The Sun.
London, England, 1839-05-08 00:00:00

LONDON :
WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1539

The Duke of WELLINGTON had a long audience
of her MAJESTY this morning, and afterwards paid
a visit to Sir ROBERT PEEL. Sir ROBERT PEEL
subsequently went to her MAJESTY by appoint-
ment, and in state. This indicates sufficiently who
are to be Ministers.

Her MAJESTY, we understand, was not well
pleased with her late Ministers for giving up the
Government on the first check, as her MAJESTY
still retains her attachment to the Whigs.

There was no proceeding in either House last night,
except the announced resignation of Ministers, which
is worthy of a single remark.

The Ministers have resigned, and last night an-
nounced their resignation in both Houses. We
gave all the particulars in the Third Edition
of our Evening Journal. The majority on the
Jamaica Bill was not sufficient to earry that
measure through the House ; they conceived
it to be necessary for the safety of the island ;
they are of opinion that the withdrawal of confidence
from them on this occasion incapacitates them from
conducting the Government with advantage, and
they have accordingly given it up. We refer to our
reports of Lord MELBOURNE and Lord JOHN
RUSSELL'S speeches, particularly the latter, for the
frank and full explanation of the immediate cause of
their resignation.
We shall here only notice the somewhat marked
manner in which Lord J. RUSSELL said that the
Government had met with less support and less
confidence on the part of the House than was
usually given to her Majesty's Ministers. Lord
JOHN obviously alluded to the defection of the
English Radical Members, all of whom, we believe,
with the exception of Mr. k.VARBITRTON, voted
against him, and whose support Lord JOHN seems
to suppose would equally fail him on the Canada
question, and render it impossible for the Go-
vernment to carry that through the House. Now
although we ourselves regard the Constitution of
Jamaica as a mere mockery of a free institution,
and look on its suspension as merely .changing
the despotism of the planters, who have a. strong pe-
cuniary interest to serve by legislation, for the
despotism of the Government, which has a strong
moral interest, as to its reputation, to do justice
both to the planters and slaves—and although we,
therefore, regard the judgment of the Radical
Members as erroneous, yet as they might honestly
and conscientiously regard the measure as a vio-
lation of Constitutional freedom, we cannot blame

them for the votes they gave. If indeed any .of them so
voted from a mere desire to break up the Ministry on
the first occasion that offered, we shall hold them
to be very reprehensible, but we caramt for one
moment impute such conduct to men like Mr.
HumE and Mr. GROTE. We can Teadily con-
ceive that Lord JOIIN RUSSELL'S pamphlet may
have excited in them some little anve,r, but they
would not suffer such a feeling to over master their
conviction of what is right. Much has ve they suf-
fered, and much have they sacrificed fto vote with
the Ministers, and it is neither just no. r useful to
taunt and jeer them, as is done by the Globe and
Courier, with not voting on this questic m like mere
Ministerial partizans. On the Irish. luestion the
case was so clear, it was so palpable thaa bigotry was
on one side, and liberality on the other,. that we held
the few Liberals who then stood neutra 1 as inex-
cusable ; but we cannot form the same opinion of
their conduct on a measure which, from its name,
might appear to them an act of liberti cic ie.
Various rumours are, of course, alres idy put into
circulation, as to their successors. The QUEEN, it
is said, has sent for Lord NORMAN BY, in which
case we shall have an attempt to re-oonstruct the
Liberal Cabinet. She has also, it is re ported, sent
for the Duke of WELLINGTON, why -will form an

Administration of a different character. Whoever

may succeed will find that there ii:s only one
safe mode of conducting the Governm cnt—that of
doing justice to the people, and so obtaining their
obedience and support.

It is impossible to hear of the resirna tion of the
Ministers without being reminded Cm t the condi-
tion of the country now has some resettarb, lance to its
condition when the Whigs took offline in 1830.
Then there was very considerable, andl e yen alarm-