The Press.
London, England, 1856-09-13 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

I believe there never was a time—at any rate within the
memory of any one of us—when all party politics were at
so low an ebb—when party differences so little influenced
men as they do at this moment. And, gentlemen, I don't
deny that this state of things may possess some advan-
tages. I speak feelingly when T recognise the fact that
one isolated as T am in public life, and disconnected from
every political party, is somewhat of a useless individual.
But this absence of party feeling has this great advantage,
that it is the season in which social improvements of all
kinds may be greatly promoted, and when, as we see at this
moment, men of various creeds and various political pro-
fessions joining hand and hand for the promotion of the
education of the people. We have seen this year, notwith-
standing the existence of great differences of opinion
upon other subjects, men on all sides endeavouring to
attain one common end, and without any party feeling in
the matter—that of the education of the people.
Mr. DENISON, M.P., defended the conduct of the
Duke of Newcastle :

My noble friend the duke was in my opinion a moat
efficient member of the Government, working like a
thorough horse from morning to night—the most abused
of any man in her Majesty's kingdom—grossly calum-
niated as I maintain he has been, and nothing but the
page of history and future time will reveal the truth; but
no considerations of policy will prevent me from saying
that he was one of the best servants you could get—and,
like other good men who have gone before him, he was
made the scapegoat of a party. What he was not per-
mitted to carry out, his successors have, to my great satis-
faction and your joy, completed most successfully ; and I
believe Lord Palmerston deserves the thanks of the
whole country. 1 had nothing to do with the Government
of which my noble friend was a member—l had nothing
to do with the putting of Lord Palmerston into power ;
but it appears to me that the man who does his work well
—let him be Conservative, Whig, or Radical—ought to
have our thanks. We want working men—we want the
right men iu the right place.
Mr. ROEBUCK, referring to the case of the Sebas-
topol committee, said :

The noble duke has called me the learned and aggres-
sive member for Sheffield. I think that the noble duke
has hardly followed the history of my doings with respect
to himself. For once in my life—and it was a strange
circumstance--I praised a man in the House of Com•
mona. That man was the noble duke; and I must say
there are friends at this table who said upon that occasion
that, contrary to my wont, I was illogical, and that I
ruined my cause by the praise which I bestowed. I made
a promise then to the House of Commons which I intend
to keep—that I would never praise a man again. I then
stated what I really believed, that the noble duke had been
made the scapegoat of his colleagues; that he was sincere
in his desire to do all the duties of his office ; that he was
industrious ; that he was sedulous for the benefit of the
army; and that the army owed him a debt of gratitude. I
said all this when the noble duke was not present; but it
was my fate to rouse him and his colleagues as with a
rattling peal of thunder when I moved for the Sebastopol
committee. But was Ito blame for that? Did not the
people of England, and did not the House of Commons,
go with me ? I will put it to the noble duke if he thinks
that I did not do my duty ou that occasion. Far be it
from me to say where the blame lay, but blame there was.
I pointed out where the blame did not lie, and I had
hoped that that proceeding on my part would have been
remembered. But the noble duke was driven from office.
I am sorry for that, for I think he was a good and efficient
servant of the Crown, and I think lie would have received
great aid from the committee which I moved for had he
remained in office. But the peculiar feelings of the noble
duke did not allow him to retain his office, and others
came in that I cannot say are his superiors.