The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-27 00:00:00

' THE RESIGNATION OF LORD PAL-
-
Mom a correepoodeat of the Daily News.)
It is but fair to recollect that one side only of the
explanation necessary to clear up the mystery (for a
mystery it is at present) of Lord Palmerston's retire-
ment from a cabinet, of which he was always a lead-
ing and by far the most popular member, is before
the public ; and it is important to keep steadily in
view the fact, that the side of the case which has
been given comes from a invariably
endeavoured to alienate his late colleagues from Lord
Palmerston—which, as the organ of the Russian and
Austrian embassies, has pursued him with unabated
rancour, hostility, and calumny—and which was first
and foremost in that intrigue that was last
summer exploded and defeated by the memor-
able majority of the House of Commons on
Mr. Roebuck's motion. Great caution is, therefore,
necessary before any belief can be reposed in the
statements made in the sense in which they are pro-
pounded.
Lord Palmerston's signal services to the liberal
cause, his past devotion to constitutional government,
his high, frank, and courageous bearing on all occa-
sions, his generous sentiments and his popular man-
ners, all require, nay demand from the liberal party
hesitation before they can credit the assertion that he
belied the principles of his life, by expressing
"unbounded approbation and admiration for
a coop (mat that annihilated the liberties
of France." This is too huge a draught on
popular credulity in the broad, unexplained, and
coarse manner in which it is put, to go down with a
public which has hitherto known him as by far the
most advanced and liberal Foreign Secretary Eng-
land ever had.
Besides, it is accompanied by other demands on
popular gullibility of a still more difficult character.
We are required first to believe that a court, from
the hospitalities and courtesies of which (notwith-
standing some gratitude was due to him for his con-
duct and policy in Portugal) he was for upwards
of twelve months excluded, and to which he has
of late been only once re-admitted, has given
Lord Palmerston that uninterrupted confidence and
support which were peculiarly and emphatically lie-
eeseary for a foreign minister in his exceptional and
difficult position ; with the representative of every
despot battering at him without, and hostile critics
and colleagues annoying him within the Cabinet.
This the liberal party cannot credit. Lord Palmer-
ston, be his present error and fault what they may,
had not, it is certain, that fair play in high quarters
which every Secretary of State needs, but which to
him, under such circumstances, was indispensable.
Next, we are required to believe that
those wretched animosities and pitiful jea-
lousies which Mr. Macaulay, in his letter to
the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, plainly stated,
prevented the formation of a liberal administration
towards the close of 1846, never entered the present
ministry ; we are required to believe that Lord
Palmerston's policy was never opposed in the
cabinet ; we are required to believe, that it was
most frequently and most energetically supported
therein by a peer. who never opened his lips in the
Greek debate in the House of Lords; and
more than all, we are required to believe that
on Monday that noble lord was ignorant of tho
rause which had induced Lord Jolts RUASELL
to hastily assemble a cabinet council to re-
ceive Lord Pagans-rotes resignation : although
we are at the same time told that another member
of the cabinet connected with his lordship, who did
not attend, had declined he would never again enter
a couneil-room in which Lord Palmerston was pre-
sent. ;Ilia is what the liberal party cannot credit.
It needs something much more authoritative than our
contemporary's statement ta exculpate some of Lord
Palmerston's colleagues from the imputation of un-
fairness to him.
And lastly, more startling than all, we arc re-
quired to believe that the despots of Europe, that
the " strong governments" of the continent, that
hostile diplomacy in London. that the ambassadorial
intrigues which Lord John Russell denounced in the
House of Commons, as the cause of the Greek con-
spiracy against Lord Palmerston, were all quiescent
on the present occasion I when, at the same time, it
is stated that Lord Palmerston " approved of a coop
,r, ~,,e which annihilated liberty in France," in
order that he might form an alliance with
France to counter-weight the northern con-
federacy. This the liberal party will also hesi-
tate in crediting. For it will ask itself, who
gains by Lord Palmerston's retirement? Who?
Why Russia and Austria, tyranny and despotism.
Yet, with the innocence of lambs, their ministers in
London had nothing to do with the matter. They
opened their mouths and shut their eyes: and some
one else dropped the sugar plum in! Simple souls!
Lord Palmerston's recent conduct may have been
indefensible ; but it is not on such yo/senioacheeic as
this that he can be condemned. His strength, his
support, his existence lay in the liberality of his
olicy. It was on that ground that the House of
Commons so emphatically sanctioned his proceedings
in Greece; it was on that ground that municipality
after municipality lately thanked him for his exer-
tions in the liberation of Kossuth; it was on that
ground that he was bated and detested by continen-
tal despots ; it was on that ground that his less
liberal colleagues carped at, and,—it may yet turn
out,—at last betrayed him. It is not credible, therefore,
that he admired and approved of a policy which anni-
hilated liberty in France ; he may have hesitated from
rushing into hot hostility with an usurper capable of
seeking support from any quarter, and daring any
crime. That is possible. Probable, too, it may be
that Lord Palmerston saw danger in the continued
struggle between a discredited Assembly and a des-
perate adventurer. But that the minister who
I created constitutional government in Belgium—who
rescued Spain from absolutism—who successfully de-
fended the Swiss from the intrigues of the Jesuits
when backed by Austria and France—who stretched
forth his hand to Italy—who declared that the Hun-
garians were not rebels—and who has lost no oppor-
tunity of avowing that in his judgment civil liberty
PI the only basis of national happiness—desired to
sec military violence permanently rule France, cannot
be true. unless, indeed, the vigorous intellect and the
fine mind of Lord Palmerston have, for the instruction
of mankind, been suddenly afflicted with insanity.
If, however, he did really desire such a fall for
France. no punishment that public opinion can
devise is too signal for such treachery.
What, then, is the conclusion to be reached? That
the circumstances which led to Lord Palmerston's re-
tirement have yet to be fully explained. And
justice to him requires from the liberal party that it
suspend its judgment until ho himself shall have
been heard.

THE CITY CORPORATION.—A few days ago Pro-
lessor Airy tient to the Gresham committee, stating
that he was desirous of sending, every two hours, by
the electric telegraph, the precise Greenwich time to
three places in London, one of which was the Royal Ex-
change. It is of great importance and interest that true '
time should be exhibited in London; the watchmaken
incur • co,t of :Oa a year in sending a messenger daily to
Greenwich Ohaenatory to report it. After a short debate,
the Gresham committee declined to entertain the matter,
and that without the courtesy of even sending it for
consideration to a sub-committee. A few mouths ago
some persons of great rank ea.l consideration were
desirous of sustaining an interest in the public
mind on the great matter of law amendment, by
causing a course of gratuitous lectures to be delivered
in the City on the state of commercial law. It
was considered that the best and most unexception-
able place—one to which all persons, even merchant, of the
highest class, would have no scruple about going—was the
Gresham Lecture-laid. Application we., made to the
Ores:earn committee (a corporation committee), and it was
refused. The distinguished men at the head of the move-
ment expected that for such an unexceptionable object the
corporation people would have been not only not reluctant
to grant, but pleased, indeed, with the opportunity of
granting for such a purpose the use of the hall, which was
built out of funds bequeathed by Sir Thomas Gresham for
the diffusion of knowledge among the citizens of Loudon.
It should be known that the Gresham Lecture-hall is a
building erected at the corner of B isinghaU.strect, a few
year. ago, by the corporation, at the cost of many thou-
sands; it is for the delivery of gratuitous lectures on astro-
nomy, law, physic, 61e.; and is only used a few hours
. during the Tem.—Wait.
GUIZOT INDICTED FOR LITERARY CONSPIRACY.
—M. Brierc, a publisher, on Thursday last brought an
action before the civil tribunal against sl. Didier, another
publisher, to obtain damages of 7:),001) francs, for his
basing published a work by 31. Guizot, called llictoire
des OfijitleS do Courerneinent repr,:sentatil en Earope,
which he alleged was only a reproduction of a work by the
same author, called Emma our 1'111464re de Frasier, of
which he had perches:A the copyright in IS'23. But the
tribunal held that the Essais were only the reproduction
of M. Guizot's lectures as professor, and that the iiistoire
sees thigines was an entirely different work. It accord-
ingly dismissed the demand, and condemned 31. Briere to
the cost.—Gatignowi.