The Press.
London, England, 1856-07-12 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

JULY 12, 1856.

Lord STANLEY presided, on Thursday, at a meeting of the Early-
Closing Association, held at Willis's-rooms. The object of the meeting
on this occasion was to promote the Saturday half-holiday, and the
earlier payment of wages. As previous endeavours of this society to
ameliorate the condition of the labourer in respect to his hours of
work have been decidedly successful, we have good reason to hope for
similar result in the present case. While fully acknowledging the force
of Lord STANLEY'S arguments, drawn from the physical necessity of rest,
and the more valuable labour obtained from those servants who
are permitted proper seasons of repose, we would at the same time
urge upon the notice of tha public that. it is only by some such miti-
gation of the rigid laws of industry to which our mechanics and shop
men are now subjected, that the Sunday agitation can ever be effec-
tually checked. As long as Sunday continues to be the only day of
leisure, so long will it be impossible to make it exclusively a
churchgoing day. This is a point which the advocates of strict
observance of the Sabbath do not, perhaps, weigh quite sufficiently.
But it is, in reality, the pivot on which the whole difficulty turns.
Give the lower orders a free Saturday afternoon for bodily recreation,
and our Parks would soon cease to be the scene of those disgraceful
disturbances which have now for two successive seasons scandalised
the metropolis. We hope Lord STANLEY will not cease from his exer-
tions till he has effected the desirable reform in question.

The old jest of the lawyers on special pleading is well known.
An action being brought for damage done to a pot, which was sound
when lent and cracked when returned, was met by the pleas—l, that
the pot was cracked when it was borrowed ; 2, that the pot was
sound when it was returned ; 3, that the pot was never borrowed
at all. The action in the Court of Common Pleas on
Monday, of SMITH v. WOODFINE, for breach of promise of mar-
riage was met on the part of the defendant by three very similar
pleas:—l. That no promise was ever male. 2 That a reasonable
time had not been allowed him for its performance. 3. That he had
broken it by the leave and licence of the young lady herself. It would
puzzle the most ingenious casuist to reconcile these three pleas, and
as they illustrate the common usage, they certainly suggest the expe-
diency of some modification of this branch of legal practice, so as to
avoid the pleading of palpable contradictions.

One division of the week shows that parties are again beginning
to rally under their natural colours. The Liberals mustered strongly
on Thursday, for the express purpose of showing Lord PALMERSTON
that he is merely their chief on sufferance, and that he must mind his
P's and Q's. Of course he cannot satisfy every one on the back
benches. The session is nearly up. His followers, like the Nenagh
Militiamen, are being disbanded without bounty. The mutiny broke
fiercely forth, and the Appellate Jurisdiction Bill fell a sacrifice to the
fury of the enraged rioters.

Lord HARRINGTON inquired last Tuesday in the House of Lords
why the execution of the Scutari monument bad been intrusted
to Signor MARoctivrtt. The design is certainly such as to make the
public reiterate his Lordship's question There are many sculptors
in England whose fame is greater than that of Signor MaaocnErrt.
Lord PANMURE replied to the question put by Lord HARRINGTON by
simply assuming the whole point at issue. He had heard of no corny
plaint about the design, and he believed that Signor MAROCHETTI
would produce a monument of which the nation would have reason to
be proud. But, unfortunately, the nation cannot take Lord PANMURE'S
ipse dixit on such a matter as this. They feel warmly interested
in having the gallant exploits of their soldiers worthily commemorated,
and they have no fancy to see themselves irrevocably committed to an
artist who has produced the abortion so forcibly described by Lord
HARRINGTON. This indiscriminate employment of foreigners is pro-
ductive of the worst results. Not only does it discourage native
talent, but it teaches the student of art to distrust all patrons of
talent, of any sort whatever. This feeling is certain to operate as a
drawback towards the completion of all great national works of art ;
and to lead our ablest men to address themselves to the most
.ephemeral labours, for the sake of bread and popularity, when
they might be worthily and splendidly provided for in the public
service.

The Tipperary Militia riot is disgraceful to the Irish militia force,
and anything but creditable to the Government. The men were
enlisted under promise of a certain bounty being paid them, and are
now disembodied without payment. This is a piece of meanness un-
worthy of a Government ; but at the same time the disgraceful conduct
of the Tipperary men is an act of insubordination not for a moment
to he submitted to. Msjor•Geueral CHATTERTON acted with great
promptness on the occasion, and by throwing a powerful force into the
town, and using decisive measures, at once rendered'resistance useless,
and checked a movement which might have had a serious effect in
other counties. The men justly deserve a most severe punishment
tin• so gross a breach of discipline. They have caused the death of a
Crimean soldier, severely wounded several others, and suffered more
severe losses in their own ranks; but while these men are handed
over to the punishment they deserve, the War Department is not to be
exonerated from the blame of radically bad management in giving oc-
casion to such deplorable imeutes. It is only a repetition with powder
and ball of what took place last year at Bristol ; both cases arising
rom not dealing with the men in a fair and judicious manner.

6f 1

THE " SACRED TRADESMAN."
A tradesman is in the eyes oi juries a sacred character, not to be mentioned without awe and
•restraint.—The Globe, July 7th,

Rightly judged the impannelled blades, man,
Venging well the untlogged snip,
Sacred be the British Tradesman,
Sacred from the ribald quip.
Is it fit for you to flout him,
That unmatched commercial saint?
You should never speak about him
Without awe and self-restraint.

White his nature, safe from soiling,
As the alum in his loaves ;
Green his soul, as coppers boiling
With his pickles in yon stoves.
Sacred hold his weekly dealings
Who on Sabbaths holds the plates,
Spare his fine parochial feelings,
Rate not one who pays his rates.
Speak with awe of one who mixes
Divers poisons with his beer ;
Speak with awe of one who tricks his
Customers with solemn leer;
Speak with awe of one who tells you
" On his honour you'll be pleased ; "
Speak with awe of one who sells you
Tainted meat, until it's seized.
Spare him, while you see him pumping
Water on the milk he sells;
Spare him, while his thumb is jumping
Back its inches in your ells;
Spare him, while he tips the flunkey
That the rich man he may cheat ;
Spare him, while he " rides the monkey "
That devours the poor man's meat.

Bless the slop-shop's Jew parader
(Hang the starving stitcher's grief),
Honour the marine-store trader,
Trainer of the infant thief.
Bless yon salesman's rotten tables,
And his sofas stuffed with hay ;
Bless you goldsmith's graver fables,
" Not Mosaic," did he say.

Yes, we're full of awe, and so forth,
Self-restraining, void of plaint;
But one little truth should go forth

Touching that same self-restraint.
Though the British Tradesman gaily
Goes on puffing, smirking, lying—
Folks, oft bit, are learning daily
To restrain themselves—from buying.

ORATORICAL STATISTICS.

A BLUE-BOOS containing some interesting and valuable details
respecting the crop of Parliamentary eloquence, especially as culti-
vated on the Treasury Bench, has been lately laid upon the table of
the House of Commons. We extract a few items from this important
return :

THE PREMIER.—Upon an area of 975 speeches, replies, official
announcements, &c., during the present season, planted 6,422 jokes, of
which 839, or about one per cent., attained full development. Plotted
out 35 arguments of the theologico-metaphysical variety produced
1,111 assertions that " the war had been carried on with energy;" 555
declarations that " the peace was satisfactory and honourable ;" and
878 inquiries, " How on earth " the Ministry could have contrived to
do something they had not done ?
FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY.—Produced one large and heavy
speech after the return of hon. members from the Spithead review.
Among miscellaneous crops in return for 150 queries touching failures
and break-downs in the " Department," replied 999 times that " he
knew nothing about the matter:" 44 times that "he would cause in-
quiries to be made into the subject ;" and 7 times succeeded in evading
the question.
COLONIAL SECRETARY.—In fallow.
BOARD OF CONTROL.—Cultivated principally for small salads, look-
ing green and crisp in the dish. Good for show, but essentially in-
sipid if tried and tasted.
CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER.--.ooCUpied chiefly with forcing.
On one small plot five successive crops have been mown from the same
speech relative to fire insurances.
HOME SECRETARY.—Many varieties of Bills were dribbled in and
tended with some care, respecting Police Corporation Reform, &c.
But few came up, and those dwarfed and shrivelled. Little or no
chance of a crop.
SECRETARY FOR WAR.--Cropped
UNDER SECRETARY FOR WAR.—Surface, a-dust and barren. Peeled,
burnt, subsoiled, &c., but without result, the sublying strata being
equally dry and unfertile.
BOARD OF WORKS.— old, slaty, and swampy: an unkindly soil.
Has produced a few speeches, but stunted in growth, and prickly in
character.
SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY.—NO return.