The Press.
London, England, 1854-10-14 00:00:00

• ,
li'l P R • .

He seeks some borough; from &fares dire Shock
As slyly saved as famous Tavistock ;
Slobbers each voter's babe and bribes his wife,
Then comes " the happiest moment of his life."
Up, in the House, he gets. Thoy cough him down.
A foolscap seems his hoped-for civic crown.
The Press and Parliament, untired, he bores,
In all debates his stream of words he pours.
Till, like Apollyon, " Dissolution" come,
And strike for aye the self-made statesman dumb.

33.

391.

Yet not for these the art I sing began.
It rose to stay man's enmity to man,
To teach, while Labour claitns its guerdon due,
Worth, Honour, ancient blood, demand it too.
With gentle hand the needful rein to bold,
Nor bow to Ignorance, nor worship Gold,
To point the truth out fitthera long preserved,—
" Where all are masters none can e'er be served."
To care that work is not to slavery brought,
In Freedom's name that Licence is not wrought,
These are the lawful ends; and this the plan
To show to kings the art to govern man.§

•• Difficilis, querulus, laudator terliporis acti
Se puero censor, castigatorque ininoruni.
+ Graiis ingenium, Graiis dedit ore rotund.)
Musa loquii praetes laudem nullius avaris.
Romani pueri longis rationihus assem
I)iscunt in partes centum Mtwara-
-3$ Et vitas monstrata via est; et gratis regum
Pieriis tentata moths;

-•- r
thittithAt,

Then, as old age comes slowly creeping on,**
He tells how he to " listening senates" shone,
What mighty measures floated through his head,
Till Church and Tories trembled as they read.
Such are the "peoples friends " that broad sheets laud,
Such " conscript fathers " still the mob applkud!
•
Those bygone days we well with pride may namee
When statesmen's avarice was alone for fame,.
And each his country's safest path would show,
In phrase of fire like Athens long ago.
Now 'mid our rulers all such fire is lost,
Our Greek's quite modern—how to count the cost,::
St. John in vain with classsie wit might speak,
In vain might Prior venture puns in Greek,
Where Lowe and Wilson's endless figures roll,
•
And Cardwell sums " the tottle o' %.he whole.'4
Would you the Treasury benches hope to grace,
Or bask like Greville in a well-paid place,
Prove that we're sure to meet all Gladstone's bills,
Each unproductive tax the Exchequer fills:
In heaps of figures see you are ne'er at fault,
To prove that safety lies in taxing malt,
That every deficit's a profit been,
By such fair arts you rise to serve a Queen.

plates, the rest being some miles off, in the direction of
Sebastopol. The inhabitants, who at first had left their
houses, are gradually retailing. Several of the transports
carrying the siege guns have already been towed in and are
discharging.
Respecting the position, fetrce, and intentions of
the Russians, there is nothing but guess work to
guide us. It is rumoured that the greater portion of
their army shut itself up in Sebastopol, we ere a
complete!. disorganisation and. panic prvailed.
Prince Menschikoff, with a body of 20,000 men,
alone remained outside the wails of the fortress.
Advices from Odessa to the 7th state that his right
wing was at Rakchi Serai, his left wing at Alushta,
his centre at Simferopol, where reinforcements from
Perekop will concentrate. 15,000 infantry, 8,000
cavalry, and thirty guns are stated to have already
joined him from Kertch, Kaffir., and Perekop.
Twenty thousand men were expected to join Prince
Menschikoff from Anapa. General Osten Sackers
had been at Petokop since the fled, anal is awaiting
the arrival of reinforcements from Odessa, to ad-
vance into the Crimea to the assistance of Prince
Menschikoff. It does not seem probable that he will
be enabled to do so before the middle of the month.
The following Russian official despatch was pub-
lished in St. Petersburg on the 11th
" Pothing fresh had occurred before Sebastopol up
to the oth. Prince Menschikoff still retained his old
position on the north side."
It is thought probable that the Russians would
blow up the town and all the fortifications of Sebas-
topol as soon as the besiegers had effected a prac-
ticable breach. The deserters say that there are
mines prepared everywhere.
After the death of Marshal St. Arnaud, Lotd
Raglan became commanderinchief of the allied
armies, and took his seat as president of the council
of war. General Cattrohert succeeded to the com-
mand of the French forces:

OCTOBER 14, 1854.

ptlanL

A LETTER FROM LORD JOHN RUSSELL on the sub-
ject of religious education in Ireland has been re-
ceived by the Dublin Protestant Publication Com-
mittee in reply to an address sent by that association
to his lordship. Lord John thus expresses his
views :

" Filey, September 26.
" Sir,—l had the honour of receiving some time ago an
address of the committee of the Protestant Publication
Society of Dublin.
" My support of the British and Foreign School Society
has been publicly given as a member of that society.
" My support of the national system of education in
Ireland, as introduced by Lord Derby, has been also pub-
licly defended by me as a Minister and a member of Par-
liament.
" In supporting both systems I have endeavoured to pro-
mote education in a manner that was practicable. The
great majority of the people of England are content to read
the Bible in the authorised version, and accept that version
as a true exposition of the word of God.
" This is unhappily nut the case in Ireland, and hence
has arisen the system of the National Board, which, since
its establishment by Lord Derby, has done great good, and
will, I trust, by the blessing of God, diffuse still more
widely than it has hitherto done very useful, although very
imperfect, instruction. " J. RUSSELL."
AT THE PRIVY Couricrr. held on Thursday in Dub-
lin Castle the Lords Justices made the order for en-
rolling the Irish militia.
THE Galway Express states that Mr. Edmund
O'Flaherty has arrived in New York.
AN INVESTIGATION, ordered by the Government,
into the late riotous proceedings at Newtownlimavady
on the 3rd of September last, was held on Tuesday
in the Court-house in that town, when informations
were taken against thirty-five persons, who are to
stand their trial at the next assizes, for taking part in
the riots.
IT is stated that Smiga O'Brien is now on his way
to Europe from Van Diemen's Land; and that he
would have arrived ere this had he not waited to pay
a visit to a relative in India. He will be at Brussels
early in December next.
ONE Limerick house has got the entire contract for
the supply of beef and pork to the gaol at a figure
which can scarcely fail to prove remunerative to the
lucky contractor.
SUNDAY last having been appointed by the Privy
Council as a day of thanksgiving for the bountiful
harvest with which the country has been blessed, it
was generally observed in all the churches through-
out Dublin and its suburban districts, the various
preachers dwelling on the subject in their sermons.
The donations for the poor on the occasion were
liberal.
THE Lord Lieutenant has appointed Mr. Hercules
M'Donnell to the secretaryship of tile Board of Chari-
table Donations and Bequests, vacant by the death

of Mr. Mathews.
DR. CULLEN, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin,
has left Ireland for Rome, accompanied by Dr.
ItPliale and some other Roman Catholic prelates.
THE breadth of flax grown in Ireland this year is
estimated in a communication from Lieutenant
Larcom, under-secretary to the Lord Lieutenant,
read at the last monthly meeting of the Royal Irish
Flax Society. The growth, in round numbers, was
150,000 acres, against 175,000 in 1853 ; 135,000 in
1852 ; 138,000 in 1851; 01,000 in 1850 ; 60,000 in 1849 ;
54,000 in 1848 ; and 58,000 in 1847. Compared with
any of these years, except 1853, the breadth of 1854
shows a large increase. The deficiency under last
year is accounted for by the high price of grain at
the sowing season, and the bad yield of last year's
flax crop. Among the correspondence read at the
same meeting were letters requiring information
about flax culture and scutching machinery from the
secretary of the Agricultural Society of India, the
Judicial Committee of the Punjab, Signor Duroni, of
Naples, and Earl Delawarr.

THE SCREW STEAMER Prince, convoying the 46th
Regiment, under orders for the Crimea, will takeout
several sets of diving apparatus, chain tackling,
&c., to remove obstructions under water in a ship's
roadstead or entrance to the harbour. The sinking
of the Russian men-of-war at the entrance to the
fortifications of Sebastopol hes determined this step.l
A complets telegraphic apparatus, with severae
hundred miles of wire, will be shipped for the same
destination. The sappers and miners who can be
spared from Chatham will also go out in the Princ
to assist in the submarine operations.
By an economical arrangement which deserves
remark, the new steam gun-boats, when completed,
will not be commissioned, but will be attached as
tenders to the line-of-battle steamers for their use
and protection. Mr. Pitcher lately launched a
specimen of this craft, carrying heavy ordnance, with
light draught of water. The Pelter, the first of four
vessels building in the same yard, is to he appointed
as tender to the Royal Albert, 121, which the Admi-
ralty intend now for the flag-ship of the admiral in
the Black Sea.

gate an Volta.

A TICKET-OF-LEAVE MAN, namod Michael Welch,
alias John Hunt, whose skill as a pickpocket has
obtained for him the frequent recognition of the po-
lice, was watched by one of the force while pursuing
his professional avocations in Fleet-street, and at
length seized with a handkerchief just purloined in
his possession. On being searched at the station-
house, fourteen more silk handkerchiefs were found
upon him. He was brought up at the Guildhall,
and charged before the presiding alderman :
Alderman HUIIPIIERY: I suppose they are the produce of a
whole day's work, are they not?
City Constable May : Oh no, sir. I believe it was only two
hours' work.
Alderman lIUMPHERY: He must be a very clever fellow, then,
to get so many handkerchiefs in two hours.
May: He is one of the most expert pickpockets in London.
Alderman Ilusteuzax: Prisoner, were you ever in prison be-
fore ?
Prisoner : I was in Portsmouth prison about two years.
Alderman HUMPUERY: Aud they let you out on a ticket of
leave?
Prisoner: Yes, sir.

Alderman 1-knienzaY: Did

give you a ticket of leave to

rob people of their handkerchiefs i
Prisoner: No, sir.
May : The prisoner was convicted of picking pockets in 1831,
and was sentenced to seven years' transportation.
Alderman Htarrnsav : Then, after serving only two years at
the hulks, prisoner, you abuse the kindness shown to you by re-
turning to your old practices as soon as you are liberated. I
shall remand you for the attendance of the gentleman who lost
his handkerchief, and I do not think you will have another op-
portunity of revisiting Portsmouth.
He was remanded accordingly.
Plum. PETER, a respectably-dressed man, who
gave that name but refused to give his address, was
charged before Mr. Bingham with annoying the con-
gregation at Langham Church
The Rev. Charles Baines, rector of the above church, said that
on Sunday night, as he was about to administer the communion
in his church, the defendant held out a book, and exclaimed,
" In the name of Jesus Christ, brethren, I will tell you that what
you are doing is a sacrifice to idols, and a profanation." Pri-
soner was told to desist, and when asked his name said, " Philip,
surnamed Peter." Witness told him he had committed a serious
offence, but that he would overlo.ik it if he would promise not to
do so again. Defendant behaved very quietly, but refused to make
any kind of promise, and he in consequence gave him in charge.
Before the magistrate the prisoner began talking in
an excited and absurd strain, but was promptly si-
lenced. After some trouble, a promise not to repeat
his offence was obtained from him, and he was dis-
charged.

4rtikitts nit Offnuts.