The Press. — London, England, 1854-09-02 00:00:00

- ^•^W^7Pir ~' N 0 THE PRESS. has been roused to such a degree that they threaten to destroy the place. I recommend that notice should be given to the tenant to quit, preparatory to most stringent measures. The red tape worm's pre sence in this locality is sufficient proof of the unhealthiness of the atmosphere. Our next visit was to the Home-office. I need hardly assure your Lordship that I was not likely to find anything here except what deserves, at my hands, the most cordial tribute. Nothing can be more complete than the system of " ventilation," there is a constant stream of intelligence (of the very first water) passing through, and the whole of the brooms sweep with the cleanliness proverbially associated with novelty. If I had a suggestion to offer, it would be that the talent and conscientiousness displayed by the authorities might be advan tageously exercised in a far higher sphere, and it would give me plea sure to take the charge of the place myself, if by doing so I released abilities of a nobler order, and placed them at the service of the country. The Foreign-office is in a different state. There is a stagnation somewhere, which infects the whole neighbourhood, and, though fumi gation with tobacco smoke is practised with extreme diligence, this is inadequate. The odour resembles that detected in the Treasury. The inhabitants seemed willing, but timid, and were obviously afraid to take any step on their own responsibility. Reform here, though not so immediately and absolutely necessary as elsewhere, cannot long be deferred with safety, especially as WeAern breezes are setting in. At the Board of Control we were triumphantly shown a great Pump, of wood, in proof that there was nothing to desire, but upon examination we found that this was incapable of being made to work satisfactorily, and as often threw out mud as anything better. Some unfortunate Hindoos, who huddled under the shelter of the Board, were in a most unhappy condition. Lowe fever was prevalent. Early ejectment of the present tenants Is necessary to the welfare, I may say of millions of her Majesty's (our gracious mistress's) subjects. The Exchequer was the next object of our examination, and I wish that it were in my power to speak more favourably of the condi tion of this locality. because it is of the utmost importance that the public mind should be at ease on such a subject, and because many assurances have lately been given that the most active reforms have been prosecuted here. I grieve, however, to say, that the state of the Exchequer is most unsatisfactory. The drainage, which comes from the Threadneedle-street sewer,'has been frightful, and a succession of violent falls, devised with a reckless want of system, has exhausted the force of the current, and terminated in hopeless stagnation. Numerous traps have been tried, but they have been worse than useless, and the ordinary channels will soon be unavailable. Remonstrances have, it seems, been repeatedly made from the City, which is greatly injured by such a state of things, but they have been treated either with civil or uncivil neglect, and have been met by imputations that they were dictated by private interest. It is difficult to estimate what is now dammed up by the system which has been pursued, but the species of manure is perfectly useless unless spread, and indeed is actively per nicious, for in the trading districts paralysis, produced by this un wholesome condition of affairs and the terror it generates, has made its appearance. The vaunted reforms were, literally, all upon paper. Much testiness was displayed by the principal occupant, who evinced contiderable dexterity in evading our inquiries, and in endeavouring to fix blame upon other parties than himself. I should neglect my duty did I fail to add that early ejection of the present nest of tenants SATURDAY, is even more necessary than in any of the other localities, except, the Treasury. This is as far as my inquiries have at present gone, but I shall continue to prosecute them, and, in obedience to your Lordship's orders, to report from time to time. I have the honour to be, my dear Lord, Your Lordship's most obedient servant, Bitsmutt HALL. Board of Health, Sept. 1, 1854. LORD JOHN ON SKIDDAW. Grand, beautiful, and all that sort of thing ! I feel in peotore meo the glattes. I edited Moore's life—shall I not sing? Though critics cross and stern reviews may rate us. Here, where none asks about that horrid " status," Where the fine air makes the full bosom frisky, Where down below dinner with trout await us— I'll pour my spirit forth—l mean the whisky. Some paper, ho ! I'll write about the two. Russell on Skiddaw's brow—foolscap? Yes, that will do ! "Oh ! wise Reform ! Oh, mighty freedom. Oh ! At thine high altar stands thy votary." No. It won't do ! I can't go on ; you know This session in the House I smothered thee. I'll try again. " Lake at the mountain's knee, That takes content whate'er the mountains give, And hoardest at their roots their silver fee, Like Hall, a Radical Conservative. Wild fall ! Like Molesworth's washy, wild tirade, All froth and noise and pop." My love, some gingerado? "Wood! nodding idly on the mountain's brow, He nods at home the prototype of thee. Wooden Sir Charles—ah! where's the Indian now?" I wish/some woodman wouldn't spare that tree. " Wood! over whose green head the eye may see, Tower, valley—anything "—no ; that won't do. " Yonder's the way to Durham. Woe is me ! Why wrote I there? Why undertook the Jew?" It's fine to talk. I only wish they'd try it, The ultra-Liberals. Boy, keep those donkeys quiet! I don't get on ! " Oh, mountain ! and ah, bard !" No ; it's no use, and dinner's getting cold ; Beside, this heather bush is something hard, And Russells may be flesh, I've heard it told' Why shall I write this frenzy wild and bold, This eloquence of a patriotic pocket? It doesn't pay.—we know we must be sold, And Wordsworth's hill, —really I mustn't shock it With too much twaddle. Boy ! behold a crown ! We'll go, donkeys and all ; so take us gently down. E. A. TO CORRESPONDENTS. ------- - It is impossible to acknowledge the mass of letters we receive. Their insertion Is often delayed, owing to a press of matter ; and when omitted, it is frequently from reasons quite inde pendent of the merits of the communication. We cannot undertake to return communications of which we do not avail ourselves. Ccmmunications should always be legibly written, and on one side of the paper only. If long it increases the difficulty of finding space for them. Whatever is intended for insertion must be authenticated by the name and address of the writer, not necessarily for publics. thin, but as a guarantee of his good faith. Advertisements sent from the country must be accompanied by a remittance or a reference for payment in town. - !r1)* rrxixi• LONDON, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1854. POSTSCRIPT. M. Benkendorff was expected to arrive in Berlin yesterday (Ist) from Stettin, and would proceed direct to Putbus, and present the B" In answer to the e King. The subscription to the Austrian loan is closed for a month. It amounts to nearly five hundred million of florins. As the cholera is very violent at the Plums, the French commander has proposed to remove his men to Athens. This has caused a most unpleasant sen sation in the capital. Half the stamp duty on newspapers has been taken off in Sweden. According to the report on the financial condition of Spain, the actual deficit amounts to 6,000,000• The Count San Luis (Sartorius), the late Spanish Prime Minister,has succeeded in leaving the country, and has arrived at Bayonne. The Royal Danish Railway has been completed, and a direct communication is thus opened for pas sengers and merchandise from the North Sea to the Baltic. An experimental trip was made on the 21st ult., and the official inauguration of the line is expected to take place in the course of a few weeks. The reports of the state of the harvest contained in our provincial contemporaries are of an uniformly gratifying character. They state that throughout the country the weather continues to be all that could be wished, and that the grain crops are universally re ported to be such as the oldest living person has seldom or never seen, the quantity and quality being alike excellent. The potato crop, notwithstanding partial blight, is very little below the average, and the quality was never liner. Viscount and Viscountess Canning have sailed in his lordship's yacht, the Fair Rosamond, on a cruise in the Baltic, where the noble Paymaster-General will vi-it the English and French fleets, returning to England at the close of the month, when her ladyship will go in waiting to the Sovereign at Balmoral. Mr. It. W. Crawford is appointed to succeed the late Mr. Aglionby as chairman of the East Indian Railway Company. Mr. Alderman Walker, editor and proprietor of the Gloucester Journal, has been unanimously elected to the mayoralty of that city, the office having become vacant a few days since, by the death of Mr. Wm. Washbonrne. The marriage of the Lady Burghersh with the Marquis Caracciolo St. Teodoro was solemnised on Thursday at St. James's Church, Piccadilly. The ceremony had been previously performed according to the rites of the Roman Catholic Church, at the chapel of St. Mary, in Cadogun-terrace• A most destructive fire broke out yesterday morning on the premises of Messrs. Drew, Heyward, and Barron, wholesale druggists, Great Bush-lane. The flames were discovered in the stoke-hole of the extensive laboratory, spreading with amazing rapidity, owing to the combustible materials on the premises, and were not extinguished till the laboratory was burnt out, a building 60 feet long, 20 feet broad, and 30 feet in height. The (muse of the lire is unknown. The proprietors are insured. THE Oxford University Commission appointed under the new University Reform Bill met on Wed nesday in Spring-gardens, when the Earl of Elles mere was appointed chairman. THE half-yearly meeting of the Charing-cross Suspension-bridge Company was held on Wednesday, Mr. R. Few presiding. The report was submitted to the meeting, in which, under existing circumstances , the directors could not recommend a dividend for the present half year. A Dicpurerrox from the parochial authorities of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields had an interview on Thurs day with Sir Benjamin Hall, the President of the General Board of Health, at his office, Whitehall. THE NATIONAL GALLERY in Trafalgar-square, and the Vernon collection, Marlhorough-house, Pall-mall, will be closed for the annual six weeks' vacation the second week in September. During the recess a great many additions will be made to the National Gallery. THE HAMPTON MAGISTRATES have decided the "traveller" question in favour of the hotel -keepers• Mr. Luce, landlord of the King's Arms at Hamp ton Court, attended before the bench on Monday to answer the charge of having served customers during illegal hours on Sunday week, but their worships decided that the "travellers' book" kept at the hotel in which his customers had entered their names was sufficient evidence to exonerate him from 111 1 consequences, and the ease was dismissed.