The Press.
London, England, 1857-08-08 00:00:00

THE PRESS, AUGUST B, 1857.

he also foresaw the opposition they would encounter in their new
shape, the excesses to which they would lead, and the lament-
able schism into which many professors of them would be driven.
It has been said of him that he endeavoured to effect a compromise
where no compromise was possible. This we emphatically deny. It
was no compromise that the deceased Prelate recommended. To those
persons who never can distinguish between moderation and timidity
it may seem such. But a compromise, in the legitimate sense of the
ord, we are certain Dr. BLOMFIELD would have scorned. His aim was
to preserve the essentials of that creed which zealous and
honest Churchmen of the last century had judged it sufficient to
preserve—men who lived nearer to those days when controversy was
of vital importance, who had the points at issue between High and
Low Church brought thoroughly home to them, and who, differing alike
from TILLOTSON on the one hand, or Bishop KEN upon the other,
deemed that within the pale of the Established Church and within the
scope of her liturgy was to be found everything essential to salvation.
The deceased Bishop was averse to anything which tended to a re-
opening of this question, and he therefore was inclined to check the
fanciful researches of the Tractarians. But he was too staunch an
upholder of the Chuych of England to throw himself into the arms of
their opponents, and to the end of his career devoted himself to.
unfortunately, the fruitless task of inducing the clergy stare super via*
antiquas. His views, we are confident, were definite ; but the circum-
stances of the times and the exigencies of his position imparted a
show of uncertainty to his conduct which in reality was quite incon-
sistent with his character.

The snug little electioneering clique at the Reform Club has had
another place given to them by an appreciating Minister. Mr. JAMES
CorrocK has received the Treasurership of the Kent County Cour►ts.
Not long since Mr. BURCUAM got a police magistracy ; and in a short
time we suppose the whole clique will be provided for. Elec-
tioneering services are more valued by the pureminded Liberals than
aught else in the claims of their supporters. If a Liberal author, of
rank and name in letters, were to bring his pretensions into compe•
tition with those of Mr. COPPOCR, how Mr. HAYTER would laugh ! Mr.
COPPOCK has, certainly, laboured hard for his friends ; and, without the
least disrespect to those gentlemen, we think that mere electioneering
labours should be rewarded in some other way than by official posts.
We do not like to see precedents laid down for turning electioneering
into a regular profession.

The controversy between Mr. BERTOLACCI 9.11 d. the Council of the
Duchy of Lancaster is not satisfactorily cleared up by the committee
appointed to decide upon it. In the first place it is by no means
established that the Council had any right whatever to exclude him
from a seat at their board. The patent of appointment both of the
Chancellor and the Auditor is silent on the point; and invariable
usage has been in favour of Mr. BERTOLACCI'S claim. What authority,
then, resides in the other officers of the Duchy enabling them to create
an arbitrary precedent of this nature we have yet to learn. As to Mr.
BERTOLACCI'S fussiness and inquisitiveness, our opinion of these pecu-
liarities must be greatly modified by the knowledge that, ou Mr.
BERTOLACCI'S appointment, he was expressly informed that the office
was for the first time to be made " a working office." To officials
acquainted only with the old routine of sinecurism that might appear
fussy and inquisitive which to an able man of business would seem the
most ordinary behaviour in the world. We do not think it is at all
surprising, under these circumstances, that Mr. BERTOLACCI should
have pressed for the " production of documents differing in kind from
those they (the Council) were accustomed to produce." This is
exactly what we should have expected; and till more evidence be
forthcoming we shall accept the charges brought against Mr. BEaro-
LACCI by the Council with as much suspicion as we accept his own
against Lords GRANVILLE and NEWCASTLE. Mr. BERTOLACCI is known
as an able man and a skilful accountant. His accusers admit that he
is highminded and honest. If general ability, professional skill, high-
mindedness, honesty, and zeal will not qualify a man to be auditor of
the Duchy of Lancaster, we must say that that venerable institution
is particularly exorbitant in the good qualities of its servants, and that
it ought to be the best-managed property to be found in the four con-
tinents. If it is so, we have no more to say. But rumours to the con-
trary exist, together with a grave suspicion that, could all be known,
the Council would be found to have been straining at a gnat and
swallowing a camel.

The subjects in which candidates for commissions in her Majesty's
service are for the future to be examined have this week been pub-
lished, and will be found in detail in another portion of THE PRESS.
We do not object to them as excessive ; on the contrary, they seem to
hit the mean very fairly. But we rather wonder that the Commissioners
should have awarded so large a number of marks to classics—to Latin
alone 2,ooo—and yet not have included a certain acquaintance with
the latter language among the indispensable subjects. If classics are
worth three times as much as English, French, or History in the
voluntary examination, they must surely be worth something in the
compulsory. It cannot he denied that Latin is a very useful accom-
plishment, both to officers and civilians. Its connection with medicine