The Press.
London, England, 1857-09-12 00:00:00

THE PRESS, SEPTEMBER 12,1857.

dock adjoining the Fountain Hotel, within which I
1
twelve tables, with a raised platform for the guests
of the day, accommodated some 8110 of the leading

Conservatives in the county.
The chair was taken by the Hon. P. Duncombe,M.P.,
who after the usual loyal toasts proposed the health
of " The County Members," amidst nine times nine
and immense applause. So soon as quiet was re-
stored Mr. FELLOWES rose. Prefacing his address
by an allusion to the recent contested election, the
hon. member briefly recapitulated his Conservative
principles, and observed :
But I have been told that I am opposed to progress—
that is the great word now. lam not opposed to progres-
sive improvement ; but I do feel that if progress is to be
made, it must be made with order—if improvement is to
be effected, it must be accompanied by wisdom. I am
opposed to hasty legislation on important questions ; but I
have yet to learn that those honest Conservatives with
whom I act in the House of Commons have shown them-
selves less men of their day, less fitted to live in these
modern enlightened times, because they are resolutely
determined to guard fundamentally those institutions
under which England has attained her greatness, and under
which her national character has been formed.

-
Mr. Fellowes then entered at some length into
various details connected with the recent contest,
stating that several electors, tenants of Mr. Heath-
cote, who had formerly voted for him (Mr. Fellowes),
in the recent eleztion to a man voted against him.
He also animadverted upon the conduct of those
Conservative gentlemen of influence and education
who voted against him upon account of his vote
against the Government upon the China ques-
tion :

I do lament that those gentlemen thought it consistent
with Conservative principles and with the interests of the
Church of which they are ministers, to withhold their sup-
port from those with whom they profess to agree, and
throw the weight of their votes into the scale of those
from whom they profess to differ. May we not expect that if
electors entertain Conservative opinions they will vote
for Conservative candidates ? But if gentlemen are to
withdraw their support on account of one vote, what can a
candidate trust in? Representatives are not infallible.
All we ask is that you will treat us with leniency, and give
us credit for acting to the best of our judgment.
Of the nature of the 332 objections raised by Mr.
Heatbcote, Mr. Fellowes gave some amusing in-
stances :

Some gentlemen were objected to two or three times ;
clergymen, for instance, and some of the quietest people
in the county, were accused of bribery, intimidation, and
treating, and these were reckoned as three objections ; so
that although there were 332 objections, only 230 voters
were objected to. We sat six days ; Mr. Heathcote
brought forward six objections ; he failed in five, and sus-
tained one. Out of 332 objections, than, he sustained just
one before a committee of the House of Commons.
In conclusion, Mr. Fellowes remarked as follows
upon the present position of parties in the House of
Commons :
We have at the present time a Conservative party, a
Radical party, and a Palmerston party, which is the
smallest of any, and Lord Palmerston must depend for
support either upon Conservatives or Radicals. We know
very well that he will be urged further in public matters by
those who sit behind him than he may think advisable for
the interests of the country. It is necessary, therefore, that
there should be a strong Conservative opposition to keep
the Government in check. Now, what occurred during
the last session? A. bill was brought in for abolishing
ministers' money in Ireland. Ministers' money is
money levied on houses in certain towns in Ireland for the
support of the Church. Lord Palmerston supported that
bill ; it passed the House of Commons by a large Radical
majority, and unfortunately it passed the House of Lords
by a majority of fire. At the beginning of the session
Lord Palmerston said he intended to grapple with the
question of church rates ; from press of business be was not
able to do so, but the question will be brought forward next
seesion. What are we to expect from Lord Palmerston on
that question ? Having commenced the spoliation of the
Church in Ireland, what are we to expect he will do with
church rates in England? I have stated that lam
anxious the question should be settled; but I am deter-
mined to use my humble but earnest endeavours to prevent
church rates from being abolished without an ample sub-
stitute. I must confess that I look with fear upon the
prospect of Lord Palmerston grappling with the question
of church rates: we shall see in the next session whether
he will rest upon the Conservative part) in this great ques-
tion, or upon the party behind him.
I look to another eminent statesman, Lord John Russell,
whom we have the honour to rank as a voter in this
county, if, indeed, it be considered an honour. Lord John
has been Prime Minister, and expects to be so again.
What was his conduct with regard to the Jew question ?
The question of admitting Jews was carried in the House
of Commons, but rejected in the Lords. No sooner was
this done than Lord John Russell took the unusual course
of bringing in another bill having precisely the same
objects in view. And what did he say? Why, he said
that the House of Commons was not to submit to be
baffled in their legislation by the constant rejection of
their bill by the House of Lords. Not to be baffled by the
House of Lords I Is the House of Lords not an indepen-
dent body ? Is legislation to be the act of the House of
Commons alone? This is reform with a vengeance!
Could it have been supposed that Lord John Russell, the
great constitutional statesman and write., would be the
man to talk about the House of Commons not being
baffled by the House of Lords, and to intimate that the

891

Commons would take the matter into their own bands,
and admit the Jew by simple resolution? Is this consti-
tutionid ? What, then, are we to expect from Lords Pal-
merston and John Russell ? No great question to consider !
Nothing to divide political parties ! I think I might say
that Church and Constitution should be our rallying words.

When both are assailed, it behoves Conservatives to set
themselves to work in support of the principles which they
believe to be essential to the honour and welfare of Eng-
land. (Loud cheering.)
- - •

•
Mr. JAMES Rusr, M.P., briefly expressed his
thanks, observing that in every opini.in of Mr.
Fellowes he most cordially concurred. With respect
to India, a topic Mr. Fellowes had omitted to touch
upon, " while that conflict was waging it was the duty
of all true Conservatives to strengthen the hands of
the Government, in order that punishment might be
inflicted upon the guilty papers, and he had no
doubt that the whole of the Conservative party would
throw aside party feeling for the present, and coin-
cide with her Majesty's Government in making the
necessary efforts."
General PEEL also made a few remarks to the
same effect, and the meeting shortly after broke up.

Tax ELECITON FOR OLDHAM is expected to take
place in a fortnight. Mr. W. J. Fox, it is said, will
be brought forward.

r Volite.

THE TRIAL OF THE BRITISH BANE DIRECTORS, it
is generally believed, will take place in the October
or November session of the Court of Queen's Bench.
It appears that no case of felony under the act which
condemned Sir J. D. Paul has yet been made out
against the directors, and it is moreover said
that, whenever the trial shall be appointed to
take place, the defendants will make an application
to be tried separately, the object of this proceeding
being to confine the evidence to the particular per-
son under charge, and thus exclude a good deal of
evidence as to the fraudulent intentions of the par-
ties, and the general combination between them,
The application will doubtless be strongly op-
posed on behalf of the Crown. The work
of arranging the compromise between the
creditors and shareholders has not yet come to any
definite conclusion. A dividend of Os. 6d. in the
pound, with the assets of the bank, was originally
proposed, and so eagerly accepted that the share-
holders seem inclined to withdraw from this pro-
posal, and to sabstitute a smaller dividend.
THE CAPTAIN OF THE BARK Martha and Jane,
recently condemned to death at Liverpool for the
murder of the seaman Ross, will be hanged this
morning in front of Kirkdale-gaol. The two mates,
Mills and Seymour, have been reprieved.
A PRISONER IN HORSEMONGER-LANE GAOL, one
Preston, in prison for debt, at an early hour on
Monday morning deliberately beat out the brains of
another prisoner, John Hodges, who was sleeping
beside him. No reason is assigned for the act.
Preston stancis charged with the wilful murder.
IRRITABLE LADIES should be careful how they
maltreat indolent servant maids. One Mrs. Croker,
of Denbigh-street, Pimlico, was summoned before
Mr. Arnold, on Wednesday, charged by her house-
maid, Eliza Cotton, with having one morning last
week thrown a jug of water over her while in bed,
and then, pulling her out of bed, with having " tore
her things, slapped her face, and called her an
offensive epithet." There was much conflicting
evidence on both sides ; but the mistress admitted
that she flung a glass of water over complainant. "She
sent her nursemaid down four times that morning
to call her ; in tact, there was no getting the servants
up." Mr.lArnold considered Mrs. Croker's conduct
unbecoming and improper. It was " most repre-
hensible," he said, " for a lady to engage in a
personal conflict with her servant." The case was
adjourned for a week in order to give the defendant
an opportunity to make compensation.
THE MASTER OF THE SHIP John Sugars, Captain
Doyle, was summoned before Mr. Selfe to answer the
serious charge of cruelty cn the high seas to Robert
Eastwick, a boy on board the ship, and who deli-
berately drowned himself on the voyage home from
Ceylon to escape further ill-treatment. The evidence
of three of the seamen was to the effect that the
captain had cruelly and repeatedly beaten the boy,
who one day said, "I would sooner die, and put an end
to my existence, than be used in this manner every
day." He jumped overboard the next day after a
severe flogging, and no effort was made by the cap-
tain to save him. The case was adjourned till this

day.
The paragraph which went the round of the papers
the other day to the effect that Sir John Dean Paul,
Straban, Bates, Robson, Redpath, Saward, and Agar
had all left England in the same convict ship is, we
understand, incorrect. Sir John Dean Paul and
Strahan are still at 31illbank, and Bates is at Pen-
tonville. A contemporary states that Agar alone set
sail in the ship referred to.

892

THE WEEK.

The anxiety with which the expected mail from India is anti-
cipated has not been equalled since the outbreak at Meerut. Reports
arc prevalent that the Government have already received such alarming
intelligence that it is considered prudent to ventilate it first by
rumour before positive publication. We need scarcely say that up to
a late hour last night these reports, so far as we can ascertain,
are utterly groundless. No news has been received, though
the telegraphic despatch may arrive at any moment.
That the intelligence will be bad, we are prepared for. We must no
longer rest our hopes of success upon the position of the rebels. It
is the situation of our own forces which should cause us the liveliest
anxiety. We have reason to believe that neither the Bombay nor
Madras armies are implicitly relied on in high quarters, and, as for the
fidelity of the Sikhs, in the face of Colonel EDWARDS'S truthfulness we
venture to doubt the purity of a sudden conversion from semi-hostility
to the most firm and friendly support. Time, however, will test all these
conjectures. The coming mail will tell us probably of the relief or
fall of Lucknow ; but beyond that relief being effected, we can scarcely
hope for any favourable change in the position of affairs. The Govern-
ment, once so full of stupid confidence, at length appear to feel the
dangerous predicament in which they stand. They see now how
wickedly they have involved the country in this disastrous and despe-
rate situation. They tremble lest they should fail to extricate the
nation with honour, or proceed with success, and dread
the hour when their acts and their apathy will be scrutinised
and discussed. The people no longer believe that Lord PALMERSTON'S
Government in this great question has steered the country so steadily,
or piloted it so wisely, that they ought to repose implicit confi-
dence in them without inquiry. As a test of opinion time is a great
element, for falsehood every day grows weaker, and truth gains upon
the world. The rebellion of India is no longer confined to the " fana-
tical impulse ;" it is admitted on all sides to have arisen from the
annexation of Oude, and that flagitous act was ordered and endorsed
by Lord PALMERSTON'S Cabinet. It needs little inquiry to show
whether that act was to the safety, advantage, or honour of the country,
and all concerned may rely upon it that the hour has come when that
shameless crime excites, not sympathy, but detestation in the minds
of the people, and turns what was considered glory into guilt.

The response of the public to the appeal for the unfortunate
refugees in India will, we have no doubt, be ready and liberal. The
name of her Majesty the Queen heads the subscription-list with 1,000/.,
accompanied by that of the Emperor of the FRENCH with a donation of
another 1,0001., and a further sum of 4001., subscribed in generous
sympathy by the Imperial Guard. Such acts of friendly feeling
are worthy of being recorded. Neither the Emperor nor his army
nor his people have forgotten the sympathy recently testified in
England for the sufferers by the floods in France, and, with generous
rivalry, hasten to express to us in a practical form the sympathy they
feel for our robbed and ruined countrymen and women in Hindostan.
It is by such public expressions of esteem that the alliance of the two
nations is riveted.

And so Lord ELGIN is bound on an embassy to the Emperor of CHINA.
We sincerely trust he may not be disappointed ; and we hope so the
rather that we doubt extremely if he knows what he is going to ask
for when he arrives in that august presence. There are certain objects
relative to our intercourse with China which it is very desirable to
attain. Access to her principal cities is unquestionably important to
our trade, though we have got on very well without it. But the most
intelligent Chinese have all along informed the English Government
that this was a question that must be left to the people themselves ;
that the Emperor neither could nor would exercise any coercion
towards them in the matter, and wisely recommended that it should be
left to time, and the slow but sure results of commercial intercourse,
to soften down ancient prejudices, and remove inveterate suspicions.
What moral right we have to offer any violent resist-
ance to a determination so expressed, the imitator of
Roman aggressiveness is best qualified to inform us. The
interview will probably terminate, as the Times last week anti-
cipated—that is, in nothing. And in what a truly ridiculous position
will England then be placed ! In the meantime we are told that
" Lord ELGIN'S tutu will conic." What an expression for military
operations ! and kow extremely consoling to the British taxpayer
who is paying money merely that Lord ELGIN may have " his turn !"
We shrewdly suspect, however, that that " turn " will never arrive.
Lord PALMERSTON'S " turn" has been well enough served by it
but we doubt if anybody else will have equal cause for satisfaction.

There are persons so thoroughly wedded to preconceived opinions,
and so peremptorily disposed to view everything through a particular
medium, that each action of their mind becomes imbued with the one
dominant idea. With certain parties everything adverse to the in-
terests of England is attributed to Russian influence, and the Czar,
in their infantile minds, is no other than the wicked spirit ever coming
down the chimney to carry away and maltreat unfortunate Britons.
The Queen of GREECE, a Princess of Oldenburg, is now accused of
intriguing to place the succession to the Grecian Throne in the hands
of Russia. It may be remembered, it has been provided in treaty
that the successor to the dignity must belong to the Greek Church,
and that to instal a Roman Catholic is directly opposed to the speci-
ality of the agreement that vested the royal functions in the present
possessor. Now, the members of royal families belonging to the