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WILLIAM BLACKWOOD & SONS, 45 GEORGE STREET,
AND 37 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON;

To whom all communications (post paid) must be addressed.

SOLD BY ALL THE BOOKSELLERS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.

PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS, EDINBURGH.

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WILLIAM BLACKWOOD & SONS, 45 GEORGE STREET,
AND 37 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON;

To whom all communications (post paid) must be addressed.

SOLD BY ALL THE BOOKSELLERS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.

PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD And sons, edinburgh.

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Ar the eleventh hour, and not until they were warned by the unanimous voice of the nation that further delay upon their part would be considered as tantamount to an admission that they had failed in the discharge of their duty, the Coalition Ministry have summoned Parliament together. Of the propriety of the step there can be no doubt. We urged it upon them two months ago, while denouncing the conduct of the war, upon the issue of which, we then said, the future position of Britain as a nation depends. We maintained that it was an issue far too great and momentous to admit of delay, and we protested against the repetition of such dilatory practices as were made available excuses for last year. At that time intelligence had been received of the battle of Alma, and the commencement of the siege of Sebastopol; there were rumours, and more than rumours, of mismanagement and neglect; and many were impressed with a sad foreboding that the expedition which had been sent out to the Crimea was not numerically strong enough, nor sufficiently well provided to maintain a protracted contest with Russia upon Russian ground. There prevailed throughout the country a general wish that Parliament should be convened; not in order that the representatives of the nation should inter

fere with Ministerial functions, but because no confidence was reposed in the wisdom, forethought, or energy of

VOL. LXXVII.-NO. CCCCLXXI.

a Cabinet which had Lord Aberdeen for its head, and which did not possess the ordinary elements of cohesion. It was felt that under such circumstances our public men should be at their post; and there were even higher considerations than these. It was not right nor decent that, when our armies were toiling and bleeding on the field, there should be any appearance of apathy at home; it was not wise, in the face of doubtful and protracted negotiations with the nndeclared Powers of Europe, that the great national council of Britain should remain in practical abeyance. Ministers, however, seemed determined to proceed as usual, and not to render an account of their stewardship until the commencement of another year. Parliament stood prorogued until the 14th of November, and on the 10th of that month, a further prorogation was made until the 14th of December, without the insertion of the customary words, "then to meet for the despatch of business." This is an evident indication that no meeting was contemplated until after the expiry of the Christmas holidays. On the 20th of November, however, Ministers changed their minds, and Parliament was summoned to meet, and did meet, on the 12th of December.

No explanation of this change can be given other than that suggested by Lord Derby, that it was the direct consequence of the position in which our army stood after the battle of

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