The Express.
London, England, 1861-07-01 00:00:00

TO OUR READERS.

SPORTING INTELLiORIIOR.

A late edition of the Express u published every
evening daring the racing season, containing the
resului of the day's races.

Tue appointment of Mr. ROUNDLLL PALMEjt. to
the office of Attorney-General can only be re-
garded by the majority of the Liberal party as
one more indication that their leaders have no
faith in their principles, or at least that they think
it is not by standing fiat by them that they can
make sure of retaining their bold of power. It
is inconceivable, upon any other supposition,
that after having sought and received the un-
swerving aid in Parliament of a number of learned
and honourable men professing liberal opinions,
they should now proclaim to the world their
low opinion of the capacity and fitness of such
supporters to fill posts to which all of them had
a right to believe they might aspire. With
one exception these gentlemen have each and all
fairly won their seats in Parliament by contesting
the representation of considerable places at the
last or at some previous general election. We
should be sorry to be understood as saying that
any of them could, or would, upon such grounds
claim a right to personal preference. When
forensic office is to be filled up, the Minister is
bound to find the best man for the public whose
sentiments on public affairs are understood to
coincide substantially with his own ; and if the
beat man of his party does not happen, at the
moment when a vacancy occurs, to bo in Parlia-
ment, no rational objection can be raised to his
seeking such assistance, even at the risk of wound-
ing the self-esteem of those who for a time have
sat behind him. But the case is very different
when all the members of the Bar, in Parliament
or out of it, who have had the courage to avow
Liberal opinions throughout their professional
lives—who have fought for those opinions
on the hustings, and voted for them in the lobby,
are set aside in favour of an avowed opponent
of political progress, one who when purloined
from the enemy's camp can only be introduced
within the Ministerial lines through some obscure
political pretence. Mr. ROUNDELL PALVILS is per-
sonally a gentleman of whom we can speak only in
the language of sincere and high respect. His
talents as • debater were shown to be above the
ordinary level when he sat in the House of Com-
mons some years ago ; and his attainments as a
lawyer no one can deny. Political honour, poli-
tical responsibility, and political conduct being out
of the question, he is a man unquestionably fitted
for the post which has been conferred on him.
But so long as Parliament is a political assembly, and
so long as government founded on opinion sod re-
sponsible to opinion is the constitutional system under
which we live, it is impossible to defend an ap-
pointment like that of Mr. PaLsexa by a Ministry
calling itself Liberal. If we are not misinformed,
the learned gentleman, who at present represents
no constituency, but who, we are told, is likely
next week to re-enter Parliament as the nominee
for one of the War-oillee boroughs, stipulated
before accepting Lord PALM:RITMO; offer that he
should be at liberty to vote against the abolition
of church rates, and we know not how many
other measures of importance. We frankly own
that we think all the better of the high-spirited
o.mservative advocate for insisting on his right to
retain his old opinions, and to act up to them ;
but what are we to think of those who, having
made him the offer, did not hesitate to press
it upon him after he had reminded them
that it was their consistency, not his, that
must be sacrificed by its acceptance 1 And
what is to be said or thought of the transaction by
the Liberal Bar, whose honourable, learned, and
efficient leaders have one and all been thus
slighted, and told to stand aside, in order to make
way for the triumph of an opponent, whom one of
them actually ejected from the representation of
Plymouth on party grounds, and on party grounds
alone, nine years ago
The exigencies of a Coalition Ministry have
long been understood and appreciated. We have
always accepted as inevitable the promotion indif-
ferendy, according to standing and talent, of men
who, belonging to divers sections of the Liberal
party in Parliament, have thoughtit justifiable to
combine for a season in order to secure the existence
of a mixed administration. We are guiltless of
having ever advocated the policy of such an ad-
ministrative compromise ; but when effected and
generally acquiesced in, we have seen no use in the
reiteration of objection or complaint. But no
theory of coalition that has ever yet been publicly
propounded will justify the appointment of Mr.
Roi-Nnect Pippin over the heads of the whole
Liberal Bar in and out of Parliament.

Tux Board of Trade Returns issued last week
throw a fresh light upon the remarkable com-
mercial and financial movements now in pro-
gress. We say remarkable, because at the pre-
sent moment there is a complete paralysis of
our export trade with the United States;
and because, moreover, this is the firet occasion
since the discovery of gold in California, on which
America, besides keeping all the gold which she
produces, has asserted her power to draw, in addi-
tion, an enormous amount back from Europe. It
is not too much to say that for many months past
America has ruled the European, and more par-
ticuLirly the English money market. The whole
course of finance in this country depends upon
the degree of pressure that may continue