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THE SESSION OF 1836. 



THE Parliament of 1836 is drawing to a close. Before another num- 

 ber of the Monthly appears it will belong to history. What has it done 

 during its session of six months ? Has it performed all it promised ? 

 No ; nor one-tenth part. What has it done ? What has it left undone 

 which ministers pledged themselves it would do, and which ought to 

 have been done ? 



What has it done ? Echo answers, " What !" We know of no 

 measure of great importance which has become the law of the land 

 during its lengthened debates. The passing of the English Tithe 

 Bill is the only measure possessing the least claim to importance which 

 the closing session has brought to a satisfactory issue. And the car- 

 rying of that measure will not weave any laurels around the brow of 

 ministers ; for it is one which met with no opposition. The Conserva- 

 tives were as zealous in their support of it as the Government itself. 



The Births, Marriages, and Deaths' Registration Bill is a measure of 

 some little importance ; but not certainly of such moment as to make 

 it one to which ministers would point as a splendid legislative achieve- 

 ment. . . 



The Taxes on Newspapers have been reduced j but that measure is 

 not only not one of any great importance in itself, but, supposing it 

 were, ministers could claim no credit in its passing into a law. It was 

 with them a matter of necessity, not choice. They did not concede it 

 of their own accord; it was wrested from them. They could no 

 longer resist the popular voice. They resisted it to the last moment, 

 until, aided by the unstamped press, which threatened the extinction of 

 newspaper revenue, that voice made the hitherto deaf ear of Mr. Spring 

 Rice to tingle in a very unpleasant manner. 



What has Parliament left undone ? Aye, but who shall be able to 

 catalogue its demerits in this respect ? The Irish Tithe question was 

 to be settled ; the Church Appropriation Clause was to have been m 

 operation long before now ; the Corporations of Ireland were to have 



been reformed ; they were to be put on the same footing as those of 



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