The Sun. — 1852-12-18 (London, England)

POST.—The purpose with which Lord Derby yesterday left town for Osborne is no secret, though its true motive is difficult to understand, unless it be that the Derby-Disraeli Administration are glad to seize the first opportunity of resigning a position, to the exigencies of which they felt themselvs totally inadequate. We have always said that the Ministry could not, by any possibility, maintain its position without vital modification. It has not been modified, and it has fallen. It has fallen from, apparently, the strangest of causes. The Ministers who stifled their convictions at the voice of the whipper-in, and who undertook to carry out a policy in whose soundness they could not believe, now quit office for no other reason than that Free-traders refuse to allow them to put into effect the dogmas of extreme free trade. The division which took place yesterday morning on the first of Mr. Disraeli's motions amounted to a distinct refusal to allow the Government to double the house tax, in order that they might, perhaps, lower the price of beer by a farthing per pot—a possibility strongly disputed even by the brewers —and in order that they might, also, perhaps, slightly benefit the possessors of light barley-growing lands—the least suffering portion of the agricultural interest—the probability of the latter benefit being equally apocryphal with that of the former. But a wilful genius must have his way, and his way is that of no common Chancellor. Such a man would have taken his slate and his clerks, and having carefully ascertained the accuracy of his balance, would, had it been against him, cautiously have scraped together the means of covering it. Had it been in his favour, and to a large amount—havigg set aside something like half a million to provide for contingencies= he would, using his best discrimination, have applied it to the reduction of the taxes which were chiefly oppressive ; and here we may remark, that it is a failing of Chancellors of the Exchequer to estimate oppression by the loudness of the howl of the oppressed, so that they who roar loudest are frequently first let off. But this by the way. If the Chancellor were a man really of practical ability, the relief given would be judicious and rational. But having obtained for Chancellor a genius inclined to assert that Chancellors, like poets, are born, not made, we must be contented with allowing him a free scope for the range of his large intellect, which, not satisfied with relieving here and there an article more or less unjustly taxed, can be contented with nothing but a grand revision of taxation—shifting burdens from the shoulders of one class to that of another, without giving any reason more satisfactory than Topsy's " 'Spects its because I's so wicked"—and indeed it requires a grasp of genius truly Topseian to devise the bold raising of a huge war tax in order to give a problematical relief to " small beer." What but genius of such an order could  have proposed to a house in hundreds of members represent boroughs whose rulers are " ten pound house holders" to extend the house tax to that .Very patriotic and omnipotent class ? Why, Mr. Disraeli would label the borough members who voted for such a tax with phylacteries fatal to their success in future elections. Such, however, as the budget was, it contained nothing that was contrary to the principles of free trade, and little that was per se objectionable ; but of what was needless it contained an overwhelming amount. The duty of its authors was to take it back and amend it, as best they might, and bring it forward again in a more sober form next session. Consistent in inconsistency alone, they have preferred to resign, leaving the country, as they imagine, at the mercy of the Radicals. At the mercy of any such party it will not be, however, for Conservative principles are unquestionably in the ascendant, and men will be found without difficulty ready to carry them into effect. The ultimate result of the suicide of Lord Derby's Cabinet will be—after the usual series of small attempts and petty failures on the part of individuals representing sections of parties—the formation of a strong Conservative and Liberal Ministry, ready to bear out the dominant principle of free trade with heartiness and singleness of purpose, able to make the English name, and English policy, respected abroad, and preserve the strictest constitutional purpose and practice at home. Any modification of Lord Derby's Cabinet, such as we recommended some time ago, would now be impossible—for who would, or could, join him with his mill-stone budget hanging round his neck ? The Peelites were the party who could best have given him a clear majority in the Commons, but all hope of a junction with them vanished for ever with the brilliant sarcasms, but not altogether dignified vituperation of Mr. Disraeli's speech of Friday morning. No. The fate of the present Government is determined—we have always pleaded a fair trial for them—they have had it, and have convicted themselves of unfitness for their position. Neither a " deluge," nor " chaos," nor a "Cobden-Bright Administration," nor even " consternation " ensue on their quitting office. As far as the monetary world is concerned, the feeling of the City is manifested by a slight rise in the public funds— not an unusualusual occurrence on the occasion of a Ministerial crisis. Suffering agriculturists will, after the experience they have had, be hard to persuade that they lose even any prospect of benefit in consequence of the dissolution of the Cabinet. Free-traders will rejoice to see men out of office who, when in, threatened to overdo their new principles with the excess of zeal proverbial in new converts. And the country at large, if it regrets that the ostensible chiefs of so great a party have proved but the force of inconsistency and effected but their own defeat, cannot feel otherwise than that, though the Cabinet has been overthrown, the Conservative cause has in no way been weakened, and that its principles will still continue in the ascendant, with no lack of tried and able statesmen to enforce them.