The Express.
London, England, 1856-02-28 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28.

IT has frequestly been a topic of discussion ounces
the friends and opponents of Mr. Dtensau, whether
he was ever destined to attain that equanimity of self-
reliance which is the subtlest and strongest power of
attraction that higher natures exercise over those of,
an inferior order. Thompson-plats maxim, that is
order perfectly to master the wills and weaknesses of
otberr, the first condition is the achievement of com-
plete mastery of your own, is the yelp: attempt to
express the hidden truth. Few, if say, of the men
who have pre-eminently exercised sway over the
minds of their fellow-men, have ever practised stoi.
slum ; and we doubt if keen susceptibility to opinion,
and passive, it not active, sympathy in the passions sod
even the prejudices of those around him, be not
almost indispensable to the simendaney of a party
leader. But it is one this, to be insensible to the
circumatebient influences of the social and political
atmosphere, and another to resist its capricious im-
pales. and the excitement of its fitful gusts
and storms. Not to feel its vicimitudee, mark
their course, and measure their ettecte. is the proof
no doubt of signal incapacity ; but to Weans their
passive exponent, or their garrulous registrar, is so
less indicative of some moral infirmity or some in-
tellectual want. A general who cannot observe and
enjoy the blunders of his antailooist without quitting
his entrenched lines to show his exaltation, may be
a great macceuvrer and first-rate critic, but be is
not a safe tactician.

Them considerations suggested themselves lido.
lontsrily to those who penned, without say peculiar
party bias, the escapade of Mr. DIIIMM.I on Tuesday
last in the House of Commons, as the withdrawal of
the Local Doss on Shipping Bill. Ministers lading
it impossible to carry the measure in the form it
bad been introduced in, wisely resolved to admit the
fact, and adopt an altered course of procedure on the
subject. Ted* was nothing very unusual in this.
Beery administration in our time has had to do the
like on more than we occasion. It is in the nature
of representative assemblies to be liable to
sodden and unforeseen combination of local
influences, against which no mere enunciation
of general maxims of policy or justice are for the mo-
ment of any avail. This is peculiarly the ease daring
periods of exhaustion after external excitement, or
daring intervals of apathy and empenne between sea-
sons of domestic party action. Parliament is just
now in somewhat of this anarchic plight. Party
organisation still exists, but it is oat of gear. Things
are drifting nobody can tall precisely whither. Be-
lonian observers would in such a mason be coo tent
to look on and note the follies and Warm of their
rivals: far-sighted chiefs would be satisfied with
quietly fixing anemias oa the blunders of their
competitors for future power, or politely offering to
pick them up 'titer each bad fall. This was an
accomplishment of which the late Sir ROBERT Pm
was a cocspienons master. Nothing could be calmer
than his tone, or more expreseively forbearing than
his choice of epithets, when spas them occasion he
bestowed on the MILLIOI/11311 party, when Wining
to its fall, the benefit of his mendises compassion.
Few who recollect the benignant look, the us-
impaesioned gesture, and, above ell, the Mar
covedo flavour of his regrets at what bad occurred,
on ever forget the mos of weakness and mar-
tifioatioa which his ineffable candour irresistibly
produced among his tottering antagonists. Tem
miuntes or more were generally devoted to a reeled
of his hopes that the Tustin at issue was at length
about to be settled. The next ten minutes were spent
in detailing all the advantages that would flow from
its bolsi set at rest ; sedan equal portion of time to
the intolerable evils of having matte's ea they were.
Thee would follow as elaborate tesspeelsom of the
different 'methods by which it bad seemed to him
esefficting interests might ban besm assammodated
and all nameable claims astislisd. Mile the eon
asonity at large would have gained issalealably.
Why none of the modes bed bass adopted it wee
sot for him to say. Possibly dm might he reams,
those' now bad Ina stated by bee Human's
Ministers. Disclaimers would fallow of all idea
of regarding affairs of the kind Ina party esprit,
or tuning them to aceset for party purposes.
air Roam made it a point of Maeda,
be did mot know and had sever isqviesd
how the gentlemen behind him unsaid
to vote bad they gone to a divisive ; and the whale
ma generally wooed up with prefers ef sympsday
km the disappointmeat and regret Government mat
feel at nudist themselves usable to deal with se in
paint a Mint. Anything mere damaging than
all this, summed as it was sari to be with admis-
sion of good intentions sad well-meant endeavours,
it is difficult to essoeive. Without kyle, himself
open to attack or reerimiaatise, the artful chief en-
tries& to dwell upon the Mehasse, to analyse its
awes ad malts. and to place every item is a
saimemps of mataidsse Manses sad power, for the
emasemnt sad 'di/intim of all whom it mien
mem. But Bir ROBERT was enabled to do this
loseause he was by long training and habit ear
pistol,' master of himself. No am ever possessed a
Meer appetite for party triamplosobat be know hew
to keep it is aback that he Wight MOM It.
relish ; and often when kis pest, jpask mem epee.
mouthed with hanger, the philesilltie spins moll
&elites to plank the nodding fruit, and bid HMI
enjoy it like him, io the paulo-past-fature tease.
His supplanter and seseassor is a man Ossetia,
mould, and of a temperament wholly dissimilar. As
he as the courage and unaided talent with whisk he
his won that 000spieueesposition are cenereed,we use
set disposed to undervalue his pretension. We know
of
so man w ho has faced such obstacles es he has
dose so intrepidly and peneverieg:y, with seam
To have made himself the leader of the Tory aria-
tocraey of the kingdom for a single session was a
marvellous exploit : to have kept the lead is spite of
every effort to get rid of hiss for tee Icing years, is
something infinitely stranger and mere strikiteg.
We notice with regret the deficineiss of a mind se'
gifted as that of the Opposition chief. With many
brilliant qualities, he seems altogether dodge's of
the tree and exalted tone of self-relies', vile\
his predecessor SO remarkably dispiefeL He
long as his party an in actin, se mar is
desperate the assault or doubtful the puliese at dr
attack, Mr. DISRAELI is full of spirit sad psi
hamar. But forbearance is not his forte, sad lie
efforts at magnanimity are mesa. Yielding to moo
wiser friend's advice, he began the pretreat mine
by offering an armistice to the admisistration, fir
which, under the circumstances, his bitterest Isse
have sat

oltanged. The Conference' for Peace are bardly
opened, when, weary of being wise and gonwrons. he
eaters into a plot to surprise and dealt his minis
toriol adversaries ; sod when thy allisitly effect
'their retreat ha breaks forth into a paroxysm of
vituperation, and fires off whole rounds of heavy
artillery in the air, to sent his spleen, and to
show his disappoiated followers what he meant to
have done.

Ir the cause of rani Mime is promoted by
making it impossible or painful to the poor to obtain
a livelihood in any other way, the directors of the
poor in the parish of tit. Pancras seem likely to be
very successful. Do what we will, there still remains
among us a large class composed of persons who
either cannot dig" or will not dig, and If not
" ashamed to beg" are at least afraid. This portion
of humanity, either too idle or too helpless to get a
living, is not as yet condemned by the laws of society
to starve. We say to them, " Beep your hands from
picking and stealing ; don't commit offences against
the laws ; don't go out into the highways and bye-
ways and extort money by obtrusive exhibitions of
your misery, and we will take care you shall not
perish. We do not intend to feed you very luxuri-
ously, or to clothe you very sumptuously, or to house
you very gorgeously, but you shall have the essentials
of food, clothing, and dwellings. We will admit some
of you into certain folds called workhouses, and to
others we will dispense out-door relief." If there is
any meaning at all in oar Poor-law system it gases
far as this.

How do the directors of the poor in Bt. Pancras
fulfil this implied contract P We may learn from a
report of an investigation into the condition of the
workhouse, conducted by Dr. Besot Jolt's, an In-
spector of the Poor-law Board, some curious facts
is answer to this question. As many as 9001
are sometimes relived (?) in one day. The appli-
cants are crowded into pens, the air being so offen-
sive as frequently to cause women to faint. "At
half-put 3 o'clock as many u 150 still remained
unrelieved. They had no food all day, and many of
them stated that they did not expect any until seven
o'clock. Mr. Binewmoar, the relieving overseer,l
states that his predecemor died from the effects of the
fool air of this underground office, into which the
directors were unwilling to come." " I cannot,"
sap Dr. JO/4111, a sellisiestly strongly express the
opinion I have formed Other evil' which result from
the cold, wet, and fasting which the poor endure.
Whilst endeavouring to obtain out-door relief, they
are exposed to disease and even to death.' Are they
not exposed to something worse P—to crime ? Is
it possible for this miserable crowd, suffering the
pup of hunger, fatigue, and disease, in an atmo-
sphere reeking pith pestilence, not to entertain no.
melons Ily some 'peculation' as to the ease with which
their condition might be improved ? Many of them
have seen in the dismal neighbrorhoods where they
vegetate rather thee live, that a little enterprise and
determination, when unchecked by any reverence
for the rights of poverty, places within the reach of
the scoundrel, luxuries almost beyond the compassed
their drums. To be sure there is a chance of de-
tection and consequent imprisonment. Bet prison is
at least u comfortable as the workhouse.

Prisoners, when 'adoring their punishment, are
generally in good modulo°. Tbeir diet is good,
their rooms are ventilated, and the functions of the
body are not allowed to "tartan in idleness. Their
Mends scarcely recognise them, when they come
oat. The paupers of fit Panora', we are told,
lire in overcrowded rooms. One sleeping room is
described an a collar, when fifteen persons pass the
sight. There is no chimney is the room, and no
ventilation, except one small window in the door.
l'he report adds : "The plus was fit far a coal-hole,
bat not for a basun being to 'loop is. The laundry
is fanned out of a collar es the other side of the pas-
sage. How the required work can be dose in this place,
I cannot comprehend. Os the same level underground
was a long low room, seven feet two inches high,
°Detaining thirty-two sleepen." The medical wards
are reported to be equally bad. The medical officer
is said to have stated that the crowding of the wards
mounted for the slowness of recovery of many of
the patients. Oa one occasion ten male patients and
two females were lying on the floor. The infirmaries
are utterly unfit to canna the total number of the
sick, and tiny ars therefore pat into say other room
that an receive them. As many as eighty wolves
slept nightly in the respiring and ousel ward. In-
mates of the house have to sleep upon the door, the
tables, and forms. In the man's email ward it is re-
ported by the surgeon that tee men hid passed the
light lying naked as ekes so pomible on the planks.
The *bikini's bedroom must have been a terrible
eight. The repot says that then had been eight
childns betweea one aid aura years of age sleeping
is one bed 4 feat 6 iodise bread and b feet 8 MMus
long, and that "cutaneous disease had speed from
the does peaking of the &Wrote
Oa the mere ground of self-intenet evils hike these
require to a corrected. A workhouse mediated in
this miner is a bet-bed of pestilease, and a soiree
of crime. The edictal@ in the home somplain bitterly
of its unhealthy "sedition. One has sink under it,
as we reed above. But the evil does not stop hon.
A useless of iaralids, kalf-poissmed by miasma daring
their neidencee in the weeklies's, when they leave it
to raters to the crowded neighbourhoods from which
they had departed bring disease with thew The
elect, however, el this is inferior to that produced
by the Moodie& who rotors from receiving out-
roast They form a perennial never-failiag source
of
damask

We are glad to see that the vestry reeogaisse the
jinn of the animadversion of Dr. lona, and that
a disposition is shows to adopt means to remove
the evils complained of. They may be ears that the
longer these are saffered to endow the more difil-
salt will it be to remedy them, and the more
estrous will be the consequences. Opposed as we
to the system of private almsgiving, we confess
that we cannot me that it would produce effects mare
Idangermis and anomalous than the sines in the
Weekhouse of St. Pastern, taken in cone:ion with
their ulterior coasequenees. Private almsgiving, is
too many instants, lineage the evil that it clay
beta& to relieve. Once a beggar, almost always •
beggar. Bat mendicants do set aesstable la crowds
of 900 at a time, emaciated and fainting. They are,
ea the notrary, dispersed about, and la spite of their
leeks, in a state of health only sedangered by
boisterous living after their labour's for the day
are ever. They live an oat•of-door life, having
a cordial dislike of checks upon their free-
dom. The pauper, on the contrary, in the
narrow rooms of the workhouse, and in ►is own pent-
up chamber, breeds pestilence which distils itself gra-
deafly through the air. He is ill-fed, in ill-health,
sad diseontented. He thinks he is punished for his
poverty, •ud he compares his punishment with t►at
billeted oa crime. Seek a oniparition is not a very
astisfeetory one. Take ears that be don not enlist
nadir the limners of crime. The Corporation of the
City is about to demolish or improve Nswgate.
Sorely the Vestry of St. Pancras might take the hint,
and sand as much to the construction of a work.
hosier as the Corporation of Loudon to the construe-
tion of a prison.

The Earl of Marsh has arrived in town front Kole-
comb, mar Goodwood.

omen.
gave him credit. The circumstance. hem