The National Register.
London, England, 1819-07-18 00:00:00

Volitical littrospect.

Tile session of Parliament has now closed, and
presents to us a retrospect of checquered and•varied
'character, cheering 'in some points, but mirably
-calculated to excite despondency in others. The
popular spirit which animated.and directed the .re-
turns at the late election, in almost o'•ery quarter,
•where it could fairly and Tully act, was naturally
.hailed as an auspicious omen .of an approaching im-
•provement in our national policy, and a confidence
began to be cherished that.all glusingand notorious
abuses of power at least .would be no longer sanc-
tioned. Ministers themselves were not unalarmed,
and their whole application of politicil tactics
clearly proves it. Week after week passed away
lkfore any thing was brought forward which eould
I,ring into view the relative strength of their friends
and their opponents. •F,ut in the mean time they
were not idle. 'Not only were those arts which the
lope • possession of place teaches, and the intimate
acquaintance with the weakness of some, and the
wickedness of tubas, which it affords, turned to
• every possible account; but a pretended semblance
of liberality ofsentimentand .measures was adopted,

admirably. adopted to win...the young and unsuspect-
ing, to lull to rest the vigilance of those who are
not accustomed to political manoeuvres, and finally
to secure to themselves the continuance of place and
power. Nay, they did sat hesitate, in some in-
stances, to avow the total eba*ge of their own minds
in favour of mensuses they 4tail once most violently
opposol, and expressed on all occasions an "anxiety to
be enlightened .and informed. They presented
themselves as reeds, against which the storm might
vent its fury, but could make no impression where it
found no resistance. The/ talked and vapoured
.about purity of elections, and joined in the punish-
ment of bribery and corruption, when it could nei-
ther be palliated nor concealed. They saw the
country determined upon the removal of •the Bank
Restriction, and they immediately united, after
having kept the bubble entire fur twenty years, in
bursting and trampling it beneath their own fuer..
Mr. Grenfel had so long and perseveringly exposed
the glaring impropriety and the evil.tendency of the
I.lbsisting connection of Government with the Bank,
that this bond of union war every day becoming
.more hopeless of continuance. The whole body of
the ministry turned at once their backs upon their
allies, and a rupture, a I:appy rupture, between
those whom un ,evil policy had so long held toge-
ther, followed. The 'same in4afatigable gentleman
recororaerlt, from the opposition, a recourse to the
sinking fund instead of the money atrek.et, Mr Van- I
sittart handsomely amares that side ofthe I Ices how
gratefully he accepts their assistance, and the plan
is pursued accordingly. Sir M. W. Ridley expo.;
dates upon the vexations and traibles of surcharges,
and threatens to bring forward an awkward motion
for Ministers to grapple with, unless an accomnto.
dation is granted by allowing a composition at a
given sum, and thr a given period This plan els°
is received with gratietter. Mr. Brougham, bow
wisely we must presume to question, is, after every
species of obloquy and abuse being poured upon him,
persuaded to leave in the hands of Lord Castlereagh
his subject of enquiry into the public charities, and
his Lordship is now the champion of theinjunsi and
defrauded poor. How his Lordship, and Lerd Lens-