The Press.
London, England, 1858-01-02 00:00:00

THE PRESS, JANUARY 2, 1858.

would at present urge upon our readers is this—that the exchange
of diplomatic eourtesiei is a poor equivalent for the ruin of British
merchants and loss of British prestige.

Strong representations having been made of the delays in the
transmission of the Indian telegraphic despatches from Cagliari to this
country, the French and Sardinian Governments caused searching inves-
tigations to be made into the conduct of the clerks at Corsica and
Sardinia. It was discovered that a message was delayed seven hours
at Sassari, and fifteen hours at Bonifaccio, and in consequence nearly
the whole staff in Corsica has been replaced by the French Government,
and several clerks have been dismissed in Sardinia. The French
Government has also directed that some of their officials shall be em-
ployed solely on the English business, and Englishmen will be sent to
Spezzia and Cagliari to secure the instant transmission of the Go-
vernment despatches. It is hoped that by these means the vexatious
and causeless delay hitherto experienced will be for the future obviated.
The submarine line from Cagliari to Malta and Corfu was thrown open
to the public yesterday.

When people heard that Lord HARROWBY left the Cabinet on the
ground of ill-health, every one was sorry. He is an accomplished
scholar, and he possesses scientific knowledge enough to set up a
" College for Tutors." He is not a bitter politician, nor a violent par-
tisan; and, altogether, his Lordship is eminently respectable, though
his joining a Liberal Cabinet was indiscreet, to say the least of it,
" What ails him?" was therefore asked with feelings of much sym-
pathy. Is his complaint cerebral, gastric, neuralgic, mesenteric, hepatic,
or something else invented by the doctors, and sure to end in "ic "?
We are happy to dispel the alarm of his friends, and to assure them
that Lord Hsaaowny is suffering only from an intensely severe attack
of political dyspepsia. His Lordship cannot digest a single mouthful
of Lord PALMERSTON'S Reform Bill. It has troubled him with night-
mare, and depressed his constitutional spirits. Change of air, and
prohibition of dangerous hills of fare, was indispensable, and, accord-
ingly, Lord HARROWBY has retired in defence of his own and the
British Constitution. Sir CHARLES WETHERELL c mvulsed the House
of Commons by denouncing the Bill of '3l as " Russell's Purge."
Lord HARROWBY has no fancy for any political quackery, even if
advertised as " The Premier's Patent Elixir for Improving the Growth
"of Revolutions." It would certainly have been better for himself if
Lord HARROWBY had never joined the Ministry of Lord PALMERSTON.
He was in a false position from first to last, and resignation has been
almost forced upon him. Neither as au administrator nor as a debater
did Lord HARROWBY gain any fame, and, on the whole, we think that
his Lordship gained less than any one else who ever joined Lord
PALMERSTON.

The Council of Military Education have lost no time in following
up their first step towards the Reform of Military Education by an-
other of almost equal importance. A memorandum has been issued
by the Commander-in-Chief stating the rules which have been decided
upon fur the reorganisation of the existing educational establish-
ments for candidates for commissions. From this memorandum,
which will be found in extenso in another part of our columns, we
learn that her Majesty has decided that the education for all arms of
the service shall be given at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst ;
that sixteen to eighteen years shall be the ages of admission; that ap-
plication must be made to the Commander-in-Chief for permission to
compete at one of the half-yearly examinations ; and that at the close
of the period of study, which will continue for two years, the most suc-
cessful candidates will be permitted to select the corps of Royal
Engineers or Royal Artillery, or will receive commissions without put,
chase in the Cavalry or Line—those selecting the Ordnance Corps
being removed to the school of application at Woolwich. To appre-
ciate the extent and importance of the change involved in these pro-
visions, it is necessary to remember that up to the present time the
education of officers for the Ordnance Corps and for the Line has been
entirely disiloct; the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich being
devoted to the preparation of officers for the Royal Artillery and
Engineers, while the College at Sandhurst was confined
exclusively to the instruction of candidates for commissions
in the Cavalry or Line. The result of this arrangement
was that no Sandhurst cadet, however talented or scientifically dis
posed, could hope for a commission in scientific corps, and that, on the
other hand, not a few of the Woolwich dices, whose tastes and inclina-
tions would have well fitted them for the Line, were forced into the
Artillery, to be looked down upon by their more scientific comrades.
With a Commander-in-Chief so anxious for the full and complete
fliciency of the army in all its branches such an anomaly could not
.ong last, the influence of his Royal Highness the Duke of CAM-
BRIDGE has happily triumphed over the obstinacy of Lord PANMURE,
end from the 28th of January will date the commencement of a
new system. Notwithstanding that the first examination will be
lold on that day, two years must elapse before any of the cadets then