The Press. — London, England, 1855-03-17 00:00:00

254 Corrtsponinuct. GENERAL VIVIAN'S APPOINTMENT. TO THE EDITOR OF " THE PRESS." Sir,—A good deal of vituperation was showered on Lord Ellenborough by certain Ministerial journals because he ventured to question the superior fitness of General Vivian for the appointment of Commander in-Chief of the Turkish contingent to which he had been named. Perhaps, however, the public will think Lord Ellenborough right when they learn that General Vivian has nominated to high commands under him two persons who were cashiered the Bengal army some years ago for scandalous and infamous be haviour. Thus, officers who serve with them or under them in the Turkish contingent will be com pelled to obey, or consort with, men declared by a general court-martial to be too infamous to remain in the Bengal army. One person in that category was invited by the directors to meet the Prime Minister at dinner the other day at the London Tavern, and was at the last levee presented by General Vivian to the Queen. Of course it is understood that they have the advan tage of directorial patronage; but I have yet to learn that relationship to a director affords any justi fication for such an outrage on society, on the army, and on the Sovereign of these realms. The names of the individuals referred to I inclose on a separate piece of paper, and perhaps one of the Conservative members in the house will not think it beneath his duty to ask for copies of their courts martial and of their nominations to commands in the Turkish contingent under General Vivian. Perhaps he will also put the question as to the cir cumstances under which one of them, the one who bore the lower rank of the two when in the service, was invited to meet the Premier at a public banquet and was presented to the Queen.--I have the honour to remain your most obedient servant, HON OS. March 15th, 1855. CONSERVATIVE UNION. TO THE EDITOR OF " THE PRESS." Sir,—At the close of my late letter to you on the I subject of " Conservative Union " I begged you to use my ideas either publicly cr privately, as you might deem most expedient. My object in making this request was to submit to your judgment the propriety of bringing the question of Convocation before your readers as an important element in Conservative union. In my humble opinion, you have acted wisely, inasmuch as the surest made of overcoming a difficulty is to meet it boldly. I had th night that the parties I referred to would be recog nised by everybody; but Ismael calls upon me to avoid obscure allusions, and I therefore oeg to offer the subjoined remarks by way of explanation. That the Conservative Government did pronounce definitely against the revival of Convocation may be easily proved by a reference to the parliamentary reports. Living as I am in the country, Ido not possess the means to refer to the precise date, nor can I quote the ipsissima verba; but, unless my memory is unusually treacherous, it was the Home Secretary of Lord Derby's Ministry, who, in reply to a question whether the report that Government in- tended to allow Convoe Won to proceed to the despa,ch of business, did not content.himself with a simple negative, but added that so long as he held office such a concession would never be made. Now mark what followed. Mr. Gladstone joined the Coalition Ministry, and in him the University of Oxford, the very stronghold of Conservatism, gave its sanction to that quasi radical compact, and that, too, be it remembered, in the face of an opposition which under any other circumstances must have insured his rejection. Can we fail to perceive in this tact effect following cause? The simple truth is, hat Mr. Gladstone retained his seat because the majority of the members of the university Convoca tion felt that the best interests of the Church are safe in his hands. From this one instance (and it is but a type of the election of so-called Liberal Conservatives generally) we gather these two important data. First, the Church is not powerless; and, secondly, that though her m tubers generally are Conservatives, they deem the reinvigoration of our ecclesiastical polity a ma ter of the highest consequence, and are prepared, if need be, to sacrifice their political predilections for the attainment of this one great object. It is flu to think that the abundant application of abusive epithets will intake to check the onward b.. THE PRESS. movement for obtlining the rights of the Church. I may say for myself, and for hundreds of my brethren the clergy, we are not Romanisers, we are true men ; but we will never desist from our efforts until the synodal powers of the Church are restored. The question before us then is plainly this—Can churchmen feel confidence in the heads of the Conservative party ? The answer is as distinct— Not so long as those gentlemen are supposed to resist the exercise of the legitimate functions of the Church. I am far from saying that the return of Mr. Gladstone and his copoliticians to the Conserva tive 'ranks would confer an honour on Lord Derby (Ismael in this respect unwittingly does me an in• justice) ; but I did say, and I repeat it, that this return is essential to the solidifying of the Conserva tive party. And a calm survey of late proceedings seems to indicate that if the one question of the revival of Convocation were settled, no other obstacle needs impede so desirable a consummation. Let me assure Ismael that if we differ I cannot yield to him in staunchness as a Conservative (saving the rights of the Church), and, as he adopts an Oriental costume, I may have the satisfaction of offering him a salutation, which in happy days gone by I ever uttered with pleasure—" Ooroolah, ooroolah, Ismael."—Believe me, sir, your faithful servant, Pex. TO THE EDITOR OF " THE PRESS." Sir,—ln the second page of your last number you tell us that " the commercial classes in the north of England are crying out for a firm Government." If you wish to know what is cried out for on the north of Tweed, I may inform you that it is a Protestant Government. Few imagine that the present Ministry can last many weeks, and then—Lord Derby. But will he unite with Gladstone and S. Herbert? If so, Lord Derby may save himself the trouble as far as Scotland is concerned. There must be no more Puseyite jesuitry, no more truckling to Popery. If proof of this is desired, the late elections will afford it: anti-Maynooth carried Ayrshire for a very young though very promising gentleman, in absence at the Crimea; had Mr. Blackburn's principles not been equally Protestant he need never have attempted Surlingshire; and last, though not least, Protestant ism has carried Montrose for Mr. Baxter in opposi tion to Sir John Ogilvie, a very intelligent, philanthropic gentleman, but who did not think that now was the proper time for agitating the Maynooth question. All this may be deemed very illiberal and bigoted ; but should an election take place I believe that in every county and burgh in Scotland honourable candidates will have on the hustings to answer the categorical question, simply and without evasion, " Will you support the grant of public money for any Popish purpose or not?" There is a pretty general idea prevalent in regard to the war that a fatuity has hung over all the prime movers therein as far as Britain is concerned, and there also prevails a good deal of the antiquated belief that there exists a power who can turn to nought the wisdom of the wise, if that for which their fathers endured the faggot be forsaken and neglected.—Yours, &c., SANDY. [We print the above letters, out of very many we have received, to show the differences of opinion which yet, to some extent, detract from the strength of the real Conservative body. How does " Pax " imagine that his favorite project could be forwarded by having Lord Aberdeen or Lord Palmerston at the head of the Government, instead of Lord Derby? Is Sir G. Grey likely to be more compliant than Mr. Walpole ? " Sandy " is not quite sure of Lord Derby's Protestantism : how does he like Lord Pal merston's Irish appointments ? A gentleman, whose letter we cannot publish, disliked Mr. Disraeli's budget for only taking off half the malt tax. Is he better pleased to have that impost doubled ? Poli ticians of one idea must be told thata national party must have national aims, and that sections of the community attached to particular crotchets must be content to forward them es they best can, without attempting to convert their rejection into a vote of no confidence. There are persons who should belong to the Conservative party, ready to divide it by a gown or surplice war. If High Church and Low Church will care for nothing but their own squabbles, while there is a party gathering to vociferate " No Church, no State, no Throne, no Rank, no l'roperty, no anything that is," why then the notion of Conservative union must be abandoned, and we must submit to more Reform Bills, and what Sir James Graham calls the "march of democracy," and we know not what beside, simply because Conservatives have not sense enough and spirit enough to sink minor differences of opinion on which they never will agree, that thq may stand together for a great national purpose, in which they May and de agree.] SATURDAY, LOCAL RIFLE CORPS AND RIFLE CLUBS. TO THE EDITOR OF " THE PRESS." Sir,—The proposed formation of rifle corps or rifle clubs in several of our provincial towns has induced me to describe the regulation rifle, the bore and grooves of which should be uniforntlj adopted for all such corps or clubs, so that every rifle might be chargeable with the ball-cartridge as now used in her Majesty's service. As regards volunteer corps, it may not be generally known that " training to the use of arms or practising military exercises" is prohibited by law, unless under authority from the lord lieutenant of the county, or from two justices of the peace, with the sanction of the Home Secretary, which, but for some especial reason, would be at present withheld. Rifle clubs might, however, be formed without any objection for the establishment of rifle-shooting as one of our national amusements, to be conducted upon the same principle as archery and pigeon matches. I beg to offer a sufficient reason to recom mend them. Nothing could add so much to the national security as a general knowledge of the use of the rifle. History and recent events abundantly prove the value of it. The Americans may be said to have gained their independence by the rifle. In the hands of the French it rendered unavailing the extraordinary gallantry and devotion of the Arabs. In the Kaffir war the great distance at which it could be used enabled our foes in ambush, although so few in number, to inflict upon us serious loss. The Swiss and Tyrolese respectively are celebrated as riflemen. The reported deadly effect of the rifle be.. fore Bomarsund and Sebastopol need not be ad verted to. This brief summary of facts is submitted simply to show how desirable it is that our countrymen should cultivate the habit of rifle practice which appears to be neglected excepting by the deer-stalker. War may not always be carried on three thousand miles from England, nor is it quite certain that an enemy will never land upon our own shores. Annexed is a description of the rifle in question : Length of barrel, fitted with break-off and bolts, 2 ft. 8 in. Swivel lock—Total weight of rifle, with sling, 7f lbs.— Diameter of bore, '577 or 24 bore—Three grooves — Sighted to 900 yards—Projectile, '577 bore, without cup or plug. I am, sir, your most obedient servant, J. HALsE, Jun. Hon. Sec. Victoria Rifle Corps. Kilburn, March 8, 1855. THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY, writing to the Mayor of Bath to express his willingness to present the petition adopted by the meeting lately held in that city to express sympathy with Poland, says :—" The partition of Poland was an enormous crime and an enormous folly ; the restoration of it is demanded alike by sense and justice. But, whatever be the views and feelings of single individuals or masses of men, the time has not yet arrived for Governments to interpose. 'We must rest content for the present with the expression of national sympathies." A TORONTO PAPER states that the Six Nation Indians on the Grand River, deeply sympathising with the sufferers by the war against Russia, have unanimously contributed the sum of 100/. sterling towards the Patriotic Fund. IN accordance with a resolution of the House of Commons, Mr. Michael Gethin, solicitor, Mr. James Simpson, and Mr. Henry Simpson, were indicted at the Sligo Assizes for a conspiracy to defeat by false and fraudulent means a petition presented by Mr. John Patrick Somers, against the return of Mr. John Sadleir as member for Sligo. The indictment con tained thirty-two counts, varying the charge ; but the means alleged by which the parties attempted to carry out the purpose were substantially theft of in• ducting William Ormsby Rutledge and William Parke Cullen, the sureties to the petition presented by Mr. Somers, falsely to swear to the truth of certain affidavits, whereby they declared that they were not at the time they entered into the recognisance worth the sum of 500/. each, overand above their just debts, in order to make use of said false affidavits before the Examiner of Recognisances, and by means thereof corruptly and unconstitutionally defeat the prosecution of the petition. Mr. Brewster, the late Attorney-General, prosecuted, and, after a trial which occupied two days, the jury found Henry Simpson Guilty of a misdemeanour but not of conspiracy ; and Acquitted Messrs. Gethin and James Simpson. THE obstacles which the Bishop ot' Bath and Wells has interposed in the case of Archdeacon Denison have compelled the archbishop either to forego further proceedings or to constitute a new court, as he was empowered to do under the Clergy Discipline Act. His grace's legal advisers, however, have given it as their opinion that, though undoubtedly he might avail himself of the powers conferred on him by the act, the attempt would be so full of difficulty, per plexity, and procrastination, as to render the further prosecution of the matter unwise. The archbishop has, therefore, declined any further• action in the meth