The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-15 00:00:00

absence by the evidence, it is clear, and such is
the opinion of the country, that the sooner they
are summoned home the better; that things in

the Crimea could not be worse without them, but
would almost certainly be bettor. Even the

Commander-iu-Chief, with his staff of nephews, it
is generally thought, might give evidence before
the Committee, no one in the East being injured
by their absence.

Lord PALMERSTON must remember that while
the public voice was most undoubtedly decided in
his favour, that the decision was chiefly to be attri-
buted to a belief in his being the man to see his

will clone, whether officials here, or whether neu-
trals and shaky Allies abroad, stood in his way.

one respect the first stops have not be©n for-

anato ; in the case of an eminent individual, par-

ticularly unfortunate. Th• Peelites ars still half
the Cabinet, and nothing short of the committee

will enable him to curb their self-conceit, and

to overcome their NEWCASTLE and ABERDERNS

longings. Again, Mr. LAYARD, the man whom

next to Lord PALMERSTON the nation desired to

see in high office, is turned out for such a com-
paratively political nonentity as Mr. FREDERICK

PEEL. The man who displayed at Nineveh, with
the Arab tribes, such admirable organising and
executive powers and resources--the only man
also in the political line who personally knows the
Crimea, and all the East, is shuffled aside in
favour of a young aristocrat, and a Peelite in every
sense, and of quite mediocre pretensions. We are
truly pained to witness this repetition of the old
tale of connexion versus genius and capacity.
Lord PALAEHRSTON must beware ; aristocracy, in
his hands, is on its last trial.

Our Government is undei•stood to have concluded
contracts with various houses is Dantzic for the delivery
of large quantities of salt meat.
A GOOD EXAMPLE.—On Thursday last the Directors
of the Bank of England passed a resolution to give each
clerk in their establishment an immediate bonus of 10
per cent. upon his salary, as compensation for the double
income-tax—a boon wnich is gratefully appreciated.
Tan PREIIIICR ♦ND POLAND.—The friends of freedom,
in all parts of the world, will rejoice with unbounded
joy, should the impression prove well founded which
prevails in well-informed circles, namely, that in the
event of nothing resulting from the impending Con-
ferences at Vienna, Lord Palmerston is prepared to
assist in bringing about the restoration of Poland, ascot
only the simplest and most expeditious mode of putting
an end to the war, by the discomfiture of the Czar, but
as insuring the best of all "material guarantees" for the
preservation, in future, of the peace of Europe. Louis
Napoleon, it is well known, has long been reported to
be favourable to this " short and easy method" of deal-
ing with Russia, should it be found, after a few months'
experience of the usual mode of carrying on the war with
that Power, that there is likely to be a prolonged and
bloody contest. Should the event justify the belief
which is entertained in many well-informed minds re-
garding Polish resuscitation, Lord Palmerston would
thereby render himself the most popular Minister that
ever presided at the helm of :drain in England.—Morning
Advertiser.

DENT, ALLCROFT, AND 0. —Thegentlemen engaged in
this extensive and eminent firm entertained at dinner, in
the London Tavern, en Tuesday, one of its partners
(William Lord, Esq.) This was for the purpose of hav-
ing an opportunity of prostinting him with an offering
of the esteem in which Pse was held by them. The pre-
sent was a very elegant silver Epergne, value 100
guineas, and the occaifion was that of the retirement of
this gentleman into private life. Such was the regard
entertained for him by -those engaged in the house that
it was determined nn animously he should be requested
to accept from them, and carry with him, an acknow-
ledgment of their wins° of his unwearied kindness and
consideration time rds them. Mr. Lord has been an
active partner of ?Messrs. Dent and Co. for 25 years,
during which time. he became universally respected by
the merchants awl manufacturers of the kingdom ; and
utirs that he is r etirieg from the anxieties of business,
xp
a
r es
presidedsi of good
m eplyr moat v
feelingoe partonetsheeerb
ofe
ttoholisiemOva he
source of high gratification, and on which
cannot but refteat that, after all suet :a tribute is worthy
an endeavour oe being deserved%

or courage to devise the remedies. The
whole country undoubtedly believes the worst,
both of the condition of the army, and
of the inability, partly personal, partly
relative to aristocratic considerations, of the late
Premier and his War Minister, to meet the diffi-
culties of the case.
Looking at the question as a whole, we must
think that the course of the House of Commons is
perfectly clear. Its vote was right at the time ;
it is right still. If Lords PALMERSTON and PAN-
MITRE mean to fulfil the nation's behests, they will
find the committee not an incubus on their
energies, but a tower of strength. The cause of
all the calamities in the Crimea may, as the nation
justly believes, be summed up by one adjective
and ono noun—aristocratic routine ; a routine
adapted to aristocracy, and an aristocracy adapted
to routine. The wealthy and the well-connected
have been the masters of Government places and
military rank, and the requirements of office have
therefore been carefully adjusted to the capacities
usually associated with hereditary purses and titles.
The army, especially, and " the departments
which should minister to its wants," have been
during the long peace the favourite resort of
yeunger brothers, nephews, and cousins; with the
addition of a few sons of wealthy cotton spinners
and the like, whose fathers could afford to keep
their pockets full at a University, where they
learned to be ashamed of their origin ; and then
to buy them, what no brains or merit could have
procured, a commission in the Army. Our army
is officered and our Government departments
filled—.-and there is no concealing it—by wealth
and connexion only. All England. is now certain
that this is the prime cause of the break down.
We have had men very good for show, but utterly
unfitted. for work. They never knew, indeed,
what work is. They were put into place and
commission because they were unfit for it, and
scorned to attend to, it, not because of their ex-
hibiting a trace of liking or qualification for it.
The case of poor PERRY, whatever the lad's per-
sonal weaknesses, shows that officers consider
themselves a clique, with whom no plebeian
might ♦enture with impunity to join in the mess.
It is needless, however, to dilate on the now
stale topic of aristocratic monopoly and failure.
Are the two Lords and the Cabinet disposed to
take the bull by the horns or not ? Are they
willing or not to carry Free Trade into the Army
and Downing-street ? Ale they prepared to
invite merit and ability from the untitled many
to an " unrestricted competition" with the titled
few ? If they are then they will need at their
back tho whole weight and force of the committee
of inquiry, to convince the lazy, selfish, and con-
ceited monopolists that resistance and obstruction
are useless. But if they are not willing, then the
House of Commons is bound by the most solemn
considerations to appoint a committee which shall
compel Ministers themselves to do their duty.
We repeat, let the House nominate the committee
they have voted to help the Cabinet, if willing to
do its duty ; to force duty upon it if reluctant.
Wo deem it needless to advert to the pretexts of
inconveniencing the Ministry, or of inquiry being
impossible while witnesses are absent in the
Crimea. We have shown in regard to the past that
it will aid an honest Ministry ; and three-fourths
of the inquiry will be into the system which ori-
ginated the appointments complained of, and into
other matters respecting which, unhappily, too
many witnesses have returned to tell their tale.
An unlettered private can tell us whether his
ooffee beans were raw er roasted, -whole or ground.
Any skipper can inform us what kind of harbour
management he found at Balaklava. There will
be no lack of important facts to be verified as
such, and facts su:gestive of important lines of
inquiry at home, without summoning one wit-
ness from the Crimea. Moreover, as to a great
many who it is said might be inculpated in their