The Press.
London, England, 1854-08-12 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

AUGUST 12, 1854.

COALITION CANDOUR.

" It strikes one as rather strange and unaccountable that there should be so little accord be-
tween Ministers in one House and in the other. • • • There has, to be sure, been a great deal
of candour this session—of that candour which none can show so well as the members of one
Cabinet, and so we presume the candour of this proceeding is only a proper requital for the
candour displayed on several other occasions."—Tiptes, Tuesday, August 8, 1854.

" Save, oh save, me from the candid friend!"

So candour's the phrase in these delicate days
When sharp accusations are bandied ;
And if statesmen consort one another to thwart
And discredit, they're perfectly candid.
Some persons might think it was slander.
Oh no ! It's reciprocal candour.
All the way round
Scandals abound
In the name of reciprocal candour.

If their bills are all lost, and they're one and all cross'd,
Till none can tell what he shall drive at,
And they all have recourse, as a matter of course,
To abusing each other in private,
Some persons might think it was slander.
Oh no ! It's reciprocal candour.
All the way round
Scandals abound
In the name of reciprocal candour.

Of his Premier and head a subordinate said,
At the close of a noted discussion,
Though he fain would deny what his words must imply,
" Aberdeen is less English than Russian."
Some persons might think it was slander.
Oh no ! It' reciprocal candour.
All the way round
Scandals abound

In the name of reciprocal candour.

When the same person swears the contempt which he bears
For his Papist allies is immense,
While Keogh declares that John's Protestant airs
Are only a sham and pretence,
Some persons might think it was slander.
Oh no ! It's reciprocal candour.
All the way round
Scandals abound
In the name of reciprocal candour.

When his colleagues say Wood is of no earthly good,
Or that Graham will speak in a wrong key,
That Osborne's a rough, or Molesworth a muff,
Or Argyll a ridiculous donkey,
Some persons might think it was slander.
Oh no ! It's reciprocal candour.
All the way round
Scandals abound
In the name of reciprocal candour.

When Pam they accuse of " incendiary " views
On our national institutions,
And he gaily remarks that Peel's former clerks
Are a handful of " Lilliputians,"
Some persons might think it was slander.
Oh no ! It's reciprocal candour.
All the way round
Scandals abound
In the name of reciprocal candour.

When even Lowe sobs over Newcastle's jobs,
As threatening colonial disruption,
And Hayter observes that his own steady nerves
Are appalled at St. Gladstone's corruption,
Some persons might think it was slander.
Oh no ! It's reciprocal candour.
All the way round
Scandals abound
In the name of reciprocal candour.

When O'Flaherty, Lawley, and Co.,
Come as whets to the whitebait collation,
And Britons and Teagues reproach their colleagues
With reciprocal degradation,
Some persons might think it was slander.
Oh no ! It's reciprocal candour.
All the way round
Scandals abound
In the name of reciprocal candour.

A STOCK-EXCHANGE SAINT.

Quoth Lawley, iu grief, to his sanctified chief,
" Dear Gladstone, how little devotion avails!
To Stock-Exchange barter I'm sinking a martyr,
So pray canonize me, St. Francis of Sales !"

THE WHITEBAIT DINNER.

(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)

757

THE usual Ministerial whitebait dinner, which announces the close
of the session, took place at Greenwich on Wednesday. All the
Ministers were present, with the unimportant exceptions of the
Premier, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the First Lord of the
Admiralty, and the Attorney General. Lord Palmerston took the
chair, and for the first time was " supported" by two of his colleagues,
Lord John Russell being on his right, and the Duke of Newcastle
on his left. He was opposed, as usual, by Sir William Molesworth.
Mr. Wilson was kind enough to attend to the hats, and ticket them.
The dinner did credit to Mr. Mainquarter's establishment.
The usual loyal toasts having been disposed of,
Lord PALMERSTON said that they must not forget their absent
friends, and he proposed the healths of Lord Aberdeen, Mr. Gladstone,
Sir James Graham, and Sir Alexander Cockburn. He had no doubt
that very sufficing reasons kept them away that day. Lord Aberdeen,
he knew, had never been quite well since the attack on the Crimea
had been announced, Mr. Gladstone had probably been upset by the
Lawley and O'Flaherty disclosures, Sir James Graham was possibly
suffering under affliction at the ldches of his protege in the Black Sea,
who let the Russians do as they please there, and Sir Alexander
Cockburn very likely did not consider the sitting down among a
batch of unlucky colleagues as much in the light of a " refresher "
after his labours. But he was sure that there amid be nu doubt as
to the degree of esteem in which every one present held the four
subjects of the toast (it was, said his Lordship in an under tone, a case
of Le Diable a Quatre), and therefore he would give, with all the
honours, their absent friends, and ask Sir W. Moleswortb, as the most
absent man among them, to return thanks.
Sir W. MOLESWORTH, in reply, recited an exceedingly neat essay
on the origin of governments, and their gradual adaptation to social
purposes ; and entered into an elaborate comparison of the various
forms of administration which have obtained in modern Europe.
Lord PALMERSTON then begged to propose the Leader of the
House of Commons, and assured him of' his sincere sympathy for the
unexampled humiliations Lord .1. Russell had sustained during the
past session. He strongly recommended him to take a coronet while
he could ; for stormy times were coming, and the House cf Lords was
a snug harbour of refuge. At the same he, himself, should always be
happy to act as a breakwater, as he had done this session, provided
he could take that course consistently with his sense of duty.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that he had found from history that
many great men had met with misfortunes, and therefore he should
not repine. He could not avail himself of his Noble Friend's advice,
because—he said it in all sincerity—he did not believe that the House
of Commons could go on satisfactorily without his guidance. Who,
if he departed, would there be to indicate the purposes of Providence,
and so keep the divisions right? The session had been disastrous,
but he was reminded of the title of a dramatic work by one of the
greatest writers who ever lived—he alluded to Shakspeare—who had
said that all was well that ended well. They had kept office. (Loud
cheering.) And they were safe until February. (Renewed cheering.)
Lord PALMERSTON said that in the absence of Mr. Gladstone he
would propose another eloquent and lucid Budgeteer—Sir Charles
Wood. He had not had the advantage of hearing the Hon. Baronet's
masterly address on Indian finance on Tuesday, but those who had
been there—a jury of twelve he believed—declared that they never
heard anything like it.
Sir CHARLES WOOD said that India was a large subject,—he meant
that the subjects there were very large—large in number, of course,
he meant, though, indeed, he believed that some of them were very large
men. (Laughter) So that ho was right after all. (Cheers.) He had had
the honour of bringing forward the first Indian budget, and hoped to
bring forward many more, for it was really very little trouble, the
clerks arranged his papers in bundles neatly, and gave him a list
of references, so that his speech was, he might say, cut and dry.
Lord PALMERSTON had glanced at the reports. It was obviously
cut most liberally, and was particularly dry. (Laughter.) He would
next propose " Success to the War," and couple with the toast the
name of the new Secretary of State.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE said that he had not much to say ; but he
hoped that by the time the war was over, or indeed sooner, if it
should be protracted many years, he should begin to see his way a
little ; but he assured his hearers that the bother of being expected to
make speeches and understand details too was something appalling.
He took his ducal title from Newcastle-under-Lyne ; but he began to be
sadly afraid he was Newcastle-out-of-his-Line. (Applause.)
Lord PALMERSTON then proposed the health of Mr. Wilson. He did
so the more cordially because in Parliament they were as much opposed
as their relative positions would allow. Mr. Wilson certainly talked
sheer nonsense, but then he talked a great deal of it, and quantity
made up for quality. And, in further proof of his feelings towards
that gentleman, his Lordship would mention that he had ordered a
very fine proof of Landseer's "Dignity and Impudence" to be framed
and sent to Mr. Wilson, as a small token of respect and esteem.
Mr. WILsoN said that he accepted that proof—and was ready to
accept any other proof of the regard of his superiors—with gratitude.
If he had been so unhappy as to differ with Lord Palmerston, it was
only because the latter had been educated at a period when nothing
was understood ; and those who were instructed in the enlighten 4 d
principles of the present day must make allowances for their prede-
cessors. He should be happy to give the Noble Lord lessons in