The Press.
London, England, 1855-11-03 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

SATURDAY,

We have a strong suspicion that, more than any of the Premier's pre-
vious escapades, this act will satisfy the country that his Lordship is
totally wanting in the weighty qualities necessary to his high, and, at
this moment, most responsible place. As for hoisting Brother Jonathan,
and whipping him till he cries " peccavi," in the few months between
the closing of sue Baltic campaign and the beginning of another, tell
that to " the marines." He is " too 'cute " to be so easily caught. if
his Lordship's menace be seriously taken, it may excite a hur►icane of
fury through the States, compose all domestic differences, and produce
a radical change in the policy of the Government. The United States
may think a powerful navy essential to their defence, organise it as
they alone can organise monster undertakings, and be ready for a
brush with us at a moment when it might not be quite so convenient
to our Government as they appear to think it would be now.

The war in Asia still drags its weary length along. MOUBAVIEFF,
is was currently believed at Constantinople, had commenced a retreat
from Kars on the 16th, but nothing authentic was known. The version
which the Russian prisoners give of the assault on the 29th is that it
was undertaken solely by order from St. Petersburg, and its immediate
aim was to endeavour to gain at Kars a counterpoise to the loss of
Sebastopol. OMER PACHA still continues at Soukhain Kaleh, the fifty
thousand men he found there have already dwindled down to eight
thousand effective troops, and these, with the eighteen thousand ex-
pected from the camp, and the remainder.• from Eupatoria, will form
the entire force at the Paella's disposal. It is doubtful when
OMER PACHA will be enabled to advance to the relief of Kars His
first movement will probably be upon Kutais, as the most effective
diversion in favour of Kars. A vigorous attack upon Kutais, which
is a strong fortified post, might be successful; and, if so, the
road to Tiflis lay open, and from thence the retreat and supplies
of the Russians are cut off at a stroke. Still the capture of Kutais is
no easy deed ; it is a place of considerable strength, and, from the
threatening position of OMER PACHA at this moment, is not likely to be
left neglected by MOURAVIEFF. Accounts from Erzeroum state that an
enormous convoy left that town for Kars in the early part of last
month, but the powerful force of Russian cavalry in the plains render
its safe arrival extremely problematical.

WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY COLONIES 9
A book I have seen advertised—
The thought always struck me as funny—
In which sonic strange fellow's advised
Who asks, " What shall I do with my money?"
I've laughed at the mythical elf
Thus bemoaning wealth's troubles and hollowness,
But, egad! I'm as puzzled myself—
What on earth shall I do with my Colonies?

Shall I give them to Newcastle's Duke ?
He might like to regain the position,
Where he did pretty well—by a fluke—
Till, misled by a " noble ambition,"
He forsook it to manage the war ;
We all know the nice mess he made of it.
I've a great mind to summon him o'er—
But, egad ! I'm a little afraid of it.

For of four Secretaries of State
Only two in the Peers may be seated,
So Panmure I should have to translate,
For Lord Clarendon can't be so treated.
Then what shall I do with poor Manic ?
For India's engaged by V. Smith—
A statesman whose mind is so small
Some suppose it an absolute myth.

Some men's genius for bungling is large,
And Panmure always has made the most of his—
Would it look like a snub or discharge
If I just moved him off to the Post-office ?
By Jove, the whole thing shall be done,
And Fred Peel, that young coxcomb so sinister
(Never mind how the army may groan),
Shall succeed his old chief as War Minister.

FRAGMENT OF A FORTHCOMING HISTORY.
[We find it difficult to fix the exact period of the following fragment which is sent to us
as Mr. Macaulay's ; but some parts might have been written of the present time.l
IT was truly a time when all that has been said of the depth of English
determination, and that indescribable quality since denominated
" pluck," were required to appear in their fullest vigour and effect.
Byng had returned from the un•atteinpted relief of Mahon, but was not
allowed time to boast, as was boasted for him at the Court-martial, and
has since been boasted, amid tremendous and tumultous cheers, by a
truly Reform Admiral, that he had " brought home the fleet without
injury of a plank or cord." The people were not then as enlightened


NOVEMBER 3, 1855.

as they are now. The electric telegraph—the Penny Cyclopedia—the
improved " Jemmey" were then unknown, and mountebanks of politics
informed them that the better course of the Admiral would have been
to have attacked the enemy instead of preserving the fleet. The advice
prevailed even to the Throne, because a party to the popular but econo-
mical cry, and the Admiral who now-a-days would have been feted for
his prudence, honoured with shilling subscriptions for his losses, and
returned to the Senate for his services, was possitively shot. This is
but an incilent giving no conception of the difficulties of the time.
Hardly a nation in Europe was our real ally, nor was there any precau-
tion taken by the Ministers to enlist their aid, except indeed that of
mere solicitation, which betrayed at once weakness and necessity The
storm was gathering even across the Atlantic, in America. A mixed
policy of insult and retractation, to be followed by insult again, had
given an excuse to a people never slow to take offence to threaten to
appear in open hostility. In the meantime at head-quarters the Minis-
ter joked, and professed the most complete indifference to what was
going on. He had been accustomed to consider his work done when
the spark was applied to the combustible materials of national relations,
without con!idering whither the conflagration might tend. He en-
couraged and surrendered malcontents with equal indifference, and
treated the law of nations with a contempt, which if it had not been
dangerous would have been sublime. The household utensils of a Jew
in Greece, which were said to have been taken, he looked on as more
sacred than the municipal laws of a Commonwealth, which forbade its
subjects to enlist against countries with which it was at peace. He
seemed to stand the one example in a free Nation of an individual
neither greatly liked by monarch nor people, permitted a profligate
despotism, by the indisposition of those capable of ruling to disturb his
motley career, which he declared to be the business of Government.
This conduct could not long be without effect. Prices were rising,
funds were falling, taxation increasing, discontent advancing, popula-
tion flying, 1 anperism deluging the land, and yet men were found to
boast that now at length the country was ruled by THE OLD OLD
WHIGS.

THE CABINET OF ARISTOCRATS.

(From a Ministerial Journal.)

THE public will be gratified to hear that it is the intention of Viscount
Palmerston to recommend to the Crown an early creation of Peers,
partly in reward for eminent services, either done or intended to be
done the nation, and partly that the aristocratic element in the present
Cabinet, which is perhaps deficient in that respect, may be strengthened
by the introduction of new titles. We have been favored with some
exclusive information upon the subject, and hasten to inform our
readers as much of it as it is expedient to publish.
Mr. Vernon Smith will be one of the first objects of favour on the
part of the Government he adorns. He will be raised to the peerage by
the title of Lord St. Pauls, not only in memory of his distinguished uncle,
the Rev. Sydney Smith, canon of that sacred edifice, whose wit he in-
herits, indeed, in an improved degree, but also in testimony to his own co-
lossal character and genius. Lord St. Pauls will continue to preside over
the affairs of India, and should Viscount Canning fulfil the expectation
that is formed of him, namely, that he will make a remarkably indiffer-
ent Governor-General, he will, at no distant period, be replaced by Lord
St. Pauls. Mr. Smith obtained, some years ago, licence for his chil-
dren to drop that somewhat plebeian name, and be called Vernon only ;
and the delicate taste and fastidiousness which prompted this arrange
went have been again manifested by the Peer in expectancy, who has
selected, as his second title, St- Faith under St. Paula.
Another peerage, as might be anticipated, will be conferred upon
Sir Charles Wood, who has often pleasantly urged upon his chief, that
"it is a shame to call a man a First Lord who is not a lord at all." He
will take the title of Lord Pontefract, from the place of his birth,
whence the Premier in his " sportive hour" has so often denominated
him by the name of the favorite sweetmeat, the Pontefract cake.
Sir George Grey, though, from his representing in the Commons
the aristocratic house founded by the first Earl, he does not consider
that any ennoblement could really advance him, has, with some reluc-
tance, and only in order to comply with Lord Palmerston's wish t
have none but lords about him, assented to take the title of Baron
Platitude; and the Secretary-at-War has so far overcome his filial feel-
ings as to permit himself " to receive an hereditary title," and in that
of Lord Potter de Redtape will merge the name of Peel.
The admirable Chancellor of the Exchequer would have had a
similar honour, but for the necessity of that official being a member of
the House of Commons ; but in the probable event of his finding the
duties of his office somewhat too severe, especially as the financial
requirements of the coming year are likely to be urgent, Sir G. C.
Lewis will go to the Upper Chamber as Baron Tardy De Dawdle.

1049

We need hardly add that the pro Coronet, so amply deserved by,
and so long promised to, the Chief Commissioner of Works, will not
be again delayed, and that as Lord Marylebone Sir Benjamin Hall
will retain a graceful connection with the constituency whom he ceases
to represent. This creation will complete the aristocratic character of
her Majesty's Government, as it is needless to say that lords will be
selected for the two offices at present vacant, and every member of the
Cabinet, with the exception of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, will
be a nobleman. The array of illustrious names will then be truly im-
posing, and will run thus :—Lord Palmerston, Lord Cranworth, Lord
St. Mauls, Lord Granville, Duke of Argyll, Lord Pontefract, Lord
Clarendon, Lord Panmure, Lord Marylebone, Lord Lansdowne, the
noble lords at the Colonial and Post Office, Lord De Redtape, and
Lord Platitude. Viscount Palmerston will then, with very little altera-
tion, have rendered his Cabinet in appearance, as it is already in
reality, the representative of that class to which the deservedly popular
Minister wisely considers that the honours and emoluments of Go-
vernment should be restricted.

THE PREMIER'S PLAN FOR KEEPING THE