The Press.
London, England, 1857-11-07 00:00:00

THE PRESS, NOVEMBER 7, 1857.

exaction, of plunder and extortion, and the only acknowledged agent
for all purposes was money. Gold could purchase immunity from
crime—it exonerated the murdererer, procured immediate pardon for
acts of arson and pillage, and justified the violation of domesticity in
its most inhuman and savage phases. But purses went to the
Seraglio and all was right. Under such a state of things the natural
resources of the country gradually diminished, for agriculture was not
encouraged, and commerce was obliged to yield its profits to the idle
listless Turk. The interference of Austria as a quasi protector was
worse than the Ottoman Government, and we are bound to say real
and substantial assistance was never found by the Rouman in any
other quarter than Russia, and that only under the govern-
ment of General KISSELEF, between. '29 and '32, who re-
organised the provinces for a special purpose. General
KISSELEF provided wisely for the wants of the people, re-
dressed grievances, administered the laws, and maintained order.
This system contrasted well with Turkish injustice. It may be said
that Russia impeded the corn trade of the Danube to unduly exalt the
interests of Odessa. Let this be admitted at once; hut on all other
points the Russian influence in those seas favoured the well being of
the Principalities, and this accounts for her local and secret predumi•
wince at the present moment. The demand of the Porte is that the
old order of things, or misrule, shall be reinstated, and the desire of
the people of the Divan is to be freed from that incubus. A union of
the provinces under an independent prince, while yet preserving the
sovereignty of the Porte, can alone place them in a permanent state
of good government. That, however, would not consort with the
policy of Austria, which can only prosper through and by Moldo-
Wallachian insecurity and Moldo-Wallachian disaffection. Besides, it
is well known that the Czar NicuoLAs, in a friendly admonition to the
Emperor FitaNcis JOSEPH, remarked that a possible loss of territory
in Italy might be compensated in the East. This is the real motive
that actuates Austria, and the prospect of a stable establishment of
the Principalities is adverse to the contingency of the future.

The reception of the Duke of CAMBRIDGE in the City, and the
important ceremony which marked the occasion of the appearance of
kis Royal Highness, are among the prominent events of the week.
The Duke of CAMBRIDGE enjoys a well-deserved popularity, and the
reception accorded his Royal Highness on Wednesday was worthy his
reputation. A soldier " bred and born," and holding the high position
of Commander in-Chief of the British Army, great weight is attached to
the opinion of the Duke upon the condition and necessities of the
British army; and it is with some degree of satisfaction that we
observe his Royal Highness never fails to impress upon the public at
this particular and favourable period the vast importance of preserving
that army ever in a state of the highest efficiency-, prepared for
emergencies, and with " something to spare." We are not among the
last to recognise the value of this policy ; but when his Royal
Highness ventures to condemn the reductions of last spring, we think
he does but scant justice to the conduct of the Opposition in the
House of Commons. At the commencement of last spring peace was
concluded and friendly relations resumed by us with all the great
Powers of Europe except the King of NAPLES ; and he was scarcely of suf-
ficient importance for our maintaining an army on a war footing. What
object, then, had we in maintaining a powerful army at Aldershott?
The best proof that no sound object existed is the readiness with
which Ministers cut down the Estimates ; for if from information from
Calcutta they were aware of the critical nature of our position in
India, and of the importance of our maintaining a powerful army in
hand ready for any contingency, and, by cutting down the Esti•
mates to secure their places, sacrificed the interests of the country,
what a position must theirs be ! It was not only the duty of the Con-
servative Opposition at that period to insist on retrenchment and
economy, but it was the true policy of the country to reduce its vast
military expenditure and husband its resources ; and indirectly
blaming the Opposition for their conduct at that period, is manifestly
unjust. The Conservative party, his Royal Highness must be
aware, is never illiberal in its sanction of the public expenditure for
legitimate purposes.

The despatch of Sir WILLIAM GORE OUSELEY to settle the
vexatious Central American question is satisfactory. From the high
abilities of Sir WILI.IAM OUSELEY, from his intimate acquaintance with
America and with Spanish America, and from the friendly personal
relations which exist between himself and Mr. BUCHANAN, we are led
to anticipate that at length a satisfactory solution of this question will
be arrived at. We have every confidence that the interests and dig-
nity of England will be well cared for by Sir WILLIAM OUSELEY.
Accurately acquainted with the nature of the status quo, and fully
impressed with the view that, at all events, if we have no right in
Central America, the Americans have less, :t is not probable that any
concession without an equivalent will be made by him to secure a
settlement of the question. Sir WILLIAM OUSELEY left this country
last Saturday.

We should hardly have expected to find the Saturday Review
coming forward as the organ of organs. Whatever may be the defects
and absurdities of the Belgravian petition, there can he no doubt that
it is directed against a real and substantial grievance, and one to
which a literary man—if the Saturday reviewer will permit us to desig-

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nate him by that opprobrious term—might be supposed peculiarly
sensitive. In what tranquil solitude does the writer live who can
speak calmly of street music and its attendant noises? In the deep
recesses of an Inn of Court, or behind the thick walls or double windows
of the Circumlocution•offrce? Or is it that he actually likes the thing,
and is accustomed to stand at his parlour-window as a pendant to
"the simple and slipshod damsel" below, enjoying with ready sym-
pathy the sweet strains of " Kee►no Kimo," or " The Ratcatcher's
Daughter " ? Seriously speaking, he has done the petition injustice
in characterising it as " an indiscriminate and Bumblelike proscription
"of all street music." There is nothing on the face of the document
to show that its framers wished to deprive either the in-
habitants of the back streets, or the reviewer himself, of
the entertainment they seem to appreciate ; only to enforce
the principle that one's neighbour has no right to pursue a gratifica-
tion which he can dispense with at the cost of positive annoyance to
oneself. " But," says the reviewer, "if Molly the housemaid is not
" allowed her organ, she will fly to the penny gaff and never return."
This, of course, is a question which can only be solved by such an
attentive and continued observation of housemaids as we at least
have not time for. Our opinion is at present the other way. There is
another reason, too, why some control should be exercised over the organ
grinders, and that is their excessive insolence. " Invalids " and
" hypochondriacs " are not the only persons entitled to complain. We
appeal to those families whose male members are absent during the
day, and which are unprotected by the presence of a stalwart flunkey,
whether some further check than the absence of a possible policeman
is not required for the hairy ruffian:3 who imagine themselves a com-
pound of Mani° arid DON JUAN, and behave aceo;dingl) ?

The death of General CAVAIONAC is a heavy blow and a great dis-
couragement to the Republican party in France. The reputation of
CAVAIGNAC gave weight and consistency to that party, and his loss is
proportionably severe. As a distinguished soldier, and as the man
who had rendered to France great services in times of peculiar peril,
the position CAVAIGNAC will occupy in the history of his country is
assured. Like CARNOT under the first Empire, CAVAIGNAC, Reef wing
the restoration of the Imperial regime as a political necessity, and as
the will of the people, yet maintained his republican principles intact,
and though he preferred retirement to active service, he scorned to
plot against the Government whose employment his principles forbad
him to accept. CAVAIONAC was certainly the first of the Republican
party ; lie has left no successor worthy of him. Men of his peculiar
mould are not cast every day, even in France.

We have every reason to believe that the judgment passed upon
the Honourable Mr. CADooAN, upon the part of the public journals
generally, is premature. Several important facts which from some un-
accountable cause were not brought forward at. the trial, in all proba-
bility will be shortly laid before the public. Meanwhile, we would beg
our readers to withhold their judgment pending the publication of a
statement of such importance.

The latest intelligence from New York has not confirmed the
previous favourable news. The commercial crash still continues, and
although the exchange on this country shows a not inconsiderable im-
provement from the lowest rates, it is by no means so great as we
were led to expect, nor sufficient entirely to put a stop to shipments
of specie from this country. The scale upon which bullion has been
transmitted to America in the last few days is, however, totally inade-
quate to account for the increased scarcity of money which now pre.
veils, causing an advance of the minimum rate of discount by the
Bank of England to nine per cent., and an indisposition to discount
most excellent bills even at that extreme rate. In fact, the Bank
Directors appear to feel themselves called upon to apportion as equit-
ably as may he the accommodation which it is in their power to grant
to the ►mercantile community ; and although their reserve is not yet
reduced to the point at which it stood in 1847, still the facility with
which they grant advances is not much greater. Judging from the
sudden revulsion which occurred in 1847, as soon as it became known
that in case of need the Bank of England would be authorised to in
crease temporarily their issue of banknotes, we cannot but come to
the conclusion that the same causes for extreme stringency are at
work now which then prevailed ; amongst others, a disposition to
retain a larger amount of cash on hand, and an anxiety to provide
for future wants earlier than under normal circumstances. Such a
mode of action, if at all general, must necessarily immensely
increase the amount of circulating medium requisite to conduct
the commerce of the country ; and much as we may deplore
such a tendency, we cannot but admit that it is but natural and inevi-
table. It remains to be seen by what means the immediate fear can
be somewhat allayed ; and the severity of the present crisis is quite
sufficient to insure the exercise of great caution in the channels
through which pecuniary accommodation is usually dispensed to the
public. There seems every reason to think that the extreme pressure
has lasted quite long enough to test the solidity of all mercantile
firms ; and the mode in which it has been borne is most satisfactory
as compared with the long list of failures of 1847. Any measure which
can be devised to allay apprehension would, we think, meet with uni-
versal approval, if immediately promulgated. It would seem advisable
that some such course of action should be determined upon.