EXPENSIVE POPULARITY.
MORNINGLHERALD—As far as Parliament is concerned, the present Admi- nistration repose upon a" bed of roses," The Duke of Wellington and Mr. Peel, by wheeling round from "Toryism" to " Liberalism," and all that, as suddenly as the wind changes from one quarter of the heavens to the oppo- site, have won the " warm hearts" of the Whigs, and the loud praises of the Whig press. They have, at the same time, carried over with them as many of the Tory forces as " live, move, and have their being" only in the smile of a Minister. Thus have they extinguished an opposition in Parliament, and got the ball of power completely at their feet. For all this we suspect will John Bull have to pay. Notwithstanding all the golden promises that have been made of economy and retrenchment. the day of reformation in that re- spect seems further off than ever. Some little " cheese-parings," indeed, in the minor departments of office, have been ostentatiously pared. But has a single one of the more luxuriant branches of the tree of venal patronage been cut away? Has a solitary sinecure been lopped off?—Not one. On the contrary, jobbing, that seemed to look rather fearful and desponding for a time, has renewed its spirit, and prepares to march abroad as vigorously as ever. The Babylonish din and confusion of the " Catholic question" was particularly favourable to the financial speculations of Ministers. What re- presentative of the people could be so bigoted to a narrow and old-fashioned notion of duty to his country as to refuse to open the purse-strings of the people " liberally" to so liberal a Ministry ? Or, if such a representative had been found, who would listen to his voice ? Need we, then, wonder that the Irish Miscellaneous Estimates passed without opposition? Can we be surprised that no troublesome calculator was so discourteous as to sift a single item in that rich repository of jobbing? Well may Parliament rise early, when the money of the people is so generously voted. John Bull was induced to vote 10,0001. a-year to support the Roman Catholic College s Maynoth, because he was taught to believe the Roman Catholic religion was nothing but superstition and idolatry. Now John is induced to vote 10,0001. a-year for the same purpose, because lie is taught to believe the Roman Catholic re- ligion is neither superstition nor idolatry. So much for the consistency of the logic which relieves John of his superfluous cash. The job of the immense tract of land in New Holland, which has been allotted to a relation of Mr. Peel, along with other connexions of the Ministry, affords further, assurance of the manner in which Government intend to redeem their pledge as to the ma- nagement and repairof the financial resources of the State. Why should any power but Parliament have the disposal of lands which have lbeen brought under subjection to the country at the expense of the people ? Why are not these lands parcelled out in lieu of half-pay and pensions to those who would accept of them, on a reasonable principle of exchange, and thereby diminish that eternal burden absurdly called the "Dead weight ?" Or why are they not put up to sale by public competition, as national property ought to be, and the proceeds applied towards the reduction of the public debt ?
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