The Press. — London, England, 1857-04-25 00:00:00

APRIL 25,1857. The account of the matter, which I have briefly given, stands wholly upon public record, and upon undisputed statements made at the time in the House of Commons. The spirit (as towards myself) in which you wrote has induced me to trouble you with these remarks, of which von are welcome to make any use you please.—l have the honour to be, sir, your faithful servant, Charles Butler, Esq. W. E. GL.U)STONE. CABINET COUNCILS were held on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons at the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury in Downing-street. The Ministers present were Viscount Palmerston, the Lord Chancellor, Earl Granville, the Marquis of Lansdowne, Sir George Grey, the Earl of Clarendon, Mr. Secretary Labouchere, Lord Panmure, thzi Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Charles Wood, the Right Hon. R. Vernon Smith, Lord Stanley of Alderley, the Duke of Argyll, and the Right Hon. M. T. Baines. LORD JOHN RUSSELL, during his stay with Earl Fortescue, at Castle-bill, South Molton, Devon, was presented with an address on Thursday by the Town Council of the borough The name of your lordship (said the address) is and will for ever be associated with the practical working and the sound development of those great and enlightened principles of civil and religions liberty which, however often tortured and misapplied, is now, to the honour, to the happiness, and the stability of this kingdom, the proud characteristic feature of her constitution and her tioverurneut. Nor is it alone in testimony of our respect for your public virtues as a statesman that we would now address you, but also with a sense of gratitude for the benefits you have sought to confer upon the people of this country by your constant and energetic labours in the cause of national education, upon the general diffusion and the right directiJn of which depend in a great measure the greatness and the glory of our cherished land. Lord John Russell replied : I feel deeply the honour you (have done me by the ex pression of your confidence and regard in terms, which, although much too flattering, are a valuable proof of yuur friendly sentiments and political sympathy. I will say no more regarding myself personally. I prefer to take this occasion to look back with satisfaction and gratitude to what is past, and to look forward with hope to what is to come. For the last thirty years, be ginning in 1828, we have been making great changes in our laws, altering the basis of our parliamentary repre sentation, admitting millions of our fellow subjects to the benefits of religious equality, enlarging our commercial liberties, extending the privileges of personal freedom to men of every race and every colour, in whatever clime they could be reached by the beneficent sceptre of the British monarchy. . . While we have been achieving these tasks Conservative predictions of the most gloomy nature have as.lailed us in our onward path—the fall of the Crown and the Ilouse of Lords—the destruction of the Established Church—hope- less anarchy in the We.t Indies—the entire ruin of the agri- culture of the United Kingdom. Such have been a few of the ominous c-ics which have stunned the ears of the British people while engaged in their difficult and toilsome march. But, gentlemen, the result has shown that the bonds of affection between the inhabitants of the different parts of the United Kingdom have been strengthened, loyalty to the throne has become a warmer and more constant flame, internal peace has been preserved and secured, agriculture has improved, commerce and manufactures have prodi giously increased, and the prophets of evil themselves can only wonder at the material prosperity of our country and the confirmed stability of our institutions. Nay we not hope, then, gentlemen, that by following the same policy, by uniting progress with order and im provement with wisdom, we may attain still further and greater benefits? Tke opiuion of the good, says Milton, is knowledge in the making. By consulting the opinion of the good and the enlightened the House of Commons recently elected may find means to promote education, to extend political franchises, to enlarge the boundaries of religious freedom by removing some remaining disabili ties, and to relieve the people of some of their vexatious burdens. 1 shall have every reason to be grateful and contented if I am prrinitted by my votes in Parliament to contribute to such happy results. LORD HARRY VANE AND MR. PEASE, the members for South Durham, were entertained at a public dinner last week by the Liberal electors. Mr. Posse, in replying tc his health, in the course of his speech made some allusion to the action of the public press : There is probably (he said) no press in the world con ducted with the same ability and managed with the same regard to the maintenance of the constitutional rights of the people. But let us not shut our eyes to the possibility that even the press may go a step too fur. Although it is un popular, I am willing to say that when the press begins to make up a budget for the Chancell3r, endeavours to make or unmake a Prime Minister, and disposed to institute a theology for the Christian world, it is well for Englishmen not to rest too securely upon everything that issues from the press. °filet estates are amenable to the laws, but when you come to the mythical " we." which crushes or creates by every• turn of the fly-wheel, I know not how you are to hold it in any sort of reasonable cheek on those occa sions when, iu my humble opinion, it exceells its legitimate functions, THE PRESS. The hon. gentleman, without following the subject further, proceeded to give his adherence to tele cause of reform, political and educational, and stated his belief that though in its old members the Manches ter school was dead, its principles still lived and were those of the people. Lord Harry Vane, in his reply, expressed his general sympathy with a Liberal policy. SIR E. B. Lyrros, at a meeting of county electors at Hitchin, is reported to have given the following simile of Lord Palmerston in the course of a speech which we find in the Her ta Guardian : As to the degree of support to be given to Lord Pal. merston, he wanted to know, not whom to support, but what he was to support lie supported men according as those men supported opinions. Many gentlemen had, perhaps, seen at Astley's a man standing on two horses at the same time; every one admired the dexterity with which the exhibitor balanced himself first on one horse, then on the other ; bat perhaps if an old t'oxhunter were asked, " What do you think of that man's riding?" be would say, " That is mightly clever, but it is not riding. Let him take one horse or the other across a stiff country, and then I'll tell you what sort of a horseman he really is." Gentlemen, Lord Palmerston is now standing upon two hones: let him settle himself upon one, and then I'll tell you what degree of confidence I'll place in his riding. HIS EXCELLENCY THE EARL OF ELGIN took his de parture for Paris on Tuesday afternoon, accom panied by the Countess, and reached the French capital the following day. The gentlemen asso ciated with the noble earl in his mission to China left London on Tuesday and Wednesday, to meet his Excellency, and then proceeded vii Marseilles to Alexandria. The Earl of Elgin intends to stay two or three days in Paris. The countess will then take leave of him, and return to town in the early part of next week. The gentlemen attached to the mission are the Hon. F. Bruce, Mr. Oliphant, Mr. Cameron, and Mr. Fitzroy. A PEACE, RETRENCHMENT, AND REFORM DEMON STRATION took place on Tuesday night in Carlisle, when one of the most crowded meetings ever held in that city assembled "to consider the claims of Lord Palmerston on public confidence, and the pro priety of agitating f..r a new reform bill." W. Sutton, Esq., was called to the chair. Mr. Washing ton Wilks, in a speech that was immensely ap plauded, moved : That this meeting, having no confidence in Lord Palmerston, calls upon the earnest friends of peace, re• trenchment, and reform, immediately to agitate for a new reform hill, including in its provisions a large extension of the suffrage and vote by ballot. Mr. Osborn moved as an amendment that the words referring to Lord Palmerston be erased. He ex pressed his general concurrence in the views of the mover, but advocated the omission of the words "having no confidence in Lord Palmerston" for the sake of obtaining unanimity on the question of reform. The amendment having been seconded, Mr. Wilks replied. After some further discussion the amendment and motion were put. For the former only twenty-four hands were held up, while for the resolution a countless number were exhibited ; and the resolution was carried amidst loud cheering. A resolution approving the formation of a Carlisle association of electors and non-electors for the pro motion of a new reform bill was then proposed and carried by acclamation. _ ANOTHER BISHOPRIC FOR NEW ZEALAND has been constituted, so as to include tha provinze.: of Wel lington and Nelson. The \Ten. Archdeacon Hadfield has been nominated to the new see. ttrololitan. THE EMBANKMENT OF THE THAMES. THE question of the embankment and improve ment of the Thames was considered by the Metro politan Board of Works, at a special meeting on Tuesday last to receive the report of their committee upon the propositions for the embankment of the river. Two propositions had been submitted to the committee. The first by Mr. Gisborne, C.E., who proposes to limit the breadth of the river to seven hundred feet by means of quay walls on both sides, with an esplanade and low level sewers on one side, and a railway from Hungerford to London-bridge. The cost tsstiniated at 2,000,000/. t►n the other hand, the Thames Embankment and Hallway OM piny propose to construct an embankment and other works, comprising floating and tidal docks on the north side of the Thames, between Southwark and Westminster bridges, and to form a public road and footways to be carried on a viaduct along that part of the embankment between Whitehall-place and Charing-cross, and Chatham-place, Ble.ckfriars, having communications with some of the streets leading out of the Strand. It has also for its object the laying down of a railway, at a low level, within the line of embankment from Queenhithe, near Southwark-bridge, to Manchester-buildings, near 405 Westminster-bridge ; and aqueducts are to be carried over the railway to allow of the ingress of craft from the river. The estimate for these works is 533,7701. The promoters look to the railway as the source from which their profits are to be derived. The committee, before deciding on the merits of each proposal, lay down slit rules upon the general ques• tion as to the objects of the embankment : I. To improve the Thames as a navigable river, having due regard to the safety of existing bridges. 2. To increase the wharfage accommodation, and im prove the means for the shipment and delivery of goons. 3. To improve the Thames in a sanitary point of view. 4. To remedy the present unsightly condition of the banks of the Thames, and afford facilities, by means of architectural embellishment, for improving their ap• pea ranc e. 3. To open up a new thoroughfare between the eastern and western parts of London. 6. To facilitate the construction of a low level inter cepting sewer. They then express the following opinion of the two plans submitted : With regard to the first of the conditions above sug geste4—namely, the improvement of the Thames as a na vigable river, having regard to the safety of existing bridges—your committee have to observe that neither of the schemes referred to them exactly coincides with the line of embankment laid down by Mr. James Walker, and which it is understood was approved by competent autho rity ; but they are of opinion that, provided the width of waterway be not diminished below that now existing at the narrowest part of the river, a little above London•bridge— viz., 700 feet—the variations in the designs before them are not such as Injuriously to affect the navigation. It may also be stated that by the line laid down by Mr. Page, and approved, atter long examination, by a committee of the House of Commons, it was intended to narrow the waterway of the river to a greater extent than is proposed by either of the schemes which have been referred to your committee. As regards the criterion set up by the second of the above conditions—namely, increased wharfage accommo dation, improved means fur the sh;prnent and delivery of goods, and the means of access for barges,—they consider Mr. Gisborne's plan stiperioi to that of Messrs. Bird, Loder, and Jackson. The basins or docks shown on the latter plan are deeper than the aqueducts which lead to them, a feature which the committee regard as objectionable but as each of the schemes before the board contemplates the covering of the muilbanks, they would, in this respect, both be bene ficial in a sanitary point of view. With reference to the fourth condition, that is to say, the improvement of the appearance of the river banks, it is to be observed that, as by Mr. Gisborne's plan it is pro posed to erect buildings in some instances ninety-one feet above highwater and seventy feet above the esplanade, your committee consider that this would involve an ob struction to light and air, and form an objection to Mr. Gisborne's plan which does not apply to the plan of Messrs. Bird, Loder, and Jackson. Both schemes, in proportion to their extent, satisfy the fifth candition—uamely, the opening up of a new thorough- fare between the eastern and western portions of the metropolis. And both schemes present equal facilities for the ac• complishment of the sixth thirct—namely, that of tacili• Win; the construction uf a low hvel intercepting sewer. Your committee think it necessary to add, that in their opinion the promoters of each of the designs under die. cussion have prejudiced the efficiency and value of those designs as works of public utility by seeking to render them commercially remunerative ; and they consider that the public advantage should be the primary ob;ect in a work of such magnitude and of so peculiar a nharactei u the embankment of the Thames. The report was adopted on a division by a majority of 25 to 3, and a motion in favour of immediately communicating upon the subject with the Govern ment carried by 17 to 1. The following financial statement of the affairs of the Metropolitan Board of Works was laid before the board : Balance in hands of treasurer, 13th April, 1-537 Cheques drawn, but nut presented Available balance Amount of deposit account Tctal general balance.... 467;227 7 U THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL'S REPORT. THE annual report from the Post•oftice presents us with some curious facts. In the first place great improvements have taken place to the public con venience. We find that in eight thickly-populated suburban districts of London, General Post-ottice letters are delivered an hour earlier than formerly. In London itself the delivery of letters begins more than half an hour earlier than in 1656. During last year no fewer than fifty additional towns were pro vided with day mails to or from the metropolis ; while the delivery of letters so far north as Wick and Orkney has been accelerated, and additional communication established with some of the Western islands. One hundred and sixty new money order offices have been established ; regulations have been made whereby returned letters are sent back to the writers more quickly than formerly, and this is no