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

MR. LAYARD AND THE WHIGS.

THE treatment of Mr. LAYARD by the leaders of
the (professed) "Liberals" has been a town-
talk during the week. It is with feelings of
satisfaction that we direct the attention of our
readers to the contrast between the handsome
conduct of Lord DERBY and the equivocal be-
haviour of the present Prime Minister and
Lord Jolts RussELL. When Lord DERBY came
into power, his Lordship found Mr. LAYARD in
the office of Under-Secretary for Foreign
Affairs. The distinguished reputation of the
member for Aylesbury was honourably
respected by Lord DERBY, who suggested that
Mr. LAYARD should hold the office until the
return of Lord STANLEY from India ; and Lord
DERBY then proposed to give him a diplomatic
appointment abroad. This generous offer Mr.
LAYARD was desirous of accepting; but Lord
JOHN RUSSELL interfered, and pronounced
against Mr. LAYARD receiving it.
On this stage of the case we must say that
Mr. LAYARD erred in consulting Lord JOHN
RUSSELL at all in the matter. Mr. LAYARD
ought to have decided for himself ; and we
know that the opinion amongst literary circles
was that Mr. LAYARD should have accepted the
handsome offer of Lord DERBY. At that time
there was no particular political question
before the country with which Mr. LAYARD was
zpecially identified id, though a consistent

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seen, and whom he knew not only as a Pro- know that the opinion amongst inerary 11111;lea j lA° wavi.a w,.. ...... ...r...--- —r _
testant, but as a communicant. He finds the was that Mr. LAYARD should have accepted the conduct on the part of Government there
man in,
the last agonies of existence, but with handsome offer of Lord DERBY. At that time is a discreditable mixture of artifice and
sufficient power briefly to acquaint him that there was no particular political question wavering.
he had become " a Catholic, and been re before the country with which Mr. LAYARD was But the Whigs have always had an evil
baptised !" The clergyman referred to reports specially identified ; and, though a consistent reputation for their treatment of literary men.
the circumstance, and takes counsel upon it. "Liberal" in his opinions, there would have They excluded BURKK from the Cabinet. They
The priest who attended the soldier is called been nothing unseemly in his having accepted were most unkind to SHERIDAN, and waited
upon for an explanation. His answer is, that official favours from Lord DERRY. We believe until that bright genius was in his grave to
he only went to the man when he was sent for, that the offer of Lord DERBY was meant as a vilify his character. Mr. PERCEVAT, tendered
tribute to Mr. LAYARD'eminent scientific and Sir J S J.
and, when he discovered that he was desirous MACKINTOSH a post and scat in Parlia-
ofliterary reputation ; and in that point of view
becoming a Romanist, sent the nuns of ment in 1812, and no better offer was made to
the corridor to instruct him in the tenets of Mr. LAYARD would have been perfectly justified that eminent person in 1830, after twenty
his new faith. How he came to wish for the in " standing by his order" of distinguished years' faithful service for the Whigs. it was
presence of a priest, after having received the authors. notoriously with reluctance that Mr. MACAULAY
ministrations of his own Church, and joined But unfortunately for himself Mr. Larne]) was permitted to occupy a seat in their
in her holiest rites, was not explained. The preferred to stand by LORD Jew( RUSSELL and Cabinet, and they took care to place him in
nuns did not persuade him to take this strange the Whigs, and how did they treat him? When the monotonous post of Secretarv-at-War•
course—they all emphatically avow—they were they came into office, they offered him the Se- They ejected Lord PLCNKET from the bench
perfectly innocent of all connection with or cretaryship of the Board of Control, but no with such contumely as to wring f
part in the man's change of creed. But, sooner had he accepted it, with some hesita- great orator a speech that can never b
their
e for-
unfortunately, the veracity of these women is tion, than he was appealed to, and told
that he gotten. And they are only acting after
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