The Press. — London, England, 1856-02-16 00:00:00

148 form, as distinct from mere speculative inno vation, made from a feverish love of change. Education, law reform, ecclesiastical improve ment, are all considered, with calmness and discretion, by leading members of the Con servatives ; and well-digested measures on these great subjects may be reasonably looked for by the country at large. Sir JOHN PARING TON has in former years legislated with con siderable success on complex social questions ; and the practical turn of his mind, his talent in mastering details, and his characteristic firmness, give solid grounds for expecting a sound measure on education from him. There are several persons in opposite sections of politics who concur in looking to Sir JOHN PARINGTON as the statesman from whom the country is likely to receive an education bill which ,sill work in accordance with the wants of modern English society. Then, in law reform, it would be impossible that the subject could be in better hands than those of Sir FITZROY KELLY and Mr. NAPIER. They are both men of uncommon ability, and each stands at the head of the legal profession in his own country. In former years Sir FITZROY KELLY legislated with considerable success— as a criminal law reformer. Mr. NAPIER is not only a lawyer, but a man of philosophic intel lect, capable of ascending to principles. His proposal for a Minister of Justice elicited a most important debate on Tuesday, and he gained encomiums from all sides of the House. Both of those eminent jurists stand high in the estimation of all real law reformers ; and it is with heartfelt satisfaction that we observe the Conservative party in Parliament so cor dially supporting them. The important proposition of the Marquis of BLANDFORD on parochial extension we shall not discuss here, but none will deny the im portance of the subject, and the question is in good hands. We prefer rather to fix the at tention of our readers on the careless tone of the Ministers in discussing all these ques• tions. In the Lower House, the Government seem resolved to throw cold water on every subject. An absence of earnestness marks their speeches, and they have degenerated down to the sauntering air of well-bred insin cerity—" that yawning kind of pride," with which Lord MELBOURNE used to treat all practi cal proposals. " The subject is difficult ; but " perhaps, after all, there may be something " iit the proposition. Well, I cannot posi " tively say ; I should be glad that something " were done, but Government has nothing to " propose. Possibly the safest way is to leave " things to themselves." This is the sort of tone in which every proposition fur practical reform is answered by her Majesty's Ministers in the House of Commons. And those are the men who are to cure "routine !" Those are the statesmen who are to undertake "Administrative Reform !" Now, let any unprejudiced person glance at the conduct of the principal persons in the House of Commons, and let him ray honestly from which side may useful measures be expected Mr DISRAELI was the first public man of the day who directed the attention of the country to "Administrative Reform," and the practical course followed by the Conserva tives on all social questions inviting legisla tion shows that sound principles on " Admi nistrative Reform" may be more reasonably expected from the Conservatives than from the Whigs. It is not possible that the Whigs would be sincere in the cause, as they would have to put an end to their own system of hereditary Cabinet Ministers. That is not a step which the Whig families are likely to t ►ke. Without a revolution the Whigs are never able to carry any Reform, like blundering architects who cannot cure a defective chim• ney, or turn a new sewer, unless they unroof the house and upset the foundations. The admirable speech of Lord STANLEY. in second ing the important proposal of Sir FITZROY KELLY on Thursday, explains the tone and political temper of the Conservatives. They for - Ictical reform, not political rcvolu , for science, not quackery, and i are for practie tion; they are 1 11111116 THE PRESS, they look to experience, not guesswork. Lord STANLEY'S views, clear and large, uniting defi- nite aims with deep thought, demand and will receive consideration from the whole public. The tone followed by the Conservative Leaders in Parliament will, we have no doubt, be thoroughly appreciated and supported by the Conservatives of the empire. AMERICAN DISPUTE. SELF-RESPEC,'T is the safest prevention against quarrelling. The man who is sure of his own position is the slowest to suspect another of any design to question it; and hence the art of avoiding altercations has generally been deemed one of the peculiar characteristics of a gentleman. When Mr. Bloundell contra dicted Major Pendennis on a point of fashion able gossip, how did the Major conduct him self ? Did he endeavour to put down the im pertinent blunderer? Did he even indulge in a sneer? Nothing of the kind. Few there present, we are told, could appreciate the melancholy politeness with which the veteran man of the world at once accepted Mr. Bloundell's version of the anecdote, which he perfectly well knew to be wrong, and admitted with readiness that his memory must have played him false. This is a stroke of true satire, in which, by insinuating the worthless ness of the point in dispute, we ridicule the littleness of those who first thought it worth disputing. Never to seem afraid of being put upon, as the phrase goes—never to argue a question merely lest people should think you can't argue it—never to fight simply for fear the lookers on should think you a coward — these are some of the maxims on which all men of superior minds act, habitually and un consciously ; and it is this habit which gives to such men that air of repose and self-posses • sion before which fools stand abashed and dandies are wild with envy. Few men can have mingled, even in the slightest degree, in society, without noticing that one prominent fc.!ture in the character of a parvenu is his proneness to take offence. His angles are sharper, his corns are " more tender," than those of other people. There is really no knowing where to be safe with him. The moment you put your finger on him his bristles stand out like a hedgehog's. The best plan of course is to leave such a character alone. But unfortunately where nations, not individuals, are concerned, this cannot be done. Cool contempt is out. of the question, and the bristles must be laid by the applica tion of the national sawder. Pulveris exigui jactu cumpressa quiescent. At least we hope so. But we must take the opportunity of observing, at the same time, how fi)olish it is not to be very careful of pro voking this irritation. When gentlemen meet a parvenu in the world they are scrupulously ceremonious to him; just as Mr. DISRAELI tells us the old nobility of Spain made a point of addressing a new-made grandee by the whole string of his titles, whereas they gene rally accosted one another by some familiar abbreviation. Such should be our conduct towards America. We should do our best to avoid impinging on their ramified irritability. It is senseless to provoke a man, whoever he may be, who has the power to be mischievous. And the unpleasant results of having done so, which we not long ago predicted, are already becoming apparent. The reinforcement of the West India squadron has not been without its effect The augmentation of the American navy is in rapid progress. Brother Jonathan may subject himself to deserved ridicule by his excessive sensibility, and ignorance of the code of courtesy which governs older coun tries. He may show himself a parvenu to any extent, but for all that he is no fool and he is no coward. The man who wants to fight you in the streets because you push against him, may be a low fellow, but that will be no con solation if you go home with a black eye. Neither will it much mend the matter if you have given him two in return. On the whole you will consider it a very disagreeable business, and wish devoutly you had never got into it. We recommend these remarks - to the con- SATURDAY, MI sideration of our Premier. He should reflect that we can get very little glory out of a war with America at the best, and may reap considerable loss and discredit. We had best keep on good terms with these touchy gentlemen. We have not the slightest reason to be angry with them, and we ought if possi ble not to allow them the pleasure of being angry with us. THE LORD'S DAY OBSERVANCE MOVEMENT. DEPUTATION TO LORD PALMERSTON. A DEPUTATION of ministers and laymen of all evan gelical denominations, headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and numbering, by desire of the Arch. bishop, not more than between 100 and 150 gentle men, waited upon the Prime Minister on Saturday at his lordship's residence in Piccadilly. Among those present were the Earl of Shaftesbury, Lord Dungarvon, the Hon. A. Kinnaird, M.P., Right Hon. Joseph Napier, M.P., Mr. T. B. Horsfrll, M.P., Mr. Loftus Wigram, Major-General M‘lnnes, Major General Alexander, the Hon. and Rev. J. T. Pelham, Archdeacon Wigram. 'f his deputation included official representatives of the Church, Wesleyan, London, and Baptist Mis sionary Societies, and other missionary and religious institutions. Lord Palmerston entered the room shortly after eleven o'clock. The Archbishop of Canterbury, speaking with evident emotion, briefly addressed his lordship on the character of the question at issue, urging the close connection between ournational Sabbath and the public maintenance of religion in the land, and pointing out the unanimity of all Chistian bodies in upholding the present legal sanctions of the Lord's Day. His Grace then read an address, pointing out the obliga tion of an observance of the Lord's Day, the attempts made to break in upon its sanctity by proposals to open the British Museum and Crystal Palace, &c., and calling upon the Government to resist any mea sure brought before Parliament which should in any way disturb the due observance of the Sabbath, but rather to endeavour to relieve the numerous classes already engaged in various departments of labour, and to lead the people towards a due observance of the ordinance and commandment of Almighty God. Representatives of the working classes were then introduced to his lordship, and spoke strongly against any such innovations. Lord Palmerston, in receiving the address from the hands of the Archbishop, briefly responded to the feelings of the deputation. He acknowledged the importance of the question, and would give it every due attention . In a matter involving parlia mentary action, he, as an individual member of Go vernment, did not like to pledge his colleagues with out first consulting them. They would, however, meet that (Saturday) afternoon, and he would bring the subject of the address before them. A GREAT MEETING was held at Chester last week, to consider this grave subject. Upwards of 1,600 persons were present on this occasion. '1 he meeting, which was held in the Music-hall, was addressed at great length by the rev. gentlemen of the county, and by other gentlemen interested in the question. Various resolutions in accordance with the object of the meeting were unanimously passed, and a petition to Parliament a2reed upon, praying the house to reject any measures which may alter the law respecting the opening of public exhibitions . on Sundays, and to maintain the existing laws securing the due observance of the Lord's Day. SIR BENJAMIN HALL lately addressed a letter in reply to a memorial forwarded to him from the inha bitants of Kensington, protesting against the per formances by the regimental bands in the gardens on Sundays. The Chief Commissioner of Works, in his reply, sets out by questioning the authenticity of the memorial, and characterises the pertormanees of the bands as the most innocent recreation for the working classes. In conclusion, the right hon. baronet says that no one would deprecate more strongly than himself any measure which might he expected to lead to the desecration of the Lord's Day, but submitting that he cannot regard these musical performances as possessing such a tendency. CABINET COUNCILS were held at the Foreign-office on Saturday last, and on Monday and Wednesday afternoons in this week. The Ministers present were, Viscount Palmerston, the Lord Chancellor, Earl Granville, the Marquis of Lansdowne; the Earl of Harrowby, Sir George Grey, the Earl of Clarendon, Mr. Secretary Labouchere, the Chancellor of the Ex chequer, Sir Charles Wood, Right Hon. 11. Vernon Smith, Lord Stanley of Alderley, Right lion. M. T. Baines and the Duke of Argyll. The Cou ncils sat severally for three hours and a half, two hours and a half, and two hours and a half. IMO