George Thompson goes without the regret of any;
but these are exceptions among changes which do not
generally represent a conclusion half so satisfactory.
As to the result in public affairs, much must necessarily
depend upon where the floating members referred to
may choose to take their seats. But as Lord Palmerston
defined dirt the other day to be nothing more than a
thing in a wrong place, it is hardly to be expected, of him
at least, that he will do such unhandsome credit to his
reputation as to place himself anywhere but in a right
place. Yet if even he and all the doubtfuls were to
occupy the ministerial benches, the effect could only
be to precipitate another dissolution. Mr. Hume has
already predicted that the parliament now returned
cannot, in any case, hold long together; and the veteran
"father of the house" is probably right.

Amid all these uncertainties and changes, present
or imminent, one thing only can be pronounced
thoroughly safe. Free Trade is unassailable. If its
watchwords had not floated on even the banners of
the ministerial candidates at one half of the recent
elections, Lord Derby would have found himself with
not a tithe of his former supporters. The triumph
of opinion is at last complete. Mr. Disraeli has taken
warning in time, and no longer talks of even relief
from local burdens. Local burdens have gone the
way of protection. The remedy now is to be a general
revision of taxation; and whatever may be the
character of its details, supposing Mr. Disraeli permitted
to bring them forward, they will at least be little
likely to reconcile the opposite and antagonistic
benches before which he will have to rise and expound
them. There is no financial mystery unexplored or
unrevealed that can bring about such a consummation.
If the opposition benches shout with delight, not a few
of the ministerial benches must of necessity groan
in disgust. There is nothing for it, therefore, but that
the grand Disraeli nostrum should turn out a quackery
and be scouted off the stage, or be accepted to the
accompaniment of precisely such a scene as that which,
on the 25th of June, 1846, destroyed Peel's party
and established Peel's fame. Substantially, then,
Mr. Cobden is right, and we are all Free-traders now.
Nor could the time which has witnessed this change
show any contemporaneous incident more nobly
characteristic and fitting than the inauguration of the
first statue which has been raised to Sir Robert Peel.
As the last returns of the election of 1852 were coming
in, there rose the first marble memorial of the great
statesman to whose services and sacrifices it is
destined to yield the last reluctant but irreversible
testimony. The men who most bitterly reviled him
will soon be heard again proclaiming from their places
what the blessings of his policy have been, and on his
statue there may then be inscribed that last-spoken
line of "the plain and unadorned eloquence of Richard
Cobden"—

"WE ARE ALL FREE-TRADERS NOW."

NARRATIVE OF PARLIAMENT AND
POLITICS.

IN the HOUSE OF LORDS on Wednesday, June 30,
LORD LYNDHURST congratulated Lord Derby on the
beneficial results of his resistance to the clamorous
demands made upon him to dissolve the moment they
succeeded to office. The law reform bills, the New Zealand
bill, and other important measures would have been
delayed, and probably lost, but for the firmness ministers
had displayed. The same resolution had enabled parliament
to get through the private business of the session,
thus saving the parties interested the enormous expense
of renewing their bills next year, and to leave the
judicial business in such a satisfactory state that, at the
prorogation, scarcely an appeal would be left undecided.
He believed that more business bills had passed since
Lord Derby's accession to office than in any previous
session of the present parliament.—Lord BROUGHAM
contended that the merit of the law reform was due to
the commission appointed by the late government, and,
to some extent, to the late government itself. The
present Lord Chancellor and Lord Derby were, however,
deserving of great praise for taking them up and
carrying them through.—The Earl of DERBY, in thanking
Lord Lyndhurst for the compliment he had paid
him, acknowledged, that what he had been able to
accomplish was due, in a great degree, to the absence of
party spirit—the forbearance and co-operation of the
majority of parliament. The only credit ministers could
claim was for resisting the importunate demands for
a dissolution made upon them as soon as they took their
official seats, and for pressing only such measures as were
admitted by both sides to be for the public benefit.—
Earl GREY admitted that many important measures
had been passed during the session; but that was to be
attributed to the fact that they were the measures of the
majority, and not, properly speaking, those of the ministry,
who, while out of office, had opposed some of them.

On Thursday the 1st of July, the Queen in person
Prorogued the Parliament with the usual forms. The
Royal speech was as follows:—

"My Lords and Gentlemen,

"I am induced, by considerations of public policy, to
release you at an earlier period than usual from your
Legislative duties. The zeal and diligence, however,
with which you have applied yourselves to your
Parliamentary labours, have enabled me, in this
comparatively short Session, to give my assent to many
measures of high importance, and, I trust, of great and
permanent advantage.

"I receive from all Foreign Powers assurances that
they are animated by the most friendly dispositions
towards this country; and I entertain a confident hope,
that the amicable relations happily subsisting between
the principal European States may be so firmly
established as, under Divine Providence, to secure to
the world a long continuance of the blessings of peace.
To this great end my attention will be unremittingly
directed.

"I rejoice that the final settlement of the affairs of
Holstein and Schleswig, by the general concurrence of
the Powers chiefly interested, has removed one cause of
recent difference and future anxiety.

"The amicable termination of the discussions which
have taken place between the Sublime Porte and the
Pacha of Egypt afford a guarantee for the tranquillity
of the East and an encouragement to the extension of
commercial enterprise.

"The refusal, on the part of the King of Ava, of
redress justly demanded for insults and injuries offered
to my subjects at Rangoon, has necessarily led to an
interruption of friendly relations with that Sovereign.
The promptitude and vigour with which the Governor-
General of India has taken the measures thus rendered
unavoidable, have merited my entire approbation: and
I am confident that you will participate in the satisfaction
with which I have observed the conduct of all the naval
and military forces, European and Indian, by whose
valour and discipline the important captures of Rangoon
and Martaban have been accomplished, and in the hope
which I entertain that these signal successes may lead
to an early and honourable peace.

"Treaties have been concluded by my naval
commanders with the King of Dahomey, and all the African
Chiefs whose rule extends along the Bight of Benin, for
the total abolition of the slave trade, which is at present
wholly suppressed upon that coast.

"I have had great satisfaction in giving my assent to
the measure which you have wisely adopted for the
better organisation of the militia—a constitutional force
which, being limited to purposes of internal defence,
can afford no just ground of jealousy to neighbouring
Powers; but which, in the event of any sudden and
unforeseen disturbance of my foreign relations, would at
all times contribute essentially to the protection and
security of my dominions.

"Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

"I thank you for the liberal provision which you