The Sun.
London, England, 1852-08-04 00:00:00

T EIE SUN, LONDON,

shown themselves incapable of forming an efficient
Ministry, by oppressing the minds of their sup-
porters with the sense of a grievous dim-
pointment. It is for this reason that on
all habds the notion is discarded of any,
restoration of the Whig 4, with Lord JOHN' Rus-
SELL in his old post as Firbt Lord of the Treasury.
" Lord JOHN, we love you well, but never more be
Premier of ours"—is the thought of every sincere
and :conscientious Reformer. People talk of the
re-organization of the Whigs under the superinten-
dence of the Earl of CLARENDON. But even such a
scheme implies that the family compact must still be
yielded to as authoritative—and the people are
heartily sick of the GREYS and the EL-
LIOT., if they still entertain a " sneaking
kindness" for the VILLIERS and the Rus-
Senna. Insomuch has the former feeling obtained
a mastery over the minds of the electors, that very
recently we have seen the best of all the family of
the Guars, we mean,
of course, the late Home Se-
cretary, discarded by his former constituency, as if in
a summary and unreasoning vengeance upon his sur-
name. As to the suggestion that a compromise
might be effected by entrusting the responsibility of
the Premiership for the time being to the venerable
and revered Marquis of LANSIDDWNE—it betrays
on the face of it an air of extravagance : for senectude
cannot surely be expected to restore vigouratroquwishofat
is obviously wanting in vitality ! Besides which it
was only the other day that the aged m
LANSDOWNE—deservedly respected and touchingly
eulogised by all parties indiscriminately--formally
withdrew from the cares of public life, exchanging
the anxieties of his prolonged career as a politician
for the luxuries of an honoured and honourable re-
tirement. It is scarcely probable that anything could
now tempt him to resume the load of those anxieties
—much less that he could be induced to resume them
under circumstances by which they must necessarily be
v and those circumstances, too,
eryr greatly
circumstances multiplied, uolft i
o bl ied
v
ions and grievous disadvantage.
It is idle then to dream of a Whig Restoration under
Lord JOHN RUSSELL—sad still more idle to look for
a Whig re-organization under the Earl of CLARENDON
—and idlest of all to anticipate a Whig revival and
re-invigoration under the venerable and (for all prac-
LticAaslsDpurposes) the virtually departed Marquis of
For au interval, at least, the country
has had quite enough of these Whigs—and the peo-
ple consequently are, at any rate, for the time being,
anything but disposed to yearn for the re-eleva-
tion of the sway of Whiggism.

Viscount PALMERSTON, DO less than Sir JAMES
GRAHAM, is without an army of followers looking up
to him with feelings of devoted allegiance. His
genius, his popularity, and his experience would be
inestimable, as constituting a talisman of strength to
another statesman's Government. From Lord PAL-
MERSTON individually, therefore, it were frivolous at
this juncture to expect that England is to obtain the
boon of a powerful and efficient Administration. From
Sir JAMES GRAHAM—in GoD's good time—we look
for the construction of a liberal and authoritative Ca-
binet, overshadowed by the memory and inspired by
the principle, of his renowned and lamented col-
league. From the Whigs, whether guided by RUS-
SELL, or CLARENDON, or LA.NSDONYNE, k we, e absurd
to await the speedy consolidation of a strong Go-
vernment. Yet we cannot but feel persuaded that in
the new House of Commons, in the 654 recently elected
representatives, there are lying dormant energies
capable of being collected together for the construc-
tion of a stable, efficient, and energetic Administration.

A golden opportunity is at this moment within
reach of the grasp of the Earl of DERBY. Will he
allow that opportunity to be lost, or will he, by
availing himself of it, secure the gratitude of his con-
temporaries, and the admiration of posterity ? The
question is momentous. Let the answer of the
Noble Lord be duly deliberated, and let it be pro-
nounced by him with a proper appreciation of the
heavy and sublime responsibilities of his position as
leader at this fearful crisis of the great English Go-
vernment. His intended policy has not hitherto
been announced. Protection can no longer be
regarded as a subject of dispute, for the Free-
trade system is at length formally allowed on all sides
to be entirely beyond the reach of destruction. Let
the Earl of DERBY then—after settling for once and
for ever, in October, this terrible source of heart-
burnings among the agriculturists—place himself at
the head of the grand and systematic, and progressive
movement of reform, and he may at once secure to
old England the blessings of a strong and able Admi-
nistration. His " antecedents" are, assuredly, many
of them, such as might lead us to hope from
him the avowal of some such gallant and chival-
rous determination. He was that Mr. STANLEY, for
instance, whose eloquence in the House of Commons
mainly secured the triumphal passage of the Reform
Bill through the lower branch of the Legislature. He
was subsequently one of the most efficient adminis-
trators in the list of Sir ROBERT PEEL'S Government.
Let him comprehend his position at this juncture
correctly, and the compact body of 284 M.P.'5 now
marshalled under his Ministerial banners may be
enhanced to something larger than a mere working
majority. Let him misapprehend the nature of the
existing opportunity, and power mil slip from his
gray like a handful of sand. Let him consider the
tendencies of the age correctly, and 00, STANLEY,
on !" will be the political battle-cry on the lips and
in the hearts of Englishmen.

The ninth annual report of the Council of the So-
ciety for Promoting the Amendment of the Law—
which will be found in another part of this day's im-
pression—contains a very
uring theinteresting
paacsctouyneatr,offorthae
progress of law reform d
great portion of which the society is entitled to claim
credit. We have so often referred in laudatory terms
to the zealous, disinterested, and highly efficient
labours of the society, that it is almost a work
of supererogation to use the language of '
ordinary praise re-petting the indefatigable
exertions which have already produced such
beneficial results. We do not, however, the less
appreciate the important services rendered to the
community by the several sub-committees, as well as
by the Council itself. It was not merely useful hints
that were thrown out, or the direction of the Legisla-
tive attention to the evils of the existing system.
Legal reformers of less learning and practical experi-
,mnuignillhreadveamdioscnoßv.ered the disease, although un-
able to provide suitable remedies. The society, how-
they had achieved h'-
eenvecre
its members men who, although
fully occupied professional rank, and were
with their individual pursuits were
yet willing to
additional labours gratui-
tously for the publica 'a
advantage.t They brought
powers powers of the highest order
everven tor rendered dt
dischargebehroeelddlym
or
more
important
p
' i s ssadion ewe
to assert that
plaobopuairdofcolomvme
services to the community,
or
investigated more
closely the subjects submitted to theirs crutiny, than
the unpaid committees of the Law
Reform Asso-
ciation.
It was to be expected that the report should
dwell with some degree of complacency on the
full recognition, and -
fact of the
the highest
legal authorities, and by, the Legislature
itself, of the views originally promulgated by mean,
of the reports and resolutions of the society. In no.
ticiug the subjects that have occupied the attention of
the association during the past year, the questions
that have since been di,posed of could not be
overlouked, and it would have been a false
modesty to have avoided claiming the credit of
having not only originated, but fully worked
out the problem. There is, however, no vain
boasting or undue self-glorification ; on the contrary,
far more might have been claimed on the part of the
society, without exposing it to the imputation of
seeking honour where honour was not justly and
fairly due.

Th. &it question referred to—" the fusion of law
and equity"—is cne in which considerable progress
has been made within the year, although nothing de-
cisive has yet been accomplished. The aids-
factory working of the united tribunals
the Transatlantic States, where they
have been brought into operation, has afforded
the moat satioaetory and conclusive evidence
in
favour of this all.impentit reformatiou. A qualified
sAqant to the Principle has been obtained irotn the
enknec.ry Gitiactis,iorierp, and we have no doubt that
sufficient reasons will be adOnePri to satisfy the neees-
yary c-luion that prompted the limitation. Mean-
-while the society has not been idle. Tts special COlll-