The Press. — London, England, 1854-08-19 00:00:00

~ _. ' _ 780 rx~:'q~! --.~-F , SATURDAY, THE PRESS. The political incident engrossing attention just now is a formal note issued from the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER'S office, addressed to omnibus proprietors, and signed " Francis Lawley " Important State papers have received much less attention than this little cote. Every one conceived, after the Lawley debate in the Commons, that Mr. LAWLEY'S official career was closed for a time at least. Here was a secretary engaged, as his chief related, in most important and con fidential communication with the Bank of England, the Customs, and other great departments, who endeavoured to turn his knowledge to account by speculating on the Stock Exchange. The transaction was universally condemned ; but, though not pure enough for a post in Au stralia, he is quite pure enough, it seems, to remain Mr. GLADSTONE'S pri vate secretary. There were persons who, from the first, insinuated that Mr. LAWLEY'S extensive transactions were not on his own account alone. His reappearance as Mr GLADSTONE'S secretary gives colour to this report. The public is not deemed worthy the deference which was paid to Parliament. Till the last day of the session Mr. GLADSTONE was his own private secretary—as soon as it was over Mr. LAWLEY resumes his confidential duties. From the Baltic and the Black Sea the accounts still tell more of preparation than action. Bomarsund, we learn, is closely invested, and its fate, from the vast superiority of the attacking force, cannot be doubtful. But the defence is gallantly protracted. The most con siderable of the towers was taken by the French on Monday last after four hours' fighting. The garrison is not supposed to exceed 3,000 or 4,000 men, yet the besieged made a sortie. Though driven back, the exploit was creditable to Russian gallantry. The grand assault, with scaling-ladders, was ordered, it is said, for Tuesday last. When success is achieved the prize will be considerable in prisoners, guns, and stores. But with this exploit operations will terminate for the season. If it be resolved to hold the place through the winter the troops may possibly be exposed to attack by a vastly superior force, without hope of timely succour. In any case it does not seem how the possession of the fort, with its islands, can exercise any important influence on the general charactej. of the war. From the Black Sea we hear that the great expedition would probably be ready to sail on the 9th or 10th. Decisive intelligence, however, is still wanting. The able commanders of the allied forces, no doubt, have taken due measure of the enterprise they have resolved on, but every one, while entertaining the highest respect for their skill and ability, must regard with apprehension the departure of this expe dition, considering what overwhelming forces may soon be arrayed against it. The best ground for hope is that the fleets, by the superior range of their guns and weight of metal, may be able to attack the forts to advantage, and compel the Russian ships to come out or submit to capture. On the land side a battle, or series of battles, would appear to be inevitable. We have assumed here that there is really an intention to attack Sebastopol, but, after all, the expedition may be destined for some other point. The intentions of Austria remain uncertain. Her diplomacy has served her admirably, and her attitude of armed neutrality commands the respect of every State of Europe. Her troops still wait on the frontiers of the Principalities for the order to advance. The line of the Danube is clear of belligerents, and the conflict between Turks and Russians in that quarter is, for the time, over. Negotiations between Austria and Russia are still iu progress, and the Vienna Conference is once more to assemble. In Asia the Russians report another success by General WRATMEL over the Turks at Bejezid. This account states that 3,000 Turks were killed, and two camps, with a few guns and colours, captured. The intelligence from Spain is unfavourable, and even alarming. ESPARTERO, it is feared, has not strength of character to deal with the wild spirits which revolt has evoked. The threatened proceedings against the Queen Mother are really aimed at the Crown, and the dynasty is undeniably in danger. At Biarritz the Emperor NAPOLE ow, leading a purely domestic life with his Empress, observes narrowly, but with his habitual reserve, the proceedings on the other side of the Pyrenees. French statesmen declare openly that no movement can be permitted in Spain likely to disturb the tranquillity of France. The probability of French inter vention in some shape becomes therefore continually more probable. The Empress appears to have quite recovered her health, and bathes on the beach daily. A castle is in course of erection under the eye of NAPOLEON. The Empress expressed a wish for a reoidence in so charm ing a place, and instantly a crowd of artificers and soldiers were set to work, who swarmed on the destined site like emmets, presenting a strange aspect of busy disorder to the spectator at some distance. The work is progressing with the speed of magic. The festivities in Paris this week were on a vast and splendid scale, but the most remarkable circumstance connected with them was the immense multitude of human beings, who, without let or hindrance, congregated in the wide open spaces offering most attraction to sight seers. In view of that countless multitude, all orderly and peaceable, the reply of the Emperor to the address of the clergy at Biarritz could not he doubted " that France, calm and happy, no longer enter " tains those fears which oblige the head of the State to be constantly " armed, and on the qui vice in his capital." While speaking of France, it is impossible to omit mentioning the dissatisfaction expressed by the friends of the Emperor, on a subject too delicate for more than slight allusion. Our Cabinet, they say, does not take the most effectual means of cementing the Anglo- French alliance, but rather insults France by an ostentatious and njurious res 7= l, ' - THE WEEK. " WHAT is nearest touches us most." In London the cholera has for : the time superseded all other topics in interest. The pestilence has broken out in its most virulent shape, and has proved itself no respector of persons. The noble and wealthy suffer from its ravages as well as the lowly and poor. Tho death of Lord JOYCELYN has produced a painful impression, as, in reviewing the Militia in the Tower he was struck down, in the eloquent language of Lord STANLEY at Lynn, " in the performance of his duty, as much as if he had died on the battle field." The deaths from cholera alone in the metropolis last week were at the rate of 100 per day. The time is singularly ill-chosen for the appointment of Sir BENJAMIN HALL as head of the Board of Health, a feeble Ministry having been induced to place an ignorant and arrogant man at the head of a department of which he can possibly know nothing, to get rid of a troublesome opponent. Mr. CHADWICK, and Dr. SOUTHWOOD Small, whatever might be their faults, knew some thing of sanitary science ; but who knows anything of Sir BENJAMIN HALL, except that he is the proprietor of some ironworks in Wales, that he is M.P. for Marylebone, and that he threatened to give the Ministry some annoyance if his own sense of his imp ortance was not properly appreciated ? The Roman tyrant who made his horse a consul (not a Three per Cent., Sir BENJAMIN) had quite as good reason for his choice as our Government for raising a vestry agitator to preside over our sanitary condition at the present moment. While this improvised Administrator is learning his A B C under the judicious instruction of Mr. ToM TAYLOR, the farce-writer, the cholera is sweeping off its victims by thousands. What the public bad a right to expect was, that, on the dissolution of the old Board, Sir W. MOLESWORTH, or some other Minister, would make himself responsible for the efficient discharge of sanitary duties, and would have summoned to his aid men of acknowledged skill and experience to superintend necessary details As it is, we are horrified at reading that pestilence is nourished in its strongholds by all manner of foul and filthy nuisances. The same return which records between 800 and 900 deaths from cholera and diarrhoea, contains columns of notices such as these : At 9, Patriot-street, on Bth August, a painter, aged 25 years, " tliarrhcea (1 week), cholera (11 hours)." Informant and other neighbours stated that this house is in a shameful condition. The soil from the closet has saturated the ground all over the yard. One family lives in the kitchen, another on the ground floor, where a man lies ill with fever ; a third did live on the floor above, where this case occurred, and whence the wife of the deceased has been removed, also ill with cholera. 6, Edward-street, on oth August, the son of a barman, aged 11 months, ' exhaustion from choleraic diarrhcea." Situated near unfinished buildings ; at the foundations are thrown and remain dead dogs, cats, and even a whole sheep is now lying there, all masses of putrefaction. At 22, Everard - street , on 9 t h Au g ust, son of a mariner, aged 4 years, " cholera (5 days), no premonitory diarrhoea, secondary fever (3 days)." Privies for two rows of houses run into a small drain, which is very frequently overcharged, when the yards are flooded with the contents. A second child ill, and the father recovering from an attack of cholera. It is difficult to understand of what use the Board of Health can be, if nuisances such as these, and hundreds of cases similar or worse might be noted, are allowed to remain unchecked. Another domestic topic, the court-martial on Lieutenant PE nay, has reached, with its conclusion, its culminating point of interest. One is loth to suspect that the officers of a regiment would wilfully forget circumstances essential to the merits of a military investigation. Of course many questions might be put to a witness which he could only properly answer by " I don't recollect," as—What were you about on such a day a year ago ?—Who were you in company with ? &c.; but in this particular case it does happen that cases of short memory have been rectified by written documents, or corrected by other evidence. Thus, there is produced in court a letter from Lieutenant WALDY, who could recollect nothing material, stating, in boyish glee— " These are jolly quarters; lots of women. We have a drag for Ascot, " and are going in grand style," and telling how Captain NICHOLAS, in anything but complimentary language, called an ensign a son of a female dog. Mr. PERRY states in his defence that several officers had been sent abroad whose evidence would have been material to him. This series of courts-martial commenced on the 12th of July, and has con tinued with few intervals to the present date. The view they afford of the interior economy of a regiment is certainly anything rather than satisfactory to civilians, or creditable to the superior officers. The boroughs which were at one time so nearly disfranched have ical activity by the issue of new writs, but they ir the new Bribery Act, to understand an elec. What signification can be attached to blue, ink, without the appropriate symbols? Wit, and lot yet put down by Act of Parliament, and Lord ;LADE, at Cambridge, kept the hustings in a roar - ;e, though by a narrow majority they lost their his loss, two Conservatives have been returned •- • been raised into politica W puziled, under ti • without -Co •urs. 1 t•• .": , , ~..gg, purple A t d pint ' i 3 )20*0 are nc N- .2 ' .;, • c. 4. • . .) , ~ r. oLA iii ... ~,._ ~.• equenc( P .. ' • It a . glance th r • • • I I. 1 M.T