The Press. — London, England, 1856-04-19 00:00:00

.. • • : -• 4:4 y..,, • • ' ii THE PRESS. SATURDAY, knot ! On the whole, we would rather throw ourselves upon the statesmanship of the Fleet-street Forum, where gentlemen di scuss t h e question, " Were Creation a Misstake ?. " Was Cardigan a Nero ?" " Is the Port intittled to our Confidense ?" and other matters of similar import, taking especial care to avoid the laws of spelling However, that is matter of taste ; but as the Radicals are furious at having been treated with contempt, and threaten to write down counts-out, we humbly submit that they are doing good service in showing what kind of men they can rally, and we are happy to lend them all the assistance in our power. Affliction in various forms has fallen upon the domestic circles of several public characters. In the demise of his son, Mr. COBDEN has experienced a most severe calamity, and the health of his active ally Mr. BRIGHT requires cessation from public toil. The sudden death of the Earl COWPER, son of Lady PALMERSTON (by her first marriage), casts a deep gloom over the gay abode of the Premier, and will f or a time suspend its semi-public receptions. It is said, also, that Sir GEORGE GREY'S health is also affected, and the Ministry must officially suffer from the loss of his help. The weakness of the Manchester connection is strikingly obvious during the temporary absence of its chiefs, for symptoms are evident that certain intriguing spirits in a subaltern department of the Liberal party are availing themselves of the accidental opportunity for manoeuvring in cliques. A discussion of considerable importance has been going on during the past week in the Lower House of Convocation, on the subject of the discipline of the clergy. Two generally admitted evils exist in regard to ecclesiastical offences. First, that the machinery for dealing with immorality, or other transgressions, not involving questions of doctrine, is very inadequate; and, secondly, that where questions of doctrine are involved, no satisfactory means exist of eliciting the Church's opinion on the subject. The remedy proposed for the first• mentioned defect is to appoint a court, of which the Bishop should be a judge, assisted by a certain number of presbyters and the clerical officers. In regard to the second point, touching appeals in matters of doctrine, it was suggested by the Archdeacon of BERKSHIRE that the appeal in such cases should first of all be heard by the Judicial Com mittee of the Privy Council, who should upon that frame a question for the consideration of the Church in Council, on whose opinion they should subsequently base their decision. This suggestion was re jected by Convocation, and the matter still remains undetermined. The speech of the American Minister at the Mansion-house, on Thursday last, is chiefly remarkable for its guarded tone. He was not authorised to feel, and did not feel, any desire other than that of giving his exertions and energies unreservedly to the restoration of the most harmonious sentiments and friendly relations. But he added that some impending State policy might render nugatory the most uniform. untiring, and honourable efforts at conciliation. This is preparing us for the worst. We have no doubt, however, that Mr. DALLAS, like all sensible men, perceives the flagrant absurdity of the two nations going to war for nothing—the ludicrous aspect of this storm in a teacup to which some of his countrymen are endeavouring just now to give such dignity—and that he will do all in his power to allay the irritation. But if the worst comes to the worst we shall, at least, have the satisfaction of knowing that we have kept our own temper, and that that at least will give us one great advantage in the struggle. Lord STANLEY uttered an emphatic protest against the violation of that national alliance which had its root in no considera tion of temporary or political expediency, but which rested on the common oriv,in, common language, and common aspirations of two mighty empires. If they went on as they had d - ine for some time past, the earth would be inhabited by 300,000,000 of the Anglo-Saxon race—the most energetic, enterprising, and industrious people that ever tilled its soil. Another Conservative triumph—and at Athlone, too ! This is th• third victory in the course of a few weeks ; and in this last case the event is enhanced by peculiar circumstances. The Conservative can didate had actually retired from the canvass, when a number of inda. pendent Roman Catholic voters requested him to come forward again, and the Honourable Captain HANDCOCH was chosen over a Liberal capitalist, Mr. JOHN ENNIS, though the latter was supported by the Govcrniuent, and by his own extensive railway influence. This is a most remarkable revolution of opinion in Ireland. The honest portion of the Roman Catholic community is weary of being deceived by demagogues, and we trust that a lasting reconciliation between the various sections of Irish society will be the result of that extensive change of sentiment to which these recent elections emphatically testify. SUBSTANCE OF LORD CRANWORTH S SPEECH ON TICKETS OF LEAVE. I really can't see that it matters the least By tickets•of--leave if your crime is increased; There must be in this world, without tickets-of-leave, ill, So 'tis hard to believe their results will be evil. THE WEEK. Tux Congress has at length concluded its sittings, and terminated its important labours. Its discussions have not been without interest, from the peculiar circumstances under which it was convoked at Paris. From first to last it held twenty-three primary and five inferior sittings, from the 25th of February to the 16th of April. Although grave questions were debated in its presence, it cannot bo affirmed that its results have that character of decisive finality which imparts so much historical dignity to preceding congregations of diplomatists. The question of the Danubian Principalities is still unsettled. and the affairs of Italy are assuming a threatening aspect. Austria has pushed forward its troops to the Piedmontese frontier, and the Emperor NAPOLEON has ordered the formation of a powerful camp in the department of the Var. Lord CLARENDON arrives in London to-day, and Count CAVOUR is expected. Count Bum. and Baron MANTEUFFEL return to Berlin and Vienna. Am PACHA and Count ORLOFF remain at Paris. The text of the Treaty is eagerly anticipated ; ratifications will be exchanged before the end of the month. The Times correspondent at Vienna announces that the forts on the Circassian frontier will not be reconstructed ; but if that be true (and it is doubted in some quarters), it may follow that a similar re s alt is intended to affect the Turkish frontier. The policy of denuding the Turkish territory of its solo defensive outposts may be justly questioned. There has been more " progress" than is quite - flpparent in the course of the last few days. The breach in the Liberal party con tinues to widen, and the discomfiture of Lord JOHN RUSSELL upon his " Education Bill" has been seized upon by many of his old sup porters as an opportunity for assailing the " Bedford Whigs." It is most evident that the " Liberals " are not certain what leader's flag they should follow. On Monday, a former Private Secretary of Lord JOHN RUSSELL, the Earl of ALBEMARLE, brought the question of torture in India before the House of Lords. How much there still remains to be done by the practical philanthropist and statesman upon our Oriental possessions, may be seen in the confession of the Earl of ELLENBOROUGH, that " though he had been a member of the Indian Government at home , " and in India for five years, during the whole of that time he had never heard that such a system existed, and before he read " the present Report he would have denied its existence." The Crimean inquiry continues, but the general interest in its proceedings has considerably flagged, though in military circles its evidence is keenly discussed. Mavnooth has had its re gular turn on Tuesday, and on a division Mr. SPOONER carried his motion for a Committee of examination of the acts in the endowment of the College, by a majority of 159 to 133. A vehement Roman Catholic speech from Mr. DEASY, a newly-chosen Member of the House, was the only novel feature in the debate. The subject of Ministers Money (Ireland) was under consideration on Wednesday, and Mr. HORSMAN (Chief Secretary for Ircland)'drew down upon himself an attack from Lori JOHN RUSSELL on the untoward course he had pursued, proposing no measure of his own, and leaving the question to be " agitated." On Thursday there was `• no House " to hearken to the eloquence of Sir JOSHUA WALMSLEY, seeking to enforce the necessity for England getting up a revolution on the model of 1848. A paragraph has been circulated by several journals, stating that Sir JAMES GRAHAM and Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT were about to juin the present Ministry in the course of a few•days. The rumour is entirely without foundation. Sir JAMES GRAHAM is far too clever a man to commit himself so egregiously ; and though Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT is a most benevolent character, it would be carrying sentimentalism too far if he were to embark in a sinking vessel. The wrath of Sir JOSHUA WALMBLET and his friends at the House of Commons thinking that there was no particular use in wasting Thursday evening on his ridiculous Reform Bill, is something awful• Among their small revenges they have printed names of those who attended in their place, in admiration of the great JOSHUA. This is, perhaps, the most suicidal thing they could have done. We will extract the bright, if not particular, stars of the Radical list, and then ask the people of England whether such a gathering were not enough to settle the character of the movement : Mr. Apsley Pellatt !! Mr. George Hadfield ! ! Captain Scobell ! Mr. J. F. Maguire! Mr. William Williams!! Mr. William Ewart! Mr James Kershaw! Mr. J. Brotherton ! Mr. Thomas Meagher! M r. Henry Berkeley ! ! Mr. W. A. Wilkinson!! Sir Joshua Walmsley !! ! Here are a choice dozen. who came down to remodel the British Constitution. Imagine the merits of a bill that could please that 1 , a •