The Press.
London, England, 1856-02-09 00:00:00

V robintial.

A PUBLIC MEETING, to memorialise the Govern••
ment for a full and public inquiry into Lie cause of
the fall of Kars, was held at Worcester last week. A
deputation from the London Administrative Re-
formers attended, and addressed the meeting. Mr.
Bennoch, in a speech of some length, explained the
objects of the reform association of which he was a
member, and, quoting largely from the current num-
ber of " Little Dorrit," concluded by stating that the
Administrative Reformers were about to clear the
barnacles which so impeded the progress of the good
ship Britannia. Mr. Moore, who followed, spoke
rather more to the point. A motion was about to ho
moved in the House, he explained, by Mr. J. L. Ri•
cardo for a committee to inquire into the whole sys-
tem of Government contracts, and for a committee

to investigate in public every circumstance connected
with the fall of Kars :
It was in many quarters boldly asserted, that it had been
predetermined Kars should fall, as an offering to the
wounded pride of Russia, and to open the way to peace.
He could not bring himself to believe there had been such
a design. He could not credit it that that garrison, with
its long endurance, its glorious repulse of the Russians,
and victory—the fame of which had run throughout the
world—had been deliberately left to starve until, under
stress of a famine by which a hundred died daily, and the
half rotten carcases of dead horses were dug up and
eaten, they were driven to surrender two months after
that victory. But that these things are said, is itself of
sufficient ground for demanding a full, public, impartial
inquiry. The mere production of papers promised by
Lord Clarendon to Lord Derby will not do ; it is difficult
to have faith in papers ; impossible to know how many
might be witheld—it was customary to furnish them with
blanks and stars, and the excuse that reasons of policy
obliged the omissions. No pretences of policy must be
allowed in this case to stand in the way ; we must have the
testimony of the living witnesses. General Williams
must be heard. Dr. Sandwith must be heard. Lord Strat-
ford must be brought before the committee to give his
account of the matter. Lord Clarendon himself must he
examined, if there should appear any blank in the detail
of facts that it properly belongs to him to fill. The matter
must be sifted to the bottom. It must be discovered 4.11
whom rested the responsibility to relieve Kars. We must
know, so as to lease no discovery to be made by some
future historian, all the facts, all the influences that were
at work.

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Resolutions, approving the course the association had
taken, pledging the support of the meeting to the
London committee, adopting a petition to the House
of Commons in favour of Administrative Reform, and
the memorial agreed to at the London Tavern for an
inquiry into the circumstances connected with the
the iall of Kars, were adopted unanimously.
SIR JOHN M'NEIL presided lately at a meeting of
the Nightingale Fund held at Edinburgh. In the
course of his address Sir John spoke with no little
authority upon the personal and religious character
of Miss Nightingale :

Statements have gone forth attributing or describing
Miss Nightingale u belonging to almost every imaginable
denomination of Christians. The truth I believe to be,
the-, Protestant in her opinions, firm in her Protestant
belief, she is yet of too large and catholic a mind to regard
mere sectarian differences, or to attach much importance
to forms. I believe that she is capable of acting with
persons of every denomination who are influenced by pions
and Christian motives. Her own opinions are not recently
formed. Long before this war was thought of, while Awes
yet doubtful whether any such institution as we sie now

FEBRUARY 9, 1856.

proposing to institute should be formed in England, Miss
Nightingale had prepared herself, by careful study in Ger-
many, fur the task which she had proposed to herself, even
in her youth—a life of usefulness, following, at a humble
distance, as far as human frailty would permit, the example
of Him who went about doing good, and healing the sick.
At an early age she proceeded to Germany, and in the Pro-
testant institutions of Prussia acquired the instruction in
attendance on the sick which at that time there were no
means of acquiring in England. I feel satisfied of this,
that Miss Nightingale is herself too settled in her reli-
gious opinions, too firm and too earnest in her purpose, to
permit her efforts, which are intended forthe welfare of her
species and the service of her God, to be narrowed and de-
graded to any sectarian or party purpose whatever. I may
say that, in all the conversations I have had with Miss
Nightingale—and they have been many—l have never yet
heard her propose or suggest anything which, if practicable,
was not desirable ; and I have never heard a vain or
thoughtless proposal from her, but, on the contrary, her
mind appears to me to be distinguished by a strong prac-
tical sense, which regulates all she does.
Ma. LOWE'S PROPOSED MEASURE for the aboliti-
tion of passing tolls and corporation dues upon
shipping has created a perfect panic of indignation
at Liverpool. At the monthly meeting of the Town
Council, on Wednesday, the subject was brought
under the notice of the members by Mr. l'icton
moving a resolution to the effect that the mayor be
requested to convene at once a public meeting to
consider the question. Mr. ricton characterised the
bill as an attack upon the rights, privileges, and
property of Liverpool :

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The inhabitants of Liverpool, he felt assured, would not
sit still and tamely see the property which had been ac-
quired and transmitted to them by their predecessors
wrested from them and given up as plunder to the audacity
of their assailants.

Mr. Picton further maintained that the charges
brought against the corporation were unfounded.
The resolution was adopted unanimously.
THE CONVOCATION OF YORK was opened on Friday
ast with the usual ceremonies, and prorogued, in
the name of the Archbishop, till the 12th of August
next. The Rev. Canon Trevor handed in a com-
munication from the clergy of the archdeaconry, ex-
postulating against the prerogative of Convocation,
and imploring the Archbishop and Bishop of the
diocese se to regulate the proceedings that the mem-
bers of Convocation may be allowed to treat and de-
liberate, according to their privilege, upon all such
subjects as appertain to them by law.

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