The Press. — London, England, 1856-07-26 00:00:00

JULY 26, 1b56. oon as they arrived from England. By Commissary-General FILDER the same species of defence is urged. The authorities at home had omitted tl comply with his repeated requisitions, and by "no exer tions of his own, or of the Commissariat officers acting under his " directions, could the deficiencies have been remedied from local " resources " On this statement of facts, the Board comments, We are disposed to concur with Mr. FILDER in thinking that " if the authorities in England are to judge of the expediency of com g' plying with the requisitions of a Commissary-General in charge of " the supply of an army in the field, founded on his personal know " ledge, derived on the spot, of his wants and resources, it seems clear " that the responsibility of that officer must be at an end." The fact is, the Home Government, during the whole of the late war, wanted to retain the strings too much in their own hands ; and, when their blundering was discovered, they were anxious, by the original Crimean Commission, to get themselves whitewashed by throwing the blame on their officers. Lord WENSLEYDALE has been made an hereditary Peer, and took the oaths and his seat last night. The Times, with astounding com posure, expresses its " surprise that so simple a solution of the diffi " culty should not have been thought of sooner." Why, the difficulty has from the very beginning carried its own solution along with it But all the Government organs were loud in deprecating this solu tion as implying a tacit surrender of the point which the Opposition contended for. As long ago as the 7th of February Lord CAMPBELL recommended that the Government should adopt this mode of escape from the difficulty into which they had brought themselves. And we have all along foreseen that this termination of the difference was the only one compatible alike with the dignity of Lord WENSLEYDALE and of the House of Lords. We are glad to see that this consumma tion has at length arrived, which, simple and satisfactory as it is, the Times, by its support of the Government, did its utmost to avert However, we may as well let " bygones be bygones," and as that organ has set the example of mentioning the step now taken with approba tion, we may hope to look forward to seeing this mischievous agitation finally concluded. VERNON SMITH'S SPEECH. Dear, dear, what can the matter be? What can the need of such multiplied chatter be ? Don't you know nothing on earth can the matter be When India's managed by Smith? But I promised to bring you my budget of progress, With all that I know of, as whom we made foe of, And how we did fight 'em ; in fact, every item To wind up this precious long year. But of course nothing on earth can the matter be, &c. I am sorry to say at Madras there's a crisis, Money tight, and to be had at no price is; The consequence is, that all new enterprises Are ad Graeas Kalendas deferred. But of course, &c. There are also alarms, sir, of the Santhals in arms, air ! A tribe that's quite blind, sir, to servitude's charms, sir ! As also the Koles, sir, are out of their holes, sir! Where we drove them with twenty months' war. But of course, &c. We've taken in Oude, sir ! but, not to be proud, sir, I think ourselves too ; so we'll not talk too loud sir. There's a Rajah that's vexed at the way we annexed that — The Rajah of Toolseepoor. But of course, &c. It seems this Zemindar threw out of his windar The collector we sent, sir, to gather his rent, sir ! So, by way of a writ, sir, there's gone an howitzer — And how it will end I can't say. But of course nothing on earth can the matter be When India's managed by Smith. THE FISH DINNER The Ministerial party assembled. Dessert on table. The wailers hare just left the room. LORD PALMERsTON(knocking the table).—Silence, for one moment, please. It seems to be wished that though I have had not the honour of being in the chair, I should propose the toasts of the evening. (Applause.) The first, of course, needs no recommendation from me. The Queen, and may she long enjoy the good fortune of being advised by those who now drink her health! (Applause.) This toast, and some others, of routine, having been disposed of, Lord PALMERSTON said.—l shall be very brief in the observations I have now to make. Accept my hearty congratulations upon our having found ourselves once more over the whitebait, typical of our escape from the bite nou, resignation. I confess that I, for one, did not expect to attend this meeting—at least in this company. Gentle men, they say we are " a tough lot." If beating would make a Ministry as tender as it does a rumpsteak, we should ill deserve the adjective I h ave mentioned. I think that we have never permitted a week to pass this session without our receiving a defeat of some kind; from 709 the regular thrashing to the humiliating foi' . We have lost all our bills—every one that was worth a farthing. Yt here we are, joyous and gay, " dipping our beaks in the Gascon wine." It would bo pro fane—and I hate profanity—to doubt that we have a special mission, and that cherubim sit up aloft to watch us. I beg, therefore, to pro pose the health of her Majesty's Ministers, and I may add that I believe this is about the only table in the kingdom where the toast could be safely proposed. And, as the last addition to our party, I will couple the health with that of young Shelburne. (Cheers.) Lord SH F RITRNE said that he was flattered by the c o mpliment: and that he should always be as ready as he bad previously shown himself to make sacrifices for the good of his party. They had wished to secure a popular man, the Hero of Kars, to their side, and he, Lore S , hrd unhesitatingly accepted a place and a peerage, in order tq made way for that gallant individual. If they wanted his, Lord S's., present situation, and had another coronet that would fit him, he hoped to show that he was earnestly imbued with Whig principled: He was but forty, but hoped he• had served4tisi ceitut* (Shoup fe " Good boy.") :TA 4! Lord, P i tptensTow—And now to a toptci. !lave to giv, you the memories of the dead. (Sensatsqn I ' Yes, let - us in our cups re member our martyrs. I phipOse to OW Ibititte Innocents we have massacred—(laughter)—and I will endeavour to suit each friend around me with a toast. I will begin with my friend the Home Secretary, with whose name I will couple London Corporation Reform. (Laughter.) Sir G. GREY said that tit& 'bill' Ind ietattinli! kited, and thd lee* said about it the better. Fitt; q.• Lord PALMERSTON would propose hin,,,Lowe, and Local Dues Reform. , Mr. LOWE said that the bill had certainly failed, but that he intended next year to bring in another founded upon the doctrine that all property was robbery. Lord PALMERSTON proposed the Solicitor-General, and Ecelesias tical Courts Reform. Sir R. BETHEL said that the bill had certainly failed, but next year he should propose to confiscate the property of the practi tioners in those courts, and to endow a new Wills Court with the produce. Lord PALMERSTON proposed the' to rd Chancellor, and Divorch Reform. Lord CRANWORTH said that the bill had certainly failed, but the fault was in the neglect of persons in the Lower House, who went holiday-making. Lord PALMERSTON proposed the Attorney-General, and Partnership Reform. Sir A. COCKBURN said that the bill —no, bills—had certainly failed, but he had had nothing to do with them. He had hanged Palmer, and taken the chair at the Kars banquet, and that was enough, ke thought. Lord PALMERSTON proposed Mr. Cowper, and the Board of Health Bills. Mr. COWPER said that the bills had certainly failed, but it was not his fault : he could not make the House like the Board against its will. Lord PALMERSTON proposed the President of the Council, and Appellate Jurisdiction. Lot, 1 'lce Lord GRANVILLE said that the bill had certainly failed, bah' ittssai too bad to connect him with it. What the deuce did he. 0411.1V611 heard appeals. The blunder WILS old Cranny's. .t )-11/, .nott Lord PALMERSTON proposed the Chancellor of the Eithequenund Civil Superannuation. ‘tt-rtioi.) sift 1 , ,•4••. Sir C..Ltwis said that the bill had aeitainly Mlles:l4 bat he would show from the history of the ancieht 7 }lOrnrinS, who had a civil law, and therefhiel'iiinst have under Stood vivil service, that the course he had proposed was a wise onei When :Mutitte Screvola—(great dissatisfaction). Lord PALMERSTON (having rung theibeil44-11italter! • e . WAITER: My Lord. • ~ fr , I ill, )ii • Lord PALM E ItSTO N.—Take thigidentieuridinto'en empty room, and let him finish a speech heitl4ll'm there: l Their, if we are still here, bring him back. ~; i• 1..( Sir C. LEW I S.—Compttimisekby Upoilhig-his address. Lord PALMERSTON. —I thiiik . we *eve done homage to the nine principal victims of the session-;-- 1 4- . ' • Sir C. LEwls.—There were nine .Muses. (He is removed by the waiter.) Lord PALMERSTON. —T am aware that there are many other minor casualties to record, and in fact, as we have sat since January, and passed next to nothing, the only way of accounting for the time is by recollecting other defeats. And now, my, lords and gentlemen, can any one refuse to recognise the intervention of Providence in our favour? Not one function of st Government have we performed, and vet a Government we are! What have we sent up before the Queen, this session? Lord PANDIURE.—The fireworks. (Loud cheers.) Lord PALMERSTON.—That is true—that is true. And if fireworks are to be the basis of our eitifeiiiWent, 1 thitilta 'w must strengthen it next year, by offering Office Mt: impseit;' of tierriorne, and Mr. Darby, Up ,pyrotechniciati.': tut, really' toy dear friends, a Govern ment whose. sole achieVTnent, 'for a session, has been a show of fireworks, has a right to be proud. 'l3 l =-0 it, gentlemen, be proud. Sir C. LEWIS (suddenly returling).-Pri l de"tball have a fill. When Tarquinius Superbus-- ' [The room is suddenti l ckared, at!d there is a rush wpox the deck of Waterman No. XII. Sir C. LEWIS.---I don't • eare: - Tarquinius Superb's, NOS _the son.in-law of Serving Tullittev ant, being expelled— • _ .uriL.. • • , ill 1 • :4!' 1+1,91 igo is germ, removed by tin joefiews THE PRESS.