The Press.
London, England, 1857-06-06 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

SATURDAY,

and Currency;" from the declamation by Sir J. GRAHAM against the
"rival palaces" of the Duke of WELLINGTON and Sir ROBERT PEEL
(temp 1830) ; from his anti-Popery speeches (1834) ; from his anti-Whig
speeches in 1837; his Protectionist speeches in 1841, " with the
" dismal sound of the factory bell ;" the letter-opening defences
(1844) ; the " dark" attack on Recorder SHAW in 1840, and the Re-
corder's rejoinder ; and a few other " extracts," which could scarcely
come under the head of "elegant," although they had been spoken
in the House of Commons by the fashionable Mr. THOMAS DIJNCOMBE,
and the eloquent ex M.P. for Edinburgh, Mr. MACAULAY. The
Member for Coventry is by no means inapt at statistical calculations,
and he is as well qualified as anyone else to count the unlucky whirls
of the great Parliamentary teetotum, during his spinnings for forty
years. But the new Members got from Sir J. GRAHAM an excellent
lesson on Thursday night. The elocutionary merits of the speaker,
and the personal defects of the senator never rising into a leading
statesman, were strikingly exemplified in concocted harangue, de.
livered with off-hand ease by the most artificial of the debaters of
our time.

The scheme propounded by Lord ROBERT CECIL on Thursday last,
and supported by Sir FITZROY KELLY, for the abolition of personal
voting anti the substitution of signed papers, was well intended,
and would doubtless remove many of the evils which at present dis-
grace our elections. It seems to us that if the paper were required to
be signed in the presence of a certain number of witnesses, it would
obviate Lord STANLEY'S objection—that bribery would be facilitated
by the plan. No doubt an agent might come to a voter, and receive
the paper with one hand while he held out an equivalent in the other;
but what is to prevent a representative of the opposite party being
present as well? and why should not the voting-papers be attested by
both these persons before it becomes a legal document? At present
Lord ROBERT CECIL has withdrawn his motion for a select committee,
with the view of introducing a Bill upon the subject ; on which occa-
sion the question will, no doubt, receive full consideration, and the
opponents of the measure be enabled to state their objections with
greater copiousness of detail.

The anti-Jesuit outbreaks in Belgium have been long anticipated
in THE PRESS, and their probability has been frequently pointed out
in certain letters from Brussels. The antecedent facts that led to
this popular demonstration may be shortly set forth. In 1830 the
Belgian revolution was fomented and brought about by the Jesuits,
but it is well known that the Jesuit faction did not anticipate or intend
a Liberal form of Government, still less did they approve of the articles
of a constitution by which they were debarred from possessing cor-
porate property and from the means to accumulate wealth applicable
to secret and political purposes according to the custom of the order.
But the anti-Jesuit party carried their day, and in consequence, ever
since the establishment of the Belgian kingdom, the Jesuits have
been indefatigable in striving to emasculate the national consti-
tution. They first attempted to alter the mode of voting, by the
establishment of parish " colleges," whereby the provincial voters
would have been placed under subjection to the priest. They were
defeated. Next in order came the demand to possess the exclusive
privilege of education. Through the exertions of MM. FRERE ORGAN
and VERHAEOEN, the intent of their machinations was clearly set
forth, and their designs were somewhat ignominiously ignored. And
now they have pressed upon the Chamber of Representatives the
proposition for a so-called " free trade in charity." The real meaning
of these etablissemens de bienfaisance, is to empower persons at their
dying moments, in obedience to the priest, and under the assurance of
spiritual salvation, to leave their substance to the shriving confessor
for purposes of charity, otherwise, in strict parlance, for the foundation
and endowment of convents. Having a majority in the Chamber,
the Ultramontanes calculated upon ultimate and certain success. But
they did not bear in mind that the Roman Catholic population,
industrial and commercial, patriotic and constitutional, sincere
Roman Catholics, yet faithfully anti-Jesuit, would not consent to be
subservient to a sacerdotal tyranny that history and experience have
proved to he inimical to the most sacred interests of humanity. In
despite of entreaty, deaf to caution, and willing to jeopardise the
stability of Belgium as a kingdom, the Jesuits in the Chamber deter-
mined to hazard the adventure and to achieve their point. To this
course they were privately urged by the Austro-Papal camarilla at
Vienna, and the private secretary of the Pope, Abbe DE MERODE,
belonging to the most fanatical family in Belgium, came from Rome,
sub silentio, to marshal the forces and to encourage the attack. The
result is known. Belgium has been saved a second time by the
upright Monarch whom the Constitutional party, in opposition of the
Jesuits, elected to fill the throne. His prudence and sagacity have
been again made manifest when a factional section of his subjects
was designedly courting confusion and attempting to overthrow the
existing state of things. By the prorogation of the Chamber, the
Jesuit bill has been lost, and it will require even more audacity than
is possessed by the Jesuit order to introduce in the Belgian
House of Representatives a similar attack upon the constitution of
the country. It is well worthy of remark that these Jesuit and ultra-
montane malcontents are the self-same who on the first proclamation
of LAMARTISE declaratory of the annexation of Belgium to the French
Republic, one and indivisible, were disposed to accept the decree of
such annexation, and were prepared to abandon, and did abandon,
their King in that Feetige-republican emergency. Front thio

JUNE 6, 1857.

of jesuitry and pusillanimity the King of the BELGIANS and the
country were saved by the firm acid statesmanlike conduct of Lord
HOWARD DE WALDEN, acting as Minister in the name and on the behalf
of England.

The Duke of CLEVELAND'S speech on the new Reform Bill is an
additional proof, if such were wanted, that Conservatives can regard
the subject of Parliamentary Reform with as much confidence as the
Liberals. The interests of tho former were so injuriously affected by
the settlement of 1832, that it is almost impossible any fresh arrange-
ment could leave them worse than it found them. There are, indeed,
one or two observations which fell from the Noble Duke which,
though doubtless prompted by a liberal generosity, seem to be a little
at variance with those rights of which his Grace declared himself so
warm a supporter. The county franchise has always been admitted
to arise out of the ownership and cultivation of the soil ; the phrase
" landed interest " has now a recognised constitutional significance ;
and persons living in counties, but entirely unconnected with the land,
whatever their abstract rights to a voice in the election of representa-
tives in general, cannot claim the right of voting for the special repre-
sentatives of a class to which they do not belong. We sincerely hope
that in any reconstruction of our representative system this distinc-
tion will he steadily borne iu mind. if the landed interest is to pre-
serve its duo weight in the administration of the affairs of this country,
it must be by maintaining its representation unembarrassed and un-
distracted by the introduction of foreign elements. In the Noble
Duke's remarks upon the subject of 101. renters we fully concur ; and
the general tone of the meeting was such as to give great satisfaction
to the supporters of the Conservative interest.

The foundation of the Oxford Diocesan Spiritual Aid Society is a
fresh step towards strengthening and extending the usefulness of the
Church of England, and regaining for her that hold upon the minds
of the people which the rapid and disproportionate increase of the
population has during the bast century impaired. The building of
new churches, and the multiplication of district clergymen, are not
enough by themselves to meet the growing want. The clergy must
be above poverty if they are not to be below usefulness. And the
great majority must be married men if they are to fulfil the intention
of the English Church. All this of course renders their maintenance
a more expensive affair than it is in Roman Catholic countries. As
the Bishop of OXFORD said, " to maintain a set of men in religious
"houses would be far cheaper than to scatter Christian families over
" the land with all the healthful and purifying influence of domestic
" life." But the English people have learned to set a full value on
the influence of our married clergy, and of a system under which
every parsonage house in the kingdom becomes a little centre of hu-
manity and refinement. We fully agree with Mr. GLADSTONE, that to
provide funds for the improvement of pauper benefices, and the
endowment of new ones, is the step to be taken, and that additional
churches and priests without these will rather do harm than good.

The famous Persian Treaty has not satisfied the army cooped up
at Mohanimerah :

As far as I can learn (*rites the Times correspondent), Femuk Khan had consented
to much more than we have now obtained from Persia in his negotiations with Lord
Stratford de Redcliffe, and what has finally been agreed upon seems to be very much
below what we had imperatively demanded. All these concessions, moreover, have been
made subsequent to our successes over the Persian forces. We feel persuaded that,
though Sir James might not have insisted upon all the original demands, he ould
certainly have obtained something more than what has now satisfied the English
Ministry.

The army naturally feels that its labours have been in vain, and that
more might easily have been obtained by rational diplomacy than we
have now gained by force of arms. We fear that British diplomacy
at Paris was no match for Oriental shrewdness ; and that FEROUR
KHAN there quickly detected the insincerity of the British Govern-
ment in its exorbitant demands. So what he offered to concede at Con-
stantinople he refused to enter even upon the consideration of at
Paris, and finally obtained a treaty as creditable to his sagacity as it
was anything but a remarkable evidence of the astute skill, ability,
and experience of the Noble Earl her Majesty's representative at Paris.
It would, of course, be particularly unwise and improper at the
present moment to discuss the terms of this famous treaty now about
to be laid before Parliament, although it may appear very great
nonsense to say that a treaty which we are told is so soon to be made
public is a matter of secrecy; but we would venture to observe that, in
order to comprehend the nature of the treaty and the circumstances of
its conclusion in all their bearings, we feel a great desire for a little
further information than the bare text of the treaty can afford us.
Perhaps the Government, for the satisfaction of the public, may find
it convenient to publish Sir JAMES OUTRAM'S instructions, from which,
possibly, some further light may be thrown upon the affair, for we
might hope to gather what at least this distinguished officer's opinion
was of the nature of his instructions and of the object of the expedi-
tion The little bill for this little difficulty has not yet appeared. I►
Ivould be, perhaps, premature to anticipate how much the rejec-
tion at Constantinoplo of terms of peace which we accepted at Paris
have cost the country.

The Suez Canal scheme is being pushed with much vigour, but
we do not apprehend with much success ih this country. We have lee•
tures, and trle9tings, ae4 pamphlets, and publications, la support of

557

the scheme, and one of the small morning papers, the Star. seized with
poetic rhapsody, characterises the project as " a bulb irnbedde I in the
" rich eoil " of Frenchmen's imaginations, " ready to burst forth fresh
" and captivating as a tulip." This may be pretty and poetical, and a
fair introduction to what follows about the estranged waters
of the Mediterranean and Red Seas rushing into one another's arms,
and "kissing," as in days of old, to be " bound together," itc.,
but it is not practical. We quite believe that a canal can
be made, but the difficulties of construction are immense,
the expense under-estimated, and the nature of the traffic for which
such a Canal would be serviceable misunderstood. It would never be
available to British or American sailing ships, and the time for the
universal application of steam-power to merchant &lips is not yet
come. But. besides the mere pounds, shillings, and pence view of the
proposal, grave political considerations are involved. Is peace so
certain, so secure, that we may place India, with her exceptional form
of Government, and with all her passions and prejudices, within such
easy reach of Europe and European fleets and armies? On the whole,
we are disposed to believe that the real gist cf the question lies in the
adequacy or not of the railroad foe all purposes of traffic.

The Leeds election has resulted in the return of the Conservative
candidate, Mr. BEECROFT. The contest appears to have been close.
The vacancy caused by the death of Mr. HALL, the late Conservative
Member, will, we have no doubt, be ably filled by his present successor.
The election for Carmarthen shire is one so dependent upon purely
local influence, of which Mr. Peatt, a Liberal Conservative, would
seem to have acquired the lion's share, that his return is not impro-
bable, but there is just the chance of a contest, for Mr. LLOYD DAVIES
has announced his intention of offering himself also upon Conser-
vative principles.

The question asked on Thursday night by Sir J. TRELAWNY about
Church rates, and answered by Lord PALMERSTON in the affirmative,
cannot fail of causing grave disquietude among all friends of the
Church. It is not that such persons would be unwilling to subject the
whole question to careful and impartial revision, or that they would
deny the expeJiency of devising some final settlement. What they
would shrink from is the danger of bringing so important a subject
under the notice of the Legislature at a season when but few weeks
perhaps of the session remain ; when Members are wearied of busi-
ness, and when the Manchester Exhibition or the moors have claims
superior to legislation. A question of this nature, in which so large a
portion of the population are so deeply interested, ought to be
approached in a widely different spirit. What the terms of any final
settlement might be we cannot pretend to discuss. Those, indeed,
who contend that the abolition of church rates would but
place the Church in the same position theoretically which
she now occupies practically, we hold to be entirely in the
wrong. It may be true that few instances occur in which the
majority thrust a rate down the throats of the minority. But
that is only because in ninetrnine instances out of a hundred the
minority don't think of resisting it. But once remove the prescriptive
pressure which they now feel, and a widely different result would
ensue. At all events, whatever conclusions he arrived at, we sincerely
trust they will not be such as to abet the attempt of certain parties
to wriggle out of the obligations with which their property is charged,
and to evade the conditions about which there can he no more doubt
than of the right of a country gentleman to his estate.

There is much to be said in favour of Mr. HORSFALL'S motion for a
Special Committee to inquire into the feasibility of a better adaptation
of the " Board of Trade." Since its first establishment the Board has
undergone several changes, and the domestic revolutions in our
commercial life would seem to call for a new organisation. It cannot
be denied, also, that if some excellent appointments were at various
times made to this department, on the other hand some nominations
have occurred which seemed to show that the Board was not vitally
necessary for the better government of the trade of the country.
What, for example, did that brilliant orator, the late Mr.
SHELL (who was Vice President of the Board), know of
trade and commerce ? We could cite other appointments
equally out of character. The House of Commons, however, is not
likely to order any more special committees in the course of the pre-
sent short session. Much of the defence offered by Sir J GRAHAM and
Mr. LABOUCHERE was irrelevant, and did not touch the subject of the
debate. It is admitted on all hands that the Board has been of great
use to Governments as a consulting body. But still the Board might
be materially improved ; and in some respects its present constitution
does not secure for it as much commercial confidence as might be
expected for so important a department of Government.

The visit of his Royal Highness the Duke of CAMBRIDGE to Bir-
minghatn, for the purpose of being present at the opening of the Cal-
thorpe-park, will long be remembered with pleasure by the inhabitants
of that borough. His Royal Highness shows himself to be possessed
of all the aptitude for the conciliation of the public which pre•emi-
nently distinguished his family; and he speaks with a manliness and
soldier-like simplicity which at once wins upon his hearers. The oc-
casion itself was one that well deserved to be graced by the presence
of Royalty. The gift of some thirty acres of ground to be turned into
a park is worthy of the munificence of the olden time ; and we hope
Lori CALTHGRPE way reap the reward of his liberality by long living
io witness its beneficial effect upon the townspeople,