The Press. — London, England, 1857-08-08 00:00:00

... 772 THE PRESS, AUGUST B , 1857. he also foresaw the opposition they would encounter in their new shape, the excesses to which they would lead, and the lament able schism into which many professors of them would be driven. It has been said of him that he endeavoured to effect a compromise where no compromise was possible. This we emphatically deny. It was no compromise that the deceased Prelate recommended. To those persons who never can distinguish between moderation and timidity it may seem such. But a compromise, in the legitimate sense of the ord, we are certain Dr. BLOMFIELD would have scorned. His aim was to preserve the essentials of that creed which zealous and honest Churchmen of the last century had judged it sufficient to preserve—men who lived nearer to those days when controversy was of vital importance, who had the points at issue between High and Low Church brought thoroughly home to them, and who, differing alike from TILLOTSON on the one hand, or Bishop KEN upon the other, deemed that within the pale of the Established Church and within the scope of her liturgy was to be found everything essential to salvation. The deceased Bishop was averse to anything which tended to a re opening of this question, and he therefore was inclined to check the fanciful researches of the Tractarians. But he was too staunch an upholder of the Chuych of England to throw himself into the arms of their opponents, and to the end of his career devoted himself to. unfortunately, the fruitless task of inducing the clergy stare super via* antiquas. His views, we are confident, were definite ; but the circum stances of the times and the exigencies of his position imparted a show of uncertainty to his conduct which in reality was quite incon sistent with his character. The snug little electioneering clique at the Reform Club has had another place given to them by an appreciating Minister. Mr. JAMES CorrocK has received the Treasurership of the Kent County Cour►ts. Not long since Mr. BURCUAM got a police magistracy ; and in a short time we suppose the whole clique will be provided for. Elec tioneering services are more valued by the pureminded Liberals than aught else in the claims of their supporters. If a Liberal author, of rank and name in letters, were to bring his pretensions into compe• tition with those of Mr. COPPOCR, how Mr. HAYTER would laugh ! Mr. COPPOCK has, certainly, laboured hard for his friends ; and, without the least disrespect to those gentlemen, we think that mere electioneering labours should be rewarded in some other way than by official posts. We do not like to see precedents laid down for turning electioneering into a regular profession. The controversy between Mr. BERTOLACCI 9.11 d. the Council of the Duchy of Lancaster is not satisfactorily cleared up by the committee appointed to decide upon it. In the first place it is by no means established that the Council had any right whatever to exclude him from a seat at their board. The patent of appointment both of the Chancellor and the Auditor is silent on the point; and invariable usage has been in favour of Mr. BERTOLACCI'S claim. What authority, then, resides in the other officers of the Duchy enabling them to create an arbitrary precedent of this nature we have yet to learn. As to Mr. BERTOLACCI'S fussiness and inquisitiveness, our opinion of these pecu liarities must be greatly modified by the knowledge that, ou Mr. BERTOLACCI'S appointment, he was expressly informed that the office was for the first time to be made " a working office." To officials acquainted only with the old routine of sinecurism that might appear fussy and inquisitive which to an able man of business would seem the most ordinary behaviour in the world. We do not think it is at all surprising, under these circumstances, that Mr. BERTOLACCI should have pressed for the " production of documents differing in kind from those they (the Council) were accustomed to produce." This is exactly what we should have expected; and till more evidence be forthcoming we shall accept the charges brought against Mr. BEaro- LACCI by the Council with as much suspicion as we accept his own against Lords GRANVILLE and NEWCASTLE. Mr. BERTOLACCI is known as an able man and a skilful accountant. His accusers admit that he is highminded and honest. If general ability, professional skill, high mindedness, honesty, and zeal will not qualify a man to be auditor of the Duchy of Lancaster, we must say that that venerable institution is particularly exorbitant in the good qualities of its servants, and that it ought to be the best-managed property to be found in the four con tinents. If it is so, we have no more to say. But rumours to the con trary exist, together with a grave suspicion that, could all be known, the Council would be found to have been straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel. The subjects in which candidates for commissions in her Majesty's service are for the future to be examined have this week been pub lished, and will be found in detail in another portion of THE PRESS. We do not object to them as excessive ; on the contrary, they seem to hit the mean very fairly. But we rather wonder that the Commissioners should have awarded so large a number of marks to classics—to Latin alone 2,ooo—and yet not have included a certain acquaintance with the latter language among the indispensable subjects. If classics are worth three times as much as English, French, or History in the voluntary examination, they must surely be worth something in the compulsory. It cannot he denied that Latin is a very useful accom plishment, both to officers and civilians. Its connection with medicine THE WEEK. THE Session draws rapidly to a close, and exhausted Members pant for the country and fresh air. Ministers will probably finish what business they have taken in hand. They promised little, and they have kept their word, as if bent on fulfilling Mr. DISRAELI'S prediction of "a wasted year." The Divorce Bill has been on the anvil since the time of the Coalition Cabinet, and we can understand the argument of Lord STANLEY, in the Noble Lord's desire for expediting it in com mittee, on the intelligible ground that the new Parliament should seem to have done something in its first session ! In the meanwhile, it must not be forgotten that many political measures were not allowed to be discussed, on the ground of the Reform Bill next year. What chance is there of Parliament being in a moud for a new Reform Bill? The news from India occupies, and will continue to occupy, the ruling powers. Whatever Ministry were in office, it is plain that it could not undertake to deal with Reform while our Empire in India is placed in jeopardy. It cannot be denied that Parliament will separate in gloomy circumstances, for Mem bers will not know how soon they will again be summoned to their posts. The Turkish imbroglio, the question about the Principalities, and other matters, give a rather clouded aspect to foreign affairs just now. The blunder made by Ministers in not calling out the Militia sooner, first pooh-poohing the idea, and then rather ungraciously adopting the suggestion, has caused much pain to those who wish to see the Queen's cause supported with thorough energy and zeal. Parties, also, seem getting into the state in which they were before the General Election. Mr. BRIGHT is again in the political field ; Air. COBDEN and Mr. MILNER GIBSON will be introduced on the first oppor tunities ; and so far from the last election " clearing up the state of parties"—as Lord JOHN RUSSELL hoped—the constitution of the House of Commons is likely to be more uncertain than before. All things show that the political recess is likely to bring forth incidents of a most remarkable kind. The visit to Osborne of his Imperial Majesty the Emperor of tho FRENCH is announced to bo strictly private, but it is quite possible that questions of grave importance will be discussed at Osborne during the next few days. Ministerial journals assure us that the French alliance is safe, and that, though the Govern ments of the two countries differ in opinion upon minor matters, upon all great questions of foreign policy their views are identical. The crisis at Constantinople indicates in the most unequivocal manner that, though the action of the Governments may in general be harmonious, yet upon some essential points, such as the Danubian princi palities, the opinions of France and England are diametrically opposed. The Anglo-French alliance may be in no danger from this difference of opinion, but it must be clear to any man of common understanding that the restless enemies of that alliance must derive considerable consolation and advantage front the antagonism revealed in the steps recently taken by M. DE THOUVENEL at Constantinople. Lord PAL• lIERSTON may rest assured that the people of this country have adopted the principle of the French alliance from deliberate conviction, not from temporary distress, and that they will not permit the responsi bilities of that alliance to be lightly cast aside. One object of the present visit to this country of the Emperor of the FRENCH may be to place that alliance upon a closer and more solid foundation than would appear at present to exist. The death of the Right Rev. CHARLES JAMES BLOMFIELD, late Lord Bishop of London, has naturally been followed by many and various estimates of his life. It is the fate of men like the deceased Bishop to meet with scant justice. One who could not, perhaps would not, conceal what were his real convictions, yet felt at the same time the hopelessness of endeavouring to give effect to them in his own age, is a character that deserves at once our compassion and our sympathy. Yet a large class of persons will be certain to stigmatise such men as insin cere, as undecided, or as vacillating. Such is not the view we are dis posed to take of the deceased Prelate's character. Born at a time when the genuine traditions of the old English Church were in full force, living among men who had known intimately JOHNSON, MARKHAM, and Lovra, and possibly remembered Bishop BrTLER, the young scholar's predilections were all in favour of that well-nigh defunct school of High Church divinity, of whom the late venerable President of Magdalene was one of the last representatives. In that theological movement, which commenced in t l .e year 1833, it was impossible he should not recognise the presence of many truths which he had from boyhood associated with Anglican .r thodoxy ; but it is probable that