The Press.
London, England, 1856-05-24 00:00:00

WHERE ARE OUR RISING YOUNG

MEN ?
PRIOR to the Reform Bill, and even later, it
was customary to talk of " the rising young
" men of the day." WALPOLE'S interesting
letters, in their first series, allude to young
politicians contemporary with the " Great
Commoner," and their last describe the

483

effects of CHARLES Fox in his heyday. When
our present Premier was commencing the
world, people talked about the brilliant JOHN
WILLIAM WARD (Lord Dudley), the clever
WILLIAM LAMB, and BYRON'S schoolfellow, Mr.
ROBERT PEEL, "the orator, or statesman, that
" was, or is, or is to be." The loud talker fiom
Edinburgh, Mr. HENRY BROUGHAM ; the Duke
of BEDFORD'S Mr. FRANCIS HORNER ; the
saucy Irish barrister, Mr. WILSON CROICER—aII
gave some promise of ability which they have
since justified in various ways.

Now, we desire to know where are all our
rising young men in 1856 ? Lord STANLEY,
with his laborious habits, his masculine un-
derstanding, and shrewdly practical views of
life and its duties, has graduated high in
public estimation, and there is a hardy force
about him which we miss in his youthful
contemporaries. The Noble Lord has great
personal energy, and he has strong volition ;
and it is in the important faculty of the will
that the young men of the day completely
fail. They seem to think that moral passion
is a thing to be got rid of, not an inspiration
to be cherished. Of genius they are singu-
larly destitute. " Great attainments" is the
point at which they aim. Hence their know-
ledge is all " cram." They hear heavy bur-
dens of useless statistics ; they never read
poetry; they never speak the language of elo-
quence ; and they do thoroughly succeed in
being things of routine—tiresome, solemn,
and clerkly.
The " virtue of confidence " is beyond doubt
possessed by the young men in our day. But
where has gone the freshness of soul, the
manly play of feelings, the buoyancy of life,
the gallantry of character, which in former
times marked " the young men of the day "?
The French Legislature, in its Parliamentary
period, permitted no one to enter into
the Chamber of Deputies until thirty
years of age ; our Constitution has been more
practically wise. It has allowed men to be
chosen into the House of Commons at the
age of twenty-one. It has ordained that the
coldness of age at one extreme should be
balanced against the fervour of youthful pas-
sions at the other. It discarded the ungene-
rous maxim that there was no wisdom to be
gained from the unbroken heart, and the mount-
ing aspirations of early manhood. Splendid
have been the careers of our youthful British
senators in other days. At thirty-two years of
age HENRY ST. Joss led the House of Com-
mons, and was Secretary of State. ROBERT
WALPOLE had signalised his powers at the
same period of life. Fox, Pm, SHERIDAN,
CANNING, were celebrated and brilliant before
thirty. At the time of the Reform Bill
a host of eloquent and gifted young men
challenged attention by their talents,
and people talked of MACAULAY and
PRAED, Ot the two BULWERS, of " 'Young
DISRAELI," of CHARLES BULLER, of '1 GLAD-
STONE down at Oxford," and they pointed to the
triumphant prowess in debate of "young Mr.
STANLEY," whose " knowledge of Parliamentary
" defence was like an instinct," as the Edin-
burgh Review said. But where are our rising
young men in 1856? " Here I am," cries the
Duke of ARGYLL, and " Look at me," says Mr.
F. PEEL. Well, we see them; we have heard
them, but we protest we cannot think that
they are " rising" men. We have heard that
story these five years, but we cannot perceive
that they have realised anything.

Under such circumstances we were pleased
with the clever and really " promising" speech
of the young Earl of CARNARVON. °Sensible,
vigorous, and clear, it had none of the weak
prettiness of a young man's speech. The
House of Lords liked it and cheered it, and
the Upper House is difficult to be pleased. Its
applause is not to be won by storm, nor can
its ears be tickled by mere declamation. We
sincerely hope that the Earl of CARNARVON will
justify the expectations excited by his display
on Thursday night.

he will
pletcly
passion
)iration •
singu-
is the
L. know- 1
fy bur-
sr read
; of elo-
ceed in
solemn,
;d doubt
y. But
all, the
of life,
former
day "?
mentary
er into
thirty
an more .
a to be
I at the
that the
)uld be
Liu! pas-
ungene-
n to be
mount-
-4)lendid
British
years of
rf Com- •
ROBERT
at the
lERIDAN,
t before
rm Bill
ig men
talents,
,Y and
•
" Young
" GLAD-
!d to the
mg Mr.
mentary
e Edin-
✓ rising
;ries the
;vs Mr.
e heard
nk that
Lrd that .
1
?erceive
pleased ; i
'speech
ensible,
ie weak
L The
. it, and
led. Its
for can
)n. We
VON will
display

484

'ut6iiip in Varliantent.

TIIE BUDGET.

The house, on Monday, having resolved itself into
a committee,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose to make
his financial statement. The right hon. gentleman
commenced by stating the deficiency of the last year
to be 3.560,0001., to cover which deficiency a
5,000,0001. loan and 3,000,0001. had been previously
raised. The expenditure in the past year, 1855► 6,
had been 88,428,0001., the revenue 65,705,0001.,
showing an excess of expenditure over revenue of
22,723,0001., or, with the addition of the Sardinian
loan of ?,000,0001, and the redemption of hereditary
pensions, 213,0001., a total excess of 23,930,0001.
To cover this excess there had been raised by loan,
Exchequer Bonds and Bills, 26,478,0001., exceeding
the deficiency by 2,542,0001., and it was his duty to
account for this sum, and to show how the Ex•
chequer had been benefited thereby. The balances
in the Exchequer on the 31st of March, 1856, ex.
seeded their amount on the 31st of March, 1833, 1,
2,051,0001., showing a balance in favour of the
Exchequer of more than 100,0001. The expenditure
of the year which had elapsed had been mainly
characterised by its connection with the war,
the civil expenditure having been but slightly
augmented. The total expenditure in the
two years of war, 1854.55 and 1855-50, was
155.120.000/.; the total amount in two years of
peace, 1852-53 and 1853-5/, had been 102,032,00 W.;
being a difference of 53,088,0001. The revenue in
the two years of war was 125,200,0001., and in the
two years of peace 108,018,0001., an incrense of
revenue from taxation in the two years of war of
17,182,000/. The amount raised by an addition to
the funded and unfunded debt was 33,604,0001.:
so that the total receipts in the two years of war
amounted to 50,780,000/., as compared with two
years of peace. Adding the surplus income in two
years of peace, the amount applicable to war
expenditure over and above the sum applied to peace
expenditure was 56,772.0001. ; and adding for the
war expenditure of 1856-57 2.1,500,0001., the total
excess was 77,588,0001. He rejoiced to say that the
Government had been able to make considerable re•
ductions in the estimates for• the army and navy,
the original estimates having amounted to
54,874,0001., and the revised estimates being
37,315,0001.—a difference of 17,559,0001. The total
expenditure for the year 1850-57, including the
second million of the Sardinian loan—a sum he
thought the country was bound in honour to ad•
vance—he estimated as follows :

Expenditure.

Funded Debt. including New Loan
UnfUnded Debt
Perinativnt charges on Consolidated
Fund
Army 4411.:47,000
Navy
Civil
Chnrves of collecting the Revenue..
Vote of Credit
Loan to Sardinia

Total etpenditore

21%031.000
1,025,000

1,750,000

44.115010
4,688,000
20100,000
1.000,000

42.1!3,000

But, as it was difficult to make accurate e4timates,
by way of prudent precaution, he should take a vote
of credit for 2,000,0001., making the total expendi.
ture 77,525,000/.

The right hon. gentleman then entered into
detailed explanations relative to the estimated
revenue for the year 1850 57.
The income tax, according to the words of the
act, would be continued at the rate of N. 13s. 4d. per
cent. until the flth of April, 1858.
The present rates of duty upon tea, coffee, sugars,
and molasses, would be continued up to April sth,
1857.

The present spirit duties of Rs. per gallon in Eng-
land and 6s. 81. in Ireland would be continued.

Net.

27,613.000
1,025,000
1,750,000

44,116,000

9,000,000
1,000,000

It 77.52 \On°

The duty on malt would be reduced on Ist July
from 4s. to 2s. 8d per bushel, while 1,000,0001. would
have to be allowed for drawback.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer then stated the
estimated revenue for the ensuing year at:—

Gross Estimate. Net Estimate.

Customs . ,
Excise ..
Stamps ..
Land and assessed taxes ..
Property and Income tax ..
Post•otMee

Crown lands .„

23.350.000
17,170,000
7,135,000
3.110,000
18,356,000
2,810,000
nosup
1,000.000

11, a:2 ,000
18,348.000
71)00.0(X)
2.960.000
16.000,0.00
1,070,000
V 0,600
1,000,000

Total .. 171,740,000 /67,152,000
Deducting this sum from the amount of estimated
expenditure. there would appear an estimated defi-
ciency in the revenue of 10,873,0 of which the
remainder of the produce of the loan of last year,
1,500,000 L, would reduce to 8,873,0001. Looking at
the condition of the ceentry, the Government had no

li.