STATE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS. 395 



Corporations by infusing new life and vigour into them. The Tories 

 say, " No such thing ; let us annihilate them at once.'' 



Henceforth we will expect one thing : — If the Conservatives — since 

 so we must still call them — have any regard for consistency of charac. 

 ter, we will hear no more of their doleful lamentations over the in- 

 novating spirit of the age — no more cant about the propriety of pre- 

 serving sacred " the venerable institutions of the country." 



Had a proposal for the utter extinction of the Irish Corporations 

 been made by the Liberal party, the walls of both houses of Parlia- 

 ment would ere now have resounded with Tory denunciations of the 

 daring pi'oject, and the Earl of Winchelsea or the Duke of New- 

 castle, would have threatened the person who had the temerity to 

 bring it forward, in either House, with an immediate impeachment. 



But we pass from the abstract question itself to advert for a mo- 

 ment to the perilous position in which the Peers have placed them- 

 selves by the determination to which they have come. 



The question with every one now is, What is to be done ? To our 

 minds it is perfectly clear that one of two alternatives must be adopt- 

 ed by Ministers. They must either take immediate steps to compel 

 the Peers to act in harmony with the people and their representa- 

 tives, or they must resign. The first alternative we hold to be out 

 of the question. We doubt if Lord Melbourne would have recourse 

 to either of the only expedients by which it could be effected, 

 namely, the creation of a sufficient number of Liberal Peers, or the 

 making the members of the Upper House elective. But, supposing he 

 had themoralcourage to submit either proposition to hisMajesty, there 

 cannot be a doubt it would be treated by the latter as a personal insult. 

 A remodelling of the Upper House, to tlie extent required, we hold, 

 therefore, to be out of the question. There remains then the only 

 other alternative, namely, the resignation of Lord Melbourne. That 

 is a result which we regard as certain — we do not see how it can be 

 avoided, either with honour to Lord Melbourne himself, or benefit to 

 the country. If the Lords are to continue in the possession of the 

 power (and while they possess they will doubtless exercise it) of de- 

 feating every liberal measure which his Government may bring for- 

 ward, then he is no more than a mere effigy of a Minister, and the 

 country is not benefited by his remaining in office. His only course 

 therefore is resignation, and the sooner it takes place the better. 



