Star.
London, England, 1830-06-09 00:00:00

lON DON.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9.

4. WINDSOR CASTLE, Juss 9, 1830.

" The K 'SG continued less embarrassed in his respira-
tion all yesterday ; and his MAJESTY slept, at intervals,

in the night."
(Signed)

~ HENRY HALFORD.
" MATTHEW J. TIERNEY."

Dematches were this morning received at the Colonial
office from Sir James Carmichael Smith, Governor of

the Bahamas.

An express from Paris, just arrived, conveys the in-
telligence that the French fleet, on the Algerine expedi-
tion, had safely arrived at Port Mahon. The accounts
previously reported of the ships having encountered a
storm, and of their having been scattered, have thus
proved to be without foundation. The fleet was just on
the eve of sailing direct for Algiers.

We find, in one of the leading papers of this
morning, a paragraph which gives some degree of
weight to a report to which we alluded yesterday,
and which has been rumoured for some days, and
even before alluded to in several journals, that an
opposition has been organized against the present
Administration ; and that, consequently, a proximate

change of Ministers is by some contemplated as a pro-
bable event. The existence of these rumours affords
us an opportunity, perhaps desirable at the commence-
ment of our labours of daily animadverting on political
events, to premise our general views on the contingencies
of this important subject, and to state how we think the
interests of the country would incline us to wish, and
how they are involved in the question.
When the present administration assumed the direction
of public affairs, it must be admitted that its decidedly
military character gave rise to most unfavourable prepos-
sessions in the minds of all impartial men, and more
particularly in the minds of those who were anxious to
preserve entire, or rather to extend, the power of the
people. The apparent intention in the framer of the Ad-
ministration, to exclude from place, as much as possible,
that class of public men which had usually
supplied our Statesmen, and to select from a class which
had always been considered, and particularly by English-
men characteristically jealous of their rights, as danger-
ous depositaries of power, naturally occasioned an unpro-
pitious kind of feeling, in even those who were perfectly
ready to do homer, to the military talent of the fortunate
leader. Such was undoubtedly then the predominating
popular impression ; and this impression, it must, we
think, be allowed, has been, in a very considerable de-
gree—to use the phrase of an ancient philosopher—lived
down, during the period that has elapsed ; and that it
must likewise be allowed that the present Administration
is perhaps the most popular, and notwithstanding their
failings, and failings they undoubtedly display, the most
justly popular of any which has preceded it in the reign
of the present King.
If we enquire on what this popularity is founded, we
at once perceive, that it rests principally in the Adminis-
tration not offering ,opposition, but rather encouraging
forward the improving spirit of the age. When good is
accomplished, it is perhaps rather ungenerous to scruti-
nize with suspicion the impelling motive of those who
have been the agents ;—but it cannot fail to be observed,
as at least a peculiar coincidence, that many circum-
stances had occurred to bring about the time in our po-
litical history, when the influence of the statesman de-
pended for its existence on the legitimate influence of the
people. A little reflection on the transactions of our Se-
nate, shews that the popular troops have been won over to
protect that camp they might have been expected to attack.
Opposition—associated general opposition of the old
school, which—although we may be reluctant to use the
expression—is in reality a factious opposition, has ceased
when it should cease: that is, when the abuses and de-
fects of legislation, and the evils of bad government, are
acknowledged, and in progress towards correction.
Never, we think, in the whole course of British
History, did there exist a state of parties so favourable
to the interests of the country, as at present. The op-
position is two-fold—the portions of which are for-
tunately heterogeneous, and refuse all real combina-
tion. The only portion of this opposition, hav-
ing any real power, is an opposition of principle ; and its
power is in the people. This party have not in themselves
sufficient strength to obstruct those acts of Government,
which, it is essential to the character of the State, should
be decisive ; and yet they possess the power to counteract
any act of the administration hostile to the people, and to
aid them, with an effective force, in carrying any mea-
sure for their advantage. This state of parties has
produced the grand acts of religious liberty, and this has
prevented any serious attacks on our privileges. We are
inclined to think, in some instances, in matters of reform,
ministers stop short of the satisfactory goal ; but, at the
same time, a slow progress has some advantage in the
security of its step. It is an agreeable philosophy to
glean comfort even in disappointment ; and, as a species
if this comfort, it will perhaps be admitted, that the timid
and lukewarm Reformer is often, in results, safer than
the energetic and zealous.

On the whole, we candidly confess to our readers, that
we rather hear with regret, the rumours that are daily
current of a change in the administration. We might
wish tu see united with it, a few characters of the very
highest rank in our estimation as men—as talented men