The Press.
London, England, 1853-07-09 00:00:00

ALARMING RUMOUR OF THE RESIGNATION OF

LORD ABERDEEN.
DISTRESSING CONSEQUENCES—EXAMINATION AT THE POLICE OFFICr.
ON Monday last the town was in a state of great agitation from a very
prevalent rumour that the Prime Minister had resigned. It appears
that, early in the morning, Sir JAMEB GRAHAM, who has been suffering,
of late, from a series of shinning dreams of the arrival of the Russian
fleet from the Baltic in Yarmouth Roads. pulled his bell in a panic,
and, when the valet entered the room with his hot water. distractedly
inquired whether " it was all over ?'"rhe servant, who had just heard
of the resignation, replied that it was, he believed, too true ; and that
it was all over. The Right Honourable Gentleman immediately
swooned, and the servant, alarmed, and not knowing what was best to
do at this early hour, ran over to Captain BERNAL OSBORNE, the Secre-
tary of the Admiralty, to ask his advice, knowing he was a gentleman
very fond of giving it. Captain 131Liism. OSBoRNE immediately accom-
panied the servant of Sir JAMES to his master's room, though in it
chamber robe and slippers. The Honourable Secretary showed his
usual energy and straightforward good sense : he immediately took
off one of his slippers and bastinadoed the First Lord, then ordered
him to be well rubbed with some of the driest blue books, and, setting
fire to the Report of the Dockyard Committee, held it to the Right
Honourable Gentleman's nose. These united efforts and remedies pro-
duced the desired effect : Sir JAMES, though still considerably shinned,
came to himself, and, an explanation having taken place, he requested
Captain BERNAL. OSBORNE to ascertain, without loss of time, what foun-
dation there was for the alarming report. The gallant Secretary acted
with his accustomed promptitude, sangfroid, and saroir rirre, shaved
himself immediately with Sir .I,imas's own razors, and proceeded, as
soon as he possibly could, onhis mission.
His first visit was to Lord .Tons Rumsm.t, who was already trans-
acting the business of his office, which consists of reading the news-
papers. The intelligence had not yet reached the noble Lord, but did
not appear to surprise him. He gave an elfin grin, and said he
" always thought it would come to this, but did not think it would
corns so soon.

The Secretary of the Admiralty then called in Carlton-gardens.
Lord PALMERSTON had not yet risen, but Captain OSBORNE ran up to
the door of his bedchamber, which was, however, fortunately, &stetted.
Knocking very loudly, the Secretary inquired whether his Lordship
thought the intelligence was authentic. A laugh was heard like that
of Zamiel in Der Freisehutz. His Lordship called out that these
things would happen to elderly men, and that now the young ones
♦vould have a chance.
In the meantime, as the day advanced, the rumour of the resigna•
tion became more general and more positive. When it reached Sir
WILLIAM MOLESWORTH, the glass fell from his eye : he then lapsed
into a fit of abstraction, from which he recovered to draw up six
reasons of inexorable logic to prove the inevitable necessity of the re-
signation, and of the reconstruction of the Government on a more con-
genial and Conservative basis. After this, having now become a man
of business as well as a philosopher, he gave directions for counter-
ordering a dinner-party to which he had invited Lord ABERDEEN to
meet Cardinal WISEMAN.

Mr. HENRY FITZROY and Mr. FREDERICK PEEL, having rushed out
of their offices at the same time, and meeting each other with the
same expression of dismay, agreed, after conference, to proceed at
once to Mr. GLADSTONE and consult him. They found that distin-
guished man in a state of much excitement, but hill of resource. He
said there were three courses open to them, and he thought them all
equally good. They might, in the first place, collect all the members
of the Administration they could lay their hands on, and proceed in
procession to St. Margaret's Church, where prayers might be offered
up for the return of Lord ABERDEEN to Downing-street; or they
might, if the church were not open, confess themselves to each other
at the Treasury; or, in the third place, they might consult the Duke
of NEWCASTLE. These three propositions, however, as is often the
case, were not so popular us their proposer anticipated. Mr. PEEL
looked very sulky; and Mr. Frrznov, who lost his temper, said that the
Duke of NEWCASTLE was as great a humbug as his colleagues. Finally,
it was arranged by the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER that the two
nitud.tmoaxs should be sent to St. Margaret's Church, and that he
should confess himself to Lord ALFRED HERVEY.

At half-past two o'clock a message, by electro-telegraph, arrived
at Buckingham Palace from Lord Ei.cno, who w•as in Scotland, offering
Lis services to fo►m an Administration

Mr. WILSON, the Secretary of the Treasury, was seen for a con-
siderable time running very wildly about Whitehall without his hat.
Several of the clerks in the offices, having reg►u•d to his position,
offered him their beavers, but the very sight of a hat seemed to pro-
duce upon him an almost hydrophobias effect. Finally, shrieking
" catskins" in a very shrill voice, he rushed through the Horse Guards,
and attempted to throw himself into the lake. He was, however,
arrested by a sentry and locked up in the black hole, where he remains
to this hour.

The Duke of ARGYLL called a Cabinet Council later in the after-
noon, but nobody came to it.
Lord CLARENDON wax, at first, much overwhelmed, and sent to M.
Musstaus for some Salonicha tobacco. The messenger who brought
it back had orders to remain, and inquire whether his Lordship
approved of it. After a due trial, Lord CLARENDON said it was excel
lent, and that he had no doubt its flavour would be equally good,
whether Salonicha belonged to the Porte or to the Itus*iam.