The Press.
London, England, 1856-05-10 00:00:00

THE WEEK.

THE debates in both Houses on the Peace this week, thougn not with-
out good points, have been languid, from a general indisposition to
criticise tho details of an accomplished fact. The Peace is made.
Turkey, on the European side, at least, is secured from Russian
aggression, as fast as she can be secured by Treaty, and thus a great
end, long felt to be desirable by European statesmen, is accomplished.
With more leisure the part taken by the Plenipotentiaries of
England at the Conferences will be criticised more closely, and a feel-
ing of bitter dissatisfaction will spring up in the public mind. It is
remarkable that the neglects and faults of this settlement are wanton
faults and neglects—that they might have been avoided by ordinary dis-
cretion and firmness on the part of our Plenipotentiaries. Nothing,
for example, was wanted to check Russian conquest in the Caucasus
but the neutralisation of the east coast of the Black Sea, which it
would have been impossible for Russia to have refused if firmly
pressed; while, as regards the Belgian press, and the maritime decla-
ration, the English Plenipotentiaries might fairly have declined to
enter on those subjects at all. How can any general alteration of the
maritime law be attempted in the absence of so great a maritime Power
as America ?

While at Constantinople, a deputation from Circassia, alarmed
by a report that peace has been established without mention of
Circhssia, though ignorant that the right of Russia to their terri-
tory has been acknowledged, is invoking the protection of Turkey, the
Ministers of Sardinia are appealing to the Chambers to support them
in the appeal they contemplate to France and England against
Austrian occupation in Italy and in favour of Italian reforms. What
answer will be given to this appeal? Would it be made unless Sar-
dinia had received some kind of hint that the part she has taken in
the war wall.' be remembered to her advantage ?

It will be remembered that the opposition offered to the Foreign
Enlistment Bill was grounded upon the assertion that the number of
men required could be more readily and less expensively raised in
England. Lord PALMERSTON, in his speech on Thursday night, calling
attention to the zeal of the Militia, said :

Ten of the militia regiments volunteered for foreign service, and their offer was
accepted by the Government, and no less than thirty-seven other militia regiments made a
similar offer, but the Government was of opinion that their services abroad would not be
'squired.

Truth will out at last. If the services of thirty-seven regiments of
militia were not required abroad, where was the necessity of raising at
a vast expense a Foreign Legion, which has never yet been employed
on active service, and to which we are requested to " behave hand-
somely," for the honour of the English name, now that the time for
paying off has arrived,? It is a significant fact that militia troops have
been ordered to mount guard over the German Jagers now in mutiny
at Plymouth.

The confidence felt in the stability of Government, from its large
majority on the Kars question, has worn off. It is now felt that the
political situation is unchanged. The majority was hollow. The
Morning Post—the Premier's own organ—proclaims him to the country
as a Conservative Minister ; but a Conservative Minister, professing
adherence to a Liberal policy, and relying for support on all shades of
Liberal opinion, cannot be in a secure position. There must be false-
hood on both sides—on the part of the Minister to keep his place,
on the part of his supporters to receive his patronage.

In the Court of Exchequer, yesterday, the principle for which the
eminent Queen's Counsel, Mr SLADE, has manfully contended, was
affirmed by the unanimous judgment of the court. It is lawful to pay
a voter's travelling expenses to the poll. If it is lawful for a candidate
to convey a voter to the poll in a cab,—why not in a railway carriage ?
We congratulate Mr. SLADE on this triumph of his cause and of
o )mmon sense.

Colonel TuLtoen has completely broken down under the hard work
both mental and physical, of the Chelsea inquiry. No one can fail to
sympathise with the gallant officer who has succumbed in the per-
formance of a most arduous and disagreeable duty. But we cannot
help asking the question —Does not this teach us to be merciful to
others? The gnawing anxiety suffered by officers high in command in
the Crimean campaign must, we think, have been at least equal to that
by which Colonel TuLLocti has been recently prostrated. Here is evi-
dence brought home to ourselves, under our own eyes, of a man not
supposed to be less vigorous than others of his own time of life, who
has proved incapable of sustaining' the burden ofj a jndicial
in iuiry, with all the comforts of home ready to refresh
his strength, and with a responsibility on his shoulders
at all events not greater than that endured by our Crimean
generals. Let this thct teach the British public a little soft-
heartedness. It may be said we should have sent out younger men ;
but this is a question which does not admit of any off-hand decision—
DANDoLo and RADETSIT stare us in the face. Again we say, let us
remember the terrific wear and tear to which the men who commanded
our armies were subjected under peculiar circumstances which are by
no means common to all wars, and not be too hard on the short-
comings for which possibly physical weakness is alone answerable.

Without attempting to anticipate the nature of the CHANCELLOR of
the EXCHEQUER'S Budget, we are now in a condition to form a guess as
to the kind of balance-sheet he will have to present. It is certain
there will be a considerable deficiency to be made up, even should it
be decided to continue the whole of the war expenses ; and taking the
revised estimates as they stand we do not see how it will be possible
for the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER to do with less than a loan
of at least 10,000,0001. The calculation is easily made. The