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

THE announced retirement of Mr. APSLEY PELLATT
from Southwark appears to have been premature.
Mr. Pellatt has solicited re-election, and met and
addressed his constituents on Tuesday night. With
reference to his vote upon Mr. Cobden's motion, he
observed :

It was greatly narrowing the question to say that it was
a China question ; because, in fact, it involved an important
constitutional principle. Those of the Liberal party who
voted against the Government did so, no doubt, with great
reluctance ; but they resolved to vindicate truth rather than
to follow expediency. He contended that in the Chinese
affair Sir John Bowring had acted prematurely, and contrary
to the orders of five successive Prime Ministers, who had
directed him not to reopen the question of entrance into
Canton without first referring home. Had Sir John Bow-
ring followed those instructions and referred home before
commencing operations, he would probably have had gun-
boats sent to his assistance, and his hinds would have been
so strengthened that the Cantonese would have been
silenced without the effusion of anything like the blood
that had been shed, while we should not have been in the
ridiculous position of having taken several torts we were
compelled afterwards to abandon.

A vote of confidence and of support was unani-
mously passed.

MR. MASSEY, who has been flitting about the
country between the Isle of Wight and Manchester
in search of a constituency, has at length settled
down at Salford in opposition to Sir Elkanah Armi-
tage. On Monday evening a crowded meeting was
held in the Town-hall, Salford, to hear Mr. Massey
give an exposition of his political sentiments, and of
his claims upon the electors for support. Indescrib-
able confusion prevailed throughout the meeting, in
consequence of which the proceedings, which would
otherwise have occupied under an hour, extended
over two hours. Mr. Massey was received with loud
cheers, groans, and hissing, which lasted a con-
siderable time. At length be was permitted to
speak. He defended Lord Palmerston's foreign
policy, which he declared had maintained the honour
of England, encouraged the liberties of Europe,
and checked the progress of despotism. With respect
to the Chinese war :

He had been a humble member of Government, and
had endeavoured to make himself politically useful. ( A
voice : " For a very good reason, you've been paid for it." ►
Mr. Cobden's opposition was a pretext for the purpose of
crying down and disparaging Lord Palmerston—( cheers
and groans )—and be never heard such nonsense come from
the lips of any man as was uttered by Mr. Cobden. Every
statesman in the house, unbiassed by party or factious
spirit, admitted that the Chinese war was a necessary war.

MR. WILLIAMS AND THE "WHIP."

MR. WILLIA M 3, in his addrcss at Lambeth on Tuesday,
gave a touching instance of the purity of his parlia-
mentary motives:—

He had often been tried, he had been subjected to tempta-
tions of all sorts and upon many occasions; anti before
these temptations almost every member of the House of
Commons had succumbed. The first thing done when a
new member took his seat was to find out his weak points,
and in this the Government were generally successful.
Some members were invited to aristocratic dinners, balls,
and things of that sort. This laid hold of a great number
of them. Others sought for favours. if not for themselves,
for their friends and supporters. He, however, had never
accepted an invitation under any circumstances. When he
first went into Parliament, the whipperin, a gentleman who
had the dispensation of 20,000 places, and who was always
scattering them over the house in order to get votes, came
up to him and said, " What a misfortune it is you are always
so cross with us ( laughter) ; we don't care about the Tory
party denouncing us, but it is most unpleasant to see you,
a Liberal, and a supporter of Government in a great number
of instances, finding fault with and exposing us in all sorts
of ways. You don't want a place or money, but I should
like very much to make friends with you. What would be
agreeable to you? Would you like honours—a title?" His
answer war., " I see perfectly well what you want ; you want
me to support the Government. Now, I'll tell you how
you may secure my support. Bring forward nothing but
measures beneficial to the country and you will always find
me backing you up. No other temptation you can offer
me will buy me or prevent me from discharging the duty
which I owe to my constituents and to the country at large."

THE VERY REV. HFNRY ALFORD was installed on
Sunday last in the Cathedral as Dean of Canterbury.

THE MuRRIAN, it is confidently predicted, will soon
seize our cattle, if steps are not taken by the Govern-
ment to prevent the importation of infected beasts.
The disease is spreadinse rapidly on the Continent,
especially in Prussian Silesia. The mortality is
estimated at ninety per cent.
Loan CAMPBELL, now at Warwick Assizes, at-
tended St. Mary's Church on Sunday morning last.
The Rev. Albert Roudior, the assistant minister, read
the service, and in the course thereof commenced
to read the prayer usually offered doling the sitting
of Parliament, doubtless unaware that Parliament
dissolved the previous evening. Lord Campbell, who
was cognisant of the fact of the dissolution, created
some excitement by exclaiming, " No, no, there is no
Parliament !" upon which the rev. gentleman de-
sisted from putting up the supplication.