The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-06-09 00:00:00

TUESDAY MORNING, JUNE 9, 1846

Sir Robert Peel appears likely to experience, in a
few days, a little of Whig gratitude. When in op-
position, he saved Lord John Russell's ministry, on
a score of occasions, from being defeated by their
ultra-radical allies. He supported their coercion
bill. He threw the influence of his party into the
scale whenever any unpopular measure, necessary
or unnecessary, for the public interests and safety,
was in jeo ardy. In office, he has passed their
much desiderated Corn Law Repeal Bill ; and no
doubt thought that he was about to be idolized by
the " friends of the people." Alas, for the hopes of
vacillating and temporizing men ! Sir Robert is not
to reap, for long, the gratitude of the Russell and
Cobden section of the Parliament. He bid over
Lord John's head in his Corn and Customs Bill,
and Lord John is about to bid above him for the
support of the Irish repealers, by strenuously oppos-
ing the Assassination Prevention Bill. Referring to
the recent meeting of Whig members convened by
Lord John Russell, upon the subject of this bill, the
London Times, of yesterday, says :

To all appearance, Sir Robert Peel's fate is sealed. A
few days back, and he was saved from defeat by a con-
olave of Whig peers at Lansdowne-house; now he is
threatened with destruction by a synod of Whig mem-
bers in Chesham-place. Within a month the Whigs will
Lave preserved and annihilated the Conservative Minister.
Sir Robert Peel's positio❑ is neither strange nor unan-
ticipated. Strange it cannot be to one who has shown
himself equal to every variety of fortune; anticipated it
must have been by a Minister who has only preserved
his position by the assistance or the sufferance of two
great patties to which he is equally opposed. An escape
from his present danger seems only possible by another
concession to his adversaries. He may withdraw the co-
ercion bill, and with the aid of his old friends the Protec-
tionists fight the battle of the sugar duties against the
Whigs; but one thing seems certain—that on the Irish
measure he must, if he perseveres, be defeated. Indeed,
as it was only by the aid of the Whigs that he was ena-
bled to carry:the first reading, it seems to follow of course
that, when that aid is withdrawn, he will not be able to
carry the second. The Protectionists have only to stand
aloof, and leave him with his six score of personal follow-
ers to fight it cut with the whole phalanx of the Whigs,
who more than double his numbers.

Such is the danger ; but, nevertheless, the Premier, we
believe, will remain faithful to the Coercion Bill, choosing
to fall, as so many have done before him, under the pres-
sure of an Irish difficulty. We will not say how far this
determination is prudent, but at least we must admit it to
be decent. Neither the Mini,' er nor his friends can wish
to prolong such an unequal struggle as that to which,
since tine passing of the Corn and Customs Bills in the
Lower House, they have been exposed. The very notion
of Government is outraged by the existence of a ministry
nominally in power, but in reality at the mercy of its
estranged friends or its natural opponents on every petty
question on which a division may be called for. A few
days, therefore, will decide the fate of the present Minis-
`Ty, if it be not rather already decided. Before the ex-
'ion of the week we may see the formation of another
and the return to power of a party which, what-
Ay be its defects, will come in with all the prestige
dted victory, and the merit of
Saving mainly and honestly contributed to the success of
a me

Pi
Camne.,

a recent and !onz-c6r

sure the most comprehensive and the most impor-

tant of modern times

We observe tha

Morning Herald has another

version of the matter. That journal states Sir Ro-
bert's determination to withdraw the bill, and to try