The Express.
London, England, 1855-02-01 00:00:00

A DERBY CABINET.

the Deus party, of some
lune of the Conservative

1 pretext will sot bo

coalition to that pretty ,
who, with professions of
their months, are at all
selves to be paid with •

told that si this moment

English Ministers is to - energies
upon the vigorous proneentioe of the war. It will be
told that, until the war is terminated, all other
questioes, upon which the leading parties in Parlia-
ment are at variance, must necessarily remain in
abeyance; and that consequently Conservative and
Liberal statesmen may co-operate for the time being to
promote their common object. It will not, however,
be added—though it will be perfectly understood—
that since Free Trade has become irrevocably the
policy of England, there is in reality ne material
difference, in respect of political opinion and sentiment,
between Lord Datum and Mr. GLADSTONE. or be-
tween Lord DEADY and Lord PALMERSTON. AU
three are equally hostile to further reform of me
electoral system, and to extension of the suffrage. All
three are alike anxious to preserve a monopoly of the
sgh offices of state, their honours and emoluments,
within the narrow circle of the aristocracy, and the
fewpersents who can contrive by some chance or other
to elbow their way into the circle. A Cabinet of
which these three statesmen should be the leading
members, would, in the most bland and digage
manner possible, talk Liberalism, and act Coo„
',realism, and appeal to the hereditary politics of
Lord DERSI'e house as an unanswerable proof that

be is zealously attached to the rights and privileges
of the people.
At the crisis which appears to be impending over
us it is not the time for indulging in what is called
"strong" or "slashing articles." But it is a time
for the calm, deliberate, fearless assertion of sound
principles and policy. To any Ministry of which
Lord DERBY shall be the head, and which shall
be principally composed of his party, it is un-
necessary to say that our relation must be
one of distrust, and active, earnest, uncompromising
opposition. But we konestly confess that we have no
fears of such a Ministry being able to do any material
harm during the very short time that it can possibly
remain in power ; and if we cannot immediately
have a strong Liberal Government, composed of the
best of our tried Liberal statesmen, with an accession
of a number of new men from the body of the peoples
we are not sorry that the experiment bf a DERBY
Miuistry should be tried. It is one consolation that
the conduct of the war cannot possibly be worse or
weaker in the bands of any Ministry than it has been
in the hands of that which has just been dissolved.
It is also probable that the exemplary punishment
which has recently been inflicted upon Lord ABER-
DEEN and his War Ministers will have the effect
of frightening their successors in office into more
vigorous and systematic exertion. But it must not
for one moment be forgotten, that from a Government
constructed and led by Lord DERBY, it would be the
veriest insanity to look for those searching and
radical reforms in our civil and military administra-
tion, which afford the only guarantee for an effective
and honourable prosecution of the war. Under Lord
DERBY the Government will be more exclusively aris-
tocratic than under the late Coalition. Nepotism will
still be the rule in all promotions in the civil service and
in the army. Under Lord DERBY, talent and merit
will have no chance unless backed by lordly kin or
lordly patrons. Under Lord DERBY. all those vices
of our administrative system which have taralysed
our civil departments, and left the army desti-
tute of organisation and competent leaders,
will be fostered and perpetuated. Again the country
can have no faith in the zealous and uncom-
promising opposition of Lord DERBY'S Government
to the despotism and ambitious projects of Russia.
With a RUSSELL in the Cabinet, the dangerous and
delicate experiment of an alliance with Austria.
might be hazarded ; but will the honour and interest
of the country be equally safe when men who enter-
tain the sentiments expressed by the Marquis of
GRANBY, in the debate on Mr. ROEBUCK'S motion,
are entrusted with the conduct of the negotiations,
which, under the auspices of Austria. are about to be
renewed with the Court of St. Petersburg ? If we
can look with equanimity on the advent of Lord
DERBY to power, it is because of our rooted convic-
tion that he cannot hold it long enough to do any
material harm.

That Lord DERBY should believe himself able,
with the assistance or connivance of certain PeeMee
and Conservative Whigs, to form a Government, is a
proof that the exclusive aristocratic factions form
an impervious barrier between the QUEEN and
her people. That barrier—we speak it with
all the calmness of conviction and determination
that cannot be shaken—must be broken down. There
is no hope, no safety for the country, but by bringing
the Crown into direct and immediate contact with
the people, in order that each may understand and
appreciate the other. To the promotion of this end)
Lord DERBY'S brief tenure of office is not unlikely to
contribute. Appeal to the people by a dissolution he
dare not ; and he can only make sure of a majority
of the present House of Commons by associating with
himself in office a number of retrograde Peelites, and
Conservative place-hunting Whigs. He will be a
sponge to suck out from the Liberal party all those
wavering and faithless professors, of whom it may be
said, as of the Patriarch of old, " unstable as water
thou shalt not excel." The Liberal party will be all
the better, all the more pure and compact,
after this extraction of the rotten portion
of its ingredients. An unbridgeable gulf will
have yawned between the few of our libe-
ral statesmen who, like Abdiels amoeg the faith-
lees, stand proof against the blandishments of Tory-
ism and the jobbers and place•hunters; and the
Liberal party throughout the country will rally
round them with renewed confidence. Respect-
ing the person upon whom the leadership of this
purified liberal party ought to devolve, there can be
no doubt. If the reports that Lord PALMERSTON has
been accessary, by assistance or connivance, to the
formation of a DERBY Cabinets be true, that step on
his part will terminate, and for ever, all connexion be.
tween him and the Liberals of England. It will be said
that be has returned to his old Tory prepossessions
and connexions as the dog returns to its vomit; and
the sentence will go forth against him—" EPHRAIM
is joined to his idols ; let him alone." But
even though Lord PaLmetts•rors should shrink
from the lasting degradation of a DERBY alliance,
the people of England have more confidence
) in Lord JOHN RUSSELL than in him. They admit
the superior dexterity of Lord PAtur.osroo in the
i war of political management and intrigue. They
, admit that Lord JOHN RUSSELL is singularly deft-
; dent in the tact and talent for carrying on political
) contests. They admit that in almost every instance
when he has attempted a political coup, his fate has
I been that of the "engineer hoist with his own pa
I tard." And this is precisely the reason why they
prefer Lord Jour; to Lord Patina:m.oo. They have
p more confidence in Lord PALMERSTON'S cleverness
I han in his principles and intentions; they have more
confidence in Lord JOHN'S principles and intentions
, than in his cleverness, Lord Jonres character
6 accords more with the taste and temper of English-
r man than Lord Paugzsorox's. Therefore it is that

Or the progress made towards the construction of
a new Ministry we can only state what is generally
understood and believed. The most probable of the
stories current is briefly as follows :—Yesterday, a
little after 11 a.m., the Qum"; , accompanied by Prince
ALBERT, arrived at Buckingham Palace from Wind-
sor ; at 3 p.m. the royal pair left London for Windsor.
Boon after her MAJESTY'S arrival at the Palace, Lord
DERBY waited upon her, and had • lengthened
audience. Immediately after its termination, Lord
DERBY visited Lord PALMERSTON, with whom he
remained for a considerable time. Lord DERBY then
returned to his own residence, where he was visited
by the Marquis of LANSDOWNE, and subsequently by
some of his own supporters. Before the Queen left
town Lord DERBY again waited upon her MAJESTY,
and at this audience he is said to have accepted the
charge of forming a Cabinet.
If these statements are true, the only possible
inference to be drawn from them is, that Lord DERBY
.has accepted office on the understanding that Lords
.I.axstiowna and PALMERSTON are either to take
gam in his administration, or, at least, not to go into
de, *led opposition. Lord DERBY'S party in the
Ho*. 'se of Commons, though perhaps more numerous
than of the other sections of that body, is not a
ntaitriil in the House. That his lordship should
visit Lem' Palatiarrrox before he would definitively
undertake to
.eorne a Ministry irresistibly points to
tho oond,,,jou the,: he has not accepted office until'
eration of some of the mi-
ke was secure of the e,""01;
dairy Ministers and the i:."ltialitY of others. The
necessary inference is that wv axe to have a
Coalition Government, composed c! Members ci

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 1. 1855.

make Mosulf
the people
thih
power to do
the Grew"
must make
_ loses time,
bias—end over

murmurs of dir
content, at the accession of a DERBY Mitagry to
power, will reach our ears from the provisoes like
the distant sound of a mighty host rooming itself for
battle. The most dreaded enemy of the exclusive
aristocratical traffickers in plus the isme who
trampled them down in the Reform Bill and Corn
Law struggler—is about to take the field against
them.—Daily News.

OPINIONS OF OUR

It is believed, according to the Times, that Lord
Palmerston did not accede to the proposals addressed
to him by Earl Derby at yesterday's interview.
Animadverting upon the late resignation of the
Lord President of the Council, the limes makes the'
following extraordinary statement :—" The Queen
herself is known to have expressed to Lord John'
Russell, in an autograph letter, her sense of conduct
so much at variance with the common principles of
truth and honesty, and we are convinced that nothing
but absolute necessity will induce the Queen to sum-
mon to the head of her couscils • minister who, for
his own selfish objects, has not hesitated to betray
them." In the "not improbable" event of
Lord Derby's failure, the Times relies " with
unabated confidence on Lord Palmerston as the fittest
and ablest man to be placed at the head of the govern-
ment at such a crisis, and he would be fairly entitled
to demand the support of the Conservative party,
since the only remaining alternative would be to
fling back the administration into the hands of the
Chesham-place
The Morning Herald gives no information as to
the personnel of the new Ministry, but film the
abuse which it lavishes upon the late Cabinet, evecially
upon Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Sidney Herbert, it is
difficult to believe that our contemporary aspects to
see any of the late ministers (exoeptieg Lord
Palmerston) in the new coalition.
The Morning Chronicle still entertains the hope
that the Queen will entrust the formation of her
government to Lord Lansdowne or Lord Palmerston.
It is not expected, the Chronicle says, :hat Earl
Derby will be able to ally himself with any leading
politicians not hitherto numbered amongst his
_pro-
fessed adherents, except Lord Ellenborough. " That
clever, dashing, and eloquent, but erratic aid unsafe,
statesman, will possibly be tempted by tie hope of
being able to enact the part of Chatham at the
War-office. Lord Stratford de Redcliffe. also, is
spoken of as likely to lend his powerful aid
to the so-called Conservative cause. But we
cannot believe that either Lord Palmerston, or
any other eminent member of the L.beral or
Liberal-Conservative party, will join Lori Derby,
except upon a condition which we take to be utterly
inadmissible—namely, the abandonment of Mr.
Disraeli. The refusal to act with this individual is
not a matter of prejudice, or caprice, or personal dis-
like, but a principle in which the best of the Derby-
ites themselves coincide. There is an end cf every-
thing like firmness or conscious integrity, if any in-
stinctive and well-grounded repugnance of this sort
can be overcome by superficial considerations of ex-
pediency." The Chronicle seems prepared to give
up the Earl of Aberdeen, the Duke of Newcastle,
and even Mr. Sidney Herbert; but it would view
the removal of Mr. Gladstone, Sir J. Gratam, and
the Earl of Clarendon, as an act of madness

The Morning Post devotes its first "leader" to a
series of arguments showing, as it thinks, that Mr.
Roebuck's committee is "alike impossible and impo-
litic." As to Earl Derby's prospects, the Post
thinks that his lordship will find it no easy task to
present to a House of Commoos circumstanced like
the present, "a Cabinet which will have a majority
lon band, or which will be free from liability to such
accidents as displaced his government in 1852"

Abe court.
. 'AO (Ism sad Albert, attended by Os Mar-
/blooms of lie GM of Wallington, Colonel ta.
r Hon. C. B. Wee-General the Him C. Grey.
Culoaal &pito the Master of the limmelsold, left
Windage Cases it tom minutes put ten o'clock yeaterday
morning, traveilcd by a spatial train on the Great Western
Railway to Paddington, and arrived at Buckingham Palace
at ten mioates put eleven o'clock.

The Earl of Derby had an audience of the Quin.
The Duke of Cambridge visited her Majesty.
Her Majesty sad Prince Albert sad the ladies and
gentlemen is waiting left Buckingham Palace, in two of
the Queen's carriages, at eight minutes before three o'clock
in the attracts, for the Paddington Suntans of the Great
Western Railway, sad retarned by a special train to Wind-
nor Cutle. The royal suite consisted of the Marchioness of
Ely, Colonel the Hon. C. B. Phipps, Major• General the
Hon. Charles Grey, Colonel Seymour, and the Muter of
the Household. The Queen and Prince Albert were con-
ducted to their carriage by the Earl Spencer, Lord Steward.
The Duchess of Cambridge and t►e Princes' Mary and
the Duke of Cambridge visited the Duchess of Gloucester
yesterday, at her residence, Gloucester Hones, Piccadilly.

A Committee of the Lords of her blejesty's most Honour-
able Privy Council had a meeting lesterday at the Privy
Council Office, Whitehall, to Battle the roll of sheriffs for
the oounties of England and Wales for the present year.
The lords reseal were Lord Cranworth, Lord Chancellor;
Viscount Palmerston, Secretary of State for the Home De-
partment; the Earl of Clarendon, Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs ; Sir Charles Wood, President of the Board
of Control; Earl Granville, Chancellor of the Duchy of
Lancaster ; and Earl Spencer, Lord Steward of the Queen's
Household.

;The Earl of Derby had an interview with Viscount Pal-
merston yesterday, at Ms residence in Piccadilly, after the
noble earl bad bad an audience of the Queen.
The Cathedral Commission met at No. 1, New-street,
Spring•gardens, en Wednesday. The commissioners present
were the Earl of Harrowby, the Bishop of London, the
Bishop of Orford, the Hon. and Rev. H.M. Villiers, the
Rev. Canon Selwyn, and Mr. Henry Kingscote (secretary).
A deputation from Stage Carriage Proprietors of Meryl°.
bone had an interview yesterday with Sir Benjamin Hall,
at the office of the General Board of Health, Whitehall.
The deputation consisted of Hewn. Henry Edmonds, John
Trevett, Thomas Bird, James Willing, Augustus Lines,
Samuel Heaton, and J. E. Bradfield.

Despatches from the Governors of the North American
Provinces were received yesterday at the Colonial-office.

LORD CARDIGAN AND THE UNITED SERVICE CLWI.
—The members of this, the oldest military and naval club,
intend to invite the noble lord to become an honorary mem-
ber, in consequence of his distioguithed gallantry at Bala-
klava on the 25th of October last.

•Hie Serene

ROYAL POLYTECHNIC
__.---
Highness Prince Nicholas of Neal. % and Lady Bunsen,
accompanied by the Sardinian Minister and Dr. Lyon Play-
fair, visited this institution on Tuesday evening, and wit-
nessed the whole of the entertainments provided for the
occasion, the chief objects of attraction being a lecture by
Dr. Bachoffner on " Philosophy in sport made science in
earnest" (introducing some of Professor Wheatstone's ex-
periments on the transmission of musical sounds), the illu-
minated cascade, and the new optical diorama, illustrating
the voyages of " Sinbad the Sailor."

The Solicitor-General for Scotland, Mr. Thomas
blacken:4e will, we have reason to believe, succeed to the
vacant seat on the Scotch bench, caused by the death of
Lord Itobortoon.—Olothr.

THE ALLEGED NEW COALITION.

The rumour at the clubs last night was, that if
Messrs. Gladstone and Sidney Herbert, and any one of the
whigs in the late administration, could be induced to take
office along with him, Lord Palmerston was willing to take
the lead in the House of Commons, and thus form a Derby•
Palmerston coalition. It was said that Mr. Disraeli was to
be left out, in the first instance, to propitiate the whigs and
Peelite/. Lord Clarendon's name was menuned in con-
nexion with these statements, but that part of the tale met
with little credence.

It is believed in some quarters that the following have
onsented to fill offices in the new Cabinet:

Earl of Derby, as Premier; Lord Palmerton, as Minister
of War; Mr. Disraeli, as Secretary of State for Foreign
Affsire ; Earl Grey, as Secretary of State for tho Home
Department; Sir J. Pakiugton, as Chancellor of the
&chequer.

Mr. beaten was among the political friends received by
the Earl of Derby on his return from the Palace yesterday
At an early hour yesterday Viscount Palmerston had an
interview with the Marquis of Lansdowne at hie lordship's
residence in Berkeley-square.
The Secretary of the T ry, the Right Hon. W. G,
Hayter, was very busy yesterday at the clubs. The right
hon. gentleman paid a visit to the Earl of Aberdeen during
the morning, at Argyll House.
The Marquis of Lansdowne visited Lord John Au sell
yesterday at his residence in Chesham-place.
The Earl Grey was visited yesterday by al of his
political friends.

Lord John Russell entertained a select circle at dinner
last evening. Lord Dunkallin, recently returned from St.
Petersburg, was amongst his lordship's guests.
Shortly before 12 o'clock last night, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer (Kr. Gladstone) and the Right lion. Sidney
Herbert arrived together at the Admiralty, and had an
Interview with Sir Jame. Graham. The right hon. gentle-
men came direct from the Earl of Aberdeen (with whom
the, had had a lengthened interview) to the Admiralty.

WAR.
11 latter from Warsaw, in the Cologne Goutis,
eldjii that the louses of the Russian army on active
seethe amounted, in 1864, according to official re-
tons, to 107,124 men, of whom 29,204 died natu-
rally, 53,304 were wounded, 8,450 deserted, and
18,158 died from wounds.

The Wanderer of Vienna says : "The Ambassa-
dors of France and England received a few days
back despatches from their governments, in conse-
quence of which the conferences between them and
(bunt de Buol, for some time interrupted, were
resumed. These conferences relate to the military
measures to be taken in accordance with the treaty
of Dec. 2."

A despatch from Sebastopol, of the 19th, in the
Palrie, announces " that at that date the tire was
almost suspended on both sides, every one seeking to
take shelter from the snow. The moral and physical
situation of the besiegers was good; the horses alone
suffered severely from the cold."
The Military Gazette of Vienna informs its readers
that the Emperor of Russia has requested an armis-
tice of six weeks.

A letter from Sebastopol, 13th January, in the
Courrier de Marseille, lays:
I have been endeavouring in vain to write to you for
several days past, but the weather is so cold that I scarcely
dared to move in my sheepskin cloak, or shake about my
legs in their thick coverings. You cannot imagine the ex-
tent of our sufferings. Picture to yourself a snow storm
luting forty-eight hours, lying round our tents and our
huts to the depth of several feet. Then suddenly Dunes a
heavy rain, which melts the snow, leaving in our precarious
Nemo( shelter a liquid mud from which we hate no pro-
tection. Notwithstanding all this, the spirits of our soldiers
are not east down, ant' the state of their health is superior
to the sufferings they endure. Our soldiers amuse them-
selves with nuking men with snow. One heap of snow has
been cut into caricatured representations of the Emperor
Nicholas and Prince Mentchikoff, and on the pedestal of the
statues the artist has engraved, with his bayonet, a very
witty inscription. Unfortunately, the Eoglish are not so
well off. Their sufferings are much more severe than
ours; they have within the last few days lost several men
from suffocation in their huts from charcoal, which they
burned i/itllGltt allowing proper ventilation; others were
found dead in the trenches from cold. On other point.,
whole regiments are absolutely destitute of fuel to cook
their food, which they are often obliged to eat raw. It is
this which canoes the debility which affects so great a num-
ber ef the English soldiers. Our allies have abandoned their
advanced redoubt of Inkermann, the position being too
much exposed to the batteries on the north of the place.
They have constriarted another entrenchment, lower down,
which commands the port. and they have already mounted
three heavy guns there. For our parts, we have within the
last few days begun to throw some shells into the town, and
it; is said that it the weather improves the siege (the real
siege) will begin before the 20th. Oar officers of en•
pincers do not thine that the earthworks raised by the
Russians can stand long; neither will the batteries on
the south hold out very long, but the fortifications on
the north will certainly give us some trouble. We
have been ready for some time, but our allies h►ve
not yet all their guns complete. While waiting for the
general chorus, one of our batteries, mounted with 10 mor-
tars, has been practising a solo which cannot be at all to the
taste of the Russians, who have received on an average 600
shells a day, each mortar firing about 60 times. These pro.
jectiles do immense mischief in Sebastopol. A part of these
shells are directed en the Garden batteries,when 10 or 12 of
the Russian guns have already been dismounted, but the Rus-
sians have hitherto regularly repaired all their damsgen during
the night. We have more then 60 mere mortars and heavy
guns ready to bring into play. A terrible alarm was caused
a few nights since by the cry of " fire" from the Queen,
English transport, laden with gunpowder, but fortunately
the fire was got under without any serious damage. We
bate received accounts from Eupstoria by the Colomb,,
• which brought 250 horses in very bad condition to the Eog
It appears that the weather is not better there than
here, and that the Turks suffer as much as we do. The
English are about to send a number of their sailors
on board the ships and only keep 400 or 500 on shore.
This is a measure to be regretted, but it is rendered
necessary by want of accommodation for them. The COB-
' sacks continue to show tbem,elves in the plain of Bala-
klava.

some of the PeeUlm, and of it is now in the power of Lord Infix to mah
native Whip. A • the leader of the great movement of tl
wanting, to iseSUy Against glikapiste sad political !abbeys.
r numerous class of politicians mpacitirUeil loan will have it in his poi
of principle mod monsistenop =s more tree eievios to Die country and to tl
11 times ready to allow diem- than even le martyred ancestor. Bat hen
words.' The semidry will Di his choke tabby ; for, it he hesitates aid 1
mime the one greet duty 'of the movement will go on without him—
o concentrate all their energies him. Is a few hours the that low mama