The Press.
London, England, 1853-10-29 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

612

DEPUTATION To THE PREMIER.

ON Thursday afternoon the Right Honourable the Earl of ABERDEEN
was waited upon at his residence by a deputation of his colleagues.
This consisted of the three Secretaries of State, the three ChaneeHors,
the Lord JOHN BUSSEI.I., Lord LAssnowsE, the President of the
Council, the First Lord of the Admiralty and Mr. BERNAL OSBORNE,
the First Commissioner of 'Works, the Privy Seal. and the President of
the Board of Control. The object of the deputation was to cinlvey to
his Lordship the unanimous wish of his colleagues (which, by an
unusual eoincidenee, happened also to be that of the country) that he
would be pleased forthwith to exchange the troubles of public for the
tranquillity of private life.
The deputation having been introduced by his Lordship's
footman.

Lord Joss Ressm.i. briefly stated the object of himself and his
4.ompanioilm, tool pointed out, with his usual terseness, that in Magna
eharta, the Bill of Rights, the Act of Settlement, Goldsmith's
History of England,- and other constitutional authorities, it WIN
expressly state i that. when the Premier of England was useless in
himself, mateceptable to his colleagues, and unpopular with the
within, his course was to retire. Lord Russell added that,
knowing his Lordship to be an individual the did not use the word
offensively ) with whom theological considerations hail great weight,
ho was happy to give him the assurance with which he (Lord John
Russell) hail so often improved a division in the House of Commons—
namely, that the course proposed WWI one clearly indicated by Provi-
dence for the better government of this fret, and happy country.
Lord PALMEHNTOS said that of course he never dreamed of trying
to improve anything the preceding speaker said, being painfully
conscious of his own inferiority to that Noble Lord in every attribute
which belongs to a statesman, an orator, or a diplomatist. But he
might be permitted to add that, as !ionic Secretary, he had the
opportunity of knowing a good deal of the popular feeling of the day,
and ho availed himself of that opportunity as far as his limited
abilities would allow. lie could therefore assure his noble friend at
the head of the Government that ho had now the chance of making
a grand bid for the people's approbation—namely, by resignation.
The Duke of AnuiciA. said that, as a Campbell, he had a right to
speak to a Gordon; and, us hereditary Master of the Queen's Household
in Scotland, he had a right to address the nominal head of the Queen's
Government in England ; and what was more, he should say what he
pleased at all times and in all places. The Noble Earl's obvious duty.
was instant retirement.

Mr. ULADATONE mud that there were three courses open to the
Noble Earl. lie might retire prorrio ntotit ; he might request his
colleagues to solicit her M►jesty to hint to one of his friends that, if
he resigned, has resignation would be accepted ; or he might re►uuin
in until turned out. by Parliament. Being himself always au advocate
of the most direct and straightforward course, ho should venture re-
spectfully to solicit L►rd AssanEEN's consideration of the second alter-
native as that most advisable under the circumstances.
Lord CLARENDON said that unless his Lordship evacuated the
Downing•street l►rovinces it would be a clear ►ams

• •
Mr. BERNAL OSBORNE : Yes, and, when Parliament meets, a etia►ws
of the belli and the Members. (Great laughter.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM would endeavour to avoid saying a single word
that could be unpleasant to the Noble Earl, aud would only hint that
antiquated imbecility, aristocratic arrogance, and anti-national predi•
lections, were not usually supposed the best qualifications for a
Minister of England.
Sir CuARLEs 'WOOD said that he happened. as was well known, to
be peculiarly fortunate in putting cases forcibly aud giving strong
reasons for the lines of conduct he advocated. He was not proud of
this, because it was a gift vouchsafed him, and it would be wrong to
be proud. But he would say that a stronger argument than that he
was now going to bring forward he had never adduced in his life.
Look here. In 1840 Lord Aberdeen had resigned the chair of the
Society of Antiquaries. Very well. Good heavens ! Why could he
not, in 1853, resign the office of Prime Minister?
Mr. BERNAL OsnowNE : Yes, the P.A.S. would take a pas in the
right direction. (Great hawker, especially from Lord John Russell, who
does not speak French.)•
The Loan CHANCELLOR said that it was a case of quare impedit, if
the Noble Earl hesitated to resign.
Mr. BERNAL OSBORNE : You would be happy to give him the Sack.
(Great laughter, and the Chancellor ►eas dud up. )

Sir WILLIAM 'IIOI4:WORTH would addnee to the Noble Earl a
passage from Hobbes whirl' appropinquated to his po►►ition.
Mr. BERNAL OSBORNE : 80111 bother nobts with Hobbes. ( Ap-
plause. ) _ _ _

Sir Wit.i.iAm Mor.Eswoßrii : I !shall. Abbtergc frivolity. I quote
tho Lvviathau.

SATURDAY,

Mr. esAt OSBORNE : But this is not a Welsh question.
Sir WILLIAM Moi.Eswonru : I fail to apprehend you. sir.
Mr. BEnNAL OSBORNE : What have we to do with whales? (Boors
rf lamohter.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that he was without office, and
he strongly advised the Noble Earl to occupy the same position for
which nature had especially designed him. When younger, the Noble
End had a tutor—he had Metternich—

Mr. BEItNAL OSBORNE And now he has met a N►ck again. ((Wes
" Shame r)
Lord IinANrILLE did not want Lord Aberdeen to look at the thing
seriously, or BS an unkind demonstration. Just let him resign—or call it
going out, or retiring, or becoming scarce—ha! ha !—or anything
likely to make matters pleasant—and let him go down in the country
and amuse himself somewhere, perhaps they might all have to join
him one of these days. There was Sydenham, now—the Noble Earl
had a tine classic taste, and really in the sculptures and statues there
he would find a rich and intellectual banquet. Surely that was better
than getting in everybody's way, spoiling the only chance a shaky
Ministry had, and toadying Itussia. There. They would not longer
intrude on the Noble Earl, but would be glad of three words from him
to signify that he would resign.
Lor►l ABERDEEN : I just shan't. •
T he deputation then retired.

JOCK 0' ABERDEEN TO NICK 0' ROOSHA.
("0, come to the West, love!")
0, go to the East, Nick, ay, go there for me;
I've smoothed your way for you, I think you'll agree ;
Go, topple ABDilt. from his Ottoman throne,
And Turkey and Greece shall in time be your own;
And gladly I'll witness your empire Increased
By all you can steal, or annex, in the East.
The North is the quarter whose hint I obey ;
My heart, like the needle, points ever that way.
They call me your tool, they may cull me so still,
While I live to accomplish your Nbkjesty's will,
And loyally list to each word that comes forth
From my pattern and idol, the Czar of the North.
The South bath St. Peter's (permit me to state
That I hate the Red Lady with Calvinist hate),
But the name bath a charm, quite distinct front the pile—
It belongs to the city that lives in your smile ;
And there is not a name to my tympanum sweeter
Than the Burgh's that is called from the Cossack St. Peter.

Then go to the East, Nick, and get what you can ;
Trample down the vile Moslem, the Porte, and Divan.
If with vigour ►urd cunning your measures you take,
Small chance fin• the French in a certain " French lake;"
And smaller that Englan►l shall, after a while,
Keep her road to the East, by the banks of the Nile.
And when the Greek cross on Sophia shall shine,
When Turkey, and Greece, and the Islands are thine,
When Egypt is yours, you " unparalleled man,"
And England is trembling for fair Hindostan,
I hope you'll remember your " ABERDEEN ;foes,"
Who muzzled the Lion and crippled the Cock.

At the translation of the relics of St. THEODOSIA last week Monsignor
do SALIONI said of the Cardinal Archbishop of RHEIMS that the
Sovereign Pontiff had expressed his esteem for that eminent Prelate
iu terms which he would not repeat for fear of shocking his
modesty. We arc privately informed that the precise words used by
his Holiness were:—" I wish I had old Rheims at the Vatican he is
the only one of the College of Cardinals with whom I would eouseut
to divide the Pool."