The Press.
London, England, 1854-06-03 00:00:00

506

strengthen itself by carrying good measures.
Lord Jous, we presume, reckons it among the
merits of the Government to which he is
attached that it prefers to keep those seats
unappropriated, rather than aekaowledge the
justice of its predecettor's propNsiii.,
The only defence he could *take to Aka
charge pressed ovals* him—tme kf conseftt
tii
ing to serve u der Lord ABVIEEEN he had
broken up the - .4. party—wan, itibit he hall
consulted Lor4 ANSDOWNE and 11r. NASAULAt.
Of all people in the world, Mr. MACACrLAY ! a
man whom he had excluded from his late
Government--,possessing no influence, no con-
nection, ho &Rowing, and accustomed Id rti-,
ceive his political ideas with implicit deference
from the Whig chiefs who honour him with
their patronage.
During the autumn of 1852, after the general
election, when there was some uncertainty as
to the parliamentary following Lord DERBY'S
'Government might be able to command, the
Duke of BEl:smith was unceasing in his efforts
to consttnct the Coalition. $o early as Octo-
ber it was known in well-informed circles
that Lord JOHN had consented to serve under
Lord Ascot:maw, and that Lord PALMERSTON,
while positively refusing to serve under Lord
JOHN, had not refused to serve with him. In
November most of the offices were allotted,
and Lord Jour; had consented to take the
Foreign Department, though at that time the
Radicals were excluded from the project. His
part its the Coalition was well conned before
the eallhey's voice summoned him to the
stage ; and his pretended hesitation could
'have been but a trick to save appearances. A
-Titan of hetteftis should know how to take care
'of his reputation without the advice of friends.
He proposestlo take office under Lord ABER-
, DERN, whom. he had hitherto opposed and
distrusted, and to throw over the party which
'relied on .his fidelity ; and he was quite sa-
tisfied when Mr. MACAULAY assured him, "You
" will incur a great responsibility if yon don't."
His disinterestedness, we are told, is estab-
lished by his consenting to serve without office
or salary. It is not true that Mr. DISRAELI
ever accused him of sordid motives. Not an
allusion of the kind was ever made—not a hint
dropped which would justify such a construc-
tion. Ambition may be petty and mischievous,
though not grovelling. Lord Jona Russzu. is
greedy of power, not for its pelf, but for its
distinction. We all know that he,
" se a high-souled Minister of State, is
Renowned for ruining Great Britain gratis."
But his ambition must be of a strange kind if
he can be satisfied with his present position.
He serves under LordAszaDEEN without office,
without usefulness, and without confidence,
and manifests his patriotism by helping to
keep together an incapable Ministry which has
no other title to continuance than that it has
involved us in a great continental war, on
the policy and the conduct of which its coun-
cils are divided.

INDIAN SCANDALS.
IT is not without serious misgivings that we
read from time to time in the accounts from
India of occurrences which are symptomatic of
the existerree of widely-spread corruption in
Anglo-Indian society. The Batoda scandals
are fresh in public recollection, whilst only a
few months ago a young official was dismissed
!br endeavouring to secure promotion by the
offbr of a bribe of 3001. By the last mail we
bear that the colonel of a regiment has been
cashiered, and that five of his officers are
under trial on charges which, if proved, will
involve the fbrfeiture of their commissions.
'the -nbay army is to " tried
4. brother

t One officer of the Bombay army is to be tried
for• stealing a ring from a brother officer at
R
mess ; and an ex-" political " is a defaulter
THE pn D
, amount of 130,0001. If so much cor-
-,, ...•44i ~. .••• ton is brought to light, how much more
IC sit ..14:.N siV-•-;; ' • rk unseen?
I k r .
.0.4. ~ : . .:: - ••• r 1 - count for the low moral tone and the
11,• ... 414 •,',. '. , ation of Indian society is easy. The
''' 6- - . ''' 4'.:"Rri ting climate produces lassitude, and
..... ~• 7, _ • 7i,..._11
‘4,
„,,t; F_ -f: ....to to luxury. The dominant race are
ilh,
~„. " 4 . . number and widely scattered, and their
n 4f 11 ,1 *-- s • •
' • Oft are -uncontrolled, either by the dread
' I.* prying neighboutit or the authority of asp.-