The Press.
London, England, 1857-03-28 00:00:00

AMERICA.

Mr. Buchanan's Presidential inauguration took
place on the 4th inst. We have given his address
elsewhere.

Lord Napier had been warmly welcomed at New
York by the Chamber of Commerce.
A great sensation had been created by the deci-
sion of the Supreme Court in a slavery case, that of
" Dred Scott." It was to the effect that the plaintiff,
Dred, being of African blood, was not a citizen of
the United States, and therefore was not competent
to sue in a court of the United States. The seven
Democratic judges pronounced for the slavery of
Dred, the two Whig judges for his freedom.

THE ADMTNISTRATITE REFORM ASSOCIATION have
issued an address to the electors advocating consti•
tutional reform, vote by ballot, extensiou of the
suffrage, S-c. &c., and calling upon the people in
their personal paroxysm for Lord Palmerston not to
listen to any declaration in favour of any particular
men or any particular Administration, but to re-
member a higher duty due to their country, and to
return to Parliament Administrative Reformers.
This singularly inconsistent address concludes with
a definition of an efficient representative :
To be an efficient representative, something more is
required than merely to hold certain opinions. A high
standard of moral worth and intellectual power is necessary
for hlm who desires effectively to perform the duties of a
representative. The flippant declaimer, the noisy and
fluent speaker of a hustings oration, does not, by his ready
utterance and unblushing audacity, thereby prove himself
to be worthy of the confidence of his countrymen. If a
man have proved himself by his past life to be diligent
in the inquiry after knowledge; if he have given proof of
his moral worth; if he be a strict adherent to the cause of
truth, he may be • worthy representative, though not
possessed of the ready fluency of a practised debater, or
the artful sophistry of a trained advocate. Distrust, we
beseech yo.:, all who trust to the power of corruption and
bribery. He who buys you will sell you. Money em-
ployed to purchase your suffrages is money employed for
the purpose of obtaining • money return. A seat in Par•
liament bmght from the people is almost invariably sold to
the Minister.

THE BARNSLEY Prr continues to be flooded with
niter. Some weeks must elapse before the pit can
Le em ,ied, as the fire is not yet considered to be
sufficiently extinguished. Large subscriptions for
the poor collier families continue to be received by
the authorities of the colliery.

THE PRESS.

COLONISATION IN TURKEY.

THE Government of the Sultan has decided upon
throwing open Turkey to European immigration.
The following decree, stating the terms upon which
colonisation is offered, has been published at Con-
stantinople :
- -
_

I. The colonists shall first take an oath to be always
faithful to H.I.M. the Sultan, and to become subjects of
the empire without the least reserve or restriction.
!:.). They shall submit to all the present or future laws of
the empire.
3. In common with all the other subjects of the empire
the colonists shall be protected from all impediments in
the exercise of the religion that they may profess ; and
they shall enjoy, without any distinction, the same religious
privileges accorded to all the other classes of the subjects
of the empire. If, in the localities that shall be assigned
to them for settlement, there be sufficient chapels of their
persuasion, they can there perform their devotions; but, if
they should form new villages, they shall solicit and shall
obtain from the Imperial Government permission to build
such chapels as they may stand in need of.
4. In those provinces of the empire that may be deemed
suitable for their settlement, they shall select, amongst the
disposable lands in the possession of the Government, the
most fertile and healthy, and such a portion shall be as
signed to each as he may require for the exercise of agri
culture or of any other trade.
5. The colonists who shall establish themselves in the
disposable lands belonging to the Government—lands
which will be granted to them gratuitously—shall be ex—
empted from all land tax and personal contribution during-
six years, if they settle in Roumelia, and twelve years if
they settle in Asia.
6. In lice manner the colonists shall be exempted from
military service, or its equivalent in money-payments, in
Roumelia for six years, and in Asia for twelve years.
7. After the expiration of these periods of exemption, the
colonists shall be subject to all contributions and duties,
on the same footing as the other subjects of the empire.
8. Colonists shall not have the power to sell the lands
that shall be granted gratuitously by the Government until
after a space of at least twenty years.
9. Such as, before the expiration of that period, may
wish to quit the country and cease to be subjects of the
empire, shall restore their lands to the Government. And
they shall equally be obliged to give up to the Government,
without any compensation, all the buildings that they may
have erected on the lands, as such buildings will no longer
be considered as their property.
10. The colonists shall recognise the authority of the
Caza or Sandjak of the villages or hamlets where they may
settle and they shall be governed by these officials, and
protected like the other subjects of the empire.
IL If, before the expiration of their terms of exemption,
these colonists shall be obliged to change their residence
and establish themselves in some other part of the empire,
they shall be permitted to do so; but the period of their
exemption from all contributions and duties shall always
date from the time at which their original land was granted
to them.

N. These zolonists must not have been guilty of any
crime in their own country, nor even be of doubtful chit.
raster, but honest people and agriculturists or artisans.
And the Government reserves to itself the right to expel
from the empire such as may hereafter commit any crime
or pursue evil courses.
13. As i: is proposed to grant to each of the families that
may wish to resort to Turkey as colonists as much land as
may be suitable to its means, before they set out they must
draw up and submit to the Legations or Consulates of the
Imperial Government in foreign countries—where there
may be any—registers, in detail, of their names, quality,
means, the amount of their capital, and their professions.
And it is decreed that each family must possess a capital
of at least 00 gold Medjidiyes (about 1,350 francs, or 541.
English sterling).
14. As well on their departure from foreign countries as
on their arrival in Turkey, the Consuls of the Sublime
Porte abroad, and the Imperial authorities in the interior,
will grant to the colonists the necessary facilities for the
transport of their effects end baggage. Their passports
will be delivered to them gratis by all Ottoman Consuls.
Nevertheless, the Council of Tanzimat finds it necessary
that on every occasion on which families desirous of settling
as colonists in Turkey shall present themselves, the Im-
perial Government shall be informed of the intention at
least two months beforehand, in order that, conformably
with the resolutions already adopted, there may be time to
point out, in the provinces of the empire, the lauds suit.
able for distribution to the colonists, so that, on their
arrival in Turkey, they may not have to suffer from loss of
time and fatigue. Consequently, instructions in this sense
will be given to the Representatives and Consuls of the
empire abroad.

Corrtspoithnte.

HERTFORDSHIRE ELECTION.
TO THE EDITOR OF " THE PRESS."

Sir,—The coming election for this county bids
fair to be carried out with more bitter feelings than
on any former occasion ; and I am ono of those who
advocate fair play, and think that this unhappy divi-
sion has been mainly brought about by those gentle-
men—Whigs, Radicals and Conservatives combined
—who have endeavoured to settle amongst them•
selves (without consulting the electors) who should
be the lit and proper representatives for this county.
I find there is a very strong feeling that our
late member, Sir H. Alen; who has served us faith-
fully for the last eleven years, has been unfairly
treated, and induced to leave himself bound by any

SATURDAY,

resolution that might be come to at Hatfield, on
Thursday, the 12th instant, as to the withdrawal of
one member

It has been represented to me by Sir Henry Men'
that, on reflection, and taking into consideration his
seniority, he felt dissatisfied with the power he had
given, and immediately on reaching h3me the same
day he forwarded a special message to the committee
renouncing his assent. _ _

With these representations before them, I feel
that the committee are bound to explain to the
electors on what day and hour the deci,ion was
arrived at to deprive Sir Henry of his seat in Parlia-
ment, and also remove those feelings of distrust
which are at present entertained by the electors
as to the business of the meeting having been pre-
viously concucted.—l am, sir, your obedient servant,
A CONSERVATIVE ELECTOR.
26th March, 1857.

LORD PALMERSTON'S POPULARITY.
TO THE EDITOR OF " THE PRESS."
Sir,—lt cannot have failed to strike anyone eltg
takes an interest in public affairs, what a frequent
topic of discussion in every society at present the
respective merits or demerits of our Prime Minister
afford, and how singular and incongruous are the
opinions held on the subject. On all sides we have
it dinned into our ears that Lord Pelmerst6e is
immensely popular—and it may seem very rash in
anyone to question the truth of this assertion ; but
before giving it my assent, I should like to inquire
what evidence we possess of his lordship's great
popularity. The late House of Commons very
recently expressed its opinion with regard to his
policy; and we know that a fortnight ago he did not
possess the confidence of the representatives of the
people. It remains to be seen whether in a new
Parliament his position will be improved. The
result of the present appeal to the country (in as far
as we can yet judge) does not warrant the belief that
when Parliament assembles he will have added
materially to the number of his supporters. If we
were to rely, perhaps, on the garbled reports which
appear in the Times, we might be led to fancy that
such a result was probable ; but, as that paper has
chosen to constitute itself the special organ of Lord
Palmerston, these statements must be taken merely
for what they are worth. In as far as this town is
concerned, the undoubted result of the election will
be the return of two Conservatives in place of one
who represented us in the last Parliament.
If we turn from Parliament to the press we do
not find there such an overwhelming unanimity of
opinion in favour of Lord Palmerston. Though the
majority of the London daily papers have chosen to
express their disapproval of the late vote of the
House of Commons on Mr. Cobden's motion, still we
do not find the majority of the provincial press
regarding it in the same light ; and I am convinced
that had the constituencies been allowed longer time
for reflection a great change of opinion would have
occurred with respect to that vote ; and that, when it
comes to be viewed by the country in a calmer mood,
it will be regarded not only as one of the least fac-
tious, but one of the most disinterested and honour-
able ever recorded by that assembly.
There is another matter also to be considered in
addition to the question of popularity, and that is,
the grounds on which rest Lord Palmerston's claims
to public support.
Lord Palmerston has been a distinguished mem-
ber of every existing Government for the last half-
century, with, I believe, but one exception ; and yet
we do not find his name individually associated with
any great or useful measure which, during that long
period, has obtained the assent of Parliament. It is
true that until lately his attention has been almost
exclusively confined to foreign affairs, but it will
puzzle those who excuse him on this plea for having
done nothing else, to show that the success which
has attended his efforts as Foreign Secretary is suffi-
cient to account for any great degree of popularity,
for our foreign relations is proverbially the thing
which the people of this country know and care least
about, and even were it otherwise there never %%as a
topic on which there exists a greater diversity of
opinion.
The chief cause of the present cry of " Lord Palmers-
ton," is undoubtedly to be found in connection with
the part he played in the conduct and conclusion of
the late Russian war; and, without at all agreeing
with those who contend he was the only man who
could have brought that war to a satisfactory termi-
nation, I will not deny that he is entit►ed to some
credit on that score, though I am of opinion that,
whatever Prime Minister bad held the reins of office
at that time, the result, in all probability, would have
been substantially the same, for the country would
never have listened to a cessation of hostilities until
Sebastopol had fallen; and when the capture of that
fortress took place it was felt that our honour and
military reputation, which were staked on the result,
had been vindicated, and, Russia being left power-
less and exhausted, peace was the inevitaole
_ result.

Mom 28, 1857.

The conduct of Lord Palmerston during the pre-
sent crisis has been such as his antecedents might
lead us to expect. He has shown considerable tact
in making as much capital out of this unfortunate
Chinese affair as the nature of the circumstances

would admit. He keeps co istantly harping over and
over again the same thing in the same strain, and his
language is something to this effect :

Our country has been grossly and outrageously insulted
by a barbarous mandolin, a savage, bloodthirsty, murderous
ruffian, who, without pretext or provocation, has sought
to tarnish the flag of England, and when 1, in the en-
deavour to vindicate the honour and protect the
interests of our country, seek to chastise this miscreant.
I am met in the House of Commons by a coalition, com-
posed of the most heterogenous materials, of men who are
no only content to sacrifice their principles in order to
coalesce, bat who would sacrifice also the honour of their
country for the sake of driving me out of office.
With suoh contemptible balderdash as this does
the Prime Minister of England seek to hoodwink
the country. Lord Palmerston has been particu-
larly unfortunate of late in his public appearances,
and where he is not permitted to play the part of
the "Comic Old Gentleman," every other character
he assumes is more or less a failure. His speeches
in the House of Commons on the Chinese debate,
and at the Mansion-house, are both instances of
this; they are coarse in their language, offensive in
their tone, and the statements contained in them are
utterly reckless and exaggerated. The cry raised by
Lord Palmerston that he was defeated by a coaliti rn
has been so completely refuted by the statements of
the leading men of every party in the house, that it
is needless to refer to it; and his anti reforming ten-
dencies have been so unmercifully exposed and
ridiculed by Sir James Graham and Lord John
Russell, that it is a wonder to find he has the sup-
port left him of a single conscientious Liberal.
In conclusion, I will state in plain terms my be-
lief, that of all the Prime Ministers England has had
for the last half-century, Lord Palmerston is the
most unprincipled and least capable.—l remain,

. . .
yours, &c. A LIBERAL CONSERVATIVE.
Liverpool, March 25,1857.

Court ono lasOlon.

Her Majesty the Queen continues at 13nckingham
Palace. Her Majesty enjoys excellent health.
Her Majesty has b en visited during the week by
the Princess Hohenlohe Langenburg, the Princess
Amalie of Hohenlohe Schillingfurst, and the
different members of the Royal Family.
His Royal Highness the Prince Consort visited
the Camp at Aldershott on Monday, and inspected
the troops.

Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston left town on
Thursday for Tiverton.
His Excellency the Russian Minister, and the
Countess Creptowitch, on Thursday evening threw
open their salons to a brilliant assembly.
The Earl and Countess of Clarendon will give a
grand enterta►nment to his Excellency Ferouk Khan,
the Special Envoy from the Court of the Shah of
Persia, on Tuesday next, in Grosvenor-crescent.

We regret to say that Lady Ashburton remains in
a precarious state of health at Paris.

Volittral.

MR. SHAW LEFEVRE Will be called to the House of
Lords by the style and title of Viscount Eversley, of
Hecktield, in the county of Southampton.
THE GREEN RIBBON, vacant by the death of the
Earl of Fife, will, we have reason to believe, be con-
ferred upon Lord Kinnaird.
CoNvoceTios was formally dissolved on Thursday
by his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury. The
writs for the ensuing Convocation are returnable
on the Ist of May.