Our readers will be at no loss to conceive what the reasons might be, which operated on the royal mind against Mr. Fox's admission to power. In judging of their weight, and acting on that judgment, his majesty exercised his undoubted prerogative: and though some of our readers may wish, that the king had decided differently, we hope, that none of them are so far within the vortex of party-politics, as to wish that parliament should interfere with the free exercise of that prerogative; except on the most grave and urgent occasions. With so many public men, capable of advantageously conducting the affairs of the nation, it cannot be necessary that the individual in question should be forced up on his majesty. Those who refuse to accept of a place in his majesty's councils, because Mr. Fox is not admitted into them, are not excluded by his majesty; but exclude themselves. We allude to the noblemen and gentlemen, who have usually acted with Mr. Fox; as well as to those who form the Grenville and Windham party. How far this formidable league should be countenanced in refusing to form a part of the administration of the country, unless the king will also receive into his councils an individual who is obnoxious to his majesty, we do not think a very problematical question.

In the remarks on the state of parties which we laid before the public last month, we expressed our opinion of the mischiefs which arise from countenancing political asperity, and perpetuating political feuds. We wish, on the present occasion, to guard our readers against an evil of an opposite kind. Parties may certainly violate sound principles, and display dan gerous passions, in their union, as well as in their opposition to each other: and a corrupt and unprincipled coalition may be as bad in itself, and as mischievous to the state, as a bitter and unprincipled opposition. We ought to recollect also, that such a coalition may take place for purposes of opposition to government, as well as for holding the reins of state. However, in applying this general truth to the conduct of any parties among us, let us act with candour and charity; and instead of imitating the violence of the pubfie prints, let us be on our guard against forming a worse opinion of any individual, or of any party, than facts will support.

Much has been said on the necessity of a strong government in the present state of the country. If by a strong government is meant one which, by its ability, its experience, and the place it holds in the estimation of the public, is able to conduct the affairs of the nation with advantage; we fully assent to the position. But if a government comprising all, or almost all, our leading public men is intended, we do not see the necessity, or even the benefit, of such a government; and were such an one formed, it must consist of very dis

cordant materials, and, threaten the state with an explosion, when an explosion night be singularly undesirable. It would also tend probably to lower political men in the eyes of the public, by infusing doubts as to the rectitude of the motives which induced persons of very different and even opposite principles, who have been em. ployed for years in exposing the unconstitutional and dangerous nature of each others principles, to agree to sit in the same cabinet. But, above all, it would remove from ministers the salutary restraint arising from a consciousness, that parliament contains a body of able men, who will stand forward, and expose, in their true colours, all measures of government which do not bear the stamp of public utility. We all know the propensity of man to abuse power, when not subject to due controul: and we know how exactly this propensity accords with the picture given of man in the word of God. There he is described as self-interested, self-willed, and fond of indulging his caprice and his passions. Those who admit the justness of this picture, and we trust that our readers will feel no hesitation in admitting it, must at once agree with us, that power without due restraint is greatly to be dreaded; and that it would be highly dangerous to have a ministry so strong in parliamentary ability, that no respectable opposition could be made in either house to any of their measures.

The different offices of state have been filled in the following manner :

THE NEW CABINET.-Lord Chancellor, Lord ELDON; Chancellor of the Exchequer, and First Lord of the Treasury, Mr. PITT; First Lord of the Admiralty, Viscount MELVILLE; Master General of the Ordnance, Earl of CHATHAM; President of the Council, Duke of PORTLAND; Lord Privy Seal, Earl of WESTMORLAND Secretaries, Foreign Department, Lord HARROWBY; Home Department, Lord HAWKESBURY; War Department, Earl CAMDEN.--Lords of the Admiralty, Sir P. STEPHENS, Sir H. B. NEALE, Sir J. COLPOYS, Admiral GAMBIER, Admiral PATTEN, W. DICKINSON, jun. Esq.Lords of the Treasury, Lord FITZHARRIS, Lord LoUVAINE, the Hon. H. WELLESLEY, Mr. LONG.-Secretaries of the Treasury, Mr. HUSKISSON, and Mr. STURGES BOURNE.Board of Controul, Earl of CASTLEREAGH, President. Treasurer of the Navy, Mr. CANNING. Secretary at War, Mr. W. DUNDAS. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Lord MULGRAVE. Lord Chamberlain, Earl of DARTMOUTH. Master of the Mint, Earl BATHURST. Comptroller of the Household, Lord G. THYNNE. Attorney-General, Mr, PERCIVAL. Solicitor-General, Mr. SUTTON. Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Duke of MONTROSE. Chancellor of the Exchequer, ditto, Mr. FOSTER.——Master of the Horse, Marquis of HERTFORD,Lord Steward of the Houshold, Earl of AYLES

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

HAVING obtained permission from Mrs. Y. to transmit to you the following accounts of two young ladies, her nieces, I communicate them with pleasure, trusting that they w. coincide with the benevolent plan of your publication. In the letter to me, which contained that permission, Mrs. Y. thus expresses herself.

"When I consider the hasty manner in which these accounts were written; at all hours, by day or night, whenever I could snatch a few minutes, and without an idea of their being seen by any person, but my sister, to whom they were written), I feel ashamed they should be read, except by a few partial friends who know me. But the consideration that they may do good to others supersedes every other; and I earnestly ask of God, that the perusal of what his love and mercy did for my dear nieces may be blessed to all who read these accounts, and may lead them to seck,that grace He so abundantly showed to my young friends."

These young ladies were born in India, and were sent from thence to England when the elder was seven and the younger six years of age.

Mrs. Y. informs me, that "except for one fortnight they were never parted from each other in life; and not long by death.They died nearly at the same age, just turned of seventeen years." Mrs. Y. adds: "I never saw such an affectionate union of hearts, where the dispositions were different, as in them. Catherine (the younger) was all sprightliness, mirth, and good humour, along with the most striking. mixture of seriousness on every proper occasion. Margaret was of a more placid even temper. The most striking traits in her character were propriety and discretion,, far beyond her years; with a degree of humility that made it both easy and pleasant to her to do the meanest offices of kindness to a poor sick person: and she was particularly happy when employed in the service of such of her fellow creatures. Her affections were warm, and active, but silent. Her grateful attachment to me was perhaps as strong as her sister's; but no person I ever saw had so happy a method of expressing her feelings as Catherine. Disinterestedness was a striking feature in M. I never saw her half so much pleased with any approbation bestowed upon berself, as when her sister C. was approved and applauded. I do not recollect any striking proofs of a real work of grace upon her heart, till she and her sister C. had the advantage of hearing the Rev. Mr. ller natural reserve made it not so easy to know

-.

her; and yet the good sense and prudence, which directed all her actions, and her very obliging disposition, made one always pleased with her."

The following extracts from letters, written by Mrs. Y. to one of her sisters, describe the temper and conduct of Miss Margaret during her last lness, which happened about a year before that of Miss Catherine.

August 6th, 1801.

L

"You are anxious to know, my dear sister, if our dear Margaret, be aware of her, danger. I hope she is, but I have no certain proof as yet. From the time I knew the nature of her disorder, I have taken every opportunity of speaking of the use which ought to be made of sickness; and of the mercy of having time given us, by a lingering illness, to prepare to meet our God. These things I have said as alluding to myself; and took frequent occasion to express my regret, that I had not made a better use of the many illnesses which I had had. I had the comfort of seeing that these conversations were very pleasant to her. A clergyman called one day, and left us again, without entering into any particular conversation. She seemed much dissatisfied, and said, his visit was of no use. said, perhaps you thought, my love, that he ought to have endeavoured to direct your thoughts into a channel suited to your situation. She burst into tears, and said, "Yes, aunt, that is what I wanted."

I.

"The Rev, Mr. W. F. came to town just at that time. He called early the next morning. He was the very person to whom I could speak all my sorrows and anxieties. I told him what books I had read to her, and of my conversations, and her remarks, I desired him to see her often, and to point out to her what was likely to be the consequence of her illness. With the most affectionate tenderness and propriety he executed my commission. She thanked him for his visit, and begged to see him as oft as possible."

August 18th.

"I have always known that my dear Margaret's mind was not light or trifling; but I did not think religion in her to be so lively, so active a principle as in her sister Catherine. But for some months past I have had reason to hope, that her mind was more and more seriously impressed. She never seems so happy as when I am alone with her, when she always leads to useful and serious subjects. I often try to read her asleep, but she will say, "Not the bible, lest I lose any of it" She expresses the greatest anxiety for any sick persons she hears of, lest they have no religious friend near them. "On seeing her more drowsy than usual

yesterday, she said, she had not been able to sleep for thinking of a young person whose death she had just heard of: one whom she had known something of, and she had reason to think, had spent a very thoughtless life. She said, her mind was distressed with the fear, that she died in the same unawakened state in which she had lived; without having had one friend to shew her her danger, or assist and direct her to seek for help."

September 14th, 1801. "My dear Margaret continues to be the same patient uncomplaining sufferer she has hitherto been. Her every word and action is an instructive lesson. No murmur, no fretfulness have I seen during a confinement of near twenty weeks. She expressed a wish to receive the sacrament; but desired me first to help her to understand it. I read to her Milner's excellent sermon upon it, and some useful meditations; and was much gratified by her remarks. The Rev. Mr. F. also conversed with her upon it, and she desired to receive it the next day. He recommended prayer to her. She complained to him of the wandering of her thoughts. When that is the case,' said he, what do you do?' She replied, "I stop, sir, and try to collect my thoughts, and then begin again."

October 2d.

"It has been her amusement this last fortnight to make bracelets and watch-chains of her hair, for her aunts and sisters; and thread-cases, &c. for the servants, as last gifts. She gave her sisters their's last night, and desired them to wear them for her sake; saying, "I know I am dyingI have long known it, and I am very willing to die." Just then I went into the room. Her sisters were both in tears. Jane said, "Aunt, do not be alarmedthese tears will do us no harm. I wish I could change places with Margaret." Margaret said, "Jane, that will not do-but do not weep-let nobody weep for me; I am ready, and willing to die." Then stooping down to Catherine, who was sitting at her feet, she gently wiped away the tears from her face, and bid her get up, and shed no more tears for her."

October 30th.

"I wish you could be an eye witness of my happy Margaret's peace, and hope, and entire resignation. She asked me the other night to sit by her bed. "I want to talk with you," she said, "of my many comforts. I feel I am dying very fast-I have long known it must be so. Your conversations, early in my illness, shewed me what the end of it would be. I thought till lately I might have been propt up by medicine a little longer-but it will not be. I find my strength fail daily, and I hope I shall soon be gone. Indeed, I am quite willing to die." I asked her, why she was so willing to die. She replied," Aunt, I am willing to die, because I see it is God's

will that I shall die; and why should I wish to live? Besides, aunt, I feel myself greatly helped." I desired her to explain what she meant by that expression. "Why, I mean, that I do think Jesus loves me, and I feel quite sure that he will take me to himself, and I have thought for some time past, that neither you, my dcar aunt, nor any of my friends, nor aught in this world, could give me satisfaction, or make me wish to live; though I am willing to live if God chooses life for me: but I see He chooses death, and so I am willing to die. Now you know, aunt, I could not think this of myself, therefore I know I ain helped. But why should I say, that I know Jesus now loves me. When I was in India how oft was I preserved. It was one of my favourite tricks to lean over the side of a well in my father's garden, to look at myself in the water; yet I never fell in. Another was, to run races by the side of a pond; still I was preserved. Once I was thrown out of a phaeton; but I was not hurt. Again, when I was coming from 'India our ship sprung a leak, and we were in great danger; but the thing was, I was to come to England, and that was the greatest mercy of all: for yonder I should have known nothing. So you see how good God has always been to me." She mentioned her brother with tenderness, and saying she should see him here no more, she burst into tears; but soon recovered herself, saying, "I have forgotten to mention one of my great comforts, which is, that Catherine bears my approaching death so well."

"She said to me the other night—“ O my aunt, if my death should be made the means of awakening any friend of mine, what a happiness would that be."

"She afterwards said, "There is old AS, who had many a weary walk to lead my galloway while I was able to ride, and she was not rewarded; if it be not too expensive you can give her mourning. There is Miss H, I should like to have her attend me to my grave as a mourner; and there is Miss D, I should like to have her for a bearer; but I think I am sleepy just now, I will tell you the rest another time." In a few minutes she was asleep. So undisturbing is the thought of death to her!

F

"Parting with the Reverend Mr.W

was a great trial to her. She used to call his visits, feasts.

"She is now unable to leave her bed room. It is a pleasing sight to see her lying upon the bed, an hour before she undresses for the night. Jane and Catherine at the harpsichord, playing and singing her favourite hymns, whilst I kneel by the bed to rub her feet: she looking like a placid angel, and listening so devoutly! She sometimes says, "O aunt, those sweet hymns, they seem to carry me to heaven!" Her favourite hymns are,