ons. At
present the exact terms of his bargain are not known, and without
being acquainted with all that has passed _de part et d'autre_ it
is impossible to form a judgment as to the wisdom or the fairness
of his conduct. Those who think he would have acted a wiser part
and have made himself of greater importance by heading a third
party in the House of Commons and keeping aloof, judge too
hastily. He would have been followed by all those who call
themselves Canning's personal friends, and probably by a
considerable body of neutrals, who would not have been disposed
to support a Tory Government, and still less to join a Whig
Opposition. But however weak the Ministry (without Huskisson)
might have appeared at first sight in the House of Commons, it
would very possibly have proved stronger than was imagined.
Strength and weakness are relative terms, and it remained to be
seen what sort of power would have been brought against it, and
to what attacks the Government would have exposed itself. The old
Tory Ministry, which was voted out for incapacity by the House of
Commons, was the strongest and longest that we have seen for many
years, though opposed by all the talent and power of an
Opposition more formidable than this can be. To be sure it must
always be remembered that they floated through their difficulties
on the tide of the Duke of Wellington's victories. Of all the
party who would have ranged themselves under Huskisson, only
Canning's friends, a select few, would have considered themselves
bound to him, and the rest, if they found the Government strong
and likely to last, would probably have dropped off and gradually
joined it. In that case Huskisson would never have been able to
treat as an independent power, and though they might have been
glad to take him into the Administration, he could not have made
his own terms. I do not think he ever could have looked to
overturning the Tory Government and coming in with the whole body
of the Whigs, for he has no natural partiality (any more than
Canning had) for that party, and he is fully aware how odious
they are to the King and how unpopular in the country, which is
always more inclined to the Tories than to them. If the Tories
have agreed to those measures (except the Catholic question, for
that is to remain on its old footing) which he deems necessary,
and of which he is the author--that is, of Free Trade, &c.--he
would probably rather act with them than with the Wh