The Press. — London, England, 1858-09-25 00:00:00

~..___ . ..., „,,,, , ____ i ____, z ~ g _,_ t ilti,a; ME ■ VoL. VI. LONDON , SATURDAY , SEPTEMBER 2,1858 • STAMPED SIXPENCE. UNSTAMPED FIVEPENCE No. 282. are the facts out of which a story has be en manufactured that filled the Journalist Commu nity of Europe with agitation, and made the friends of Lord PALMERSTON dream dreams and see visions. We cannot conceive how all these good people could have been so taken in. They must have had a curious alacrity in believing, and been as eager to be imposed upon as Andreas Mag the baker, who thought to make his fortune in German lotteries. Surely, after this specimen of their own credulity, this portion of the public, at all events, will have no right to laugh at those of their fellow-creatures who put faith in the Winking Virgin of Rimini, or the Lady of Salette. It is not surprising that in Austria, where the greatest jealousy prevails of any competition with the Austrian Lloyds, there should have been great anxiety felt at this advance of Russian navigation, and that an attempt should have been made by exaggerated and distorted represen tations of the true state of the case to create a strong feeling upon the subject in the minds of the other European Powers a nd their population adverse to Russia ; but it is odd that expe rienced politicians should have seen through the glass held up to them so darkly, and that they should have failed to detect through it the "canard." It is perfectly natural that Russia, in her altered political and commercial position, should seek to obtain a share in the carrying trade and commerce of the Mediterra nean. Such a course is the inevitable conse quence of our having deprived her of the monopoly of the Black Sea, and of our having thrown it open to all nations, to their ships, to their traders, and to their commercial and political agents. Surely it is hardly com petent to the Powers who have done this to insist upon the Mediterranean being invested with that close character of which they have made it one of the main stipulations of a Treaty consequent upon a successful war that the Black Sea should be deprived. As an aid to commercial enterprize we see no reason to regard the coal-sheds of Villafranca with the slightest apprehension, and we are quite sure that we may trust, even had we a less vigilant Foreign Minister, to the strong common interest which England, France, and Austria have in the matter for care that the commercial station shall not be converted into a political lodgment. But, then, the public is told by the organ of Lord PALMERSTON that "in the days that we have seen " Russia never would have attempted such an advance into the southern seas of Europe. The thing has been projected and done, because Russia knows that now a faineant rules at the Foreign-office of England. Audacity of asser tion is a great matter, but such superlative auvlacity as this defeats its purpose. Surely these good people think the public remember as dimly as they themselves perceive. If the Minister who in a few days disposed, with honour E't Vress. LONDON, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1858. THE VH.LAFRANCA CANARD AND HOW IT LOOKS NOW. THE Villafranca coal-shed was to be the point d'appui for the lever by which Lord DERBY'S Government was to be hoisted out of its position, and Mr. CONINGHAM, M.P. for Brighton, was to be the man who was to in state Lord PALMERSTON in the vacant place. So, at least, we gather front the articles that have appeared in the Morning Post. The un fortunate point d'appui has disappeared in a quicksand, and the exulting artificers are left staring with astonishment, and lamenting. What a pity they did not examine the ground a little before they fell foul of Lord MALMES BURY, and glorified themselves with remem brances of the bygone foreign administration of Lord PALMERSTON, or indulged, like Justice Shallow, in jovial exclamations about " the days that they had seen." We need not now, at the close of a week, enter into a detailed refutation of this absurd report and the futile comments which have been wasted upon it by eager journalists who jumped at the bait that some of their brethren on the other side of the Channel had cast upon the water with as rabid an appetite and as little consideration as a lean and hungry trout does at the first artificial Mayfly which the wily fisher throws over his nose. Thetpublic has already learnt from the daily papers hat there has been no lease of Villafranca by Sardinia to Russia, and that the transaction amounts to no more than this, that Sardinia has given permission to the Russian Steam Navigation Company, which has been established in opposition to the Aus trian Lloyds, to use the port for coaling and for stores. That Steam Yavigation Com pany is conducted, like our own undertakings of a similar character, by a body of share holders, and the Russian Government, as is their universal custom, have given support to the enterprize by taking a large number of shares in it. Their connection, however, is commercial and not political. As is the cus tom of our own Government with regard to the mail packets, the Russian Government stipulates as an equivalent for its support that the steamers shall be made capable of carrying guns and of being converted, if circumstances should render it necessary, into vessels of war, and no doubt there may be found in the employ of the Company many of the naval officers - whom our destruction of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea has effectually shelved. These to England and credit to France, of the embran glement between the two nations which Lord. CLARENDON created and Lord PALMERSTON had been pottering over for weeks, is a faineant, what are they ? And if Lord. MALMESBURY, who, in a few weeks after his accession to office, obtained from Naples re lease and full indemnity for the British subjects illegally seized and imprisoned under the Admi nistration of Lord PALMERSTON, who had for months neglected their case and sluggishly and feebly paltered with the rights of England,—if Lord MALMESBURY, we say, who did all this with this rapidity, actual as well as comparative, be a fainéant, what, we ask, is Lord PALMERS TON ? If these be the performances of a faineant, all we can say is, let us have him by all means in the capacity of Minister. His sluggishness is like that of the Black Knight, Le Noir Faineant, in " Ivanhoe," and we much prefer it to that kind. of bastard activity of which the chief effect is to make the water perpetually boil and to keep the Nation always in it. REFORM OF PARLIAMENT. IN the varied suggestions which are daily pat forth on this subject, their authors generally appear to be guided by one grand principle, — we might almost say, by one alone. They seem to be of opinion if they can but show that those whom they would enfranchise are individuals in a position of life to give them a fair claim to the franchise, that that is all that is necessary to be done in order to entitle them to it. " Behold," it is said by the Everting Star, " the loyal and decorous conduct of the men at Leeds, " when the barriers were broken down, and the " mob found themselves in the august presence " of their Sovereign; so far from any advantage " being taken by them topress rudely round " her, the most practised courtiers could not " have treated her with greater delicacy and " respect. And ough t not," it is asked, " such " an incident to have told upon the mind of the " Premier, and taught him that men, who could " 90 conduct themselves, and could so honour the " majesty of the living representative of the " Constitution, were men fit to be trusted with " the franchise, and to have a voice in selecting its " guardians ? " Now, we yield to no man in the high opinion which we entertain of many of the singularly able and clever men who are interspersed amongst the working classes, and we are very sure that we have found amongst them those who enter tain wiser and nobler views of State policy, both foreign and domestic, than very many of those who now figure as members of the Legis lature. It is with no intention, therefore, of di s paraging the character of fellow-subjects, that more is necessary, in nate admission to the merely to show that . racters are such as render Those who clamour and what they call who, not going quite . advocate such an extension lracter of that class of our we affirm that a great deal y ? a order to their ' . 6 . - x - m, . : he elective tin . . ~ . t , 2 0 . iat their po • o - ___,, ender them fi ~ Ila .._ ,:::. , i i )ur for ann • :it... 1 . ".. ' l ll6 "4 manhood su' a... i':" ? • '-:11, -- Lfite that 1e...41..:' • , -P,Or-':':litai ~S) aten.sion of 4 - - ... i,''''''''' """':., ';' 4 l; ;"" :i ....., ' , -71wAiroW tn E- 1 LI 1..1 -`, 4 - Ni` .. 4 • •