The Press. — London, England, 1857-02-07 00:00:00

botl Hot Ear dire dist leas war, Hus to tl Tha any sign nier indE of ti mar dist Min spei poll the said Trei atte Rus Que quei Tires Tax Cried " sa and DEP " we Hot Ear' DEP PAL atta Eno 46 Pa Id VC Lor refe whe Lor purl tion did DEP Per: aga . 111111 tive that T re Elsl 11101 sati the S tt THE PRESS. both spoke immediately after the seconders of the Address in each House, and to several of the most important statements of the noble Earl, and of the Right Hon. Member for Bucks, approbation was directly given, or strong similarity of sentiment confessed, by distinguished representatives of powerful connections. Without the least sophistication, or any partiality of assertion, we are fully warranted in declaring that Earl GREY, Lord BROUGHAM, Lord JOHN RUSSELL, Mr. GLADSTONE, and Mr. MILNER GinsoN more decidedly leaned to the views of the chiefs of the Opposition than those of the Cabinet. That simple fact is in itself most remarkable, and would of itself at any time rivet attention ; but circumstances give it still greater significance. Let our readers remark that in neither House of Parlia ment not one solitary Peer or Honourable Gentleman representing the independent or unconnected interest expressed approval of the policy of the Cabinet, either on Finance or Foreign Affairs. No country gentle man of social weight, no great merchart famous in " the City," no Peer distinguished for knowledge of State affairs, supported her Majesty's Ministers from the cross-benches. Such of the Ministers as did speak made feeble reprisals to the universal disapprobation of their policy. Lord CLARENDON floundered lamentably; the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER completely broke down; Lord PALMERSTON was plea sant and evasive, and concluded amidst few and faint cheers from the Treasury Benches ; while not a single Member of the Cabinet attempted to reply to the elaborate and sidelong attack of Lord JOHN RUSSELL in the Lower House. The Earl of DERBY described the Queen's Speech as " vague, shadowy, and unsubstantial." He elo quently expressed his profound misgivings at the state of our foreign relations, and drew attention to the critical character of the present period. Alluding to the positive pledge that the Income Tax should not be continued beyond 1860, " Now, I say,' cried the Noble Earl, " that Parliament will not do its duty if it be, " satisfied with less than the full bonit fide performance of that pledge, and after a vigorous exposure of the evils of the Income Tax, Lord DERBY called it one, " which if not limited to the purposes of war, " would be dangerous to intrust to the hands of any Minister." The House cheered the statement, and several other passages in the Noble Earl's vigorous address obtained marked assent.. Those views of Lord DERBY, who dwelt in detail upon the intermeddling policy of Lord PALMERSTON, were corroborated by Earl GREY, who made a powerful attack on the Oriental policy of the Cabinet. The venerable Lord BROUGHAM also stated " that England had no more right to plant " Parliamentary Governments all overlEurope, than France had in No " vember, 1792, to surround herself with republics." Like Lord JOHN RUSSELL elsewhere, the Noble and Learned Lord referred to the efforts against the Income Tax in 1816, when Lord PALMERSTON (then also in office) defended it. Lord DERBY'S speech, however, was the address of the night, and was particularly skilful. It appeared to gain more than the usual atten tion which follows the efforts of the noble orator. Lord CLARENDON did not even make an attempt to debate the various topics of Lord DERBY'S speech, but confined himself to reading official papers about Persia. The Noble Secretary for Foreign Affairs seemed to be talking against time. In a lengthened address Lord CLARENDON is seen to much disadvantage. His weak, faltering manner is painfully sugges tive of indecisiveness. It augurs badly for the Ministerial prospects that the Cabinet is assailed by public opinion on questions where the Treasury is weak in official aptitude—foreign policy and finance. Elsewhere we have referred to the discussion in the House of Com mons. The Conservatives have certainly no reason for being dis satisfied with the Parliamentary proceedings on " the first night of the session." FORBEARANCE. " Forbearanco " once the word implied A bate of contravening Humanity ; the Whigs decide It bears a different meaning : The sort of feeling Robert Lowe Displays to corporations ; The kindness Lewis loves to show To o'ertaxed deputations ; The gentle tone towards every foe That Roebuck's leading grace is ; That Hall and Horsman used to know Before they got their places. For though the term of old, we own, No deed severe or hard meant, It seems " Forbearance" now is shown By slaughter and bombardment, By those who plunge in war, nor take The trouble to assign a Cause for the ravages they mako In poor bewildered China. Yet, though it seems atrocious work To those who view it rightly, It isn't strange an Earl of Cork Sould treat the matter lightly. A RABELAISIAN PREMIER. BEING ANOTHER CHAPTER IN THE VOYAGE OF THE GOOD PANTAGRUEL AND HIS FRIENDS. So, being led with much sweetness of courtesy through the island, and marvelling at many sights therein, we came to a great hall, wherein were assembled uotsble men, some of them of fooidaing aspect ! some smiling, some questioning, some wagering, some talking of ladies and their dwellings, some asleep, and some, so please you, making fools of themselves. There were hatters, and weavers, and blacksmiths (and one told us there had been other kind of forgers), and lawyers, and doctors, and mighty hunters, and drones, and bores, and rats, and dinner-bells, and I know not what multifarious and incoherent entities, which ever and anon one in a black robe did seek to reduce to order, by loudly crying the same. "By my fackins," quoth Friar John, after attentively considering them for a while, " I would as soon fish for oysters with a fly line, as for wisdom in this company." " Nay," said Pantagruel, " be still. We must not judge of things at the first sight or appearance thereof, nor yet in the lump' for Dolus latet in genera libus." After a while two gaudy and resplendent youths rose up and addressed the company, saying, with many sweet and luscious words, that their country was happy beyond all countries, and that the administrators thereof were the wisest, honestest, discreetest, boldest, truest, neatest, and altogether most exquisite that the world had known. After which, from the other side of the hall of council, ono did question this, saying, [that in his mind they had acted the part of Janus, showing two faces in regard to a matter of treaty, and that he was possessed of the proof thereof. Whereto the good Pan tagruel said, " This charge is a grave and grievous one, and must not be lightly answered." To which, quoth Panurge, "Yonder is he who shall answer it, and he is an old man, and will speak the words of gravity." And the whole assembly bent itself to listen to the defence which the venerable man should make, and there was silence. Then said the venerable man, after that he had cut two or three capers, and flung his hat in the face of a friend, " How many horses has your father got in his stable? Three ; black, white, and grey. Turn about three times and catch whom you may. There was an old woman lived under a hill, and if she's not gone she lives there still. Whack ! Of all the fly-catching, salaman dering, coney catching, filibustering, conchological, robustical and salmagundiacal slopdoxologies I ever heard, this bangs Bannagher. Who, where, when, which, why, whence, whither, and wobble ? Bosh, et preterea There were two boys in one town, they both had but one mother. God-bless-my-soul was one boy's name, and 0-dear-me the other. These two good boys went out one day, the old red cow to find, God-bless-my-soul got un in front, and 0-dear-me behind. Whack! Si quis furetur per milling pendetur. Treaty, no, nor entreaty neither, nor nothing of that kind whatsumdoever. Gossippy, gossippy gander, whither will you wander, upstairs, downstairs, and in my lady's chamber." Then, jumping upon the bench behind him, the venerable man cut three more capers, kicked another friend in the small of his back or so, and came down on his seat with a lusty bang. " Truly," said the good Pantagruel, " this method of reply to an argument, albeit I do not think it is found in Macrobius, Titus Livius, Junius, or Josephus, may be regarded curiously, and with the reverence and respect which wo owe to all the manifestings of the divine goddess Natura." "It was the custom," quoth Panurge, "of some heathenish nation the name whereof I do not forget, because by the bones of St. Barnabas I never knew the same, to send forth to their enemies council the most vain and foolish among them, saying, that if they were victorkus it was great gain, and if defeated it was no wonder. This old man bad been a fitting ambassador for that nation." "By your leave," said Epistemon, " there is more heart in this mystery, and yonder idiotic display or performance was altogether a rehearsed and prepared scene. The old man could have said something better had he been so minded, but the charge against him . .vas true." ".By the faith of a Christian," said Eudemon, " I do wonderfully dote and enter in a great ecstacy when I consider the boldness of this man, and that if the charge be hereafter held up, he is sunk into the abyss of Tartarus." "By St. Bumptious," quoth the fiery Monk, "I do behold more boldness still, and that is, by St. Gorgon. the boldness of that asinine, eviscerated, and altogether subcontemptibilious people who can leave their vessel in charge of a harlequin-pilot. Veuite : potemus. GOOD ADVICE. Dr. Bowring should not meddle with anything.—Lord Ciareivlon, on Thursday. It isn't by Bow•ring alone, ochone, So sagacious a rule should be known, ochone ; We should grow more contented If violet-scented Ver. Smith could let Herat alone, ochone. Rob. Peel as a lecturer known, ochone, Who is gamin, they say, and ivrogne, ochone ; If he could but endure it, he Might retain his obsurity, By leaving his betters, alone, ochone. Men with palates of natural tone, ochone, Who port wine at a guinea have known, ochone, Must desire Oliveira (A bore of this era) Would leave his weak claret alone, ochone. Even Pam on his Treasury throne, ochone, Who each session more jaunty Las grown, ochone, Might be borne with some patience, If he'd leave other nations And the lore of Joe Dig aloz c, ochpue• FEBRUARY 7, 1857. 1,18 A