The Press.
London, England, 1853-07-23 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

JULY 23, 1853.

I believe to have been quite possible, and so have become a Crystal
Camp, I think it would have been more in the spirit of the age.
Lord PALMERSTON : The opinion of my colleagues seems to have
considerably changed since our last meeting. Mine is unaltered.
Let me, however, remind you that our position is not so easy as some
imagine. If peace at any price were our policy, it would Piave been
wise for us not to have interfered as much as we have done. We
should have proclaimed confidence in the Emperor, not confessed dis-
trust. Our fleet is in the Turkish waters. We may compromise our•
selves seriously with our allies of France, who have behaved with
fidelity and spirit. If we waver now it is not likely that the Emperor
of Russia will be more inclined to recede. If we withdraw our ships,
Russia triumphs and France is betrayed.
The Earl of ABERDEEN : My Lords and Gentlemen, I hesitate not
to tell you that there exists between the Emperor of Russia and myself
a secret understanding. It has existed now for more than a quarter of
a century. It will aid us. I have taken steps that it shall. The
Emperor must have his way ; but, for my sake, ho will do his best to
save our honour. As for France, I cannot sacrifice the associations of
1818 for a parvenu dynasty and a mushroom throne.

[At this moment a knocking at the door announces that a
despatch has arrived from Baron BnuNow.l

THE PRIEST'S DOUBLE-BARREL.

" I have been credibly informed, and I have no reason to doubt the fa't, that, when
the candidate whom they supported waa going into the town to be nominated, he waa
told that there were waiting for him, at his entrance into► the town, a mob of 2,01 K) people,
headed by a priest with a double-barrelled gun." ( Roar* of laughter.)—Lord Palmerston
on the AY lige Election.

Ay ! " roars of laughter,"—excellent fun,
At the dick of the *sacerdotal gun,
And his Reverence wanting two shots for one !
In another mood, and at other seasons,
We could give one or two indifferent reasons
Why a Priest, provided with gun and cartridge,
Should regard a Protestant much as a partridge,
Or be even ready to blaze at all comers,
From PALMERSTON down to PATRICK SOMERS.
We let him off this time for better game,
Professing a more illustrious aim
Than to write a quite superfluous carol
On an Irish Priest and his double-barrel.
It is little to us if we hit or miss'd him,
Provided we once expose the system'
Which upholds a Priest, in exalted places,
With his double-barrel full in our faces.
Such a Priest there is ; and over us all,
Gentle or simple, great or small,
At the Council Board—on the steps of the Throne—
ln the crowded "House," or all alone,
There stands that Priest ! and—(this is our quarrel)—
The Cabinet serves for his Double-barrel.

" His double-barrel"! 10, GLADSTONE cries ;
Yes, my Oxford friend—does it cause you surprise
This is proveably true ; " put this in your pipe"—
Your Oxford school are quick at a " typo " ;
And you see, or, at least, you ought to see,
That this is a type of your Ministry.
A double-barrel !—of dubious sort ;
We speak it in earnest, not in sport ;
With either trigger in strict command,
Obedient to the priestly hand.
When WISEMAN triumphs over the law,
Your liEoox discharges &feu de joie;
If " Protestant Boys " arc desired to chime in.
Then JOHNNY blows off' his Protestant priming.
While your PAM flashes forth a patriot hope,
NEWCASTLE explodes On behalf of the Pope.
For Altar and Crown, in his sullen sort,
ABERDEEN makes a thin and heavy report ;
And then, to please the Republican clan,
BERNAL OSBORNE emits his flash in the pan.
A revolving barrel is your JEMMY GR,EME,
And you've trouble enough to keep him clean.
You, yourself, Mr. GLADSTONE, are not quite true,
And we've known you shoot a little askew ;
Though in one thing you're all of you warranted—" dead,"
If you cover the Pope to shoot over his head.
Thus it happens perversely, as we deplore,
While each, as suits his particular bore—
Whether rusty or polished, or quick or slow,
Or mainly for use, or mainly for show,
Is going off here, and going off there,