The Press.
London, England, 1856-05-24 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

forty Whigs to withstand his Radical sup-
porters! The fact is equally disgraceful to
both sections of the_ Liberals. What is the
Liberal r.‘,- our' time but a hypocritical
coalition ucL,Wieri etipercilious oligarchy of
haughty families, who monopolise the great
of of St*te, oh the one side, and an
anomalous eollertion of. greedy Radical place-
hunters, or platform politicians hunting lb,
dsurt distinalloaa? The Daily News says *it
such a state of otohs 1M " intolerable." ut
the Premier and Mtt HaktEa know the " In-
dependent Liberal* better than the Daily
News. The Liberals are practical only in their
systematic pursuit of place. It is a butt, that
for one Conservative M.P. who quits Parlia-
mentary life for the sake of a salaried office
there are at least four Liberals. " Birds of
passage " flock in great numbers to the
Liberals. So that the "families" have a
monopoly of Ministerial office, they do not
care what "cries" are kept up by the Radicals.
Salary cures one noisy democrat of his Par-
liamentary tetanus. A hint about a future
peerage with a romantic sound lulls the spas-
modic patriotism of a new baronet, who im-
plores lords to dine with him, and longs that
his shaking of hands with vestrymen could be
done in secret, like "Ballot " A secretaryship
makes an " Orator Mum " of some empty chat-
terbox. talking speeches made of exhumed
jokes from forgotten farces and scraps from
Liberal newspapers. Gaugerships, clerkships,
and "situations under Government," given in
profusion to new politicians who like to ape
the parts of patrons, stop the brawling tongues
of provincial politicians with M.P. after their
names.

In the meanwhile, the country at large is
utterly deceived by the notion that the Libe
rals are in office. The Whig oligarchy is in
power, and it trusts to Tory votes for stopping
Radicalism. The Whig-Radical party may be
seen in two representative types—the " Fox
Club," and the " Mary lebone Vestry." Each
despises the other, but they use one another.
The first gets power by means of the last ; and
the last gets lots of places by means of the
first.

This is a hypocritical system of politics. A
haughty clique with a salaried platform, and
organised " cries," is the only policy of Whig
Radicalism. Recollect the popular "cries " of
the last twenty years, and eee what became of
them. " Down with the Church," soon died
out. "No bishops in the House of Lords "
is heard no more. " Reform of the Upper
House " is never whispered about. " Trien-
nial Parliaments" has fared like Chartism,
and so many other shibboleths. The Conser-
vatives have preserved the Constitution.
They struggled for Queen, Lords, and Com-
mons, and they saved the country from revo-
lution in obedience to " cries."

We believe that the country is getting sick of
the obvious hypocrisy cf this system of Whig-
Radicalism. That system gives no vigorous
statesmen. It produces tribunes with one
favorite question, but it does not rear illus-
trious orators, and it leaves the practical rule
of England in the hands of an hereditary clique.
Will a system that produces no genius give
the country a good Education Bill ? Is
Army Reform likely to be realised under such
varnished jobbery ? Are practical measures
to be expected under• such organised impos-
ture? These are questions that the fact of
Lord PALMERSTON as Premier answers in the
negative.

THE BENJAMIN-BAND AGITATION.
LORD CHATHAM in the early part of his political
life had a peculiar reason for remaining
attached to an Administration of which he
disapproved. He conceived that he could
damage the Ministry more by retaining his
office than by throwing it up. In this respect
—certainly in no other—Sir BENJAMIN HALL
resembles the " terrible Cornet of horse." He
determines to sit on the Treasury Bench in
Parliament and to head the Opposition out of
doors. The Premier may have his vote, but
the people shall have his voice.

There was no call for Sunday music when
the Right Honourable Baronet introduced the

SATURDAY
..-- $

practice last year. No one asked for the band
*ale were con-
afforded by
L the green
below—and
tied long be-
nch no one
'er may be
1, as to their
rblic-houses
Ire been the
tion, much
pi BENJAMIN HALL
has the very questionable merit of being the
first Minister who ever thougl4.-4f courting
popularity by such means.
No doubt the experiment was attended with
success, if judged by the multitude of persons
the music collected. Whether the kind of, re-
laxation best fitted for the six-day workers is
to be found in such crowds is another que-
tion. We are inclined to think that the mind
as well as the body needs repose on the seventh
day rather than excitement, and that when a
Government provides the people with parks
and gardens for healthful and quiet recreation
it does all that can be required from it. One
excellent purpose of the day of rest is cer-
tainly lost when it affords. no leisure for re-
flection, as no life can be healthful from which
reflection is banished. It is to the mind what
pleasant exercise is to the body.
The Government having decided that the
experiment had succeeded last year. deter-
mined on its extension this season. In addi-
tion to the band in Kensington-gardens, other
bands were provided for the Regent's park and
the Victoria-park. The Premier approved all
that was done, and the increasing numbers of
people who flocked to these musical enter-
tainments were noticed as the best answer
that could be given to those who objected to
the practice. On Sunday, the 11th of May,
upwards of 238,000 persons were attracted by
the three bands.

It is probable that when the novelty had
worn off the numbers would have declined.
Variety is essential to amusement. The people
would have tired of crowds, noise, and heat,
and would have sought for some quieter and
fresher recreation. But the Government
having stimulated the movement to its height,
would not v,ait for the reaction which was
sure to set in. The Premier's public approval
of the practice was suddenly followed by his
order for its suppression As if for the pur-
pose of exciting discontent, he takes care to
let it Ire known that his own opinion remains
unchanged, but that he is compelled to defer
to the religious sentiment of the country.
The first effect of his order, with its accom-
panying avowal, is of course to raise a howl
against the " Sabbatarians," as all persons are
termed who conscientiously disapprove of
Sunday amusements. Among the rabble of
the metropolis a prejudice is raised against
religion itself; piety is denominated bigotry;
and people who go to church are branded as
fanatics.

As the Premier gives it out that he has been
compelled against his own judgment and
feelings to respect the Sunday, the inference
is unavoidable, that if a sufficient amount of
pressure be exerted on the other side, he will
change again. Accordingly a regular " Sunday-
band agitation " is commenced ; metropolitan
meetings are held ; and a grand open-air
demonstration is announced for Sunday next.
The most curious part of the story is to
come. The agitation is headed by Sir 13Es-
JAMIN HALL. As a member of the Government,
he thinks it not inconsistent with his duty to
stimulate a movement which is expressly in-
tended-to overpower the religious sense of the
country, and to make the Prime Minister yield
to popular clamour. Can anything possibly
be more indecent or more dangerous ?
have great faith in the good sense of the
people of the metropolis, but we would much
rather not accustom them to mob-demon-
strations.

The agitation is at preset proceeding in so
flourishing a manner that we should not be at
all surprised if Sir BENJAMIN HAI.L had his
way. He either has an excellent understand
ing with the Premier, or he thinks he is tk o
strung fur him Lord P - ALMERSTON having
spoken in one sense and acted in another, is

in liensington.gardens. The peopl(
tent with the natural enjoyments a
the Parks"—with heat air, with
shade above and Me green Sward I)
any Cipternment shauld 'tine hesitat
fore they sanctiodael a libvelty wld
tho ght of ,d mudding. Whateve
sal in litkroui of Biiiiday ihtusementB,
to nor to lebo "to* from put
an so ibiih, it Ni* !War heretofore
par al our Governinent to sancti
less to provide, them. Sir BMA

MAY 24, 1856.

probably indifferent which way the question i
decided. He leaves the parties to " fight it
out," and looks smiling on, while a member o
his Government is raising the populace to dis-
pute an order obtained from him, as he admits,
by a strong expression of the religious sense
of the nation.