The Press.
London, England, 1858-02-06 00:00:00

THE PRESS, FEBRUARY 6, 1858.

within the law merely for an intention? They could be bound
over to the peace; but that would be small security in the case of
a I'ierri or Orsini. It would almost appear, therefore, that some new
provision must be imported into our law of conspiracy if we would
take effectual precautions against a repetition of the late atrocity.
Whatever may be done we trust that due regard will be paid to the
sanctity of the British soil. With all our detestation of the crime,
we must not forget that there is something even still more detestable ;
or allow our indignation at a particular atrocity to betray us into
an erroneous general principle. We cannot conclude our remarks
without alluding to the discreditable display Mr. ROEBUCK permitted
himself last night. Such a combination of vulgarity and violence
is happily rare. The attack upon the character of the Emperor
NAPOLEON is wholly unsupported by fact. No one is more grateful
for the shelter shown him in past years than the Emperor NAPOLEON, or
more aware of the real difficulties surrounding the question of extra.
dition. Nothing, we are assured, is farther from his mind than any
intention to dictate to England the course to be Pur-
sued. As Lord PALMERSTON has promised the despatch,
it will be unnecessary to discuss the point at any length,
but we believe our readers will not find us misinformed when
we state that no specific demands were made by the French
Government, but that it was merely explained that great. gratification
would be afforded the Emperor if some public assurance could be
given through Parliament of our desire to secure an ally from the
secret designs of conspirators in these islands. Mr. ROEBUCK complains
of the tone of the addresses of the French army. His language
last night in the Legislative Assembly of the Nation was (insulting
to a degree, and infinitely more inflammatory in its tendency than
any we have yet seen in the impromptu addresses from the French
Camps.

The Government at home and the Governor-General of India
have lately been playing au amusing game of battledore and shuttle-
cock with the Staff of the Indian army. We first hear of Major-General
Dupuis being left behind at Calcutta by Sir COLIN CAMPBELL until all
the Royal Artillery destined for Bengal should have arrived. We next
learn that as soon as he had sent on his troops ho started by horse
dilk up the country—that he reached eawnpore in time to share the
perils of WINDHAM'S and the glories of Sir Coutes actions—that,
although highly extolled in despatches, his presence in camp was
merely " accidental "—and, lastly, that he set off on his return to Cal-
cutta, a distance of 1,446 miles, on the llth of December. Precisely
the same course of events—or rather journeys—takes place with Col.
HARNESS, who commands the Royal Engineers. He also came, saw,
and returned. But even if any reason did exist for the removal of
these officers from the scene of action, it might have been supposed
that at any rate the man who accompanied the Commander-in-Chief up
the country, who commanded the artillery from the commencement of
the advance on Lucknow to the final victory at Cawnpore —whose con-
duct had been mentioned repeatedly in terms of the highest eulogy—
it might have been imagined that he at least would have been left in
peace. Not so. Brigadier CRAWFORD is ordered to proceed imme-
diately to China! Are the means of transport at the disposal of the
Government of India so unlimited that it can afford carriages for the
conveyance of three superior officers and their respective staffs " there
and back again "—i.e., a total distance of nearly 3,000 miles ? Or are
we to suppose that there is such a paucity of officers in China that
the addition of one of Brigadier CILAWFORD'S rank is imperatively
necessary ? This can hardly be, for the force in China was considered
to be so over-officered that Lieutenant'General ASHBURNHAM, Colonel
WETHERALL, the Deputy-Quartermaster-General, and Colonel PLICEN•
HAM, the Deputy-Adjutant-General, were ordered to India by the
Home Government, and were compelled to sail from Hong Kong when
the expedition which they had organised was on the point of com-
mencing active operations. Having thus obeyed the call of duty
without a murmur, they probably expected that their presence at
Calcutta would be hailed with welcome, and that they would
at once be posted to high commands. When, however, they arrived,
the Governor-General informed them that he was overwhelmed with
officers, and that every place was filled up. General ASHBURNHAM
was, indeed, offered a quiet post in the Punjaub, far removed from the
scene of action, and where the climate had twice proved nearly fatal
to his constitution. The result is that the General is in London—
that Colonel PAKENHAM is kicking his heels in the Adjutant-General's
office at Calcutta, with nothing to do but lament pretty loudly over
the utter want of method and organisation which prevails—and that
Colonel WETHERALL, after another voyage in search of employment, is
in pity allowed by Lord ELPHINSTONE to discharge the duties of
Deputy-Adjutant-General at Bombay as a temporary measure. The
combined excellence and novelty of these arrangements is such that
ordinary mortals do not attempt to comprehend them, but, while lost
in admiration, are doubtful whether to assign the credit to the military
skill of the Premier, the ardent desire of Lord PANMURE to place " the
"right man in the right place," or the unrivalled topographical knowledge
of Mr. VERNON SMITH, who, having imagined that Delhi could be com-
pletely surrounded by 2,000 men, may naturally be supposed to have
believed that Cawnpore was within an easy day's journey of Calcutta,
and that Hong Kong lay on the eastern shore of the Bay of Bengal.

The definite launch of the Leviathan is a matter for the sincerest
satisfaction. The ship has become a subject of national interest, and
any real failure to get her afloat would have been regarded as a
national misfortune. Since the first effort to launch her, great
interest has been felt in every subsequent attempt; but the accidents
and delays have been so numerous and so provoking that the croakers
for some weeks past have enjoyed an opportunity which, we are bound