The Press.
London, England, 1857-12-05 00:00:00

THE PRESS, DECEMBER 5,1857.

sending out the troops in steamers instead of sailing vessels, did not
Lord PANMURE and Sir CHARLES WOOD solemnly assure us, with
all that modest confidence peculiar to both Ministers, that the notion
was not to be entertained, for the season of the year was
peculiarly favourable to sailing ships, and that there was
no reason to doubt that the sailing ships despatched
would make quicker passages than any steamer ? To be
sure, the facts have been all the other way, but that is nothing
to either Lord PANMURE or Sir CHARLES WOOD. But the point we wish
to insist upon is, that there never was any material obstacle to the
despatch by screw-steamers of the greater, and certainly the earlier, por-
tion of the army of relief. The screw is a mere auxiliary power in
what are called " screw-steamers." The ship, in fair and leading
winds, is as clever under canvas as any clipper, and it is only in foul
winds and calms that she applies her steam power. It would be in-
structive if we could discover what number of these screw steamers
despatched with troops have called at any of the usual coaling stations
between Spithead and Point de Galle, and what were the supplies of
coal at those stations. This would test the validity of the excuse
offered for not despatching more troops by steamers—viz , that there
was not sufficient coal at the different stations to meet that extra de-
mand the adoption of such a plan would have imposed.

When Lord JOHN RUSSELL on Thursday entered the House of
Commons, great surprise was felt by many observers on the Noble
Lord's taking his place below the gangway, and sitting in close
proximity with some devoted adherents to the memory of the late Sir
ROBERT PEEL. Not for the first time the question was raised—" What
" could Lord JOHN mean by his new move." His long-continued
absence from Brookes's Club gave piquancy to the inquiry, for the
visits of the Noble Member for London to one of his favourite haunts
in days of yore have, during the last two or three years, become in
their rarity at least like the appearances of angels, " few and far be-
tween." But curiosity was set at rest by the Noble Lord's shortly
moving up to his recent place towards the back of Lord PALMERSTON—
" that dreary solitude of the back benches," so pathetically alluded to
by Mr. RkLPH OSBORNE in his speech at Dover. The Noble Lord,
however, has a good literary excuse for his never appearing at
Brookes's, and for the difficulty of finding out his address in London
since he has given up his residence in Chesham-place. He is actually
writing a life of CHARLES JAMES Fox, and that is the main work which
now engages his attention. He feels that having sadly mismanaged
the first Reform Bill, the country is not likely to repose much confi-
dence in a second attempt from him. He must do something; he
must at least ring the changes on his old text of " the great Whig
party," and he will be retrospectively profound in celebrating the
gloi ies of one of the chiefs of his connection. That the Noble Lord is
actually writing the life of Fox there can be no doubt; and after the
nay that the late Lord HOLLAND, and Mr. ALLEN, and Lord JOHN
RUSSELL himself, have mangled the correspondence of Fox, it shows
good feelings on the part of the Noble Member for London to attempt
doing some justice to the fame of Fox. It is announced that Earl
GREY is writing a history of Reform, but we cannot vouch for that
fact; yet it would be a strange coincidence if two of the recent chiefs
of the Liberals had, either in disgust or despair, ceased to seek fai
Parliamentary leadership, and applied themselves to the labours of
the biographer and the historian.

A correspondent from Bristol writes that considerable discon-
tent exists in the neighbouring barracks, at Storfield, among the
newly-raised battalion of the Militaty Train, in consequence of the men
composing it (250 in number) never having receiv ed any clothing from
the War office, although enlisted in June last. It is understoo d that
the commandant of the corps, Colonel 111‘Muano (sou in-law to the late
General Sir CHARLES NAPIER), has made repeated representations to
the authorities of the state in which his men have been left. But, be
that as it may, it is certain that the only clothing they have had since
their enlistment is the shell-jacket and pair of overalls, paid for by the
stoppages from their pay. As Parliament is now sitting, we trust that
means will be taken to discover the cause of this disgraceful neglect
on the part of the War Department.

The decision pronounced in the Court of Chancery yesterday
morning on the subject of marriage with a deceased wife's sister seems,
at all events, consistent with common sense, whatever objections may
hereafter be raised to its technical validity. Marriage, and the forms
by which marriage is solemised, aro two totally different things.
When two persons not within the prohibited degrees of
consanguinity are united in holy matrimony according to
Christian rites which are esteemed valid by those among
whom the dwell, though not the same as those celebrated by the
Church, the law has, we think, exercised a wise discretion in electing
to accept such a ceremony as a binding contract. But when the
parties to the cohabitation are not such as either the Scriptures or the
Church nor the Civil Power permit to be united in wedlock, it is clear
that we can take no cognisance of their case. They are ipso facto out of
court. We are stopped in Igraine. It is useless to inquire whether
persons are lawfully married when, ou the face of the inquiry, we per-
ceive that they never could be so.