The Press. — London, England, 1855-04-14 00:00:00

APRIL 14, 1855. A CARD. HER Majesty's Ministers beg to return thanks to the " fashionable audience " which went to listen to Sir Robert Peel lecturing on poetry at Marylebone. Her Majesty's servants, willing to profit by the example of the Right Honourable Baronet, purpose to lecture on subjects on which they are each individually as much at home and as well informed (if they may say as much without arrogance) as the Honourable Member for Tamworth is upon poetry. The lectures will be given in the following order; and, except where expressly stated otherwise, the locus in quo will be the Adult Reformatory Institution, Westminster : Xtrturts. On Original Sin. By the First Lord of the Treasury. On the Elevating InfluEnces of Family. By the Right Honourable Sir George Grey. On the Perpetuation of Blunders. By Lord Panmure. On Stag-hunting, Diplomacy, and Orders in Council. By the Earl Granville. On the Morality of the Old Whigs. By the Marquis of Lans downe. On Sprightliness ; with Illustrations from Milton's " L'Allegro." By Sir George Cornewall Lewis. On Modesty. By the Duke of Argyll. On Constitutional Law. By Lord Cranworth. On Wit and Humour. By the Right Honourable Sir C. Wood. On the Cerebral Functions and their Proper Covering. By Mr. Wilson, of the Treasury. On the Evidences of Christianity. By Sir William Molesworth (assisted by Cardinal Wiseman). On the Power of Intellect. By the Earl of Carlisle. • On the Sweets of Popularity. By F. Poel, of the (what is his last ?) Office. On Any Subject Whatever, or on All Subjects Together. By Lord John Russell. And Mr. Vernon Smith will lecture at Northampton on the Pius loci. [No Money Returned. "LOCUTUS ASINUS." LIVY, WITH A VARIATION. " Ant he was happy and glad to think that all these things had passed away, and that we had been able to meet and contend with the evils which before seemed likely to overpower us."— (interruption by the loud braying of a donkey.) 31r. BOUVERIE : It seems lam to have a rival after all. (Loud laughter.) Re-election of the Vice-President of the Board of Trade. Sing a song of Bouverie, A budget of excuse, Glosses and apologies, Denial and abuse ; When the speech was finishing The ass began to bray— Was not that the proper end For all that he could say? " We had not generals," he said, " Or they had never fought, And so, like a machine decayed, Our army came to nought ; But now all faults were remedied, All blunders swept away !" Could that assenting donkey, then, Do less at this than bray? DRESS REHEARSAL OF THE BUDGET. THE great importance of the next Parliamentary novelty, which has been long underlined, and has been advertised to be positively pro duced on the night of the 20th (Friday), was deemed by the manager,— and his opinion will, we think, be abundantly confirmed by that of the country,—to justify a Night Rehearsal. The principal performer having undertaken a formidable part for the first time, was also a reason why he should approach it with the confidence only attainable by practice. In other words, Lord Palmerston and Sir G. Cornewall Lewis came to the conclusion that the Budget Speech ought to be gone over privately, and the other aristocrats who compose the Ministry concurring, the whole party, after an early dinner at the Terrace, Piccadilly, last night, went over to the House of Commons, had the lights turned on, and the doors locked, and proceeded to work in earnest. Among the party were Lord Palmerston, Lord Clarendon, Lord Granville, Lord Harrowby, Lord Cranworth, the Duke of Argyll, Sirs C. Wood, W. Molesworth, G. Grey, A. Cockburn, R. Bethell, J. Young, R. Peel, Mr. F. Peel, Mr. Keogh, Mr. Wilson, &c. &c. At Lord Pal merston's suggestion, the party dispersed itself about the House, in order to represent the audience whom Sir C. Lewis will have to encounter, and it was arranged that any nobleman or gentleman might make whatever characteristic interruption or observation which occurred to him. Some of the Ministry took the Opposition bench• THE PRESS. others the Manchester and Peelite places ; Mr. Keogh undertook the part of the Brigade, and Mr. Wilson that of an independent agri cultural old Whig. Lord Cranworth, as Speaker of the other House, was placed in the chair, with strict injunctions to hold his tongue. Four oranges, which Lord Granville, with great forethought, had brought from the dessert, were placed in a row beside the Chancell'r of the Exchequer amid much applause. The following scene ensued : Lord PALMERSTON : Oranges ! Bravo! You mustn't throw the peals away. you know. Sir C. WOOD (smartly); No, keep the peels and throw away the Peelites, as Palmerston has done. (Great laughtsi;) The CHANCELLOR : Order, order. Now, Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer. Sir GEORGE CORNEWALL LEWIS (rising): In addressing the House-- Sir C. WOOD : Committee. That's Cranny's fault, not yours. Why don't you get out of the chair? The CHANCELLOR : Because its much more comfortable hero than there. Let him fancy that lam at the table. Lord PALMERSTON : No, no, do it right, or it will be confusing when the real time comes. You get into the chair at the corner, Cranny. Now then, Lewis, fire away. Sir C. Woon : He hasn't fumbled over his papers half enough. I used to make a great parade of them—so (lid Gladstone. Open slid shut the box three or four times, my boy, and whisper to your next neighbour. Tell him it's a warm night, or anything—it looks like business to those who can't hear. Sir G. C. L.: Stuff. What is the use of those antics. I have my papers all right, and it isn't a warm night. Now then. " Sir. In addressing the Committee upon the present occasion, I feel that I stand in need of no ordinary indulgence. Placed, for the first time, in a situation of grave responsibility— Lord PALMERSTON : Cheer, boys, cheer. This is the place. (Loud cheers.) Sir G. C. L.: "Of grave responsibility, called upon to indicate the sources whence a national revenue, largely exhausted, must be replenished for the prosecution of a just and necessary war—(low l cheers)—a Chancellor of the Exchequer, at such a moment, has no ordinary task before him— Sir C. WOOD: Deuced good. Just what I should have said. Sir R. BETHEL'. : Don't be so severe on him. Sir G. C. L. (resuming): " The war which England is now waging— Mr. KEOGH (as a Brigadier): I rise to order. I protest against England usurping all the honour of the war. I will be bound that when her Majesty's Ministers come to the taxation, Ireland will not be forgotten, and I demand that she receive also her share of laudation. Sir G. C. L.: " Ireland, let me assure the Honourable Member, can never be forgotten, unless she forgets herself. (Cheers.) The war, sir, which this nation is waging, in alliance with France, against the common enemy of liberty and of humanity, is a war of the most remarkable kind, and one which justifies our resorting to remarkable means for carrying it on— (Cheers ) , Lord PALmEasToN (sl il y): I don't advise you to wait for that cheer, my dear fellow. At all events don't be thrown out if it shouldn't come. Sir G. C. L.: " In reviewing the means by which it was at first sought to provide for a struggle which was not expected to be either long or formidable— (Sensation.) The Duke of ARGYLL : I object to that. Lord PALMERSTON : Who are you? I mean what party do you speak for? The Duke of ARGYLL : For myself. That statement is a direct imputation upon Lord Aberdeen. Sir G. Lewis and all of you must have read my speech the other day ; and, as I praised and applauded Aberdeen, declared that my great grief was to part with him, and im plied that his views and his spirit actuated my present associates, or I would not have joined them, I can't have such an imputation flung at him. Lord PALMERSTON (severely): Duke, that will do. The house of Sutherland claims a right to be represented in every Ministry, and I have let in you and your blessed uncle-in-law. But you will be good enough to mind your own business. If my Cabinet is not to profess that it holds different views from its predecessors, what the deuce is the good of it ? Please to go on, Lewis. Sir G. C. L.: " Which was not expected to be either long or formid able, I must recur to the speech of the Chancellor who preceded me, when introducing the Budget of 1854 Sir G. GREY: Speaking as Mr. Gladstone, I think you might put in some adjectives there. Say the " magnificent" speech, and say the " accomplished" Chancellor. Lord PALMERSTON : Upon my word, I don't see why. What non sense it is to be always buttering up your enemies ! People in Eng land, who take words for things, believe you, and you actually puff into reputation a man whom you dislike. I don't want to dictate to Lewis, of course, but if I had to allude to Gladstone I would use words that implied that he was a pretentious wordy bungler, and no mistake. Sir G. GREY : I don't say he isn't, especially as Lewis's speech must prove that he is, if he proves anything at all. I spoke in cha racter. Lord PALMERSTON : I know, I know, my dear fellow—you are quite right. I rather spoke, generally, against a very silly custom WC have all got into. Sir A. COCKBURN (from the Opposition bench): Is the Noble Lord uneasy beneath the extraordinary efflux of compliment which gentle men on this side of the house feel it their flew to direct upon the