The Press.
London, England, 1854-11-11 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

SATURDAY,

that not " all great Neptune's ocean " can cleanse it from them.
Why, Lord ABERDEEN would have been positively helpless in thu
Cabinet, and the war would have been, perhaps, averted alto-
gether, but most certainly shorn of its present power for mis-
chief, had he not been supported, in and out of Parliament,
in his miserable dawdling by the " peace, peace, when there
is no peace," of the Manchester maunderers. When the Yankee
Quaker, who makes advances upon Southern Stock, and, in
due time, " sells up" the planter, is innocent of the traffic in
slaves (the " stock" aforesaid), which he periodically accurses on the
platform, then Mr. BRIGHT and the peace prophets will be innocent of
the war, and not before. As Mr. BRIGHT craves notoriety, why
shouldn't he turn martyr? We propose the question in all friendli-
ness. We always understood it was against a Quaker's " conscience "
to pay a war tax. Conveniently enough, the very preamble of the act
that doubles our income tax alleges the war as the cause of it. Fiat
experitnentum in an pose viii. Mr. BRIGHT in the pillory for refusing to
support the war would be an excellent subject for Punch !
In connection with Manchester, Mr. BRIGHT'S Greek friends have
been experimenting upon English patience a little too far. One of
them wrote " Blessings, blessings !" in the Manchester Exchange
under the telegraphic message of LIPRANDI'S assault on the allied lines ;
another, it is said, means to " keep open house " when the siege of
Sebastopol is raised. If so, let the man pray to all his gods, saints,
pictures, and paraphernalia that it may be taken; for if it is not, and
he carries out his intention, his house will be "open" to a far greater
extent than ho imagines ; and he will be likely to furnish " entertain-
ment," in more senses than he is aware of, to a very miscellaneous
assemblage of visitors.

Amongst home topics we are glad to see that our authorities are
bestirring themselves to enforce the provisions of the Smoke
Prevention Act. Several informations have been laid during the
week, and the offenders fined, with a threat of greater severity being
exercised if the law be not complied with. This is as it should be.
London has long been poisoned with exhalations from sewer and
chimney ; and, as the latter nuisance certainly is preventible, the pro.
visions of the act should in every instance be rigidly observed. As
for the chivalrous Home Secretary's crusade against smoke of another
kind, we much doubt whether it will be attended with equal success.
Fancy Lord PALMERSTON laying a bill on the table of the House to
prevent the consumption of tobacco ! Lord CLARENDON would resent
the measure as a personal insult, and on financial grounds what, would
Mr. GLADSTONE say

The usual explosion of pyrotechnic " Protestantism" has just taken
place, with more than its usual damage to life and property. At St.
George's-in-the-East, a firework-maker has had his house blown up,
three of his children burnt to a cinder in bed, and his wife, with two
others, are reported to have since died at the hospital. At Kirkstall
the beautiful Abbey ruins (the favourite holiday stroll of the Leeds
artisans) have nearly been destroyed, fireworks having ignited the dry
ivy that clusters round them. At Exeter, if we remember rightly, a
year or two ago there was a riot on the occasion, and the town got on
fire; Oxford and Cambridge contribute annually a traditional amount
of broken heads to the glories of the day. As a mere matter of pru-
dence, among our thickly-peopled homes and quickly excited passions,
it is surely time this mischievous nonsense was stopped ; and little
boys (of whatever age) taught to find more rational objects of interest
than Guy Fawkes.

Tho safe return of Captain COLLINSON with his ship to Port Clarence
will probably have the effect of terminating for a long time to come
the prosecution of arctic discovery, at all events by such expeditions
as have heretofore been sent forth The land expeditions proposed to
bo despatched to the Great Fish River and to Mackenzie River, will,
however, no doubt be sent out, with every aid that can contribute to
their efficiency. By crossing from the American continent to King
William's Island, and thence travelling north, it is highly probable
that the lost ships, or some traces of them, would be discovered.
In the latest reports from California, we notice that mention is
made of serious disputes having for the last two years existed between
Captain COLLINSON and his officers, the first lieutenant having been
under arrest for upwards of two years and a half.

The Spanish Government have returned a decided negative to
the demand of our Ambassador, that " the slave trade should be de-
clared piracy," alleging as their reason that such a declaration would
materially increase the discontent existing among the Cuban slave
proprietors. This is letting the cat out of the bag. The slave trade
is prohibited throughout the Spanish dominions, and why should the
proposed measure excite discontent among the Cuban proprietors if
the illegal traffic were not extensively carried on?

COALITION SMOKE.
Bow-SrnEET.—David Mitchell Aird, the printer of the Econmnist newspaper, appeared
before Mr. Jardine to answer a summons issued by the direction of Lord Palmerston, and charging
him with having failed to comply with the provisions of the new act for the prevention of the
smoke nuisance in London Mr. Bodkin, considering who was connected with the journal
printed there, had no doubt the nuisance would be prevented.—Times, Nov. 4, 1854.
The Coalition consume their smoke !
No ! no! says Wilson, that's no joke ;
If they don't, sass Pam., beyond a doubt,
The Coalition must bo put out. X.