The Press.
London, England, 1855-03-10 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

this to be most felicitous, but, as an act of government, I think it open
to cynical comment.
The PREMIER: Which, therefore, is duly administered by the First
Commissioner of Works.
Lord GRANVILLE (laughing): It seems to me that you are very
bigotted, Molesworth,
The PREMIER : Oh, he is. lam quite ashamed of biro. Object to

a fast !
Sir W. MOLEBWORTS (grave/0 : Nay, nay, let m© be understood. To
the mere act of fasting there can be no objection, philosophical or
physiological, provided it be performed rationally. Occasional absti
nence recruits the digestive powers. But the act should be voluntary,
and as for coupling with it a theological, or shall I say a superstitious
second meaning, is indeed to confuse the functions of religion and
medicine.
The PREMISS : Ton pedantic old heathen, don't talk like that! You
know my opinion of fasts, as set forth to the Kirk of Scotland some
time agog when they wanted to fast on account of the cholera, and I
told them they were all humbuge,and Lad better drain and whitewash.
What a disturbance it made ! But this afiliir stands upon a very dif
ferent footing, and I think that Granville's eager piety in answer to
Roden was perfect—" The Government had already decided upon a
Fast day." Ha! ha!
Lord PANMURE (with mock solemnity) : Don't you speak with levl4
about the Scotch Establishment. I tell you what, Palmerston, you
have been taught a good Many things in your time, which was natural
seeing that you have sat at the feet of a good many Gamaliels since
you came into active life. But it is an odd thing that nobody ever
taught you the catechism, or its contents. Your virtuous-baby theory,
- - .

now.
The PREIrIIER : Bother the babies ! Am I never to hear the last of
that unlucky speech? Perhaps I intended this fast to balance my
account with the serious world.
Lord GRANVILLE : I acquit you of any such arithmetic. But I do
consider, with you, that to get people's minds away from the reflection
that the disasters of the war were the results of certain management,
and to induce everybody to take a short of share in the blame, is not
an unskilful move. If Palmerston could only have got the Archbishop
to draw up a special commivation against Newcastle and the prelates
the thing would have been complete•

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-FRIDAY.
lion to the ticket.
'as productive of
were liberated with-
° know if the Govern-
improvement in the

the system had not
.pected, but urged the
the colonies. The
every possible im-

Ace followed by the
tvicts and hindering
.ended that a larger
available colonies.
tted the advantages
been given up from
ticket-of-leave aye-
., many convicts had
society.
com mented on the ab-
Secretary from this country.
.1 immediate return mean-
lonies was becoming
superintended for the
department, had other
perform. He inquired
- things would be

Earl GRANVILLE explained the arrangements for
the discharge of the more pressing duties of the de-
partment, which the indefatigable industry of Sir G.
Grey enabled him to superintend. Before the post
of Under-Secretary to the Colonies could be filled up
the hill for permitting three Under-Secretaries of
State to sit at one time in the House of Commons
must be passed.
Adjourned at ten minutes past seven.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—Ferpia.
Lord ELcuo appealed to the hon. member for
Bristol, who had a motion for inquiry into the Bala-
klava affair, to postpone that motion. Lord Lucan
had again applied for a court-martial, which he ex-
pected to obtain, although no answer had been ob-
tained, and he trusted that the matter would not be
prejudged by a discussion in that house.
Mr. H. BERKELEY would postpone his motion till
the answer respecting the court-martial had been
received, after which he felt at liberty to go on

with it.
On the motion for going into committee of supply,
in answer to Mr. H. WnLesions-it and Mr. RICARDO,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated that
be shculd proceed with the Newspaper Stamp Bill on
Monday week.
Mr. MAGUIRE made a long statement on the ad-
vantages of breach-loading guns, and urged the adop-
tion of one of American invention, which he had seen
that day tested.
Mr. MONSELL said that several guns on this prin.
cißle had been submitted to the Ordnance; that the
principal gunmakers had been invited to send pat-
terns, and that many trials bad been made. The
authorities considered the question nearly ripe
for decision, and would lose no time in deciding it.
In answer to Mr. WILLIAMS,
Lord PALMERSTON eaid that many applications
had been made for the formation of volunteer rifle
corps. There was much expense required for their
formation, and they would be of no use—composed
as they would be of civilians, who had neither the
leisure nor the habits of a campaign, and who, if ex-
posed to the hardships of a soldier's life, would very
soon be in hospital. For this reason he bad dis-
couraged the applications.
The house then went into committee, but the first
vote (1,387,500 t.), for repairs and barracks, was ob-
jected to as unnecessary for a temporary war.
Lord PALMERSTON found fault with the want of
system, and the fits and starts with which the Louse
treated the natural defences. Even in time of peace
we had not at present sufficient accommodation, and
the resources of billetting was open to grave incon-
veniences. It had long been a matter of complaint
that our sea coasts wanted proper defences, and he
had within the last year received repeated remon-
strances as to their exposure to the sudden attack
even of a privateer However small our i army might
t
be, let us have the means of making as perc
as possible.

SATII RD AY
s

The Paulus : Serve 'em right if I had. Did not Sidney Herbert
get up and call what was a harbour-inaster's blunders a "rebuke "
from Providence ? I don't consider myself a rigidly pious party, but
I certainly would not have said that—at least in earnest
The CHANCELLOR of the Ell/HEVER . I will tell you one thing,
and that is, that it might be as well if somebody would be in earnest
occasionally. But you may be quite sure that the greater part
of the people will feel that Isecoming in those who
have shared in bringing about our disasters to call upon others to be
sorry for them.
The Pantiza : Bravo, bravo, Chancellor of the Duchy of Cornwall
Lewis. (Shouts of laughter.)
Sir C. WOOD: Ha I ha I Do you see the joke? His name is
Cornwall, you know, and he is Chancellor. (Sir C. Wood is promptly
suppressed.)
The Pawns : There may be a good deal in what you say, Lewis,
though. But "people" are not the wisest people in the world, and
you don't often find them putting two ideas together when one will do
to go on with. Going to church is, abstractedly, so very right and
proper a thing that few folks will consider the position of those who
recommend it. And, to be practical, who is to find fault with us
You don't expect a notice of motion, denouncing us for asking people
to go to church?
Sir W. MOLKSWORTH : If it were my duty I could make a very die-
agreeable speech on such a motion.
The PREMIER: My dear Hobbes, your talents in that way are
universal. On what subject could you not make a disagreeable
speech?
Sir W. MOLESWORTH : Stick to the repartee of the Fast day, my
Lord. You won't mend it. Well, will you all dine with me on that
day. I'll give you a theological dinner--ntaigre business—ten times
as much trouble and expense as a secular one. What do you say?
SEVERAL MINISTERS (reluctantly): Very tempting—but it will get
into the papers. No—won't do.
Sir W. Monitsworn: Stuff—don't be cowardly. Besides, we'll
publish the bill of fare, and show that we fasted with elaborate
rigidity. Wiseman shall not pick a hole in the carte. Come .
The PREMIER: Well, we'll talk about it. Let's go down to the
'House.

Exeunt.

The Lunatic Asylum (Ireland) Advances Bill was
read a second time, after considerable discussion.
Sir B. Htu. postponed to Monday the introduction
of his bill for the Better Local Management of the
Metropolis.
The House adjourned at eleven o'clock.

Rear-Admiral the Dundas, C. 8., will
hoist his flag at Portsmouth on Monday next, as
Commander-in-Chief of the Baltic fleet. The Duke
of Wellington, 181, has been ordered from Plymouth
to Portsmouth to take the gallant admi fiagral

6orrtsponttuct.

CONSERVATIVE UNION.
TO THE EDITOR Or " THE PRESS."
Sir,—The remarks on the " State of Parties," and
the letter of " Pax" on the same topic, cannot fail to
attract the general attention of Conservatives. Upon
a subject of this nature, end when the hononrsble
existence of a great party is at stake, ambiguity
would be both indecorous and culpable. Before any
opinion can be given, it will be necessary to name
the parties to whom covert allusion has been made.
Insincerity invariably receives its just desert, and
" Pax " wiil allow that it has been shown in the pages
of THE rand to be the forerunner of disgrace es
well as punishment. The Conservative leaders may
be said to be the Earl of Derby, Earl of Ellen-
borough, Earl of Malmesbury, Earl of Hardwicke,
Lord Lyndhurst, Mr. Disraeli, Sir John Pakington,Man-
Marquis of Granby, Sir John Buller, Lord J.
ners, Sir Bulwer Lytton, Mr. Walpole, Mr. Henley,
Mr. Buck, Mr. Stafford and others: Lord John
Russell and the Whip and Liberals are to be re-
pudiated, and Lord Aberdeen.
The Duke of Newcastle, Sir James Graham, Mr.
Gladstone, and Mr. Sidney Herbert have been, as it
were, this very moment ejected from office by the
Conservatives, for ministerial misconduct, charac-
terised in unmistakable terms by THE Pam. Who
are the shadowy personages, dimly limned by" Pax,"
that are to confer renown on the great leader and
his trusty followers? An illustrious man, now gone
to his rest, has said that in these matters " et
hers
e is
no mistake, there can be no mistake, anISMAELd .
must be no mistake."
Jebel Taif, March 7, 1R55.

PROMOTION FROM THE RANKS.
Sir,—There is a point in connection with the sub-
ject of commissions conferred for meritorious conduct
in the ranks, which has not, as far as I have seen,
been touched upon by any portion of the press, in
the recent articles which have appeared on romo-
tion from the ranks,"—namely, the validity of local
commissions, though it is a point of vital importwice
as to their beneficial operation on the fortunes o
fai f the
men who receive them, and the dignity and
en to
good t
of the country which confers them. As Iho en

1 . -------
•** By the return of stamps issued to newspapers during
the year 1854, it appears that the number of stamps
issued to Tun PRESS in the twelve months was 146,000,
giving a weekly circulation of 2,812 ; but the present
sale of THE PRESS is higher than the above figures
indicate.
—____---------- _____-----_
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LI- I) s 1 -1-) Vit ji xi.
[\l LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 1855
POSTSCRIPT.
, .
HOUSE OF LORDS.—Fainer.
Lord Sr. LEONARDS called
hi achttenwas tion to the
ductive ticket
of-leave convict system, w pro
many disadvantages. Convicts were liberated witt
out due selection. He wished to know if Govert
went were prepared with any improvemtheent in di
system.
Earl GRANVILLE admitted that the system had n
worked so well as had been expected, but urged tt
. t danger of forcing convicts upon the colonies. TI
• Government would keep in view every possible it
grovement.
Earl GREY condemned the practice followed by ti
police of tracking released convicts and hinderil
, their employment. He recommended that a larg
number should be sent to the available colonies.
The LORD CHANCELLOR admitted the advantag
of tansportation, which had been given up in
deferenc worked te colonists. The ticket-of-leave s
tern had well, and under it many convicts li
become honest members of society.
The Earl of DERBY then com mente
count
nount
c
this
the 1
Bence of the Colonial Secretary from
He saw no chance of his immediate return ; me
while the state of several colonies was becom
critical. Sir G. Grey, who superintended. for
moment the business of the department, had ot
and very onerous duties to perform. He inqui
when so anomalous a state of things would
'settled.
, .
- {