The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-05 00:00:00

110LEVIRS,

Tnit Erie a 6, MY TI" RS NEXT. Mr. 11,,Imore: Mimes
lade and Lennox —And FLYING D. Me.ms. Neville, Rel.
si.)re. Blake, Voltaire. de.: Meet.u.teA C. Saunders.
Beade Poole. I•lddea, Lennox, Raymond, &c.

BRITANNIA,

MIN Kim:mock TIIK LAST LINK 11.tiVE.—To
with THY. PKINCLNY 411,* THE PEARL INLAND; THE
THKRE KINGDOMS OV PKAKI„ (Wilk AM) SILVER.
Law; & Miu Jawha—G•mt.4 : Flrat.r.tte l'aiituntlndata-

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIM&

Ten DAT —Morning. lb. 3 tftert.ort. in '4lO.
TO•SIOIWW—Ilorolug, YR l3m thentoou, 26. .vas.

LONDON, TUESDAY, .11.111171 5.

IT is usual when a Ministry is recoastitoted to
magnify the merits of those who go out of office,
and encourage still higher expect:alums of LIIoSC
who come in. There is the less reason for ob-
serving this formality on the present oCCORiOII, lII-
RSIIIIICh as if the three retiring Secretaries of State
were even more efficient administrators than they
are their resignation would nevertheless be an hil-
l:Runse gain to the Government in its present cir-
cumstances, while no accession of departmental
talent or reputation can much help the fortunes of
Lord DERRY'ri Ministry. The resignation which
has caused most surprise and regret is that of the
Earl of CARNARViON, who, indeed, has had no
scope for the display of tirst-rat, ability at the
Colonial-office, but who in dealing with the self-
governing communities of our fellow-citizens
ailiniad has exhibited the ra...er quality of largeness
of view and a capacity to enter into, accept, and
co-operate with sentiments and modes ..f thought
and action such as a British nobleman does not
become familiar with in the ordinary course of his
home experience. In the prosperous colonies of
Australia Lord CARNARVON will be remembered as
one who endeavoured to do their inhabitants
justice at a time when they had teeny calumniators
and few intelligent friends in this country ; while
his treatment of the Confederation question has
raised his reputation in the provinces of British
North America. Lord CRANEORNE'S industry, his
quickness of apprehension, his business capacity,
and courtesy, have raised him in the opinion of
all who have been brought into intercourse with
hint at the India-office. If he has not been able
to do much to commemorate his term of office, his
speech on the Mysore reversion was that of a
man who, under favourable circumstances, might
have filled important poets with credit. His suc-
cess as an administrator is the more surprising,
inasmuch as the species of political power
which he has chiefly cultivated is such as cannot
be fully displayed in official trammels. A minister
is appointed to carry measures in Parliament, or
vindicate his department there ; whereas Lord
CRANBORNOR mind is by habit aggressive. He
has not only placed himself in antagonism to every
progressive movement of home politics, but he loves
to exasperate every controversy which he touches,
and to indulge an inclination to asperity which a
Minister should be most careful to avoid. Doubt-
less he will enjoy his recovered freedom after four
long weeks of oratorical restraint. It is the
fashion of the Conservative press to laud the ad-
ministrative abilities of General PEEL. Unac-
quainted with the grounds of this claim, we can do
no more than note the fact that it is preferred,
but there are not two opinions as to the strength
which his high personal character gave to the Ad-
ministration. On the whole, these resignations
are more important as representing the breadth
and depth of the differences existing in the body
which we have hitherto regarded as Lord Dzaav's
party, than for what they detract from the working
efficiency of the Government. tbf the persons
with whom rumour has filled up the vacant posts
there is not much to be said. The Duke of
RICHMOND, whom a plausible guess has named as
the incoming Secretary of State for the Colonies,
has his reputation to make. Sir STAFFORD NORTH-
Corti would do better, it may be hoped, at the
India-office than he has done at the 13..arel of
Trade. If Sir JOHN PAXINCTON choose to leave
the Admiralty, where he is much wanted, with
the duties of which he is familiar, and where he
could exercise much authority, in order to become
Secretary of State for War, there will be a loss of
ministerial efficiency which may have its justifica-
tion. butt which a stronger Government than Lord
DERRY'R might not be able to afford. If, however,
it should be necessary to remove Sir .loos, the
Conservative party has no member better qualified
to succeed him than Mr. CORRY. The necessarily
extemporary character of any arrangemeats which
may be made will entitle them to fair considera-
tion.

It is impassible not to admire the courage and
public spirit which acceptance of office muter these
circumstances testifies. The new Ministers volun-
tarily undertake a task of the greatest difficulty
under circumstances such as have at times been
held to justify men similarly situated in retiring
upon a position entailing no heavier dutici than
throe of unembarrassed criticism. Lori DERBY
and his friends, however, must see that a great
party rectification has to be made once for all.
During the last twenty years the Con-rvatives
have accumulated an immense mass of political
lumber, in the shape of protests and arbitrary pm-
positions, which, duly recorded agaies• them in
./b,asord and elsewhere, grievously impede their
action, and must he got rid of by revolute
effort, if the party is nut utterly ti lose its