The Press.
London, England, 1858-10-02 00:00:00

said "he could tell" the House of Commons so and so, we see no neces-
sity for charging him with assuming airs of patronage towards the Lower
House; while the language both of Lord SANDON and Mr. Hurr proved
that his Lordship was not singular in his prediction of a great alarmist
movement among its Members in the next session of Parliament. As far
as expenditure is concerned we believe that a good Channel fleet afloat
and a well-disciplined militia on land is all that the country need charge
itself with. As long as the latter is embodied we have no fears on ic
subject of French invasion. As to the possibility of that event we are very
much of Mr. Hurr's opinion—that a successful war implies the existence of
a successful general, and that a successful general, &C. &c. Nevertheless, we
believe in the good old maxim of always treating an ally as if he might
one day be an enemy, and an enemy as if he might one day be an ally.
The rule is somewhat selfish and misanthropical, we grant, and one that in
a social sense we should not he the first to recommend. But in public
affairs the case is different, and the more sincerely we believe in the friend-
ship and wisdom of our Imperial ally, the less need we be afraid of giving
offence by adopting those measures which the experience of mankind forbids
us to consider as superfluous.

Turning our swords into ploughshares, we pass from war's alarms to
the smiling festivities of agriculture :

Porto mgricohe pierumque frnuntur,
3lntuaque inter se lseti convivia
All the meetings of the past week have been characterized by an air
of quiet contentment to which the late capital harvest has, no doubt, prin-
cipally contributed. At the same time we fancy that, if farmers were in
reality so prone to grumble as they have been represented, the extraordi-
nary dryness of the season would readily have supplied them with a topic.
The failure in grass and turnips, in many parts of the country, will cause a
considerable falling oft' in the value of live stock, which is not more than
compensated by other advantages. But the fact is, that the British farmer
rarely grumbles unless he has something to grumble at. It was never pre-
tended that the repeal of the Corn Laws would ruin British agriculture,
but that it would seriously injure, as it did, British agriculturists. What
was complained of a dozen years ago was that the change was effected with
so short notice that farmers had no time to accommodate themselves to it.
This was a real grievance, and amply justified the indignation that was
commonly expressed upon the subject. What unforeseen events may have
contributed to the more speedy righting of the agricultural interest atter
the shock inflicted upon it this is not the place to discuss. But the prospe-
rity of the farmer now, no more proves that his grievances were groundless
then, than the recovery of West India property at the present day proves
that the planters had no reason to cry out when reduced from opulence
to poverty by the Abolition Act. The exclusion of political topics on
these occasions accordingly renders the speeches rather briefer than they
used to be. Mr. PuLtEn, indeed, in Hertfordshire broke through the
rule, and even seemed as if he were trying to provoke Lord SALISBURY
into some Ministerial disclosures. If. that were hie intention, he failed.
The Noble Marquis was not to be caught. Curiosity respecting any new
Reform Bill that may be in contemplation is, of course, very natural, and
in nobody more so than in members of that party who had the good luck
to carry the old one. That it will be pleasing to them can perhaps hardly
be expected ; and so far, no doubt, Mr. PULLER did misunderstand Mr.
HENLEY'S observation that the new measure would be satisfactory to all
parties.
The address delivered by Lord SHAFTESBURY to his audience of
peasantry on Saturday last, and that of Lord STANLEY at Fishmongers%
hall, complete the number of these speeches which it has this week been
our duty to notice. The speech of the Noble Earl was characterized by
sound sense and philanthropy, and we sincerely trust that his hearers took
the lesson to heart. Drunkenness in the men and slovenliness in the
women are the two great evils of cottage life. The system of allotment
grounds, to which Lord SHAFTF.SBURY did not allude, has proved one power-
ful instrument in checking the former vice, while the excellent wages and
constant work spoken of by his Lordship, by putting it into the power of
the labourer's wife to pay some little regard to decencies as well
as necessaries, will enable his home to wear a more attractive
aspect than the public-house. We are glad that his Lordship
touched upon this point, because, among all the excellent
and kindhearted schemes propounded for the amelioration of the
labourer, it is too often forgotten that good and permanent wages are the
first necessary. To bid a man with eight shillings, or even ten shillings, a
week, and as many children to support, to be orderly,
respectful, and
take a pride in himself and his family, is a sad piece of mockery.-0 to
11
Lord STANLEY'S address we quote the following admirable article from the
Daily News, in which the genius of the son of the Prune Minister is
characterized in language so well chosen and so apposite that we kel we
could not improve upon it. We record with much satisfaction this testi-
mony both to the abilities of the New Indian Minister and to the purity
of the Government to which he belongs from the organ of a party which
sits on the Opposition benches, and we trust we may accept it as an earnest
of the spirit in which the policy of Government will be met in the ensuing
session of Parliament :
" Lord STANLEY, at the Fishmongers'-hall banquet, expressed the
belief—and we are quite ready to indulge the hope—that the transfer
which has taken place of the Indian Government from the East India
Company to the Executive of this country, may on the whole be produc
tive of benefit to India. As our readers are aware, we oppo.sed that
change, especially in the form under which it was at first proposed t"
the consideration of the Legislature. In the progress of the nieasure.
through Parliament it experienced many important modifications; gild
we are quite free to admit that, if the time had indeed come when the
transfer of power from the hands which had so long wisely and success-
fully wielded it, could no longer be postponed, that transfer, m the shape
it finally assumed, was effected in the manner least liable to serious objet-
, Lion. Every new scheme of government depends mainly for its success