The Press.
London, England, 1858-03-13 00:00:00

PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TROE.

OXFORDSHIRE.—The Right Hon. Mr. Henley, Presi-
dent of the Board of Trade, was re elected without op-
position on Saturday last. Mr. Henley, in the course
of his address. spoke in favour of the question of Indian
administration being at once settled and decided,
and against any alteration of the law of asylum for
political refugees, but if the law as regarded con-
spiracy was faulty it should be amended :

Great men in the State have some doubt how the law
exactly stands. I believe we shall have the best means
of judging of that when our justices of the bench jail.
cialy, and from the case before them, have given their
opinion ; but I very much mistake the opinion and temper
of my countrymen if they wish a foreigner to be allowed
to carry on here iniquitous machinations without being
amenable to the same law as an Englishman would be.

PRESIDENT OF THE POOR-LAW BOARD.
NORTH Wiurs.—The Right Hon. Sotheron Est-
court, President of the Poor-law Beard, was re-
elected last week without opposition. Mr. Estcourt,
in him address to the electors, declared himsslf in
favour of progressive improvement and of temperate
measures of reform, but opposed to organic changes.

TREASURER or HER MAJESTY'S HOUSEHOLD.
Traoxs.—Lord Claud Hamilton, Treasurer of her
Majesty's Household, was on Thursday re-elected
for the county Tyrone. In returning thanks, be
denied that Lord Derby's policy was one of retro.
gression. In his negotiations with a foreign power,
Lord Derby would not., like Lord Palmerbton, be
swayed by considerations relative to the amount of
physical force with which they could support their
arguments. As the present Ministry bad not sought
for office, neither would they seek to bold it if they
found themselves repeatedly thwarted by the fac-
tious votes of coalitions interfering with the benefi-
cial exercise of the legitimate functions of Go-
vernment.

LORD OF THE TREASURY.
CHICHESTER.—Lord Henry Lennox was re-elected
on Saturday without opposition. His lordship, after
referring to the late appeal Ito the country on the
China question, and commenting upon the events in
India and the present affairs in China, touched upon
the subject of France, and referred to the attack on
the Emperor on the 14th of January last:—
That an outcry should take place was but natural, but
to the opinion that the plot was hatched in England be
would give a flat and unqualified denial, and would men•
Lion the fact that some of the miserable conspirators had
actuall resided in France many days before the diabolical
attempt, and bad had the temerity to expose the very
infernal machines that were to be used. What then be.
came of the activity of the much-vaunted French police?
(Cheers.)
His lordship then proceeded to say that the late de-
mend-made by the French government was no other
than an attempt to add an English trophy to those
won from Belgium, Switzerland, and Piedmont:—
The Emperor Napoleon was not to blame for that, for his
was a despotic Goternment ; and deeming it the most
conducive to the welfare of his people, he ought not to
be blamed for trying to tuhieve triumphs in its name.
Ought we to wonder if be who had obtained his presentf
eminence and throne through the name and prestige o
his uncle, should gladly obtain by the pen concessions
which the First Consul and Emperor could not win with
all his armed legions? No; Louis Napoleon was not
intrusted with the maintenance of our honour—be was
not the Minister of England ; but, unluckily for us, he
found that England had no Minister, for Lord Palmerston
was the willing Minister of France.
The noble lord then referred to his vote on the Con.
"piney Dill) and said be believed if to be in tleeer.

dance with the opinions of his constituents and those
of the majority of the people of England, and added
that four charges contained in Count Walewski's
despatch were hateful to Englishmen, and could not
be substantiated. He further held that the present
law was sufficient for all purposes required, as at
increase in penal servitude from two to fourteen
years would not deter such men as those who had
been guilty of the late attempt at assassination—
men who would stand before and dry at the fire the
fulminating powder that might blow themselves to
atoms, rather than not accomplish their object.

Lord Henry Lennox then said, though willing
to consider favourably any measure of reform
in the representation which might be proposed, he
would not vote for universal suffrage, nor yet would
he support the ballot. With reference to the Church
as connected with the State, he considered it an ex-
cellent institution, and should not on any account
vote for a separation; at the same time, he trusted
that some measure would be brought forward
whereby the scruples of Dissenters to pay church
rates would be respected. All he asked in favour
of Lord Derby's Government was that they might
have a fair trial, and he reminded the electors that
though the Whigs, on taking office six years ago,
had promised peace, retrenchment, and reform,
they had involved the country in two wars, and
an Indian muting, added 25,000,0001. to the expen-
diture, and carried forward no measure of reform.
His lordship proceeded to say he did not think it
reasonable to expect Lord Derby's Ministry to bring
forward a Reform Bill this session, and, alluding to
the tone of the Times upon the postponement of a
Reform Bill, said :

The Times in November last stated that a Reform Bill
in 1858 was not possible, "simply for this reason (quoting
the Times), that no person in the house except the very
few with whom such reform happens to be a crotchet or a
personal affair will bo able to attend five consecutive
minutes to the subject." On November 18, in criticising
the Roebuck Reform Manifesto, the Times observed " that
such a confluence of considerations suggests the postpone-
ment of parliamentary reform, that the difficulty lies not
in stating them, but in stating all of them, in doing justice
to their number and force, in not omitting some while we
mention others." The Times (continued his lordship)
then proceeded to point out the folly of postponing Indian
legislation in preference to parliamentary reform, and con
chided with a passionate appeal to reformers that Parlia-
mentary reform bad better wait even fur the sake of
parliamentary reform itself, so as to enable us to secure
an effectual settlement, instead of a corrupt bargain."
Now, he ( Lord Lennox) adopted those conclusions. When
Lord Derby left office in 1852 what did Mr. Richard Cob-
den say ? He said this:—

I think that the Conservative Government would give them a
better chance of reconstructing an honest party both in this
house and in the country. I look back with regret on the vote
which I pave on•the motion which changed Lord Derby's Go-
vernment. I regret the result c that motion, for it has cost
the country 100,000,000 of treasure, and between 20,000 and
30,000 good lives.
He only asked them not to be led away by prejudice. The
Government certainly was not composed of the great Whig
families, but such names as Disraeli, Henley, and Pa.
kington were associated with it, and, although they might
not be nobly connected, their names were honourably
known. They ought to give to Lord Derby's Government
a fair and impartial trial. Fair play was the right of every
Englishman, rich or poor. (Loud cheers.)

LORD OF THE TREASURY.
DUBLlN.—Colonel Taylor, a Lord of the Treasury,
was re elected for this county on Thursday without
opposition.

A MEETING OF VESTRY DELEGATES to consider
the great " Drainage Question " was held at the
London Coffee-house on Thursday. The general
tone of the meeting, as evinced by the resolutions
adopted, was in favour of a " cheap " and "nasty"
system of drainage. Mr. Warre, the chairman, was
of opinion that " the Legislature " should institute
" a general inquiry " into the subject. Mr. Brown
was of opinion that the drainage schemes proposed
were " of a doubtful character," and that a large ex-
penditure on drainage was "perfectly unnecessary"
to secure the health of the metropolis, which he
assured his hearers was "never better." Mr. Owen
was in favour of the sewers running into the Thames.
All that was needed was to carry them down to.low-
water mark. Mr. Freeth did not consider the pro-
posed scheme "at all necessary for sanitary pur-
poses." Mr. Preece thought the Thames water
" wholesome " ; he bad drank and enjoyed it for a
number of years ; and Dr. Barnes was decidedly
of opinion that of all senatorial sites the banks of
the Thames were the, best. "In cases of fever
patients got on remarkably well "; and as for foul
water and effluvium it was all a myth. He had little
doubt that in a short time " the drainage scheme "
would be " spoken of only in terms of condemna-
tion." A remarkable unanimity characterised the
proceedings of the meeting, which terminated by the
appointment of a committee to consider the best
/Nang by which the complete drainage of the
Inetropelia could be delayed.