The Express.
London, England, 1858-04-07 00:00:00

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7.

Tire Easter dinner at the Mansion-House makes a
pleasant episode in that arduous existence which,
according to the somewhat sombre testimony of Lord
DIRBT, involves for all alike, whether Whigs,
Radicals, or Tories, " the same sacrifices of domestic
" comfort, of private happiness, sometimes even of
" life itself." It is but fair that these Ministerial
martyrs to public duty should be occasionally cheered
with the lighter solaces of festive intercourse, and be
able to look back at the close of their arduous
esreers to some few gatherings like those of
Monday evening, where courtly and civic
beauties hang with flattering breathlessness on
the words of celebrated speakers, where the
" dinner and wines are always in great abundance
" and of the highest quality," and " Mr. HAREM,
" the City Toastmaster," invariably " gives the
" Loving Cup with his usual felicity." Whether the
science of government or the science of cookery be
the more difficult or the more important is a point
that has more than once been mooted by the lighter
kind of social philosophers. Without venturing a
dogmatic opinion on a question so difficult, it may
at all events be affirmed that the practice of dining is
pleasanter than the process of governing. Gastronomy
affords the pleasing spectacle of a science without
disputants—a religion without sects. " All men so
"situated" as to dine together, whether Whip,
" Tories, or Radicals," agree with a wonderful una-
nimity on the merits of well-dressed turtle, pure
Champagne, and unexceptionable Chateau Margaux.

From a scene of harmony like this, politics by
common oonaent are supposed to be carefully
excluded. Even that inappessable bird of prey the
British press
" Told. the dank wing and droops the humid eye,"
lulled by the influence of the time and scene into a
trance of preternatural placidity. The civic host
indeed, in proposing the toast of the evening, seemed
fn... mons...* in denser of forgetting this wholesome
rule of abnegation. Carried away by his enthusiasm
for the Conservative leader, Sir R. CARDEN was
betrayed into the avowal of • belief that the salvation
of England—that event so pertinaciously prophe-
sied and so indefinitely postponed—was reserved for
a Conservative Administration. Something of course
must be conceded to the feelings of a gentleman
whose politics take the exalted form of piety. Sir
ROBERT was good enough to impart to the public
the interesting autobiographical fact that to be Lord
Mayor of London when Lord DERBY was Prime
Minister of England had been, through life, the
object of his most earnest prayer. He added, with
natural and touching emotion, the expression of
his thankfulness that that prayer had been
heard, and that the salvation of his country
was at hand. It is to be regretted that the
City no longer keeps a laureate. The none dimittis of
this latest successor of the WHITTINOTONS ought to
be embalmed for posterity in some form less fugitive
than oratorical prose. It ought to " live in Serriz's
umbers one day more." HOOD somewhere talks
irreverently "of a charity boy who longs to be a
" beadle." This, it may be conceded, is perhaps the
lowest form of official ambition. Sir ROBERT CAR.
DRN'S life-long desire to be First Magistrate of the
City while Lord DERBY was First Lord of the
Treasury belongs to that higher order of aspiration
which is the last infirmity of noble minds. The wish
has been gratified. The vision has become a reality.
The civic dignitary may exclaim with the Byronic
lover : "Come what may I have been blest." However
short the tenure of Lord DIRBTII power, Sir ROBERT
CARDEN has welcomed him at the Mansion-house.
In slumbers promoted by turtle he has been visited
by dreams, inspired by faith and gilded by hope, of
England saved from the dragon of Liberalism by the
prowess of the Conservative champion. To • gentle-
man in such a state of exaltation it would be cruel
to talk of the delusions of the Ivory Oate, or to hint
that there is occasionally a wide disparity between
after-dinner visions and work-a-day realities. As to
the exchange of compliments which afterwards took
place between my LORD MAYOR and the CHAN-
CELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, touching taxes and re-
venue deficiencies, it may be sufficient to remark
that Mr. DISRAELI played towards the Civic dig-
nitary the part which, in Roman triumphs, gene-
rally devolved on a less exalted functionary, and
that both gentlemen rather threw a doubt on the
wisdom of that oid Persian maxim which declared
wine to be the choicest source of political prudence.
We trust that Lord DERBY'S very admirable
oratorical display will have satisfied the critical exi-
gencies of our contemporary the Times, in whose
column■ this eloquent nobleman has of late been
very properly held forth as the elocutionary model
for the Senate, the Pulpit, and the Bar. With his
habitual tact, Lord DERBY seized the occasion to
communicate to the public his views on the India
Bill. In many of his lordship's observations on this
subject we must profess our very cordial concurrence.
We entirely agree with him that the topic of Indian
Government " ought to be removed beyond the
" pale of antagonistic politics ;" we feel as
strongly as his lordship can that it would be
• grave disparagement to our system of Parliamen-
tary Government, a political dishonour as well as an
administrative misfortune, if the mighty interests in-
volved in the discussion of a right coluititution for
the government of our great dependency were "to
"be made the sport of parties or the battle-field of
" rival politicians." We cannot, indeed, entirely ac-
cept the excuse which Lord DERBY offers for the
avowed shortcomings of Bill No. 2. It may be very
true that none bat " a bold and preemptsous
" 3fiaistes could hope at a few days' notice to