The Press. — London, England, 1858-09-04 00:00:00

852 THE WEEK. King ALFRED, if we may believe WILLIAM of MALMESBURY, was the first English monarch who opened a direct communication with the East. In those halcyon days there were no thoughts of Leeds, Manchester, or Sheffield : the exports of England were the true faith and a divine morality. Virtue, however, even then was its own reward, and the Bishop of Sherburn returned from the shrine of St. Thomas with a goodly cargo of rare spices and sparkling gems. Insular interests then prevailed, and, so far at least as India was concerned, the British nation was cut off from the rest of the world. Danes, Saxons, and Normans had each their day, and centuries glided past without a thought being directed to Ind or Carthay, save only, perchance, in the closet of a scholar or visionary. At length the human race roused itself from the lethargy of ages. The audax lupeti genus could no longer be confined to the old beaten tracks. New worlds were discovered and explored, and that which had so long remained buried in darkness and oblivion was dragged into light. Never did the great Anglo- Saxon spirit exhibit itself in a more glorious form. Expeditions were fitted out in all directions, with " bold enterprize" at the helm and danger at the prow. No region of the world was secure from the researches of these daring adventurers. Islands and continents were dis covered and appropriated, just as one now-a-days picks up a pebble or g tins a prize for a new variety of the rose. But there were giants in those days, and gigantic were their pastimes. Thus, little by little, a company was formed for the purpose of monopolizing the Indian trade, and in the last year of the sixteenth century three ships were fitted out to bring the "gorgeous East" in direct communication with the ultima Thule. The adventure was ridiculously extravagant, without doubt, but, thanks to a series of fortunate blunders, it resulted in an empire. Little more than a century ago, however, that empire was well-nigh suffo cated in a darksome cell barely eighteen feet s pare, occupied for the while by one hundred and forty-six inmates. But time worked its whirligig to good purpose, and in one hundred years from that date the Company of merchant adventurers trading to the East—traders, though, no longer— could style themselves the lords of Ilindostan and the suzerains or sove reigns of one hundred and fifty millions of human beings. Meantime, however, unchecked prosperity had been working out its usual results. With power came the lust of conquest. Territorial aggrandizement was held of higher value than justice and the welfare of the people. Civilization and Christianity were on every man's lips—rapacity and annexation in every man's heart. So, Nemesis with her halting gait over took this Company Bahadoor, and in the flashing of a moment stripped it of the spoliations of a century. The British nation hath said it, and John Company Bahadoor bath ceased to exist as one of the rulers of clearly articulating mortals. Twenty-four hours have not yet passed since the noble son of the noblest house of England took his seat in the Merchants' Hall, and asserted the Royal prerogative over the empire of Ilindostan. Perhaps, after all, the true moral of the lesson may be gathered from the calm . uiescence in the will of the majority displayed by a potent and opulent iiiy of men, wielding a mighty army and vast resources of wealth. The spider hath woven its web in the palace of the CiESARS, and the owl bath built her nest in the halls of AFRASIAII ; but neither spider nor owl will ever have any chance where religion is a sentiment, morality a habit, and patriotism an instinct. Our Canadian fellow-subjects have sent home by the last steamer a rather singular petition, asking us to " lend them the loan " of the Prince of WALES. The special plea for this request is the circumstance that a Grand Exhibition of Industry and Art—presenting, in fact, the Hyde ... wk Crystal Palace of 1851 translated into Canadese--will be opened in Toronto next month, and the inauguration ceremony would be attended with tenfold eclat if graced with the presence of some scion of the Royal Family. It is true that the particular petitioner in the case is a private gentleman, JOHN Nonnts, Esq., of Toronto, who has undertaken the affair at his own expense and responsibility, and has come to England with the hope of in ducing his Royal Highness to accept the invitation. But attached to the billet, as we are told, are the names of " all the members of both Houses "of Parliament who are in town • Opposition and Ministerial being lovingly " intermingled," together with those of all the judges, and many influential gentlemen in and out of office. The petition, though ostensibly private, is practically imbued with a public and national character. Canada, indeed, has long yearned for a glimpse of Royalty; and as the Sovereign herself was a prize beyond hope, the colonists have thought it no rash request to ask for a visit from the Heir Apparent. Well ! why not ? The American possessions of the English Crown exceed in geographical dimensions those in any other quarter of the globe. Their commercial and political importance we have only just begun to ascertain. "A dreary sea may roll between," as CoucmooE sings and the Times remarks, apropos of this very subject. But Majesty has lately taken to navigation ; and in these days a few degrees of longitude or latitude, more or less, arc of no great consequence. When Noble yachtsmen like Lord nuFFERIN visits Iceland merely for the fun of the thing, there can be no real reason either on the score of time, difficulty, or peril, why a Prince of Wales should not cross the Atlantic. In the mere calcula tion of time and risk it is undeniable that the voyage to Halifax, as at present performed, involves far less danger, and not much more delay, than were necessarily encountered by Dutch WILLIAM when visiting his favourite retreat at the Hague, or by any of the GEonoEs in those periodical elopements to Hanover which gave so much umbrage to their British subjects. A political motive, perhaps, stronger than that offered by the Industrial Exhibition, seems to suggest compliance with this petition. There exists just now a little "difficulty" between the British Frown and the Colonial Legislature. Her Majesty, at their own request, THE PRESS, SEPTEMBER 4, 1858. selected Ottowa as the future metropolis for the United Provinces of Canada. The local Parliament rejected this choice. O ne Mi nistry re signed in consequence. Their successors, after , a week's en j oyment of office, fell also before a vote of non - confidence. 1 he former Administra tion, slightly recast and reinforced, have, therefore, resumed the reins of power—but upon the condition, as the last advices state, of surrenderinr, the metropolitan question. The doubt as to the future ca pit a l o f Canad a remains, therefore, unsolved, and the indignity cast on the British Crown uncancelled. The crisis in both aspects might be conquered at once if the present petition were conceded. Suppose, for instance, th e P r i nce of WALES were to arrive in Canada with the title of Duke of Ottowa, the choice of that locality for their metropolis would be accepted by the Canadian public amidst a chorus of loyal acclamation. Although we have no particular desire to involve ourselves in any controversy with the leading journal, yet we certainly do feel bound to protest against the doctrine laid down by that periodical in the course of the past week. We allude to an article on the subject of oratory which appeared in the Times this week, which seems to imply that all which has hitherto obtained the approbation of the world is good for little. The particular kind of oratory upon which the Times fastens is Parliamentary oratory, which it alleges to have always been a dull thing, and to be a dull thing now. Well, all that can be said is, that if Parliamentary eloquence is a dull thing, all rhetoric in this country is a dull thing, for we certainly have no other. There is what is called Ibrensic eloquence, but that is manifestly the eloquence of an advocate; there is pulpit eloquence—that is as manifestly the voice of a special clan addressing a special audience upon a special subject. What, then, remains ? If the aspirations of a free citizen in a popular assembly under the greatest representative system which the world has ever seen, are incapable of producing eloquence, where arc we to look for it? The fact is, however, that " eloquence " or " oratory " flourishes in that inter mediate state of civilization in which mere physical prowess has begun to give way to intellect, but intellect has not yet superseded passion. To say that the oratory of Prrr and Fox would fall dead upon our ears now, by no means proves that it was not a noble exercise of the human intellect in the days when it was delivered. As to calling it dull, that is absurd. We might just as well complain that the spears of our ancestors were not equal to the Minie rifle. But they did the work of the period; and a charge of cavalry then was as entirely free from dulness as it is now. The most thrifty thing a man can do under certain circumstances is to borrow money. Take a fine old English gentleman with a plentiful estate, but who happens to have outrun the constable. His difficulties began, no doubt, through some want of economy, but they actually pre vent him from becoming economical. He has bills running which he can not meet at maturity, and must renew at most usurious interest. He has tradesmen who supply him with bad articles at double prices, but whom he dare not quarrel with because he cannot pay their accounts. He has tenants who exhaust the soil, pay inadequate rents, and insult their land- lord, but to whom he cannot give notice to quit since he has no money to pay for the improvements or repairs which are indispensable before he could let his farms to new occupants. This is just the case with the Sultan of TURKEY, and it is expressed in diplomatic but very significant language in the prospectus for the new loan. The Porte, it appears, suffers under embarrassments which a little ready money would remove. Every pro ject of' financial reform or commercial extension is crushed beneath the weight of pecuniary liabilities. Government paper circulates with diffi culty at heavy discount. The metallic currency is debased to such an extent that coins pass only as " tokens," and instead of being the representatives of value are merely subjects for barter. All foreign trade with a country where debt may be liquidated in this inconvertible paper or depreciated currency, must of course be restricted within the narrowest bounds, and carried on merely by adventurers who will consent to risk the chance of loss for the sake of exceptional gains. Even the purveyors of daily supplies to the Seraglio, under this system, charge prices two or even three hundred per cent. above the ordinary tariff,on account of the delays and difficulties they must encounter before their bi lls can be settled. As a means of rescue from these entanglements, the Turkis h Government have asked the capitalists of England and France to supp l y them with about five millions of ready money. The terms as published are liberal , and the security ample. With a net revenue of eight millions, w hich a dexte rous Chancellor of the Exchequer might easily double, the hole permanent debt of Turkey is under twenty-five millions, or less than three years, mortgage on its income. What other E uropean State can say as much • This relates to the mere financial question, as determining the secunty for the payment of interest and repayment of principal. In another point of view, we may remark that as " armies march on their bellies," so nations arc strong or weak in accordance wit.i their wealth or poverty. Now, the " weakness" of Turkey---eulml; nating in the Russian war—has very recently cost us at least a handl-Ls!". millions. At this price wc have had to fight the battles of an ally w1 10, ,' strong in his intrinsic resources, might have been left to defend hims Such strength is possible only when the financial position of the Goverin,-, 'tient is sound and prosperous. To secure this result for Turkey is t • avowed object of the new loan. The terms under which subscr i p tions , al , ) invited have, we understand, tempted our English capitali sts sufficient t secure the offer of several uninvested millions. The imm ediate neces!" c of the Porte will thus be supplied. But the real inter ests of EM-Itnil either as lender or trader, depend upon the prudent expenditure of l funds accruing from this source. It would actually have been b e tter to make cnabl trade l beam the r genet is it that lips meet and the o ffice " tim " cot su( so c and othe belie men plac( any child Mrs WAS be clotl hard some then repu One Sard outs dire ever purl thei Olyt over Foy or I ladd prin nu; take first rani • boa to reel in The pea• • ra lite r LA chi f of r wi be hii pa la to m al ci is 1. ti IC 1 I 1 • small enabl trade] better II genet office 1101 cot othe belt( men piaCE Any iild clotl hard som( then repu One dire ever pure their over Roy ]add