The Press. — London, England, 1855-06-16 00:00:00

570 At Inkermann and Alma great victories we gained—the very name of them still makes us glow with glory— But the heroes who had won them left to starve and die of cold makes a miserable pendant to the story. " But see what we've done !" say the Whigs. "Aren't you ashamed? Look at Kertch, Tehorgoum, and Anapa, you railers But I'm weak enough to think that we.owe this less to them than to French and English soldiers, guns, and, sailors. Well, perhaps 'tis hardly strange that people should combine to give vent to their strung disapprobation, So a body has been formed (which acts in Drury Lane) for reforming the whole Administration; But I think they might have left the matter in the hands where 'tis placed by the English Constitution, For all good ends will be gained if the Commons boldly vote for Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton's resolution. But I very much opine, and this firm belief of mine is, I fancy, also that of tho whole nation, That these citizen reformers, though such loud and angry stormers, are themselves in need of mighty reformation ; When I see them daily voting for the leaders they're denoting to the populace as men of gross inanity, I cannot own their merit, nor believe their pliblic spirit, but attribute all to demagoguic vanity. THE SPECTATOR. THE PRESS. No. 999. SATURDAY, JUNE 16TH. Omnium consensu cape% imperii nisi imperasset—TAClT. MY Friend Sir ROGER DE COVERLEY. when we last met together at the Club, desired to be satisfied how the Minister deserved this Commendation which Tacitus useth of ()alba ; for truly says the Knight, our Friend WILL, in the Compass of his Leaxning,.saith it means only that he ought never to have had his Place. I told him that it conveyed that Every-body would have thought him capable of Affairs if he had never tried his Hand at Them ; whereat the Knight shook his Head, and This Tacitus, quoth he, was a clever Fellow enough, but he hath said no More in this than the Proverb of the climbing Monkey ; and here, be thinking himself, my Old Friend coloured and said that he had a great Mind to go to Drury Lane. SATURDAY, Aye, cried WILL HONEYCOMB, thou'lt find there a spice of the late King CHARLES THE FIRST'S Days, All the Squires and Gentlemen are to be turned away front Court. We are to pay our Taxes into the City Chamber, and the Merchants are to rule every thing. I have read, says the Knight, in the " Universal History," that the Merchants did not manage their affairs in Holland so well till they got their Prince's aid. So we marched out to the Playhouse, where we placed him betwixt us in the Pit. A very eager gentleman was discoursing how all Affairs were going to Ruin and of the Help given them in that direction by the Ministers of the State, especially in the ill-use of the Fleet. If this be so, cried Sir ROGER, passionately, what arrant Rascals these Ministers must be ! This, I warrant me, is some honest Man who seeks to let us all know of the Danger the Greatness of the BRITISH Nation is in. Doubtless he will help the Parliament Men to pack Them off about their Business. If I had remained Knight of the Shire this honest Man had been welcome to my Vote. Here WILL HONEYCOMB laughed fairly out, much to Sir ROGER'S Chagrin, and cried, That Fellow, I would have you to Know Knight, has voted to keep these very Ministers in their Places. All this Cry is about Something he calls the System. I thought that Thou hadst been long enough in the Parliament to weigh these same Fellows better. This System is a rare patient Animal to bait. It will bear all men's Blame, and tike their Punishment. And so these fiery Orators right well know ; but once ask Them to change Those who use the System, to find out and exercise its worst Capacities, for Those who will make the Best of it, and then see how they turn about. Zounds ! added WILL I know not which is worst, They or the Ministers. But at least, says Sir ROGER, these Men are ready to come forward and do all these Things better, and it is no light Thing to undertake the puzzle of Business without time to tend One's own Affairs. Here WILL HONEYCOMB, again interrupting our Friend with a jaunty Laugh, says, Why, Knight, didst thou not hear them say they would meddle with none of them, that they have their own Affairs to attend to ? A most scandalous sight! exclaimed the Old Knight, replacing his laced Hat and grasping his Cane, They are as arrant Rogues as the Ministers ! I'll no more of them ! and as we parted at his lodgings, Ah, Mr. SPECTATOR, quoth he, I have no faith in mere railing accusations. gbe Vrefss: TERMS OF Per Annum .. Half• Yearly .. FOR .. tl 6 0 .. 0 18 0 Quarterly .. 0 6 6 Payable in advance. Subscribers are requested to semi their Orders through thei- News Agent; if direct to the Office, accompanied by a Remit twice. Money Orders to be made payable to Mr. AL►ttsn Iva, 110, Strand. London. TO CORRESPONDENTS. It is impossible to acknowledge the mass of letters we receive. Their insertion is often delayed, owing to a press of matter, and when omitted, It is frequently from reasons quite inde• pendent of the menu of the e cannot undertake to return not avail ourselves. of which we do oi7mmunTeatioliiselTonld always be legibly written, and on one side of the paper only. If long it increases the difficulty of finding space tor them. Whatever is intended for insertion must be authenticated by the name and address of the writer, not necessarily for publica tion, but as a guarantee of his good faith. Advertisements sent from the country must be accompanied by a remittance or a reference for payment in town. r LONDON, SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1855. POSTSCRIPT. HOUSE OF LORDS.—FRIDAY. On the motion for the recommitment of the Reli gious Worship Bill, The Earl of DERBY moved for a select committee to inquire into the actual state of the law on the subject, and into the expediency of relaxing or dis pensing with it. He held that no practical incon venience resulted from the law, and the house should pause before it did away with all restriction, and left no protection to what it was the intention of the law t) defend. Earl Granville and the Earl of Shaftesbury having spoken in favour of the bill, and the Bishop of Oxford against it, Lord Derby's amendment was carried by 47 to 30. Adjourned at half-past seven. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY. On the motion for adjournment till Monday, Mr. OTWAY asked Lord Palmerston what stipula tions had been made by certain members of the Government when they joined it with regard to the stipulations to he made to Russia. Lord PALMERSTON replied that the Government would make no stipulation a sine qud non of peace. All conditions would rest upon the events of the war, and the Government would nit be pledged to any course. Mr. DISRAELI was averse to inquiring into circum stances connected with the formation of the Govern ment, hut Lord Palmerston, having referred to a stipulation, could not be surprised at questions like the present, which he thought Mr. Otway justified in putting. In this Mr. GLADSTONE agreed, adding that to his knowledge no such stipulation had been made. He regretted that he could not state all the circum stances connected with the matter which he had heard, as vague statements were injurious to all concerned. Mr. LAYARD then rose to move the amendment of which he had given notice. After referring to the markeddyeeling of the country in favour of Admi nistrative Reform, he denied that his motion could in any way influence the conduct of the war, and contended that such a task was neces sarily undertaken by a civilian, as military men hesitated from obvious reasons in coming for ward themselves. He should, he said, proceed to glance at the three governmental depart ments—the army, the diplomatic, and the civil services. With respect to the first, after reading letters from military men in authority approving of the course he had taken, he adduced a multitude of instances of meritorious officers left without promo tion, and of the improper advancement of men who had no other recommendation than connection. He declaimed against staff abuses, and undue promotion of staff officers, which disheartened the rest of the army. He proposed, as part remedies, the throwing open for ever a free commission to all those which had passed without purchase, which, since the commence ment of the war, had been more than half the entire number. Then all the privileges of the staff must be abolished. In all this the Government bad dou • nothing. He then came to the diplomatic service' which had become a mere vehicle for favoritism, and adduced the relative number of persons col.- fleeted with noble families as compared with that of 01- dinary persons, and instanced men of high qualifici lions lett to languish in subordinate situations. He cot! tended that some proof of ability should be required, that every one should be paid, and that advancement should take place by merit. As for the consular service, men were made consuls for the most extra ordinary reasons. They never rose, while many of them were most able men. Then there were the consular agents, men of unknown nationalities, who made their money by selling protection. Next the civil se vice, which passed in great measure into the hands of men without talent, appointed from political connections or from political reasons, and he read the evidence of high authorities, to show the extent to which this was carried. The late order in council did not meet the case, as it did not provide for a competing examination, and no one was rejected on account of it. He read the items of examination at the several offices to show their incompleteness, and argued that without proper means of testing the examinations they would always be a failure. With this view he urged that the examinations should be open. This, he said, would be a great relief to members of the house, from the claims made by their constituents on their influence. Adverting to the question of pay, he argued that if the number of unqualified officials were reduced, those qualified cotfld be properly paid. It was owing to this state of things that recent disasters were due, and our last successes were not of sufficient importance to in spire confidence in the Government which could only be done by a thorough reform in all branches of administration. The hon. member concluded by moving the following resolution : That this house views with deep concern the state of the nation, and is of opinion that the manner in which merit and efficiency have been sacrificed, in public ap pointments, to party and family influences, and a blind adherence to routine, has given rise to great misfortunes. Sir STAFFORD NORTHCOTE said that DO remedy had been proposed by Mr. Layard for admitted evils. Arguing that routine was necessary for the good working of the several offices, he said that an actual routine was a bad one, and that when ap pointments were made we did not make the most of our men. They were excluded from rising by merit,