The Press. — London, England, 1857-12-12 00:00:00

T TIE PRESS, DECEMBER 12, 1857. 1196 should his opinions differ from the diocesan. Where the bishop is a High Churchman, the Gorham and the Ditchers will soon find a rival spring up to them, in the shape of a zealous sacerdotalist, who will half empty their churches, and wholly destroy their usefulness. Where the bishop is a Low Churchman, the Denisons, Liddells, and Bennetts, we need not add, will experience a similar fate. Such a state of things would be intolerable. And, even were we disposed to trust in the general good sense and modera tion of the bishops to avert such a consumma tion, the circumstances under which the mea sure has been brought forward preclUde us from indulging such a hope. The shameless preference recently dis played towards a particular patty in the Church, and the all but avowed bargain be tween the lay head of that party and the head of her Majesty's Government, leaves us no room to doubt the spirit in which this innova tion is conceived. The facilities afforded by its constitution would, we may depend, be un• sparingly employed. Bishops continually selected from the same school would be in structed not to let the good cause lag. Barns, platforms, and ball-rooms would soon ring with Christian controversy, and half the spiri tual teaching of the country emanate from the mouth of Lord SHAFTESBURY. _ _ This is not the first time that faction has been enthroned in the guise of freedom, or malice gratified in the name of toleration. This, then, at least, let the Church and the Conservative party unite to resist. The strength of the Church of England lies in her parocial clergy. And we sincerely trust that no clergyman will allow his private theological opinions to interfere with his duty to his bre• thren, to his order, and to his Church ; but that all will join heart and hand to make common cause against the common enemy. If they do this, they may be certain of finding in the landed gentry of the kingdom a cordial and unflinching support But if they will continue to allow theological dissension to in terfere with their resistance to political hos tility, their doom is sealed. They cannot be saved in spite of themselves. rewards were too rapidly conferred. The sub ject would become invidious under detailed illustration, and we shall not go into some spe cial cases that arise to the memory. It is sufficient to say that the rule of prudence jus tifies caution, while the duty of gratitude ear nestly enforces generous and prompt recogni tion of great services. Nobody will say that the Government have outstripped public opinion in the nature of their rewards to our India heroes; but it must not be forgotten that the campaign is not over, and we can only accept what has been done as an earnest of the intentions of the Government to act with becoming genero sity. Opinions differ widely as to whether " names ought to be pressed forward or not. Mr. GLADSTONE on Wednesday spoke in depre cation of doing so, and, on the other hand, Sir JOHN PAKINGTON took a more popular view. There can be no gainsaying the fact that as yet Sir JOHN LAWRENCE has not got his proper re wards. It is impossible to over-estimate the value of his services. He showed more prompt foresight and prescient sagacity than any other Indian official, and exhibited the best qualities of a strategist and a statesman. Such is the opinion of numbers of competent authorities ; and not long since the Minis terial organ, the Globe, stated " that if the "question were left to Indian opinion, the " name of Sir JOHN LAWRENCE would stand at " the head of the list of heroes who deserved " the public thanks." There is one practical suggestion in rela tion to this matter which we think should be urged on the consideration of the Cabinet and the Legislature. Military rewards of a high class will be wanted in approaching years, and the government of our various colonial de pendencies might with the greatest advantage be given to distinguished generals. We do not propose that military or naval officers should monopolise the colonial governorships ; but we do say that such official rewards would be a cheap and effective way of paying off debts of gratitude. We do not like seeing the government of Nova Scotia handed over to a courtier who has exhibited no political ability in the House of Commons. There are gallant generals and brave admirals who would be glad to obtain such posts, who, from their ex perience, would be equal to emergencies, and discharge their duties with professional energy like men accustomed alternately to obey and to command. These posts must he filled by some persons, and to whom could they be better assigned than to men who were educated in discipline and exercised in ener getic toil ? We think, also, that in all cases where men have performed glorious deeds, and have nobly died, their nearest survivors ought, as far as is possible, to receive strong tokens of public regard. Under the rule of the Duke of WEL LINGTON and of Lord HILL at the Horse Guards field officers who had served with distinction often got commissions without purchase for one or more of their sons. It is compara tively easy in cases like that of the gallant and lamented NEILL to reward the widow or nearest relative of the departed brave. All eyes are upon our officer in command, and when he falls there is a universal desire that his family should be rewarded ; but in the case of the valorous SALKELD, and other scarcely less brave subalterns sent on forlorn hopes to the " imminent deadly breach," surely there should be consideration of some honourable value for their survivors. It would be an additional incentive to a heroic nature if it were conscious that beloved kindred at Lome might derive some advantage from glorious exploits in which death had been the result. false, or at least premature. As to Russia and France, I can only repeat what I have often told you that the best understanding exists between these two powers. The ratification of the treaty for the delimitation of Bessarabia is again postponed, owing to some difficulty in preparing the maps previous to the sig natures of the plenipotentiaries. It is, however, expected that the ratifications will take place before the end of the month. There is a decided split in the republican camp. The regenerators of social orders are now dividing into old and young republicans. The former forbid their candidates to the Legislative Body when elected to take the oath ; whilst as peremptorily the other insists on the oath being taken. It may with truth be said that republicanism in France is at a great discount; and it will require many such martyrs as M. Peyrat of the Presse before it can be again re suscitated. M. Peyrat wrote the article whielicawed the suspension of the Presse, with what the French call connaissance de cause; and ifeel certain that he would have been greatly disappointed had not the Government given him the opportunity of becoming a martyr. But, like St. Laurent, M. Peyrat deter mined to be broiled on both sides. He teels certain of being elected in the place of Cavaignac ; he will refuse to take the oath, and thus he will be a victim to his pen and his conscience. The editors of the greater portion of the French press are men of great talent and high respectability, but they sometimes commit certain vagaries, which would lead us to con clude that their political opinions are not yet fixed. Thus, the Courrier de Paris, a paper which has always passed as being undecided in its political views, bas now passed the Rubicon, and in one of its late numbers declares that the Imperial Govern ment is alone possible to govern France ; that the Empire saved the country from the worst disasters ; that it rendered it glorious, strong, and prosperous. It is true that the editor, after this, recommends that in the present tranquillity of the country a little more liberty should be given to the press. lam in clined to think that you will find, before many months shall have passed away, other journals, hitherto con sidered as ultra-Liberal, following the example of the Courrier de Paris. It is said here in the best circles that General Van. Omphal has left the Hague for London, in order to demand officially the hand of the Princess Alice for the Mince of Orange. The hereditary I'rince of Holland was born on the 4th September, 1848. I think I may say with truth that the reported rapprochement of M. de Thouvenel and Lord Strat ford de Redcliffe is, to say the least, premature. Nor do I think it will take place previously to the departure of Lord Redcliffe from Constantinople, which, it is said, is fixed for the 12th inst. It is given as certain that the health of the King of Prussia is such as not to permit him to resume the reins of Government at the expiration of the power delegated to his brother. Several Cabinet Councils have been held, and it is not yet decided whether the power of the Prince of Prussia shall be prolonged or a regent appointed. The celebrated Russian General Todtleben has met with a serious accident; he was thrown from his horse at Wiesbaden on the sth, and broke his right arm. Prince Lucien Bonaparte, nephew to the Emperor, has entered into holy orders ; he will be ordained at Rome by the Pope on the 13th December. Queen Christina of Spain intends leaving Paris shortly for Italy. Thus falls to the ground all the reports of her immediate return to Spain. The following interesting estimate of the length and cost of all the railroads in work on the Ist of January, 1856, is given by the Journal des Chemins de Fer Length in kilometres.* Coat. Francs. France England Prussia Austria Saxony Bavaria Hanover Wurteniburg 30:1 Petty German States 1,164 Belgium Holland Piedmont .. Denmark Russia Other parts of Europe 1,980 .... 3:3,1 . 21 America Total Or 4:708,t6:3.686 It thus appears that up to the end of 1855 a capital of 17 milliards 725 millions of francs had been spent to obtain 04,215 kilometres of railroad. • Four kilometres make a league. REWARDS FOR VALOUR. Tnx debates in both Houses of Parliament on the pension to Sir HENRY HAVELOCW are of much importance. While there was a univer sal desire that the gallant HAVELOCK should have his just rewards, not a few think that Government had acted rather stingily in its recognition of the claims of our Indian heroes. Yet it cannot be denied that there is much force in the remarks maic in many quarters that the rewards of the Crown would lose much of their grace if given in apparent obe diexce to a cry from particular persons. Until the actions of generals engaged in service are completed it might be premature to confer favours of great value. It is obvious that there are two sides to this question, and that excess of haste, or the reverse, are equally injurious to the public service. Honours must not be flung away as if any one could get them ; but neither should they be delayed until all grace is gone in their tartly bestowal. Sir JOHN KEANE received a barony, and pension for two lives, for his cap ture of Ghuznee. The sinking Ministry of those days wished to magnify the Gallant General's services as much as possible. Sir CHARLES NAPIER after his conquest of Scinde remained without a peerage. Even in the navy some of our most glorious heroes of other days were slowly rewarded. Lord RODNEY won his glorious victory over the Count DE GRASSE at the time when the incoming Whig Ministry in 1782 had sent forth orders for superseding him ; and after a life of brilliant services he was allowed to die in debt in a foreign country, and was never advanced beyond the rank of Baron. Nobody would say that NELSON was extravagantly rewarded, and it is notorious that there was much delay in giving him the honours to which he was so justly entitled. On the other hand, there have been. instances in more recent times when 16. preign (Jortcspoulitntt. PARIS, Dec. 10. SINCE my last we have been literally inundated with Austrian and Turkish reports as to combina tions for settling the Danubian question. By some it is said that Russia has declared against France ; by that France and England are in active treaty to effect a union without an hereditary foreign prince. Believe me, all those reports are either completely II A =Oval