The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-02 00:00:00

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LONDON. THURSDAY. JULY 2, 1846.

THE NEW MINISTRY.

LORD Joux RllSSELL.—Circulars were issued by
his Lordship this morning to all his leading political
friends.

It is understood that his Lordship has appointed a
meeting this afternoon at his residence in Chesham•
place, Belgrave-square, but nothing positive is known.

Mr. LABOUCHERE visited Lord JOHN RUSSELL
this morning, and had an interview with his Lor.iship.
Lord Jour{ RUSSELL afterwards rode out on horse-
back.

The Treasury messengers have been in attendance
on the Noble Lord this morning in Chesham•place.

THE COURT. —Her MAJESTY, Prince ALBERT,
and the royal suite, are expected to arrive at Buck-
ingham Palace about six o'clock this afternoon, from
Osborne House, Isle of Wight.

Among the many interesting circumstances atten-
dent upon the recent breaking up of the PEEL Ad-
ministration, hardly one possesses more peculiar im-
portance than the banquet given to the Earl of
, LINCOLN yesterday evening, at Richmond, by the
Irish Society. In that celebration of the abilities
and integrity which have so remarkably characterised
the exertions of the late Secretary for Ireland, we
perceive the glimpses of an approaching advantage
to our sister country. Possibly we may be the more
induced to credit such propitious presentiments from
an anxiety to see them realised ; but, unquestionably,
many fortuitous circumstances have latterly tended
to render us more sanguine in their regard. Party
prejudices, sectarian intolerance, and political animo-
sities, appear to be gradually subsiding, and a feel-
ing of goodwill towards the population of Ire-
land generally arising instead. Everything
has lately demonstrated the fact that liberal mea-
sures, with reference to the Irish population, are infi-
nitely more popular amongst our representatives than
of yore : the grant to Maynooth proved this ; the re-
jection of the Coercion Bill proved this; and the
Richmond dinner to Lord LINCOLN is an additional
and emphatic evidence that the interests of that island
have acquired end are acquiring advocates for them-
selves among all classes of politicians. The absence
of all violent or vituperative expressions in the
letter of Mr. O'CONNELL, to which we yesterday
directed attention, shows that that uncompromising
patriot is, to a considerable extent, satisfied with the
promising aspect of the futurity in store for
the denizens ofighis native country. Unless
there were decisive and unmistakeable tokens
that good was likely to accrue to Hibernia,
and that a better spirit was beginning to animate our
legislators for the amelioration of her sufferings,
O'Cosisieu, would undoubtedly have availed himself
of the opportunity of the present interregnum in
Parliamentary matters to give some more startling
demonstration of the necessities of his fatherland,
than that afforded by his very temperate missive to
the Repeal Association. And unless Sir ROBERT
PEEL had recognised, not only the possibilities, but
the extreme probabilities, of affording to Ireland such
a benignant Government as would ensure her internal
prosperity and her domestic contentment, he would never
have terminated his illustrious career, as First Minis-
ter of the Crown, with language so encouraging or
so explicit. Considering all the indications of
leniency in the forthcoming Administration towards
the "isle of the ocean," it is manifest that a powerful
impression in her regard is now pervading the poli-
tical world—an impression (or might we not say a
conviction ?) that Ireland can be withdrawn from the
slough of despondency and destitution to the enjoy-
ment of those privileges and blessings to which she
is so especially entitled both by the fecun-
dity of her soil and the generous character
of her inhabitants. That is the conviction
which is now abroad, and with which
is coupled a very prevalent determination to struggle
manfully for the realisation of such a metamorphosis.
From the intensity of these sentiments and resolu-
tions first originated the notion of doing honour to
the exertions of the late Secretary for Ireland ; but
by a singular fatality, the noble: statesman, who had
been invited, in his official capacity, accepted the in-
vitation simply as " a private gentleman and an
English Member of Parliament." Brief as his career
has been, Lord LINCOLN gave sufficient proofs of his
desire to promote the welfare of those millions who
were, to a certain extent, submitted to his
care and supervision, as to identify him among
the friends of the suffering Irish ; and sufficient
also to give an assurance that had his continuance in
office been even of reasonable duration, he would have
entitled himself to have been classed among her noblest
benefactors. Those measures whicb, previous to the
retirement of Sir ROBERT'S Ministry, Lord LINCOLN
had introduced to the House of Commons—measures
for the alleviation of many agrarian grievances, and
for the better adjustment of the relations subsisting
between landlord and tenant in Ireland—proved of
themselves the liberal and generous policy which the
Noble Earl as Chief Secretary would have fostered
and maintained. These testimonies of his intentions
to improve the Irish population have rendered his name
popular amongst the ranks of the Irish Reformers ;
they caused the attendance of such Members as Lord
C. HAMILTON, the O'CONOR DON, Sir CHARLES
NAPIER, Mr. M. J.O'CoNszem., and Mr. HUSIE, at yes-
terday's banquet ; and elicited even from "The Libera-
tor" himself the assurance of the great pleasure he
would have experienced in attending upon that occa-
sion. Among all classes and divisions of opinion
in political matters the prevailing sentiment is, that
in Lord LINCOLN Ireland will lose a man whose con-
tinuance in office, as Chief Secretary, would have en-
tailed remarkable blessings upon her population.
Would it not be judicious, if not absolutely ad-
visable, to maintain the Earl of LINCOLN in
that position under Lord JOHN RUSSELL'S Adminis-
tration, precisely as the Duke of WELLINGTON is
presumed to continue in power as the Commander-
in-Chief, and as the Earl of DALHOUSIE is pre-
sumed to remain in office for the ed.
vantageous superintendence of the railway busi.