The Sun.
London, England, 1834-07-15 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The proe'et nSs in Parliament last Right will he
fli
found to confirm we have communicated with
respect to the progress of Ministerial arrangements.
Lord Melbourne, in answer to a-pestion put to him
by the Earl of Haddington, stated that his Majesty
had directed his Lordship to lay before him a plan of
a new Administration, such as might appear to him
competent to carry on the service of the country in
this difficult and important crisis ; but that affairs
were not yet in that state that he could make any
communication on the subject. His Lordship added,
what cannot fail to give the greatest satisfaction to all
who are anxious for the appointment of a Ministry
equal to the demands of the crisis—that lie should not
have accepted. such a task, unless he had been assured
of the cordial co-operation and assistance of his
Noble Friend the late- Chancellor .of the Exche-
quer, nor unless he had also received the sanction
and approbation of the Noble Earl lately at the head
of his Majesty's Government. In the House of Com-
mons, Lord Althorp merely alluded to the commission
given by his Majesty to Lord Melbourne, and moved
the adjournment of the House till, Thursday, by which
time the plan of the Administration would probably be
laid before the King. The above is all the intelligence
respecting the Administration, of an authentic. cha-
racter, which could be publicly communicated. That
part of which announces the co-operation and assis-
tance of Lord Althorp, proves the correctness of our
anticipations. We were sure that his Lordship would
not, at a crisis like the present, withhold his services,
when the consequence might prove injurious to the
best interests of the country. The circumstances un-
der which he was induced to resign office were well
calculated to produce that temporary disgust which
led him, to seek for a private station ; but lie has made
a sacrifice of his inclinations to the higher considera-
tion of public duty. No man, for a long period, has
so hilly enjoyed the confidence of the House of Com-
mons as Lord Althorp. Some of our contemporaries
have chosen to hold up the confidence of the Com-
mons m his Lordship as foolish and irrational. This
is paying no very high compliment to the Reform
Parliament, any more than to Lord Althorp.- But
why are we to suppose that the great majority of
an assembly, composed of the best informed gen-
tlemen of England, who, day after day, 'have the op-
portunity of narrowly inspecting the conduct of his
Lordship, should be less able than others who have not
enjoyed the same advantage to form a correct judg-
ment of his merits ? The truth is, that they only who
see his Lordship at all hours, and under all circum-
stances, can understand the full value of his services
as a leader of the Commons, and why he enjoys their
confidence in so remarkable a degree. Lord Althorp
is indefatigable -in his attention to public business.
His Lordship possesses one requisite, without which
it is difficult to retain influence in a popular assembly
for any length of time, dud that is a complete com-
mand over himself. In the next place, Lord Althorp
is a sensible speaker, who takes,the plain common-sense
view of questions, and what lie says is generally well
adapted to produce persuasion in the minds of those
who hear him. There is such an Appearance of can-
dour, too, in all that he says, that " the candid Lord
Althorp" has become a proverbial expression. Without
vanity himself, he never wounds the vanity of others, but
seeks to obtain conviction, without irritating those whom
he opposes. In an assembly like the House of Com-
mons, the current of debate cannot always run smooth,
and no man understands better than Lord Althorp the
most effectual mode of bringing matters into a proper
train. It-has been said of the late Mr. Canning, that
lie never made a speech without making an enemy,
and this only proves that brilliant talents alone, with-
out self-government and a greater. anxiety to persuade
than to make smart sentences, do not qualify a, man
for leading a popular assembly. Mr: Stanley is an
instance of a smart debater, but he is too anxious to
appear to advantage himself, and too petulant in his
mode of treating his opponents, for a leader of the
Commons ; and were he even to occupy the place of
Lord Althorp, so far from enjoying the confidence of
the House, his friends would be in a state of constant
uneasiness on his account, and bless God when a
night passed over without a confusion of
.his creating.
It is easy to point epigrams against a man like Lord
Althorp, and even to turn his virtues against him.
Thus his very readiness to abandon his own opinions,
and to adopt the suggestions of others, when they
appeared recommended by good sense, has been termed
irresolution, as if the persisting in error were a proof
of strength of mind, or obstinacy were resolution.
It was this very fairness of his Lordship which
perhaps' most softened opposition ; for the eager-
ness for triumph is lessened, when it is known
that an opponent is always open to conviction.
It has also been objected to Lord Althorp, that
he has often advocated principles opposed to those
formerly maintained by him. The truth is, that, as
Leader of the Commons in peculiar times, and as the
representative of a mixed' Cabinet in the Lower
House, all the unpopular tasks, and most of those oc-
casional mistakes which are made by all Administra-
tions, have been-laid on the shoulders of Lord Al-
thorp. No public man, moreover, can belong to a
Ministry without a considerable sacrifice of his own
personal political opinions. We do not doubt that
Lord Althorp has often made this unwilling sacrifice,
and incurred the unanswerable charge of inconsistency,
because he thought that he should best promote the
public interests by such a course Of conduct, and pre-
serve a Ministry which might otherwise have been
superseded by Tory domination.- In this estimate of
Lord Althorn's station in the House of Commons, it

must not be supposed that we are his . unqualified
apologists. We have constantly protested against the
deeds of commission and omission of the late Admi-
nistration, which we deemed inconsistent with their
professions and the public good. But we are to con-
sider in the review of the comparative merits of States-
men, the relative good and evil of their policy. The
invariable integrity of Lord A lthorp in opposition for
a long series of years-his arduous task in conduct-

ing the great measure of Parliamentary Reform
through a hostile House of CoMmons—his invincible
defence of the popular parts of the Reform Bill, and
his partnership in the subsequent beneficial acts of the
Administration of Lord Grey, constitute a great
claim to the confidence of the House of Com-
His position mop.; party men—his connec-
on with the landed ihtere,st of his country, with his
known opinions against all prohibitory laws in their
favour—his personal popularity—his admitted indiffer-
renee to the mere possession of power and place, and
his practical experience as a Member of the House
of Commons, combine to invest him with that in-
fl

mons.

ence which some of our contemporaries affect to
[espise and condemn. The cause of his resignation
will not ultimately detract from his reputation and
influence ; the only question was its time. If he had
resigned a fortnight earlier, he might have better con-
sulted his character. But he was naturally averse to
" break up a Cabinet." With respect to the dtlicacy
of his relation to Lord Grey in resuming office, we
cannot doubt that the latter nobleman will set that
point straight. • It is very well for those who wish to
exclude him from power to invent this insinuation
against his sincerity ; but no reflection of the kind can
attach to such a man as Lord Althorp.
'We repeat,
therefore, that under the
.circumstances, he is an
essential part of the next Cabinet, and it is evident
that he is so considered by the King, by Lord Grey,
by the new Premier, and the House of ;Commons.
Taking him all in all, it Will be difficult to supply his
place at this time in the House of Commons, and we
rejoice, at all events, that we are not under the neces-
sity of making the trial.—fiforning Chronicle.
Yesterday, upon the motion of Lord Melhourne in
the House of Lords, and of Lord Althorp in the House
liras adjourned till Thurs-
day, ay , iorderMelbourne may have time to
Commons, thet Parliament am ent
perform the difficult task entrusted to him by .the King,
—the construction of a Cabinet. The new Premier,
in the few, sentences which, upon this occasion, he ad-
dressed to tlieifi Lordships,. was, understood to, inform
the Honse_and- the country. that Lai Althorp, has
consented to resume the position in which he has of
late so much delighted the reformed House of Com-
mons. We know that power is sweet, and that nature
is frail;. we.fully appreciate the weight which belongs
to the advice of Mr. Hume and his three hundred