The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-01 00:00:00

11 beta= -7,1411,

LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1851.

THE MINISTRY.

SUN OFFICE, Three o'Clock.

The absence of the Duke of WELLINGTON from
London, having yesterday his usual dinner party,
to the Judges of the Western Circuit at Strath-
fieldsaye, has prevented any of those consul-
tations which are by some public organs attributed
to him. He could not be at the Palace and at
Strathfieldsaye at the same time. This is only
one of the thousand rumours which are in circu:a-
tion, all equally true.

All that is known to-day, is that arrange-
ments are going on by which whatever change
may take place in position, all the best
portion of the RUSSELL Government will retain
office, with the addition of others who will bring
strength and character to their aid.
That the late crisis has done much to simplify
the proceedings of any Government devoted to
free trade and progression, no one can deny.
It has clearly put an end to all hopes of Protec-
tionist policy—it has put a finish to the
longings of the Tory underlings ; and the
open declaratior.s of Lord ABERDEEN and
Sir Jeans GRAHAM against the Papal Aggression
Bill will pave the way to an adjustment of tha►
fertile source of disunion. A Parliamentary inquiry,
a commission, or a diplomatic negotiation with the
POPE himself, which Lord CLARENDON might con-
duct, and which Mr. SLIM himself might originate,
offer a probable solution to the difficulty.

The Duke of WELLINGTON has arrived in town
from Strathfieldsaye.

The explanations respecting the Ministerial crisis,
so anxiously looked for by all classes in the commu-
nity, were last night delivered in both Houses of Par-
liament. From the statements made by the leaders of
three of the principal parties into which the Legisla•
tune is divided, we have received authentic accounts
of the efforts that have been hitherto made to form an
Administration, and the reasons which prevented
the success of these attempts. We are bound
to say—and we do so with the greatest satis-
faction—that these explanations are highly
honourable to each and every one of the
distinguished noblemen and gentlemen by whom
they were made ; and although a Government has Lot
as yet been constructed capable of carrying on the
business of the country, we trust and believe that
the total absence of personal jealousy or hostile feel-
ing that was exhibited on the occasion may lead to
future alliances that will be eminently beneficial to
the British nation. The differences that, unfortu-
nately, existed related to measures, not men. They
were matters of conscientious principle which could
not be abandoned, or even modified, so as to suit the
' views of the contracting parties ; but as the
question which alone prevented the amalgamation
between the most efficient members of the late Cabi-
net and of the moderate section of the PEEL party
will speedily be set at rest, there can be nothing to
prevent that consummation so devoutly to be wished
for when the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill has withia a few

Unfortunately, there was one point that prevented
the cordial alliance between these parties, which would
have overcome all the obstacles. Sir JAMES
GRAHAM and his former colleague were conscientiously
opposed to the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill, and al-
though resenting the haughty tone assumed by the
POPE in his bull, and by Cardinal WISEMAN
in his pastoral, they could not consent toany legislation
on the subject ; while Lord JOHN RUSSELL, although
willing to modify the measure to some extent, in
order, if possible, to come to an agreement based on
mutual concessions, could not consent to abandon the
entire question. This, then, was, as Sir JAMES
GRAHAM happily, although we believe without
premeditation, denominated it, " the cardinal
point" that rendered the junction impossible. The
Right Honourable Gentleman and the Noble Earl,
with whom he was associated, were, however, too

well aware of the state of public opinion to believe it
possible to carry on a Government framed on the
principle of non•legislation on the Papal aggression.
This was his sole difficulty. He would not be
a member of any Government that would introduce or
support such a measure, and he was well aware that
no Ministry could stand against the popular feeling
in favour of repelling the unwarrantable invasion on
the prerogatives of the Crown, and the independence
of the British nation. We rejoice, however, to find
that although this temporary obstruction prevented
a coalition, " agreement on other points not
being impossible," the terms used between
those statesmen were those of mutual esteem
and friendship, and, as we have already
stated such as afford an early prospect of co-opera-
tion in a powerful and united Cabinet—a Cabinet
not based on family compacts, or red tapism, but
which will give the best men that can be obtained
to the service of their country. Lord STANLEY
then tried whether he could recruit his forces from
the neutral party, and with that view communi-
cated with Lord CANNING and Mr. GLADSTONE,
but the same obstacle prevented the fusion
of which he was so desirous. The Pro-
tectionist chief felt the necessity of repelling the

aggression as powerfully as the Whig Ministry

he would, if at the head of the Government,
have introduced even a more stringent mea-
sure than that already before the House of
Commons. Suffice it to say, that a brief interview
proved that Mr. GLADSTONE could not, consistently
with his views, take part in an AdministratiJn pre-
sided over by the Noble Lord. He also ap-
pealed to various members of his own party,
but even there he was unable to enlist
promising recruits. Three or four refusals to
join in the forlorn hope convinced him of the useless-
ness of the attempt, and he waited upon her MAJESTY
and abandoned the arduous undertaking upon which
he had entered.

The advice and assistance of the Duke of WEL-
LINGTON is now to be taken, but his Grace is absent
at Strathfieldsaye, where he has, according to his cus-
tom, been entertaining the Judges now on circuit in
that district. 'We have no doubt, however, that he
will speedily arrive in town, and that his valuable
aid may overcome every impediment. Let
the people rest contented, the great cause
of free trade cannot possibly be injured, and
we have learned from Lord JOHN RUSSELL that
a large extension of the suffrage is resolved upon,

although we must express our deep regret at the
terms in which the Noble Lord alluded to the " depri-
vation of the House of Commons of those Conser-
vative elements which ought to belong to it." And
the depreciating tone in which he spoke " of a House
of Commons merely representing numbers." What-
ever, then, may be result of the present crisis,
the popular cause cannot be injured, and we
trust that it will be materially benefited

by a wiser and more equitable financial
administration than that of Sir CHARLES WooD,
than whom it would be impossible to find a more in-
competent or incapable Minister of Finance.

Many publications of every form, size, and price,
have issued from the press on the subject of the Papal
aggression, and the division of the English soil into
Ecclesiastical districts at the mere will and pleasure
of a foreign Prince, who not only arranged and deter-
mined the several sees, but nominated the various in-
cumbents, without the sanction or assent of the
English Government, and without obtaining the suf-
frage of any person owing allegiance to the British
SOVEREIGN. This arrogant assumption was but a
continuation of a claim that had long been asserted by
successive Popes, and which had at all times been stea-
dily and energetically resisted by the English people.
On the late occasion the public feeling was excited
to the highest degree of indignation at the unwar-
ranted invasion of the Royal prerogative and
of the national independence. The then Prime
Minister, Lord JouN RUSSELL, came forward
boldly, and in a letter to the Bishop of
DURHAM expressed clearly and unequivocally his
views, not only respecting that unjustifiable usurpa-
tion, but against another evil of even greater magni-
tude, which had long excited the reasonable appre-

* " A Letter to the Lord Bishop of London on the Pro-
mulgation of the Recent Papal Bull. By a Barrister." Lon-
don; J. Ridgway,Piccadilly ; W. and T. Piper, Paternoster-
row.

LONDON SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY, EXETER
HALL.—The oratorio of the Messiah was admirably per-
formed here last night by the members of this society, under
the able direction of Mr. Surman. The solo parts were sus-
tained by Miss Louisa Pyne, Miss M. Williams, Mrs. Temple,
Mr. Lawler, and Mr. Donald King. It is the first time we have
ever had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Donald King sing Handel's
music, but we are convinced that from the admirable man-
ner in which lie acquitted himself last evening he must be-
come very popular with the Exeter Hall audience. He is
thoroughly imbued with the true Handelian spirit. The hall
was crowded.

ROYAL ACADEMY or Music.—Amongst the
alterations in the general instruction given to the pupils at
this institution, a series of lectures have been adopted by the
committee, and the Rev. J. Richardson has been appointed
to give lectures on English history or literature. The ar-
rangements have been very satisfactory to all parties con-
cerned.