is scattered forces
at a moment's notice. The Opposition contains a dense body of
fellows who have no vocation out of the walls of the House of
Commons; who put up in the vicinity; either do not dine at all, or
get their meals at some adjoining chop-house, throng the benches
early, and never think of moving till everything is over;
constituting a steady, never-failing foundation, the slightest
addition to which will generally secure a majority in the present
state of the House. In old times the placemen and immediate
hangers-on of Government, who make it their business to attend in
order to carry the public business through, afforded a regular
certain majority for the Ministers of the day; but now this
household phalanx is outnumbered by these blackguards, the chief
of whom are O'Connell's Tail and the lower Radicals. All this
immensely increases Peel's embarrassment; and the tactics of his
opponents have been extremely able, considered with a view to
obstruct the march of Government. While the leaders have abstained
from any violent measure, and have always resolved at their
consultations not to stop the supplies or impede the public
service, their active partisans have taken good care to produce
all the same effects, by raising debate after debate upon every
description of personal question, and every miscellaneous matter
they could drag in, so as to prevent any progress being made in
the public business; and in this they have completely succeeded,
for never was there more noise and violence, and less business
done, than in this session.

In anticipation of Peel's resignation there are three parties all
animated with different hopes and desires--the Grey party, the
Melbourne, the Stanley. The first want Lord Grey back with all
the moderate Whigs, throwing over the Radicals; and leaving out
the 'Dilly' (as Stanley's party is derisively called); in fact,
Lord Grey would only come back to carry the Irish question, which
Stanley will be no party to. The second want Melbourne and all
his kit back again, to go on with all the strength that the
united force of Whigs and Radicals amounts to. The third,
expecting that Lord Grey will decline to return without Stanley,
desire that the Radical Whigs should attempt it, with (as they
think) the certainty of failing, and then, that the urgency of
the case may bring about a coalition between Lord Grey, Peel, and
Stanley. Such a coalition would be very desirable in many
respects,