The Press. — London, England, 1854-07-15 00:00:00

JULY 15, 1854. from this line (or rather a separate trunk-line joining it) carried in a south-westerly direc tion to Bombay ; (3) various small lines within the Bombay Presidency, meant to facilitate the transport of goods, especially from and to the cotton-growing districts; (4) the junction with one of these lines of a line from Madras, bringing that Presidency and Bombay into direct communication. Of the above works, the first and most important—namely, that connecting Calcutta with the north-west fron tier—is ordered to be commenced simulta neously in various places, with a view to com pletion at the earliest possible period. The others, from want of sufficient surveys, remain plans only, but plans sanctioned by the govern ing body, and for the carrying out of which, accordingly, an ample security is given. The mode of construction is announced to be the following—namely, by private com panies, under the supervision of Govern ment, which guarantees interest at four per cent. on the capital subscribed. The Direc tors do not apprehend that this guarantee will have an injurious effect on private enterprise. The profit thus secured to shareholders is small ; they are naturally desirous to increase it; thus personal care on their parts may be expected ; while the power of official superintendence and control is re garded as an additional pledge for the good execution of the works. The only line opened in Bengal—that to Allahabad—con firms these favourable anticipations. It has cost only 9,0001. per mile, which is about the average cost of construction in the United States; that cost in England being usually computed at 40,0001. per mile, law and parlia mentary expenses included. In the works now sanctioned economy is recommended ; the rate of speed and frequency of transit being made wholly subordinate to this consideration. This is well; but how far will the practice correspond with the theory thus laid down ? Colonel Corrores- warnings ought not to be forgotten. " Improve the natural communica " tions which India already possesses," says that practical and earnest reformer. " When " this is done it will be time enough to talk of " high•speed railroads." We ourselves confess a doubt whether the number of native travellers by rail will ever be large. It depends on the relative values of time and money whether many persons adopt this mode of transit or not. In India the poor man's time is worth very little—from 11d. to 3d. a day : he will, therefore, prefer to make a week's journey on foot rather than expend a fort. night's wages in reaching his destination within six hours. Of wealthy natives the number, thanks to our policy, diminishes yearly ; to them the loss of time is immaterial, for they pass their lives in doing nothing; and, though willing to pay largely for any object which they may fancy valuable, they will hesitate to make the sacrifice of dignity which in their eyes railway travelling involves. Who, then, will be the passengers ? Only, we believe, Europeans, and here and there a rich Parsee, or Hindoo, trader. It is as a means of reducing military expenses by making the army more disposable—as a means of reducing commercial expenses by facilitating the trans port of goods—and in these two respects only— that Indian railroads are likely to pay. Let this certainty—for to such it amounts—be borne in mind ; and let the wise warning of the Directors to study economy, irrespective of speed, be practically acted upon by the con structing companies. Without these precau tions the great Indian experiment will prove only a costly failure. THE MINISTRY AND THE SESSION. Ir has become a tedious, but it may not be a wholly useless, task to recount the failures and disasters that within the last few months have befallen the Aberdeen Administration. None can forget with what rapturous applause its. formation was hailed by a large section of the press. A political millennium, we were told, was at hand. The reign of pure reason had begun. Party—that exploded invention of a bygone age, " the madness of the many for the gain of the few "—was to be henceforth a THE PRESS. name unknown. War had been extinguished, and the pacification of all nations ensured (so these same journalists wrote) by the Exhibition of '5l; now domestic feuds were to cease, and the foundations of an enduring Government had been laid, on principles im perfectly developed by Sir R. PEEL, in his lifetime, but faithfully preserved by his politi cal successors. So the oracles spoke ; and though 411 men wondered, and some ventured to doubt, yet the hold prediction met in gene ral with little open dissent. It need not be added that those who questioned its fulfilment were treated with the courtesy usually shown to heretics by professors of an orthodox creed. The idea of an opposition to Lord ABERDEEN'S Government seemed too ridiculous to merit serious notice. Ministerial organs teemed with panegyric, almost fulsome in its exagge ration, of the individuals lately charged with the conduct of affairs. The brilliancy of the Duke of NEWCASTLE, the business talents of Mr. S. HERBERT, the vivacious eloquence of Mr. CARDWELL, the manly frankness and decided views of Mr. GLADSTONE, each received their due 'need of praise. Even the Whigs came in fora share. "Next to genius," said a wit, " is the power of seeing where true genius " lies ;" and, if Lord JOHN RUSSELL had in his own person failed as a minister, he had at least expiated his faults by a judicious and graceful humility. The rival of PEEL—his victor in more than one pitched battle—he whose earlier adoption of free-trade doctrines had precipitated, if it did not cause, the me morable conversion of '46—had descended to hold " a subordinate office under a subordinate " officer" of his old opponent. Past offences might well be forgotten after such an atone ment. Lord JOHN could not be gratified with an office ; but he was allowed the nominal lead of the Commons, under supervision by Lord PALMERSTON and Mr. GLADSTON E ; and even the leading organ, which had uniformly opposed his policy and discredited his Government, now relaxed its enmity so far as to patronise him from time to time. Rarely has a political section, numeri cally insignificant, and destitute of perma nent parliamentary influence, occupied so influential a position as that of the Peelites when they first met Parliament in 1853. Could they have retained that position it would have been the most memorable triumph on record : as it is, they have not only failed amidst the disappointment of friends and the derision of the people, but by their failure have involved Europe in war, and thrown a fresh load of debt on the already overburdened resources of this country. Thehollowness of the Coalition did notmake itself felt at once. Fora while the unquestioned talent of some of his supporters, the ab• sence of rivalry, and the injury inflicted on the Derbyite party by its recent defeat, gave Lord ABERDEEN the command of the Commons. It may almost be affirmed that they kept it to the end of the session. Reform had been judiciously postponed. Foreign affairs did not yet suggest to inexperienced observers any idea more alarming than that of a pro longed, perhaps troublesome, diplomatic im broglio. The succession tax, however unjust, was popular out of doors. Even the wretched India Bill, condemned on all hands, passed its second reading by a majority which seemed not only to defy, but to annihilate, opposition. When Parliament closed its sittings not much had been done ; but the prestige of the Minis try remained intact, and their promises to "bring in a bill next year," though freely tendered in lieu of present legislation, were accepted, without much distrust. A single error had been committed, and it was repaired without delay. Messrs. SADLEIR, MONSELL, and KEOGH, offended by the sturdy Protestantism of Lord JOHN RUSSELL'S speech, had made a demonstration of resigning office. But Lord JOHN was snubbed, the malcontents were coaxed back, not needing much solicita ' tion, and an opportunity was taken of ostenta tiously repeating the coalition principle, "that " complete agreement in opinion between " members of the same Government is imma " terial, and need not be expected." Thus the incident, which at first sight seemed un fortunate, became a means of proclaiming the supremacy of the Peelite interest, and of ad• 651 ditionally conciliating the " Brigade." The curtain dropped amidst general applause, and anticipations of more extended triumph. We concede all this willingly ; for our case rests on facts, and we should be sorry to weaken it by undue depreciation of any real success which our opponents may have gained. The prorogation in August last was the culminating point of the Coalition career. From that hour to the present all has been vacillation, quay• relling, confusion—danger impending abroad, anarchy triumphant at home. Parliament, with no principle predominant and no leader supreme, has presented the strange spectacle of an assembly entrusted with executive func • tions, at a momentous crisis, and while itself suffering from chronic disorganisation. Minis ters, unable to agree, unable to govern, afraid to appeal to the country, and unwilling to resign, talk feebly of " carrying on the war," — a war which the Premier and the Chancellor of the Exchequer equally, and notoriously, disapprove. The whole history of Lord ABER DEEN, during the last eleven months, is a practical treatise on the art of sinking. Let us recount, with the dry brevity and pre cision of a chronicle, the Ministerial mishaps. Seven measures of great importance were announced in the Queen's speech of January 31, 1854. Rarely has a more pompous pro gramme been submitted to the nation—with what result the following catalogue will show : (1.) Reform of parliamentary representation. Introduced; second reading postponed under pretext of taking Irish and Scotch Reform Bills along with the English; finally aban doned, after threats of resignation from Lord JOHN RUSSELL, which were not retracted until within a few hours of the decision being an nounced in Parliament. (2.) Bills to disfranchise corrupt voters in certain towns. Withdrawn after much useless discussion. (3.) Plan for reorganising the civil service in such a manner as to give a virtual control over all administrative affairs. Understood to be framed by Sir C. TREVZLTAN, and indus triously " written up " by the Times, but scouted on all hands, and never even dis cussed in Parliament. (4.) Testamentary Jurisdiction Bill. Care fully framed by the legal advisers of the Go vernment, and kept a full year for consideration. Withdrawn on a threat of opposition from a private member. (5.) University Reform Bill for Cambridge, intended, but dropped. Oxford Bill entirely recast in the Commons, many clauses being added and many more struck out. Subse quently altered again in the Lords. This bill has been printed five times, and differs alto gether from that originally introduced. Three important and several minor defeats were sus tained by Government during the progress of this measure through the Commons. (O.) Alteration of law of settlement and abolition of removals. Postponed, against the will of Government, in consequence of a misunderstanding. Ministers beaten on ques tion of postponement (March 27) by 209 to 183. (7.) Coasting trade opened to foreign vessels. This, a necessary result of the na vigation-law repeal of 11449, passed without opposition from any quarter. Making five complete failures, one partial failure, and one success. In addition to thew officially announced measures we have the follcwing, proposed by Government, and either rejected or with drawn : Oaths Bill. Lost by 251 to 247—minority, 4. (May 25.) Scotch Education Bill. Lost by 9 votes -193 to 184. (May 12.) Police Bill (Lord Palmerston's). Withdrawn in consequence of threatened opposition. Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Bill. Withdrawn by the LORD CHANCELLOR in con sequence of the withdrawal of the Testamen tary Jurisdiction Bill in the Commons. Laud and Tenant (Ireland) Bills. With drawn by Sir. J. Yovao, after having passed. the Lords, and been sent to the Commons on the 26th of May last. To enumerate the various occasions on w4lek; Ministers have suffered defeat would pesimpiy, L will hesit which in Who, thei believe, I Parsee, of of reduci, army MOT commerci port of gc that Ind this cert borne in the Direc speed, Is strutting Lions the only a co THE A Ir has bi wholly us disasters befallen can forg forinati oi press. Was at h begun. bygone 1 the gain PI); r$ - -,.-; :' 6 1.," ' . it L I . , ..