The Press. — London, England, 1856-07-05 00:00:00

THE WEEK. 4'. , ..• - • .'••• 4.1 TkE days of the session are drawing to a close. The whitebait dinzter,,„ the Globe cf last night intimates, will come off on the 19th, and •tlth - rising of Parliament is reported, on the same authority, for the 24th'." It would be curious to have a return of the number of hours wasted on subjects not destined to come to maturity,—as the Oath of Abjuration Bill, the Maynooth Bill, Mt. Lowg's Propperty-is-Daleft;Bill, and Inver others. Practical legislation had;nade, hut little way. All thole leading subjects on which public atteritibn/has been fixed,—as India, Army Reform, Law Amendment, and, above all, Finance,—reinain iq abeyance. The Bank Charter has scarcely been alluded to, though it is admitted on nearly all sides that. the aot is capable of amendment. For administrative measures a very different Government from the present will be required. _ _ The debate at the commencement of the week, urged on by Mr. MOORE in Bashi•Bazouk style, was chiefly remarkable for the searching speech of Mr. GLADSTONE, and the very singular address of Lord PALMERSTON. Mr. GLADSTONE can now per ceive the want of party organisation. The acknowledgment from him is instructive. How long is it since he made. the discovery ? We hope he may be tempted to favour the public, in some shape, with his views at large upon so important a subject The Premier's speech will bear fruit. We imagine it impossible that the United States Govern ment can possibly overlook its injurious tone and insulting charges. It will tend to much further embarrass the relations of the two countries, and not improbably lead, after all, to a total rupture of diplomatic intercourse. The difficult►es attending the Central American question will increase the longer its settlement is delayed. In that question are the seeds, as Sir HENRY BULWEII announced in 1850, of a war between the two countries. The speech of Lord PAL MERSTON has so materially altered the whole aspect of our relations towards the United States, and so conclusively shown that a concilia to►;y policy is absolutely impossible, that we venture to think the subject should yet be brought before the Legislature ere the quarrel be allowed to make further progress. Sincerity must always command a certain degree of respect, and 1 is often the more dangerous on that very account. Cardinal MAZARIN said of CROMWICLL that he would go far, as he knew not where he was going. With more sagacity was it observed of ROBESPIERRE that he would distance all the other revolutionists, as he believed what he said. One sincere man of our day shows both characteristics. Mr. SPOONER would go far, not knowing where his course tends, and would distance those who work with him, because he believes what he says. He is one of those honest zealots who think that they have the truth within them. The happiest day of CALVIN'S life was that on which he burnt " Servetus." Such men would overthrow all idols save one, and bending before that with worse titan Fetish worship they exalt it into Deity—the idol of self within them. Mr. SPOONER will prosecute his anti-Maynooth agitation, though sure to throw Ireland into a flame, though certain to raise au agitation against the Irish Church, which, joined in by Liberals and Dissenters in this country, would end in its overthrow. Ireland is really improving, not only in material prosperity, but in the decline—no doubt to Mr. SPOONEICS infinite sorrow—of religions animositiet If ever any question could be settled by a solemn decision of the Legislature, the grant to Maytlooth was thus settled. By au act, passing both Houses of Parliament, and receiving the sanction of, the Sovereign, a certain revenue was assigned for ite,nupport—T, and now every year there is a bill introduced to repeal that act. The agitation will never answer. Let Mr. SPOONIIR gain what majoiity he niny, the Sovereign will not sanction an agitation which would convulie her empire. The question is impracticable ; it must be dropped.' If carried, the Irish Caurch would not last five years beyond' it; land the agitation is supported by certain parties for'l34i!"Ake'"ef the 'hope which lies beyond it. The Dissenting interest think -" Spoonerism" a good banner to tight under, but it will not do. The sound sense, the religious feeling, the charitable sentiment, and the political sagacity of the country repudiate it. It may excite some animosities, it may do some mis chief; but we say this advisedly—it is. a banner which never can rally the Conservative feeling of this country. It would have been easy enough for the Opposition to have made 4 - 1 f it a party question—to have beaten the Government—to have expelled them from office. But what then? A speedy reaction, and a religious .rerolution. The Opposition Leaders never showed more ,principle than in refusing, for the sake of a political triumph, ie,iftectioh plicy which they knew must be either illusive or mischievous. or a' eminently both. As every one must have anticipated, the Rhssians are preparing for the complete subjugation of the Caucasus. A corps of 40,000 men, pei fectly supplied with all material of war, is to be immediately directed against SCHANYL, and the Russians are slowly arranging to occupy the Circassian coast on the Black Sea, and re-establish the blockade. Soon we shall hear of bloody i ,TßOcto; and if, as is likely, the Russians concentrate sufacient.:Pcest p 4, ; effect their object, all • , • resistance will be subdued by the . n;tassapsp 1 pf, the chief part of the population. How true were our forebodings! A little resolution on the part of our Government would have prevented this cruel war A great opportunity was lost of effecting a com . plete pacification of the Black Sea, awl even the Cancasian,,phain. That it was lost, we always regarded as the great blot of, 410, peapp ;an4 ; a blot it will be for ever on the fame of Lord Cual.pripoN,,as,ti . statesman. His narrow intellect, cold heart, and timid wpm, combine to hand over without remonstrance the whole Capisap i iik t raca,N, 9 u tpercy of irritated Russia. :BHT r - T ' M. es Minqqatintflitr hitV 86 . • ' publis_ed a _is rtat on upon the affairs of Italy, in every respect of a most remarkable character. His opinions in regard to the position occupied by ;ngland towards the Italian Liberals we have.discussed , in another portion of our Journal. We have now to say a few words on tkin.leading idea of the whole pro. iduction, which is not Italy for the Inilians, but Italy for the Pope. M. Dn MoNrAtemeear should remember—when complaining of the tone adopted by the English towards the religion of those parts of Europe, and asking whether the alliance between France and. England would endure for a moment if the former were to indulge in tha,, fri same abuse of the Anglican Church—that the two communions are i not in this respect upon equal terms. The French peop l e h a ve never ' suffered anything from the. ascendancy of the English church, but what I have not the English suffered from the ascendancy of the Roman ?"'- 1 The Romish Church represents far more than just one particular form of religion, and the attemPt to get it treated as such by its adherents lid is one of their most plausible artifices. We are sorry that M de MONTALEMBERT should lend himself to the ultramontane agitation.. He is unquestionably one of .the ablest men and justest thinkers do which France at this moment possesses, while his character of the„ PALMERSTON policy in the article we are now speaking of, is sufficient" by itself to stamp him as one of the most billhant and epigrammatic } aA political writers of the day. But most greatlnerti have their one weak' I point, and unhappily de MONTALEMBERT is no exception to the rule. Air t ')-!t t W.II JO , .quit alliT The Guards deserve a heart") , *C166 4 016 from the LondotiersA Never have troops more nobly sustained their ancient -reputationi q ue In the days of the Romans every veteran of that heroic briqeder would have had his statue placed in the Forum. Terrible and irre sistible in the assault at Alibi, they proved themselves as resolutely tenacious i t file fence at Inkermann. That desperate and sturdy fight of the " Sandbag Battery " is one of the glorious episodes of ,‘ the war. Without a gun in position, and with nothing but their bayonets—for theyf fought at such close quarters that firing was im possible7—did the ,heroic band of 1,800 Guards defend that battery, swept by a tremendous artillery from the opposite heights, and.efq furiously assaulted by ten times their number of Russians. But we have no occasion to recal the deeds of this splendid brigade, nor detail how in atter m • onths they melted away from starvation and cold. Will it not be written in history? But a few hundred of the old veterans return ; nevertheless the places of both the glorious and unhappy dead are filled by men of similar mould, and by men whO" to-morrow would repeat the deeds of their predecessors. Let us, re-", 4 member the deeds of the brigade, and give it the welcome it deserve4:l It has fought nobly, bled freely, and suffered submissively; and now; S with the rest of the army, returns to receive in the welcome and a&- 1 miration of its countrymen a better reward than the liberality of the Government has yet afforded. Tl:!:flfrt Lord SHELBURNE has Lecepted the Chiltern Hundreds, and a new* 'ff writ has been moved for the borough of Caine. Lord SHELBURNE iS to -v be called up to the House of Peers. Sir W. Wiutama, the hero of Kane ia.to,he aaa f eandidate for Caine. I ii.io it 'T I - r1, ( 1 r - 1 (.;!‘.': ..!if,,w rlo9lil t,s4 . A Ir ! . jft , I h,t,...brr. rr tordlitifiatfitsx's Divorce Bill has been carried in tnei,-14.0tmee.f i Lorda•tbi , iii'very large majority. While unable to deny, pat th (-. BiisheplofOivokr. has considerable ground for his apprehensions that / . the proposed change may underrnino the sanctity with which marrictge fi hiiihitherto been regarded in this country, we cannot het • thinking with Lord DEERE that it is the lesser of two evils..-It is,:'' • . desira 7l blntheresbould -be a much more accessible relief : thing L . ~ presen ts - . .. n Jr/ sttiteof the lit* affords. In regard to the power given to womonA l odivoret !their husbands, we think there is much to be said in its fitycntr,.,l);c l 3:Oifrf l , sekdargumehti only goes to show that crime in the, w'ke Rt.: A vatar inetinVenteilett to society Liman- in the husband. But, / ,Reyer i mvio it Ihatis'illeged.that'our law of divorce was to be ,f0rme .p . 4,417,1i9} ptiffertplis'ils ghtit;! Either man or woman is equally guilty *ltk i s 1 , itt ofser*tc, *'both Should be-enabled to avail theniaelves eValty„og DivinWiriOkniliditin tir separate. .1 .ii : i.,• . v.)11; , tile(' 11•10'1110 to silo& . . ..i •,1 id , ..0,1. .. :, ..h. 'l,m - 11111 'lOll , ll - '! , 1111y1t . 1 "..!1111.1f.11 /' Th 4141 l ig ' otitt ic 'site for' the' /Ai National Gallery which seems to hide *eh ilytsrl6 ed. • The opeitlepsee where Smithfield market %yea, onde'llel4 sirtitild' ebnitnandthe Support of all who-, for various reasons,., oli,r O is iti& to die itloia ilouse site. It is as near as possible in the centra of trieti4oll42 - ./tis'surtelinited by U dense population. In the init ildiate•Helitiltr ire Mutton-hill, Cow .cr)ss-steeet, held - lane, : tiari Wean, and '<Ali& loitYwtled localities. Why not erect the National, Gallery here? The strongest argument against this site would be,, that thifklitlidtkdai tidn'ferdeitly situated for those who eared nothing about it,' and dry itidoieittkently situated for those who did. Ilfut.elitici couvehic 'Of' thii' atitearent' has been held to pass, for Pctilli4gPM,l4 frokiitiy in the ,Hottbef' tif: Commons, they ought W fairiy,earry i nut theielitinclple)i,aididte fdr Smithfield. The fa ll acy running throu g h. the ar gi l ithentg it fitychir 'of a central situation requires a few wordso, Mtpo.inre: F6t6t 'et'elasseg than those directly interested in it, a Nati GarlerYJlspeeiklly as regard( choice examples of art, must be of very lit use: .Me nitiltipae are net-to be educated in Art by gating on. your " Illh - fielti3ObrregeolWittitt e,enff ; 1 it requires both a sympathetic mint; f itat e c yliing tiiiiiiitig ftwitridlerstand . •the ,excellence et, tile ! highest king of art ; arid' if , vitt make . such examples fairly accessible fe students and profesebts, Mid to those fitted to take an intelligent in lireitliVilyhem,'yori havislonh all: theft it is poSsible to effeut.. ,What the i dal' Will . atgaigt be erected on the Kensington Gore ,xite is a hitkilS? eertitite;" but the deciiion of the House--tumweountable as c d V kiit -.. ill'hrtie the effect of delaying all proceedin , gs for an , in, thiftlictetime'?' I 're 'Mil* the public ought-to take the subject up, and *At on something being done promptly. pp I► ;• ~~