The Press.
London, England, 1858-12-18 00:00:00

1286 THE PRESS, DECEMBER 18, 1858.

THE WEEK.

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his loss of character was sufficient punishment. IC however, he was merely
a weak but well-intentioned meddler, his character is nut lost. If he wail
anything else, he is not sufficiently punished.

The case of the Duke of BEAUFORT V. WEATHERLY, and WEaTimiti.y
v. the Duke of BEAuEoier, ought to gladden the heart of Mr. Harem.
Here is a plain proof that the people are not, as has been alleged by a
hireling press, insensible to the insolence of a tyrannic aristocracy. Here
at length has been found a champion to throw down his glove to the
proud oppressor—a gallant cavalier who allowed himself to he unhorsed
rather than stain his escutcheon by an apology. These are the kind cf
men Mr. Bittour is in search of to swell his slender retinue. All honour
to WEATHERLY ! But what shall we say of the Columbine to this accom-
plished clown ? What words can express our admiration at that
union of literary eloquence, and moral grandeur, which characterize
his masterly epistle to the infamous aristocrat ! "It appears," says he,
" that your Grace, while engaged in an amusement, the precise nature of
" which I am acquainted with personally "—how considerate of Columbine
to relieve the public curiosity by this interesting avowal !—" thought proper
"to strike my client by propelling bludgeons at his person." Quite the
gentleman, Columbine, and far above the vulgarity of such a phrase as
throwing sticks. "It would almost seem," continues our arbiter elegantiarum,
" that the sport in which your Grace was engaged was more becoming an
" apprentice than a peer of the realm." We presume that Columbine's
evenings must at one time have been spent as master of the ceremonies
at Caldwell's, as we know not where else lie could have learned to decide
with such promptitude upon the social proprieties. From the concluding
sentence of the same paragraph, to the effect " that if his Grace chooses
so to beguile his time " he must conduct himself according, or else that the
law will reach him as well as a poor man, we should conjecture that
Columbine's mornings have been passed a good deal in the company of the
noble Judge who presided at the trial. It is very unfortunate, however,
that all this dignity, and—well, we were going to add a substantive that
would have recalled to our reader's minds a celebrated picture of LAND-
SEER'S, but we abstain, as it would have been inconsistent with our former
observations—should on this occasion have been thrown away. For the fact
is that the Duke of BEAUFORT was in this instance the victim to class
exclusiveness, and not the agent of it. The Brighton racecourse is
managed on the principle that pedestrians have no business there, and that
if they come they must make up their minds to be ridden down. Acting
on this manly and liberal-minded system, Mr. WEATHERLY made straight
at the snob who was amusing himself at the ignoble game of Aunt Sally,
intending to teach the wretched plebeian to make room for his betters. His
surprise and disgust at finding the common fellow turn again may be well
imagined. llis consternation at discovering the real state of affairs was
probably surpassed by his hatred of the person who had placed him in so
ridiculous a position. Hence the recourse to Columbine, the immortal
letter from that luminary, and the damages of 1001. which an enlightened
British jury, eager to vindicate themselves from Mr. BRIGHT's aspersions,.
have awarded as plaisters for the bludgeons propelled against the person of
the plaintiff.

The Committee on Army Clothing, which commenced its sittings
many months ago in a committee-room in the House of Commons, thence
migrated to Weedon, and from that station to Woolwich, finally completed
its sittings at the Tower of London, on Wednesday last. Public interest
has throughout been pretty evenly divided between the disclosures of the
witnesses and the conduct of the Commissioners themselves. On the whole,
perhaps, it may be said that the facts elicited have not been such as mate-
terially to shake our confidence in the existing system of manage-
ment. When the whole of the evidence has been thrown together in
the form of a Blue-book, we shall be better able to judge of its signifi-
cance. But, read from day to day, it has not left any strong impression
upon our minds to the disadvantage of the authorities. Some jobbery has
been detected ; but, on the whole, we think less than might have been
anticipated. At IVeedon, no doubt, the bad example of a superior
officer had led to a laxity less observable elsewhere ; at Woolwich
certain timber transactions still require to be explained ; and, since
the transference of the inquiry to the Tower, contradictory
statements have been made by various individuals relative to the em-
ployment of douceurs, which we could desire to have cleared up. W c
arc bound, however, to add that in our opinion the commissioners have
appeared to less advantage than they might have done throughout. Their
demeanour has not been marked by that dignity and repose which ought
to characterize all persons intrusted with the discharge of such grave
public duties. On the last occalion of their meeting there was something
pitiful in Mr. TußNEles complaint about the War-office, and ill-disguised
jealousy of his colleague. However, they have finished their labours, and
we can only now thank them for the trouble they have undergone for the
public good.

Tractent fabrilia fubri. When Sir CHARLES 'NAPIER (or we might
almost say any one of his family) devotes the talents he possesses to the
elucidation of subjects with which he is practically acquainted, we are
always happy to listen to him. At the Society of Arts, on Wednesday
last, Sir Ciimu.Es, after a paper by Mr. E. .T. HEED on ship-building,
adverted to the state of the Channel fleet. He praised the alacrity of the
present Government, who had got nearly six sail of the line, but recom-
mended that they should be made up to ten. After going through a
variety of details, and showing how, if proper precautions Were
10311teAll We might, gt small additional expense, have thirty