The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-05 00:00:00

et' Wit It

LONDON, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1852.

The Earl of DERRY has abandoned Protection in
his character of Prime Mini.ter of England. So also
has Mr. DISRAELI, as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The example of the Leader of the Lords and
of the Leader of the Commons has, more-
over, been emulated by almost all the other
conspicuous members of the Administration. Be-
yond this—the Government has already gig •
niiicantly declared itself in favour of an extraor-
dinary variety of very important innovations—inno-
vations of a most liberal tendency, and indicative of
genuine enlightenment. There can no longer be
any doubt in these particulars. They are obvious
beyond the reach of contrad;ction. They force them-
selves, however unwillingly, upon the recognition of
the most resolute opponents of the Cabinet. What is,
if possible, yet more remarkable, is the fact, that in all
these chrhnges there is no hocus-pocus—the successors
of the ItusteLL Ministry moving as naturally along
the grooves of reform as the successors of the MEL-
ISOI:RNE Ministry did when Sir ROBERT PEEL HS-
su rned the reins of the British Government. It
vsould appear, in sooth—judging from our last
quarter of a century's experience—that it is no less
the prerogative of the Tories when in office to
tura Reformers than of the Whigs when
in office to become Conservatives. Look
at the results of the last six Administration% in tes-
timony of this, and see whether such has not actually
been the fashion of these amazing official transforma-
tions. What was gwined, we should like to know,
from the Whig Ministry, formed in the April of
1835—what was gained from that Cabinet to the
country, we should like to know, in the way of com-
prehensive improvements? Little or nothing! What,
on the contrary, was not
gained by the people of the
United Kingdom from the Tory Ministry, formed in
the September of 1641—gained, we mean, in the
form of a series of laws constituting an evidence of
grand legislative developement ? When the ever'
memorable Government of Sir ROBERT PEEL, after
being shaken in 1845, was overturned in 1846, and
when the Whigs again occupied the places of autho-
rity from which, in 1841, they appeared to have been
driven for a much more protracted interval—the old
anomalous changes once more descended upon their
eJounsels, and the community was doomed to witness
the indefinite postponement of reforms which they had
been led- to count upon as certainties so soon as the fair-
spoken leaders of the Opposition were once installed
in the offices of the Imperial Government. Our allu-
sions- must be understood as having especial and
almost exclusive reference to the unwillingness
evinced by the statesmen of the RUSSELL Adminstra-
tine, during nearly biX years of uninterrupted power,
to secure to the natirm the advantage of those great
refcams, which were recognised by the masses as essen-
OM to the continued growth in this country of the
acred principles of civilization.

Notwithstanding all our indignation at the legisla-

tive short-comingsof the llussELL Government, we

~.
Ire not blind to the glory which must henceforth, in
,nrpfi- Ow PA4eVliatur natiunal history, invest the remem-
-4 brume orirltt fallen, anti now in some respects
."'
deopised, AdMinistration. Neither are we deaf to
t its great claims upon the popular respect in
q two particulars=-to those claims which will,
4 we believe, resound in eloquent and solemn
~..
tones to many after generations. As we have never
been blind to that glory, as we have never been deaf
to those claims, so we shall never be dumb in pro-