The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-16 00:00:00

, THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER
COMMISSION.
(From the Post of Saturday.)
We have already glanced at the curious aspect is
which political party connexion is placed by the new
commission for managing the affairs of the Duchy of
Lancaster. We have a word or two to say about the
extreme absurdity of this whole affair, unless something
worse than mere absurdity be intended, which we sus-
pect to he the case. It is said by persons who have more
knowledge of the projects entertained in certain high
places than we can pretend to, that some monstrous job
is in view. It is believed that something is about to he
done with the property of the Duchy which was thought
rather too much for sole responsibility, and therefore it
it was deemed expedient to lay it upon the aggregate
shoulders of a Royal Commission. Certainly, if there is
nothing to be done beyond managing the ordinary re-
venues of the Duchy with care and economy, the organi-
sation of so portentous a commission for Ea) small an affair
is one of the most ridiculous things that ever was done.
Here we have a Noble Baron very learned in the law; one
who has filled the first legal offices, and advised in the
weightiest and most important affairs for the last thirty
years, occupying the office of Chancellor of the Duaiiy.
But all his learning and all his experience are not suffi-
cient. He must be helped by three Earls and an ex-
Secretary of State for the home Department. And
thisatnhaeg exceedingly y
Is t
details
theret raoanfnyd revenuepCm
r oosp Commission
prospect
that
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which
)at tbioty
Ndtboi
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hNVari whatl
ea t
toiasr me
clubbing of their wits they may enable her Majesty to
ethhassevteeprrt
?ol
proceeds
Hepdleser
eaostuc
troheme oefs paying off
absurdity.commission-governed
Every Duchy cmh ya
nof o
fL at
the
national debt with
Commission, except Lord Lincoln, whose fortuneetre in
expectancy, has a revenue of his own equal to, or ex-
ceeding that, of the Duchy of Lancaster. And what
would Lord Hardwicke, or Lord Spencer, or Sir
James Graham say to any one who should propose
to any of them a commission of three Earls and an
ex-Secretary of State to mange their estates for
them? Would they not regaiWuch a proposition
as more fit for Bedlam than any other place; yet
there they are, compiling and compounding such
wisdom as they can muster, to manage on the Queen's
behalf certain land revenues amounting to between
twenty and twenty-five thousand a year ! We really
are surprised that Lord Campbell should require this
kind of assistance. We should have thought that " plain
John Campbell " would have been quite sufficient for a
matter of such moment as the government of the Duchy
of Lancaster, and now that he is a Lord and an ex-
Chancellor of Ireland, we do not see that he should be •
considered disqualified for transacting such business as
would render any chief clerk in a solicitor's office un-
worthy of his salary, if he could not properly manage.
As soon as Lord Caeubell has the opportunity. it_ will
be necessary for himito explain to the public how this
Commission of three Earls and an ex-Secretary of
State has become necessary to manage a property not
one-third so great as that possessed by many Members
of the House in which his Lordship sits. It will be
necessary to explain what these men are wanted for, if
not for a job and if a job, what job ?
(From the Chronicle of Saturday.)
The Morning Post of yesterday contained the follow-
ing article:—
" On the sth of October we made the following state-
ment:—

~~

--•
" ' We understand that a department of the Govern-
ment, hitherto carried on under a chief, is, for the
future, to be managed by the same chief, assisted by s
board of unpaid commissioners. The names of the latter
we are not yet at liberty to disclose; but, if we mistake
not, they will throw a very curious light on the present
state of parties in this country;
" There is now no longer any necessity for preserving
the secresy that was at the time imposed on us. The
department alluded to is that of the Duchy of Lancaster,
and the intended Board of Commissioners—however
surprising the fact may appear to our readers—will be
composed of the Earl SPENCER, the Earl of Lincoln, Sir
James Graham, and the Earl of Ilarwiche
" We were strictly correct in saying that these com-
missioners will receive no pecuniary emolument; but we
do hear that certain arrangements have been made in
reference to the distribution of patronage. by virtue of
which the new board will not be left altogether without
influence. Indeed, it is hinted that this provision is so
ample as to have already excited no inconsiderable. in-
dignation in a Noble Lord, who imagines that he has
been unfairly deprived of the advantages he formerly

possessed.
"Of this, however, we know nothing ; it is for
the present quite enough for us to know that two
members of Sir Robert Peel's late Cabinet, and a noble-
man who held an appointment in the royal household
under the same Administration, have accepted office at
the bands of Lord John Russell. Were we altogether
wrong when, five weeks ago, we ventured to say that
the circumstance would throw a very curious light on
the present state of parties in this country ?'"
We have good reason for believing that the foregoing
statement contains a very erroneous impression of the
real facts of the case. It has for some time been con-
sidered highly expedient that a permament board should
he established for the management of the property of
the Crown in the Duchy of Lancaster; and, if we mistake
not, a somewhat similar arrangement already exists for
the management of the estates of the Duchy of Cornwall.
The commissioners appointed are Earl Spencer, the Earl
Hof Hardwielte, Lord Portman, the Earl of Lincole, and
Sir James Graham ; but the political duties and pa-
tronage of the duchy remeins as before with the Chan-
ct Bor. The inferences, therefore, which our Contempo-
rary has attempted to draw are scarcely warranted
by the facts. But if the case were otherwise, and if
these appointments had more of a political cha-
racter than can be fairly attributed to them, we may at
least express a &Allot whether the public at large would
take that very particular interest in the matter, one way
or the other, which the Morning Post appears to expect.
We imagine, from our Contemporary s tone, that he
much exaggerates, in his own mind, the impression
which a political rumour of this sort is just now calcu-
lated to produce. Very " surprising" it would be, no
doubt, to your regular-bred, professed politicians, to hear
of the ex-members of a "Conservative" Cabinet taking
office under a " Whig" Premier. Quite exciting. So
wilful a forgetfulness, or so daring a defiance, of respect-
able and old-established political traditions, would, we
are sure, produce an immense sensation in " political
circles." To the clubs, or so much of them as may be.
left at this season of the year, it would be a profoundly
interesting and perfectly invaluable subject for intelli-
gent curiosity and colloquy. We more than doubt,
however, whether the excitement would go deeper than
the surface of the political world. The good-natured;
insouciant public would take it quite easily. We should
not anticipate anything that could be called a "senate
tion,"either of I leased orof displeased astonisment, at a ru-
moured official arrangement which so aptly represents the
present anarchical fusion, or confusion, of political par-
ties. Our impression is, that public feeling on the
matter—what there may be of it—would simply amount
to a very moderate and quiet satisfaction at witnessing
so intelligible a recognition of an undeniable political
fact. As the public is very much of opinion that the
nominal party distinctions of " Conservatism " and
" Whiggism " have ceased to symbolise real differences
of opinion and policy, the public would, on the whole,
be well enough pleased with an arrangement which
tended to reconcile forms with realities. The public is
so thoroughly possessed with the notion of the practical
unimportance of those distinctions—cares so little about
the mere pe-sonnel of the cast of official parts—is so
free from all strong resentments or predilections, preju-
dices, or favouritisms, of a party kind—and so intently
desirous of seeing itself served by those who possess
most ability and presumable inclination to serve it Icel.
—that the reported re-introduction into office of some
of the ablest members of the late Government will seen
the most natural thing in the world. It will be taker
as a sort of " homage to truth and reason." NN
nre not at all sure, even, that our good, easy, philosce
phical, omnibus-going public would be horrifie
if the rumoured political amnesty and hand-skakin.
included the very highest personage in the realm
Conservatism. It would lead us too far to inquire wh
ther our worty and respected omnibus-going public do
not carry its good-natured tolerance to an extreme the.
is more amiable than judicious. The present state .
our domestic politics has certainly, taken from
tL
ethical point of view, a somewhat mixed characte
There is evil as well as good in this universal oblitera
don of old land-marks—this prevalent disposition t
accept or condemn public men, without much referent
to the past, by the sole and exclusive test of their pr,
sumed competency for present and future public servi,
Without, however, going into those delicate and stem(
what entangled questions which the existing aspects
our political world offer to the consideration of tl
moralist, we cannot but contemplate, with much hopeft
complacency, the more immediate practical tendencie
of this state of things. It is unquestionably a great at:
vantage Co the country that her Majesty's Ministers s-
able to approach the grave and difficult problems at
will present themselves for solution during the next se.
sion of Parliament, unembarrassed by any opposition
a party character, We do rot know that we can us
fort
inconven.beneficeT
qualifiedly congratulate Ministers themselrviev%onethweh7er
joyment of this novel and extraordicei.airtysp g
action, is not altogether withoute sts
l.
cu tar embarrassments
though affording certain rare
ences. Exemption fromp
party antagonism implies
The
aids arrising from party con
al:endan
thea
corresponding and equivaler.
destitution of the peculiar
position of a Governmen
nexion and support.
which has as
organization—which, while it i
little to hope as to fear front the old tra
ditional forces of party org
tend on its party strength—which has posi
unable to s
in no danger of falling by its party
weakness, equally
tively nothing to rest upon but the excellence of its mete•
sures, and their felt adaptation to the demands of opinion
and events—is a position, the difficuties of which obvi-
ously bear a large proportion to its facilities. At the
same time, we cannot doubt but that the statesmen who
have deliberately accepted the new conditions which
circumstances have annexed to official power in this
country, are well prepared to abide the test by which
henceforth all public men must stand or fall. We are
persuaded that her Majesty's Ministers, however deeply
sensible of the magnitude of those difficulties with which
they have to grapple, must feel themselves cheered ant,
invigorated by the conviction, that the important ques
dons of social reform now under discussion may be deal
with freely and boldly, according to their own real an
independent merits, and that no well-devised measure 0
public usefulness has anything to fear from a factious
and obstructive opposition.

OPENING OP THE PORTS On Friday evening 't
public meeting was held at the Literary and Selena
Institution, John-street, Fitzroy-square, for the purpot
of considering the propriety of memorialising the Gc
vernment to open the ports. liimpwAtendance was ver
numerous. Mr. Charles Tiffin presided. Mr. Cochrai
addressed the meeting, and referred to what had tram
pired at the late interview with the Minister, after whic -
a memorial was adopted, and a deputation appointed t,
present the same to Lord John Russell.