The Press.
London, England, 1857-03-07 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

The country demands a variety of domestic
reforms. Among the most prominent subjects
are law, education, and secondary punish-
ments. We need not employ many words in
painting the contrast between Lord CRANWORTH
and Lord ST. LEONARDS, nor between Sir
RICHARD BETHEL!, and the most eminent
juridical reformer of our day,Sir FITZROY KELLY.
The people now know well that no practical
measure of Law Reform is to be expected
from the present Loan CHANCELLOR or AT-
TORNEY-GENERAL. After the Education Bill
of Lord JOHN RUSSELL last year, and the pro-
posals of Sir JOHN PAKINGTON in the present
session, few people, we imagine, can entertain
any doubt which is the fitter man to carry
through this great national requirement. Of
the actual party in office, there is positively no
one who even professes any acquaintance with
the subject; and the only man, out of the
Conservative ranks, who would have any pre-
tensions to bring in another Education Bill
would be that very statesman whose lamen-
tations over his own failure still seem ringing
in our ears. In regard to secondary punish-
ments, that Sir GEORGE GREY may have brought
in a decently sensible measure we do not
deny ; but his Bill is characterised by one or
two grave defects, of which the chief is that it
destroys the element of certainty in the award
of punishment, and leaves a wide scope for the
convict's imagination to revel in, which is sure
to prevent his feeling that terror which the
prospect of a positive and determined punish-
ment is sure to inspire. To say that Sir
GEORGE GREY is the only man who could deal
properly with the convict question is an outrage
upon common sense.

If we turn to the colonies wo see strongly
the necessity for young blood and new ideas.
Questions are there rising up which statesmen
of the old regime are incompetent to solve.
Incomparably the most promising young man
of the present day is the eldest son of Lord
DERBY. And it so happens that he is, even
at this early age, so eminent for his acquaint-
ance with the colonial question, that even the
Whigs did not scruple to seek the aid of his
services.

In 1852, Lord DERRY'S Admiralty appoint-
ments were the theme of general eulogy ; and
it might have been well for the country had
these, at all events, been permitted to retain
their offices.

We have as yet said nothing of the Church.
The Conservative party has on this question
performed its duty so well, that her enemies
have lately begun to despair of undermining
her. Thoroughly secured from assault by the
ascendancy of a national party, she might pro-
bably be enabled to enter on the consideration
of questions which, as long as the conduct of
them must devolve upon Liberal hands, it is
dangerous to agitate.
We have now glanced briefly at the leading
requirements of the period, and we cannot
help thinking that the question which has
recently been asked should have been con-
versely stated, and that, instead of saying does
the country know the style of men it must fall
back upon if it rejects Lord PALMERSTON, we
should ask, does it fully appreciate the cha-
racter of the men it will have to fall back
upon should it reject Lord DERBY ?