The Press. — London, England, 1858-04-03 00:00:00

Mr. Bigg canjectures that more than two thirds of this vast amount of statutes are not now in force ; but that point. is difficult, to be ascertained. The prodigious augmentation in the number of statutes in the reign of George 111. is most extraordinary. Private bills, the grawth of manufactures, the rise of the Irish Parliament, and the extension of the colonial system, along with other causes, contributed to that Portentous increase ; and we must also allow for the prolonged reign of George 111. There is a copious index at the end of this volume to the contents of the statutes passed in the last session. It is one of the best plans of an index that we have seen, and it will much enhance this publication fur the pur- poses of reference. PERIODICAL AT a moment like the present we naturally turn to the political and Indian articles with which the ma gazines present us. Of our ►:alf•dozen leading monthly periodicals, two are decidedly Conservative, three as decidedly Liberal, and one in a state of tran sition. How it is that the Conservatives of Dublin University have allowed so able an organ as that which issues from the office of Messrs. Hodges and Smith to slip from their grasp we cannot tell; but between those well known black and yellow covers we have ceased to look for that able support of Con servative principles for which the Dublin once was famous. Blackwood gives us a capital article on the new Ministry, and as reasonable a one on the India Bill as can be expected from a sworn Company's man. From the former we quote the following Unlike the two chiefs of the Liberal party, the Earl of Derby bears a name never a9sociated with finesse. What he promises, he will do. He did not seek office,—he even sought to avoid it. It came to him. The Liberals had fairly broken down. Their chiefs had become discredited, and the party so disorganized and at strife within itself, that nothing but a return of the Conservatives to office could suffice to carry on the government. When first honoured with her Majesty's command to form a Ministry, the Earl of Derby frankly described the state of parties in the Legislature, and begged his Sovereign to take another day to consider the matter. In that interval every project of forming an Administration from the ranks of the Liberals was seen to be hopeless ; and next day her Majesty informed the noble chief of the Conservatives that further consideration had only strengthened her con viction of the propriety of intrusting to him the task of carrying on the government. That task he has under taken, and be will execute it with earnestness and vigour. Indeed, in regard to the vital matter of the national defences, the Premier entered instantaneously upon the duties of his high office,—rightly thinking that, owing to the unfortunate misunderstanding with France, so liable to be aggravated by any caprice of public opinion on either side, the present was not a juncture for the indul ,.. gence of over-confidence, and that, before entering on the game of negotiation, he must ascertain how the country could fight. With similar alacrity, the action of General Peel in the War-office, in redressing the arrears of his predecessor, became visible even in the provinces; while Lord Malmesbury inaugurated his return to the Foreign office by immediate measures on behalf of the long neglected Englishmen then on trial tbr their life in the 'scrupulous law-courts of the tyrannical King of Naples. A good understanding was immediately firmed with Austria. And at the same time so diligent and successful were the negotiations of the new Ministry with the French Government, that, on the re-assembling of Parliament, Mr. Disraeli was able to announce the grstitying fact that every trace of misunderstanding was effaced. The subsequent announcements in Parliament of their gem-rid policy, and of the new measures to be introduced, have been such, we think, as may well assure the country that the regime of the new Administration is to be one of jud clone and energetic work, which will contrast most favourably with the hesitating and half-hearted policy of their predecessors. And the following significant warning : We have no doubt that the great desire of the Opposi. tion leaders is to get the new Ministry turned out as fast as possible. The ex-Ministerial chiefs, wbether of the Palmerston or Russell sect, will be bent upon nipping in the bud the development of their rivals policy, from a well-founded dread lest the number, comprehensiveness, and ability of the measures of the new Cabinet should quite eclipse the feeble and all but barren sessions of the r cent Liberal regime. This was the tactics of the Oppo sition in Itgel, and there is much greater motive for them to repeat these tactics now. But can they ? We do not believe it. We do not apprehend that the ex• Ministerial chiefs will obtain sufficient support from the house to a 'able them to carry out such factious designs. The Con s xvatives succeeded to office simply by the failure of their rivals, and after a career in Opposition more free from factious courses than any five sessions of Parliament that the present generation has witnessed. Lord Derby has fo •roed his Ministry entirely on the principle of securing the most efficient men ; and in point of talent and ad ministrative skill it may challenge comparison with the very best of its predecessors. Its members are in earnest, fully competent for their. work, and bent upon accom plishing it. They will accomplish it, if the house give them the opportunity. Di ffi culties of no ordinary kind they certainly hale to encounter; but we confidently believe they will triumph over them, and that the house will support them with that " constitutional " majority to which they are so amply entitled. THE PRESS, APRIL 3, 1858. In Fraser we have of course a depreciatory article on the Ministry ; but the tone is necessarily more mo derate than usual, and the paper on the whole is not an ungraceful retreat from a position which is now found to have been as untenable as it was offensive. The remarks on the situation of parties we have, we think, seen before in the columns of more than one Conservative organ. The Indit.n article rather deals with the religious aspect of the question than any other, and generally supports the past policy of the Company. The Dublin takes the opportunity of the double-government question to strike a blow at the Irish Viceroyalty. Some of the arguments adduced are sensible, but some are unintelligible. In Miscellaneous Literature we have some very good articles this month in each of the three. Blackwood contains a paper entitled " A Few Words on Social Philosophy, by One who is no Philoso pher," full of truth and humour. The following is a specimen : In fact, I am a poor creature, who could have been well contented, and perhaps happier, in a lower element. I feel like an owl in the broad daylight of intelligence round me, and want to go back to my darkness. lam oppressed with a wealth of all that is elevating and improving— " the burden of an honour unto which I was not born." There are so many things in this age for which I feel myself so unfit. If Igo to the Crystal Palace, I am told I go there (or ought to) in order to be edified and in structed ; to have my taste refined, my history rubbed up, my mind expanded ; to learn the mysteries of form, colour, and proportion; to recognise the grand, and to worship the beautiful; but I don't Even the luiet little town near which I dwell is invaded by itinerant lecturers: it's very improving, they tell me; it don't im prove me. They have a choral society there, which does oratorios, and are said to be very promising : i was weak enough to subscribe, and have been once; and I don't mean to go again. Everything is to be done now, too, by examinations. Unrewarded merit is to be no more per mitted. I am seriously afraid of a commission coming down some day to examine me. The author laments the cosy social gatherings of former days, and considers that one obstacle to early re arriages is the want of this medium of familiar acquaintance between young men and young ladies. The first article in Fraser is a reprint of the lecture delivered at the Royal Institution on the 19th of March, which has been already noticed by some of our contemporaries. fhe subject is, " The In fluence of Women on the Progress of Knowledge," and Mr. Buckle's treatment of it is masterly in the extreme. The backbone of his theory is that women's minds are naturally deductive, and that thus they exercise an elevating influence upon the in ductive tendencies of the male sex. The thought of this essay is so clearly and elegantly expressed, that we are apt at first sight to overlook its profun dity. The stream of ideas flows smoothly forward with a union of depth and transparency that re minds us occasionally of Lord Bolingbroke ; and the hardest logical formulae are enunciated with the ease of perfect mastery and long familiarity. It is a most striking production, and on such a perusal as we have been as yet able to accord to it, we have been completely carried along with the lecturer. For the benefit of our lady readers we subjoin the following simple explanation of two words that perhaps may puzzle them : The scientific inquirer, properly so called, that is, he whose object is merely truth, has only two was of attain ing his teeny. lie may proceed from the external world to the internal; or he may begin with the internal and proceed to the external. in the former case he rtudies the facts presented to his senses, in order to arrive at a true idea of them ; in the latter case he studies the ideas already in his mind, in order to explain the facts of which his senses are cognizant. If he begin with the farts his method is inductive ; if he begin with the ideas it is deduc tive. The inductive philosopher collects phenomena either by observation or by experiment, and from them rises to the general principle or law which explains and covers them. The deductive philosopher draws the prin ciple from ideas already existing in his mind. and explains the phenomena by descending on them, instead of rising from them. "My Winter Garden," being an account of a fox. hunt by Mr. Kingsley, and " Mortality in the Army," are the two next best papers. In the Dublin, " Gerald Fitzgerald " is interest ing; but oh, that Mr. Lever would get away from Italy ! " Recent Oxtord Literature "is an agreeable, sketchy paper, written in a friendly spirit, and a graceful offering from a sister university. " Life and Death in Tipperary " is the first part or a capital Irish tale, reminding us somewhat of Gerald Griffin. The present is rather a good number of Tait ; but what we never cease to wonder at in this magazine is the department called the " Literary Register," in which all the most insignificant books of the month are selected for notice. The political articles— though of course we cannot be expected to agree with them—are not devoid of shrewdness, and show a practised pen__ - The Irish Metropolitan Magazine contains a sen sible paper on " Biography ;" but in other respects is not remarkable. The Englishwoman's Journal improves. This onth it contains some sprightly notices. Blusit. ST. JamEs's-usu.—A second concert for the benefit of the Middlesex Hospital was given last S atur d ay evening, tha programme consisting wholly of secular music. A principal feature in the selection was Mendelssohn's music to the Midsummer Night's Dream. Beethoven's overture Leonora opened the first part ; and the works of Haydn, Weber, Mozart, Meyerbeer, Auber, and Donizetti furnished some thing for every taste, and contributed materials for a most attractive concert. The principal vocalists were Mme. Lemmens, Miss Dolby, Mme. Borchardt, Miss Kemble, Mr. Weiss, Mr. Montem Smith, Mr. Santley, and Signor Luchesi ; while Miss Goddard, Signor Piaui, and Herr Molique contributed solos on their respective instruments. Mr. Benedict con ducted, and the members of the Vocal Association gave their assistance as on Thursday. ST. MARTIN'S HALL.—On Tuesday evening Mr. Hullah brought his series of Orchestral Concerts to a conclusion with a Beethoven selection, in which were included seven different works, arranged in chronological order, and composed at various dates from 1799 to 1824. The object of this scheme was, of course, rather to display the gradual development of Beethoven's style, than to convey any general idea of his power. This would require, not a selec tion occupying some three hours in performance, but a careful and diligent study of the greater portion of his works ; or at the very least a succession of concerts which could hardly be compressed into less time than an entire week. We may gain an acquain tance with his wonderful endowments from his works taken singly, but we must look at them alto gether to know the wealth of his mind. While Turner was sending his landscapes to the Academy two or three at a time everyone acknowledged him a great painter, but how great no one knew till it was possible to see at one glance the riches gathered together at Marlborough-house. No seven pictures that could be chosen would tell us what Turner's mind was, bur seven pictures, if well chosen, might give us some idea of his mind's progress. There is something similar in the history of these two minds—at least in the general outline. Here is Mr. Hullah's selection from Beethoven : 1. Overture, "Men of Prometbus" 1799 2. Air, " rhe Call of the Quail " not later than 18U4 3. Air, " In questa tombs" not later than 1808 4. Choral Fantasia 1808 5. Trio, " Tremate" not later than 1811 6. Overture, No. 4, " Fidelio " .1814 7. Choral Symphony 1824 The choice has evidently been influenced by the ne cessities of the case. As the Choral Symphony is to be included, it must stand last, and being of great length and enarmous difficulty, all that precedes it must be as light as possible, that both audience and orchestra may not come to it already exhausted. But let us take the programme as it stands. Every man's life naturally divides itself into three periods of youth, vigour, and decay, but in the lives of these two ar►ists these three periods are found to be strongly and, we think, somewhat similarly marked. The overture, No. 1, belongs to Beethoven's youth or student-life ;it shows in every bar the most careful study, one might almost say imitation, of Mozart, at that time the reigning genius. But this imi tation relates only to the style, not to the matter; this is the young composer's own, otherwise the over ture would be long since dead. In the two airs, Nos. 2 and 3, he is passing into his second period. Here iv plenty of himself and very little of other people ; but he has not ventured on anything very startling, or done much to frighten quiet folks. The trio, No. 5, though written at a later date, is con structed after established models, and shows a sort of recurrence to his earlier style. Nos. 4 and 6 are the productions of his greatest period—absolutely his own—the works of a master, not a student—no longer tied to laws, but making laws for others — both full of fancy, the Choral Fantasia a miracle of loveliness, a very Venice of beauty and grace. The words we have ased would have served thus far fur a brief sketch of the painter's life, but the re semblance we would point out is rather in the close. Both suffered :he loss of certain powers, but neither fell into weakness. They seemed to forget every thing they had received from others, and to retain nothing but what was part of themselves. Instead of falling in among those below them, they stood more than ever aloof; never so utterly unlike other men as when in decay. As all they possessed in com mon with others faded away, their merits and their failings grew more and more prominent. Turner never could draw the human form ; Beethoven never understood the human voice; but both only from want of will. Both had neglected the study; each seemed to think it a matter that did not concern him; but neither in his youth committed the wild extrava gances that marked his later years. What at first was mere neglect, grew at last into a kind of scorn. Turner insisted that men and women should be as stocks and atones, and 6 ' wrung a neck with as