The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-15 00:00:00

fiL 4 naltA _IXIA.

LONDON, MONDAY. DECEMBER 15, 1845.

TIIE

NEW MINISTRY.

Up to this moment nothing has been determined
upon. Lord JOHN RUSSELL has been actively oc-
cupied since his return from Windsor in advising
with his friends, and preparing all his means of
government, if he should be compelled to accept
office. Of this little doubt is entertained. The
PEEL Cabinet is dead, and cannot be resuscitated—
Lord JOHN RUSSELL alone can form an Administra-
tion, and although he will not rashly undertake, he
must ultimately dare the danger and the honour of
achieving free trade, and carrying on liberal prin-
ciples. Lord GREY and Mr. ELLICE will arrive in Lon-
don this morning. Lord BESBOROUGH is also hourly
expected. By Wednesday next something certain
may be known, as Parliament will be further pro-
rogued to-morrow till the 30th instant.

The following appeared in our Second Edition of
Saturday Evening :
The QUEEN would leave Osborne House this
morning by an early train. Lord JOHN RUSSELL
attends her MAJESTY, by royal command, to lay
before her his deliberate conclusions as to the task
confided to him, and the result of his own opinions,
backed by those with . whom he took counsel. lie
was expected to leave town at twelve o'clock, and until
his return, nothirg can he known as to the course
which his proceedings are likely to take. Mr. TUFNELL
has arrived in town, and has been in communication
with Lora .Torfs RtfssELL. The leaders of the dif-
ferent sections of the Liberal party are finding their
way to London, and will shortly be collected here,
ready for advice or action. Mr. COBDEN will be in
London to-morrow, Mr. ELLIcE is on his way from
Scotland, and all the members of the late Cabinet, will,
•
ith the exception of Lord isioama*Nnr, be within reach
by Monday. Difficulties beset the formation of any
Government, but with Lord Jonx RUSSELL'S moral
courage, practical good sense, and honesty of purpose,
hacked as he is by the entire Liberal party of the
country, we do not fear that he will overcome them.

(FROM A WELL- KNOVN CORRESPONDENT.)

Lord LANSDOWNE, Mr. BARING, Mr. MACAULAT,
and several other gentleman had interviews this
morning with Lord Jou Russm.r., at his residence
ii Chesham-place.

It is expected that the 1Vol)le Lord will proceed to
Windsor Castle this afternoon, to have an audience
of her MAJESTY on her arrival from Osborne House.

It was rumoured this morning that Lords GRIT
and NIORPETH had arrived in town, but neither Noble
Lord had Arrived this afternoon.
'fuE Quaals.—Her MAJESTY travelled this morn-
ing direct from the Isle of Wight to Windsor Castle.

•
It is rumoured today that Mr. John Romilly will
most probably be the new Solicitor-General. It has
been usual that one of the two law-officers should be
an equity lawyer and Lord Cottenham is not likely
to overlook the importance of such an arrangement
Romilly, though not now in Parliament, was f-
inerly Member for Bridport

The following appeared in our Third Edition of

Saturday Evening :
Lord JOHN RussEnn left town for Windsor at two
o'clock to- day, accompanied by the Marquis of
LANSDOWNE. His return is not certain, and until
he comes back nothing will of course be known.
It is generally believed, in the best-informed circles,
that the caution requisite in taking so important a
trust is the only cause of consideration; but no
doubts are entertained in any quarter that the PEEL
Administration is totally and for ever at an end,
and that a new Government will be formed as
quickly as possible.

It is also believed that Sir ROBERT PEEL, and the
more rational of his Cabinet, will be found sup-
porters of Lord JOHN Russer.es measures.

(PROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
Lord JOHN RUSSELL left town his afternoon ft

Windsor Castle, to have an audience of her MAJESTY.
The Duke of BEDFORD arrived in town: to-day
from Woburn Abbey, and visited his noble relative
in Chesham-place.
It is understood that Sir JAMES GRAHAM had an
interview with Lord JoHN RUSSELL on Thursday.
Rumours have been very prevalent during the day
that Lord Jouß RUSSELL is not likely to form an
Administration.

It is obviously of the first importance that Lord J.
RUSSELL should be in possession of the exact views and
intentions of the late PrE mier—should know to what
lengths he had himself been prepared to go on the
corn-law question—whether he will support Lord
JOHN in a measure of entire repeal, how many of his
colleagues will do the same, and what number of his
Parliamentary followers may be expected to go with
him—should know, also, what course will be taken
by the Duke of WELLINGTON in the House of Lords,
before he undertakes to relieve Sir ROBERT PEEL
from difficulties.which, after all, are of Sir ROBERT
PEEL'S creation. We have no doubt, therefore, that
Lord JOHN RUSSELL is now waiting for more ex-
plicit information as to the future policy of Sir
ROBERT PEEL and his late colleagues; and, in his
audience of to-day, he will probably lay before her
MAJESTY the necessity of his being exactly informed
of the nature and extent of the support which will be
given him by the leading members of the late Cabinet.

It is clear that if Sir ROBERT PEEL and the Duke
of WELLINGTON could have agreed to propose a repeal
of the corn-laws themselves, they would probably
have been able to gain the consent of the House of
Lords, which, without their support, Lord Joni.;
RUSSELL can never hope to do, but which, with their
support (though on this point there may be a differ-
ence of opinion), Lord Joss's RussELL:may be even
better able to effect than they could effect it for them-
selves. Their support, Wowever, will be necessary
to him. And it will not do to trust to Sir
ROBERT PEEL'S generosity or sense of political
honour. We know, from past experience, how
lightly he holds the " responsibilities of opposition."
Place and power may have no charms for him while
he has them ; but, somehow or other, when he has
them not, he acts as if their attractions were all-
powerful.
We are assured on the best authority, that the
statements of Friday, that the late Cabinet
had never decided to repeal the corn-laws and
that Sir ROBERT Palm was all through opposed
by a majority of his colleagues, are totally incorrect.
On Wednesday of last week the Duke of WELLING-
TON consented to Sir ROBERT PEEL'S views : after
the Cabinet Council of Thursday the Duke went to
Strathfieldsaye, and on Friday " a change came o'er
the spirit of his dream." The change of intention
was communicated to Sir ROBERT PEEL, who there-
fore on Saturday apprised her MAJESTY of his own
resignation. But for the Duke of WELLINGTON'S
revoking his consent, the object of Sir ROBERT
PEEL'S visit to Osborne House on the Saturday
would have been to take her MAJESTY'S pleasure as
to successors to the seceding members of the Cabinet
Lord STANLEY, Lord WZARNCLIFFE, Lord RIPON,
and the Duke of BUCCLBUCH.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL and his friends will return to
power ,under some of the most favourable circum-
stances that ever fell to the lot of candidates for
office, and what adds to the happy coincidence, these
circumstances arise not from accident; they are the
results of wise and patriotic conduct on the part of
the late] Opposition, and the deliberate spon-
taneous act of the Conservatives themselves. No
men ever came with better characters from their last
places of service than RUSSELL and Co. During the
whole of the PEEL Administration, not one factious
motion, according to the best of our recollection, was
made—no party spirit was displayed, either in the
Houses of Commons or,Lords, or at any Whig meetings
throughout the country. Never had any Minister
a fairer trial than Sir ROBERT PEEL. The only
anxiety manifested on the Opposition benches was,
that his good measures might succeed; and, with the
exception of the amended corn-law, they were all of
that character. The Liberals cared not for
the honour and glory usually accompany-
ing generous and successful plans, though
the best plans of Sir ROBERT PEEL were stolen from
them ;—they were anxious only for their success, and
with a spirit: of high principle, hitherto unknown
on the benches of
,the Opposition, they preferred
the real interests of the nation, the peace of
Ireland, and the promotion of free-trade measures,
to the selfish advantages of places and pensions.
Never was any conduct more noble than theirs on
the Maynooth question. They believed it to be a
necessary, a just, and a conciliatory Bill, and casting
to the winds their own popularity with the
Dissenting body, regardless of the hostility
of their best friends, and risking even
their seats in Parliament, they remained
steadfast in their purpose and left the consequences
to the tide of events. They looked with contempt
even on that portion of the Whig press which sup-
ported them on every other point, and which had been
advocates, too, of this very measure, but which vilely
betrayed its principles with the hope of gain, and
vainly endeavoured to drag its patrons with it
through the miry path of infamy. Such patriotic
firmness in a good cause has earned for the leaders
of the new Ministry imperishable honour, and tley
now reap their just reward; for even the bitterest
Tory, rendered savage by the downfal of his
friends, cannot lay to the charge of Lord
Jour; RUSSELL or any of his party one act
of factious opposition. Need we contrast this
scene with what occurred towards the close of the
MELBOURNE Administration, when the vilest calum-
nies were propagated at Tory meetings, when the
clergy themselves, forgetting their sacred character,
their usual devotion to the Throne, and all regard
to truth, reviled their young and innocent Sovereign,
and denounced her Ministers as traitors to their
country and QUEEN. But " wisdom is justified of
her children," and the backbiters have had their re-
ward. They have not been turned out by
the Whigs—on the contrary the Whigs did every-
thing in their power to aid them in the Government
of the country, but they found themselves unequal to
the task, and gave up the helm in despair, because
they could no longer fight under false colours, and
steer the crazy vessel to a place of safety.

The brief interregnum which succeeds the resig-
nation of a Ministry, is a period fraught with interest
to all. A universal excitement pervades the vast
community; each individual seems electrified by the
sudden shock. Every passing rumour becomes
matter of importance; all are on the qui vive to ob-
tain the earliest information. Setting aside the flies
which gather round the honey, the numerous par-
tisans who seek for place, who watch every turn and
movement of the new Minister, as though life and
death depended upon him—setting these aside, there
is a party which looks on with deep and earnest atten-
tion, which scans each act and weighs each decision
with an impartial mind. The great body of the
people look to the new Ministry with anxiety.
To whom is a Government of such interest
sto those whom it is to govern ? Few
changes of
Administration have aroused public
attention like the present
; all feel that this is no
common change, there is more in it than meets the
eye. Those who have watched the signs of the times
have long felt that a new era of government was at
hand. England is not now what she was a hundred
years back ; intelligence has progressed at railway
speed ; the minds of the multitude are no longer the

same, yet their short-sighted rulers have preserved
old restrictions, and sought to confine the energy and
industry of the present day in the narrow limits of

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