AGAINST THE MOTION.

The Ministry resigned in a body on

the 5th of May last, in consequenceof England.

having been left in a majority of only Counties,

40

five upon the Jamaica question, upon Boroughs,

169 Universities,

0

the express admission of Lord John

Russell in the House of Commons, 209

and Lord Melbourne in the House of Wales.

Lords, that they felt they did not posCounties,

sess the confidence of either House of Boroughs,

Parliament. Here, then, is the best 10

possible evidence that the Ministry do

not, in their own opinion, possess the Scotland.

confidence of the nation, viz. their own Counties,

9

deliberate words, that they were conBoroughs,

20
29

vinced they did not do so, and their

own deliberate acts testifying the realTotal, Great Britain,

248 ity of that conviction.

Has,'then, the Government the con. Ireland.

fidence of the Member for all Ireland Counties, 36 and his Popish Tail?

Let his own Boroughe,

24 words form the answer. He has told 60 us, not once, but hundreds of times,

that they are “ base, bloody, and Total against the motion,

308

brutal Whigs;" that their govern

ment is worse than even that of the By the above statement it will be Tories ; that he only supports them seen, that England, Wales, and Scot- because he contrives to squeeze instal. land, give a majority in favour of the ments of concession out of their hands; motion of TEN.

that he well knows that England is Thus it appears, that out of the irrevocably hostile to the interests of members of Great Britain, a majority Ireland; and that on that account he of ten of the Parliament created by will never to his dying day cease to agithemselves, under circumstances of tate for the repeal of the Union. And, unparalleled good fortune, voted suiting the action to the word, he has against the Movement Ministry. And already renewed the repeal agitation this is the manner in which the rege- in Dublin, and is laying the foundation neration of the empire has restored the of an extended agitation on that subconfidence of the people in the Com- ject, which he tells us will erelong mons' House of Parliament, and the dismember the empire as effectually Ministry whom the Reform tempest as a similar effort carried through Cawafted into power!

tholic emancipation. Here, then, we Of whom, then, was the majority of have the best possible evidence that twenty-one, who voted for Ministers, O'Connell and the Popish Tail have composed ? Entirely of themselves, or

no confidence in Ministers, viz. his of O'Connell's Tail. If you deduct the own words, that they are eight-and-thirty placemen, who were bloody, and brutal"-expressions not voting for their own offices, there will peculiarly characteristic of confidence remain a majority of seventeen for Sir and his own strenuous deeds, calcuJ. Yarde Buller's motion. If, from lated to withdraw himself, his supthe forty-two Catholic members for porters, and country, for ever from Ireland, returned by O'Connell, you their government. make the same deduction, there re- And so much for the confidence mains a majority of twenty-four who which their own darling Reform House declared that they had no confidence of Commons has in the Government in the Ministry. Had, then, either of

as at present constituted, and the real these classes who composed the majo- motives by which the majority of twentyrity, the Ministry themselves, or O’- one who support them are, by their own Connell's Popish Tail, any confidence admission, actuated. If, then, Parliawhatever in the present Administra- ment as a whole has no confidence in tion? Their own acts and words will them, have any particular class or infurnish the best answer to the question. terest in the community that confidence;

or base,

a

or is there any one section of the com- Anti. Corn-Law agitation, has been munity who really, and sincerely, think recently rewarded by the Governor. that their interests may be safely in- Generalship of North America. And trusted to their keeping ?

if any further proof were required, it Do the Conservatives trust them? would be found in the fact that no less This question hardly needs an answer. than ninety-four county members in If it did, it would be decisively replied England alone voted against Ministo in the minority of 308, including ters, and only forty-four with them, pairs, who voted against them in the on the late division; while even in late division. And it is the constant Scotland, a majority of the county complaint of the Ministry and their members who voted against the Ad. few remaining partisans in the press, ministration was nineteen, and for that they have for years been the sub- them only twelve. Indeed, so far are ject of a relentless and systematic op- Ministers from themselves asserting position from the Tories, unparalleled that they possess the confidence of the even in the long annals of British fac- landed interest, that it is their con. tion.

stant complaint that they do not ; Have they the confidence of the and that, what between Tory parsons House of Peers and the aristocracy? and Tory squires, it has become al. This question is easily answered. most impossible to contest with ad. There is a majority of ninety-one, vantage a Tory seat in any county. which has be more than once re- Does Government, then, possess corded against them in that assembly, the confidence of the old Whig aris. notwithstanding the creation of no tocracy of that great party, so long less than fifty-two peers in the short celebrated in English history, to which space of nine years, or more than Fox belonged, and which Burke double the number that ever were adorned, and of which Lord Grey, created in a similar period before by when they came into office in 1830, any Tory administration. Indeed, was the acknowledged head ? Here, so far from pretending that they pos- also, a decisive answer is to be found sess the confidence of the Upper in the words and actions of their own House, it is the unceasing complaint acknowledged leaders. Not only of Ministers that they are exposed to have the noblest and ablest of that the utmost difficulty in maintaining party seceded from their ranks, with their ground there ; and they expressly Lord Stanley, Sir James Graham, admitted that the carrying of Lord Lord Ripon, the Duke of Richmond, Roden's motion for an enquiry into and a host of others, but a great part the administration of justice in Ire- of whom are among their most deterland, was felt by them to be a direct mined and powerful opponents. And vote of censure upon their own con- if any further evidence were wanting duct..

on this head, it has been furnished Have Government the confidence by the admission and acts of the son of the landed proprietors? This, too, and representative of their own acis at once answered by the decisive knowledged leader; for Lord Howick majority of one hundred and ninety emphatically stated in the House of in the last Session of Parliament, Commons in the late debate, that he against the now hardly-disguised pro- resigned his office in the Administra. ject of abolishing the Corn-Laws. This tion last May, because he saw clearly project, indeed, Lord Melbourne, in that Ministers were not strong enough the Upper House, justly styled “the to resist the downward progress of the most insane that ever yet entered into Movement, and because he saw clearly the mind of man ; but, notwith that “the most respectable of their standing this, a large proportion of supporters were every week or month, the Cabinet members in the Lower by ones or twos," leaving their ranks, House not only strenuously argued and slipping over to the benches of for it in Parliament, but vigorously Opposition. After this admission agitate for their total repeal, by strive from the son of the avowed leader of ing to move the gigantic masses in the old Whig party, it is unnecesthe great towns; and Mr Poulett sary to say more as to Government as Thompson, the member for Man- at present constituted having lost the chester, as a reward for his long interest and confidence of that party. and great services in that career of Have Ministers the confidence of NO. CCXCIII, VOL. XLVII,

2 0

ous

the commercial classes ? So far as sive acquiescence in the blockade of commercial wealth or property is con- Mexico and Buenos Ayres, so cruelly cerned, unquestionably they have not. detrimental to British interests, or of It is notorious, that at least three- their late disgraceful and inexplicable fourths, probably four.fifths, of the supineness in regard to the Chinese manufacturing wealth and property disaster, to convince the whole merof the country is not only hostile, but cantile world, of whatever shade of decidedly hostile, to their measures; political opinions, that their interests and that if a majority of the repre- never were intrusted to such incasentatives of the mercantile towns pable hands. This is matter of uni. still support them, it is because in versal notoriety throughout the emthese constituencies the men who have pire—there is not a Liberal merchant no property overbalance those who in the united kingdom who does not have any. Fortunately, here also, know that it is the case, and hardly facts altogether decisive of the ques- one that will not, in the confidence of tion put the matter beyond a doubt. private friendship, admit that it is so. In London, the great commercial Have Ministers, then, the confidence metropolis of the empire, the cus- of the operatives and the Chartists, toms of which amount to the stupend. since they have lost that of every other

sum of twelve millions a year, interest in the community ? The inthey were received, no further back surrection at Newport--the flames of than last November, in the annual Birmingham—the hardly suppressed dinner given at Guildhall by the Li. conflagration of Sheffield – the atberal functionaries of the city to the tempts at burning of the metropolis leading merchants and bankers of all itself, are a sufficient answer to the parties, but chiefly, of course, to those question. In truth, if there is any one of their own way of thinking, with such class in society more than another to a pitiless storm of indignation, that, whom the present Government are an according to the admission of their object of utter abhorrence, it is the own journals, the like of it was never Chartists; and the strength of this before witnessed in English history. feeling of abhorrence itself has been Liverpool, the second greatest com- one great cause of the spread of mercial town in Great Britain, whose Chartism. The language with which customs amount to £4,500,000 a.year, their orators and journals constantly has actually turned the corner, and assail the conduct of Ministers is such, returned two stanch Conservatives to that we never have, and never will, Parliament; while in Glasgow, the pollute our pages with it. It is not most magnificent banquet ever wit- surprising, however much it is to be nessed in modern Europe was given lamented, that they should have fallen by four thousand three hundred gen- into these expressions of language and tlemen of respectability to Sir Robert conduct. In their case, the violence Peel and a majority of the Reformed of party has been inflamed with the Town Council, elected by the Parlia- virulence of disappointment. The mentary constituency, is composed of Chartists say, that they have not only Conservative gentlemen.

been disappointed by the Ministry, But, in fact, it is hardly possible to but deceived. They feel that they take up a newspaper from any part of have been made the mere instruments the country, in which evidence will for the ambitious designs of others, not be found of the utter want of con- and that, when their passions and ex. fidence which even the liberal portion pectations had suited the purposes of of the mercantile class—even their the authors of the Movement, they most strenuous liberal supporters, were thrown aside as useless. Thence have in the capacity and judg- the rise and virulence of Chartism, ment of Ministers. At all the meet- and the awful fact, not only of milings held by Mr Urquhart to dis- lions of the community being united cuss the commercial interests of the in support of an absolute democratic country, at Newcastle, at Glasgow, form of government, and of hundreds and Manchester, the strongest con- of thousands being leagued together demnation of the mercantile conduct in an infernal conspiracy for the deof Government was pronounced by struction of life and property. their own most decided political par- If the one extreme of society that tizans. It did not require their pas. of the ignorant Chartists-is decidedly hostile to Ministers, is the opposite of Ministers-of that small section of extreme-that of the learned, the the Liberal party which they have, par thoughtful, and the meditative-better excellence, in a manner appropriated to disposed to their support : Are the themselves. We have no wish to stain clergy, the universities, the learned the pages of honest independent warprofessions, more favourable to them fare either by the application of such than the incendiaries of the Bull-ring, epithets, or the imputation of such or the conspirators of Newport? Con. motives. fessedly they are, if possible, still more Are the colonies more favourable to hostile; though their hostility, found the Government as at present constied on deeper feeling, and based on tuted ? Let Canada answer, which nobler principle, is more measured in has twice broken out into a fierce and its expression. The fact of the whole fatal revolt, without material grievuniversity members being returned by ances of any kind, or any peculiar the Conservative interests, by immense cause to have inflamed the present majorities, and of the established cler- frightful spirit of discontent, but the gy being everywhere, notwithstanding supercilious haughtiness of the Coloall the influence of Government, in nial-Office, and the total disregard by decided hostility to them, is but a Government of all the interests and slight indication of the all but univer. remonstrances of the colonists. Let sal and profound feeling of indignation the West Indies answer, whose diswhich pervades all the highly educat- contents, arising from their protracted ed classes at the reckless and unprin- injuries and sufferings, have long been cipled system which Government have so excessive, that nothing but the state for ten years pursued. All the influ- of impotence to which they have been ence of Ministers, and of the Whig reduced by ten years of Whig legisbishops whom they have appointed, lation, has prevented them from breakhas been unable to prevent an over- ing out into open revolt. The Cape of whelming majority of the Church from Good Hope, Australia, the Mauritius, resolutely opposing their principles ; are all convulsed with grievances of and all the multiplication of commis- their own, for which they can get no sions and endless Whig legal jobs, redress from Government, and which has been unable to hinder an over- have laid the foundation of a discon. whelming majority of the bar, both in tent which, when they become more England and Scotland, from passing powerful, will assuredly cause them over to the Conservative ranks. De to break off from the empire. The cisive evidence of this has recently East India merchants are perfectly been afforded by the strong language frantic at the enormous confiscation of in which the petition was drawn, their property which has taken place signed by five hundred and fifty in the Chinese Seas, and the unparbarristers, for the liberation of the donable tardiness of Government Sheriffs of Middlesex, imprisoned by either to assert the dignity of the emorder of the House of Commons. pire or prepare the means of resistDestitute of support from any other

It is notorious that such was interest in the community or class of the discontent excited in the Indian politicians, it may perhaps be said that army by the Whig cry for economy, the conduct of Ministers is at least ap- and the ruinous consequences of the proved by their stanch friends, the reductions of Lord William Bentinck, low Radicals. Let the sentiments of that it shook our Indian empire to its this section, of which Mr Wakley and foundation, and excited a spirit of disMr Ward are the representatives, be content in the East which provoked judged of by their words. The former the intrigues of Russia for our supof these gentlemen said last autumn, pression, and rendered unavoidable that “the conduct of Ministers had the perilous chances of the Affghanexcited one universal feeling through. istan expedition. Even the Ionian out the country, which was that of Islands have evinced such a refractory disgust;" while the latter, in his ad- spirit, that the Lord High Commisdress to his constituents in Sheffield, sioner was obliged suddenly to dissolve stigmatized in yet stronger terms the the House of Representatives; and the depth of political baseness to which Maltese became so obstreperous, that they had descended: Observe, we use the Governor of the island was obliged the language of the strongest supporters to suspend altogether the liberty of

11

the press. In short, one of the Ca- ists, whose leading principle is the binet correctly described the condition irresponsibility of all men for crime, of the colonies after nine years of whose leading maxim the division of Whig government, when he said all property, and leading passion the that Heligoland was the only colony we promiscuous concubinage of all men had which was in a state of quiescence. with all women; but they have actu.

; Nor is it surprising that there ally gone the length of patronizing and should be such an universal feeling of promoting this very sect, whose tenets contempt for the Whig Government are too well calculated to inflame the through every party, interest, and co- human heart, ever to want numerous lony of the British empire. There is and active supporters in every highnot one of them which has not in turn ly civilized and corrupted society, been sacrificed by them to the Moloch Their avowed head was ushered in. of mob.popularity, or the cravings of to the presence of the Queen by revolutionary passion. The aristo- the Prime Minister, to present an cracy they have bereaved of their just address to the Virgin Princess from and necessary influence in the state, this band of “ rational religionand in lieu of the ancient, self-poised, ists ; while a leading member of and admirably adjusted British consti- the fraternity has been appointed by tution, substituted a strange com. the Home Secretary to the important pound of royalty and democracy, and responsible situation of Registrar checked by an aristocratic veto, which of Marriages at Birmingham. Is it they themselves confess is incapable of surprising that a Government evincing carrying on the business of the coun. such a total disregard not merely of try, and under the government of that faith which has hitherto proved which, useful legislation has for the the blessing and salvation of the emlast five years, by the admission of pire, but of those institutions which all all parties, been brought to an abso- nations, even the most barbarous and lute stand-still. They have taken uncivilized, have invariably regarded every opportunity of degrading and as the bond and cement of society, insulting the Church, not merely by should have awakened the most intense strenuously resisting every attempt at feelings of alarm, not merely among its enlargement to keep pace with the all persons attached to the Church of rapid increase, enormous spiritual des- their fathers, but all who feel an intitution, and fearful augmentation of terest in the purity of manners, the crime

among the people; not merely salvation of property, or the existence by taking part on every occasion, both of their country? in and out of Parliament, with its ene- Turn to the landholders. Have mies and maligners; not merely by they any more reason to feel confi. supporting with the whole weight of dence in the Ministry who have now Government' a scheme of education for above nine years swayed the scepavowedly, framed for the purpose of tre of the British empire ? Truly, if confounding religious truth with they measure their attachment to, or falsehood, obliterating, all the old interest in their welfare, by their deeds, landmarks on the subject, and leaving they have little cause to repose with no possibility of avoiding the infer- confidence on their exertions. Not ence, that their principles are, in the only has the land been despoiled, by words of Gibbon, that to the “ vulgar their organic change in the constituall religions are equally true, to the tion, of its just share in the direction philosopher all equally false, and to of government, by giving 364 memthe legislator all equally useful ;" but bers to the boroughs in Great Britain, by having attacked religion in its very while the counties have only 189, becradle, and social happiness in its ing nearly two to one, although the birthplace. They have not only made annual produce of the land is nearly no attempts to check, or discourage, the double that of the whole commerce abominable licentious sect who have and manufactures of the united kingrecently made such progress through dom put together, and the hands emthe land under the name of Social- ployed in agriculture* are more nume

* Produce of agriculture in all its branches,

of manufactures in all their branches,

L.246,000,000

148,000,000 -Pebrer's Statist. Tables, 350,