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ATTITUDE OF THE WHIGH.

301

Thug by an extraordinary and unparalleled state of political 1248.
Parties, 5 measure for which the country was sincerely Zr. 42.
"iXions, which was confessedly required by the circumstances
°f the moment, and which the leader of the Opposition
Was as desirous of passing as the Prime Minister, seemed to
be in constant risk of miscarrying at every moment, and
Ws attended by every circumstance of embarrassment alike
fo Supporters and opponents. The great disadvantage that
Cobden saw in the critical state of the Government through-%8t
 the session, was the encouragement that it held out to
the House of Lords to delay Repeal. This made his own
tourse and that of the League all the clearer. It was their
Policy loudly and pointedly to denounce all compromise on
the part either of the Minister or of equivocal friends.
Cobden did not fear that the Whigs would take means to
"eject the Bill, for this reason, and perhaps for no loftier
*hs, that its rejection would afford Peel an opportunity of
Hissolving on the question; and a dissolution, as Cobden
"other rightly or wrongly believed, would snuff the Whigs
out, obliterate all old party distinctions, “and give Peel
% five yoars’ lease at the head of a mixed progressive
Party”s Heo was equally puzzled to understand why Peel
Shoulg press the Coercion Bill forward, and why the Whigs
ould show ench eagerness to avail themselves of monopolist
“Wport to throw Peel out. He could only explain the
“cond of the two perplexities, by supposing that “the
Whigs are hugging the delusion that the country wants
them back in office. For my part, I cannot meet with anybody
 whose face does not drop like the funds at the bare
Prospect of the change.”
We shall see presently what Peel himself had to say to
thi idea of a mixed progressive party. Meanwhile, Cobden’s
Lslike and distrush of the ‘Whigs was as intense as ever, aud
¥ To Me, Sturge, June 10, 15448,