The Press.
London, England, 1854-04-15 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 15, 1854.

leged to proceed from promptings of duty.
Veteran politicians can scarcely be supposed
to be so disinterested as they sometimes affect-

edly profess. Their ambition, like avarice, may
increase with age, and may subsist in its
baser part, when the elevation of mind which
directed it to noble ends and made it subser-
vient to the national welfare has entirely

departed,
It is surely now time that we experienced
some of those benefits from the administra-

tive ability of the Government which were con
fidently promised us. The principal result of
last session was the notable scheme of the

CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER for the con-

version of the public debt. The time was too
short to mature and introduce the important

measures contemplated, but this year we were
to reap the benefit of the delay. The royal
speech was profuse in promise; and the session
began with some show of activity. The often-
rejected Oaths Bill to strip the Legislature of
its Christian character was introduced with
mock formality ; an absurd and imprac-
ticable scheme for remodelling the civil
service of the country was announced with
abundant compliments to the efficiency of
the system it proposed to subvert; the pro.
visions of a new Reform Bill, ingeniously con-
trived to introduce as many elements of
uncertainty anechange into the Constitution
as possible, were duly made known ; a mea-
sure to reform the law of Pauper Settlement
was explained by the Chief Commissioner, and
quickly followed by his resignation, in conse-
quence of a misunderstanding with the Home
Secretary, who promised for him more than he
was able or willing to perform. These mea-
sures, with Bills for University Reform, for
Electoral Reform, and for Legal Reform, con-
stituted as much of change for one session
as the most ardent reformer could desire.
But the work done will evidently bear no kind
of proportion to the work announced. We
have reached that period of the parliamentary
year when some estimate may be formed of
the real business likely to be transacted, and
thus far it can only be recorded that the
income tax has been doubled, and that Mr.
CHAMBERS, in the face of all the opposition which
Ministerial influence could muster, has obtained
his committee for inquiring into the ex-
pediency of submitting nunneries to some
kind of public supervision. The Treasury
bench is dumb on those questions of prac-
tical improvement which the country really
desires; not a word is said on education or
on juvenile delinquency, though the great
increase of clime renders the consideration of
the latter subject of pressing importance.
The time of the House is occupied with sham
measures to the exclusion of matters of real
concern. As the primitive colours well mixed
and shaken result in a dirty white, it seems
that from a combination of adverse talents
and principles in policy we must look only for
a dreary blank. The purity of Ministerial
influence is illustrated by the colonial judgeship
conferred on Mr. STONOR ; and the hay contract,
by which our troops might have suffered more
damage than from an engagement with the
enemy, only proves what scandalous frauds
may take place under a Reforming Ministry
without any one being to blame, or any one
held responsible for them.
The great Ministerial achievement of the
week has been the abandonment by Lord
JOHN RUSSELL of his Reform Bill amid a p!r-
feet storm of approbation. It is only justice