The Express.
London, England, 1864-06-17 00:00:00

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LONDON, FRIDAY, JUNB 17.

" I sat not a member of the Conference, and
" all I know is, that it is adjourned till Saturday,"
was the answer of Lord PALmmtirrox to a question
put to him in the House of Commons last evening.
This reply ought to quell the dissatisfaction of any
whose over-inquisitiveness has made them impa-
tient of the scantiness of public information con-
cerning the Conference. Lord Pai.mitacron knows
no more about the matter than if he were a clergy-
man in the country, instead of being the soul of
the Government. He knew last night what every
newspaper reader knew yesterday morning, and no
more. The wonder is that be knew so much, see-
ing that, as he explained the other day, he does
not read the newspapers. And if he is con-
tent to know so little, how vain and idle, how
truly reprehensible, must be the unofficial curiosity
which is always asking for more. It is true the
question may be asked—if Lord PiLmassrox does
not know what our bankers and merchants are so
anxious to learn, does not know whether the work
of the Conference is advancing steadily and slowly
to a safe conclusion, or is likely to break up in
utter helplessness—who is in chr-ge of our
affairs ?

The House of Commons laughed at the illus-
trious know-nothing, and in that laughter Lord
ROBERT CECIL may see the fate of any movement
which his party may make as long as the Danish
question remains undecided. Certainly, in this
case the pleasure of being cheated is not
small. The House of Commons, curious as it can
be at times, does not want the knowledge that
brings responsibility. It laughs when the Head of
the Government declares he is ignorant of the
most important political fact of the day; laughs, not
simply as a man might laugh who should see at
the window the muter whom the servant has de-
clared to be not at home, but with the super-
added satisfaction of one who has escaped • bore.
The House may well love • Minister who so
cheerfully relieves it of heavy responsibilities
which it desires to evade, and the laughter which
expresses its profoundest satisfaction ought not to
be confounded with the ebullition of a light and
frivolous temper. When the country is com-
mitted irrevocably to a course,when either our ally
and protege is destroyed or England is at war, then
no doubt the House will rise to the level of the
occasion, and be grave, statesmanlike, eloquent.
And yet, if not for its own sake, for the sake of
those whom it represents, it may be wished that it
were the habit of the PREMIER to deal more faith-
fully with the House of Commons. The temper
of that House will always be to a great extent what
its leaders make it, but its obligations cannot be
relaxed by the indulgence of • Minister. The en-
gagements which the Government of the day con-
tracts with foreign Powers in the name of the
country are matters of the highest concern, and the
functions of the Grand Council of the nation
cannot be in any measure trarsferreci to
a Conference, or its rights be impaired by
the agreements or disagreements of a knot of
foreign diplomatists. Perhaps Lord Pausagerosi
was not called last night to make a for mal and
solemn statement on a casual question put by an
opponent. But if he had thought proper to be
candid with the representatives of the nation, there
is no ground to believe that he would not have
been met in a reasonable spirit. It would, no
doubt, have been disappointing to the House to be
told that the QtEEN's Government, after having
proposed a certain division of Sleswig, in
which the Danish Government had brought
itself with much difficulty to acquiesce,
bad subsequently thought it right, in
the endeavour to appease the Germans, to propose
another line of division much leas advantageous to
Denmark, and that the necessity of referring this
proposition to the Government most concerned
had caused delays and postponements. On the
whole, there is a strong disposition in the House of
Commons, which in this respect at least represents
the country, to make every allowance for the diffi-
cult situation in which the QUEEN'S Government is
placed. It is only necessary to glance at the
foreign, and especially the French semi-official
papers, to perceive that Lords PALMERSTON and
RES,ELL have more to consider than simply how
German ambition may be checked. But the obsta-
cles with which Ministers have to contend are known
to the world, and the elements of national policy
are discussed by the newspapers, and it is not
fitting that the House of Commons, which has
spent so much time upon foreign affsirs for which
it is not answerable, should remain a silent spec•
tattle of transactions deeply concerning the honour
of England, and reserve for itself nothing but the
right of approving or condemning an arrangement
that has become complete and irrevocable.

THE Horse or CONDON'S AND ENE CHARITY COM-
mi4musEss.—The following members rated in the minority
last night with Mr. Permed on behalf of the appointment
of a *elect committee to inquire Into the construction,
expense, and working of the Board of Charity Commie-
stoners :—Meters. H. J. BMllie, W. H. Barrow, G. S. Bee-
croft, Sir G. Bowyer, Maseru R. Brooke, 8. Cave, Sir B. J•
Clifton, Col. Dunne, Mr. C. G. Do Pea, Sir J. D. Elphin-
stone, Sir J. Fergitsson, Sir W. A. Framer, Whiteout Gal-
way, Messrs. J. George, S.C. Getty, C. D. Griffith, Sir E
Grreran. Sir J. C. Hay, Means. W. H. Marshy, D. Jams,
F. W. Knight, Major S. Knox, Mr. N. P. Leader, Sir B.
Leighton, Lord H. G. Lennox, Col. Lowther, Lord J.
Manners, Messrs. T. J. Miller. G. J. Noel, C. W. Pack.