The Press. — London, England, 1857-03-07 00:00:00

. , •• -.1.."•. • . I --------... . . . . / 4 • . . . . t (1 1 1 rt46l, No. 201.—VoL.V. LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1857. (Il2e Vrtss. Canton from the face of the earth, if full satis faction be not rendered for the tremendous crime of the Chinese Government in allowing .their own authorities to board one of their own boats in search of one of their own criminals. in one of the crises of the French Revolu tion DANTON thundered forth the principle essential to the triumph of his party—Auda city, Audacity, Audacity ! Lord PALMERSTON has, on this occasion, torn a leaf from the book of the plotter of the September mas sacres. Audacity is to secure the triumph of the motley band who recognise PALMERSTON as their Dictator. The pretence that he was defeated by a factious combination of parties is the most audacious assertion ever flung in the face of the House of Commons. The whole annals of Parliament do not record a vote less influenced by factious, or even party, considerations. What an insult has the Premier cast on the whole body of independent Liberals by branding with faction the names of by far the STAMPED ....SIXPENCE. UNSTAMPED..FIVEPENCE. El ment candidate, Mr. Donsos, by a majority of 80. The Londonderry county election is even still more important, as showing the feelings with which the Protestants of Ireland regard that policy of Lord PALMERSTON which seems to have converted some champions of Protestantism in England. At the close of the first day's poll the Conservative candidate, Mr. CLARKE, had a majority over his Palmers tonian opponent of 966, having polled nearly double the votes given in favour of Mr. r; Apik ...... These elections are significant facts, and indi cate much improbability that the Palmerstonian party will gain any great accession of strength by the announced dissolution. They should inspire our Conservative friends in all parts of the United Kingdom with spirit, and prompt them to use the most vigorous means to secure the triumph of their principles. LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1857. THE readers of THE PRESS will feel no surprise at the division of Tuesday night. We had prepared them for the fall of Lord PALMERSTON. We had said it was impossible that he could maintain his position—not because the House of Commons was factious, but because he was unprincipled. In his short ministry he has shown not only that he was contemptuous of great public ends, but that he was unable to comprehend them. By a lavish abuse of the great patronage at the command of the Prime Minister :ILIIOW . compelled violent, Ahey.might With himself matures. Minis of talent .4epen,_ _ Whig and young place-hunters crowd the Ministerial 'benches to the exclusion of every man of high reputation or signal promise. For what purpose is a " penal dissolution " to take place at the commencement of the session, when the Queen is confined to her palace, and hostilities, which the House of Commons has decisively condemned, are raging at the other extremity of the globe ? That a Premier of seventy-three may be maintained in power, and that such great Ministers as a Wood, a Grey, a Lewis, a Labouchere, and a Vernon Smith, may be rewarded for their devotion to his will by a new lease of office, or at least by another three months' continuance in place. When dissolutions have before been re sorted to on extraordinary occasions, some great questions have been before the public 'wl►ich it was necessary they should decide. Either principles of policy or important legis lative measures were at stake. But Lord PAL mansros has no principles of policy to set :forth ; no great legislative changes to propose In plain terms, Parliament will be dissolved, that Ministers may keep their places. The only public ground that can be alleged for the abrupt dismissal of the Commons is the question on which the Premier was de feated. Parliament is to be dissolved, then, that Sir JOHN BOWRING may remain Governor of Hong Kong—that those cruel and barbarous hostilities from which every truly Christian mind must shrink with horror, and which can never be justified, except in cases of last resort and extreniest necessity, may be rati fied by the approval of the British nation. The people are to be appealed to, as the Morning Post declares, that Lord PALMERSTON may triumph over Commissioner Ysi, and be n a position to fulfil his threat to sweep pures) Satan reproving sin does not involve grosser contradiction and hypocrisy than Lord PAL MERSTON inveighing against combination. For the half-century of his political life he bas been constantly combining with men and parties, with no other object in view than the supremely selfish one of securing place for himself. He was justly described by Mr. DISRAELI as the " archetype of political corn " binations without avowed principles." This facility which was favourable to his retention of a subordinate place in successive Governments is fatal to the continuance of his power at the head of the State. A Palmers tonian party made up of Liberals who pre tend Reform as a stepping-stone to preferment, and of the most obstinate and bigoted oppo nents of all progress, can never stand. Let the next House of Commons be composed as it may, the system which Lord PALMERSTON hopes to uphold by a dissolution must fall His invectives against combination recoil on his own head. It is impossible to conceive that a British House of Commons, with its illustrious traditions, and with the command ing ability and sterling integrity sure to be found within its walls, can ever support the most detestable kind of combination—Go• verument without Principle, and Power without Right. THE ELECTIONS OF THE WEEK. THE wondrous telegraphic despatches con taining testimonies in favour of Lord PALMERS TON, with which the Ministerial journals have this week been crowded, stand in cdrious con trast to the results of this week's elections. After a warm contest in East Sussex, Lord PEVENSEY, the Conservative candidate, has been returned in opposition to the Govern peopit. oily. quence, at least, will certainly ensue from our recent debates. The necessity of fixing our Imperial Policy on a basis so firm that no future Palmerston, or underlings of the Bow ring nature, can commit our country's name, will be forced upon the consideration of our rulers ; and we have no doubt that when our IMPERIAL POLICY becomes the subject of con centrated public attention, the result will be worthy of the English people. Now, the course of Viscount PALMERSTON has no precedent in the Imperial Policy of England. The policy of Lord PALMERSTON has stained our name, and gained for its promoter the reputation of " the Captain Rock of Chris " tendom." The appellation is suggestive of menace and concealment, beginning with blus ter and ending with blood. Lord PALMERSTON stands alone amongst our living statesmen in advocating that policy. Before contrasting his views with those of his adversaries, let us mark the tone and language employed by the Prime Minister of England_on Tuesday night. To judge from —ouli inferred that Lord Englishmen kne%,, people, and that the them was that the the Patagonians menced with an then proceeded to in the following sty: " ter of this YK it' ? " barbarians that ever coutrasts the virtues Sir JOHN BOWRING whose " flagitious ipt read of further ,t. Again - again _ changes were rang upon " flagitious false " hood." It is then improved into " flagitious " Chinese falsehood." Then we aro threatened _ 11. y Ull Cl/A11t1.15 na Ws .4.1.11/ll toll•J 11111/140 ,ra .../ . 7 aura ..as., ter he has endeavoured to create a per- most distinguished and principled men of his CHINA AND OUR IMPERIAL POLICY. following. He has repudiated the tra- party, who on Tuesday evening preferred wit heartily' ', not on l y l er t h e eau of Ls of Whig and Tory, of Conservative and rather to vote with the Opposition than to ~; . .4 : • , •:ii violate their sincere convictions !We have 44 * i D . itifilfo" 4 " ll 2 i i al, in order that he might create a new • . ~ . .. . . • - / elsewhere commented on the weight of the ADA 1141 4 ,11* Of mu . AAR - . r . . . —a party of Palmerstoniaus—who should • Liberal names found in the list of the ma- pile , that ~the thirii AttiatO 4061 Mall- . f no other principle than his will, ahcf be jority. Almost every one of them will be treed with Nisi splensiid simple DDite 'VW in. ft • oiled to approve all his measures, however recognised by the _public as the repre- telligence of the land will not bosatiefledwith 0 it, however unjust, and however corrupt sentative of a principle or a sentiment ~ earnestly supported by influential sections mere-Rem sal of the brilliant oratsons delivered might be. of the community. Is it not perfectly mon- during the last week. The empire otrEngland, *1 th this object in view, ho has surrounded strous to suppose that factious motives and what policy will be best for its preserve- elf with the most supple and servile could have brought together the highest in ) res. Never was there a Ministry, or a tellect, the keenest intelligence, and the tion, will be discussed with ardour andenlight- .s , -.......L. sterial following, so destitute of ori g inal purest principle from both sides of the House? ened curiosity by the wisest a nd most thou g ht - t and independent mind. Old Whig hacks Satan reproving sin does not involve grosser i ful people in the community. One conse- his speech, one would have PALmEasTos believed that w nothing of the Obi • the current .. 4 . • ie Chinese 7 " 7. - • or the Moh - attack on M 7 rr~ m to abuse the Chi . • ityle —" Wha ? He is one of A•it ever disgraced.a. , ';' l- 11/•• 54 tues and Chri Iso with " s attempt at imposition we on. Again and again the V I