The National Register. — London, England, 1812-05-24 00:00:00

r -- MAY 24. our annals, it would be that during which Mr. PEItCEVAL an d his friends were intrusted with the helm of Govern ment. Even the Ministry of the first Statesman which this land has produced, the late Mr. PITT, although re markable for great events and super-eminent abilities, does not present so luminous a point as that of Mr. PVICEVAL. 130t11 acted on the same principles, and extended their views to the same object. The former moved through the difficult paths of office, surrounded and supported by the chief political talents of the land. His plans were vast, his means adequate, his firmness was unshaken, his activity indefatigable. Yet fortune seemed to sport with his wisdom, and his exertions to liberate the Continent, although powerful and unremitting, were constantly de feated and ultimately left it a prey to still deeper slavery. Mr. ?mu:kw'', opposed by some of the first-rate abili ties once marshalled in the train of his great predecessor, a3sisted by men of good information, but not of superior genius, adopted his designs and carried them into ex ecution. Under his care they fl iurished ; and Freedom, which had been expelled Irons the Continent, resnmed her stand in the Peninsula, supported by tha British be ro;sm, which she creates and feeds. We shall be tempted to pursue this parallel anotLer time. This day we have only room to state the circumstances attending the resig nation of Ministers. Deprived of their tower of strength by the atrocious murder of Mr. PErccEvAL, they had at tempted to recruit ; and had made liberal offers to Mr. CANNING and Marquis WELLESLEY, who both refused to join in the service of their country, unless they should be placed at the head of its Councils. On the failure of this negociation, Mr. VANSITTART was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Lord LIVERPOOL First Lord of the Treasury. Mr. RYDER at the same time resigned his si tuation, but his successor was not named. In this state of incomplete arrangement, the new Ministry had, on Thursday night, to encounter all the fury of an opposi. tion, animated with hopes of success, and , 4 eager for the The consequences were such as might have been expected. Mr. Worm.Ey's motion, to present an Address to the PRINCE REGENT, for the formation of a strong, vi gorcus, and efficient Administration, was carried by a majority of four, and ordered to bo presented by the Mover and the Seconder, Mr. WORTLEY and Lord MILTON. The Address was accordingly prlesented to the RE GENT last Friday, and his Royal Highness returned for answer,—that et he would take it into his serious and Immediate consideration." The Mini,ters, in the mean time, had held a Cabinet Council at the Foreign-Oliice, and upon its breaking up, proceeded to Carlton-house, where, we understand, they declared to his Royal High ness that they felt it due to the gracious manlier in which they had invariably been treated by him to tender their resignations if it should be his Royal Highness's pleasure to form new arrangements, holding the seals of their re spective ('Mces until such new arrangements should be completed. At the same time, if it should be his Royal TiqVT 815 Highness's commands to them to retain their setuations, they were prepared to obey them. His Royal Highness was sufficiently aware that in conformity with orders, which orders were in perfect unison with their feelings and wishes, they had made every effort to streng then the Administration, which efforts, made with the utmost sincerity, had, however, been ulsuccessful. They begged his Royal Highness most respectfully to be as sured, thut they should offer no ob.lacles or embarrass. ments—that they thought it due to themselves in With drawing from the acim.histration of public affairs, to de clare, that they did not withdraw from any consciousness of having advised or adopted a single measure that was contrary to the dignity of the Crown, or the true interest; and glory of the country. Prepared to obey his Royal Highness's commands, whatever they might. be, they yet humbly presumed to request his Royal Highness to per mit them to tender their resignations. Such is reported to be the substance of their represen tation to his Royal Highness. And Ministers may be con sidered as having in fact resigned, c_mtinuing, however, tab hold the seals, and discharge the duties of their respec tive offices until a new Ministry is arranged. The task of fmning the New Administration is entrust ed to the Marqnis WELLESLEY and Mr. CANNING, who arc not authorised, nor we believe, disposed to make any overtures to Lords GRENVILLE or GREY. It is expected that Lord's MoinA, HOLLAND, and the l',Tarotiis of LANS.. DOWSE, whose opinions do not much difror f orn those of the Noble Marquis on the Rolnan Catholic qnes.ion ; and the War in the Peninsula, will be requested to firm part of the New Admiuistration. Mr. WELLESLEY PoLL's fa mily connexion roots him too deep to allow of his being displaced. The Duke of RICHMOND, who does not pos sess the same claims to office, as well as all the other mem b,Ts of the old Government, hcwever great their abilities or services, are to be swept away, because they du not think with the Noble Marquis that the Country can sup port an e x pence of thirty millions per annum in the Per.insula, instead of the twenty which the war, en its present extensive scale, costs us. flow the Opp , ;sition Peers, who have for these five years predicted a national bankruptcy frrm the supposed exhaustion of our means : who have insisted on the necessity of instantly repealing our Orders in Council to conciliate America, and who require the immediate Emancipation of the Catholics, will make up their minds to a system of enlarged warfare and expense, to continue those Orders, which Lord WELLESLEY contends are founded on the soundest policy and the stricte-t justice, and to put off the consideration of the Catholic Claims to a fitter time, we are at a loss to conceive. These sire seeds of dissention, and of consequent weakness existing in the proposed Cabinet even previous to its formation. The example of the talents alarms use. Coalitions of men of different principles have proved as vain and un fortunate amongst us, as those of nations on the Continent. The abilities both of Mr. CANNING and Marquis WELLES. LEY are too great, not to have rendered the late Admi- THE NATIONAL REGISTER. lIPIRPIR