Mr. Bearden, the Member for Athlone, who is not, apparently,
a wise man, has laid on the table of the House of Commons notice of a question, which was refused admission into the notice-paper, to this effect :—To ask Mr. Disraeli whether the Queen's journey to Balmoral is caused by the state of her health ; if so, whether, from consideration for her health, and also the convenience of the Empire, the Government intend to advise her abdication in favour of the Prince of Wales, or to introduce a Bill to make the Prince and Princess of Wales " Regents," to perform the Queen's duties during the Queen's " absence from the metropolis," and in order to prevent the injury to London tradesmen,—so we understand the Morning Advertizer's account of Mr. Rearden's question, no doubt the Licensed Victuallers are pointed at,—caused by that absence. " Absence from the realm " has been, we believe, in old cases con- sidered a sufficient ground for a regency ; but to appoint Regents in order to stimulate the custom of West-End tradesmen is an idea quite original to Mr. Bearden, and one suggesting a very cynical view of the Queen as the first Customer in the realm, of which Mr. Bear- den was probably quite innocent. The real objection to the Queen's flight to Balmoral is the inconvenience to Parliament,.and delay to public affairs in a political complication like the present.
