The Chronicle, however, has an amusing paper on the wild
politics of some among its "Conservative "contemporaries. These supporters of the Peel Ministry appear to be "doing their best to prepare the public mind for the most serious changes.' The Morning Post, com- menting on Lord Stanley's speech at the Mansionhouse, is "writing against representative government " ; and the Times, "with the gravest deliberation, in the plainest terms, and with the fullest statement of its reasons, proposing the repeal of the enfranchising clauses of the Refortn Act, and the restoration of the nomination-boroughs." The Morning Post holds forth on "the futility of generally-received notions regarding the benefits of what are called popular institutions." The Times proposes to take away one hundred seats from the large towns and to restore them to as many nomination-boroughs, in order to readmit men of talent to the House of Commons. The Chronicle, however, omits one capital in stance of extravagance : by the manner of its expositions of evils in the state of society, and especially in the manufacturing system, the Post seems to hint at sweeping changes in the social framework. The Chronicle rightly pronounces it impossible that Sir Robert Peel can share these insane projects, and believes that they are put forth to please the violent of his party. But may they not serve the purpose of furnishing a foil of Ultra-Toryism for his moderate Liberalism ?—raising fears which he popular man ! will allay with a word when he next invites the cheers of both sides in the House of Commons, while he adjusts the balance of parties with all his long-practised skill ?
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