The Press. — London, England, 1856-11-22 00:00:00

1110 The political state of Europe was unsettled at present, but he saw no reason to anticipate a rupture of the French and English alliance. He supported Lord Pahnerston's view as regarded the execution of the treaty of Paris. Russia had exhibited her old deceit and want of good faith, and for that reason the Austrians still held the Principalities and the British fleet occupied the Black Sea. And he trusted— That no diplomatic intrigue will induce the Govern ment of this country to withdrew our naval forces in the East until the provisions of the treaty of Paris are fully and effectually carried out ; and from the language used by Lord Palmerston at the Mansion house, we may now be satisfied that the Goverutnent will adopt that right and energetic course. The state of Italy was deplorable, but any active interference on our part wouid plunge us into a war with the absolute powers of Europe. The first step towards the happiness and prosperity of Italy must be the abatement of the Papal power : I speak not now of the religion, but of its political power. There exists in the very heart of Italy an old and oppressive system of tyranny, which weighs down every energy, and chills with its icy breath every germ of free dom, liberty, and independence. I trust that the day is not far distant when that monstrous spirit of priestcraft shall quail before the light of reason, truth, and moral ad vancement; then, and then only, will Italians recognise their country, and Italy be restored to what she was in ages past—the land of heroic deeds, the centre of arts, science, and civilisation, one of the finest and must favoured re gions of the earth. Since the state of Europe was so critical, and such momentous events trembled in the scale, it was essential, in Mr. Langton's opinion, that the desti nies of this great country should be guided by a firm, practical, and energetic hand. Lord Palmerston, to his idea, admirably filled the post he held : One who is not deceived by diplomatic tricks or Court intrigue, one who is cautious in promises, but prepared to act with energy when the occasion requires ; and such I consider to be the noble lord now at the head of affairs. My hon. friend and colleague will bear me out when I say that I have been no servile follower of Lord Palmerston; during the late session I opposed the Government on the Scotch biletting question, on the Maynooth, on the Appel- late Jurisdiction Bill, on Lord Goderich's 'notion for the amendment of the civil service, and on several other occa• sions acting according to my own convictions and what I believed to be the opinions of the majority of my consti tuents ; but the experience, the tact, the energy of the noble lord render him peculiarly adapted to meet the exigencies of the time, and one to whom we may safely intrust the honour of our country. Mr. Langton concluded by stating his conviction that in the ensuing session the country would expect that Ministers should deal with the many important social questions which have been neglected, and that they should adopt a definite and determined course of action. Mr. W. MILES, M.P., at the Dolphin Society, in re sponding to the toast, " The County Members of Glou. cester and Somerset," viewed the present apparent want of party organisation in the house with no alarm. In herent principles did not vanish with the day—they could be called into action at any particular time and at any particular moment—and he had that opinion of the good sense of the people of England that he nelieved if they were touched on any vital point, touched on any point in which their religion, their honour, or their loyalty to the Queen were called into question, they would as one man come forward to vindicate themselves. Therefore let them not be alarmed because at the present time they had not two organised systems of politics. The present state of foreign politics was peculiar, but he was fully convinced there was no man in that society but must be aware that the alliance with France had led to the most glorious consequences : England and France had fought together; England and France had gained glories in the Crimea; and he felt con vinced that it would be for the interests of England and France to hold together in amity to the longest possible period. Let them, therefore, be determined not to take advantage of little difficulties. The existing difficulties upon the proper interpreta tion of the treaty of Paris had arisen from the general geographical ignorance of the envoys at the late congress : He believed that, if they had had a man at the late con ferences who understood the geographical position of the Principalities the present difficulties would not have arisen with respect to one single town. The French seemed to hold to one side, while England held to the other. England said that if the occupation of the Russians of that parti cular town was at once given up her fleet would not go into the Black Sea, while, on the other hand, France said it was but a small difficulty; and he hoped that peace which France and England had purchased (not forgetting Sar dinia) with their blood would not on such a point be in danger for a single iimment. With respect to the Neapolitan affair, he thought the system of England was so diametrically opposed to that of the Continent that any interference by us must inevitably lead to strife. THE POLISH EXILES held a commemorative meeting in Duke-street, St. James's, on Monday, the THE PRESS. anniversary of the death of Lord Dudley Stuart. Major Gielgud opened the proceedings by a review of the private virtues and publi.; character of the de parted nobleman, and of his entire devotion to Poland, and the loss it has sustained by his prema ture death. blajor Szulczewski then rose, and, in lamenting the death of the friend of Poland, alluded to the political state of Europe : Peace has been concluded, Russia has been thrown back for a while, perhaps, but has she been subdued ? Has that policy which has so locg hung like a threatening cloud on the horizon of Europe received a lasting check ? Have those wily intrigues been stayed which, like the gleams of lightning, were ever striking down where least expected, and raising difficulties that put the wariest diplomatists at fault? The recent circular of Prince Gortschakoff, the manner in which Russia is endeavouring to evade the title pulations of the treaty of Paris, the shadows of change which have been flitting over the Western alliances, the obstinacy of the King of Naples, the Absolutist revolution in Spain, the uneasiness felt throughout Europe, so diffe rent from the joy and security experienced after the con clusion of a bona-tide peace—all these must give the answer. Indeed, the whole state of Europe points now, as before, to Lord Dudley Stuisrt's policy as regards Poland as the only effectual cure for the chronic disorder under which it has been suffering ever since the annihilation of our national independence. An independent Poland, up raised again between Europe and Russia, is the only means of effectually checking her aggressive European policy and her undue influence and power in the West, and is the only basis on which a free Italy and a free Hungary can be permanently established, and the equilibrium be restored which will leave no other battlefields open to the nations of Europe than those of peaceful industry and moral and intellectual progress. The meeting was subsequently addressed at some length by Colonel B. Wiercinski, who, in the course of his speech, observed that the first message con veyed by the telegraph established by the Russians on the coast of the Baltic Sea was the exulting in telligence of the death of Lord D. Stuart, at Stock holm, as the greatest enemy of Russia and a protector of the Polish exiles. SIR ALEXANDER COCKBURN has accepted the Office of Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. Sir Richard Bethell succeeds to the Attorney• Generalship, and it is believed that the Hon. Stuart Wortley, M.P., will become Solicitor-General. MR. PRESSI.Y, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue, has succeeded to the chairmanship vacant by the death of Mr. Wood. Mr. C. J. Herries, commissioner, becomes deputy-chairman. THE LORD BISHOP OF LINCOLN has appointed Dr. Travers Twiss to the office of Chancellor of the diocese of Lincoln, vacant by the decease of Dr. Haggard. HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE Will succeed the late Earl of Scarborough as Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire. A HUDSON'S BAY COITPANY DEPUTATION held a lengthened interview this week with Mr. Secretary Labouchere. The charter of this company expires in 1859. A MEETING was held on Friday at Lord Panmure's Office for War, which was attended by several of the principal Ministers. MR. BASS, M.P., AND MR. COLVILLE, M.P., met their constituents at a dinner given in Derby this week s Mr. Bass, in replying to the toast of the even ing, said that he as well as his colleague was a friend to the cause of temperance, and he deplored the want of that good understanding which should exist between the people and their representatives. He did not think the present Parliament was as bad as many persons imagined ; but that it was an honest Parliament, and anxious to do its duty. Mr. Cul ville, likewise, did not believe Parliament was quite so black as it was painted. He believed the present House of Commons was as anxious to do its duty as any which had preceded it. glttroDolitan. AT ♦ GENERAL MEETING of the Law Amendment Society, held on Monday evening, Lord Brou gbam presided. The noble and learned lord looked re markably well. He said he wished to bring a sub ject of considerable importance before the society : Ho had been informed by Lord Lyndhurst that it was not the intention of the Government to proceed during the next session of Parliament with Sir Fitzroy Kelly's measure in reference to the Ecclesiastical Courts. This was a subject of much regret to his lordship, inasmuch as it was to be feared that tiny new measure to be propounded by the Government would be 11-.±sa effective than that which it would supersede. He had been in correspondence with Sir Fitzroy Kelly on the subject, and the council of the society had passed a resolution that it should be referred to a committee to consider and report thereon. His lordship moved that that resolution be confirmed by the meeting. This was agreed to, and the com mittee formed accordingly. Other subjects were discussed, and the meeting adjourned. SATtTRDAY, A LECTURE ON METROPOLITAN SANITARY REFORM was delivered on Tuesday evening at the Polytechnic Institution, by Mr. John Leslie, representative of the parish of St. George, at the " Metropolitan Board of Works." After a brief introductory sketch of the comparative mortality of the metropolis and the want of a system of complete drainage, the lecturer proceeded to show that in carrying out such a system the point to be attained was so to convey away the sewage as to prevent its flowing into the river near London. He then described the system proposed by the Board of Works, and combated the interpretation by which the rain water would be included under the head of sewage, and would be carried away by the same conduits. This would in volve an immense amount of unnecessary expense, and would be a departure from the course of nature, which was, that the water courses should flow into and replenish the river. He would have the surface water conveyed into the river as in the natural course, and the sewage, consisting of excreta and other matter, should be conveyed by a proposed canal from Putney to Sea Reach, a distance of thirty•five miles. He mentioned as one of the obstacles in their way the difficulty that arose from the question of sewage manure. He expressed a strong objection to pumping -houses, which he said would become a nuisance and an abomination ; whereas the board were strictly bound not to create any nuisance what ever. A second obstacle in the way of the board was the proposal of embanking the river. He warned them that the embankment of the river would have the effect of checking the upward tide, and would be highly injurious to the navigation. It had been done with the river Clyde, and it had ultimately been found necessary to undo it by putting the embank ments back to the original width of the channel. Mr. Leslie will repeat the lecture on Tuesday even ing next. A STATUE to the memory of Captain Coram, founder of the Foundling Hospital, was placed, on Monday last, on the stone structure in the centre of the entrance gates. The work is by Mr. William Calder Marshall, R.A., and the expense of it has been defrayed by private subscription. The figure, which admirably represents the philanthropist, as banded down to us by Hogarth, is eight feet high ; and, besides being a just, though tardy, compliment to so good a man, will relieve the monotony of a line of low buildings hitherto offensive to the architectural eye. The uncovering of the statue was followed by Handel's anthem of "He delivered the poor that cried," and the National Anth Im, accompanied by the juvenile hand of the hospital. The children were the vocalists. THE NEW ENTRANCE TO ST. JAMES'S -PARK, from Pall-mall by Marlborough-house, was permanently opened on Monday, and the following notice issued by order of the Duke of Cambridge : Ordered, that private carriages and hackney cabs only be permitted to pass through these gates, and proceed through the park to the gates at Buckingham Palace. Nov., 1856. (Signed) GEORGE, Ranger. The thoroughfare to and from Belgravia and Pira tic° through the park will now be free day and night. DR. TAIT was duly confirmed as Bishop of London at Bow Church, on Thursday, with the usual cere monies. Two religious ceremonies yet remain to be performed in order to constitute Dr. Tait a bishop of the diocese of London. He has first to be con secrated—a ceremony which usually takes place in the Chapel Royal, Whitehall, and is performed by the Archbishop, assisted by two other bishops. After this the bishop elect has to be enthroned in the cathedral church of St. Paul. He will then be in troduced to the Queen. and subsequently take his seat in the House of Lords. The Rev. G. E. L. Cotton, Master of Marlborough College, has been appointed to nreach the sermon at the consecration of the Lord Bishop of London elect, in Whitehall Chapel, on Sunday next, November 23. A SERIOUS FIRE occurred on Benet's Doctors% commons, on Thursday evening, soon after nine The extensive warehouse of Messrs. Hodgkinson and Rolls, stationers, was burnt to the ground. The private residences of Dr. Spinks and Mr. Oakley were more or less injured by fire and water. MR. RYAN, the master of Marylebone Workhouse, who has lately obtained a certain notoriety in con nection with flogging the women, has tendered his resignation, which the directors of the union, after a long contest with the Poor-Law Board upon the point, have at length accepted. THE METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS and Sir Benjamin Hall on Thursday discussed the drainage scheme. Sir Benjamin Hall disclaimed any desire to interfere unnecessarily with the board, but im• pressed upon the members the necessity of very speedily deciding upon some definite plan in ao• cordance with the act. The outfall was the main noint to consider. It must not, as in plan B, come 4 • at or near the metropolis." if it should be deemed advisable and finally determined to carry the sewage further from the metropolis than the point abso lutely necessary for the object of the act and for the purposes of the metropolis itself, he did not think