The Press.
London, England, 1855-09-22 00:00:00

WHAT WILL LORD JOHN DO ?

WE are not amongst those who believe that
Lord JOHN RUSSELL'S career is entirely at an
end. In nothing is Lord JOHN RUSSELL'S
public life more remarkable than in its sin-
gular vicissitudes. For many years he was
neglected in the House of Commons and
thought to be a failure. The Reform Bill
then wafted him into a sudden prosperity, and
the deficiencies of Lord ALTHORPE as a Parlia-
mentary speaker brought out into strong
relief the trenchant tongue of Lord JOHN, who
finally led the Melbourne Whigs in the Lower
House, and showed to Sir ROBERT PEEL that
he had egregiously miscalculated the nature
of his abilities.
We shall not here discuss the character of
Lord JOHN RUSSELL. It involves many seem-
ing contradictions, and is often misunder-
stood by his friends and by his enemies. But
we are desirous of pointing attention to the
unlikelihood of a man with his name and
lineage, and the personal influence at his back,
consenting to be ignominiously thrust aside
by the apostate Tory who joined the Whigs
only when they were coming into fashion. In
domestic politics Lord JOHN has strong con-
victions, and though he has vacillated in his
mode of showing his love of Protestantism, his
Lordship has still considerable floating popu-
larity amongst the Dissenters, who dislike
the conventional tone of the Premier.
Besides, there is one consideration which
must urge Lord JOHN RUSSELL to make an-
other effort to regain his lost position. A man

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who has played so conspicuous a part before the
world could never consent to degradation in
the British Senate. His past services to the
Liberals are far beyond those of Lord PAL-
MERSTON, and with all his faults Lord JOHN
retains that love for his party which in better
days was a characteristic of some of our
noblest political natures. We take it as beyond
all doubt that Lord JOHN RUSSELL will adopt
any policy rather than that of tameness and
inaction.
Then the question remains, " What will
" Lord JOHN do ?" In the northern part of
the island (where Lord JOHN has many friends
and connections), they are already beginning
to discuss that subject. A well-informed
Scotch journal has recorded certain rumours
about a new coalition between Lord JOHN
RUSSELL, Sir JAMES GRAHAM, Mr. COBDEN, Mr.
BRIGHT, and other politicians. We care not
to inquire whether these reports are founded
in fact, but we feel assured that Lord JOHN
will be forced to " do something," unless he
desires to confess himself vanquished by the
present accidental chief of the Whig Cabinet.
But that " something" may not bo very pa-
latable to Lord PALMERSTON'S clique. What-
ever becomes of " peace in Europe," Lord
PALMERSTON will have to try and patch up
a peace with Woburn. In the present state
of politics, to accomplish the latter object is
an exploit beyond the Viscount's power. The
future fame of Lord JOHN RUSSELL is deeply
involved ; and we do not think that he is so
degenerate as to succumb before Lord PAL.
MERSTON, without a bold struggle worthy of
his talents and of his former fame.

EXTRAORDINARY PROCEEDINGS AT THE
COURT OF SEWERS.
Ax extraordinary scene took place last Tuesday at
the Court of Sewers. On the motion of Mr. F. 0.
WARD that the calculations of the Engineer-in-Chief
as to the dimensions of the great intercepting tunnels
should be printed, the Chairman, by a discreditable
exercise of his casting vote, overruled the wish of
the majority of Commissioners, and secured for the
present the suppression of the Report—a document
the publication of which is obviously essential for
the due elucidation of the great questions in debate.
It is altogether an un-English proceeding to refuse
publicity to any document relating to the expendi-
ture of several millions of money, and bearing on
questions of the highest importance to public health.
On this occasion such a course was doubly to be de-
precated, as the accuracy, and even the good faith,
of the Report had been impugned in the course of
the debate, and as, if we are rightly informed, its
publication had been recommended by a largo ma•
jority of the previous committee.
Mr. F. 0. WARD has been long before the public
as the champion of tubular drainage, sewage irriga-
tion, and other sanitary innovations, of which the
engineer of the Commission, who enjoys the protec-
tion of the Chairman, is also the recognised opponent.
Under such circumstances, that fair play usually ob-
served in the debates of Englishmen, and which may
be regarded as the " good taste" of public men,
should have commanded the freest publicity for
documents on both sides of the question.
We are happy, however, to observe that the pro-
ceeding of the Chairman is likely to prove as futile
as it was certainly ill-advised, a notice of motion
having immediately been handed in by Mr. THWAITR3
to secure the reconsideration of the subject in a
fuller court next week, when the majority, for a
moment defeated, will have an opportunity of re-
asserting its rights.
We are not aware whether the engineer whose
calculations were called in question by Mr. WARD
was himself desirous of shrinking from public scru-
tiny ; but it. is evident that his professional reputa-
tion would suffer more from such a course than from
any result which could attend the free discussion of
his views.
Whether the sewage of London should, as Mr.
BAZELGETTE recommends, be conveyed at enormous
cost to Barking Reach, and there discharged
into the Thames, or whether, as Mr. WARD and his
friends maintain, it can be economically employed
for the fertilisation of the soil, so as to produce a
municipal revenue, is a quet tion fairly open to dis-
cussion; but the interests involved in that question
are too vast to admit of its being made the subject
of mere party warfare, especially of a warfare carried
on by means so ignoble as the manoeuvres of a
snatched majority, and the suppression of an official
return.