The Press. — London, England, 1855-10-27 00:00:00

OCTOBER 27, 1855. but " the blood of Ireland was up," and the recruits attacked them vigorously, tore off their epaulets, and pelted them with stones. The riot becoming so serious, messengers were sent to the Artillery for aid, and at length, by the imposing appearance of a howitzer and a body of artillerymen, the recruits were subdued, and some thirty or forty arrested, to be tried, of course, by Court-martial. We have no wish to excuse such a breach of discipline, but, as we have remarked in the THE PRESS more than once, this system of offering s►l. for a bounty, and then paying about half that sum in weekly instalments of five shillings at a time, is a contemptible evasion of its word by the Government. The times are far too serious for trifling with recruits. Every one who remarks the wretched men we do obtain, will admit that the system adopted by the Government is not that best calculated to place our army upon au efficient footing. If good men are wanted, we must pay for them. There are plenty to be obtained, but they will not come forward in the face of such cir cumstances as these. Let us have no more of this wretched haggling. Why, we spend millions upon a horde of beggarly Bashi-Bazouks, and yet we cheat our own bone and blood in a petty-larceny manner too contemptible to be believed. REVELATIONS OF THE NEW COALITION. (By our own Gobemouche.) O yes, it's all true, and between me and you (So stated a quite well•informed politician) Its ramifications and secret relations Are really astounding—this new Coalition. The Member for Bucks, with John Bright as his dux, Both promptly discarding each party tradition, With Subtle, of Oxon, have sworn, the green box on, To join heart and hand in the new Coalition. This terrible League, which designs, by intrigue, To check my Lord Palmerston's vaulting ambition, Is busy recruiting, refining, transmuting, And fusing old foes for the new Coalition. They've asked Charley Wood, but with this understood, That he really must master the rules of addition; But by this requisition our arithmetician Is excluded, we fear, from the new Coalition. They asked Vernon Smeeth, who displayed his white teeth, And, like Mantalini, exclaimed " 0, demuition "; That political giant they hope will be pliant, And lend his vast force to the new Coalition. The next man they summoned was old Henry Drummond, Who, being just then in a lucid condition, Placed all his aspersions, queer tales and quaint versions, At the service of Bright and the new Coalition. They asked Ernest Jones, who, in eloquent tones, Was jauntily pleading the cause of sedition, And have sworn to the Charter, contented to barter King John's for King Jones's—this new Coalition. They wanted a Bedford, but Duke has no head for% And people remember John Russell's sad mission, So they thought best to call on the other one, Paul. " I believe you my boy" 's in the new Coalition. Then they asked Mr. Murrough, who into some borough Slipped, and luckily wasn't kicked out on petition. That bold Boanerges, whose words fall like scourges, Will be made a law Lord in the new Coalition. Then G. W. M. Reynolds, who such a chaste pen holds, They presented a rather warm picture by Titian, And enlisted the scribe, by that delicate bribe, As Lord Privy Seal to the new Coalition. To Bomba they wrote a diplomatist's note, Assuring that monarch, the pocket Domitian, That they'd take his part, and Les Sardines should smart, When they came into office—the new Coalition. No stone was unturned, and no artifice spurned, To tempt other persons to ask for admission ; And the Three, at this hour, are departing to scour The country for aid to the new Coalition. I regret to perceive it, you don't quite believe it. When Parliament meets you'll express your contrition — And 8., G., and D. on one bench you will see, And Palmerston floored by the new Coalition. THE PRESS. A NEW DICTIONARY. WE have been favored with specimen extracts from a new dictionary of the English language (founded on the well-known work of Walker), the manuscript of which has been for some time extensively employed by the contributors to a leading morning paper in the composition of their controversial articles. The proprietors of that journal having found the MS. of the highest utility to themselves in the attainment of what ought to be the object of all " honest and highminded " jour nalism, viz., an extensive circulation, have determined to present the means of their own success to their fellow-workers of the press and to the general public, well assured that by this course they are fulfilling a duty incumbent on all who have the interests of the people sin cerely and honestly at heart. The work will appear in monthly parts, price one shilling. We subjoin a few words and phrases selected at random:— Blockhead : An opponent sufficiently honest and courageous to give expression to tho truth, even though it be directly opposed to a highly popular fallacy. Miserable :—one on whom bad logic and violent language are wasted. Billingsgate : The language of angry costermongers ; to be em ployed against an opponent who has made your own case look " fishy." Clique. A growing minority, likely to endanger the popularity of your own opinion. Consistency : Literally, a keeping together with; derived from consisto, which was not restricted to the common meaning; e.g. " ex utri que parte consistere," to adhere to both sides, (Ulp.): of a journalist who constantly prefers " pence or praise " to truth, it may still be said that he is consistent, though he should hold entirely opposite views on the same subject at different times. The most popular writers, however, are very sparing in their employment of the word. A high authority remarks :—" The days are rapidly passing away when any newspaper of character can afford to avow itself as the unflinching ad vocate of any party or of any person." Disgust: The feeling which it is decent to assume in repelling a disgraceful accusation known to be true. Fool: A logical opponent. See Blockhead. Ignorance : As it is impossible, according to philosophers, to be ignorant of that which cannot possibly be known, no writer (on your own side) can be fairly convicted of ignorance, unless it can be shown that, at the time of committing to writing any statement however un founded (e.g. that Sanscrit is at present a living language), he could possibly have been aware that he was stating an untruth : as applied to an opponent, ignorance means an ignoring , in reply, of an assertion obviously irrelevant or unfounded. Nonsense: Unanswerable good sense from an opponent. Old Woman : A gentleman, unconnected with the press, in pos session of well-founded information subversive of your own assertions. Profligacy and Meanness ; Habitual Baseness ; Pique, Animosity, (fe. : There is but little real signification attached to these phrases, but they arc convenient, and may be used instead of facts or arguments against a rising opponent. Trash: Inconvenient facts on the opposite side. See also Rubbish. Truth: Facts as it is convenient they should appear; the whole truth—may he employed in making a " suppressio yeti ;" nothiny but the truth—anything but facts as they really are. OUR PREMIER'S DISTRESS; OR, WHERE SHALL I FIND A COLONIAL MINISTER? Ara—" Where is my lover?" Where are the statesmen, oh where are they gone? Where are they gone, where are they gone? I fear they all sit on the opposite side, And I am left all alone. 'Tis true that there's Lewis and Wood and George Grey, Who'd gladly the Colonies hold in their sway, But one cannot make statesmen of folks such as they. Where are they gone, where are they gone, The men whom the people respect and obey ? They've left me here all alone. I know I forsook them for place and for pelf, Years long agone, years long agone ; Deserting my party to follow myself, And get a clique of my own. And see how I'm punish'd for running such rigs, I'm tied to a set of incapable Whigs, Of whom one half are fools and the other halt' prigs. What shall I do? What shall I do? Silk purses aren't made of the ears of she pigs, Nor statesmen of such a crew. Lord Elgin's too honest, Lord Grey is too high, Where shall Igo ? What shall Ido ? Panmure is too stupid, Argyll is too shy— Who is the man, then, who ? I think my friend Smith after all is the man, 'Twill please dear old Lansdowne and all the Whig clan. Besides, he's a commoner. Excellent plan, — Smith is the man for me! He'll be finer than ever ; so spick and so span, Deputations will ruu to see. 1025