The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-03 00:00:00

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LONDON, FRIDAY. JULY 3, 1846.

THE NEW MINISTRY.
(From The Sun of last night.)
LORD JOHN RUSSELL.—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 Chesharn•
place, Bcigrave-square, but nothing positive is known.
Mr. LABOUCHERE visited Lord JOHN RUSSELL
this morning, and had an interview with his Lordship.
Lord Joux RUSSELL afterwards rode out on horse-
back.

The Treasury messengers have been in attendance
n the Noble Lord this morning in Chesham-place.

Among the many interesting circumstances atten-
'ent upon the recent breaking up of the PE EL Ad-
dnistration, hardly one possesses more peculiar im-
ortance than the banquet given to the Earl of
ANCOLN yesterday evening, at Richmond, by the
rish Society. In that celebration of the abilities
nd integrity which have so remarkably characterised
he exertions of the late. Secretary for Ireland, we
rceive the glimpses of an approaching advantage
) our sister country. Possibly we may be the more

Iduced 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 he 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 and 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 of his 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'CONNELL 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 Fir Rontar
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 Admit,i3trntion towards
the " isle of the ocean," it is manifest that a powerfo
impression in her regard is now pervading the poli-
tical world—an impression (or might we not say 4
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 these 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'CassELL, and Mr. HUME, 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, wouldehave en-
tailed remarkable blessings upon her population.
Would it not be judicious, if not absolutely ad-
nice- pnli I inn T 1-•__ . . -

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 ad-
vantageous superintendence of the railway busi-
ness ? As the new Cabinet will undoubtedly be
formed upon the most broad and comprehensive prin-
ciples, and without any eye whatever to Whiggism,
or Toryism, or Conservatism, or Radicalism—factions
which are all now, in point of fact, utterly destroyed
and annihilated—may we not, without any peculiar
eccentricity of view, trust, and trust sincerely, that
Lord J. RussEr.t. will find himself s') situated as to
continue the Secretaryship for Ireland in the hands
of Lord LINCOLN ? Ile would, by so doing ensure
himself an able and zealous colleague.

A report of the greatest importance has just been
made by the Select Committee of the House of
Lords, apppointed to take into consideration several
subjects connected with railroads. It is deeply to be
regretted that some such Committee was not appointed
at an earlier period, as much expense might have
been saved and many evils averted, if the practical
suggestions now made had been long since car-
ried into execution. It is, however, useless
to regret that 'which cannot be remedied,
and we can now only avail ourselves of the experi-
ence of past errors to pre: ent ourselves for the 'future
from falling into similar mistakes. The first poilit to
which the Committee directed their inquiries was
to the preliminary expenses attendant on obtainin
Acts of Parliament ; and particularly to those ren-
dered necessary by the standing orders of both
Houses of Parliament, which have been established for
the protection of public and private interests, by
securing to all parties concerned full notice of the
line, and the mode of its construction through the
different properties affected.
There is no person who has had any experience of

i. .
the circumstances connected with the passing of a
railway Bill through the Legislature, who must not
be well aware of the trouble and difficulty entailed
on the promoters of the project by the
necessity of a strict compliance with the
numerous and stringent standing orders, and
the enormous expense attendant on proving
such a compliance. In any undertaking of magni-
tude it has been found almost impossible to comply
to the letter in every instance ; iri fact, any clerical
error whatever, the misspelling of the name of a
single occupier, should be reported as a breach of the
standing orders, although no person could be ii
the slightest degree deceived, or any injury inflicted
thereby. Indeed the Committees of both Houses have
in a great number of cases interposed themselves to
do away with the effect of the extraordinary strin-
gency of the orders, and reported that the Bill should
be permitted to pass,
notwithstanding its non-com-
pliance therewith.

The question of compliance with the standing
orders has generally been selected as the battle-field
by competing companies, or by parties who have had
full notice as to the nature of the intended measure;
indeed it is scarcely ever resorted to by thoe for
whose especial protection the orders were originally
established. It is also, as stated by the Select '
Committee, just as likely to succeed against
the best as against the worst railway 13111. Many
Bills have thereby been defeated which it wourn bfaacvte,
been for the public benefit to have passed.
the question of the standing orders has been by so
much the more fiercely fought whenever it was cer-
tain
that the measure would have received a favour-
able report on the merits. The heavy expenses at-
tendant on the present system to both the !
promoters and opponents of any Bill has
proved a grievance of no ordinary magnitude,
and we are rejoiced to find that the Committee have
recommended the adoption of a new system, by which
this expense will be materially diminished, and at the
same time a more direct and better protection be
afforded to proprietors than that which they have
hitherto enjoyed.

The first suggestion is, that the standing orders of
both Houses relating to railways should be simplified
and assimilated, and that a mode should be adopted
by which proof of the compliance with
these standing orders might be taken before some

proper Authority sanctioned by both Howes, yfhose