The Press. — London, England, 1858-03-06 00:00:00

THE PRESS, MARCA 6,1858. Government at all. Driven from that lofty position, with the remainder of the Palmerstonian press, were it were in skirmishing order, firing shots at any indi% thought within reach. Generally their " practice " practice of the Globe especially. Lord STANLEY and S' were more particularly singled out, and each tii missed. Lord STANLEY had refused to co-operate that was certain. The next day the list of the Minf Lord STANLEY'S name in the middle of it. Sir Jos declined to join the Earl of DERBY; and following came some complimentary remarks on Sir Jomes character ties. Nescia men: hominum !la. A few hours afterwards PAKINOTON is announced as a Minister; and shortly us himself in his address that he never had the least matter. " Jawkins," says Mr. THACKERAY in his Papers," " is usually considered a rather well-informed. on similar grounds, we suppose, is usually considered " informed journal." But Jawkins just now cannot - ance at. the exposure that has occurred, and seeks geanco ou the innocent authors of his discomfiture. Sir JOHN PAKINGTON'S fault that Jawkins made a premature ment. The Right Hon. Baronet could not help not bavin tation." But our contemporary seems to think he ou only to accommodate the Globe, and attacks him pression in a style as empty as it is inconsistent. Th, Jawkins' satire which requires any answer, and we noticed it all but for the sake of commenting gene ness of mind displayed by certain anti Ministerial the childish irritability they exhibit under a chang( could not have been deferred long. They lift up thk affected surprise at the irruption of strangers into the sacred precincts of Downing-street, the charmed circle of the Whig oligarchy, which no profane foot might penetrate Is it possible that the placemen of a quarter of a century, the politicians grown grey in humbug, and in- trigue, and routine, have been displaced by a phalanx of new men, un learned in the mysteries of office, with nothing but youth and energy to back them! Their astonishment is something like that of the old Austrian marshals when defeated by NAPOLEON BONAPARTE against all the rules of war. While we are on this subject we may as well notice the remarkable consistency and ingenuousness of the Time: newspaper upon the subject of Reform. Last November they told us in more than one overwhelming leader that Parliamentary Reform could not possibly be undertaken in 1858. We quote from a leader of Nev. 18th. Speaking then of the Ballot and Triennial Parliaments and the ten pound franchise, &c., the Time: remarked— " Have we here such severe, urgent, large and popular grievances that " we must instantaneously deal with them or fall into utter confusion? " Not a moment to be lost on the question of Triennial Parliaments or " the Ballot? Cannot the equalisation of constituencies and the " abolition of property qualification wait one session ? We think " they can. Some of these grievances—if grievances at all—it is " ridiculous even to speak of as serious, and of none can "we say that. they are pressing." But now that Lord PAL. MERSTON is dethroned, the Times adopts this very delay as a weapon of offence against Lord DERBY. How the people will endure that Reform should be postponed a year, says our guide and philosopher, remains to be seen. Why did it not " remain to be seen "in November last? "Wits have short memories, and dunces none," says the poet. But as the interval of time between the two statements is so very short, we fear that nobody but one to whom memory was wholly denied would have committed such a blunder. That it was intentional is, of course, a supposition not to be entertained. The reports from " the Butt Committee" read like chapters of a romance. The characters, too, were of a most striking kind. We had an Indian Prince and his interpreter ; the group of the COFFEY brothers ; Mrs PARR, "a trafficker in opera-boxes" at a certain house in Bond-street, where she carried on business as " Ryan and Co."; Mr. IskAc Burr, M.P. for Youghal ; a mysterious visitor warning about a conspiracy ; and several heads of departments, altogether a very " spirited grouping," as painters say. It was our professional duty to read the evidence through de die in diem, and we were also present at the Committee on HOMO days. The case, as far as the petition of EDWARD COFFEY was concerned, turned entirely on the question whether certain pecuniary arrangements, admitted by Mr. Burr him self, were made in 1856 or 1857. On this point the assertions of Mr. EDWARD COFFEY, the petitioner, were direct'y at variance with those of Mr. Burr. The latter was repeatedly pressed by Sir JAMES GRAHAM ; and on last Tuesday the Honourable Gentleman said, " So, help me " GOD, no offer of a pecuniary payment was made to me until the pro " postal that I should proceed to India." The Committee's finding, according to the brief report of what fell from Sir J. GRAHAM on Wed nesday, was " tantamount to that of an acquittal." It is, however, important to note that a most serious question of privilege st ill remains open for the opinion of the House of Commons. The agree ment still exists between ALL MOORAD and Mr. Bun., the last of whom is under obligation to proceed to India and act as political attorney for Au MOORAD. Now, the restoration of the Ameer's lands can be effected only by official persons in India, all of whom are subject to departments at home, and in the last case of appeal to the House ?f Commons. Can a Member of Parliament, with a pecuniary interest in so serious a case, act as the paid agent for a given person, whose cause . on petiti on ma y a t some f u t ure ti me h e b ro ught before the House o f Commons? If he can do so in such a case as that of Am MOORAD, why not in other cases? It is obvious that, by a lax ruling upon on, our contemporary, were fain to retire as individual whom they 3e " was bad, but the d Sir JOHN PARINGTON L time the mark was sate with his father-- [inistry appeared with JOHN PARINOTON had ng the announcement s character and abili- afterwards Sir Jens .tly after that he tells least hesitation in the his immortal "Snob med man." The Globe, lered " a rather well- iot conceal his annoy- 3ks to wreak his ven- re. Really it was not premature announce- laving the "least hesi- ought to have had, if m in yesterday's im- There is nothing in we should not have enerally on the little- rial journalists, and tinge of fortune which p their pens in well- ) the sacred precincts g oligarchy, which no it the placemen of a in humbug, and in- dank of new men, un- Mit youth and energy ling like that of the 4APOLEON BONAPARTE e on this subject we Lnd ingenuousness of rm. Last November er that Parliamentary 3. We quote from a Ballot and Triennial he Time: remarked— pular grievances that into utter confusion? ennial Parliaments or astituencies and the session ? We think evances at all—it is and of none can W that Lord PAL- delay as a weapon of I endure that Reform philosopher, remains " in November last? iys the poet. But as is so very short, we wholly denied would Dational is, of course, ad like chapters of a t striking kind. We group of the COFFEY at a certain house in Ryan and Co."; Mr. itor warning about a s, altogether a very professional duty to I were also present at us as the petition of ply on the question 3d by Mr. Burr him- ,he assertions of Mr. ariance with those of Sir JAMES GRAHAM ; i said, " So, help me to me until the pro- Committee's finding, r J. GRAHAM on Wed- It is, however, on of privilege still mmons. The agree- err, the last of whom as political attorney meer's lands can be whom are subject to p pe e ec a ru l s o t iona person, yw h e h oso o Huse of interest causein before the House of that of Am MOORAD, y a lax ruling upon THE WEEK. THE re-elections of her Majesty's Ministers have been the principal subject of interest in the past week. The various addresses delivered to their constituents by the noble men and gentlemen who have recently accepted office ought surely to be satisfactory to the nation. They appeal to the two quali ties of which every Englishman is more or less conscious of possess ing—the love of the Anglo-Saxon race for pressing onward ; the reve rence of the British people for their traditions and institutions. To ourselves, however, who for nearly five years have given our consistent support to the Conservative party, it is a matter of peculiar gratifica tion to find on their accession to office au many of the views we have been in the habit of enforcing accepted and corroborated. The great mystification which has been effected through the medium of the term "Liberal," and the fact that neither is Consetvatism essentially obstructive nor progress essentially Whiggish, have been exposed and illustrated in the speeches of Lord DERBY and Sir JOHN PARING.. TON. The views we have steadily put forward on the subject of Par liamentary parties have been succinctly and eloquently repeated by the learned Judge-Advocate, and the policy we have recommended in relation both to China and to India has been stamped with the approval both of the Premier himself and his able and popular son. On domestic legislation, the Re form Bill, and the Conspiracy to Murder Bill, enough has been said to satisfy reasonable expectants. Lord DERBY has frankly declared, as Mr. DISRAELI has often declared before him, that he could have been ------- --- well satisfied had no new Reform Bill been demanded ; and they both ground this opinion, not on the fact that any great principle is at stake in the giving or the withholding such a measure, but simply on this,—that perpetual political change is injurious to the national character and the healthy working of the Constitution. As, however, no principle is at stake, and since, as Lord DERBY admirably laid down, it is highly undesirable that promises should be continually held out in speeches from the Throne which are never realised, he has judged it not inconsistent with his duty as the Leader of the Conserval ive party to prepare such a measure of Reform against next session as may offer same chance of finally concluding the question. Of the Conspiracy to Murder Bill, Lord STANLEY has pointedly declared that the present Ministry are in no way committed to Lord PALMERSTON'S own measure, and do not intend to be bound by its provisions. Acting on the opinion of Lord CAMPBELL that the law as it stands is sufficient for all our purposes, they will wait the issue of proceedings now pending, before they introduce any measure to the consideration of the House. Had they refused to support the first reading of Lord PALMERSTON'S Bill, they would have become liable to the charge of hostility to the Emperor NAPOLEON. But had they also refused to support the amend ment of Mr. GIBSON they would have done worse, and have incurred the charge of indifference to the dignity of Great Britain. They sup ported the first reading of the Bill for the sake of one principle—they supported Mr. Gunton 's amendment for the sake of another. But the first vote did not pledge them to adopt the measure of Lord PAL MERSTON any more than the second did to abstain from any measure of their own. The present Government must be prepared for the fictitious calumnies, and the unfounded imputations, circulated by an angry enemy. But the Conspiracy to Murder Bill will not be the same as Lord PALMER4TON'S, let the Tunes be as rampant as it will. The question, we believe, will be referred to the Judges. But the Conservatives are free to choose their own course, and we doubt not will succeed in settling the present difficulty in a mauner consistent with the honour of their country, and the friendship of ,the French nation. The peculiar delicacy of the questions now under discussion between the Governments of England and France, and the vast importance of a satisfactory solution, render it more than usually necessar3 to preserve silence while those questions are still pending. We are cognisant of some progress already made ; but it would answer no good purpose to describe unfinished negotiations. The state of the weather, too, which has prevented the arrival of the usual mails on two days of this week, operates to increase the otherwise inevitable delay. Still it is most probable that by the meeting of Par• liament some step may have been taken which will indicate the expected result, and which may be stated to both the Houses. These negotiations will be greatly facilitated by the continuance of Lord COWLEY at Paris—a circumstance most acceptable to the French Government, and which tends to make a final and satisfactory settlement comparatively easy. Lord STRATFORD DE REDCLiFFE, we regret to say, has decided on relinquishing his post at Constantinople. lie will, however, return to that city for a short period, to take a formal leave of the Sultan, and to close in a proper manner his public labours in the East—labours which have redounded equally to the advantage of the country which he so ably represented, and to his own lasting honour. To Naples Mr. LYONS, the Secretary of Legation at Florence, has been directed to repair without loss of time, in order to aid in every legal and proper way the English engineers now under trial on the charge of treason. Our friend—we are sorry we cannot say our fair frienl—the Globe, is not unnaturally mortified at the failure of all its political prophecies. First of all, it was absurd to suppose that Lord DERBY would form a 'r 228