TOPICS OF• THE DAY.
THE MEETING OF MINISTERS.
" All her Majesty's Ministers are expected in town on Mondny next, to atter/data
Cabinet Council on important nod urgent businims."—ciobe. Noy. 13. '
YES, worthy Whigs, you have played long enough, and the time for work is come at last. "Important and urgent" indeed is the " business" which demands your attention: Since your last meet- ing affairs at home afid abroad have put on a serious aspect. Seldom • has November looked so gloomy.
The Home Secretary has a Chartist insurrection to deal with, and to play a part the reverse of his Irish performances—to punish, not pardon—to incarcerate, not give liberty to offenders. :But the law having taken its course, how will he cope with the spirit and causes of discontent ? Were Lord NORMANDY the wisest, the most experienced, sagacious, and courageous of statesmen, he might look around and tremble; but as he is only Lord NonatAxat, he will probably visit Tattersall's or Covent Garden, and trust to Lord Hirn for the solution of the Chartist problem. Neither will he care much about the state of things in the North ; though a population increasing' on " short time" and scanty food, blackens the prospect. But frivolous as he may be, even Lard Nonstaxnv must feel uncomfortable in the reflection, that the responsibility of preserving the peace of the country rests upon shoulders unequal to the burden.
Lord Joins Russrix unlocks his red box, whence, as from Pan- dora's, troubles innumerable issue. What a collection of com- plaints from all quarters of the globe—North America, the West Indies, the Cape, the Australasian Islands! But even to enume- rate his causes of perplexity is not permitted to the Colonial Secretary. " Shut, shut the box, good John I " exclaim the alarmed Divan with one voice. It is not customary for the col- lective Cabinet to concern themselves with affitirs of the Colonies.
Lord PALMERSTON ha, the 44 Eastern question " yet to 0 settle." Of the " perfect accord " existing between France and England he can no longer boast. MEI1EMET Ant is alienated, and Turkey's " integrity" is likely to make a rent in the British exchequer. And bow is he to maintain the honour of his Sovereign in China, support Mr. Er.rao-r, and indemnify the opium-traders ? Where are the two or three millions to come from ? They are not forth- coming : it is not the weakness of this Government to make com- mon cause with its accredited agents; so the Superintendent will be sacrificed, the merchants lose their property spite of' the guaran- tee, and "opium scrip" fall to nil. New troubles arise, too, in an unexpected quarter : dependencies once ruled by the Colonial Office are passing into the category of "foreign relations," and rais- ing nice questions to exercise our diplomacy : what, for example, does Lord PatamasTox think of the views attributed to France and America as regards New Zealand ? The Chancellor of the Exchequer protests that to supply the means of ordinary expenditure taxes his ingenuity. Revenue below estimates, Exchequer Bills barely at par, and possibly a suspension of payments in Threadneedle Street—such is Mr, BARING'S contri- bution towards the materials for a Cabinet consultation, Sir Jonx Hoanouss: must glory in the conquest of Affghanistan: -success has crowned her Majesty's arms in the East. True, Sir JOHN; but, having brought your troops to Cabal, how, as the Duke of WELLINGTON is reported to have asked, will you get them back? The cost of the conquest must be defrayed by additional taxation of an impoverished population ; who will also be called upon to make up the deficiency arising from the most inopportune loss of opium-duty. Mr. MACAULAY has not the least difficult part to play, looking to his " antecedents." If' he act independently and strive to be a real Minister of War, how many weeks' purchase is his seat in the Cabinet worth ? Sir HENRY Pa itereist. could tell. If he sink, like Lord HowleR, into the horse Guards drudge, what becomes of his reputation, and the advantage of " going out" a Cabinet
Minister ? • If the President of the Board of Trade should seem puzzled when called upon thr his report, he may be pardoned. He has the Sugar
question, and the Timber question, and far more than these, the Corn question, to manage. The Premier, so help him God, thinks Air. Latinos:mem a madman on that subject ; and yet that is the subject to which Mr. Lanotain atm is expected to brace up his . energies. To recoucile his position in Lord Mimnotiames Cabinet with his known opinions, is so difficult that complaisant colleagues may perhaps allow Mr. LanoecnsatE to be a silent member. Something must be done—or said—about the administration of justice, or Law Reform. Lord COTTEN:LAM—WI:id has been done since Ministers last met ? We cannot report the Lord CIIAN" cata.on's reply before he makes one ;- but we have no objection. to a moderate wager that his Lordship will advise that the subject should be prominently mentioned in the Queen's Speech, and in . the meau time he will turn it over in his thoughts—the whole law department being in such a mess that be cannot tell where to begin his reforms. Lord CoitENDON is said to have desiderated active employment but when he listens to the exposfi of their difficulties by his col- leagues, he must congratulate himself on having nothing to do— and form the prudent resolution to ,say as little as possible also. As for Lord MELBOURNE, it is really taxing his good-nature to put hint to • the trouble of attending u Cabinet meeting. Ile is there only for ornament t; like Lords LANSDOWN E, Ho.srAND, and DUNCANNON. FES place IS dt Court. 'That stronghold he knows jiew to keep; and when absent the insidious foe might enter. As iseg, theretbre, as the Queen remaius at Windsor, the Premier's attendance in the Cabinet ought to be dispensed with. Any good- lettered Person, who can chuckle and rub his hands, and swing his leg over an arm-chair, may fill the vacant seat at the Council-table.
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