The Press. — London, England, 1855-10-06 00:00:00

I OCTOBER 6, 1855. BEN HALL. Ain—"Jenny Jones."—Welah Melody. My name is Ben Hall, and I come from Llanover, The sweetest of spots in the whole of South Wales ; But of late years, I fear, I've become quite a rover, Deserting for London my own pretty vales. Yet the name of that valley is dear to my fancy, And never can fade from my day dreams away. For 'tie, Oh ! in my heart that I'll be Lord Llanover And Viscount of Abercarne some lucky day. A CARD. Many Premiers I've seen, from the Duke to our present one, Including Sir Robert and Lord Aberdeen, And by all of them I was pronounced "an unpleasant one," Swaggering but servile, and noisy though moan. But at last, forced to buy me, they find me so useful, They'd really be puzzled my truckling to pay— Unless they create me Lord Baron Llanover And Viscount of Abercarne ere they decay. The Board of Health first saw my maiden endeavour To purge the abuses I'd often decried ; But though no one can doubt I was honest and clever, The cholera raged and the populace died. So when Moleswortb, my strange metropolitan neighbour, Was sent to preside over Botany Bay, I applied for a pleasanter sphere for my labour, And more fitting the rank I shall wear some fine day. The Woods and the Foiests fell under my sway then, And my old foes, the parsons, I swore I'd serve out ; So I ordered the bands on each Sunday to play then, While with liberal Deans* I marched blandly about. But lest this even fail to attain me the Peerage, I've played a card yet which I'm sure must be trumps— Of the shades of St. James's I'm making a clearage, And cutting a road you may trace by the stumps. Having thus ground the poor man and toadied the mighty, And laughed at the Vestry of Mary-le-bone, Pooh-poohed my friend Cobden as empty and flighty, And forsaken all interests to follow my own ; Having shocked all good people, disgusted the nation, And jeered simple folks who observe the Lord's Day, The Whigs must create me Lord Baron Llanover And Viscount of Abercarne—for 'tis their way. • Sir Benjamin Hall was observed walking about on Sunday in company with the Dean of—we are happy to forget what place—listening to the band. So, at least, we were informed by a morning newspaper last month. THE Editor of the Times presents his compliments to young ladies contemplating marriage, and begs to say that the injudicious advice given in the penny weekly journals has so sincerely grieved him that he has determined on replying conscientiously to all correspondents who may or may not require his opinion on the propriety of taking the irretrievable step ; and, in accordance with his custom from 1830 to the present time, he begins with gratuitous counsel to the most illustrious personages : V--cr—A AD—L—DE M—Y L—ls—A, though she has not asked our opinion, is nevertheless informed that we think she ought to avoid the young man, because "it has not been the policy of England to ally its Royal Family with powerful States." And, apropos of this, the per son who writes to us to say that the assertion quoted displays an ignorance of the fact that the Royal children of England cannot marry a Roman Catholic, and that there is no powerful Protestant State but Prussia, is informed that he is treated with the contempt he deserves. THE K—G OF P—ET—GAL had better forward us the names of the young ladies in question, and we will, if he wishes it, make a choice for him ; but our pressing business, " in governing the country in the absence of Parliament," will not enable us to reply to him privately. " THE KING OF THE CANNIBAL ISLANDS " is illegible, except in so far as he asks our advice, but for what purpose we cannot decipher. He ought to know that our advice is always given before any one asks for it. BARNUM'S LAST. IT is understood that baby-shows having succeeded eminently, the notorious American speculator has determined on a Snow OF SECOND CHILDHOOD, and that several of her Majesty's Ministers and a large number vf the Old Old \Villas will certainly compete. A HINT. Turn about's honest play—we've a Jew for Lord Mayor,— Now, Pam, give your place to a Christian. That's fair. THE PRESS. 953 THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER ON THE WAR. CORRECTED REPORT. Sin G. CORNEWALL LEWIS: Gentlemen. The uninformed alone will be tempted to deny the fact that the events of our own age have had an tecedents in those of previous times, and even the information of those persons is of little practical value who refuse to admit not only that such antecedents existed, but that they may, to a certain extent, afford instructive lessons in regard to our own conduct. At the same time, I wish distinctly to affirm that, in availing ourselves of the teach ing of other days, it is necessary never to lose sight of the important truth, that times have changed. Tempora mutantur, et nos mutainur in illis. Let us therefore endeavour to steer clear, on the one hand, of the Scylla of precedent, while, on the other, we equally avoid the Charybdis of rashness. Medi° tutissimus ibis. This country, in fortu. nate alliance with three other countries, of different sizes, but of common cordiality in the undertaking, is now engaged in hostilities with Russia, a power of which it is not too much to say, nil teligit quod priggavit. Happily for this nation, the war has been carried on by men who are fully alive to the importance of the crisis—men who, familiar with the history of other• days, and deeply attached to the British constitution, can vindicate the cause of civil and religious liberty in connection with the principles which placed the house of Brunswick on the throne of these realms. Gentlemen, her Majesty's Government has recently taken Sebastopol. And why, gentlemen, did her Majesty's Government take Sebastopol? I answer you at once. Because Sebastopol was a stronghold of the power with whom we are at war; and history tells us that the reducing the strongholds of an enemy tends to weaken his force and to intimidate his soldiery. The siege of Sebastopol has been remarkable. The place is monstrum, horrendum, and I hope that, without undue levity, I may add—now that the Crimean Cyclops may fairly be stated to go with his eye out —cui lumen ademptum. But there have been other remarkable sieges, as may be seen by reference to Mangnall's admirable " Questions," and the various catechisms of the profound Pinnock. [ will not specially recur to the siege of Troy, although that city having been taken by a horse justifies my adverting with contempt to the Russian allegation that our generals were asses. Our bridge of boats from Varna to Kalamita was no pons asinorum, gentlemen. Nor will I speak of the siege of Jerusalem, tempting as it is to pay a compliment to the abilities of Vespasian as a levier of certain taxes—a royal Chancellor of Exche quer. Shall I speak of the siege of Calais, in 1388, when cannon were first used ; or to the introduction of infernal machines, at that of Antwerp, in 1576? I could do so, for I have made a long list of these events ; and I could also remind you of the fact that, at the siege of Mothe, in 1034, an English engineer taught the French to throw shells —ostracising their enemies, if you will favour the classic jest ; that at Philipsberg, in 1688, artillery was first fired a ricochet ; and that at Tournay, in 1709, the defence, by countermining, was truly magnificent. But I do not know that there is any argument to be derived from these interesting facts beyond that of establishing the proposition that vixere fortes ante Simpsona. Gentlemen, we have taken Sebastopol—a result en tirely due to the wisdom of her Majesty's Government, who selected the best men to do the work, and took care that nothing should be lacking to enable them to do it. And this brings me to a more painful topic. The liberty of the press, gentlemen, as every Whig knows, is the Palladium of our freedom and the air we breathe. This, I think, may be taken pro confesso. But, on the other hand, gentlemen, there are times for all things, and circumstances must sometimes override general doctrines. You all know what the Palladium was,—or rather, I fear, that you do not all know; for I find that the habitué of spouting clubs and literary and scientific associations frequently gabbles over a word whereof he would be puzzled to say uncle derivatur. The Pal ladium, then, was a statue of Pallas, or Minerva (for you must not confound her with the masculine Pallas, slain by Turnus, and avenged by /Eneas), which fell down from heaven, and not breaking in the fall was locked up in her temple in Troy, and referred to upon all occa sions, but seldom brought out. Here, gentlemen, is an illustration of the way in which the liberty of the press should be treated—at least, in times when any insignificant and unrecognised person (who, as Mr. Bright says, gets a guinea or two for a newspaper article, instead of fifty or a hundred guineas for a review) presumes to criticise the con duct of his betters, Then, again, gentlemen, the liberty of the press is the air we breathe. But it is possible to have too much air—a familiar exemplification of this is the catarrh occasioned by a thorough draught—a more scientific elucidation is in the stifling effect produced upon the diver by too great a supply of air to his bell. Now, gentlemen, when I find newspapers censuring the conduct of the war, and blaming those who, from their position in society and their long official experience, must understand public affairs better than unknown men who have never held office, i say procul, 0 procul, este profani ! And I am free to confess that, if the exigencies of the war should demand new taxation, I shall be far from looking with an averted eye upon any project which will at once increase the revenue and impede the action of what my Noble friend, Lord John Russell, aptly denominates " a ribald press." Gentlemen, I had intended to detain you somewhat longer, but your evidences of impatience warn me that the loftier the oratory the more difficult it is for an unin structed audience to give it continuous attention. I will, therefore, close with the assurance that her Majesty's Government perfectly comprehend their business, and, therefore, that it will be well fur you to go about your own. oar