The Press.
London, England, 1857-03-14 00:00:00

TUESDAY.

Mr. SPOONER—that if he had a seat in the next Pediment
he should take the earliest opportunity of moving the repi-al
of the grant to Mayuooth. t Laughter.)

THURSDAY.

The Earl of ELGlN—that on Tuesday next, In moving for
certain papers, he would call the attention of the house w our
relations with the United States.

The Earl of DERDT—that on the second reading of the Income-
tax Bill, which might be taken as a notice of the approaching
dissolution of Parliament, he should trouble their lordsh,ps with
a few observations ou the circumstances under which an appeal
was now about to be made to the country.

THE LAHGEST NUGGET yet discovered is now in
London. It is in the possession of Messrs. Connell
and Co., 4, Broad street Buildings, in the City. It
weighs between 400 and 500 pounds of quartz and
gold. It was turned up in the sand at the Commis-
sioners' Lower Paddock, Louisa Creek, New South
Wales. When it was first seen some persons were
sanguine enough to estimate its value at 20,009/.
The fortunate finders were two labouring Irishmen.
THE DEATHS registered last week in Lonuon were
1,175. In the ten years 1847-56 the average number
of deaths in the weeks corresponding with last week
was 1,160. The average rate would become 1476,
so that the public health is at present so far good
that the deaths last week were less by 100 than the
number that would have occurred if the average
rate of mortality had ruled. Last week the births
of 970 boys and 888 girls. in all 1,858 children, were
registered in London. In the ten corresponding
weeks of the years 184740 the average number was
1,049.

MARCH 14, 1857.

elution ittelligtnct.

LONDON.-Mr. Masterman retires. Sir James
Duke, Baron Rothschild, Mr. R. W. Crawford, and
Mr. Raikes Currie were proposed at a recent meet-
ing of the Liberal Registration Association. Lord
John Russell has issued an address to the electors.
The noble lord appeals to his sixteen years' ser-
rioes, and touches slightly upon the Vienna Con-
Wierences

The time has not arrived for explaining fully the course
took after the conferences at Vienna. I believe it
would have been impossible to have made a peace which
would have satisfied the expectations of the country before
the fall of Sebastopol. I could not, however, decline the
mission which was proposed to me in the name of my
Sovereign, anal it is my opinion that the terms I was pre.
pared to recommend would substantially, though in an in•
convenient manner, have secured Turkey against the
aggressions of Russia, and would have been honourable to
Great Britain. Whether Russia would have accepted
them is doubtful.
Lord John Russell then comes to the Chinese
question :
My objections to these proceedings are-Ist. That the
aew demand was grafted upon a quarrel which might
otherwise have been amicsbly Bottled. 2nd. That it led
to scenes of bloodshed and destruction, wherein many
innocent persons perished. 3rd. That such a demand
ought to have been addressed to the Emperor, and that
due time should have been allowed for an answer. 4th. That
before hostilities were commenced, due preparations
should have been made in cmcert with the authorities at
home for the protection of the lives and properties of
British subjects. rith. That Vie demand of access to the
Commissioner was not authorised by the instructions of
the Secretary of State.
When the tidings of these events arrived in England,
the Ministry had a question of some difficulty to determine.
There is some hazard and some discouragement attendant
upon the disavowal of public servants performing their
duties at a distance. On the other hand, the entire and
complete adoption of the proceedings at Canton involved
the discredit of sanctioning acts of violence which justice
could not approve, and the danger of extending partial
hostilities into a sanguinary war. It would seem that the
error of either course might have been obviated by de•
spatehing a person of superior authority to Hung Kong,
with instructions to defend the lives and properties of
British subjects, and to restore as soon as possible a state
of
This, i peace.
t appears, is now intended; but one is at a loss to
perceive why a course advisable on the 10th of March
should not have been taken on the 10th of January. Or,
if Sir John 13;iwring was worthy of entire approval in
January, why lie should be virtually superseded now, when
his policy and his conduct remain the same.
He indignantly rejects the charge of combi.
nation :

I need not allude to the charge of combination and con.
spiracy ngainst the majority of the House of Commons.
That was the falsehood of a day, which a few hours of reflec.
tion must dispel. For my own part I took the same view
of these lamentable affairs as Sir Francis Baring, my old
friend and colleague, and 1 willingly borrow from his yin.
dicatiou of his vote the following passage I had no
choice left, and deliberately, and as if I had been in a jury.
box, I gave my vote that the papers laid upon the table
failed to establish satisfactory grounds for the violent
measures resorted to at Canton on the late affair of the
Arrow. I shall be told that, however true these words
may be, still the motion was practically a censure on the
Csovernment, and it was my duty to Tote against it. I
have been a party man all my life, at.d am not willing to
underrate party considerations. In many cases I per-
fectly understand that, weighing the evils or advantages
of two alternatives, it may be perfectly justifiable to prefer
the retaining a good Government in office rather than the
carrying any particular motion, however good. But there
must I.s• some limit to these party feelings. I cannot rate
war and all its horrors ma light matter. For the shedding
of the blood, even of our enemies, I believe we are respon•
Bible to a higher tribunal; we have no right to go to war
without a justifiable cause, and I do not reckon as a justi-
fiable cause the desire to keep my friends in office."
Then, again, it is said that although the Canton hostili-
jes might not be justifiable, Lord Palmerston ought to be
upported in continuing them, because he conducted the
war against Russia with great vigour and brought it to an
honourable termination. I cheerfully applauded his vigour
in carrying on war, and his moderation in making peace ;
but to support wanton and unnecessary hostilities on
account of the merit of the Minister in a contest which is
past, seems to me a mode of testifying national gratitude
utterly indefensible.

Mi. Raikes Currie has also issued an address, in
which be announces his resignation of his North-
ampton constituency in obedience to the wishes of a
large body of the London electors.

ABINODOL—Major Deed, the present member, will try
for Finsbury. The choice of the electors is rt present be-
tween Mr. J. T. Norris, of Sutton Courtney, Liberal, and
Mr. D. H. D. Burr, of Aldermaston•park, lierks, and late
High Sherdffor the county, Conservative.
ANDoves.—There is at present no opposition to the
return of Alderman Cubitt and Mr. Beaumont Coles.
ANGLESEY Boxotrons.—Mr. W. Owen Stanley, the Whig
member for Chester, goes to the Anglesey boroughs, in
place of Lard George Paget, who retires.

Agnsuarox. —3lr. Moffett presents himself for re•
election.