Here his allowance from his father was extravagant, though
greatly increased by tithes from his mother's pin-money.
While he was pursuing his studies, hunting and boating,
driving tandems, riding matches, tempering his energies in the
crapulence of boyish banquets, and anticipating life, at the
risk of expulsion, in a miserable mimicry of metropolitan
dissipation, Dukism, that was supposed to be eternal, suddenly
crashed.

The Reform Act has not placed the administration of our
affairs in abler hands than conducted them previously to the
passing of the measure, for the most efficient members of the
present cabinet with some very few exceptions, and those
attended by peculiar circumstances, were ministers before the
Reform Act was contemplated. Nor has that memorable statute
created a Parliament of a higher reputation for public
qualities, such as politic ability, and popular eloquence, and
national consideration, than was furnished by the old scheme.
On the contrary; one house of Parliament has been irremediably
degraded into the decaying position of a mere court of
registry, possessing great privileges, on condition that it
never exercises them; while the other chamber that, at the
first blush, and to the superficial, exhibits symptons of
almost unnatural vitality, engrossing in its orbit all the
business of the country, assumes on a more studious inspection
somewhat of the character of a select vestry, fulfilling
municipal rather than imperial offices, and beleaguered by
critical and clamorous millions, who cannot comprehend why a
privileged and exclusive senate is required to perform
functions which immediately concern all, which most personally