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

7SB

anything he might desire to learn ; and the union between himself and
the Noble Lord, whose combative powers were proverbial, would
remind the world of-
140rd GRANVILLE : Castor and Pollux?
Lord PALMERSTON then gave the Whips, with congratulations on the
sinecure they had enjoyed this session.
Lord MULORAVE said that was a great mistake. But for the terrific
exertions of himself and his friend Hayter, the Government would
have been in far more disgraceful minorities, Lots of membere were
perfectly savage at the severity of the whipping this year. They were
dragged from dinner.
Lord PALMERSTON : Just so ; but, if every man got his desert, few
would escape whipping. (Applause.)
The Duke of ARGYLL then proposed the health of the Home Secre
tary, their chairman, and hoped that he would never be missing from
the circle he then saw around him. His Lordship's value to them was
too well known to make it necessary for him to add more. (Great
applause.)
Lord PALMERSTON said that he was sure they were very good :
he had a great personal regard for a good many of them, and he bad
done his best for them upon several occasions If they made his task
too onerous hereafter, he was sure that they would do so with the best
intentions, and would give him credit for the same in declining it.
However, vaticination was out of place—he begged pardon—absit omen
—was unsuited to a dinner-table, and he would conclude with a senti-
ment which he believed was rather popular in low society—
Mr Lowx : In mine? Eh? What is it? Eh? What?
Lord PALMERSTON : In inferior society, he meant.—" May we
often meet ; more numerous, but never less respectable. Cheers.)
After a few more toasts, the party broke up4having done full honour
to the brown bread and whitebait, the time-honoured symbols of the
loaves and Fishes of place.

-

GUIDE TO GOVERNMENT SITUATIONS.
" Wsicrto.—A few active young men to serve the Crown; pay, liberal ; promotion, rapid;
&c."—Placards at Whitehall.
Though the glory of play seems in pensive decay,
And shaking the elbow e'en Cockburn decries,—
Though the Guards every one may to Varna have gone,
And squires and collegians grown suddenly wise,—
Yet cheer up, each hack, though your legs may be black;
Old tricks in new places you'll try them again ;
You can read on each wall that surroundeth Whitehall
That the Government's seeking for " active young men."
All playmen of spirit wliose genius and merit
Are sunk 'neath the pressure of debts and of duns,
When pigeons are scarce, and Dame Fortune averse
To the cleverest tricks of her luckiest sons,—
When hope may seem dead on the black and the red,
And the bones won't turn up as you wish them—what then ?
The darker the night you're the nearer to light ;
Coalitions are anxious for " active young men."
Your books may be queer, and your settling appear
But a misty look out for a promise to pay ;
Yet our foresight we pledge, if you know how to hedge,
You're the men for the game that the Ministers play.
And if at "the Corner" each desolate mourner
Who booked you for hundreds looks wistfully, when
They, in whisperings low, say " the rascal won't show,"
Be cheerful—Newcastle wants " active young men."

SATURDAY,

Ye lawyers so smart, who, except in your art
(Where you seldom are troubled with pleading or brief),
Every craft understand, and by sleight o' the hand
Can make hostile burghers vote plump for your chief,
From sky-parlours descend, and to Downing-street wend,
To less fortunate spiders bequeathing each den.
Newcastle demands little lore at your hands ;
All the Government want is some " active young men."
Each 0' and each Mac who your blood reckon back
To the uncle of Adam, for office prepare ;
Put your modesty by, in the lottery try
What pickings of plunder may fall to your share.
Be it well understood that your memory is good,
And gets never involved in obscurity s fen,
And see at a crush that you swear without blush,
For such are most needed as " active young men."

Draw a Liston-ish face, tell " ajoe " with a race,
Ne'er wait for twice asking to joke or to sing.
Who shall say but your fate may the funds of the Stake,
All in time, to your patriot custody bring?
And if you should find stingy friends disinclined
To put to your sheaves of stamp'd paper a pen,
Scorn the cowardly elves—you can write them yourselves,
And display, in escaping, you're " active young men."

Oh! ne'er was there seen before sage Aberdeen
The true mode of sharing the gifts of the Crown ;
Which the dullest must own, kills two birds with one stone,
And in filling the offices purges the town.
Objectors have said 'tis a farce to be led
By a sage who complains he is threescore and ten,
But who need be told, though the chiefs be so old,
They can tell how to seek for most " active young men" ?

CAPTURE OF THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA.

(FROM THE " TIMES'S " OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
Under the guns of Cronstadt,
Thursday Evening, teatime.
I REASSERT that the Emperor is positively taken, but not by Lord
LICHFIELD and his friend : the captor is Mr. WALKER, of London, who
in his yacht, called " The Twopenny Postman," went so near the
"suspicious-looking craft" that he saw the. Emperor shaving at one of
the cabin-windows, and heard him distinctly curse the English cutlery.'
The undaunted WALKER thereupon laid himself alongside, and politely
requested the captain to surrender, but that miscreant knocked WALKER
down, who thereupon took off his coat and offered to fight him for five
pounds. The Russian, however, not having his money ready, de-
clined to fight; and, in the meantime, seeing several other vessels—
amongst others, that of your correspondent--approaching, he attempted
to sheer off. But WALKER, having by this attempt been swung astern,
seized NICHOLAS by the moustache, and pulled him through the cabin-
window on to the quarter-deck of the " Twopenny Postman," where
he now lies awaiting the orders of Lord ABERDEEN. WALKER con-
fidently expects that the balance which might have been expended in
the war will ba handed over to him, but he declines to take Mr. GLAD-
STONE'S bill at four years.

Mr. T. DUNCOMBE heavily censured the members
of the Government who, approving of the ballot,
were not present to support his motion ; and
Sir F. KELLY gave notice that in the ensuing ses-
sion he should ask leave to bring in a bill to enable
electors to give their votes by means of written decla-
rations.
The house then adjourned until twelve this day
(Saturday).

DEATH OF THE KING OF SAXONY.
A telegraphic despatch received from Munich
conveys the melancholy intelligence that the carriage
of the King of Saxony was overturned at Brenbuchel,
situated between Munich and Dresden, and that his
Majesty was killed by a kick from one of the horses:
The deceased Monarch was a son of Duke Maxi-
milian (who was born in 1759, and died in 1838). His
Majesty was born on the 18th of May, 1798, and suc-
ceeded, in June, 1836, by virtue of the act of renun-
ciation of his father, to his uncle, King Anthony,
having been co-regent from the 13th of September,
1830, to the period of his accession. The King of
Saxony visited England in May, 1844, and was a gliest
of her Majesty at the period of the Emperor of Russia's
unexpected arrival in London. The two Monarchs met
at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, and
were together present at the Ascot race meeting of
thatsyear. The King, although twice married, has
left no issue by either consort. His Majesty is suc-
ceeded by his brother, the Duke' John Nipomucene
Marie Joseph, who married in 1822 the Duchess
Amelie Auguste, daughter of the late King Maximi-
lian Joseph of Bavaria (sister of the present Queen
Dowager of Saxony), by whom he has a family of

AUGUST 12, 1854.

eight children. The present King is very much de-
voted to literature.

In Spain Queen Christina seems placed in a very
critical situation. She is most desirous of leaving
Madrid, but the population will not allow her to
escape until she shall have been put on her trial for
several alleged offences. The Junta have approved
of this determination; and Espartero has acceded to
the request that she shall not quit the capital until
the Cortes have given their decision upon the ques-
tion. She has made two attempts to depart, but each
time failed; and had she fallen into the hands of the
populace it is feared that she would have met with a
violent death. The charges against the Queen
Mother are that she has given evil advice to her
daughter, and been guilty of peculation and other
corrupt practices.