The Press.
London, England, 1858-12-11 00:00:00

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THE PRESS,. DECEMBER 11, 1858. 1213
merely perfection, nothing m ore. They say they do not want to lead the every morning when the snow is three feet deep, in what they are pleased
movement; and, considering its character, we do not blame them. To to term a glow, and exercise the most rigid despotism over the drawing- ~
pass on to the speeches that have followed : The first " point' room fire, are accustomed to say that the present generation is degene-
that strikes us on a perusal of them is a certain marvellous dis- rate. If so, it may be that our great-grandmothers did not catch fire so
crepancy between Mr. MILNER GIBSON and Mr. ROBERT LowE in their often as we do, because they did not go so near it. We really think that,
account of the grand Cardwell Pantomime. " Lord PALMERSTON," says while the present fashion continues, a light and pretty-shaped guard
the former gentleman," was in such a hurry to return to power that they should be an appendage to every fireplace near which young ladies are
" actually went on with the vote of censure, although the only man who likely to stray. As they do notsmoke,
" deserved it had left the Government." A more flat negative than Mr. their feet upon the hobs it will be no and . .
great privation to them, and may be
LowE puts on this assertion cannot well be imagined • for he says vir- the means of saving numerous lives.
tually, that, if the Opposition had any hesitation at all about fulfilling what
they considered a great public duty, it sprang solely from an apprehen- The controversy at present raging between Sir FRANCIS HEAD and the
sion that it might involve their return to office. Quot homines, 6-c. The
remark is not a new one, nor so new, certainly, as Mr. LOWE'S; but we Times, is a capital diversion for the public, and, as usual between two
hardly know what other comment to make. If we felt inclined to parody such combatants, there is truth on both sides. We admit with the Times
that famous composition known as " A Letter to the Most Impudent that when great events are occurring about which all society is exchanging
Man Living" here would be an opportunity of doing so. But Mr. Lows:, ideas, it is impossible then for the newspaper press to be silent. But, on the ...si
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unhappily for himself, does not see that his words prove a great deal too other hand, it is a transparent assumption to say that it is the English
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much. We can forgive, or at least make allowances, for excess of party nation, and not the Times, which is tk. blame for the sentiments of the
spirit, when exerted for party objects. In the great conflict of political latter, because that journal merely gives "shape and point" to the popular t
life all strategetical manoeuvres are viewed with a lenient eye; and the convictions. We do not wish for a moment to call in question the influence I
only excuse which Lord PALMERSTON and his clique can possibly adduce, of the Times, or to institute any comparison between Ps popularity and b
not only for their conduct about the vote of censure, but for much more, is that of its daily contemporaries. We all know how the case stands.
that they considered it to fairly fall within the pale of party tactics. Was But we mean that the mere fact of there being a great number of
it, we may ask, a mere " sense of duty" that led them to oppose General other journals in existence, each with its own particular set of supporters,
PEEL in carrying out what they themselves had recommended ? Was it and some general approbation from the public at large, totally upsets the
a mere " sense of duty" that led them to withhold their support from the pretence of any one journal to be the mouthpiece of the community, and
Government on the introduction of the County Franchise Bill ? If this clearly disenables it from shuffling off its own responsibility on the
is the conduct that arises from a " sense of duty," all we can say is the shoulders of the people. The Times has long been endeavouring to en-
sooner all statesmen openly and universally base their conduct on self- throne itself in this position, but must not be allowed to pretend that
interest so much the better. It must have been language of this nature, that is a monarchy which facts show to be a republic.
we think, that led JOHNSON to his celebrated definition of patriotism.
Duty, at all events, is now the last refuge of Mr. ROBERT LowE. Taking The Commission on Army Contracts still drags its slow length along,
our leave of these two gentlemen, we now come on to Mr. SOTHERON but it would be unfair to deny that they occasionally show the public good
ESTCOURT, Lord PALMERSTON, and the Earl of CARNARVON. The remarks sport. Their recent meets have gone near to detect a regular system of
of the first-named on the propriety of the new Reform Bill being intro- bribery in the case of the Tower. But the inquiry is now so near its ter-
duced by the Conservatives cannot be too extensively circulcated. The urination that we shall defer all further observations till the appearance of
Whigs sufficiently proved by their conduct on the memorable occasion the Blue-book. -
alluded to by Mr. LowE that they were still actuated by the same spirit
which it was fondly hoped the last Reform Bill had extinguished. Any- The most interesting production of the present week, perhaps, is the
thing worse than the intimidation practised on that occasion by the Whigs
towards the independent Liberals is not on record in the history of English Queen's Royal Proclamation declaring herself henceforth the direct instead
politics. They were to be denounced to the country as renegades ; they of the indirect Sovereign of India. Our own reflections on this subject
were to be kept out of every future Ministry; and a dozen other dreadful will be found in another place. The full force of the final act of this vast
things were to happen to them if they dared to support the Government. change comes to us, however, deadened by a series of previous events of
This is liberty with a vengeance. Those who showed they knew so ill astonishing magnitude, and we read the important document with almost
how to manage the existing constitution of Parliament, cannot he intrusted less attention than we accord to the charge of a bishop or a proclamation
to frame a new one. To do Lord PALMERSTON justice, he was far too on some domestic subject.
shrewd to follow the lead of his late subordinate—perhaps too indifferent.
Now that the excitement of the struggle has passed away, it is very pro- The Gponish Cortes have just been opened by the Queen. If one-half ,
bable that his Lordship may not care much about renewing it. At all of the flourising address which her Mojo.sy pronounced on this occasion be
eveists at the late Agricultural Meeting at Romsey, he cut politics very true, Spain must have begun the process of regeneration. Her Majesty
shall indeed, but, what was far more useful, he ably exposed the fallacies promises certain measures in favour of the freedom of the Press, though
in which the Times has indulged upon the subject of rewards to meritorious still in such guarded terms that it is impossible to say exactly what the boon
agricultural labourers. At the Fishmongers' dinner, Lord CARNARVON is worth. She also alludes to some contemplated modifications of centrali-
alluded to the lonian Islands, and paid a high compliment to Sir BULWER zation, which seem to breathe a sound spirit. On the whole, we have read
LYTTON for suggesting, as well as to Mr. GLADsToNE for accepting, the the Royal Speech with some interest and satisfaction. A dawn may be at •
mission of inquiry. hand.
On the 26th of November last the Queen's Warrant appointing Mr. Lord Eau-Names recent Proclamation has very speedily been justified.
GLADSTONE Lord High Commissioner Extraordinary to the lonian Islands Fifteen men have already been arrested as members of a secret society, of
was read to a full meeting of the Senate. In the course of the address which the object is said to have been the invasion of this country by American
which the Right Hon. Gentleman delivered to that body in Italian, he
Filibusters. The idea is rather an absurd one, certainly, but the Celtic
observed that it was the object of his mission not in any way to interfere
mind
is not prone to calculate chances ; and as, no doubt, the descendants
of "great and glorious, though forgotten kings," muster strong in the
with, but to discover how best to carry out, the obligations imposed on
United States, and retain sufficient resemblance to their ancestors to make
Great Britain in 1815. In order to find out how Mr. GLADSTONE can dis-
general pillage their beau-ideal of a spirited existence, it is conceivable , 4
charge this function we must consider to what extent those obligations
these foolish fellows may have been encouraged to indulge in some such
would be set at nought by the accomplishment of that policy to which a
idle dream. Now, it is not, as we need hardly say, because the English
portion of the islanders are devoted. That policy is annexation to the
Government can apprehend the most remote dangers from such nonsense,
kingdom of Greece. Foolish enough, we dare say ; but, still, to contend that
that these coercive measures are adopted, but simply because the repuhli-
it is impossible they should have any rational motive for desiring the
cation of such ideas among the credulous and excitable peasantry might i
change is going a little too far. Such positive conclusions are not states-
go some way towards checking the career of improvement upon which
manlike, and we think the fact of having avoided them a legitimate subject
Ireland has undoubtedly entered. It is that same token of increasing
of satisfaction with the present Government. The protectorate of the
enlightenment which has struck terror into the hearts of the priesthood,
lonian Islands was probably conceded to Great Britain in 1815 as the
and we trust we are not maligning them in supposing it very natural that
European Power by whom it could be exercised with the least danger to
they should do all they can to arrest it. Whether the recent murders in the
Europe. It is still equally necessary that they should be able to preserve
West have had anything to do with these societies, is a point that may, of
the same amount of independence—an object that we own we think liable
course, always be disputed, inasmuch as it is not demonstrable. But there
to be jeopardized by annexation to the dominions of King OTHO. But
is such strong reason for suspecting it, that no one not interested in the
then that is all the more reason why we should exert ourselves to make
affair will risk their reputation for common sense by denying it.
our own authority as palatable as possible ; and we cannot see that we are 11 ...I
at all likely to weaken it by a prompt and graceful acknowledgment that
A murder, which may fairly rank with our first-class tragedies, has 4
the islanders are not to be treated like children. Prompt the concession
has been, and graceful, we are sure, it will be made to appear in the hands lately taken place at Andover, under circumstances of considerable
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of Mr. GLADSTONE. mystery. We believe, however, that the true explanation of the crime,
if it shall turn out that the present prisoner is guilty, has not vet been
The public has lately been very much and very deservedly alarmed made public. It is said that the murdered man, PARSONS, had been dis-
about the combustible tendencies of Crinoline. That it has certain inflam- covered in an intrigue with the prisoner's wife, and that his death was the
result of revenge alone. It may be in the memory of our readers that one I.
p
enableproperties we believe is undeniable ; and against those we feel bound
of the witnesses at the recent examination deposed to having met the i.
to warn the susceptible youth of this kingdom, as strongly as the fair prisoner on the night of the murder in company with a woman. The
wearers themselves against the other. Seriously, however, there must be woman there is reason to believe was the prisoner's wife, and that the
great carelessness in the management of this graceful circular among the commission of the crime was arranged between them much like the
present generation of ladies; for we do not remember to have either read assault committed in So' mersetshire by the Rev. Mr. and Mrs. SMrru—
or heard that deaths by burning were particularly numerous in the days that the unfortunate deceased was lured to an interview with his para-
of hoops. A certain class of old gentlemen who come down to breakfast mour, and so exposed unexpectedly to the attack of his mortal enemy.
AM