The Press. — London, England, 1856-05-17 00:00:00

opposed the motion of Mr. Felicws on the subject— alleging the too great delicacy and difficulty of the task which would thus be imposed upon the judges. Major• General M'Arthur, Acting Governor, was preserving a strictly neutral policy. He appears to have succeeded in conciliating the good opinion of the people. (font atto Her ttlajesty and the Court left town last Saturday for Osborne, where the Royal Family have remained during the week. Her Majesty on Monday evening went over from Osborne to Portsmouth and inspected the BthHussars, just arrived from the Crimea. Her Majesty was most warmly received by the men. Her Maje - sty lays thefoundation-stone of the new Miliiary Hospital at Southampton on Monday next, at 11 a.m. Prince Frederick William of Prussia is shortly ex pected in London. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, attended by Lady Anna Maria Dawson, I 4 ord James Murray, and Colonel Stephens, honoured the Royal Italian Opera at the Lyceum with her presence, on Tues day evening. Their Royal Highnesses the Princess of Salerno and the Duke and Duchess d'Aumale visited her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent on Wednesday. Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cam bridge and the Princess Mary honoured the per formance of the Royal Italian Opera with their rresence on Thursday evening. Their Royal High nesses occupied the Queen's box, and were accom• psnied by Viscount and Viscountess Newport, and Ludy Caroline Cust. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge also honoured the opera with his presence. General the Honourable Charles Grey, bearing her Majesty's acknowledgment of Baron Brunow's _ _ . notification, left. the Court on the 12th, for St. I'e. tersbarg. The Duke and Duo;less of Northumberland gave a grand banquet on Wednesday evening to a select circle of the leading nobility at Northumberland house. His Excellency Lord Cowley left town on Tuesday, to resume his post at Paris. The Right Honourable B. Disraeli and Mrs. Disraeli lest town on Saturday for Hughenden. Viscount Palmerston left town on Saturday for Brighten. Lord Dalhousie arrived in H.M. steam-frigate Tribune, 30, at Portsmouth on Tuesday from Malta. His Excellency was too unwell to tranship at Spit head into the steam-tender of Vice-Admiral Sir George Seymour (the Commander-in-Chief), who went out to meet him, but the Tribune went along side of Portsmouth Dockyard, and disembarked the ex-Governor-General of India more comlortably. He remained at the George Hotel on Tuesday night, and arrived in town at Claridge's, accompanied by his daug'uter, in the siburse of Wednesday. plittral. LORD STANLEY AT LYNN. LORD STANLEY, M.P., on Wednesday last, addressed a large and enthusiastic meeting of his constituents upon the present aspect of foreign and domestic politics. The treaty of peace, he thought, had been received with satisfaction, though without enthu siasm, and, judging from the dispnsition of the foreign powers, he believed there was reason to hope for a continuance of peace. The general course of foreign policy to be pursued by this country was plain : No doubt there were cases, such as those of some of the present Italian Governments, where the acts of cruelty perpetrated in the name of law justified--even demanded— remonstrance by foreign countries, on the ground of corn. won humanity ; others, again, like that of Sardinia, where we were bound to protect a faithful ally ; but, as a general rule, he was opposed to much interference iii the internal affairs of foreign countries, because, amongst other reasons, it afforded despotic Governments their best excuse for keeping up the immense standing armies which gave them the power of doing mischief. England was eminently a colonising power, and her duty lay in destroying abuses, not by direct attack, but by offering to the world an irresistible attraction in an example of happiness and freedom under con stitutional government. With respect to our domestic policy, the nJble lord thought it was premature to speak of financial reform until the war expenses were paid, but he believed that the insurance and paper duties might well he remitted, even at the cost of a higher income tax than would be otherwise necessary. Parliamentary reform ahould either be effectually carried out, or not attempted . No small measure could or ought to pass ; and no Government ought to take up that subject unless they de termined to stand or fall by tt. It we intolerable that THE PRESS. Minister should be enabled to keep an agitation hanging over the country merely because his party was dissatisfied and he wished to content them. Education, as well as parliamentary reform, he believed must be deferred, but there was no cause for discouragement, as sooner or later the country would adopt a sound system of school teaching. There were three great questions yet remaining, viz., army reform, administrative reform, and the amendment of the law. With respect to the first, he was of opinion that no expense should be grudged in training, every means should be used to develop the scientific branch of the service, and, above all, so much work given to officers in the discharge of their ordi nary duties that the profession should be really a working one, and not a mere excuse for wearing a red coat. With regard to the purchase of commis sions, his lordship said that the system had no parailel either in other countries or in other branches of the public service in this : It was anomalous in theory, unjust between man and man, and the principle on which alone it could be defended would also justify the selling of judgeships and secretaryships of state. Its one sole defence was that the abolition of purchase would put too much patronage into the hands of the Government. But the patronage of the civil service had been taken from Government, some branches of the military service had been opened to com petition ; a numerous force was not required; and, further, a fixed proportion of commissions might be given away to the eons of deserving officers. If the social class from which officers were taken were changed by this measure to any great extent, it would be a mistortune—a constitu tional danger. An army whose officers solely depended upon the Crown for means of subsistence might become a dangerous instrument in the hands of an unscrupulous Government against the people. But he believed that result was quite out of the question ; the army was never a lucrative profession ; it afforded, during peace, very little scope for ambition, it was apt to lead to habits of expense, and the education required for it was costly to obtain ; it was not likely therefore to be selected by parents of the least wealthy classes. With respect to the civil service, the noble lord de clared himself in favour of a competitive test., be cause it excluded absolute inefficiency or favoritism, and carried out the idea of a❑ open career for all. On law reform he reiterated his opinions in favour of a consolidation of the statute law, the revision of the marl iage law, and the abolition of the ecclesisktical courts. The address of the noble lord was warmly cheered, and a vote of thanks unanimously carried, with three time three. Rlttrouolitan. LORD DALHOUSIE'S PENSION. A SPECIALCOURT OF PROPRIETORS was held at the East India-house on Wednesday, to consider the ques tion of granting a ension of 5,0001. a year to Lord Dalhousie. Colonel SYKES, the chairman, in proposing the resolution, in a speech of some length pointed out the various improvements made in our Indian em • pire since Lord Dalhousie's government. The in troduction of railroads and electric telegraphs—the vast sums laid out in public works during the last three years, upwards of 8,000,0001. sterling—the in stitution of a cheap postage, and the completion of tho Ganges Canal, dc. in fine, an increased trade, a rising revenue, an enlarged empire, and universal prosperity, according to Colonel Sykes, marked the re sult of Lord Dalhousie's administration; and, although these successes comprised not a tenth part of his labours, he trusted that sufficient had been stated to insure the admiration, the sympathy, and the gratitude of the court, and concluded by moving that the resolution of the Court of Directors be confirmed. Mr. II AN(II.F.S, M.P., seconded the motion. Mr. LEWIN opposed the motion. Ha thought that a salary of 25,0(101. a year, with a fine palace to live in, and travelling and other expenses paid, sufficient remuneration. The principle of annexation on which Lord Dalhousie had acted was opposed to the views of some of the greatest men who had ever taken part in the government of India, including among others Lcrd Mountstewart Elphinstone, Sir Thomas Munroe, Sir George Clerk, Sir John Mal colm, and Lord Ellenborough. He added that his own opinion was, that that system of annexation had created a feeling of dissatisfaction and distrust from one end of India to the other, and he seriously apprehended that in the end it would lead to the loss of the empire. Mr. SI:TON KARR, in a highly eulogistic speech, characterised the government of L or d Dalhousie as displaying marvellous ability, energy, and success. There was nothing difficult which Lord Dalhousie did not render more easy, crooked which he did not make straight, intricate that he did not unravel, and vast or extensive that he did not embrace. The hon. proprietor eulogised the administration of Lord Dalhousie at much greater length in eloquent and set terms, and called upon the court, in conclusion, to 611104011 the propos' under consideration. • SATURDAY, Mr. JONES, in a speech of much length, a great deal of vigour, and some point, proposed an amend ment to the effect that the reasons assigned for the grant of this pension to Lord Dalhousie were not sufficient to justify the Company in parting with such a sum of money kora property which did not belong to them. Dr. - BEATTIE briefly supported the original motion. Major RATHBONE opposed the motion on the ground, among others, that, at a time when they were proposing this pension to Lord Dalhousie, there was in the revenues of the Company a large and increas ing deficiency which must aureately Je paid out of the pockets of the people of England ; and that the unani mity evinced by the public journals and by members of the House of Lords of opposite politics against the proposal was a sufficient indication that it was wrong. He defended the native character, and denied that much or anything had been done really for the good of the country or people by Lord Dalhousie, who sought only to advance theinterests of the Government. Moreover, the grant of a pension for past services was clearly a question for the Home Government to de cide. It was without the province of that court. He criticised severely the annexation of the Punjab, Nagpore, and Oude—incontestably proving that none of them paid—exposed the cruelties and injustice committed in each ca , :e, and contended, with respect to the postage, telegraphic, and other boasted reforms of Lord DBlhousie's administration, that they were the inevitable results of an advancing civilisation, and would have been brought about whether his lordship had been Governor-General or not. Sir JANES HOOO replied in favour of the motion. He denied that annexation was spoliation ; for, if that argument were true, they ought to abandon the country altogether. He considered that Lord Dal housie was a well-chosen man ; and that was tha secret of the good government of India. The gover nors-general were the marked men of Europe. It was for the Crown to bestow titles. The East India Company could only give such a grant as this, and he could not believe that the court would hesitate to agree to it. Mr. SERGEANT GAZELEE moved an adjournment, which was put and negatived, and the original motion, conferring the pension, carried by a large majority. The debate lasted five hours. PROHIBITION OF THE PERFORNIANCE BY THE BANDS ON SUNDAY. THE Protestant Alliance held its annual general meet ing on Monday, in Exeter-hall. Lord Shaftesbury pre sided, and in his opening address spoke earnestly of the rapid progress of Protestantism in Roman Catholic countries, and eulogised the people of Sardinia for resisting the assumptions of Popery. The noble lord then alluded to the state of religion in this country, and with reference to the performance by the bands in the parks on Sundays stated that : ■ On Saturday the Archbishop of Canterbury addressed a letter to Lord Palmerston, pointing out the violation of the feelings of the people caused by the playing of the bands in the parks on Sunday, the evil effects which this had produced, and was likely to produce, iu the minds of the people, and imploying the Premier to reconsider his decision. Lord Palmerston replied to this appeal that his only in tention in permitting the band to play in the parks on Sundays was to give the people an innocent and healthy recreation between the hours of Divine of rvice, and in the hope of keeping the working men out of the alehouses; bat that as he found his plan had been received with so great repugnance. that as there was, at all events, so much difference of opinion, and that as even the working people themselves appeared to bo indifferent on the subject, al though he retained his own views and opinions—although these remained unchanged, yet, in deference to public opinion, and to the religions feelings of the community, he would order that the playing of the bands on Sunday should be discontinued. This announcement was received with loud cheers by the audience. The report was then read, by which it appeared the society's efforts had been highly successful during the past year in every portion of the world, while the funds were in a satisfactory, though very low, condition. The report having been adopted, the meeting was addressed by the Rev. Dr. Cumming, Mr. P. F. Q.C., the Rev. W. R. Fremantle, Mr. O. H. Davis, the Rev. C. Press, and other gentlemen, on Maynooth, nunneries, and the present state of Italy. In connection with this announcement we may observe that orders have been issued to stop all further performance by the bands. Snt EDMUND LYONS presided, on Tuesday, at the annual meeting at Hanover-square Rooms of the supporters of the Sailors' Orphan Girls' School. The report—by which it appeared that eleven children of sailors killed in the late war had been admitted int' the institution during the past year, and that 3,6541. were in hand—having been read, and various resolu tions in accordance with the object of the meeung libving pawed, Sir 14t1muncl Lyon sokpoirle46o4 the