The Press.
London, England, 1856-01-26 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

SATURDAY,

does the Conservative connection feel that, in relation to the war, it
has helped to rescue the country from the evils of faction by its
loyal support of the Crown, and that its strength has dismayed
reckless promoters of a war of extremity. It augurs well for the
best interests of the empira that the Conservatives should be so
united at the present time.

On Thursday last Sir FREDERICK THESIGLR showed cause on be-
half of the Archbishop of CANTERBURY why a writ of mandamus should
not issue, commanding him to require the Venerable Archdeacon
DENISON to appear before him, in answer to the charges preferred by
the Rev. JOSEPH DITCHER. The first point, on which the case mainly
turned, was this :—Whether the Archbishop, after having once issued
his commission to inquire into the grounds of complaint, had a dis-
cretion to discontinue proceedings if he thought proper? The second
point was how far the present prosecutor came within the meaning
of the Act as " a party complaining." The judges seem to be
of opinion that, though the Archbishop had the discretion in the first
instance of refusing the commission, after he had granted it he
had constituted himself a judge, and was bound to adjudicate if
the prosecutor demanded it. The second point seems involved
in some difficulty. Mr. Justice COLERIDOE agreed with Sir FREDERICK
THESIGER in construing the expression " party complaining," as
meaning "a party aggrieved," that is to say, a parishioner, or some one
immediately and practically interested, which the Rev. JOSEPH DITCHER
certainly is not. Taking into account, however, that the prosecutor
objected to the Archdeacon's published writings as well as to his
preaching, the Court apparently was of opinion that there was no
alternative but to let the mandamus issue, Lord CAMPBELL at the same
time expressing his opinion that the Bishop would have been wiser to
refuse the commission in the first instance. The whole question. as it
appears to us, is simply a technical one, and though we must bow to
the unanimous opinion of the Court of Queen's Bench, we cannot help
thinking that common sense was on the side of Sir FREDERICK
THESIGER.

Sir J. KAY Suurrr,EwoaTH's lecture on " Medical and General
Education," is one of the interesting literary scientific events of the
week. After a brief but careful sketch of the history of medicine
from the earliest times, Sir JAMES proceeded to show how the increased
knowledge of the present day could he made most generally available.
His recommendations are founded on those more worthy views of the
dignity of all education which have lately become more and more
prevalent. School and collegiate foundations must be sown broad-
cast over the country, if any real progress is to be made. And among
these, schools of medicine must hold their proper place, " untram-
melled by mediaeval privileges." Notwithstanding a little cant, and
perhaps a little too much of what is merely speculative, Sir JAMES'S
lecture may he reckoned an interesting and able contribution to the
periodical literature of medicine.

A verdict of guilty has been returned against WILLIAM Pa LM E a for the
third time. The strongest point in the case for the prosecution is the
asserted fact of PALMER having purchased prussic acid shortly before his
brother's death. But death, according to the medical evidence, might
have been produced either by poison or apoplexy. No poison can be de-
tected in the body; whereas the deceased's habits of intoxication, the
cause of apoplexy, are matter of notoriety. That 110 symptoms ofpoison
can be found proves indeed very little; because none could have been
found even had it been given. Still the prisoner is unquestionably enti-
tled to the benefit of the doubt, such as it is. It is out of all reason that
he should he tried in either Shropshire or Staffordshire ; and we under-
stand it is reported at Rugeley that his trial will take place at Oxford.

MR. DINMAN'S ADDRESS
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE OF THE UNIVERSITY

OF CAMBRIDGE.

GE NTLEM
Having been urged by a small number of members of one of
the London Clubs (the Oxbridge and Camford College Club) to offer
myself as a candidate for the vacant seat in your representation, I
have no hesitation in immediately accepting so flattering a request.
lam a sincere member of the Church of England; and, as an
hereditary Whig, would lose no opportunity of extending the powers
and privileges that the Church at present enjoys to every shade of
schism and dissent, as a sure and certain means of effectually destroy-
ing that Church to which I am so deeply attached.
My political opinions are so well known and simple that any
enumeration of them is almost superfluous. They are, however,
briefly as follows :-
1. I am entirely free from all ties of party, and belong to none.
2. I am nevertheless a general Liberal.
3. 1 am also a Conservative.
•1. I should also vote with the Peelites, commonly called
Liberal-Conservatives.
.i. I should, above all, support the present Government at the
present moment; but
(S. I might, vcry probably, by a modification of circumstances,
vote against them to-morrow.
I should gladly support such measures as should best enable the
Universities to carry out their own progressive reform without, if possi-
ble, any external control or interference ; and I therefore most

i

4.
,

JANUARY 26, 1856.

PAM. (80/1/8.)
" Well, Russia accepts the terms of Peace,
And TIIE PRESS is right, and the war will cease,
And the Government people talk like geese,
Aud the stockjobbing folks have contrived to fleece
The noodles who thought the Funds wouldn't increase ;
And the Whigs, with a somewhat sudden caprice,
And foreseeing the end of their places' lease,
No longer cackle for blood or war,
But as " gently as any woodpigeons " roar.
" This is all very well—but we must not crow
Till we're out of the wood, for the Peace you know
Must depend very much on the Plenipo
We send to concoct it ; and although
There's plenty of Ministers ready to go,
I don't think we've many who'd make a show
If pitted with Buol or Baron Titow.
As for poor John Russell ! confound it, no!
Why, the Whigs themselves, tho' they're rather slow
In moral perception, and somewhat low
In their standard of truth, can't forget the blow
He dealt at their faction ten months ago;
And I've seen their faces like hot fire glow
When I've " chaffed" them about his overthrow ;
And I own I was pleased as I've mutter'd, " So
" A Whig can feel something, his blood can flow
" And is not altogether made of snow,
" Though they're not very genial souls I trow."—
But all this time I'm forgetting. Oh !
What on earth shall I do for a Plenipo?
Johnny's love for shuffling we've cause to fear ;
Clarendon's wanted over here ;
Argyll's a prig, and Charles Wood's so queer;
George Grey's a deuced deal too austere ;
We never could think of poor Labouchere ;
Granville talks French like any Nlounseer,
But be's not very wily, that nice young Peer—
No, I think the Council's his proper sphere.
'Pon my honour I do not mean to sneer
At my colleagues' merit; I could not jeer
At their humble talents, which I revere;
But it's deuced odd, it doesn't appear
There's one among 'em—in fact, 'tis clear—
But ha! here's the Times, let us draw it near—
Hurrah ! Eureka! I see ! I hear!
Why, it never occurred to me, dear, oh dear !
Why of course I'm the man who should interfere
To turn the pruning-hook into a spear
(That ain't quite the quotation) ; and 'twill appear
The very best joke of the coming year
(Tho' I'll make a few which the House shall cheer)
For me, who have sought to domineer
And bluster in every hemisphere,
Standing forth as Rebellion's Pioneer,
And invoking the aid of the cannoneer
To bully poor Greece and such small deer,
To check all of a sudden my wild career,
And, aping the wisdom of sober sense,
Sit down to a solemn conference.
I should think my appointment would rather stun
The Powers of Europe : but that's the fun !
Fancy the Conference just begun,
And me cheek by jowl with fellows who'd shun
" Yours truly" as much as the Ancient One
From holy water is said to run !
Oh, yes! I'm the man, and it must be done,
And so must poor Granville—excuse my puu."
(A fit of immoderate laughing at this last witty sally prevented the
Noble Viscount continuing his monologue.

COOKING "THE SPEECH."
(From a Ministerial Paper.)

strenuously oppose all persons who, like my opponent in the present
election, bare been chiefly instrumental in producing so desirable a
result.
My London Committee will meet at the " Trafalgar," where all
additional HELPS and assistance will be most thankfully received and
gratefully acknowledged.
I have the honour to be,
Yours, faithfully,
GEORGE DINMAN, M.A.
41, Eaton-place North, London, January,

OUR NEW PLENIPOTENTIARY'S SOLILOQUY.
The Prime Minister of England, the leader of the House of Commons, is also at this moment
the complete repiesentative of the feeling anti spirit of the English people, and in that, the
highest character of the three, wetrust he will not refuse his services to the nation which he has
saved from disgrace and conducted to victory.—Times, Jan. 22.

CONSIDERAALE difficulty having occurred i►► the composition of the
Speech with which her Majesty's Ministers propose to open Parliament
on Thursday next (such difficulty having chiefly arisen from the fact
that the Cabinet has little to say, except what prudential reasons make
it undesirable should be said at the present or any other juncture), the
Viscount Palmerston, with his usual decision and prompt resource,
desired that each of his colleaguesj should frame his own paragraph


restricting himself to subjects connected with his own department.
This proposal was hailed with acclamation, and the following contribu-
tions were handed in to the Premier, to be fused by him into the
Speech from the Throne. There will be no difficulty in assigning each
to its author.

After the usual introductory words of greeting and congratulation,
it was proposed to say :
Paragraph 2.—The struggle with a great European Power has, I
am happy to say, been continued in a way worthy of this nation and
the cause it had in hand. Mainly in consequence of the admirable
arrangements at the War-office, which is now in a state of perfect
working unsurpassed within the memory of the oldest clerk there,
Sebastopol fell, and there can be nu doubt that to the energetic step
taken by the individual in charge of that department, who boldly
altered his title from Secretary for War to that of War Secretary, may
be attributed the destruction of the enemy's stores, and his willing-
ness to accept terms of peace.
Paragraph 3 —The negotiations which are now in progress have
not reached that stage at which it would be desirable to discuss them ;
but they may be safely left to the wisdom and sagacity of the indi-
vidual at the head of the Foreign-office. The blessings of peace are
very great ; but, if they are to be purchased at the price of Ministerial
changes at home, it may become the duty of that individual to take
care that, at all events, every step is duly weighed, and no extraor-
dinary facility given to negotiation.
Paragraph 4.—1 regret to state that in one part of India—the
Mofussil, which is on the eastern coast, between the Himalayan side
of the Hoogly and Tranquebar—some disturbances have broken out
among the Sanscrits—a barbarous nation, chiefly cannibals—but,
owing to the vigilance and energy of the individual at the head of the
Board of Control, the revolters have been driven over the Indus, and
are not likely to be heard of again.
Paragraph 5.—1 continue to receive from all the colonies a regular
supply of letters and newspapets ; and, from the noble subscription
which they have sent to the Patriotic Fund, it may be fairly surmised
that they are highly satisfied with the individual who has taken
the charge of the Colonial-office.
Paragraph 6.—The condition of morals at home is by no means
so satisfactory as could be wished,—the average destruction of life by
crime being now from two to three cases per day ; while other crimes
of brutal violence are on the increase. It will be necessary to con-
sider whether unlimited power of dealing with all such cases, without
the intervention of coroners, magistrates, or juries, should not be
confided to the individual at the head of the Home-office, who
would put all this kind of thing down if he were left unrestricted
authority.
Paragraph 7.—The naval force of the country is, owing to the
unparalleled exertions of the individual at the head of the Admiralty,
in a most admirable condition ; and the proof of this is, that after two
campaigns in the Baltic not the slightest injury, which a little paint
will not efface, has occurred to a single vessel. But, not satisfied with
this, the individual in question has prepared a magnificent fleet of
gun-boats, which, though they may be two years or so too late to
influence the war, will be everlasting evidence that Britannia rules
the waves.

Paragraph B.—ln consequence of the war, it has been impossible
to give much attention during the recess to the subject of legal or
equity reform ; but in the course of the session two bills will be laid
before you, which have been prepared with the utmost elaboration by
the individual at the head of the Court of Chancery—the one em-
powering the judges, at their discretion, to authorise witnesses in any
cause or action to keep their hats on when there is such a draught in
the court as to make their standing bare-headed dangerous, in the
opinion of one or more duly qualified medical practitioners; and the
other, for enabling the ushers of the various courts of law and
equity to exclude therefrom any individuals who by conversation,
leap-frog, or nut-cracking, may disturb the proceedings, without the
previous formality of interrupting the case in hand by frantic shouts
of `• Silence!"

Paragraph 9.—A measure will be submitted to you upon the subject
of Post-office Reform, and among its provisions will be one making
it felony for any person, intrusted with a letter to post. squeezing it
in order to discover the contents. It is also proposed to make it
capital for any postmaster to hold up a letter against a light in order
to read it. These and some other reforms, attributable to the prompt
vigour of the individual at the head of the Post-office, will, it is hoped,
conduce to the sanctity .of correspondence.

Paragraph 10 —The exigencies of the war will naturally demand
an addition to the taxation of the country, but it would he premature
to enter upon a subject so surrounded with complication and diffi-
culty. Every confidence may be placed in the individual at the head
of the Exchequer, that when the time comes he will discover some
method of obtaining the required supply.
These were the principal suggestions of the various members of
the Cabinet, and it will be seen on Friday morning next what portion
of them the individual at the head of the Government deemed it
desirable to adopt. It may also be interesting to know that the Pre-
mier himself proposed the insertion of the following paragraph upon
the subject of the peaeJ negotiations.
Paragraph 11.—In the event of the negotiations for peace
assuming a general character, it will be necessary that England
should be represented, not by an effete scion of an obsolete faction,
whose awkwardness is only equalled by his audacity 'some other words
of disapprobation of some unknown personage were removed at the
remonstrance of colleagues], but by an accomplished statesman who
combines the orator with the diplomatist, and who is ready to call a
new war into existence to redress the balause_of the old. _ALA

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

It is Impossible to acknowledge the mass of letters we receive.
Their insertion is often delayed, owing to a press of matter
and when omitted, it is frequently from reasons quite inde
pendent of the merits of the communication.
We cannot undertake to return communication
not avail ourselves.
Communications should always be legibly written, and on one
side of the paper only. If lona it increases the difficulty of
finding space for them.
Itbatever is intended for insertion must be authenticated by the
name and address of the writer, not necessarily fur publica-
tion, but as a guarantee of Lis good faith.
Advertisements sent from the country must be accompanied by a
remittance or a reference for payment in town.

of which we do