The Press. — London, England, 1856-09-20 00:00:00

SEPr. 20, 1856. taken to insure a certain degree of competency on admission. But the case is quite otherwise with the Bar, and no real necessity has ever existed for imposing on the student the dwarfing and cramping for malities of an examination. The conduct of Mr. FROST since his return to England proves that his punishment has not taught him wisdom. A convicted rebel and murderer, by the mercy of the Crown his life was spared and his sen tence commuted to transportation. A second exercise of Royal mercy has permitted him once more to return to England, only to convince the Government how ill-judged has been this exercise of extreme leniency, tn. he has no sooner arrived in England than he announces his intention to devote all his energies to the overthrow of the Government, of the luntry. If this wretched man has failed to profit by experience, it is no reason that the mercy oldie Crown shouldbe trifled with I t was improper to permit him to return to England. He had made a deliberate attempt at rebellion, had shed innocent blood, and had been justly sentenced to death. The Crown commuted this capital sentence, and by this further commutation has offered a powerful argument against the re mission of capital punishment by showing how little dependence can be placed upon the secondary punishment being fully carried out. The daily journals have boasted that such a procession as that of Monday could not be permitted in any other capital of Europe ; but ought it to have been permitted in this? It is a public nuisance to have the commerce and traffic of the City interrupted by a stream of ruffians and wretched Cockneys with banners and brass bands braying through the streets, and a discredit to the Rood order of the metro polis for the authorities to permit so disgraceful a riot as that which occurred on Primrose-hill. It is the annoyance, not the danger, we protest against, for the aspirations of the majority of Mr. FROSI'S followers do not rise above a silver spoon, or a silk handkerchief ; and for such vagabonds to invoke the shade of CROMWELL! Little do they or their leaders comprehend how CROMWELL would have acted in the Newport riots. The bullet, the Tower dungeons, and slave labour in the West Indies, would have briefly put an end to the nuisances of Chartist demonstrations! Burglaries are still on the increase. There is no peace in London for the married. Householders are worn out with watching, and every husband is buying himself a revolver. What is to be done under these circumstances? The police clearly are unable to cope with the vast amount of crime thrown loose upon London in the shape of ticket-of leave men, and some remedy must he found, or manslaughter will be common, and murder soon added to burglary. We must clearly return to transportati•;u, for the theory that ticket-of-leave men can obtain an honest livelihood has painfully failed. There will be no difficulty in forming penal settlements. The South Seas contain many convertible islands, and, although the apathy of Lord CLXRENDON has permitted New Caledonia to fall to the French, we can without doubt find ample room and employment for our convicts among other South Sea Islands as well as in South Australia. The twenty-fourth, and we hope last, report of the " Friends of Poland" Association has been placed in our hands. It presents a good case for the exertions of such reformers of charities as Messrs. DILKE and DICKENS. The total income of the Association amounted to 7391., and as only 4091. was spent in affording relief, the balance of 3301. ought to have sufficed, one would think, for the working expenses of the Association. Not so, however; the expenses reached the sum of 4811, being in excess of the income by 1501. The sum of 1881. was expended in printing the annual report, and 3291. went for rent and salaries. There must be good pickings for some one out of the Asso ciation, notwithstanding its impoverished condition. The relief afforded does not appear to have been excessive. Four hundred and eighteen cases received among them 1291., being about six shillings each. We can hardly wonder at the amount of the printer's bill, considering that the report is swollen with such important announce ments as the following : Thp Council gratefully acknowledge the receipt of the following books presented to the I.ihrary of the Association, By COUNT ADAM ZAMOYSKL—Rozprawa Filozoftczna w Religii i Moralnosci, by Emmanuel Kant, translated into Polish by Mrongowiusz. By the Author, CH (IMES Pm, Esq.—The Dying Warror's Last Dream. By the Author, W. H. CLARIDGE, ESQ.—The Independence of Poland. 18.55. By the Author, WILLIAM BECK, Esq.—A Short Poems, entitled " Poland's Appeal." The report is full of the squabbles into which the Friends of Polar got involved, through a split in their ranks on the question whether Lord PALMERSTON was or was not humbugging them by pretending to favour the notion of Polish nationality. The question is now settled, and, as regards any further deputations to the Premier, the Marquis of BREADALBANE may, we presume, retire into private life. In one of the last sentences of the report, however, it is stated that " the interrup " tioti of the existence of our country can be but temporary ;" so perhaps the door may be kept open for more bottle-holding when a favortale occasion presents itself. A BLUNT SHEFFIELD BLADE. Pelham, like Horner, Sat in a corner Eating the Cutlers' pie ; When his time was come He twiddled his thumb, And said, " what a nice boy am I !" FROM " OUR OWN AMBASSADOR." What was there?—why, there was my carriage, The best from Helsingfors to Harwich, All gold and blue—oh! such a " char." What else ?—ah, yes! there was the Czar. 901 A TRIBUTE TO THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY. As sung by Dr. Engledue at the Portsmouth Banquet. One toast 'mid the paeans of triumph, To merits not well understood. We've drunk to the stout British navy, Then here's to the bold Charlie Wood. Oh ! deck him as wonder of wonders, With all the warm tints of romance, Recal not the " Budget of Blunders," And speak not of Indian finance. How sagely he ruled o'er the Baltic (Though not to bombard or blockade)! How prudent his grand preparations (Though rather too late they were made) ! In peace as in battle sagacious, There's nothing his wisdom can't do (Let's hope that no Bishop is present Who went to the Naval Review). To him and their loved Bernal Osborne Our seamen shall turn at their need, And " over the water to Charlie " The thanks of the Russians shall speed. Let the name of the sage and the hero Then hallow our festival scenes, And I'm sure you'll concur in his praises, My friends of the Royal Marines. THE LITTLE TOASTMASTER. DR. ENGLEDUE, the Chairman of the dinner to the Crimean heroes at Portsmouth, proposed " Sir Charles Wood and the Navy." Powers Eternal such names mingled. Did the learned physician think that there was any analogy between the lively Baronet and the wooden walls with which our sailors did not batter down stone ones? We would recommend to Dr. Engledue the following list of toasts, and appropriate airs to follow, for the next con vivial assembly over which he may be called to preside : " Dr. Cumming and the Roman Catholic Hierarchy of Great Britain." Air—" The Pope be leads a happy life." " Lord Palmerston and the Religious Members of the House of Commons." Air—" Ye saints and servants of the Lord." " The Pope and Religions Liberty." Air—" Luther's Hymn." " Mr. Bright and the Army." Air—" Soger Laddie." " The Duke of Argyll and the Bench of Bishops." Air—" The Lad with a carrotty poll." " Lord Carlisle and the Ladies." Air—" If I had a donkey." " Sir G. Cornewall Lewis and our Comic Authors." Air—" Away with melancholy." " Mr. Cobden and Success to Agriculture." Air—" The pretty ploughboy." " Mr. W. J. Fox and the Established Church." Air—" The Vicar of Bray." "Mr. F. Peel and OfficiAl Reform." Air—" All men love thee, so do I." " Sir Benjamin Hall and the Memory of St. Cecilia." Air—" Ye sons of melody arise." " Mr. Williams, M.P.. and our Untitled Aristocracy." Air—" The fine old Engli.h Gentleman." MR. LOFTY TURNS SHOWMAN. Walk up, gents and ladies, and see the great show, The wonderful letter that's come from Moseow From " Our Own Correspondent," crossed outside and in. The price is just 44.—agoing to begin ! " Our Own Correspondent's " a wonderful man, He doesn't talk Russian—but nobody can ; What he sees with his eyes. what he hears with his ears, He can put in plain English, as herein appears. " Our Own Correspondent" he gets up at four, And with " mujiks " and " tchenovijks " " fumes " at the door ; Which are " mujiks," which " tchenovijks," nobody knows. The price is but 4d., so buy it, and choose. " Our Own Correspondent," unwilling to waste His " delicate fancies," his " freshness of taste," Records how the whiskers defiled the white kid. Oaths, tears—all for 4d.—does nobody bid ? " Our Own Correspondent's " depicted herein An Austrian noble—the gorgeous Kremlin — (Price 4d., sir !) Moscow, as seen from the top— And a Jew speculator in " gazeuse," that's pop " Best friend to the Czar " in that grovelling band Was "Our Own Correspondent" from green Paddyland, Which birthplace accounts for his sharpness of eye, As also, " the milk in the cocoa-nut "—buy!! THE PRESS.