The Times this morning gave another specimen of its inventive
powers on the subject of the imaginary Ministerial difficulties and negociations. As a fitting conclusion to the lies of the week, we are gravely told that Lord MELBOURNE and his colleagues have resolved "to drop at once the whole scheme of spoliation upon the Clergy, and to leave the whole Church question OPEN, like Catholic Emancipation." The absurdity of this charge against Ministers is as glaring as any of the previous ones, which have been contradicted and abandoned. The Church question to be an open one, while the whole Cabinet is to de- sert the Liberals on the Ballot and Triennial Parliaments !—This will scarcely be believed by the most gullible of the gobemouches. But although it is not be supposed that the "question of questions" can be an open one, or that a Cabinet on the principle of Lord GREY'S, which Mr. WARD'S resolutions broke up, can again be constructed, it is not impossible that the members of the present Government, one and all, may deem it advisable not to trouble themselves with any attempt to pass an Irish Tithe-bill next session. There is enough of excellent employment'for them and Parliament without it. Unless they obtain (what cannot be anticipated) full assurance that the Lords will agree to such a measure as the Commons must insist upon, it may be deemed a waste of time to carry it through the Lower House. Perhaps, after being left a little longer to its own resources and the liberality of its friends, the Church may condescend to accept affluence. But the ques- tion will then arise, whether any Government will possess power suffi- cient to secure to the Establishment the advantages which the bill of 1835 would have guaranteed. It is scarcely credible.
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