The Press.
London, England, 1858-05-22 00:00:00

have been looking forward to a small adverse
majority with hope, for, said they, "We shall
" never have a better question to dissolve upon."
The public feeling was everywhere rising
against the " Confiscation Policy." A large meet-
ing was held in Birmingham Town-hall on Wed-
nesday, at which Lord CANNING'S Proclamation
was condemned, and Lord ELLEsoottot.on's

Despatch approved. Petitions in the same
strain were also beginning to pour in. Five of
the Metropolitan Members had declared for the
Government. And last night the most popular
Member for Westminster, Sir Dn LACY EvAss,
gave notice that he would take an early opportu-
nity of proposing to the House plainly to condemn
Lord CANNLNG'S Proclamation.
An hour afterwards a trivial' circumstance
helped to show the state of public feeling. When
the House of Commons broke up, Mr. DISRAELI
went, in the ordinary way,

minster-hall, and stepped
stantly he was recognised

stood near, and, before he
ears were greeted witl_ three
the whole body of bystanders
or spontaneous manifestation

not been witnessed on that
PEEL carried his famous rote

dence," and broke up the MI

Sr

"FOND ANTIC IPATiatan
UNMINDFUL of the old counsel, " . sell the
"bear's skin until you had k'd Min," the
eiktz
favourite occupation of the foliation of
Brookes's and the Reform Club, during the
present week, has been that of " Caliatdalting. ."
This has been entered upon with, tip greater
zeal, inasmuch as it was allowed, (1111rin Minds,
that " something new " must be prodead: Oven
the Times admitted, in its paper of Tuesday., that
the late Ministry of Lord PALmmtsrom was " de-
" ficient in ability, largeness of view, and even po-
" pulaz sympathy. The majority of the Cabinet
" were mediocrities The Whig connection
" may well be dissolved for ever. It has done good
"in its day, but that day is past. If there were
" no alternative (but) between Lord DERBY and
" another Whig clique, we might be content to
" give his Lordship a further trial."
The main drift of all this was, "the construe-
" tion of a Liberal Ministry on the broadest
" basis." Now, if the Times forgets, is it possible
for the public to forget, that this very experiment
was tried just five years ago, and most signally
failed?

In January, 1853, a Cabinet accepted office
which was declared to be resplendent in talent,
consummate in experience and ability, and both
Liberal and Conservative in the fullest meaning
of the words. That Cabinet embraced,—
The leading Whigs--LfaisnowN-E, Russet.,
GRANVILLE, CLARENDON, ARGYLL, and WOOD ;

The leading Peelites--ABERDEEN, GLADSTONE'
GRAHAM, NEWCASTLE, SIDNEY HERBERT, CARD-
WELL, CANNING ;
A prominent Radical—Sir W. Motsswoßra ;
and
The man of all Cabinets—Lord PALMERSTON.

Here was a Cabinet "on a broad basis" ; and
a Cabinet which was said to be oppressed with
even a superabundance of talent.
How long did it last, and what was its fate ?
It endured about two years, and perished in
scorn and disgrace.
It blundered in every conceivable way. It al-
lowed the country to drift into a war, merely for
want of speaking two or three words of firmness
at the right moment. Having got into a war, it
blundered in the conduct of that war in the most
inconceivable manner. When will Punch's de-
scription of " the Duke of Higgledy and Mr.
Sidney Piggledy" be forgotten ?

It then attempted peace, and blundered in
that also. Lord JOHN RUSSELL went to Vienna,
with his children and his nursery-maids, and
when he came back, a round-robin was got up
among his own Whig friends, to ask him to re-
sign, lest the odium of his doings should ruin the
Ministry !

Such was the "Ministry on a broad basis"—
the " Liberal Ministry"—the Ministry of men
of talent and experience—of 1853. Will any
man seriously propose that we should try that
absurd experiment over again ?
Well, the Aberdeen Cabinet failed. Lord
DERBY was asked to take the Government, and
he declined. Lord Joux RUSSELL had then the
offer made to him. He "tried to, and couldn't."
At last Lord PALMERSTOWS turn came. He
made a Cabinet of Whig peers, Whig peers' sons,
nephews, and sons-in-law. It was, as the Times
now confesses, a Cabinet of mediocrities--s

Cabinet, rather than return to which, we had
better keep Lord DERBY ! Surely, when the
Times itself admits this, the House of Commons,

which exchanged Lord PaLmies
DERBY, may well stand justified.

for Lord

But perhaps the Times neither means to revive
.Lord ABERDEEN'S Cabinet, nor yet Lord PAL-
autsufrotes ; but has some peculiar views of
its own. It is impossible to clear one's mind
of suspicions of this kind. It is impossible,
when we remember that a hand which, three
months ago, penned despatches, now pens
leaders for the Times—it is impossible not to
imagine that we
even in one who
Council-board, ever

level.
But let these am,
other quarters, be
" Independent Liberals

undervalued, are
believe that Mr.

nate post, not deeming

to the door of West-
into a 'lrillticle. In-
by the eipords that
c could ditie, oc his
ree 1ood;41 from
lers ! ilolimaiodsoliden
ion of
stirriosa has
spot • • T
ate of " ...
qi egad-
felbourier
I.

detect aspirineoC &logy ite
neither in Pklise,butt
aver rose sK,:ivii-% Ale
I • I
unbitious ..• . • . I Ili
gravely 1,1
." sr'
iberals " 40r, -4444....
not few iitm
Not •
. HoionsAN iirg-
gming a seat outride the Cabinet