The Press. — London, England, 1854-02-25 00:00:00

THE PRESS. 180 EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY OF A RESPECTABLE RADICAL M.P. FEBRUARY 18.—Recommenced my diary. Wrote to leading constituent, JONES, as to new Reform Bill. " Step in the right direction." Not commit myself to details; but inclined to approve as a whole, finding the measure objected to by our bloated aristocracy. Heard, in confi dence, from HATTER, that the bill would necessitate a dissolution—to bring it into operation, if carried ; to bring somebody else into office, if not. Mem. : To communicate this to the county paper, and, before the election, to find out who was my grandfather, and communicate him to DOD for the new edition. Received deputation from Local Marriage with Wife's Sister Association; promised them all places in Speaker's gallery, and this an Eastern question debate ! Down to the House ; dined there, at the invitation of a very agreeable Irish mem ber ; whisky excellent, as he observed, but sold without a licence. Must draw attention to this : aristocracy's abuse of patronage ! Thought the assistant-surgeons' debate a bore, all but Admiral BERKELEY'S ex cellent joke about the lady's maid. HUME said the matter lay in a nutshell; HUME says so of every matter; must compliment him on grasp of mind, in consequence. The Matrimonial deputation arrived, and sent in cards of every variety of size ; could do nothing for them ; Speaker's gallery crowded, and the deputation in disgust. LAYARD'S speech too full of blue book, but LAYARD a well-informed man—wouldn't make a bad Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Lord JOHN, I noticed, asked for more confidence ; I thought he had plenty—negotiations ecret—operations of war secret—aud intended result a secret : topics for the Reform Association. Sir B. HALL concluded the evening with a bill abolishing property qualification. Able man, Sir B. ; had just been explaining to me why he was not in the Ministry, and why not in the House of Lords. Refused the first out of regard for Marylebone, the second out of pity for the bishops ; had been dreadfully pressed on both points, but preferred, like Sir ROBERT PEEL, to be known as a great commoner ; saw no difference between a peer and a baronet, but might submit to elevation if the Government got so weak as to wish it. Thought, if ABERDEEN retired, ARGYLE might occasionally like his assistance. Considered the Duke a promising youth, very original in thought, but too retiring in disposition. February 19.—Heard a heated argument among Radical members as to exportation of warlike stores. Clearly correct on principles of free trade, and not contradicted by any other principles laid down in my address. "No bishops, no church, no bloated aristocracy," nothing about no exportation of warlike stores. Shall cheer if anybody asks a question ; but must further consider the subject. February 20.—Eastern question again. COBDEN made a wonderful speech, showing clearly that we had nothing to fear from Russia yet. COBDEN is always great on commercial questions, and fairly " crumpled up " the Government when he asked, would they, on commercial prin ciples, "go into partnership with Turkey ?" A powerful argument, but, unfortunately, not a clencher with the Opposition, who perplex themselves with other principles besides those of commerce, and don't allow a nation of shopkeepers, as of course we are, to rally round nothing but the till. Was surprised at the end of the debate to find that the discussion had been as to whether we should leave out all the words after the word " That," in a motion " That the Speaker do now leave the chair." Will mention this ironically at the Ballot Society meeting, as illustrating the wisdom of our ancestors. Mem. again, to find out my grandfather for DOD. • February 21.—Puzzled about the Education for Manchester scheme. Voluntary system I'm pledged to ; but as to education, people don't seem to volunteer. Begin to think statistics delusive, and shall, for some time, give silent votes. How to reconcile Reform Bill—the Right of our Universal Intelligence and Education Bills—the need of our universal ignorance, I can't at present see. Pledged to suffrage exten sion ; pledged to educational ditto ; but not pledged to give my reasons foreither. Mem., to try and find out my reasons. Thought the Manches ter men strong, on their principles ; but wonder they don't start some more principles for a change. Shall throw this out in a letter to the county paper, and draw upon the literature of my infancy for the sug gestion that you should not weigh gold in buttery scales. Free-trade bread may do, and looks philanthropic ; free-trade education sounds well, and you can call it unsectarian ; but free-trade exportation of warlike stores, on the same principles, requires a new justifying adjec• tive, and quickly too, or people may call it something worse than murder. That is my second opinion. Dined at the Reform Club, and suggested the abolition of Lord CHARLES RUSSELL. The idea scouted, on the ground that nothing under a lord would keep the Irish sup porters of the Government in due restraint; and that no other noble man could be found willing to undertake the task for the money. Besides, Lord CHARLES was of no party, and his seat in the House was as good as a freehold. His presence was a comfort to Lord JOHN, and his salary a consolation to himself. Shall ask Sir B. HALL whether the post would not suit his colleague in Marylebone ; propose a pen sion for Lord CHARLES, and recommend the abolition of the livery, and the reduction of the wages henceforth. That will suit Radicals as well as Financial Reformers. THE ADMIRALTY WAGS will have it that Sir JAMES GRAHAM has been very particular in ordering first-rate "spy "-glasses for the fleet; and that he is the very last to overhaul the " sealed orders" previous to transmission, in order that there should be no mistake. This shows that Sir JAMES is well fitted, by training and natural inclination, for - "posts " than one. more ' SATURDAY, TO THE SPEAKER ASLEEP! BY THE GHOST OF W. M. P. Sleep, Mr. SPEAKER ! it's surely fair, If you don't in your bed, that you should in your chair ; Longer and longer still they grow, Tory and Radical—aye and no— Talking by night, and talking by day ; Sleep, Mr. SPEAKER ! sleep, sleep, while you may ! Sleep, Mr. SPEAKER ! slumber lies Light and brief on a Speaker's eyes ; " The Pope's brass band," in a minute or two, Some disorderly thing or other will do. Riot will chase repose away ; Sleep, Mr. SPEAKER ! sleep, sleep, while you may ! Sleep, Mr. SPEAKER ! COBDEN will soon Move to abolish the sun and moon; HUME, no doubt, will be taking the sense Of the House on a saving of thirteenpence ; GRAHAM will scoff, or MIALL bray ; Sleep, Mr. SPEAKER ! sleep, sleep, while you may ! Sleep, Mr. SPEAKER ! dream of the time When the Peelites held Radical zeal a crime ; When PAM was a pupil in CANNING'S school, When " Old Athens " thought CHARLES WOOD a fool. Lord ! how principles pass away ! Sleep, Mr. SPEAKER ! sleep, sleep, while you may ! THE PEELITES.---No.V. TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS." Sin,—Major DowNiNG's descriptions are famous, if not classic, and his statement that " Mr. VAN BUREN resembled everybody, but yet nobody resembled Mr. VAN BUREN," is the exact opposite of Mr. GLAD STONE'S predicament. Mr. GLADSTONE does not resemble everybody, but every Peelite resembles Mr. GLADSTONE. Sir STAFFORD NORTHCOTE, for instance, whom the electors of Devonshire, with their keen western instinct, have winded and just chasseed, is a sort of pony GLADSTONE. John of the Funnels would have recognised him as a Peelite, if he had looked at him through a telescope. Anybody who reads his speech may see that he is a Peelite, though as yet only half fledged. The obtrusive conscientiousness ; the gentle assumption that his theory of the Universe is the only orthodox harmony of the Decalogue, Balliol scholarship, Progress, and the Three per Cents. ; the studied generali ties under which he strove to conceal his unpopular sympathy with the Coalition Government—all indicate his leaning ; but two other traits identify him. If he had not subscribed a priggish report for a Littlego examination of our public Administrators, the following would suffice. He assumed, as all Peelites invariably assume, that his party alone is capable of promoting Progress. "Allow me to say, gentlemen, that the policy of the party which Mr. PALE represents is to look hack, and not to look forward ;" to which a genuine Devonshire voice retorted, " Our policy is to luke up, and not to luke down, as yew do." And secondly, in corroboration of this physical test, he evinced an aptitude to betray his Church associates. He had been a subscriber to com memorate a Church synod, and he repudiated their acts at his earliest convenience ; that is, when he stood, for the first. time in his life—l will not say face to face, but in front of the electors. Now, that which I have now barely time to remark is this—how exactly this corresponds with the attitude of Mr. GLADSTONE towards the Church and the University, of which he was the chosen champion. Already, as I pointed out in my last letter, he has belied the inferences from his avowed principles ; and yet the pale mediaevalists, who once welcomed, continue to worship him. At this moment of emergency to their favourite university, they are still trusting to him and his asso ciates, as if the realisation of former pretensions left any reason for further hope or confidence in that direction. Mr. GLADSTONE and his associates, as they have shown, are ready to sacrifice their dearest pre dilections if they deem it expedient. Idem ontor exitium pecori pc corisque mogistro ; and, if their scholastic admirers do not possess the capacity of the Devonshire elector to detect their ambiguous claims and consequent self-distrust, this may be owing, in some mea sure, to the subtle celerity of their changes. There was a noted boy in North Carolina who could turn round so rapidly that the hinder part of his breeches was on both sides at once ; and some such delusive phenomenon we may probably connect with the political and cede siastieal gyrations of the Peelite s. I remain, sir, your obedient servitor, JOHN OF THE FUNNELS. I