The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-24 00:00:00

DAILY WEATHER TABLE.

MONDAY, JAN. 24, 1853.
State of the wind and weather at each of the following
places at nine o'clock on Saturday morning. The stations
are arranged in order of latitude.
LniEmcK—N.W., gentle breeze—cloudless.
MULLINGAR— W., strong breeze—partially cloudy.
SOUTHAMPTON—W., strong breeze—rain.
BASINGSTOKE—N. W., gentle breeze—partially cloudy.
GREENWICH—W., gentle breeze—partially cloudy.
SWINDON—N.W., gentle breeze—cloudy.
CAMBRIDGE—N.W., gentle breeze—partially cloudy.
YARMOUTH— N.W., gentle breeze—cloudless.

THE WEATHER.—SUN OFFICE, JAN. 23.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
40—highest since noon on Saturday.
33—lowest yesterday morning, and during Sat. night.
38—yesterday at noon.
BAROMETER, 3005.
WIND, N.—Fine, sunshiny weather.
JANUARY 24.
39 highest since noon yesterday.
32—lowest this morning and during the night.
38—this day, at noon.
BAROMETER, 30'19.
WIND, N.—Dull, cold weather.

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all sufferers would refuse to compromise in such
cases, and exhibit a similar determination to that
evinced by Mr. ARDEN, a heavy blow and great
discouragement would be inflicted on the iniqui-
tous system, and persons would no longer find it
worth their while to attempt to entrap the unwary by
the promise of pecuniary aid to the embarrassed.

" Trust in GOD, my lads, and keep your powder
dry," was the condensation into a sentence of the
religious confidence and practical wisdom of one
of England's greatest generals. We all know the
result. And if we may, without profanity, ad-
dress sincere Reformers with an adaptation of
CROMWELL'S eloquence, we should say, "Be
generous to the Ministry, but keep your agitation
alive." We have already noticed symptoms which
compelled us, in honesty to the Reform cause, to
warn our friends, and those symptoms multiply
rather than lessen. The press in the interest of
the Ministry are following the Foreign Secretary
and the Secretary at War, in the cry for time.
The organ of the Peelites, indeed, bids its readers
not to tremble for our time-hallowed institutions
in the hands of ABERDEEN and GLADSTONE. The
evening Whig journal exhorts Liberals, however,
to trust the undoubtedly hearty Reformer, Lord
JOHN ; first, the vane turns to Conservatism, then
to Literalism. But, curiously enough, a weekly
journal of high respectability, which ought to
know the minds of the more advanced section
of the ABERDEEN Coalition Ministry, devotes a
whole article to the mighty labours be-
fore the Government, as a plea for the
country's forbearance. Thus, after one turn
north, and another turn south, the weather-
cock points at last midway between the two,
neither to Conservatism nor to Reform, but to time.
" Give such a trustworthy Cabinet time." It is
discovered that the national defences are such an
all-absorbing question, that the Government is to
be let off reform and all that, and to betake itself
bodily to the War-Office and the Admiralty. Now
none have ever insisted more strenuously than
we have done, on the primary duty in question,
especially en the supreme importance of our Navy
being kept, in regard both to number and effi-
ciency, far in advanse of all that could be mus-
tered at Cronstadt, or at Cherbourg and Toulon.
We think it, however, childish to set forth this as
the all-absorbing work of a Ministry at a time
when we are in thorough peace with every
civilised Power, and evince ourselves no disposi-
tion to resort to CROMWELL'S argument against
the cruelties of Popery towards Protestants, even
with such a powerless potentate as the Grand
Duke of TUSCANY. Nor can we conceive that
so sensible a journal could have committed itself
to such an absurd plea for delaying reform, unless
possessed of information to which we make no
special pretensions.

It is argued that the Ministry, though so strong
in ability, has but a bare majority of numbers in
the House of Commons, and that the opposition
of the neutrals might easily embarrass, and, by
union, thwart it ; the corollary to which is, that
the country is to be trustful and forbearing, being
assured that Ministers will do all they can.
On the other hand, the Ministry is to
rely upon the country to back it in
all its reforms with zealous promptitude. Very
good. But how is the country to be certified of
the reforming zeal of the Ministry ? Is it by
being told that while it comprises in itself, or
among its supporters, all the talent of the House,
it yet can attend to but one thing at a time ?
that thirteen, by the assumption first-rate, Cabinet
Ministers must absorb all their first-rate abilities
in coast defences alone ? Why, were the channel
actually bridged over, they could hardly do more
than this. The late Cabinet certainly would not
have talked thus ; the question of invasion is not
more urgent now than last year, and they yet
found time, in a short session, to do a world
of invaluable home work, and to see to
the Army, Navy, and Militia too. No ; if
the Government means to carry public sup-
port with it, it must throw itself heartily
and at once upon the public. Shuffling off " the
amendment of our institutions," will assuredly
devolve upon another Ministry the amendment of
our national defences also. Enrolling and organ-
ising the Militia, constructing fortifications and
defences, training artillerymen, and such things
are no subtraction from the time of the Govern-
ment itself. If the thing to be done be agreed
on by, all parties, which the writer seems
to think is the case, and we think so too,
then the proper Naval and Military Departments
have only to receive orders ; and, after that, the
less they are meddled with by civilians the better.
They will leave the Cabinet pretty much at leisure
for their political and legislative duties, if the'
Cabinet will only say to them, lay before us your
plans and your estimates for securing us thoroughly
against all comers. The late Ministry has set
them an example of what might be done by men
who are determined to work. Attribute it to what
motive you will ; be it, that, conscious of protection
being a poor recommendation to the country at
large, they determined to work hard for a charac-
ter, and to go to the constituencies with the argu-
ment, " see what we have done," we should say
that such a motive was very sound policy, and
very sound morality too ; but anyhow they did
much work quickly, and did it well. Now, the
Electoral Reforms needed and desired by the
country, and the Income Tax Reforms also, are
quite as much prepared to the hands of the new
Cabinet as the Law Reforms of last Session were
for the DERBY Ministry. These are two chief,
two urgent things, which cannot wait ; and we
affirm deliberately that it needs nothing but
simple honesty to the public to present and to
carry the bills for both objects in a very reason-
able time. " The success of the Ministry," it is
said, " will depend quite as much on the country
as on ourselves. We believe it ; but we also believe
that its success will depend upon the confidence
shown by the Ministry towards the country. If
the Ministry begin first by delaying reform mea-
sures, under the old excuse of needing time—then
go on with sneering at and snubbing every
Member who proposes some clear and unmistake-
able liberal measure, such as the 101. franchise
for the counties, the Ballot, or getting rid of the
ursaete-anpdaYimnogve the previous question on
clauses ; if they will count
hich all sincere Liberals have made up
toa
ob °upt :act
shi ne:Hb
woe
their minds ; if they will
pursue the old, vexa-
tious, disheartening course of the last Whig Cabi-
ne
, w e
admonish
them that all their talents can-
nott
save them. The country is heartily glad to
have able men at the head of its affairs ; but if
they are to use their ability only to tamper with
its just demands, the country will soon begin to
tell them that it needs honesty quite as
much as ability. If, on the contrary, the
Ministry will, trust the country ; if it will
take counsel, not with Lords and Squires, as to
the best mode of protecting electors from intimi-
dation and bribery, but with the electors them-
selves ; if it will ask not the gentlemen "of influ-
ence," according to DOD, in the boroughs, whether
these gentlemen shall continue to return two
Members to Parliament, but appeal to populations
ten or twenty times as great, whether they do not
wish to be fully represented ; if they will ask the
tradesmen and professions throughout the country
how many years' purchase their hard-earned in-
comes are worth ; and babble no longer of impos-
sibilities, and Sir ROBERT PEEL'S infallibility ; if,
in a word, they will take up the work for the
people which lies at their feet, do it, and do it
manfully, why, then, they will not rely in vain
upon the country. They must show confidence
if they wish for it. They must show that
they believe the people could and would
sustain them against any interested class op-
position in either House ; the people would soon
let their opponents know what would be the result
of an appeal to them. When have the people
failed a Government which offered them anything
worth having ? It is the half-heartedness of so-
called Liberal Governments, or " Governments of
BULL cannot understand the worth of a measure
steady progress," which has ruined them. JOHN
shaved and trimmed, weighed and balanced be-
till the scales
ad-
vanced state of public intelligence," and the tween " the claims of prescription,
hang just as they did before. He thinks
that justice, and neither Lord JOHN, nor Lord

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING; JANUAR,Y 24, 1853.