RESIGNATION OF HER MAJESTY'S MINISTERS. [From the Weekly Dispatch, February 22.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 730, 31 July 1852, Page 3

RESIGNATION OF HER MAJESTY'S MINISTERS. [From the Weekly Dispatch, February 22.]

The Ministry is out. The kingdom, in it moment of anxiety, if not of peril, is without a Government. The people must act and think, (or themselves. Here are the facts, anticipated as far as the conjecture, relative to Lord Grey, in our Parliamentary article previously written. Id the House of Commons on Friday night, the debate of the evening commenced by, Lord John Russell bringing'up the Committee on amending the Militia Hill. His lordship recapitulated its provisions, and asked leave to be allowed to have the bill printed and laid on the ta-ble, in order that i! might be discussed with greater facility. Lord Palmerston immediately rose, and moved as an amendment that the word 'Regular ' should be substituted for 'Local,' as an ill-trained force was not sufficient for the security of the nation, and the House affirmed this proposition by a majority of 1 1. Lord John Russell then announced: his jntendon to resign, The decision -against his lordship's views was not pronounced by a full House, there being only 261 members present ; but he probably foresaw that bis Government could not survive ihe discussion' x>n Earl Grey's mismanagement of tlrs Colonial Department, au-

nounced for Tuesday next. The excitement in the House, however, appeared to be as great as if the event had Liken it by surprise. It behoves the public, in this exigency, firmly to make up .-its mind on certain vital points, and to declare its decision. It will suffer no return, or threat of return, to a bread-tax, and it will remember that Lord Palmerston is, at the best, a very lukewarm adversary of starvation principles. It will suffer no parties to play for their o,wn selfish purposes, with the Government of the nation. It will demand patriotism' and self-denial from all its political men, and will reject with unutterable scorn those who may endanger the country .by any disputes .purely factious. It will not allow Lord Palmerston to play off one despotism against another for whims and spites, which it lias now fully discovered. It will insist on sufficient armament, that it may feel secure, and in that security rely upon and strive for peace. It will permit nd provocation to war with any one, absolutely refusing to entertain the idea of interference in any way with the internal concerns of any nation. At the same time it will permit no such violations of territory from any quarter, or upon any nation, as would show that the aggressor considers he has a right to take what he pleases, and defies England to resist him. Cowardice, in- such a case, would postpone war, only for us to be forced into it with disgrace. As to the~amount and kind of the armament, " The Duke's" opinion should be immediately ashed, and* as instantly acted upon. We may remember that the last Ministry wiih which he was connected was the most economical one of late years, and that' it is to the standard of its expenditure that Mr. Cobden himself has struggled to return. This is pledge enough, if we wanted it, against extravagance on his part. And while all the military men, with one voice, are referring to him to decide what is needful, it would be the most presumptuous folly of civilians to neglect or • slight his opinion. Our state Stands on us to defend, not to debate. And, moreover, although' the firmest, and, when needful, the sternest of warriors, so he has always shewn himself most chary of incurring the horrors or increasing the inconveniences of war. " A victory is but the next worse thing to a defeat," 'is bis motto. The method of the Militia ballot, and all else, may, we verily believe, be safely left to him, with the certainty that, by apportioning the means to the end, he would exact no more -sacrifice than appears now necessary, and would not incur the risk of frightful sacrifices afterwards by fearing to demand minor ones now. In every place the inhabitants should be meeting, to support the -Queen, to demand these vital rights and necessary measures, and to show that the country, at least, is so far able to govern itself, in the absence of all fit to lead it, that the moment it finds a proper chief it is organized to follow him — and, in the meanwhile, determined to ke,ep out all who, for their own base ambition, are prepared to mislead it and expose it to bitter loss, if not to -utter ruin.