The Press.
London, England, 1855-03-17 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF " THE PRESS."

Sir,—ln the second page of your last number you
tell us that " the commercial classes in the north of
England are crying out for a firm Government." If
you wish to know what is cried out for on the north
of Tweed, I may inform you that it is a Protestant
Government. Few imagine that the present Ministry
can last many weeks, and then—Lord Derby. But
will he unite with Gladstone and S. Herbert? If so,
Lord Derby may save himself the trouble as far as
Scotland is concerned. There must be no more
Puseyite jesuitry, no more truckling to Popery. If
proof of this is desired, the late elections will afford
it: anti-Maynooth carried Ayrshire for a very young
though very promising gentleman, in absence at the
Crimea; had Mr. Blackburn's principles not been
equally Protestant he need never have attempted
Surlingshire; and last, though not least, Protestant-
ism has carried Montrose for Mr. Baxter in opposi-
tion to Sir John Ogilvie, a very intelligent,
philanthropic gentleman, but who did not think that
now was the proper time for agitating the Maynooth
question. All this may be deemed very illiberal and
bigoted ; but should an election take place I believe
that in every county and burgh in Scotland honourable
candidates will have on the hustings to answer the
categorical question, simply and without evasion,
" Will you support the grant of public money for any
Popish purpose or not?" There is a pretty general
idea prevalent in regard to the war that a fatuity has
hung over all the prime movers therein as far as
Britain is concerned, and there also prevails a good
deal of the antiquated belief that there exists a power
who can turn to nought the wisdom of the wise, if
that for which their fathers endured the faggot be
forsaken and neglected.—Yours, &c.,

SANDY.

[We print the above letters, out of very many we
have received, to show the differences of opinion
which yet, to some extent, detract from the strength
of the real Conservative body. How does " Pax "
imagine that his favorite project could be forwarded
by having Lord Aberdeen or Lord Palmerston at the
head of the Government, instead of Lord Derby?
Is Sir G. Grey likely to be more compliant than Mr.
Walpole ? " Sandy " is not quite sure of Lord
Derby's Protestantism : how does he like Lord Pal-
merston's Irish appointments ? A gentleman, whose
letter we cannot publish, disliked Mr. Disraeli's
budget for only taking off half the malt tax. Is he
better pleased to have that impost doubled ? Poli-
ticians of one idea must be told thata national party
must have national aims, and that sections of the
community attached to particular crotchets must be
content to forward them es they best can, without
attempting to convert their rejection into a vote of no-
confidence. There are persons who should belong to
the Conservative party, ready to divide it by a gown-
or surplice war. If High Church and Low Church will
care for nothing but their own squabbles, while there
is a party gathering to vociferate " No Church, no
State, no Throne, no Rank, no l'roperty, no anything
that is," why then the notion of Conservative union
must be abandoned, and we must submit to more
Reform Bills, and what Sir James Graham calls the
"march of democracy," and we know not what beside,
simply because Conservatives have not sense enough
and spirit enough to sink minor differences of opinion
on which they never will agree, that thq may stand
together for a great national purpose, in which they
May and de agree.]

SATURDAY,

LOCAL RIFLE CORPS AND RIFLE CLUBS.
TO THE EDITOR OF " THE PRESS."
Sir,—The proposed formation of rifle corps or rifle
clubs in several of our provincial towns has induced
me to describe the regulation rifle, the bore and
grooves of which should be uniforntlj adopted for all
such corps or clubs, so that every rifle might be
chargeable with the ball-cartridge as now used in
her Majesty's service.
As regards volunteer corps, it may not be generally
known that " training to the use of arms or practising
military exercises" is prohibited by law, unless under
authority from the lord lieutenant of the county, or
from two justices of the peace, with the sanction of
the Home Secretary, which, but for some especial
reason, would be at present withheld.
Rifle clubs might, however, be formed without any
objection for the establishment of rifle-shooting as
one of our national amusements, to be conducted
upon the same principle as archery and pigeon
matches. I beg to offer a sufficient reason to recom-
mend them. Nothing could add so much to the
national security as a general knowledge of the use
of the rifle. History and recent events abundantly
prove the value of it. The Americans may be said
to have gained their independence by the rifle. In
the hands of the French it rendered unavailing the
extraordinary gallantry and devotion of the Arabs.
In the Kaffir war the great distance at which it could
be used enabled our foes in ambush, although so
few in number, to inflict upon us serious loss. The
Swiss and Tyrolese respectively are celebrated as
riflemen. The reported deadly effect of the rifle be..
fore Bomarsund and Sebastopol need not be ad-
verted to.
This brief summary of facts is submitted simply to
show how desirable it is that our countrymen should
cultivate the habit of rifle practice which appears to
be neglected excepting by the deer-stalker. War
may not always be carried on three thousand miles
from England, nor is it quite certain that an enemy
will never land upon our own shores.
Annexed is a description of the rifle in question :
Length of barrel, fitted with break-off and bolts, 2 ft. 8 in.
Swivel lock—Total weight of rifle, with sling, 7f lbs.—
Diameter of bore, '577 or 24 bore—Three grooves—
Sighted to 900 yards—Projectile, '577 bore, without cup or
plug.
I am, sir, your most obedient servant,
J. HALsE, Jun.
Hon. Sec. Victoria Rifle Corps.
Kilburn, March 8, 1855.

THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY, writing to the Mayor of
Bath to express his willingness to present the petition
adopted by the meeting lately held in that city to
express sympathy with Poland, says :—" The partition
of Poland was an enormous crime and an enormous
folly ; the restoration of it is demanded alike by sense
and justice. But, whatever be the views and feelings
of single individuals or masses of men, the time has
not yet arrived for Governments to interpose. 'We
must rest content for the present with the expression
of national sympathies."
A TORONTO PAPER states that the Six Nation
Indians on the Grand River, deeply sympathising
with the sufferers by the war against Russia, have
unanimously contributed the sum of 100/. sterling
towards the Patriotic Fund.
IN accordance with a resolution of the House of
Commons, Mr. Michael Gethin, solicitor, Mr. James
Simpson, and Mr. Henry Simpson, were indicted at
the Sligo Assizes for a conspiracy to defeat by false
and fraudulent means a petition presented by Mr.
John Patrick Somers, against the return of Mr. John
Sadleir as member for Sligo. The indictment con-
tained thirty-two counts, varying the charge ; but the
means alleged by which the parties attempted to
carry out the purpose were substantially theft of in•
ducting William Ormsby Rutledge and William
Parke Cullen, the sureties to the petition presented
by Mr. Somers, falsely to swear to the truth of certain
affidavits, whereby they declared that they were not
at the time they entered into the recognisance worth
the sum of 500/. each, overand above their just debts,
in order to make use of said false affidavits before
the Examiner of Recognisances, and by means
thereof corruptly and unconstitutionally defeat the
prosecution of the petition. Mr. Brewster, the late
Attorney-General, prosecuted, and, after a trial which
occupied two days, the jury found Henry Simpson
Guilty of a misdemeanour but not of conspiracy ;
and Acquitted Messrs. Gethin and James Simpson.
THE obstacles which the Bishop ot' Bath and Wells
has interposed in the case of Archdeacon Denison
have compelled the archbishop either to forego further
proceedings or to constitute a new court, as he was
empowered to do under the Clergy Discipline Act.
His grace's legal advisers, however, have given it as
their opinion that, though undoubtedly he might
avail himself of the powers conferred on him by the
act, the attempt would be so full of difficulty, per-
plexity, and procrastination, as to render the further
prosecution of the matter unwise. The archbishop
has, therefore, declined any further• action in the meth

L

MARCH 17, 1855.

court ad tastion.

glution nttilignut.

Her Majesty and the Royal Family left London
on Thursday for Osborne, where the Court will re-
main for some days.
The Queen held her second levee on Wednesday.
The first Drawing-room of the season will be held
on Thursday week, the 29th inst. There was a Privy
Council held by her Majesty on Saturday last. On
the same afternoon the Ministers assembled at a
Cabinet Council. . _ _

A great number of Ministerial, political, and diplo-
matic banquets and reunions have taken place during
the week. The fashionable parties are hitherto but
few in number.

Intelligence is said to have been received in Madrid
that Don Juan, brother of Count de Montemolino,
has disappeared from London, and it is reported that
he is on the frontier.

The Rev. H. Melville, 8.D., has been officially de-
sired to preach before the House of Commons at St.
Margaret's, Westminster, on Wednesday next, the
day appointed for the general fast.

THE PORTSMOUTH ELECTION commenced on Mon-
day, when Viscount Monck, the new Lord of the
Treasury and Mr. Sergeant Gazele were nominated.
The polling came off on Tuesday, resulting in the
return of Lord Monck by a large majority, the
numbers being—Nonck, 1,478 ; Gazele, 473.
THE TIXWORTH ELECTION began and ended on
Tuesday in the unopposed return of Sir R. Peel.
REPRESENTATION OF LIVERPOOL.—SiT Thos. Glad-
stone, mentioned in our last number as the Conserva-
tive candidate for the representation of Liverpool, has
declined to come forward, not from indifference to the
honour or from unwillingness to serve the Conserva-
tive cause, but solely from private reasons. Sir
George Bonham, distinguished for his diplomatic
services in China, has consented to be nominated in
the Conservative interest, and we do not hear that
any opposition will be offered to his return.