heretofore been. The question
of absorbing interest is now the repeal or alteration of the Corn
Laws, and the declaration of war against them on the part of the
'Times' has produced a great effect, and is taken as conclusive
evidence that they cannot be maintained, from the rare sagacity
with which this journal watches the turn of public affairs;
besides that, its advocacy will be of the greatest use in
advancing the cause which it already had perceived was likely to
prevail. The rest of the Conservative press, the 'Morning
Herald,' 'Post,' and 'Standard,' support the Corn Laws, and the
latter has engaged in a single combat with the 'Times,' conducted
with a kind of chivalrous courtesy, owing to the concurrence of
their general politics, very unusual in newspaper warfare, and
with great ability on both sides.

January 30th, 1839 {p.158}

[Page Head: THE 'PORTFOLIO'.]

After four months or more from the time when he threatened
further disclosures, and when, it appeared as if the whole matter
had blown over, how or why nobody could tell, Urquhart has
published a fresh set of letters which passed between himself and
Backhouse,[13] for the purpose of proving that the latter was a
party to the publication of the 'Portfolio.' Backhouse, who was
at Liverpool when these came out, wrote to desire judgement might
be suspended till certain notes omitted by Urquhart had been also
published, and to-day they appeared; but instead of making the
case better, they have made it rather worse. It is altogether a
dirty transaction, and mortifying to those who care about the
character of public men, and who have some feeling of national
pride and vanity in the super-eminence of English statesmen for
integrity and high-mindedness. It is not very difficult to
extract the truth from the mass of verbiage and contradictory
assertions in which it is involved, and it appears that Urquhart,
having got hold of the papers, communicated them to Palmerston,
offered to publish them, and was encouraged by him to do so.
Urquhart, who was appointed secretary of embassy at
Constantinople while this publication was going on, took every
opportunity of consulting the Foreign Office, and of trying to
make Palmerston and his under-secretaries _participes criminis_,
in order that they might share the responsibility and stand
committed with him. Against this they fought, and while they took
good care that Urquhart should understand that they wished the
pu