The Press.
London, England, 1858-04-03 00:00:00

THE WEEK.

A FEW further diplomatic appointments have just been made, in all of
which Lord MALMESBURT has had reference both to seniority in the
service, and to proved ability; and the effect of which will doubtless
be both to encourage merit and to increase the efficiency of the diplo-
matic corps.

Mr. GORDON, her Majesty's Minister to the Swiss Confederation, is
appointed Minister to the Court of Hanover.
Captain the Hon. E. J. HARRIS, lately Chargé d'Affaires to the
Republic of Chili, is appointed Minister to the Swiss Confederation.
The Hon. HENRY GEORGE ELLIOT, now Secretary of Legation at
Vienna, is appointed Minister to the Court of Denmark.
Mr. Omits, now Secretary of Legation at Copenhagen, is appointed
Charge d'Affaires to the Republic of Bolivia.
Mr. Lowman, late Secretary of Legation at Naples, is appointed
Secretary at St. Petersburgh. .

Mr. PAGET, now Secretary of Legation at Lisbon, is appointed in
the same capacity at Berlin.
Mr. HEnRIES, now Secretary of Legation at Berne, to be Secretary
at Lisbon.

Mr. Hums BURNLEY, Paid Attaché to the Legation at St. Peters-
burgh, is appointed Secretary of Legation at Berne.
Mr. MANLEY, Paid Attaché to the Legation at Athens, to be Seore-
tar y of Legation at Copenhagen.

Mr. GIBBS, Tutor to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, is
appointed a C 8., third class, Civil Service.

The Duke of MAIAKAFF, who has taken a mansion in Belgrave-
square. is expected to arrive in town about the 12th of the present
month.

The anxiety of certain " Liberal" organs to disparage Lord STAN-
LEY, is a strong proof of their regret that the Liberals do not boast of
any rising young statesmen, from whom the world has high expecta-
tions. It may be worth while, therefore, to make a few obt•ervations
upon the position of Lord STANLEY at the present time. Born to a
great station, heir to an ancient earldom and a princely estate, Lord
STANLEY has worked as hard to acquire knowledge, and to perfect his
mental discipline, as if he were dependent on his own personal exer
tion. He has read deeply and widely; he has travelled in many lauds
not visited by tourists in search of pleasure ; he has sojourned for a
prolonged period in the West Indies and the South American colonies;
and he came back from the East Indies to accept the Under-Secretaryship
for Foreign Affairs. On questions of trade, finance, colonies, and social
progress, Lord STANLEY has repeatedly spoken with closeness of know-
ledge and exactness of detail; and on all these occasions the Noble
Secretary for the Colonies has shown a rare faculty for applying the
principles of political science to social facts, and exhibited an amount
of attainment which would have done honour to politicians of thrice
his length of service in the House of Commons. In estimating
the degree of hope which may be fairly entertained of Lord
STANLEY'S future career, we should recollect that his nature is pecu-
liarly one to be greatly improved by experience. To come into
office too young is in some respects a disadvantage to an Eng-
lish statesman. Sir ROBERT Perr., probably, suffered from his being
"rocked and cradled in official life." Too early an immurement in the
routine of a department necessarily cramps the growth of the moral
faculty, and renders a statesman's vision feeble in discerning princi-
ples. It is easier to make a mind already expanded converge closely
upon details, than to enlarge an understanding narrowed by a long
apprenticeship to the desk of office. In former periods the country
suffered severely from falling into the hands of official for-
malists, who were educated in a sort of idolatry of routine.
Like most minds of independent power, Lord STANLEY undoubtedly
is apt to think a good deal for himself, but no Minister can put
together a Cabinet in which minute conformity of opinion on all pos-
sible subjects is to he expected from its members. In the many
Ministries in which Lord PALMERSTON served, did the Noble Viscount
cry " ditto "to his various colleagues? Had not Lord JOHN RUSSELL,
also, many marked views on religious subjects, which distinguished
him broadly horn several of his political associates? In the last
Cabinet were not Lord HARROWBY, Sir GEORGE GREY, and Mr. BAINES
at each corner of a political triangle? Or could any Ministry be now
formed from the chiefs of the Liberals in which there would not be a
far greater discordance ou general views than is assumed to exist
between the Noble Secretary for the Colonies and his colleagues? The
truth is, that the factious adherents of the late Ministry are extremely
mortified at Lord STANLEY having accepted the office of Secretary for
the Colonies. In that appointment they perceive that a pledge is
given to the country in favour of social progress In Ho other depart-
ment of the State can a Minister do so much to promot, social ad-
vancement as in the colonies. Trade and commerce in every variety
of form link the colonies with England. New and strong growths of
the Anglo-Saxon family are springing up in all parts of our wide
.3olontal dominion. Their welfare and prosperity exercise the most
beneficial influence on the home community, and primarily the %ell-
beingof the colonies depends chiefly on the regulations for trade and
shipping, and for the tariffs of foreign and British merchandise being
adapted to their special wants. There are always many local ques-