The Press. — London, England, 1853-08-27 00:00:00

C // 4 C 77 ,- re e bt 1)r,t6,5 No. 17.—VoL. I. LONDON, SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 1853. PRICE SIXPENCE. 11 7,otss. 111 one respect we can eordially agree with our contemporaries. The Parlinnent or Eng land has been true to its trAditions. With unexampled energy and faithfulness,—with vigour and industry through a long, a tedious, and perplexing session,—it luts minced all the capacity for whieh its illustrious descent is it pledge ; and in the fires of sullen grudges and suspected treaehery, and though the trumpet gave un luurttuin sunnd, it 1111 K bruyely ad dressed itself to the passing baittle—to the honour of the Crown of %illicit it is the sup port, by means of the propendenmee of an aristocracy still powerful. and for the sake of a people yet free. It is not surprising—as we are told by the leading journal—that the " first intellects, and even the piddle sympathies," of the first nation if the Continent are attracted by the spectacle. The posit' of the British Parliament is heroically measurable in the general collapse of foreign institutions. But it is not more memorable than the avowed intention appa rently applauded by the same organ to apply at " Large Measure ' of ehange to this pre-emi nent institution. O'FLAmmtv, the Member fitr a lway, who wait originally started for that eonstituency by tlm Young Irehinders, the convict MEAtanEN having been once of his most steadfast supporters! Since Mr. o . l.l.Auxirrv's support of the Coali tion it is believed that his seat for tialway would be endangered by IL new election ; eon sequently. the M.l'. obtains no (Ace for hint self : but his brother, without experience or public services, is placed over the heads of numbers of meritorious otlieials. The appoint ment of Mr. Mel iARTI.AN is not less Mileage. This gentleman was a candidate for Dundalk at the last general election, but was prOVAilett upon to make way for the Catholic convert, Mr. llowvca, who is said to bee the tidies Aehates of Cardinal WISEMAN. These two appointments in one week are illustrated by Mr. Commissioner MITIIPIIV'M fiirewell address to the electors of Cork :—'• It was you, gentle " iuen, who enabled sae to prefer a elaint to " preonotion." The CStilllatt` at which eke ' tioneering services are hell by the Viceroy may be further seen in the ilia that one of him nominees, the new Crown Solicitor for Cork, took an active part, during the last few days, at the recent election for Cork, in the agitation against that gallant. Conservative, Colonel CHAT TFATON. Our readers of course rmollect the scenes which took place in that city a few mouths ago. Hut they will not, be surprised at the deeds of the populace of Cork when they find Lord Sr. GEILMANS . new officer, Mr. I'. O'CoNxto.i. (the Crown Solicitor of that dis trict), telling the elamorous and excited crowd at the hustings last week, when the Sheriff brought into court at black trunk, full of the polling-books, " Boys! !latex Colunel len's eqfin!"—at piece of inchwent ribaldry 1111101 Was received (slays the I 'fork I 'eamstitation) with " . laughter and cheers." Jokes of such a kind, in a city where blood had flowed at the fernier election, testify to the judirions selectien which the Viceroy has made in his local Crown Proseentor. Did Mr. Ol'ossm.i. is only copying his superior, who gave the hint tea the " boys" of West meath aloaut "the nights of November." Tel maitre irt role, loan! ST. 6 ENMANS is NOW re viving the 11111 111101 If governing Ireland by undertakers ;" and it must be admitted that in Mr. Solieitor-Ceneral unit in Crown Solicitor treoNNELL, In. has met with iubtrtt , intuits apt and " thorough." LONDON, SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 1t5,53. THE Ministerial pantomime having reached its finale, amid the red and blue tire at Chobhatm and Spithead, now is the appropriate time t'aar the elapteurs. Some of them had received their remuneration in advance ; but, to the confutation of ItoeuEroyeAul u, these are not the least vociferous. The editor of the leading journal says, appro. priutely, " WE cannot wash our hands in the " morning, take a cup of tea, read a morning " paper, and go to our work in a cab," without enjoying a calculable share of recent fiscal remissions. When the minuter items of his fiscal acquirements elicit from him such effu sions of gratitude, we are on the eve of some thing resembling a deluge, if certain other items are to be acknowledged in proportion. Apart from these appreciable plaudits, the truth remains that Ministers have reaped the harvest of preparations made in the competi tion of parties, and of efforts enlisted in lofty rivalries. Thanks to political industry, as hitherto organised, there is always a standing crop at the mercy of iiivaders; and in this instance it has Pullen beneath the rapacious sickles of a sudden cabal without parliamen tary title. Thanks to the suspension of those natural operations which renew the soil, the harvest has been gathered at comparative leisure, while many of those whose better title has been prejudiced have not condescended to withhold their assistance. The combination of extremes in this poli tical mid has simultaneously compelled a repression of disturbing elements. The Os- BORNES have been muzzled—the MouiswoaTtis taken from their hobbies—the (ii.AnsTosrrEs have not been allowed to press a single consi deration in favour of their peculiar ecclesiasti cal tenets—the antagonism on foreign affairs has only protracted Cabinet Councils—the Protestant and Papist ingredients of the mess have ouly once boiled over in view of Parlia ment. The activities f nll, confined to a common range, and excluded from the sepa rate sphere of each, have had unlimited exer cise in a limited field. We might call this state of things a success if an the graver motives and deeper passions which agitate a free community eould be henceforth obliterated ; but progress is impos bible under mere conditions of truce, and the stimulated action of one half our energies, while the rest are rigidly suspended, is not a peaceful triumph, but a state of political Para ly sin. _ _ _ - - We simply cheat ourselves if we accept any enumeration of items as a compensation for a fundamental error in the account. And, bearing this in mind, we are content to admit that the talents of the clerks who were bred to the desk by PEEL have been sheltered by the posi tion of recognised statesmen, and have been thus tturemittiugly and creditably exercised. If the" Large Measure " is to satisfy the expee tations it was intended to raise ill certain quar ters, it must altogether change the character of the legislative body of which we are agreed in approving the results. If it be a reproach to any of its constituent ',arts that it was elected by eorrupt agencies, it will be a singular remedy if this " Large Measure," in deferenee to those to whom it was promised, should be framed de signedly to subordinate the portion of the English Commons against which there is no imputation, nor even a whisper, of suspicion. We accept fairly the statement put, birward by our oprinents—" Since the great reforms Ism, no year has been inure fruitful than " the present in measures of genuine utility " and public improvement." There is not a class in the empire distressed or impatient. " There is not an exception—no, nut, a single " agricultural parish or ship-building port— " not even the Spitaltields weavers, or the " handbiont weavers, 411. any 41ler 111111101101'W s—to the general prospeiity." The bites are propitious, "from the factories " of Alinichester to the shores of the MIS " pill MIS and the bamks of the Irrawaddy ;" an4l there is not so much as it cloud even over the Otxpian. Butt the Scotch Jupiter is required to prove his divinity by thun tiering in a serene sky ; and, amid these in ducements to a statesmanlike quieseenee, Lord :111EunEEs goes to the mirth to brood over a REVOLUTION. "THE ELIOT Ct►NVENTION" IN IRELAND. " NONE but electioneering Catholics need apply," continues to he the maxim of Lord ST. GERMANS in selecting officials. In addition to the long list of Roman Catholic prilllll,tions already made, the Viceroy has, within the last week, nominated Mr. Emirs!) OTLAMERTY to be an Income-tax Commissioner, at twelve hundred pounds a year, and Mr. NICEVOV GARTLAN to be Taxing Officer to the Four Courts, at eight hundred pounds per an num. The circumstances under which these gentlemen have been chosen are rather peen ' liar. Mr. E. OTLAHERTY is brother of ANTHONY DECIMAL C(►INAGE THE Report of the Decimal Coinage Com mittee lies before us ; and verities to a remarkable degree the prediction which we hazarded in our fifth number respecting its probable nature. In their rceon u uen►lation of a decimal system the el anmittee are unani mous, and well might they be so ; f i ►r, though evidence was sought in►)initially from all quarters, no single witness► of commercial or scientific eminence could be found to testify in behalf of our existing coinage arrange. menus—the most absurd, probably, as they are certainly the most complicated, that pre wail anywhere in Europe. The advantages to be derived from a change are obvious mid manifold. In the first. place, a saving of clerkly labour will be eti'vted, certainly to the extent of one-halt, possibly I . lls I'rtit • or