The Progress of the Session. 339 



Radical section of the Ministerial side of (he House. Out of about 

 twenty of these, we may select twelve, as being of great public im- 

 portance. 



To begin with Mr. O'Connell's Law-of-L5bel-Amendment bill, we 

 find that the leave to bring in the bill, given on Feb. 14, was not 

 taken advantage of till March 3 ; since which time, so far as we can 

 discover, no steps in advance have been taken by the leader of the 

 Irish reformers. Mr. Hume's two bills next demand our attention 

 His excellent bill for the regulation of county-rates was introduced 

 arid passed its first reading on Feb. 10th ; since which time, as we 

 believe, it has lain dormant. His other bill for regulating Election 

 expenses is quite in abeyance so far as we can find from the pub- 

 lished authorities to which we owe our information. Of Mr. Ward's 

 two motions, the first, for the publication of divisions in Committees, 

 has been carried, the other is still pending, and awaiting the decision 

 of the Irish poor-law question. Mr. Grote's ballot motion on March 

 7th was lost by a majority of 112 against it ; but it must be gratify- 

 ing to the supporters of that question to reflect, that sixty votes have 

 been gained since the time when it was last brought forward. Sir 

 W. Molesworth, although in reality not more successful, had less 

 opposition to his Property-qualification-for-members bill, his minority 

 being only twenty-nine. The honourable Baronet's illness prevents 

 the* bringing forward of his Peerage-reform motion. Mr. Clay's 

 motion on the Corn-law question was lost on March 16th ; and we 

 have as yet been unable to recognise any happy results from Mr. 

 Roebuck's motion concerning the treaty of Adrianople as affected 

 by the capture of the Vixen. Without going into further details, it 

 will appear evident that the Radical section, with all their profes- 

 sions, have not been much more active than Ministers ; and their 

 activity has been much less successful. The Reformers, notwithstand- 

 ing, have " good men and true" in their ranks, and if they are sober 

 and discreet, their cause must ultimately triumph : but they must 

 abide their time. 



On the whole, from a review of the past eight weeks of the Ses- 

 sion, it does not appear that the Liberals have much whereon to con. 

 gratulate themselves. The professed policy of Ministers has been 

 " to bombard the Lords with good measures :" but they must at least 

 allow that their eggs are long in hatching. We have not the 

 slightest suspicion of their good intentions and desires ; but recollect- 

 ing a very old proverb, that " hell is paved with good intentions," 

 we prefer looking to things in esse rather than to those in posse. 

 With respect to the event of any important constitutional measures 

 brought forward either by Ministers or Radicals, we know full well 

 their ultimate fate. We have not the slightest expectation that any 

 measure of public importance will pass during the present Session : 

 in other words, the Lords will successfully continue their present 

 system of opposition. If the triumph of party were uppermost in 

 our heart, we should instantly say let the King once more make 

 trial of those, who on so many previous occasions have shown their 

 inefficiency, but are still so boastful in their pretensions, so obstinate 

 in their opposition. But no : the results to the money interests, to 



tthe manufacturers and traders of this country, would be so injurious 

 nay, ruinous that we dare not, however certain the triumph of 



