacturing interest into irretrievable difficulties. We shall be ha- 

 rassed at home with an unemployed population we shall be crippled 

 with a deficient navy we have no flourishing agriculturists to support 

 the burthen of increased taxation we have no home trade to supply 

 the temporary decrease of our foreign demand. We have rested the 

 whole weight of our resources upon the security of our external rela- 

 tions, and our whole capital is invested in foreign markets. What then 

 will be the result what must be the result of a continental war ? Sud- 

 den stagnation of commerce, and perhaps a convulsion. 



4 A 2 



