The Press.
London, England, 1854-04-08 00:00:00

A loud voice is heard without.

To arms, boys—to arms ! All you clerks be off to the Town-hall,
where you'll find guns and swords; and now where's the master?
Mr. BRIGHT: Here, Mr. Mayor. ( Loudly.) The first who stirs
I discharge.
A shout of defiance, and a rushing out. Enter the MAYOR, indignantly.
MAYOR : What ! stop them from defending their wives and families,
their household gods!
Mr. BRIGHT : Don't talk like a heathen, will you ? Obadiah, where
are you going ?
OBADIAH : Truly I shall solicit a weapon termed a musket, and
from a window known to myself I shall send a small sphere of lead
into the stomach of the first Russian who gets out of the train.
Mr. BRIGHT : Stop, I tell you!
OBADIAH : Verily I will not stop. Hooray ! Selah ! (Rushes off.)
JOHN BRADDS : It occurs to me that I have a second cousin in
Glasgow, who has a bad cold. It would show family affection did I
visit him in his sickness. My wife can follow—when she is well
enough. [Exit.
MAYOR : Now, gentlemen, come, come ! I have sent off a strong
body of navigators to pull up the rails, and we shall have all the
viaducts blown up in half an hour. The militia have turned out, but
I chiefly rely on barricading and firing from windows. Come and get

guns.
Mr. COBDEN : You see lam only a visitor in the town. Would it
not be taking a liberty for me to defend it ?
Mr. BRIGHT (who is writing) : And six is fifty-four, and seven is
sixty-one, and eight is sixty-nine—and take forty-three—yes, I'm
right. Mr. Mayor, we won't defend the place.
MAYOR : Won't defend it ! Are you mad ? Why, the very children
are taking up arms.
Mr. BRIGHT : They had better go to school. But as we are not
children, but men, it behoves us to be rational. So for blowing up
your viaducts and spoiling your railways I can only say that as a
director I will bring an action against any man who does it. You had

TO CORRESPONDENTS.
it is impossible to acknowledge the mass of letters we receive.
Their insertion is often delayed, owing to a press of matter ;
and when omitted, it is frequently from reasons quite inde-
pendent of the merits of the communication.
We cannot undertake to return communications of which we do

not avail ourselves.
Communications should always be legibly written, and on one
side of the paper only. If long it increases the difficulty of
finding space for them.

Advertisements sent from the country must be accompanied by a
remittance or a reference for payment in town.

under which the army was managed, and urged either
the appointment of a board, like that of the Board of
Admiralty, or that the entire department should be
placed under the Secretary-at-War.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE said that the abuses
quoted were of old date, and bad been reformed
under the present system. The objections to :he
system were more theoretical than practical. Com-
missions had sat, but had given divided opinions.
From his own experience there had been no want of
harmony in the several departments, and all the
statements of contradictory orders were totally un-
founded.
Lord HARDINGE added his own experience in sup-
port of the present system, and bore testimony to the
high efficiency and readiness of the troops now sent
to the East.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH was strongly against all
boards. From his experience of the Board of Admi•
ralty, it was the most inefficient in the public service.
The present war would be long and dangerous, and
could only be conducted by undivided responsibility
and almost undivided power.
Lord PANDIURE thought that the time bad come
when improvements on the present system should
be gradually effected.
Earl GREY replied', with a warm eulogium on the
House of Commons, where, he said, all reforms were
destined to originate.
The motion was then agreed to.
The LORD CHANCELLOR moved the third reading of
the Testamentary Jurisdictions Bill.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY complained of the
loss to which the proctors would be subject through
the bill.
Lord WYNFORD opposed the bill, saying that if the
public were consulted its voice would be against it.
He moved that it be read a third time that day six
months.