on very much as the last Session
had gone. The ministry did nothing brilliant. As far as the outer
world could see, they seemed to be firm enough. There was no opposing
party in the House strong enough to get a vote against them on any
subject. Outsiders, who only studied politics in the columns of their
newspapers, imagined the Coalition to be very strong. But they who
were inside, members themselves, and the club quidnuncs who were
always rubbing their shoulders against members, knew better. The
opposition to the Coalition was within the Coalition itself. Sir
Orlando Drought had not been allowed to build his four ships, and was
consequently eager in his fears that the country would be invaded
by the combined forces of Germany and France, that India would be
sold by those powers to Russia, that Canada would be annexed to the
States, that a great independent Roman Catholic hierarchy would be
established in Ireland, and that Malta and Gibraltar would be taken
away from us;--all which evils would be averted by the building of
four big ships. A wet blanket of so terrible a size was in itself
pernicious to the Cabinet, and heartrending to the poor Duke. But Sir
Orlando could do worse even than this. As he was not to build his
four ships, neither should Mr. Monk be allowed to readjust the county
suffrage. When the skeleton of Mr. Monk's scheme was discussed in the
Cabinet, Sir Orlando would not agree to it. The gentlemen, he said,
who had joined the present Government with him, would never consent
to a measure which would be so utterly destructive of the county
interest. If Mr. Monk insisted on his measure in its proposed form,
he must, with very great regret, place his resignation in the Duke's
hands, and he believed that his friends would find themselves
compelled to follow the same course. Then our Duke consulted the
old Duke. The old Duke's advice was the same as ever. The Queen's
Government was the main object. The present ministry enjoyed the
support of the country, and he considered it the duty of the First
Lord of the Treasury to remain at his post. The country was in no
hurry, and the question of suffrages in the counties might be well
delayed. Then he added a little counsel which might be called quite
private, as it was certainly intended for no other ears than those
of his younger friend. "Give Sir Orlando rope enough and he'll hang
himself. His own party are becoming tired of him. If you quarrel with
him this Ses