The Express.
London, England, 1855-02-26 00:00:00

LORD JOHN RUSSELL.

THERE is nothing but tribulation and dismay at
BROOKES'S. The exultation with which the news of
the final secession of the Aberdeenites was received
has already given way to misgivings as to the ability
of the exclusive Whip to form a Government by
themselves. Even their hitherto impenetrable self-
conceit is beginning to be pierced by uneasy sus-
picions that the country may not estimate their
talents quite so highly as they do themselves, or their
integrity as they would wish it to do. At any less
anxious crisis of the nation's fate it would be laugh-
able to note the humiliating eagernens with which
they now seek to anchor their last hopes on
Lord Joins Rusann—the man of whom not
half-a-dozen of the initiated of that Dom Daniel
could be got last week to speak in terms of common
decency. After taking a day to deliberate, Lord
Jose Brunt, replied to the overtures sent after
him to Paris by consenting to accept. a seat in the
ParatititsTort Cabinet, but insisted upon being allowed
to go on and discharge his mission at Vienna. But
this is not enough. His presence and countenance
are wanted by the " residuary Whigs;" and, unless
we are much misinformed, a Government messenger
was despatched on Saturday evening, to catch his
lordship at Berlin, with an urgent entreaty that he
would return immediately.—Daily Yew..

LORD HARDINGE AND THE COMMITTEE
OF INQUIRY.

Wrznour in the least interfering with the command
of the troops in the Crimea, or affecting in any way our
military operations, the Committee is to inquire into
"the conduct of those departments of the government
whose duty it has been to administer to the wants of the
army." This is not aimed at any individual, it is not a
personal attack of any kind, but an inquiry into
several departments, of which the conduct has been
loudly, whether justly or not, complained of.
Where the inquiry may begin it is not for
us to say ; but the chief department which
has to minister to the wants of the army is that of
the General Commanding-in-Chief. It is his business
—and the business of the Adjutant-General and the

Quartermuter-General, both tinder him—to take care
that all the regiments are complete, all the officers at
their posts, proper and efficient officers appointed, and
to know that officers and men are all properly pro-
vided with all the materials and instruments of war.
The General Commanding-in-Chief is the head of the
whole army ; he is on the spot; he could immediately
go before the Committee, and give it all kinds of in-
formation—not of what is to be done, but of what has
been done, to administer to the wants of the army
sent out from England. Au examination of Lord
HARDINGE may at once take place, greatly to the
advantage of the public service.
Lord HARDING; too, should demand such an
investigation, and spontaneously offer explana-
tions. He is publicly accused of inefficiency
in his office. We have already more than ono.
asserted that he is responsible for the condition of
the army. A pamphlet, called " The One Thing
Needful," says, "Lord HANDINOE was selected as the
succemsor to the Duke of WELLINGTON. He had
done well at the Ordnance, had discovered the
wretched state of our artillery, and had diligently
raised that arm of the service from utter dilapidation
to a very great efficiency. He had a high reputation
for talent, both military and administrative. The
appointment promised energy and efficiency. No
one then surmised—or had, we believe, any reason to
surmise—that Lord HARDINGEI3 administration at the
Horse Guards would be distinguished as a time of
feebleness ant:favouritism unprecedented, and, latterly,
for an amount of incompetency of which we will not
speak severely, because wales, it is but too real."
The writer calls on the Ministers to remove kiss; let
him first be heard. He is openly and boldly seemed;
let him defend himself before he be punishsti.
Facts, indeed--the condition and the fate d tie army
—tell terribly against him. He is a man of Mittel's-
meter and standing; let him be called helm tie OR-
mittek that he may vindicate himself in the fess of
the ea/firing and outraged nation. He im said to have
dons well " at the Ordnance," and to have restored it
to "efficiency." If this were so, how ease our
troops to be so inefficiently armed? How OM. OW