The Press. — London, England, 1856-06-14 00:00:00

_ . RPIIIIIF IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII11111111111111 , f 556 THE PRESS. SATURDAY , Ammoommommir ...or — ____________—____ section among the Liberals who wish' to look were better than they are now under a con- OUR NORTH AMERICAN SQUADRON. to Lord CLARENDON as the future Premier of fessedly more popular system ;or else that THE English squadron now crui s i ng on t h e North American and West Indian statio n i s t h e most England, is beyond dispute. It might not add the character of these officials need scarcely powerful we have had on those seas for many years much to the Noble Earl's chance if he should be taken into account in the matter, and that prove himself in this instance an obsequious their efficiency will depend almost entirely . Hitherto n e e few si e frigates, dsuffi small en t steamers, t d glues and . At present we have there fievefollower of Lord PALMERSTON. upon the master mind of the Government. o s P l f a o s t o h t P e s , s li t h a a i t t v i l o e n e On the other hand, we are sorry to say that One of these two conclusions it is simply im- some of the proceedings which have already possible to avoid ; and either is fatal to the of-battle ships, five heavily armed frigates, thirteen taken place, and which irritated the Americans, views propounded by the Administrative Re- heavily armed sloops and steamers : are much in the spirit of Lord CLARENDON'S formers. Liners. Guns. Frigates. Guns. usual mode of transacting politics. He has The first indeed we may leave out of con- Powerful always shown the dangerous habit of med- sideration for the present ; but if we accept Boscawen Wing. Of an excessively active temper, Lord the second, the obvious inference is, that !mourn Pembroke . CLARENDON has always liked to be at work Messrs. ROEBUCK, MORLEY, and Co., have mis-et; Cornwallis 6O Termagant weaving some small piece of diplomatic eaten- taken the seat of the disease, that they have _ glement. The Americans suspect that there been deceived by appearances, and treated a 346 101 has been something not straightforward in the vital sickness as if it were merely a temporary Sloops and Steamers. conduct of our Foreign-office; and sincerity is affection of the extremities. Guns. Guns '• not Lord CLARENDON'S strong point. Soft, The truth is, the Administrative Reformers Arachne lB Daring easy, good-natured verbiage flows from his are putting the cart before tele horse, or, FalconMalacc a ••• • • • ...... 17 Buzzard 17 Argus 6 6 pen, while his intriguing turn is at the same metaphor apart, confounding the effect with Archer time improving a trifle into a difficulty, and the cause. We are not badly governed be- Mariner l2 Hermes 6 nursing a pin-scratch into a serious wound. cause we have not good administrators, but Espiegle Are we not, therefore, justified in thinking we h ave not good administrators because we 127 that the official manipulation of this diplo- are badly governed. Their conduct is that of Grand Total And to this powerful force the steam corve tt es, C ossack matic embroilment has fallen into unpropi- a man, who, wishing to build a house, should (21), Py lades (21), Tartar (21), have been added this tious hands ? We have not the least desire to rush off to the ironmonger, the paperhanger, week. The Arrogant (21` is believed to have sailed see Lord JOHN RUSSELL again at the head of and the gilder, without ever dreaming of the for the same station, while the Nile (91), the Imp/. affairs, but there are many who would wish architect. These political upholsterers fancy rieuse (51), and the Light squadron of Gun• boats, are that any statesman rather than Lord PALMERS- that all we want is, to refurnish the adminis- under orders, though they have not yet sailed for the Toe held the helm of State in the present trative department. But just as no amount of same destination. To this we may add that five hour. chairs and tables are of any value without a million rounds of ball-cartridge are to be at once for- house to put them in, neither is any amount warded to Canada. ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM of administrative ability of any service to the These are significant facts. If there is to be ASSOCIATION. country without a Government that knows n o fighting, what do we want of such a fl ee t—f or i t THE Administrative Reformers are once more how to use it. is beyond a squadron—off the coast of A mer i ca ? in the field, with Mr. ROEBUCK as their chair- Our notion, therefore, is, that what England AMERICA AND ENGLAND. requires at the present time to restore her In the letter of a " New Englander," published in man. Pluck and perseverance are qualities confidence in representative institutions, and the Times, there is so much good feeling and sound which Englishmen admire, and let us give the impart some degree of consistency and vigour sense that we quote the most material passages . Association full credit for the possession of to her home and foreign policy, is not so much Sir,—Will you allow, with your accustomed " fair play," ) them. We will believe it to be their sincere conviction that through them alone can Eng- the hands as the head. With a really able Minister at the head of affaiwith a hi s New ez ew E s n o g n lan so d m er e j o ur th ar e riv u e e d st i i n ons Ol n d ow En a -'and England issue to betweenexpress the two countries, and on questions apparent misunderstandings prevalent among your peop'e ? It is evident, sir, slat Eng- Chatham, or Walpole, or even a Sir Robert land be saved from impending ruin, and effi. Peel—can any one believe that the Crimean 'fish society is anything but favorable just now to America. Even as a stranger 1 hear rebukes of our sins on ciency restored to the alleged chaos which disasters would have occurred? Or does any side. Still public opinion in England iseve ry prevails at present in every department of the one , on the other hand, imagine that any " the other side " will be listened to just, and p a m re- amount of administrative talent—any number v s a u i r l e ing on the recruiting question is to the . most remarkable Executive. Let us grant all this, and, fur-of shipowners, corn factors, or contractors— to an American. The feeling see thermore, that as far as their complaints ofb e that of a coup teoue gentleman, who has unwittingly injured his neigh- could have saved the present Government existing disorder are concerned, they have from the painfully ridiculous positions in bour, and finds after an apology, with injured feelings, that his excuse is not accepted. America, of course, is the some show of reason on their side. What, which it has so repeatedly been placed during bully, who has not the courtesy to understand a gentle- then, are the means by which they propose the present session? What we require is a man 's apology. Now, sir, high toned and edifying as such to attain a reformation which we must all Prime Minister who enjoys the ungrudging a pos i t i on way b e on the part of the English Government, confidence of large masses of the community ; we submit that facts hardly b ear it oa t. It comes b e f ore allow to be desirable ? a confidence not tendered in a niggardly spirit, an American very much as if a gentleman had sent a se t - The remedy of Mr. ROEBUCK and his friends and exacting perpetual pledges, but faith in his vent into a neighbour's garden with instructions to get is a simple one. Give to the middle and genius and honesty, and cordial acquiescence fruit if possible by the owner's consent, but if not, by means which . should not be strictly illegal, and the servant trading classes that political authority which in his representation of their interests. To should commit a larceny, and then the gentleman, after a is now possessed by the aristocracy, and all this must be added a Parliamentary followin g courteous apology, should be surprised and hurt that his will be well. They will furnish you with men such as no Minister has enjoyed in this neighbour did not consider the apology sufficient. The of business who will take care that ships do country since 1846. There is no reason to latter might very justly say that the instructions to the not bring home again the cargoes they were doubt that such a Minister as this would very servant not to violate the law were of no account—be ought • originally freighted with,—men versed in all soon settle the business which the Adminis• and have been sent there. The act was an o ff ence never w insult, and the only suitable apology was the pu- the details of monetary and commercial affairs, t rat i ve R e f ormers h ave now b een b ogg li ng at nishrnent of the agent ; and, as for the high tone of offended who will make the wheels of Government run for a twelvemonth. But till we get such a courtesy at the excuse not being received, it was an ex- on as smoothly as the transactions of any man, let our readers depend upon it, the cry of trernely ingenious transference of the onus delidi to the first-rate banking house or grocery establish• Mr. ROEBUCK and his colleagues is all moon- wrong party. So the case looks to us—the Americans. There is not a difference of opinion from Maine to Cali- ment in the City. Now, we think that to any s hi ne , unsophisticated student of history it would fornia on the question ; and 1 thins you must admit, con Such a man, however, is not likely to be sidering the unanimity of feeling in the States, that a gross appear at first sight a somewhat singular ex- violation had been committed both of municipal law and found among those classes which now volun- pedient to prop up a falling empire by a of national courtesy, that the correspondence was con- tartly come forward as the saviours of their Government of warehousemen. It would be a ducted, and the steps were taken, by the American Cabinet little at variance with all the lessons he had country. The art of government is not the with great m o d era ti on and courtesy. Certainly, the in - same as the art of trade. It demands a truly , s , u i leng language of Lord Clarendon with reference to learnt from all the acknowledged masters of the liberal education, protracted to the years of nsh agitations " and " des otic measures " were never science of politics. He would be likely, per- in any like manner responde d by Mr. Marcy. It is a manhood, .a freedom from all sordid care, a haps, to make the reflection that the conduct fact, furthermore, that the British agents, eve n ' after the magnanimity to which the maxims of trade of business was a different thing from the apology of your Cabinet, still continued an underhanded are fundamentally opposed, and moreover, in recruiting in our cities, as you will see from the facts pre- government of men ; and that, where governors old were wanting, it was folly to think of doing the case of old men, we cannot run counter to the whole proceeding—both the conduct of the instruments any good by the excellence of subordinates. and the instructions of the principals—have awakened a long confirmed habits which have grown to be But we will confine ourselves to the state of profound distrust among our people of the good faith of a second nature, without the most imminent things around us, and simply inquire of the the English Government towards America. If you will peril, it demands :considerable wealth, ancient imagine, sir, by some misfortune a war arising between Administrative Reformers how they propose to render their system beneficial to the existing lineage, anti territorial influence. The Re- France and the United States, and a similar effort to be . 1 Constitution of Great Britain in the formers talk of getting rid of this element in made in secrecy by ou r Governm e nt i n I re l an d and Scot : year land to obtain recruits, you will at once see how the at 1856• our national Constitution, as if it was some ephemeral excrescence, instead of being tempt appeared to our people. There was a species of part Is not the present constitution of our English underhanded proceedi n g, a n d a t th e same time of disregard of our very life blood ! A year's experience to comity in it which certainly o ff ended them. Ministry much more popular than of yore ? o f contempt has taught them nothing. This * • * * • Whether, that is to say, many more men from • 1 is . singular, because even Radicals don't be- If your Cabinet conducts . affairs wit h . discretion, and these same middle and trading classes do not lieve in them. Nor, indeed, do the lower your press shows a considerate and candid regard of the get into it now than forty, sixty, or a hundred many internal evils which at present afflict the States and classes generally. Their instincts are too true years ago ? and whether the b us i ness of the almost shut out the co-operation of the wise and good in country was not conducted with g re ater sue- for that; and if there is one thing more ce r t a i n our pu b lic matters, there i s no danger of war. We h ave teas then than now? If this be th e cas e, we than another, it is that the people of this o u r hands full at home. Th e most f ear f u l ques ti o ns are must admit either that the then subordinates country would never pull down the peerage in pressing upon us, bringing us even t o the verge of civil partments ' of Government—i. e., heads o f d e — order to be ruled by the shopkeepers. war • and there i s not the sli g ht es t di s p o sition, except with disappointed politicians, for any foreign contesta.ma being aristocrats, or aristocratical nominees, - with much rennet, Years, Jcee A New Eeaearoeu. I