The Press. — London, England, 1858-03-27 00:00:00

THE PRESS, MARCH 27, 1858. THE WEEK. We are enablAd to announce the following diplomatic changes:— Sir JOHN CRAMPTON, her Majesty's Minister at the Court of Han over, is appointed Minister at St. Petersburg. Lord AUGUSTUS Lorrus, Secretary of Legation at Berlin, is appointed her Majesty's Minister at Vienna. His Lordship has been distinguished for some time past by his sedulous attention to public duties, and especially by his study of the commercial interests of Great Britain. Mr. ANDREW BUCHANAN, C. 8., her Majesty's Minister at Copen- hagen, is appointed Minister at Madrid, to replace Lord HOWDEN. Tho Hon. HENRY GEORGE Ewo - r, Secretary of Embassy at Vienna, is appointed her Mikjesty's Minister at Copenhagen. The Hon. HENRY GEORGE HOWARD, Secretary of Embassy at Paris, is appointed her Majesty's Minister at Florence. Lord CHELSEA becomes Secretary of Embassy at Paris. A Whig journal of last evening professes to regret this ; but the country will not share in that regret. Lord CHELSEA has already seen some service in the diplomatic department, and his age, position, and per sonal qualifications render him a peculiarly eligible person for this im• portant post. The appointment of the Duke of MALAKOFF as Ambassador from the Court of France to that of London is regarded with the greatest satisfaction. There are few men in Paris whose predilections for the English alliance are more decided ; and we are assured that it is chiefly on this account, and as a pledge of the most friendly feelings on the part of the French Government, that the Duke has been selected. Coming to this country with such sentiments, and assured of finding them warmly reciprocated by our own Government, the new Ambassador may be received as a warrant and earnest of the conti nuance of the most cordial and friendly feelings between the two Courts. An unpleasant dispute has occurred at Jerusalem between the British Consul and the Bishop of the Anglican Church, which ended in the Consul's placing the Bishop under arrest. Immediate orders have been transmitted for the Bishop's release ; but it is impossible to help regretting disputes of this nature, which must prejudice the Pro testant Church and its ministers in the eyes of the peaple. The Professorship of Modern History in the University of Oxford, which was converted into a sudden reality by the earnestness and eloquence of Dr. ARNOLD, has been unhappily permitted to relapse into its pristine torpor. Whether it be that the academic atmosphere is unfavourable to the growth of the historic mind, or whether it be that modern history is so closely interwoven with modern politics as to render the delivery of lectures suitable to the audience a task of un common difficulty, we cannot tell. But even allowing for that para lysing effect which the chair of the Professor, like the enchanted chair of Comus, seems often to exercise upon its occupant, the department of Modern History has been singularly barren of remarkable men. The brief Professorship of ARNOLD was a flash illumining the darkness of a century and a quarter. What was expected of his successor, Dr. CRAMER, we never heard ; but certainly a good deal was expected front the gentleman who has recently retired from the receipt of 6001. a year. Not, indeed, that Mr. HALFORD VAUGHAN'S peculiar strength was supposed to reside in historical exegesis, but his great intellectual powers were so well known in the University, and it was so widely oelieved that he was a man much above the ordinary calibre of even a Professor, that his lectures were generally expected to create an un usual sensation. These expectations were, however, doomed to dis appointment. After one or two efforts at discharging the duties of his position, in which he exhibited evidence of a subtle and deeply reflective mind, but failed in gaining the ear of his audience, or attracting the notice of the public, he gave up the attempt in despair, and fell back on more congenial studies. The world will probably pardon him, if the University does not, when the fruits of his leisure are before them ; and students, with his ethical treatise in their hands, will forget to inquire how many hours it may have stolen from official duties. The appointment of his successor is as creditable to the good taste of Lord DERBY as Mr. VAUGHAN'S resignation is to his own. Mr GOLDWIN SMITH had been vir tually appointed by Lord PALMERSTON, and the present Prime Minister generously declined to take advantage of the delay which had occurred in the completion of the arrangement. Whether, however, Mr. GOLD WIN SMITH be a much more judicious selection than his precursor re mains to be seen. He is greatly distinguished at the University. He is a scholar who to the elegance of the English school unites the philological attainments of the German. He is an able and effective writer, and his pen, we need not add, is well known in the journals and magazines of the metropolis. But what peculiar aptitude he possesses for the discharge of his new functions we have yet to learn. Mr. SMITH is, in the first place, a strong partisan ; and some of his political opinions, which have re cently been expressed with the most candid asperity, however truthful in the abstract, are unfavourable to that policy which it is the interest of England to pursue at the present moment. In the next place, if there is one branch of study which more than another demands " the years which bring the philosophic mini'," it is the study of history. Now Mr. SMITH has certainly not yet attained to that era of equani mity. He took his degree in IS-15, and if any other evidence be wanted, we shall find it in his writings. We may, however, console ourselves with the reflection that the office will no longer bg a sine cure ; and resident Oxonians may revel in the anticipation ofiftch ex cellent irony and pungent rhetoric. Mr. SMITH, indeed, has all the mental power that is required for the most admirable fulfilment of his task. Let us hope he will now soften down some of his angles, become middle aged as soon as he can, and discard most of his youthful characteristics, except his command of language. It is proper that the House should watch all legislative proposals coming from the metropolitan members with more than ordinary vigilance. These gentlemen are frequently but little acquainted with the affairs of the country. Their experience is confined to London, and they do not consider the probable effects of a measure beyond the sound of Bow bells. A case in point is Mr. AYRTON'S Bill for the Equalisation of the Poor Rates. Let us suppose, for the sake of argu ment, that London may be considered as simply one large parish, and that the system proposed by Mr. AYRTON amounts rather to consolida tion than centralisation. Yet, as was well pointed out by the President of the Poor-law Board, such a measure would involve the recognition of a principle which, applied to country districts, would be centralisa tion in its worst shape. Of the mischief of that system readers of THE PRESS scarcely require to be reminded. Its effects upon the machinery of Government and the character of the people are equally pernicious. It isolates the one and emasculates the other. But not to dwell upon this, there is a practical objection to the measure which can be appreciated by every man of business in the country, whether familiar with DE TOCQUEVILLE or not. What motive for economy will the guar. dians possess when its benefit to themselves is lost? What interest has St. Thomas in spending less than St. Andrew, if St. Andrew is to pocket the difference? An average of the metropolitan poor rates is to be struck at the end of the year, and those parishes which have exceeded it will receive the excess from those who have succeeded in keeping below it. The natural conclusion is that it will be a very jolly thing to exceed it. Any system conceived more thoroughly in the spirit of a donkey-race, in which the last wins, we never heard of. The poor rates of the metropolis would be doubled in seven years. If these are the practical men whom the model Liberal constituencies return to Parliament, Heaven defend us from any more of them ! If this is a sample of the style in which the Administrative Reformers would govern the country, we give our vote for " Dowb," without the smallest hesitation. It is quite true that Mr. ROEBUCK dissented from the mea sure ; but Mr. Avaros's and \Viscount Wicr.iams' constituents are the class of people among whom Mr. ROEBUCK'S colleagues find their prin cipal supporters. And there is no doubt that the two former are far better representatives of your true cockney leveller thin the Hon. Member for Sheffield. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER acted with signal spirit and prudence, when he told the House of Commons on Thursday that " be would advocate with his utmost energy " the motion that in going into committee on " The Galway Freemen Disfranchisement Bill," it should be " an instruction that the bribers, as well as the bribed, be " included in its provisions." We rejoice that the Conservative Leader in the Lower House has made this announcement, because it will tend to satisfy the public mind, which has been much excited by the speech of Sir Ti-tomAs BURKE, Member for the County of Galway, cousin of the Marquis of CLANRICARDE. On Thursday, March 18th, Sir THOMAS BURKE rose in his place in the House of Commons to second the motion for the Disfranchisement of the Galway freemen. He gave an account of his own and of Lord CLANRICARDE'S " sayings and doings " in the town of Galway, with reference to the election of Lord DUNKELLIN. According to Sir T BURKE, Lord CLANRICARDE stated, " Whatever money is trequired in the town of Galway, I will " see paid." It appeared that the Galway freemen wished that there should be a contest, in order to enhance the value of their votes, and " they telegraphed to London for Colonel " FRENCH." Then Sir T. BURKE proceeded—" I had no more concep " tion of Colonel FRENCH'S coming to the post than"—here " the worthy " Baronet's eloquence was cut short by " renewed laughter, in " which the remainder of the sentence, if spoken at all, was lost." The explanation of the laughter will be found in the fact that Sir THOMAS BURKE (Lord CLANRICARDE'S cousin) is " a sporting character," and he discussed the whole question as if it were a horserace. The racing baronet continued—" A number of the freemen came to him, and said, " What will you give ?' " And then Sir THOMAS BURKE asked the House, "What was Ito do?" There was a time when this style of " explanation " would have been complimented as " lively humour," " inimitable drollery of manner;" but that time is past. "On the eve " of the election I sent a friend to Mr. O'FLAHERTY'S Committee to say " that if they would poll me 100 men by next morning [ would give " 2501." We take these admissions from the Times of Friday, March 19th ; and under such circumstances the country will rejoice at the declaration of the Conservative Leader in the Lower House that the bribers should be punished as well as the bribed. What will the Liberals" say on this question ? kik 300