The Press.
London, England, 1854-06-03 00:00:00

JUNE 3, 1854.

THE PRESS.

ADOLPH (snatching) : Seven !
ECHOES : SEVEN—SEVEN—SEVEN—SEI-Ex_simx.
ADOLPH : A Bill for Reforming (he grows faint) tho
U—niver—sity of Ox—ford. (He falls )
CASPAR (catching him) : Thanks, Zamiel !
[Thunder and lightning. A skeleton bill rushes across, followed by a pack of fiery
clauses, and the Chairman if Committee rushes after it, brandishing a whip of
fire.

CASPAR : Horror! the Chairman! A fearful omen !
.1 shower of fire. Hideous apparition of HANSARD pointing to opinions expressed
when CASPAR was a Conservative. A lwo•minute hourglass is seen flying
in the air—the sand turns to sparks. A terrible voice is heard—" Ayes to
the right! Noes to the left !" An artful pause, and then terrific shouting. The
FIEND OF THE DIVISION appears bearing a scroll with the word " RESIG•
NATION." Blue fire breaks out on all sides, CAsrea. and ADOLPH fall
sensekse, and

CURTAIN DROPS.

CABINET CHARADE.

(After PRAED.)
From projects ne'er to action moved,
From plans in vain designed,—
From misty points that schoolmen loved,
And twilight throes of mind,—
From altar-cloths, wax-lights, and flowers,
From faldstool, alb, and stole,
The dearth of statesmen's truth and powers,
To senates called my WHOLE.

And had he come not at the call,
Or spoke not when he came;
Or had he half the head for all
The schemes he tries to frame;
The thunder cloud that looms to-day
Perhaps might ne'er have burst,
And hapless Englishmen who pay
Had surely been my FIRST.

But, BARING'S warning heeding not,
Like sanguine NECKER he,
So long as subsidies are got,
But asks " four years," or three.
And when the four short years are past,
And all the " tottles" reckoned,
We'll find he round our necks at last
Has firmly hung my SECOND.

THE POLITICAL " CASE OF CONSCIENCE."

[As Lord John Russell on Monday night considered that he "betrayed no confidence "
in stating that he had " gone to consult " Lord Lansdowne with respect to his join-
ing the Coalition, we can betray no confidence in printing the following, which
seems to be a minute of the conversation which took place on the occasion.]

LANSDOWNE : Am I to understand you that you come to rue for
advice about turning again ?

J. R.: Yes. Do you think it inconsistent with my political cha-
racter to join Lord Aberdeen? _ _

LANSDOWNE : No—nor anybody else. lam little of a mathemati-
cian, but must go to algebra to express your consistency. It is
" minus a cipher." Have you been asked?

Cetera (kuunt.

Earl GRANVILLE stated that the Government bad
no such intention.

In answer to a question from the Marquis of Clan-
ricarde, who said that the establishment of a blockade
in the White Sea could be effected with three ..hips,
would seriously harass the enemy, and effectively
hasten the conclusion of the war,

The Duke of NEWCASTLE said that be could not
now state how long the present intention of the
Government not to blockade Archangel would last.
It was formed after serious consideration, and in con-
cert with the French Government.

Lord BEAUMONT protested against confining the
war to single points, and deprecated the politeness
of admirals exchanging notes, giving up prisoners,
and sparing towns.
The Earl of ABERDEEN said that no war on record
would show more vigour and determination in its
progress than the present.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUOR pnt a question re-
specting the separation of the Ministries of War and
of the Colonies, which he trusted was about to take
place.

The Earl of ABERDEEN said that the importance
of the subject at the present crisis was fay felt by
the Government. He would not now make a definite
statement. He trusted, however, that a satisfactory
plan would in due time be adopted.
The house adjourned at seven o'clock.

517

J. R. I have. Tho Old Whig vessel has been made finally
unseaworthy by the results of mutiny ; and, if the Coalition bears up
to carry off some of us, you and I had better jump first.
LANSDOWNE: But what of your messmates ? Will you desert Wood,
Grey, —?

J. R.: Do I want to set up another " happy family," agreeing
very well in the face of the public, but as soon as they are by them-
selves giving the keeper no rest between keeping the monkey from
attacking the owl and the jackdaw from sitting on the Scotch terrier's
back? I tell you the vessel's going to pieces, and if you don't drop
over the stern I will.

[Here a heavy tramp on the stairs was followed by the entrance of a geatleatine in
a snuPcoloured coat and green umbrella.]

MACAUJAY . I have just called in to say that the Queen, in the
exercise of her royal prerogative—that prerogative which, curtailed as
it was by Magna Chula, nevertheless grew up again under the house
of Tudor ; was finally established by the destruction of the nobility
under Henry VII.; thence transferred through the bloodstained hands
of Henry VIII., Mary, and Elizabeth, to the feeble grasp of James 1.,
and proved the destruction of that unspeakable tyrant Charles—
LANSDOWNE : Come, come, come 1 keep that for Longman. We
can get Pinnock's Catechism for sixpence. What is your news? And
do not tell it us in Gibbon-run-mad.
MACAULAY : has sent for Aberdeen.
LANSDOWNE : And Aberdeen has sent for Russell?
MACAULA4: We're in again !

J. It.: Nobody is asked for as yet but Lansdowne and myself.
MACAULAY : Then go at once. I know you are not afraid of r es-
ponsibilities, but consider the responsibility of refusal in this instance.
There is the responsibility of allowing the Tories to show how well
they can conduct the public business. Then there is the responsibi-
lity of destroying the chances of all the honest fellows that might go
into small offices under your wing. Then there is the responsibility
to your Sovereign and to history. Moore has told you that you are
" born of a Russell ;" and whatever may be said of your ancestor
being apothecary to Henry V., or of Lord William's taking money
from France—

J. R.: Thank you—there's quite enough said. But there are
certain contingencies.
LANSDOWNE : Yes, the contingencies—let me see.
are asked to Burke Reform ?

Suppose you

J. R.: I am only pledged to " bring in a bill" on that subject.
LANSDOWNE : Precisely. But people get tired of seeing bills dis-
appear at the second reading. Then, as Macaulay says, you are not
afraid of responsibilities, or some inconvenience might arise from
your opposition to the late Government. Suppose you wish to
call out the militia —that is a " contingency " that may operate
awkwardly after your attack on the late Ministers on that subject.
J. R.: Have I forgotten so soon the glorious principle that the
militia is tyranny in the hands of the Tories and liberty in the
hands of the Whigs ?
LANSDOWNE : Then yetis intended chief, Aberdeen: how are you
and he jointly to account for the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill? That is
merely a contingency. And, as of course you had made up your mind
before you came here, I am free to say that I don't think it would
greatly injure the present political character of either of us to join the
Coalition.
MACAULAY: There's another contingency. I
J. R.: Oh, we have had quite a sufficient list. I shall venture
them all!