The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-07-31 00:00:00

THE which will not "restore peace to Dame on a solid foundation."
ibtrpool A
or be #ptanbarb. chief means of effecting which is stated to the reduction
abrogation of Russia's supremacy in the Black Sea. It
continues, " The blood and treasure which have been so freely
expended in support of that policy would be altogether thrown
away, if the only result of our efforts should be a hollow truce,
to be broken whenever a suitable opportunity should arise
for the attainment of the long-cherished objects of Russian
ambition—the subjugation of the Ottoman Empire in Europe,
MONDAY MORNING. and the enthronement of a Russian Prince in the capital of
THE Parliamentary Session is obviously drawing to a close, I Turkey." The sentiments thus enunciated by Lord CLAREN-
and will soon be run out, " anything contained in the DON are fully reciprocated by the general voice, and his
PREMIER'S threat to keep honourable members at their i lordship is lauded for the union of firmness and foresight
voting-poets till September, notwithstanding," as the Scotch exhibited by him; the wonder still increasing, as to how,
lawyers phrase the singular form of negative. The threat with instructions so explicit as those furnished to him, Lord
referred to, it will be remembered, was used by Lord PAL- JOHN RUSSELL could have so far forgotten himself as to be
MERSTON the other night, while making complaint that the cajoled into a favourable view of the Austro-Russian pro-
House was endeavouring to escape from further labour by position. Lord Joner has already explained, and will probably
hindering the bill for Limitation of Partnership Liability, re-explain this matter ; in the meantime, however, even the
thus obstructing what his lordship took occasion to remark : " 'cute ones" are sorely puzzled to understand what justifi-
was an important element of commercial legislation. The cation can be offered by the ex-plenipotentiary for so wide a
plain English of the threat, and Ministerial interpretation of deviation from the letter of his instructions.
this PALMERSIONIAN pet measure, is broadly asserted to be, From the terms on which alone peace is to be concluded, the
that it affords an opportunity to the Cabinet for making present position of affairs and the prospects which arise out of
capital, out of a pretended liberality of commercial views and that position, in regard to the probable termination of hostili-
policy, among commercial and manufacturing constituencies. ties, is an easy and not unnatural transition. Military au-
A dissolution, it is said, looms largely on the retina of every thorities assure us with confidence that nothing has occurred
eye in Downing-street; and, although it is pretty generally in the course of events which might not have been reasonably
admitted that the political copartnery there established anticipated; and these gentlemen found their confidently ex-
stands greatly in need of reformation, still the belief that the pressed opinion on the fact that the Russians have never been
Limited Liability Bllis a mere feint, sustains its ground, and able to make head against us, and that, on the contrary, we
spreads over the country. The newly-awakened anxiety of have always been successful in our encounters with them.
Ministers for the success of this bill contrasts singularly with True, these same military gentlemen, who stem to enact the
the remissness and apathy displayed by them towards part of Jon's comforters with wonderful naivete, admit that
it during the early part of the session. Then it we have had severe and unlooked-for losses, but console us
seemed to be nobody's business, nor anybody's favourite ; now, with the assurance that these have never been inflicted by the
that the dog-days have set in, and the factitious popularity of hands of the enemy. They seem to forget, however, the me-
an effete administration has melted away, like the treacherous lancholy fact, that the prodigal sacrifice of human life which
accumulations of the winter's ice, Lord PALMERSTON and his has been made, the dreadful amount of suffering inflicted, and
cabinet . discover that the measure and its accompanying the gross waste of treasure sustained, are serious national as
satellite are indispensable to the national well-being. February, well as military afflictions, and that to the sufferers it is a
March, April, and nearly all May were allowed to be consumed matter of comparatively small moment whose hand may in-
in ministerial disputes and explanations, accusations, and filet the blow, so long as its deadly influence is felt. Worse
retorted crimination; but still, in each of these rencontres, than that, the sufferer must, with double keenness, feel the
the successful pummelling of an opponent was expected not pang which is inflicted by a friendly hand. Against the foe
merely to effect a temporary triumph, but was looked forward they can and will protect themselves, and the sufferings en-
to with confidence as a means of firmly mooring in a safe dared in this manner will never be complained of; but if, in
haven the tempest-tossed barque of the ministry. Like indi- addition to the injuries inflicted by a powerful and brave
viduals, however, they have made the unwelcome discovery, enemy, they have to provide also against the more fatal be-
that continuous strife results in exhaustion and weakness, and cause less easily parried afflictions heaped on them by those
that a series of protracted combats are most likely to end in for whom, and under whose direction, they are sustaining the
the overthrow of the too-pugnacious victor. Convinced by conflict, their position—that of both the army and the nation
fatal experience of the truth of this, after it has become too —instead of being bettered, is made infinitely worse by the
late, Lord ParosenseoN casts about for some class or interest to well-intended assurances of our military oracles. The reve-
conciliate, and a seemingly chance-medley groping in the lations made before the Sebastopol Inquiry Committee went
dark has filled his hands with the Limited Liability bill, far to demonstrate the absurd inapplicability of the home
and that for altering the general law of Partnership. In direction of affairs to a successful result ; but it did more
these he places his hope of re-establishing that popularity than that merely, it showed at the same time that very
which he feels he has forfeited, and as a public man cannot do strong grounds existed for suspecting the entire wisdom of the
without.' The state to which his lordship and his quondam authorities managing the various departments in the Crimea ;
colleagues have so systematically reduced themselves, each and, above all, it went to show the absence of a strong and
other, and the legislature, by their unseemly parliamentary inflexible master-mind, which, instead of yielding to the bane-
diatribes, and more unseemly acts, is thus significantly and ful operation of a fatal routine, should have bent that routine
graphically described by WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR, a philo- to the necessities of the case—so far as the means were within
sopher and poet of fourscore years, who has been through life reach. That this was not done, the witnesses before the com-
an upholder of that school of political ethics of which Lord mittee abundantly proved ; but the inquiry abruptly termi-
PALMERSTON is presumed to have been a distinguished pupil. uated where elucidation of this difficulty could alone have been
" Lord JOHN RUSSELL," quoth the sage, " bows to Austria found, and where it could have been shown on whose shoulders
and crouches to Russia. Peace at any price ! Honour counts the responsibility rested. It.is unquestionably fruitless to rip
for nothing. No losses are in the estimate, but loss of office. up old grievances, and painful to dwell upon disasters which
Lord PALMERSTON, our Most Gracious QUEEN'S prime minis- cannot be remedied; but dearly-acquired experience should not
ter, is merry and jocular in the midst of disasters. He lies be debarred from shedding whatever light her funereal torch
and gives the lie with equal volubility, and the House of may be enabled to throw upon the present and the future
Commons rings with applause." Strong painting the above, course of events to guide us in our proceedings, yet every effort
but true. True as its verity is unfortunate and disgraceful. is being made to prevent the slightest gleam of illumination
While Lord PALMERSTON is thus jauntily amusing himself, being derived from that fatal experience which it has cost us
and amazing as well as grieving the country, how is the so much to acquire. The parliament and the country were
general legislative melo-drama being enacted in the House ? again did again assured by Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT that we
In the same sort of way that any other game of cross- had always been unsuccessful at the commencement
purposes is being carried out. Honourable members as- of our military enterprises; in fact, he seemed to consider the
semble and grumble at the loss of time consumed in initiatory misfortune as the inevitable first step in our way to-
the debates on frivolous questions, yet will waste half an success. Now we have to this negative sagacity of the civilian
evening in ringing the changes on a motion for adjournment to add the corroboratory testimony of a great military chief.
of the debate or of the House, without intending, even by Sir DE LACY EVANS tells us we suffered nothing which
that means, to forward or retard the business under discus- ought either to discourage or alarm us, because the enemy has
sion. Nearly the whole morning sitting of Tuesday last' was never been able to make head against us. The military skill
devoted by honourable members to lamenting the brief space and the personal bravery of this gallant officer are too well
of time and the amount of legislation left for the remainder known and too highly appreciated to be either questioned or
of the session. Having completed the jeremiad, they, no disputed. His logic, however, is entrenched behind no such
doubt filled with virtuous legislative resolution, adjourned to prestige ; and when he tells us that nothing has happened out
dinner with what appetite they might, and read a practical of its usual course, and that as little is to be apprehended,
homily on their own text, by allowing the House to be because the enemy has never been able to make head against
counted out at a few minutes past six. Thus was an entire us, we look round and see a gallant army which has melted
day wasted in expression of vain regret at the loss of valuable before the wasting breath of cold, hunger, and pestilence like
time, while forty members of the House could not be per- snow before sunshine, and are forcibly reminded that suicide
suaded to attend to the public business at so inconvenient (!) is not more pardonable or less fatal than murder—that the
an hour as six in the evening. In the mean time, the session unintentionally directed bullet of a friend may be as deadly
wears on, and the time wasted in endless and useless speech- as the missile of a foe, and, with the ghastly reminiscences be-
-making at the beginning and persevered in- throughout is fore us, we derive but little consolation from the assurances he
sought to be made up for at the end by the withdrawal of offers. More comfort is unquestionably to be found in the fact
measures which it is impossible to pass conformably with that, in the Crimea, active steps are being taken to prevent the
the established usages of Parliament ; be the value of these necessity for our gallant troops from again treading in the
measures what it may. On Wednesday last, not fewer than dreadful path of fatal adversity, that the questionable goal of
six bills, which have occupied the serious consideration success may be ultimately reached. Preparations for efficiently
of Parliament, were summarily dismissed. True, se- victualling the army through a winter campaign are now, we
veveral of these, Mr. HEYWOOD'S Marriage Bill, and are told, in active operation. That no winter campaign will be•
Sir WILLIAM CLAY'S proposed scheme to legalize the endured by the Allied army in the intrenchments before Se
robbery of the Church by the confiscation of church-rates, bastopol, is both to be hoped and expected ; but last winter's
among the rest, it were a good riddance to be quit of at any experience argues trumpet-tongued in favour of early and
price. Still, that is no satisfactory reason for such a slovenly effective preparation. In the meantime, it is cheering to learn
and hap-hazard mode of doing business. Empty talk and that the health and spirits of the army continue excellent, and:
frothy pretence are the bane of the House of Commons, and that to a man our troops are sanguine of success, and deter-
fatally destructive to the progress of public business. For mined to obtain it. The spirit which animates our men is
this puerile vice, and its rampant prevalence, constituencies to be gathered from the numerous characteristic letters writ-
are themselves in no small degree to blame. So long as they ten home by them to their friends, and which, from time- to
insist upon recognising their representative only by the num- time, find their way into the public journals. One which has
ber of his speeches, and estimate his value by their length, the recently made its appearance from JOSHUA PRIESTLEY, of the
unfortunate gentleman is more to be pitied than blamed for Grenadier Guards, to his parents residing at Solhill, Ovendent
Ins tedious attempts at fooling them to the top of their bent. is so singular and expressive as to be well worth quoting.
in the:House of Commons,to the dismay of the wearyreporters, After referring to the loss of one
of his comrades, who, was
whose business it is to chronicle the nothings which silly mem- known to his parents, and who fell a victim to the cholera,
hers clothe in rankest verbiage, there are at least a hundred and other topics, chiefly of domestic interest, he alludes in the
men whose business and whose pleasure seem to consist en- following terms to some of the letters he has received from his
tirely in chattering, and who never miss an opportunity of in- mother :—" I don't want," he says, "to see any more crying
Bulging it, no matter .who or what they interrupt by the in- letters come to the Crimea from you. Those that I have re-
dulgence of their hobby. If the evil is grave, and its indulgence ceived, I have put into my rifle after loading it, and have fired
costly, at the commencement of a Parliament, it becomes into- them at the Russians, because you seem to have a strong dis-
ierable and destructive towards its apprehended close; for then like to them. If you had seen as many killed as I have, you
something must be said which may be referred to on the hus- would not have as many weak ideas as you have; .besides
tings—something done which may be made to flash in the being present when the shot, shell, and musketry were
eyes of the electors. A good deal of this fighting of hustings' flying past and ringing around you, bursting and killing. hun7
battles, and throwing dust in the eyes of the constituencies, dreds on your right hand and on your left, and yourself kept
has been practised since the commencement of the present firing until the sweat streamed from you." He alludes in
session, and it is nightly growing worse, When or how it will graphic, though quaint terms, to the unsuccessful attempt of
end, he would be a bold vaticinator who should venture to the 18th •of June, and concludes by saying : " The next
foretel. attempt will pay for all, or one-half the Allied armies will be
Among the notabilities connected with the proceedings in sacrificed." Such is the spirit which animates our troops;
parliament, was the re-election on Friday last of Sir WM and, with troops animated by such a spirit, no achievement
MOLESWORTH for the borough of Southwark, he having re- seems too difficult to be beyond the reach of their success.

TUESDAY, JULY 31, 1855,

FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.

signed his seat on receiving the appointment of Colonial
Secretary, vacated by the resignation of Lord JOHN RUSSELL.
On the hustings, and in his published address, Sir WILLIAM
repeated his previously declared political faith. He was still,
he said, as formerly, in favour of extending the suffrage, of
vote by ballot. of the abolition of church rates, and of colonial
self-government. The declaration of these sentiments was
received with wild enthusiasm by the multitude to whom it
was addressed ; and from the frankness with which his views
-werelelared it would appear that these questions are either
settled in Lord PALMERSTON'S Cabinet in the way approved
of by the new Colonial Secretary, or that they are allowed by
that unanimous body to occupy the dubious position of open
questions ; in either case, a fact indicative of the danger
which threatens the state under their control. At the
election a formidable show of opposition was made by
a numerous body of electors who supported Sir CHARLES
NAPIER as a candidate. The gallant Admiral, however,
seemed more bent on delivering a broadside at the reputation
of the late Government, than earnest in his attempt to obtain
a seat in Parliament. In pursuance of the former resolution,
he made Sir JAMES GRAHAM, who was absent, attending a
great bucolic gathering at Carlisle, the special object of ;•!s
fire, and him he certainly did not spare. Another opponent co
the Right. Hon. Baronet appeared in the person of Mr. JoHN
HAMILTON, who spoiled whatever chance of popularity he
might otherwise have had, by declaring that in the present
war " we are fighting to keep up a tyrant,Louis NAPOLEON,"
an, announcement which was fatal to his oratory. The
assembly would hear no more ; but denounced him as a Rus-
sian and a traitor. Sir WILLIAM was elected, neither of his
opponents choosing to go to the poll. He has thus succeeded
in achieving a long-cherished object of his ambition, the
management of our Colonial policy. In his case the Adminis-
trative Reformers will probably recognise " the right man in
the right place." NouB 7,errons. At the Board of Works,
Sir W. MOLESWORTH is succeeded by Sir BENJAMIN HALL,
whose successor is not publicly announced, though several
have been named. Mr. LOWE is presumed to be the favourite.
Public opinion is not as yet by any means settled, in respect
to the part enacted by Lord JOHN RUSSELL, in his character
of envoy-extraordinary to the conferences at Vienna. The
letter of instructions drawn for the guidance of his Lordship
has been published by authority. That letter is generally
admitted as explicitly at variance with the conduct observed
by our extraordinary ambassador. In the letter it is clearly
pointed out that no terms of accommodation can be agreed to

Considerable speculation has been excited among political
circles, and particularly among the foreign refugees in the
metropolis, by some remarkable expressions which fell from
Prince Ne.roLßox JEROME while returning_ thanks at the
dinner given him on Monday by the persons connected with
the Universal Exhibition. On that occasion he defined: the
present system of French government as "an orgAnised
democracy." This he illustrated by reference to the Exhibi-
tion, the success of which he alluded to as an indication of the
strength of an organised democracy,.adding, " In fact we are
a nation of democracy and equality by our habits, our institu-
tions, and more particularly our objects. With us. the•employe
becomes a minister, the workman a manufacturer, the peasant
a landowner, the soldier a general, and the whole people crown
themselves by raising to the. throne a dynasty of its own
choice. The Sovereign understands the genius of his nation."
A section of the Administrative Reformers is said to be in
raptures with that portion of the confeskon of political faith
which declares the employe shall become a minister, and the
soldier a general.
Much general satisfaction is felt and expressed at the recom-
mendation of the Committee on the North-West Passage
awarding the sum of £1.0,000t0 Captain MTLURE and his crew,.
£6,000 of which will constitute the captain's own share of the
reward ; the remainder to be divided in recognized proportions
among his officers and crew. Medals have also been proposed
to be bestowed on all who have served in the Arctic regions.
The award, however, is not without its value in another and
a very unexpected point of view. It turns out to be one more
Irish grievance. Captain M'CLunE is an Irishman, and the
Irish are deservedly " mighty proud" of his success ; yet it is
not that he has received a too well-earned tribute, nor yet that it
is not large• enough, although, all things considered, the latter
may well be doubted ; but because another has not also been
rewarded ! Captain KELLETT, R.N., another brave and in-
trepid Irishman, conducted an expedition which carried suc-
cour and relief to M'CLuitE and his brave companions, and his
somewhat sensitive countrymen claim for him, with great show
of reason, a public recognition of his intrepidity and services.
The filthy condition of the Thames, and the necessity for
cleansing• it, have set in upon the natives and inhabitants of
Cockneydom with all the virulence of a dog-day mania, and
the question, pro and con, is debated with a vehemence and
energy of spirit becoming so important a discussion. One
party will have it cleared by one process, and another by
another ; but nothing seems more unanimously resolved on
than that the stomach of "Old Father Thames" shall be tho-