The Press. — London, England, 1856-07-19 00:00:00

THE PRESS. 681 ' I"' THE WEEK- THE insurrection in Spain was not wholly unexpected. Indications of a crisis have been gathering for some time past, and the well-informed predicted that when it came it would prove the greatest trial the throne of ISABELLA has yet known. Spanish insurrections have been so frequent under the " Constitutional Monarchy " Lord PAL. MERSTON took an active part in establishing, that we are accus tomed to look upon them as of little importance. The information we have received leads us to believe that the present movement differs from all previous ones in combining more numerous and more powerful elements of discontent. Previous risings have been instigated by political intrigues, and have been directed to the overthrow of un popular Cabinets or individuals, but this movement is directed against the Royal authority. The secret societies which have spread over the south of Europe are eager for action in Spain; the Republicans believe that the time has come for carrying their favorite theory into effect; the Constitutionalists are disgusted with a system which, pro mising them freedom, has only kept them alternating between one mili tary dictator and another—now ESPARTERO, now NARVAEZ, CONCHA, and O'DONNELL—and the hopes of the Carlists revive with the general discon tent of the country. The throne of ISABELLA—never popular, never accepted by the whole nation—has fallen into the lowest contempt. It is unlikely that it will be able to make head against the formidable combination which threatens it. Marshal O'DONNELL seems for several weeks past to have foreseen that a contest was inevitable. He decided to take the initiative, by an order for the disarmament of the National Guard of Madrid. ESPARTERO dissented, and the Queen was reduced to the necessity of choosing between the military rivals. Her Majesty accepted ESPAR TICRO'S resignation, and O'DoNNELL proceeded to effect his coup-ditat. On Monday the National Guard resisted the attempt to disarm them, and street fighting began. No details have yet reached us, but, from the telegraphic despatches, we learn that the fighting con tinued until Tuesday afternoon, when a truce was agreed upon for a few hours. When the contest was resumed on Wednesday morning the insurgents gave way, the disarming of the National Guard was proceeded with, and on Thursday it was announced that order was completely re-established. The Cortes attempted to meet, and were dispersed at the point of the bayonet. The insurrection is, therefore, transferred from the capital to the provinces. Accounts have already been received that Saragossa, together with all Arragon, has risen. Of the movements of ESPARTERO nothing is known. When we next hear of him, it will be most likely at the head of an armed force. It is believed to be the intention of the insurgents to proclaim a republic, but such proclamation would be little more than a cloak for the designs which any considerable success on the part of the insurgents would bring to light. We re peat, the throne of ISABELLA is in the greatest peril. • The opponents of the recent Appellate Jurisdiction Bill have brought themselves into this dilemma—Either it is or is not ex pedient to separate the supreme court of appeal in this country from the upper branch of the Legislature. If it be, why the demand for life peerages, which would preserve the appellate jurisdiction to their Lordships ? If it be not, why oppose a measure to make the appellate jurisdiction efficient? The appointment of appellate judges would plainly be superior i tp,,the creation of life peers, as the latter system would fail to insure the great object desired—the constitution of a regular and efficient Court of Appeal. On one point there is general agreement.. "No Court of Appeal," says the Times, " will satisfy the " public which is not the very best that can in the present state of " judicial knowledge be constituted," To the like effect the Examiner argues that the persons constituting the court must be the most eminent men in their profession. The fault of the late bill in our opinion was, that it did not go far enough. It being conceded on all sides that the highest court of appeal in the realm requires to be re modelled, and that it should be so remodelled as to be in every sense a tribunal of supreme authority, the sole point in dispute is, whether this tribunal should or should not remain attached to the House of Lords. On priori grounds, the arguments for retaining the connection must be equal to those for severing it. Discarding theory, and looking only to facts, there is one strong reason why the newly- constituted court should remain an acknowledged element of the House of Lords. The creation of such new court would not supersede the present eastern of raising the most eminent and wealthy members of the legal profession to the hereditary peerage. The number of law lords would probably continue nearly the same as it has been for years past. These lords, though not compelled to attend the sittings of the Appellate Court, would yet form a part of it. They would watch its proceedings with interest, and when cases of peculiar importance and novelty came before it, they would doubtless give the court the benefit of their sagacity. learning, and experience. Who are the law lords at present in the House? Lord LTNDHURST, Lord BROUGHAM, Lord ST. LIi.ONARDS, Lord CIANWORTH, and Lord CAstesutt. The three first are unequal to attend the regular sittings of an appellate court, the two last have other and pressing duties to engage them. But it cannot be doubted that they would exercise a salutary influence over any appellate court existing, and that on special occasions they would record their opinions Separate the supreme appellate court (rein the House of Lords, and this important SATURDAY, element of authority would be lost. We have great respect for the present Lords Justices, but the public would certainly receive their decisions with more confidence if the five law lords we have named sat behind them to assist them with their judgment. Such a tribunal would be as nearly perfect as human ingenuity could devise. Sir CHARLES WOOD is one of those obtuse persons who can never do a right thing but in the•wrong way. With peculiar maladroitness, on Tuesday night he recommended his Coast Guard plan, upon the fact of the increased naval force of France. Considering the present entente cordiale between the two countries, this allusion from a Member of the Government was remarkable for its indiscretion, to say nothing of the folly of the argument, for if we are to maintain our resources on a competitive scale, where will be the end of armaments ? We shall run into the old extreme of excess, and then fall back into the other old extreme of retrenchment, and in a few years find ourselves as wo were in the days of Sir CHARLES ADAM, with one liner and a guardship as our home protective squadron. The measure—(ill-natured people do say that it is not original, but that's nothing)—so far as it goes is good. The Grand Cross of the Bath seems quite to have quickened lour First Lord's usually obtuse faculties, but sera nunquain est, &c. ; and so we accept the Coast Guard Service Bill, to some extent. It is the first step towards obtaining for us a reserve of able-bodied seamen. We have a reserve of advanced ships at every port—ships with guns, stores, and cables on board ; but at present we have no men to man them with. The admirable naval administration of France gives her a constant reserve on hand of some 40,000 seamen, to be raised with ease to 60,000, and, with some pressure, to 90,000 men. We pos sess nothing of the sort; and though with our immense mercantile marine we may have no necessity for a reserve force of 60,000 men, always available, yet we should have such a force of able-bodied and well-trained seamen in hand as would bear some relative proportion to our fleet in reserve. Sir CHARLES WOOD proposes to transfer the Coast Guard service to the Admiralty, and to raise the Coast Guard force from 5,000 to 10,000 effective men, to be kept in constant training and exercise on board men-of-war stationed in the various ports of the coast, and attended by a squadron of gunboats as revenue cruisers. The preventive duties, under these circum stances, will be more effectually performed, and the men more thoroughly exercised in their great-gun drill and other duties, than under the present system. Increased expense will, of course, attend the plan, but as we are daily adding to our stock of ships, it is only reasonable we should keep some mon in hand to man them. The House is doing the massacre work bravely. Some fourteen bills were passed yesterday in two hours. The Vice-President of Council on Education Bill last night passed through committee ; and the salary was fixed, after a warm debate, at 2,0001. per annum. The name of Lord Jour; RUSSELL is put forward in connection with the place. Parliament, it is reported, will close this day week, but the Lords have so many cases of appeal on hand that it is yet doubtful whether the session may not be further prolonged. A BOWOOD BALLAD. Gaily the Troubadour." Gaily the Ministers Smirked at it—ah ! As they were welcoming Williams from war. Saying," in search of a Hero we've pined. You shall have Shelburne's seat If you're inclined." Shelburne on Downing-street Still his eye kept. Thought on it waking, And thought as he slept. Saying, " to get there—what Would I not do? Caine and that common lot I could forego." Presto! the business Soon managed you see, The Peer's son's a placernan, The soldier M.P. And dear! and oh, dear oh! Who cares for disgrace, When the Whigs win e‘ hero And Shelburne his place? SPITHEAD AND ALDERSHOTT. Betwixt the signs of decadence The difference immense is— Peel only gave the Commons bread, But Pam gives them " Circeuses."