The Press.
London, England, 1855-05-12 00:00:00

Whig governing families provide for the
benefit of the next generation?
The question of Administrative Reform is
not a new one. We are indebted to the Morn-
ing Herald for reproducing some passages
from the speech of Mr. DISRAELI in December
1852. Before the necessity of taking up this
question had been generally perceived—before
any clamour had been excited upon it—while the
Whigs and their allies, within and without
the Legislature, were dumb upon the subject—
the Gc vernment of Lord Danny had formed
the design, and had settled the principles, of
a reconstruction of the public departments by
which they might be made to work more har-
moniously, and by which cumbrous checks
might be dispensed with and greater freedom
of action be imparted to the heads of depart-
ments, and greater responsibility be thrown
upon thorn for the efficient discharge of their
duties. " I can assure the House," said Mr.
DISRAELI, " that the Government is sincere in
" its attempts at Administrative Reform. When
" these financial measures are passed, I shall
" take an opportunity of bringing the subject
" of Administrative Reform before the House,

" and I shall then explain more than I can pos•
" sibly do now what are the measures which
" the Government are prepared to recommend."
When these words were spoken to a crowded
House of Commons, it was impossible for Mr.
DISRAELI to foresee coming events. He could
not tell to what severe trials our chief depart-
ments were to be exposed, or how lamentably,
under inefficient direction, they would break
down in the hour of trial. He only perceived
defects, and manifested the highest instincts
and purest aspirations of statesmanship in his
earnest desire to remedy them.
Nor were the words unmeaning. The action
of Lord DERBY'S Government had pre-
ceded its speech. Inquiries had been insti-
tuted; administrative minds—that of Lord
CHANDOS amongst them—had been intrusted
with the work of drawing up reports on the
state of the public offices, with suggestions for
their improvement. If we are not misin-
formed, some reports by Lord CHAN DOS are
still in existence, showing how judicious was
the scheme which the Government contem-
plated. Had the work been honestly car-
ried forward our departments would have
been found in a far better state to meet the
strain and exigencies of war than the result
showed them to be, though under no imagin-
able circumstances would it have been
possible for them to have made provision for
contingencies which the Government never
contemplated, nor to have averted those
terrible calamities which were due, in the
ordering of the Crimean expedition, to pre-
sumptuous, ignorant design, in the first
instance, and to wane of ordinary calculation
on the chances of war, in the second.

There is in the disappointment and vexation
of a great and generous people a moment of
supplication preceding the moment of frenzy.
There is the passion of entreaty before the
passion of wrath—the tear before the shriek—
the prayer before the curse. We have suffered
much; all classes have been, and are, involved
in the general calamity; and as yet we have
not even gained a knowledge of our true posi-
tion. Let the Peers at least show that they
sympathise with the feelings of the country—
that in a great national contest a bond of bro-
therhood unites all classes of the people ; and
that, be our decision for peace or war, the