The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-01 00:00:00

THE NEW YEAR AND THE CABINET.

' I
THE year opens with a respect al mewed
activity in the cabinet-making line of business. The
opinion that a partial reconstruction of the Ministry
is impending is no longer confined to the gossips o
club smoking-rooms, and the gobemouches who derive
their political prescience from that source, but begins '
to gain ground among more wary and well-informed
politicians. Our views respecting Ministerial changes
at the present time are upon record. Provided the

existing administration .how themselves able and
willing to carry on the war with judgment and vigour,
we deprecate any immediate changes, on account of 1

the delay and embarrassment they ire certain to give
rise to in our military operations. But if a change,
more or learn extensive, in thepereosnel of the Govern-
ment mast come—if pressure from without or internal
discords render a modification of the Cabinet ins•
vitable—we can look forward to the crisis with little
dread of anything beyond a mere temporary obstruc-
tion and inconvenience. We have unwavering faith

in the power of the true heart and sagacity of the
nation to compensate for any transient •
that may result from the rivalries and intrigue
public men. At a much more gloomy crisis of the
nation's fate than the present—when the whole of
Sootland wu in the power of rebels, when the re•
presentative of a dynasty which had forfeited the
throne was advancing into the heart of England,
and when a French invasion was anxiously antici-
pated—the Ministry of the day, actuated by paltry
jealousies, tendered 'their resignations in a body
and yet our liberties were preserved, Encouraged
by this example, we could look forward calmly to a
worse evil than a breaking up and reconstruction of
the ABERDEEN Cabinet in the midst of an arduous
war.

If, however, a clean house is to be made of such
members of the Cabinet as are alleged to be inca-
pable., it is to be hoped that no undue partiality will
he shown in the selection of the individuals who are
to be got rid of; that no unlucky /right will be
picked out to be made a JONAH of, and thrown over-
board to still the popular storm, for no better reason
than that his position has rendered him more
open to attack than his colleagues. The op-
ponents of the Government, u at present
constructed, are concentrating their attacks up-
on the occupants of the War Department.
We assuredly have no interest in, and no very great
concern for, the Duke of Nawassms and Mr. SID-
NET HERBERT. The Duke, so far as our opportuni-
ties of observing go, is an amiable and honourable
man, sincerely desirous to do what is right, with fair
average though rather commonplace abilities.
But it must be confessed that he appears
to be scarcely adequate to the arduous task of
organising and conducting a new department of state
in a crisis like the present. Bat for any shortcomings
of the Duke of Nzwcums, the blame rests lam with
him than with the head of the Administration who
placed that nobleman in the office he holds. When
a leading statesman is " sent for" by his SOVEREIGN,
and accepts the task of forming a Cabinet, he incur'
the responsibility of surrounding himself with com-
petent colleagues. If the Duke of WELLINGTON,
when he held all the secretaryships at once, had
committed a serious blunder in any one of them, the
blame would have rested upon him. And by every
principle of law and justice he would have
been equally held responsible for the blunders of
any one to whom he might have delegated
the charge. Qui fecit per chum fecit per a..
says the old brocard. The contractor is held
responsible for the negligence or ignorance of those
whom be em ploys. If this holds good in private
life, why should it not bold good in a Government
The QUEEN has called Lord Anatomic to her coun-
cils, and the people have borne with Minion the under-
standing that he would employ proper people to do
the nation's work. It he be deceived in any of those
whom he has taken to be his colleagues, it is his duty
to change them ; and if be will not, be ought to throw
up his contract.

If the change. that are looked for do take place, it
is to be hoped that the people and their repre.l
sentatives will insist upon their being real and
effective. That thenuclens of the future Cabinet
will consist of leading members of the present,
no one seems to entertain a doubt. There is a
not unkindly feeling towards the Earl of DERBY
personally among a considerable number of politi.
cians ; he entertains the sentiments of an English
nobleman, and expresses them vigorously and grace-
fully : but those who have had the best opportunities
of narrowly observing the Earl of DERBY when in
office, know that he is to the lut degree impatient of
drudgery, and morbidly afraid of incurring responsi-
bility. The Earl of DERBY'S courage and energy
begin and end with hie speeches. And of all the
aspirants to place who surround the Noble Earl, who
is there that the country could trust P Mr. Din-
, luau's artistic talents and sparkling style could
carry him triumphantly through a narrative of the
war in the Crimea, but to organise and conduct the
war is quite a different matter. And who could
think at such a time of again entrusting our navy to
the management of the Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND

and Mr. STAFFORD P It is not an entire, but a
partial change of the administration that Is wished or
expected in any quarter. How, then, ought any
vacancies in the Cabinet that may be made to be
filled up ?

One truth is obvious, that our Ministerial forces,
both those in commission and the unemployed re-
serves, are pretty well used up. An infusion of new
blood into the official ranks is urgently needed. A
mere shifting and shuffling of the cards that have
hitherto been played with will not do; the worn-out
cards must be thrown away and new ones employed to
make up the pack. Would our chances of speedily
humbling Emile, and conquering a permanent
and honourable peace, be increased by the
simple circumstance of Lord ABERDEEN'S walking
out with the , Duke of NEWCASTLE and Mr. SIDNEY
HERBERT in his train, and Lord PALMERSTON'S SSW
mains to the Premiership with all hispoco-curantion,
and with Earl OUT and Lord OBANTILLZ in office
es his sureties that be will be civil sad compliant to
the Coact P To be of any avail, the mooted changes
in the Cabinet must lead to an iaffeassaf the liberal
element in its composition, and to tbe lasorporation of
men who can work hard and are idsulillsd with the
middle classes. There can be no *Wen to patri-
clans if the patricians ere fit for tbeli slices; but it
hes been too long the practice ta eggslut and con-
tinue persons of very questionable lbw in place
merely because they are patricians. The practice of
limiting the choice of our Aikidos to the ranks