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

was an important element of commercial legislation.

The

plain English of the threat, and Ministerial interpretation of
this PALMERSTOICIAN pet measure, is broadly asserted to be,

that it affords an opportunity to the Cabinet for making

capital, out of a pretended liberality of commercial views and
policy, among commercial and manufacturing constituencies.
A dissolution, it is said, looms largely on the retina of every
eye in Downing-street; and, although it is pretty generally
admitted that the political copartnery there established
stands greatly in need of reformation, still the belief that the
Limited Liability B 11 is a mere feint, sustains its ground, and

spreads over the country.. The newly-awakened anxiety of
Ministers for the success of this bill contrasts singularly with

the remissness and apathy displayed by them towards
it during the early part of the session. Then it

seemed to be nobody's business, nor anybody's favourite ; now,
that the dog-days have set in, and the factitious popularity of
an effete administration has melted away, like the treacherous
accumulations of the winter's ice, Lord PALINVEUSTON and his
cabinet discover that the measure and its accompanying
satellite are indispensable to the national well-being. February,
March, April, and nearly all May were allowed to be consumed
in ministerial disputes and explanations, accusations, and
retorted crimination ; but still, in each of these rencontres,

the successful pummelling of an opponent was expected not
merely to effect a temporary triumph, but was looked forward

to with confidence as a means of firmly mooring in a safe

haven the tempest-tossed barque of the ministry. Like indi-
viduals, however, they have made the unwelcome discovery,
that continuous strife results in exhaustion and weakness, and

that a series of protracted combats are most likely to end in
the overthrow of the too-pugnacious victor. Convinced by
fatal experience of the truth of this, after it has become too
late, Lord PALMERSTON casts about for some class or interest to
conciliate, and a seemingly chance-medley groping in the
dark has filled his hands with the Limited Liability bill,
and that for altering the general law of Partnership. In
these he places his hope of re-establishing that popularity
which he feels he has forfeited, and as a public man cannot do
without. The state to which his lordship and his quondam
colleagues have so systematically reduced themselves, each
other, and the legislature, by their unseemly parliamentary
diatribes, and more unseemly acts, is thus significantly and
graphically described by WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR, a philo-
sopher and poet of fourscore years, who has been through life
an upholder of that school of political ethics of which Lord
PALMERSTON is presumed to have been a distinguished pupil.
" Lord JOHN RUSSELL," quoth the sage, " bows to Austria
and crouches to Russia. Peace at any price ! Honour counts
for nothing. No losses are in the estimate, but loss of office.
Lord PALMERSTON, our Most Gracious QUEEN'S prime minis-
ter, is merry and jocular in the midst of disasters. He lies
and gives the lie with equal volubility, and the House of
Commons rings with applause." Strong painting the above,
but true. True as its verity is unfortunate and disgraceful.

While Lord PALMERSTON is thus jauntily amusing himself,
and amazing as well as grieving the country, how is the
general legislative melo-drama being enacted in the House ?
In tl same sort of way that any other game of cross-
purposes is being carried out. Honourable members as-
semble and grumble at the loss of time consumed in
the debates on frivolous questions, yet will waste half an
evening in ringing the changes on a motion for adjournment
of the debate or of the House, without intending, even by

that means, to forward or retard the business under discus-
sion. Nearly the whole morning sitting of Tuesday last was
devoted by honourable members to lamenting the brief space
of time and the amount of legislation left for the remainder
of the session: Having completed the jeremiad, they, no
doubt filled with virtuous legislative resolution, adjourned to
dinner with what appetite they might, and read a practical
homily on their own text, by allowing the House to be
counted out at a few minutes past six. Thus was an entire
day wasted in expression of vain regret at the loss of valuable.
time, while forty members of the House could not be per-
suaded to attend to the public business at so inconvenient (!)
an hour as six in the evening. In the mean time, the Session
wears on, and the time wasted in endless and useless speech-
making at the beginning and persevered in throughout is
sought to be made up for at the end by the withdrawal of
measures which it is impossible to pass conformably with
the established usages of Parliament ; be the value of these
measures what it may. On Wednesday last, not fewer than
six bills, which have occupied the serious consideration
of Parliament, were summarily dismissed. True, se-
veveral of these, Mr. HEYWOOD'S Marriage Bill, and
Sir WILLIAM CLAY'S proposed scheme to legalize the
robbery of the Church by the confiscation of church-rates,
among the rest, it were a good riddance to be quit of at -any
price. Still, that is no satisfactory reason for such a slovenly
and hap-hazard mode of doing business. Empty talk and
frothy pretence are the bane of the House of Commons, and
fatally destructive to the progress of public business. For
this puerile vice, and its rampant prevalence, constituencies
are themselves in no small degree-to blame. So long as they
insist upon recognising their representative only by the num-
ber of his speeches, and estimate his value by their length, the
unfortunate gentleman is more to be pitied than blamed for
his tedious attempts at fooling them to the top of their bent.
In the_House of Commons,to the dismay of the wearyreporters,
whose business it is to chronicle the nothings which silly mem-
bers clothe in rankest verbiage, there are at least a hundred
men whose business and whose 'leasure seem to consist en-
tirely in chattering, and who never miss an opportunity of in-
dulging it, no matter who or what they interrupt by the in-
dulgence of their hobby. If the evil is grave, and its indulgence
costly, at the commencement of a Parliament, it becomes into-
lerable and destructive towards its apprehended close; for then
something must be said which may be referred to on the hus-
tings—something done which may be made to flash in the
eyes of the electors. A good deal of this fighting of hustings'
battles, and throwing dust in the eyes of the constituencies,
has been practised since the commencement of the present
session, and it is nightly growing worse, When or how it will
end, he would be a bold vaticinator who should venture to
foretel.

Among the notabilities connected with the proceedings in
parliament, was the re-election on Friday last of Sir Wu
MOLESWOBTIE for the borough of Southwark, he having re-
signed his seat on receiving the appointment of Colonial
Secretary, vacated by the resignation of Lord Josx RUSSELL.
Oa 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
were delared 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 1. 's
fire, and him he certainly did.not spare. Another opponent to
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." Nous verrons. 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

which will not "restore peace to Europe on a solid foundation."
A chief means of effecting which is stated to be the reduction
or abrogation of Russia's supremacy in the Black Sea. It
continues, " The blood and treasure which have been SD 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,
and the enthronement of a Russian Prince in the capital of
Turkey." The sentiments thus enunciated by Lord CLAREN-
DON are fully reciprocated by the general voice, and his
lordship is lauded for the union of firmness and foresight
exhibited by him; the wonder still increasing, as to how,
with instructions so explicit as those furnished to him, Lord
Jortrr RUSSELL could have so far forgotten himself as to be
cajoled into a favourable view of the Austro-Russian pro-
position. Lord JOHN has already explained, and will probably
re-explain this matter ; in the meantime, however, even the
"'cute ones" are sorely puzzled to understand what justifi-
cation can be offered by the ex-plenipotentiary for so wide a
deviation from the letter of his instructions.

From the terms on which alone peace is to be concluded, the
present position of affairs and the prospects which arise out of
that position, in regard to the probable termination of hostili-
ties, is an easy and not unnatural transition. Military au-
thorities assure us with confidence that nothing has occurred
in the course of events which might not have been reasonably
anticipated; and these gentlemen found their confidently ex-
pressed opinion on the fact that the Russians have never been
able to make head against us, and that, on the contrary, we
have always been successful in our encounters with them.
True, these same military gentlemen, who seem to enact the
part of Jon's comforters with wonderful naivete, admit that
we have had severe and unlooked-for losses, but console us
with the assurance that these have never been inflicted by the
hands of the enemy. They seem to forget, however, the me-
lancholy fact, that the prodigal sacrifice of human life which
has'been made, the dreadful amount of suffering inflicted, and
the gross waste of treasure sustained, are serious national as
well as military afflictions, and that to the sufirers it is a
matter of comparatively small moment whose hand may in-
flict the blow, so long as its deadly influence is felt. Worse
than that, the sufferer must, with double keenness, feel the
pang which is inflicted by a friendly hand. Against the foe
they can and will protect themselves, and the sufferings en-

dared in this manner will never be complained of ; but if, in
addition to the injuries inflicted by a powerful and brave
enemy, they have to provide also against the more fatal be-
cause less easily parried afflictions heaped on them by those
for whom, and under whose direction, they are sustaining the
conflict, their position—that of both the army and the nation
—instead of being bettered, is made infinitely worse by the
well-intended assurances of our military oracles. The reve-
lations made before the Sebastopol Inquiry Committee went
far to demonstrate the absurd inapplicability of the home
direction of affairs to a successful result ; but it did more
than that merely, it showed at the same time that very
strong grounds existed for suspecting the entire wisdom of the
authorities managing the various departments in the Crimea ;
and, above all, it went to show the absence of a strong and
inflexible master-mind, which, instead of yielding to the bane-
ful operation of a fatal routine, should have bent that routine
to the necessities of the case—so far as the means were within
reach. That this was not done, the witnesses before the com-
mittee abundantly proved ; but the inquiry abruptly termi-
nated where elucidation of this difficulty could alone have been
found, and where it could have been shown on whose shoulders
the responsibility rested. It is unquestionably fruitless to rip
up old grievances, and painful to dwell upon disasters which
cannot be remedied; but dearly-acquired experience should not
be debarred from shedding whatever light her funereal torch
may be enabled to throw upon the present and the future
course of events to guide us in our proceedings, yet every effort
is being made to prevent the slightest gleam of illumination
being derived from that fatal experience which it has cost us
so much to acquire. The parliament and the country were
again and again assured by Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT that we
had always been unsuccessful at the • commencement
of our military enterprises; in fact, he seemed to consider the
initiatory misfortune as the inevitable first step in our way to.
success. Now we have to this negative sagacity of the civilian
to add the corroboratory testimony of a great military chief..
Sir DE LICY EVANS tells us we suffered nothing which
ought either to discourage or alarm us, because the enemy has
never been able to make head against us. The military skill
and the personal bravery of this gallant officer are too well
known and too highly appreciated to be either questioned or
disputed. His logic, however, is entrenched behind no such
prestige ; and when he tells us that nothing has happened out
of its usual course, and that as little is to be apprehended,
because the enemy has never been able to snake head ..gamst
us, we look round and see a gallant army which has melted
before the wasting breath of cold, hunger, and pestilence like
snow before sunshine, and are forcibly reminded that suicide
is 'not more pardonable or less fatal than murder—that the
unintentionally directed bullet of a friend may be as deadly
as the missile of a foe, and, with the ghastly reminiscences be-
fore us, we derive but little consolation from the assnranceshe
offers. More comfort is unquestionably to be found in the fact
that, in the Crimea, active steps are being taken to prevent the-
necessity for our gallant troops from again treading in the
dreadful path of fatal adversity, that the questionable goal of
success may be ultimately reached. Preparations for efficiently-
victualling the army through a winter campaign are now, we-
are told, in active operation. That no winter campaign will be
endured by the Allied army in the intrenchments before Se-
bastopol, is both to be hoped and expected ; but last winter's-
experience argues trumpet-tongued in favour of early and.
effective preparation. In the meantime, it is cheering to learn..
that the health and spirits of the army continue excellent, and
that to a man our troops are sanguine of success, and deter-
mined to obtain it. The spirit which animates our men. is-
to be gathered from the numerous characteristic letters writ--
ten home by them to their friends, and which, from time- to
time, find their way into the public journals. One which has,
made its appearance from Josnue. PRIESTLEY, of the
Grenadier Guards, to his parents residing at Solhill, Ovenden,
is so singular and expressive as to be well worth quoting.
After referring to the loss of one of his comrades, who was
known to his parents, and who fell a victim to the cholera,
and other topics, chiefly of domestic interest, he alludes in.the
following terms to some of the letters he has received from his
mother :—" I don't want," he says, "to see any more crying
letters come to the Crimea from you. Those that I. have re-
ceived, I have put into my rifle after loading it, and have-fired
them at the Russians, because you seem to have-a strong dis-
like to them. If you had seen as many killed as-I have, you
would not have as many weak ideas as you have ; besides
being present when the shot, shell, and musketry were
flying past and ringing around you, bursting and. killing hun-
dreds on your right hand and on your left, and yourself kept
firing until the sweat streamed from you." He alludes in
graphic, though quaint terms, to the unsuccessful attempt of
the 18th of June, and concludes by saying :-- " The next
attempt will pay for all, or one-half the Allied armies will be
sacrificed." Such is the spirit which animates our troops;
and, with troops animated by such a spirit, no achievement
seems too difficult to be beyond the roach of their success.
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 NAPOLEON 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 confession of political faith
which declares the employe shall become a minister, and the
1 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 .£lO,OOO to Captain M'CLunE and his crew,
£5,000 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'CLuRE 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'CLuan 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-