The Press. — London, England, 1855-11-03 00:00:00

NOVEMBER 3, 1855. as they are now. The electric telegraph—the Penny Cyclopedia—the improved " Jemmey" were then unknown, and mountebanks of politics informed them that the better course of the Admiral would have been to have attacked the enemy instead of preserving the fleet. The advice prevailed even to the Throne, because a party to the popular but econo mical cry, and the Admiral who now-a-days would have been feted for his prudence, honoured with shilling subscriptions for his losses, and returned to the Senate for his services, was possitively shot. This is but an incilent giving no conception of the difficulties of the time. Hardly a nation in Europe was our real ally, nor was there any precau tion taken by the Ministers to enlist their aid, except indeed that of mere solicitation, which betrayed at once weakness and necessity The storm was gathering even across the Atlantic, in America. A mixed policy of insult and retractation, to be followed by insult again, had given an excuse to a people never slow to take offence to threaten to appear in open hostility. In the meantime at head-quarters the Minis ter joked, and professed the most complete indifference to what was going on. He had been accustomed to consider his work done when the spark was applied to the combustible materials of national relations, without con!idering whither the conflagration might tend. He en couraged and surrendered malcontents with equal indifference, and treated the law of nations with a contempt, which if it had not been dangerous would have been sublime. The household utensils of a Jew in Greece, which were said to have been taken, he looked on as more sacred than the municipal laws of a Commonwealth, which forbade its subjects to enlist against countries with which it was at peace. He seemed to stand the one example in a free Nation of an individual neither greatly liked by monarch nor people, permitted a profligate despotism, by the indisposition of those capable of ruling to disturb his motley career, which he declared to be the business of Government. This conduct could not long be without effect. Prices were rising, funds were falling, taxation increasing, discontent advancing, popula tion flying, 1 anperism deluging the land, and yet men were found to boast that now at length the country was ruled by THE OLD OLD WHIGS. THE CABINET OF ARISTOCRATS. (From a Ministerial Journal.) THE public will be gratified to hear that it is the intention of Viscount Palmerston to recommend to the Crown an early creation of Peers, partly in reward for eminent services, either done or intended to be done the nation, and partly that the aristocratic element in the present Cabinet, which is perhaps deficient in that respect, may be strengthened by the introduction of new titles. We have been favored with some exclusive information upon the subject, and hasten to inform our readers as much of it as it is expedient to publish. Mr. Vernon Smith will be one of the first objects of favour on the part of the Government he adorns. He will be raised to the peerage by the title of Lord St. Pauls, not only in memory of his distinguished uncle, the Rev. Sydney Smith, canon of that sacred edifice, whose wit he in herits, indeed, in an improved degree, but also in testimony to his own co lossal character and genius. Lord St. Pauls will continue to preside over the affairs of India, and should Viscount Canning fulfil the expectation that is formed of him, namely, that he will make a remarkably indiffer ent Governor-General, he will, at no distant period, be replaced by Lord St. Pauls. Mr. Smith obtained, some years ago, licence for his chil dren to drop that somewhat plebeian name, and be called Vernon only ; and the delicate taste and fastidiousness which prompted this arrange went have been again manifested by the Peer in expectancy, who has selected, as his second title, St- Faith under St. Paula. Another peerage, as might be anticipated, will be conferred upon Sir Charles Wood, who has often pleasantly urged upon his chief, that "it is a shame to call a man a First Lord who is not a lord at all." He will take the title of Lord Pontefract, from the place of his birth, whence the Premier in his " sportive hour" has so often denominated him by the name of the favorite sweetmeat, the Pontefract cake. Sir George Grey, though, from his representing in the Commons the aristocratic house founded by the first Earl, he does not consider that any ennoblement could really advance him, has, with some reluc tance, and only in order to comply with Lord Palmerston's wish t have none but lords about him, assented to take the title of Baron Platitude; and the Secretary-at-War has so far overcome his filial feel ings as to permit himself " to receive an hereditary title," and in that of Lord Potter de Redtape will merge the name of Peel. The admirable Chancellor of the Exchequer would have had a similar honour, but for the necessity of that official being a member of the House of Commons ; but in the probable event of his finding the duties of his office somewhat too severe, especially as the financial requirements of the coming year are likely to be urgent, Sir G. C. Lewis will go to the Upper Chamber as Baron Tardy De Dawdle. 1049 We need hardly add that the pro Coronet, so amply deserved by, and so long promised to, the Chief Commissioner of Works, will not be again delayed, and that as Lord Marylebone Sir Benjamin H a ll will retain a graceful connection with the constituency whom he ceases to represent. This creation will complete the aristocratic character of her Majesty's Government, as it is needless to say that lords will be selected for the two offices at present vacant, and every member of the Cabinet, with the exception of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, will be a nobleman. The array of illustrious names will then be truly im posing, and will run thus :—Lord Palmerston, Lord Cranworth, Lord St. Mauls, Lord Granville, Duke of Argyll, Lord Pontefract, Lord Clarendon, Lord Panmure, Lord Marylebone, Lord Lansdowne, the noble lords at the Colonial and Post Office, Lord De Redtape, and Lord Platitude. Viscount Palmerston will then, with very little altera tion, have rendered his Cabinet in appearance, as it is already in reality, the representative of that class to which the deservedly popular Minister wisely considers that the honours and emoluments of Go vernment should be restricted. THE PREMIER'S PLAN FOR KEEPING THE geTitikelr . . , ..f• - 5.1,:2;* • N.-sor--+'-, THE PRESS. ~x PEACE! Make choice of a Neutral, if fiercest the best, Inveigle its subjects to follow your drums, Be sure your Ambassador's strictly impressed To treat with contempt each remonstrance that comes. And if 'tis your ill-fated chance to he caught, Declare you've commanded the outrage to cease ; But stoutly refuse all apologies sought, For that's my receipt for preserving the peace ! To show that your late countermand is sincere, And you really feel your Ambassador's wrong, Let a fleet in the seas of the Neutral appear, For War much too weak and for Peace far too strong. And if be should wince at such neighbourly acts, Instruct all your hacks his bad blood to increase, Declare his forced silence Great Britain exacts, As the only t►ue mode of preserving the peace ! Though his provocation no man dare deny, Nor the right to redress that his statesmen demand, Be sure that the Billingsgate well you apply, And attribute mean motives with bountiful hand. The " coming elections "—" of conquest the lust,' All cries will raise cackle from war•seeking geese; And—haul inexpertus—my word you may trust, You may keep a snug place though you don't keep the peace ! AN UNANSWERABLE CONUNDRUM. SIR WALTER Scorr mischievously made a charade, " Sir Hilary," to which it is supposed that there is no solution. Since his time no similar wicked puzzle has been attempted, until Tuesday last, when the following riddle was propounded for the bewilderment of London:— " Why is the G.C.B. given to Lord Panmure !" Nobody has been able to answer this. The oldest inhabitants of the clubs laid their old heads together in the windows, and gazed wistfully at one another, now and then exclaiming, " I have it," but they never had. No one could offer the slightest reason that would hold water. Some few ridiculous replies were made, as there always are in such cases, rather for the sake of saying something than as solu tions, but they are scarcely worth record. One person said that the initials meant " Gout Keeps Better," buthe was reminded that nobody of education beyond that of a Southwark elector spells " keep " with a " c." Another ventured to hint that the letters expressed Lord Palmerston's usual Voltarian way of speaking of his helpless friend, " Goodnatured Creature, But--" the slung being left t.) the imagina tion. Even the Globe, which, all things considered, is a smart paper, came out with a very stupid answer, " Because he meets Lord Hardinge once a week," evidently an insane reply. Nobody can answer the riddle. It may as well be left for the ingenuity of country readers, who have time on their hands, but it is not very probable that a rational solution will be given. ADVERTISEMENT. LEST the stream of benevolence which is certain to be brought out by the eloquent memorial in which some of the most distinguished men of the day are appealing to the public in behalf of the representatives of Dr. Johnson's friend, Mauritius Lowe, should be checked by any idea that I am one of the party to be benefited, I beg to say that such is not the fact, that I come from quite a different colony from Mauri tius—viz., Australia, and that I have no connection with Johnson's Dictionary, mentioned in the said memorial, my references being usually to Walker. (Signed) Boa Lows.