The Express.
London, England, 1866-02-23 00:00:00

OUR CONTEKPORAILLIIS.
(THII3 DAY.)

TM SUPPLY VOTES LAW BIGHT.
The Times remarks that Lord Palmerston, upon
wheels memory the greatest honour which the nation can
pay to a 'Ojos* was yesterday conferred, realised in his
lifetime the full satisfaction of a noble ambition, which in

the political life of an age and country like our own is rarely
anyone's lot. If, too, he enjoyed contemporary applause
in a higher degree than any who had gone before him, he
was still more conspicuously happy in the circumstances
and " opportuneness of his death." Chatham was no longer
the Great Commoner when he sunk in the attempt to de-
nounce, concession to America; Pitt died under a dismal
seam of the ruin impending over his oiuntry ; Peroeval
wee struck down by the band of an amain ; Peel was oat
off prematurely by occident when he had still before him
• great and useful political career ; Lord Palmerston alone
lived to play out with triumphant success that part which
from his Gellert youth he had destined for himself, and
the dignity of which he had described with so much elo-
quence in the greatest of his speeches• The most durable
features of his policy, and the finer qualities of his charac-
ter, the Times proceeds to remark, were treated with much

considering the enormous dietanoe from which she II
operating. ties extreme *Mitt to which the commanders
will be put for supplies, and the impostibity of striking any
decisive blow—to my nothing of the probability that the
other states of South America may join, while the
ominous Sion of the great American Union looms be-
hind, Spain has against her the whole force of things. Un-
fortunately, too, while the prospect is so much worse for
her, amps has become far mote difficult, and Spain stands
committed to a contest as hopeless as that in San Domingo,
without the same means of escaping from it. At San
Domingo she had nothing to do but to renal her troops and
be praised for her priniesoe ; she left no claim unsatisfied
and no enemy triumphant. On the present occasion she
must either pet up with the rejection of her demands and
I the abatement of her pretensions, or she moat be prepared
to prolong indefinitely a war which it would ruin her to
support.

M 8 TOPICX.

felicity by Mr. Gladstone.
The response last evening to the proposals for the pro-
vision for the Prince and Princess of the royal family,
was a matter of worse, the Daily News observes. as the
necessary consectisnoe of the political system established
in these islands, but it wee also—fram the C01:1240111M11511
that the example of the court has fostered the sanctity
of domestic ties—a matter of sentiment. The position
which Lord Palmerston occupied in the eyes of the world
deserved the memorial which was agreed to, and, with the
exception of • false note struck by Mr. Disraeli, every-
thing said of the late premier was in harmony with the
requirements of the subject and the occasion. He served
the country for sixty years, and was entitled to its grati-
tude and respect ; and his unfailing good-humour earned
its liking, but so much of his influent* as depended upon
temperament and manner, though intelliiiilde to his con-
temporaries, cannot be expected to survive in history.
Future gensestions will estimate him by what he did and
essentially was, rather than by the lighter graces which
set off his more solid merits or redeemed any de-
fects; which can be imputed to him. Mr. Dia-

raeli, while intending to compliment the departed stated-
man, did him some injustice in attributing to him, u the
animating impales of his career, a pauionate love of fame.
Dlr. Disraeli, possibly in this, reads a part of his own cha-
racter into that of the late minister. A statesman who
was content with comparative obscurity until he bad
reached a period of life at which ordinary ambition fails,
can scarcely have been mastered by that "last infirmity of
noble minds.* To Lord Palmeraton the influence and
reputation of England, as he conceived them, were proba-
bly paramount over any careful regard for his own ; and
his relish for affairs was a keener delight than the antici-
pation of men's favourable judgments. Of course, he was
not indifferent to fame ; but it was not the first thing in
hie desires. _ _

Repeating a remark that Fenianism is by no means con-
fined to the lowest clamor, the Post adds that in sending
over regiments in which the Irish element is absent, the
authorities have shown a wise discretion in leaving no room
for insidious appeals to local feeling and family tie., and
in sparing the Irish regiments the alternative of choosing
between the call of duty and the claims of blood. The serious
part of the matter is that this wide-spread disaffection
in the absence of any real grievance, seems to indicate a
feeling seated too deeply to be reached by any remedies
whatever. Against mere unmeaning hatred there is no
argument to be used, and the hatred of England appears to
be founded on some radical antipathy not to be overcome
by any ordinary meant.
The Herald amuses the government of want of pluck
and firmness in not insisting on receiving from the Ameri-
can government the same measure of justice which it has
accorded to Spain in punishing the official agents of Chili.
We might almost as well be at open war with
the United Shake as remain as we are, subject to
the hostile incursions of their subjects and exposed
to the imminent danger of a civil war of their instigation,
which would prove far more disastrous, and far more costly
too, than any foreign one we could be engaged in. There
can be but little doubt that Fcnianism might quickly be
reduced to harmless proportions, if Mr. Johnson and his
cabinet, seeing the peril of further [emotion, would cut off
the supply by means of which propagandists are enabled to
make their way into Ireland to seduce our 'olden from
their allegiance and spread disaffection amongst the people.
The Telegraph reviews at considerable length the expen-
diture to be provided for under the coven awes of the
civil marries estimates, and says that the returns, of which
we gave some account in yesterday's Express, contain •
hundred subjects which should have the early, careful,
and zealous consideration of members of parliament.
Discussing the causes of the failure of English opera in
its latest phase, the Tekgraph concludes that that opera is
not strong enough to stand alone, and that eftsr the
splendour and pomp of grand opera, as represented
at Covent-garden and Her Majesty's Theatre, no-
thing of a tamer character has a chance of success.
If anything else were needed to explain the failure, we
might find sufficient cause in the preposterous size of the
theatre selected, and in the peculiar character of the
management. A smaller theatre would have offered a fey
batter prospect of pecuniary success, and to entrust English
opera to the tender mercies of a company, " is to
finally destroy any lingering chance of prosperity.
The Star contends that it would be very unfortunate if
either of the schemes for the reconstitution of the Queen's
University, which have been announced by the organs of
the Irish catholic party as having been agreed upon by
government, were adopted. It is clearly a question for the
cognisance of parliament, and the Star trusts the govern-
meet will gracefully concede to parliament the right of
inquiry and daisies.

The Herald thinks the grant to the royal princesses of
an income which is exceeded by that of so many daughters
of the nobility and heiresses of merchants, would hardly
seem excessi►e as a public acknowledgment of the fact of
their marriage, but it happens that this provision, made
from time to time for members of the royal family when
entering upon life, is obligatory. On consideration of her
Majesty relinquishing her life interest in the large yearly
revenues of the crown lands, parliament undertook
the proper maintenance of the sovereign and her
family. The dotation allowed to Prince Albert, the income
voted to the Prime of Wales, and to the Princess Royal
and the Princess Alio., on their marriages, were so many
necessary steps in the fulfilment of this contrect—ao many
instalments towards the discharge of a debt of honour.
With regard to the other subject before tho house, the
Herald does not find a word in Mr. Gladstone's eloquent
speech upon the Palmerston monument which could chal-
lenge an objection on the some of party feeling. Mr. Bright
was the only one of the party leaders who showed his dis-
respect for the memory of the dead whom all else combined
to honour, and this he did by " ostentatiously staying
away."
The Post says that the civil list, which at present
amounts to 470,0001., bean a much smaller proportion to
the total annual expenditure than the civil list of any
other country in the world. In the reign of George IL the
civil list amounted to 800,0001.; and in the last year of the
reign of George 111. it exceeded 1,000,0001. Immediately
after her present Majesty's accession it was fixed at 385,0001.,
but, owing to subsequent modifications necessitated by her
Majesty's marriage with the late Prince Consort, it was
increased to its present amount. Mr. Gladstone's panegyric
upon Lord Palmerston has never, the Post thinks, for
exhaustive eloquence, been surpassed in parliament.
What the English House of Commons did for
Chatham! end Pitt and Primeval it may well do for
a minister who was more popular than any of the three,
and whose fame will be still more long-lived. It is to be
hoped that there will be no such delay in the erection of
the monument as there has been in the case of the
late Duke of Wellington.
The Advertiser sees nothing extravagant in either of the
sums voted ; and what is necessary to uphold the dignity
of the royal family even the poorest of her Majesty's sub-
jects will cheerfully give. Mr. Gladstone spoke of the
estimable qualities of Lord Palmerston with a feeling
and eloquence and gracefulness which the whole civilised
world will admire.
The Telegraph agrees with Mr. Gladstone that the sums
asked for Princess Helena and Prince Alfred were moderate
from the royal point of view, and from the parliamentary
one liberal. Referring to the vote for the monument the
same paper says there are points of contrast between the
character of the departed statesman and of his panegyrist
which make it honourable to the survivor that he gauged so
well the worth of Lis chief. Bat ho was right in saying
that the final verdict must be left to history ; and it was
the sense of this which justly kept the periods of Mr.
Gladstone so measured. As for Mr. Disraeli, bad be been
sincere be would probably have confessed that with Lord
Palmerston his party had lost their chief hope of arresting
progress--• sufficient cause, whether right or not, to set the
tears of twigs flowing. Never being sincere except by acci-
dent, or when deeply irritated, Mr. Disraeli only pro-
lammed a fennel but brief and appropriate threnody.
The Star takes it that the nation is quite unanimous
about the necessity of making decent provision for the
daughters of the Queen, and what was proposed last night
was judicious in itself and gracefully accorded. With re-
gard to Lord Palmerston, he was beyond ell doubt among
Prime Ministers conspirator'', powerful, and popular, and it
is only fitting that his statue should find its niche in the
Abbey which encloses the tombs of so many of his prede-
cessors.

THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 23, 1866.