The Press.
London, England, 1858-02-27 00:00:00

THE PRESS, FEBRUARY 27,1858.

London, mingled with several Irish gentlemen. The room was son *-
times extremely crowded, but there was more decorum preserved and
more absence of noise than are usual even in the courts of justice at
Westminster. A highly favourable idea of our Parliamentary system
is gained by the observation of the mode in which committees on
special occasions administer justice. They sit as a court of political
equity, bound by certain rules, and their tact and discretion are highly
commendable. Strong interest was manifested by a variety of persons
in the proceedings, and the expected " disclosures" were looked for as
most interesting. Nothing, certainly, could be more grave or decorous
than the course of the investigation, as far as we saw it during
the first three or four days. It may be observed that the representa-
tive of the petitioner (Mr. ROEBUCK), and the learnel counsel for Mr ,
Burr (Mr. Sergeant DEASY, M.P.), both sat down as members of the'
committee. The examination in chief was conducted by Mr. ROEBUCK'
and from Mr. COFFEY'S own minutes Mr. Burr certainly made a judicious
selection of his counsel. There was no noise or bluster in the mode
in which Mr. Sergeant DEASY conducted his cross-examination. His
manner was quiet, guarded, and grave, and at times extremely effec
tive, without ever sinking into the unseemly tone of a browbeater.
Sergeant DEASY is a Chancery and not a Nisi Prins barrister, and a
bystander might have at first supposed from his judicial manner that
the learned gentleman was an ordinary member of the committee ; but
the adroitness of his questions, and the art with which they were
worded, revealed a forensic practitioner of great experience. Tho
interest in the proceedings seems to grow daily, and the ease, without
offering any opinion one way or the other, presents most curious
aspects.

We have perused with great interest the letter of " Indolphilus
in the Times of yesterday, ',leaded " The Currency of India," and ad-
vocating a gold coinage for our Eastern empire. But the idea and the
arguments on which it is based bear so remarkable a resemhlance to
those contained in the article headed " Indian Finance—COreney,"
in THE Puss of the 21st of November last, that we think that " In-
dolphilus " was hardly justified in giving them to the world as a
novelty, the product of his own fertile, or rather assimilative, brain.

Every one who has frequented the lobby of the House of Commons
must have often heard the remark, " What a merry set the Irish
"members are ! " During the last week any spectator must have often
heard rather uproarious felicitations on the fact of " small potato es "
being "out." Not being versed in Hibernian localisms, we cannot
undertake to explain the meaning of" small potatoes," for we suppose
it does not refer to some merely vegetable export from the " Emerald
Isle." We have looked for an explanation of the term, but we have sought
in vain. What is unusual in Irish cases is the fact that joy at both sides
was visible amongst the Irish M.P.'s at "small potatoes" being
" down " and "out," and they mixed up the agricultural price•current
with forensic news, in a manner that would bewilder the editor of
Isl'CuLtockes "Encyclopaedia of Commerce." Sometimes they referred to
" potatoes "as " they," and at other times they associated " he" even with
with the plurality of what Cos BETT used to call " the accursed root."
The matter is entirely beyond our comprehension, and we only notice
it as indicating the universal feeling of joy amongst Irish Members,
both Conservatives and Liberals.

Even Whigs acknowledge that Lord CLARE:grows suggestion
(adopted by Lord PALMERSTON) tO answer Count IVALEWSILL'S dispatch
orally, and not by writing, was entirely unworthy of the procedure of
this country in affairs of such immense diplomatic importance. The
most unprejudiced persons admit that Lord Cowutv's attempt to
explain matters has rather made them worse. The language used by
Lord COWLEY is ill-considered, and its tone is ill-chosen, and (even if
the supposition might nut be inferred otherwise) the letter of Lord
COWLEY suggests that Lord CLARENDON had proposed the forwarding
of such an epistle. The course would only be in unison with the
Noble Earl's proceedings in various other cases that we shall not here
recall. We need not remind our readers of Lord CLARENDON'S letters
to the Roman Catholic. Archbishop NicuouwN (published by a late Ro-
manist Peer), or to his surreptitious connection with the " Orangemen
of Ireland," orto a variety of other transactions in which the Noble Earl
played a most subtle part. To act openly, and in a frank way, was
never supposed to he the habit of Lord CLARENDON. Astute and spe-
cious, insinuating but insincere, the Noble Earl has pursued a tor-
tuous course in his diplomatic life. It has been said that " Lord CLA-
" HENDON has many small and skilful arts, but not one great faculty
and such would seem to be the case. One great result has certainly
been brought about by Lord CLARENDON, and that is, the downfall of
Lord PALMERSTON.