The Press. — London, England, 1858-05-15 00:00:00

468 THE WEEK. TiE House of Lords has done its duty, and has beaten back the Cambridge-house confederates. The Peers divided at one o'clock this morning in the following numbers : For the motion Against it Majority for the Government. . . This is a narrow majority; but when we bear in mind that out of the last twenty-seven years, the Whigs have possessed the power of re plenishing the House of Peers with their own friends for twenty-two,— i. from 1830 to 1841, and from 1846 to 1858,—we may well feel pleasure that, in that House, a Conservative Government can have a majority at all. The House of Commons is not expected to divide before Tuesday morning—some think it will be Wednesday morning before the debate closes. The anticipations as to the division vary with the predictor's politics. The Whigs promised thethselves three days ago a majority of 100 or 120. It soon fell to 80 ; and they now hope for 40 or 50. On the other side, the friends of Ministers expect that either the majority will be much smaller than 40, or that the balance may even be the other way. It must never be forgotten that the present House of Commons was especially elected "to support Lord PALatmurros." That it should do so, can, therefore, cause no surprise or disappointment. But if, after putting him out of office in February, the House should endeavour to re place him in May, it will obviously be the duty of the present Government to ask for the decision of the country at large, whether this sort of vacilla tion, involving two or three Ministries per annum, and stopping all useful legislation, is really what the nation desires to see adopted. Various are the rumours that have been afloat during the last few days relative to the consequences of Lord ELLENBOROUGH'S resignation, and the possible aspirants to the office or offices which that event may render vacant. Among other names those of Lord STANLEY and Sir EDWARD EULWER LrrroN have been freely mentioned ; but we scarcely need inform our readers that any such reports must, under existing cir cumstances, be received with some reservation. While the decision of the House of Commons on Mr. with/ motion is unknown, and a disso lution of Parliament is freely talked it is obviously improbable that any appointments of this class should be made. A few recent nominations in the Consular department we may however give : Mr. BRACKENBURY has been appointed her Majesty's Consul at Madrid. Mr. ANNESLEY, now Consul at Riga, is to be her Majesty's Consul at Amsterdam, vice Mr. R. S. JOHNSON, who exchanges. Mr. E. W. MARK, now her Majesty's Consul at Baltimore, is to be her Majesty's Consul at Marseilles. W. D. DYER, Esq., is to succeed Mr. MARK at Baltimore. Mr. C. TuLLN, now British Vice-Consul at Oran, is to succeed Mr. MoarroN at Mobile. ROBERT Koch, Esq., is to be her Majesty's Consul in the Free City of Frankfort. The telegram received from India on Thursday evening had some serious features in it. Our readers will bear in mind that our rein forcements to the army in India cannot do more in future than maintain, perhaps barely maintain, its strength ; and that now the hot and unhealthy season is commencing. t this in their recollection, let our readers remark the passages we have given in italic : " Sir C. CAMPBELL had an interview with the Governor-General of Allahabad on the 12th April, and was about to proceed, on the 12th April, from Lucknow to Rohilcund, which is said to be entirely in the hands of the enemy. The bulk of the Oude army continues at Luck now. LUGARD'S column, which left on the 28th March, expected to relieve Azimghur about the 20th April. Bareilly and Calpee are still in the hands of the rebels, who are also in force along the river, near Futtehpore and near Benares. The Knas rebels are moving about the country, but have lost their guns. " General ROBERTS'S force was preparing to go into quarters at Nus seerabad and Neemuch. He writes that he will encounter detachments of rebels in that district. " The Kotah garrison, 5,000 strong, were at large, but without artil lery. " Sir H. ROSE has been unable to advance on Calpee, where he was expected by the 10th. Up to the 19th he continued at Jhansi, where large bodies of the enemy were understood to be marching from the eastward, with the view of getting into his rear. " The Nepaulese are reported to be falling back upon their own frontier, to protect it against the rebels:' Thus we find RORILCUND, a whole province, between Delhi and Lucknow, entirely in the hands of the enemy. BAREILLY and CALPEE are also in their hands. Near FurrEnpogn and near BENAREB they are in force. At NIIBREERABAD and Nammuca they are heard of. Near Jnalisz large bodies of them are marching. Meanwhile the Nepaulese, our useful allies, are returning to their own frontier, to protect it from the rebels. And it is in this state of affairs that the Governor-General thinks it wise and prudent to publish in the kingdom of Oude a decree of all but universal confiscation. We protest that we know no instance in our time that approaches so nearly to downright fatuity ! THE PRESS, MAY 15, 1858. lan might blunder so much before he was found out. "AFTER CHURCH." ON Sunday last, at one o'clock, the publicans of the metropolis, as is their wont, took down their shutters, opened their doors, and began the business of the afternoon. A few minutes later, the footmen at Cambridge-house commenced the preparations for a "stroke of business " which was expected to be done there that day. As the clock approached the hour of two, a number of well-known in dividuals began to pour through the gates, and found a cordial reception in the mansion. The popular physiognomy of the newest baronet, the in defatigable Member for Wells, made them all feel " quite at home." The attendance of Peers was small—the whole Bench of Bishops, in cluding even his Lordship's own appointments, having most unaccountably declined to be present ! Still the gathering was of a decidedly aristocratic character, and the proceedings deeply interesting —to the parti es assembled. After the buzz of mutual greetings had a little subsided, an M.P. was heard to inquire how and why they were called together ? Sir W. G. H— (who appeared to pervade the whole of the room, practically übiquitous) replied, in his blandest tone, " that he could explain the how, but the why would best appear in the course of their de liberations." The Duke of A—, who had driven with all speed from Crown -court Chapel, said that he regretted not having been able to bring Doctor Cumming with him ; but he hoped that there was some one present who would commence their proceedings with exercises suited to the day. The "spoiling of the Egyptians," rightly viewed, was an act of a decidedly re ligious character. Lord P— had heard that, on a similar proposal being made in church, a late Royal Duke used to reply aloud—" Oh 1 by all means; very proper indeed." But he had an idea that they were not at church; and, though at Cambridge-house, he must decline following the example of the late Duke of Cambridge." (General approbation.) A Scotch Member (whose name we suppress for fear of embroiling him with his constituents) here remarked, "It was the Sawbath." Lord C—DE muttered a few words in reply, concluding, as it seemed to us, with the word d—d. We were much relieved by being subsequently assured the Noble Marquis had only said, "The better the day the better the deed." Sir G. C. L— now rose and explained his views at some length. He would not have presumed to put himself forward at such a meeting but that the question was one of a purely financial character. He was sure that many Noble Lords and Honourable Gentlemen were, like himself; painfully aware of a deficiency in revenue. He did not see how this was to be met but by reimposing the old burdens of the country. . . . Here the Right Honourable Gentleman became inaudible from intense emotion, and we only caught the concluding words, "Quorum pars magna fui !" Mr. V— S— would not detain the meeting long ; but he wished to point out the importance of making something of India. The country did not know what they had lost in Lord P—'s Bill ; but he was sure many of his hearers were alive to the great question of Eastern patronage. He had an important document in his pocket, which delicacy forbade him to communicate to Lord Ellenborough ; but he put it—in fact, put himself —in the hands of the Noble Viscount the Member for Tiverton. In short, he recommended the meeting to make India their basis of operations. Fie spoke from experience when he said there was no department in which a Mr. ROBERT L— did not understand so much beating about the bush. It wasn't suited to the Times. He didn't think resignation a virtue, and couldn't see why the Noble Viscount had gone out—but he owed it to his followers to come in again. If he couldn't stand without Lord J. R—, why let 'em stand together ; or rather sit together, like two kings of Brentford. Let 'em come to an agreement; he should be happy to draw up the articles—in fact, he was used to it. Lord P— and Lord J. R— rose together amidst vociferous cheering from sundry members of the three last Governments. After much courteous gesture in dumb show, expressing mutual willingness to yield the pas, Lord P— addressed the assemblage. After the marked allusion to "Leaders" which had been made by the Hon. M.P. for Kidder minster, he should express himself without reserve. He had been sus pected of jealousy towards the Noble Lord the Member for the City of London, but he could say from the bottom of his heart that he would sooner be in office with the Noble Lord than out of it with any man in England. (Cheers.) " And, as for a Reform Bill (concluded the Noble Viscount), provided Lord DERBY does not carry one, I care not who does. My Noble Friend is welcome to try his hand. He may deal with it like Pitt, or Fox, or, if he likes, he may Burke it." Here there was a slight interruption, occasioned (as we were in formed) by the exit of Mr. H—man. He was heard to exclaim somewhat abruptly, "that he had come in hopes of hearing Liberal principles asserted--he couldn't stay to hear Whig practices justified." if