and distinctly every day.  Such (without entering into details which would be inconsistent with either our space or our present object) is the general result—­namely, the rapidly returning tide of prosperous commercial intercourse of the foreign policy of Conservative Government, which has raised Great Britain, within the short space of two years, to even a higher elevation among the nations of the world, than she had occupied before a “Liberal Ministry undertook the government of the country”—­“a policy,” to adopt the equally strong and just language of an able writer, “replete with auspicious evidences of the efficacy of intellect, combined with firmness, activity, and integrity, in restoring to wholesome and honourable order a chaotic jumble of anomalies—­of humiliations and dangers—­of fears, hatred, and confusion thrice trebly confounded."[22]

    [22] Thoughts on Tenets of Ministerial Policy.  By a Very Quiet
    Looker-on.—­P. 22.  Aylott, London, 1843.

While thus successfully active abroad, have Ministers been either idle or unsuccessful at home?  Let us look at their two main measures—­the new tariff and the new corn-law.

The object of the first of these great measures was twofold—­to give a healthy and speedy but permanent stimulus to trade and commerce; and, at the same time, to effect such a reduction of price in the leading articles of consumption as should greatly reduce the cost of living—­a boon, of course, inexpressibly precious to the poorer classes.  Mark the moment at which this bold and critical line of policy was conceived and carried into execution—­namely, a moment when the nation was plunged into such a depth of gloom and distress as had very nearly induced utter despair! when there was a deficiency of five millions sterling in the revenue of the two preceding years, and a certainty of greatly augmented expenditure for the future, owing to our wars in the East and elsewhere.  We say—­mark this, in order to appreciate a display of the true genius of statesmanship.  Foreseeing one effect of such a measure, namely, a serious reduction in the revenue derived from the customs, and which would commence with the bare announcement of such a measure, the Government had to consider whether it would prove a permanent or only a temporary reduction, and to act accordingly.  After profound consideration, they satisfied themselves (whether justly or not remains to be seen) that the diminution of revenue would prove only temporary; and to secure the immediate benefits of the measure, they imposed a temporary income-tax, the onerous pressure of which was to cease as soon as matters should have come round again.  That period they fixed at the expiration of three years.  After an interval of two years, do their calculations appear to have been well or ill founded?  Let us see.  Early in March 1842 they announced the proposed new tariff, (instantly producing the effect on the customs duties