The Press.
London, England, 1857-02-07 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

both spoke immediately after the seconders of the Address in each
House, and to several of the most important statements of the noble
Earl, and of the Right Hon. Member for Bucks, approbation was
directly given, or strong similarity of sentiment confessed, by
distinguished representatives of powerful connections. Without the
least sophistication, or any partiality of assertion, we are fully
warranted in declaring that Earl GREY, Lord BROUGHAM, Lord JOHN
RUSSELL, Mr. GLADSTONE, and Mr. MILNER GinsoN more decidedly leaned
to the views of the chiefs of the Opposition than those of the Cabinet.
That simple fact is in itself most remarkable, and would of itself at
any time rivet attention ; but circumstances give it still greater
significance. Let our readers remark that in neither House of Parlia-
ment not one solitary Peer or Honourable Gentleman representing the
independent or unconnected interest expressed approval of the policy
of the Cabinet, either on Finance or Foreign Affairs. No country gentle-
man of social weight, no great merchart famous in " the City," no Peer
distinguished for knowledge of State affairs, supported her Majesty's
Ministers from the cross-benches. Such of the Ministers as did
speak made feeble reprisals to the universal disapprobation of their
policy. Lord CLARENDON floundered lamentably; the CHANCELLOR of
the EXCHEQUER completely broke down; Lord PALMERSTON was plea-
sant and evasive, and concluded amidst few and faint cheers from the
Treasury Benches ; while not a single Member of the Cabinet
attempted to reply to the elaborate and sidelong attack of Lord JOHN
RUSSELL in the Lower House. The Earl of DERBY described the
Queen's Speech as " vague, shadowy, and unsubstantial." He elo-
quently expressed his profound misgivings at the state of our foreign
relations, and drew attention to the critical character of the
present period. Alluding to the positive pledge that the Income
Tax should not be continued beyond 1860, " Now, I say,'
cried the Noble Earl, " that Parliament will not do its duty if it be,
" satisfied with less than the full bonit fide performance of that pledge,
and after a vigorous exposure of the evils of the Income Tax, Lord
DERBY called it one, " which if not limited to the purposes of war,
" would be dangerous to intrust to the hands of any Minister." The
House cheered the statement, and several other passages in the Noble
Earl's vigorous address obtained marked assent.. Those views of Lord
DERBY, who dwelt in detail upon the intermeddling policy of Lord
PALMERSTON, were corroborated by Earl GREY, who made a powerful
attack on the Oriental policy of the Cabinet. The venerable Lord
BROUGHAM also stated " that England had no more right to plant
" Parliamentary Governments all overlEurope, than France had in No-
" vember, 1792, to surround herself with republics." Like
Lord JOHN RUSSELL elsewhere, the Noble and Learned Lord
referred to the efforts against the Income Tax in 1816,
when Lord PALMERSTON (then also in office) defended it.
Lord DERBY'S speech, however, was the address of the night, and was
particularly skilful. It appeared to gain more than the usual atten-
tion which follows the efforts of the noble orator. Lord CLARENDON
did not even make an attempt to debate the various topics of Lord
DERBY'S speech, but confined himself to reading official papers about
Persia. The Noble Secretary for Foreign Affairs seemed to be talking
against time. In a lengthened address Lord CLARENDON is seen to
much disadvantage. His weak, faltering manner is painfully sugges-
tive of indecisiveness. It augurs badly for the Ministerial prospects
that the Cabinet is assailed by public opinion on questions where the
Treasury is weak in official aptitude—foreign policy and finance.
Elsewhere we have referred to the discussion in the House of Com-
mons. The Conservatives have certainly no reason for being dis-
satisfied with the Parliamentary proceedings on " the first night of
the session."

FORBEARANCE.
" Forbearanco " once the word implied

A bate of contravening
Humanity ; the Whigs decide
It bears a different meaning :
The sort of feeling Robert Lowe
Displays to corporations ;
The kindness Lewis loves to show
To o'ertaxed deputations ;

The gentle tone towards every foe
That Roebuck's leading grace is ;
That Hall and Horsman used to know
Before they got their places.
For though the term of old, we own,
No deed severe or hard meant,
It seems " Forbearance" now is shown
By slaughter and bombardment,

By those who plunge in war, nor take
The trouble to assign a
Cause for the ravages they mako
In poor bewildered China.
Yet, though it seems atrocious work
To those who view it rightly,
It isn't strange an Earl of Cork
Sould treat the matter lightly.

A RABELAISIAN PREMIER.

BEING ANOTHER CHAPTER IN THE VOYAGE OF THE GOOD
PANTAGRUEL AND HIS FRIENDS.
So, being led with much sweetness of courtesy through the island, and
marvelling at many sights therein, we came to a great hall, wherein
were assembled uotsble men, some of them of fooidaing aspect! some

smiling, some questioning, some wagering, some talking of ladies and
their dwellings, some asleep, and some, so please you, making fools of
themselves. There were hatters, and weavers, and blacksmiths (and
one told us there had been other kind of forgers), and lawyers, and
doctors, and mighty hunters, and drones, and bores, and rats, and
dinner-bells, and I know not what multifarious and incoherent entities,
which ever and anon one in a black robe did seek to reduce to order,
by loudly crying the same. "By my fackins," quoth Friar John, after
attentively considering them for a while, " I would as soon fish for
oysters with a fly line, as for wisdom in this company." " Nay," said
Pantagruel, " be still. We must not judge of things at the first sight or
appearance thereof, nor yet in the lump' for Dolus latet in genera-
libus."

After a while two gaudy and resplendent youths rose up and
addressed the company, saying, with many sweet and luscious words,
that their country was happy beyond all countries, and that the
administrators thereof were the wisest, honestest, discreetest, boldest,
truest, neatest, and altogether most exquisite that the world had
known. After which, from the other side of the hall of council, ono
did question this, saying, [that in his mind they had acted the
part of Janus, showing two faces in regard to a matter of treaty, and
that he was possessed of the proof thereof. Whereto the good Pan-
tagruel said, " This charge is a grave and grievous one, and must not
be lightly answered." To which, quoth Panurge, "Yonder is he who
shall answer it, and he is an old man, and will speak the words of
gravity." And the whole assembly bent itself to listen to the defence
which the venerable man should make, and there was silence. Then
said the venerable man, after that he had cut two or three capers, and
flung his hat in the face of a friend,
" How many horses has your father got in his stable? Three ;
black, white, and grey. Turn about three times and catch whom you
may. There was an old woman lived under a hill, and if she's not
gone she lives there still. Whack ! Of all the fly-catching, salaman-
dering, coney catching, filibustering, conchological, robustical and
salmagundiacal slopdoxologies I ever heard, this bangs Bannagher.
Who, where, when, which, why, whence, whither, and wobble ? Bosh,
et preterea There were two boys in one town, they both had but
one mother. God-bless-my-soul was one boy's name, and 0-dear-me
the other. These two good boys went out one day, the old red cow to
find, God-bless-my-soul got un in front, and 0-dear-me behind.
Whack! Si quis furetur per milling pendetur. Treaty, no, nor entreaty
neither, nor nothing of that kind whatsumdoever. Gossippy, gossippy
gander, whither will you wander, upstairs, downstairs, and in my
lady's chamber." Then, jumping upon the bench behind him, the
venerable man cut three more capers, kicked another friend in
the small of his back or so, and came down on his seat with a
lusty bang.
" Truly," said the good Pantagruel, " this method of reply to an
argument, albeit I do not think it is found in Macrobius, Titus Livius,
Junius, or Josephus, may be regarded curiously, and with the reverence
and respect which wo owe to all the manifestings of the divine goddess
Natura." "It was the custom," quoth Panurge, "of some heathenish
nation the name whereof I do not forget, because by the bones of St.
Barnabas I never knew the same, to send forth to their enemies
council the most vain and foolish among them, saying, that if they
were victorkus it was great gain, and if defeated it was no wonder.
This old man bad been a fitting ambassador for that nation." "By
your leave," said Epistemon, " there is more heart in this mystery,
and yonder idiotic display or performance was altogether a rehearsed
and prepared scene. The old man could have said something better
had he been so minded, but the charge against him ..vas true." ".By
the faith of a Christian," said Eudemon, " I do wonderfully dote and
enter in a great ecstacy when I consider the boldness of this man,
and that if the charge be hereafter held up, he is sunk into the abyss
of Tartarus." "By St. Bumptious," quoth the fiery Monk, "I do
behold more boldness still, and that is, by St. Gorgon. the boldness
of that asinine, eviscerated, and altogether subcontemptibilious
people who can leave their vessel in charge of a harlequin-pilot.
Veuite : potemus.

GOOD ADVICE.
Dr. Bowring should not meddle with anything.—Lord Ciareivlon, on Thursday.
It isn't by Bow•ring alone, ochone,
So sagacious a rule should be known, ochone ;
We should grow more contented
If violet-scented
Ver. Smith could let Herat alone, ochone.

Rob. Peel as a lecturer known, ochone,
Who is gamin, they say, and ivrogne, ochone ;
If he could but endure it, he
Might retain his obsurity,
By leaving his betters, alone, ochone.

Men with palates of natural tone, ochone,
Who port wine at a guinea have known, ochone,
Must desire Oliveira
(A bore of this era)
Would leave his weak claret alone, ochone.

Even Pam on his Treasury throne, ochone,
Who each session more jaunty Las grown, ochone,
Might be borne with some patience,
If he'd leave other nations
And the lore of Joe Dig aloz c, ochpue•