The Press. — London, England, 1857-12-05 00:00:00

ytlA, tion. B ut subj, Legislature such is far from being the case. With them non progredi est regredi in its most literal sense. The cries of our murdered countrymen still ring in our ears. The murmurs of unemployed workmen are growing loader and louder. And the Government assembles Parliament on the 3rd of December to appoint a Select Committee ! It is to be lamented that at this almost un paralleled emergency so few of those men whom the nation is accustomed to respect should be found in the ranks of Government. However competent to the ordinary routine of business, nobody would have named Mr. V. SMITH and Sir G. C. Linvis as the men calcu lated to deal with any extraordinary pressure in their respective departments. Neither belong exactly to that class of minds which retrieve national credit or subdue revolted empires. The full extent of their inefficiency time only can reveal ; but it is certain that the former of these two gentlemen has during the recess astonished even persons accustoms' to the little wisdom by which India has hitherto been ruled. Of Lord PALMERSTON we would fain speak gently. He is an old man. For fifty years he has been conspicuous in public affairs ; and if sometimes failing in dignity and sometimes in discretion, he has never for feited his reputation • for ability. • But it was the misfortune of Lord PALMERSTON to enter public life before he was of an age to make up his mind upon any of the great questions of political philosophy. Almolt Incessantly occu pied from his first entry into 'Parliament, the Noble Lord never had leisure 'to repair this defect until his mind • had lost'. the ;plia bility requisite for the reception of new ideas. were afraid to face Parliament with a scheme of legislation which they knew must be crude and superficial. If, however, we wanted any further proof, Lord GRANVILLE'S language is unmistakeable. He openly says that Minis ters will not incur the responsibility of pre scribing for our financial sickness. • Quidquid dicam aut erit aut non. Charter or no charter, 'tis the same thing to him. He could not pos sibly be more oracular. But whether his re sponse will be deemed satisfactory by the country is a different question. What should we think of a physician who after pocketing his fee insisted on delegating his functions to the parish doctor? Indications have not been wanting that the investigation of our Indian disasters will, if possible, be evaded. Minis ters think wisely that what they are not strong enough to do thoroughly they had better not attempt,at all. Her Majesty's allusions to the subject were couched in the vaguest possible terms, and feelers have been thrown out to sound the state of public opinion, and aseer. tain how farit would be safe to baulk public indignation and shirk Ministerial responsi bility. While, lastly, can any one believe that the mention of Representative Reform was taked on to the Royal Address for any other reason than that the Premier was afraid to leave it out? The recognition of the subject was cold and distant. It was evidently an unpalatable intruder—endured, but not welcome. Not that we believe Lord PALMERSTON'S aversion to Reform is based on any rational dislike of innovation. But he does not under standthe subject. And shoulditeverbecomethe question of the day, others would take the either plained away, thp decision to call Parliament together was announced by the Ministerial journals, and a grand programme of its in tended proceedings was launched forth. Great were to be its congratulations on our entire success in every point ; the largest rewards were to be lavished on the heroes who bad produced it ; an Indian loan was to be imme diately issued so as to put the Calcutta Government in ample funds ; and, finally, the East India Company was to be utterly swept away. Such were the announcements made in the Post and the Globe, and what we must henceforth take leave to call the mis leading journal. But all men are " the crea tures of circumstances," aid of none could this be predicated more correctly than of those who are now placed at the head of our affairs. What might have been proposed in a moment of triumph they dare not venture oven to whisper in the hour of gloom ; so the whole work regarding India for the present resolves itself into voting a pension of a thousand a year to HAVELOCK" Government and e• poned to a future da, to what is then ii refused, and Ministe which Lord DERBY cedented, and wl to the Sovereign itself. For they month of her Nfajes%, decline to give the fact, degrading • - ... . - . . • ' -et. . r --• • . . ) „ a. larmil . . , • t . 3 • • • . i t 't: : V"I i t J i • , I i . 4 I.i' .' 4 • • . I ! Y t `.l. ": .1 '3!"1,:lrli d 1 - ..f . . . ' II ' . z.ivte - i . •• . ' Lst,t* i :'n'r" f k . :, I .:j. /.: • • .-- 104 ,Iff,T,!' - ! ric , l3s , +.4 , . ..,,:. . N0.240.—V0L.V. LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5 , 1857 . STAMPED ....SIXPENCE. lINSTAMPED..FIVEPENCE. .---------- (117 e V rtss. It was probably a consequence of this that he lead out of his hands. This is the secret of his . , , never attained to a leading place in the coun - concealed opposition to Reform , and is w hat ,• 1 cils of his Sovereign till past the ordinary age adds fuel to the Cabinet disagreements on the of man—that he has never risen to comprehen- topic. But we must never forget that oppo- .. sive views of affairs, and has remained to the sition based solely on motives of seltinterest 'i LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1857. last only a political empiric. His practical is liable at any moment to be changed into energy, which might once have fitted him to advocacy. If his Lordship should once , superintend the pacification of India, and the imagine that more danger might be incurred reputation of which raised him to his present by thwarting Mr. LOCKE KING, or Mr. eminence, is now broken ; and he seeks in vain, ROEBUCK, than even by submitting to a A TRIPLE crisis in our public affairs has by the indulgence of untimely mirth, to inspire contrast between himself and more amens• demanded the interference of Parliament two his supporters with confidence, and to per- plished statesmen, he would yield that instant. months earlier than their ordinary period of suade them that flippancy and giddiness pro- We sincerely believe there is no proposition of meeting. Never was there greater need of teed from a consciousness of strength instead Reform, even to the total disrnp ture of our of being a confession of weakness. But even social system, from which he would with- deviation from the ordinary routine. Butchery could we believe that these unseemly exhibi- hold his assent. Lord GRANVILLE, we must and dishonour abroad have been aggravated tions of levity were but the wantonness of remember, spoke with more decision than his by ruin and starvation at home ; and to the power, instead of being, as they are, the efftt- chief. And we trust the united Conservative tail of these troubles, as if not long enough sions of senile incontinence, the present mo - party will continue on their guard a g ainst those 1 ment is surely no time for such displays. Is artful rumours of the Premier's Conservative already, Parliamentary Reform is appended. it the part of an English Minister to snap tendencies thrown out only to disarm sus- The distinguishing characteristic of her his fingers and to crack his jokes in the midst picion till the moment for action shall arrive. ~1 Majesty's Speech, delivered on Thursday last, of imperial calamity, and to escape the The future government of India, the regu- is the pressing nature of the topics to which it serious discussion which such events demand, lation of the currency, and the representation but which he himself dreads, by provoking of the people are three imp ortant sub j ects on \ „ is addressed. Two out of the three are not his audience to laughter of which they must which the people of England are now looking only of the highest importance, but demand be heartily ashamed? for sound and final legislation. It is clear that ... immediate action. There are many questions The combination of difficulties now before something must be dote. Are the 5 3:4 both of foreign and domestic policy seariely, us would tax the abilities of a Cabinet e ach to wh om these questions have been t = if at all, inferior in essential weight to the member of which had special qualifications the men to do it ? for the task demanded of him. How touch . raliditelhmi of Iltasaltfiiillotattietatat of the our- more so the present one! Does, Ate deeded - rem, which admit of delay without injury to of Ministers , then , evince any emiticiousriess MORE INCAPACITY ON INDIA. thelitate. Education, criminaljurisprudence, of this unfortunate posture of affairs? The A SHORT time ago, when the telegram had the whole financial question to a and military organisation are subjects , for in- reference o f brought us, with the news of the fall of Delhi , select committee, which, it is admitted even stance, in which the suspense of ayear or two is by the Ministerial organs, can elicit no fresh accounts of the triumphant relief of Lucknow , not fatal—which may be dropped and taken up evidence, and which is but a superfluous and the entire suppression of the rebellion in every again without taxing the enerOie l s i of Parlia- servile imitation of the course adopted in quarter, and a variety of other interesting par- ment by the necessity of instantaneous solu- 1847, looks very much as if Ministers did not ticulars which the subsequent letters and Lion. But with the subjects now before the feel themselves at ease upon the subject. and . .- •., , r___ 1.),...1;,„.„„,4. „A i ), a „,, 1 ,„„,,,, journals from India either negatived or ex- IC; loans and changes of :verything else • -• day. Eve* intended )s s ) z. itershave r justly de ,, rhich is •••/: 9 it ~h ave putx. •••• sty the meatiqig • t rl the Roy - al •