The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-22 00:00:00

THE SIT:NI: LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 22 1855

HIGH WATXR AT LONDON BRIDGE
DAY —morninp 45 min.after 5 I Evening 3 snin.aft. 6
To-I+l-Av Morning 22 niir.after 6 1 Evening 43 mtn.aft.

rtiE WEATHER.—SUN 07PIGN, Feb. 22.
TaEBMOMETIIR, IN THE SHADE.
34 highest since noon yesterday.
29 —;owcst this morning and during the night.
34—this day, at noon.
BAROMETER, 30.
WIND, Easterly and light, with fine weather.

, 9%,:-
t Apolat
„

1111,

LONDON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1855.

Another Ministerial crisis ! They fall upon us
" thick as leaves on Vallombrosa." The PAL-
MERSTON Administration bad scarcely been inau-
gurated in office before its dissolution has been
promulgated. Those whose adhesion to the Go-
vernment was considered indispensable a fortnight
since—one of whom even went through the form
of re-election—have already resigned.
This time the blow has not been from without.
The bubble has burst, not from extraneous vio-
lence, but internal convulsion. The Coalition is
no more. The Joint-stock Administration is
numbered with the past, and there is at length
the prospect of a united Cabinet. Lord PAL-
MERSTON has a reasonable chance of serving his
country efficiently, without being hampered by
the insubordination of those nominally his ser-
vants, but practically his masters, and disposed
to use their power without consideration or for-
bearance. A great opportunity is opened to him.
If he avails himself thereof to the full extent,
well. He will increase his former reputation, and
obtain the honest and unhesitating support of the
people. If, on the other hand, he still persists
in the course on which he has entered—if, in place
of availing himself of the vigorous talent, of which
there is no lack, of seeking by the infusion of new
and energetic vitality to sustain his power, he re-
sorts only to the effete and used-up material,
not thought worthy of a place at the formation of
tllO ABERDEEN Administration, he may as well
relinquish the attempt with a good grace, and
allow the business of the Session to be transacted,
with only one additional adjournment for the
re-election of persons accepting offices under the
Crown.

" 10. TRIUMFHE."-The Peelites are out. The
small but exacting party no longer exists. , Each
man will henceforth have to act for himself. GLAD-
STONE, GRAHAM, and HERBERT have completed the
task—have committed the act of political suicide
—that extinguishes their party in the House.
They still thought that the House of Commons
could be induced to rescind the resolution, carried
by such an overwhelming majority, that it would
consent to stultify itself, in order to retain the
services of the "heaven-born financier " and
those with whom he is willing to act. Lord
PALMERSTON, however, albeit, at the eleventh
hour, had his eyes opened, and clearly discerned
the magnitude of the delusion. The reception of
, the "feeler," sent forth on Friday evening, was
sufficient to convince a person of far less experi-
ence, and acuteness, and judgment that
the Parliamentary inquiry could not be
avoided. Mr. GLADSTONE, however, encou-
raged by the quondam subservience of the
representative body to his crotchet—by their hu-
miliating submission on the income tax, was de-
termined to persevere. Hence the split, which
will doubtless be announced this evening in both
Houses of Parliament.

Well, now we know the worst ; and much
will depend on the manner in which the Premier
may be disposed to act. If, in place of attempt-
ing to shirk a'close and searching inquiry into
all the causes of the notorious mischances that
have occurred, he evince a disposition to float
with the stream, and, candidly admitting past
mismanagement, endeavour to provide suitable
remedies, he will receive powerful support—not,
perhaps, from the Tadpoles and Tapers—but from
the " PEOPLE." But the traditions of office must be
disregarded. The chosen band—the initiated
few—must be materially enlarged. A disposition
must be shown to obtain the services of unques-
tionable talent, wheresoever it may be found, al-
though unconnected with the favoured families,
a relationship or connection wherewith was the
magical watchword—the "open sesame "—which
caused the portals of office to expand and give
ready admission to the candidate. Why can he
not look to the PETOS and PAXTONS--t0 those
who, having already displayed genius and perse-
verance in every matter in which they had been
concerned, might be expected still to succeed in
their undertakings ?

These are matters that must speedily be de-
cided. The question is one of no ordinary cha-
racter. The difficulty is great ; but it must be
fairly encountered, and triumphantly overcome,
in such a manner as to prove that Lord PALMER-
STON is worthy of the support of the nation—that
the suffrages by which he has been raised to his
present position have not been misapplied.

The resignation of Mr. GLADSTONE affords an
opportunity for the reconsideration of the boon
about to be conferred on the Fourth Estate. Who-
ever may be the successor of the Right Honour-
able Gentleman must make up his mind not only
to follow in his footsteps, but to proceed far
more rapidly in the course on which he had e,A.
tered. It is not a mere illusory advantage, that
will now blind the claimants, or con'ont them
with an unsubstantial campaign ; 'which, while
174 if,
" keeping the word of pro; to the ear will
break it to the hope t" the country is deter-
mined to get rid cf all the "Taxes on Knowledge."
It has alre.-ay caused the abolition of the adver-
tisement duty, a measure of unmitigated good.
It now demands the total repeal of the
paper duty, and of the newspaper stamp
—not by means of a more onerous and an-
noying substitute in the shape of a postal tax,
many times repeated, but a real abrogation of the
impost.

Mr. MILNER GrzsoN, to whom the Press and
the country are so deeply indebted, and whose
opinion is entitled to great weight on any topic,
more especially on one which may be regarded as
peculiarly his own, seems, while regarding the
matter merely as an instalment, to be contented
with it for the time being. It is with great re-
luctance and some degree of misgiving, that we
feel ourselves compelled to differ from one for
whom we entertain unfeigned respect and regard.
It is not, however, because we dread competiti,2,-„,
or shrink from. any
amount of I:4:airy that may
be offered, that
whose provisie- vir e complain of the measure
and viewed through so
so faintly shadowed forth,
.1% are
dense a mist' We ask not
for r,:o tection. We depend
as we have done for
,
the greater part of a century, on our own energy,
efficiency, and honesty of purpose. 13y these we
shall still be judged—by these we are prepared to
stand or fall !

But it is not because unworthy motives
taay
possibly be imputed, that we should shrink from
discussing a pending proposition, and ono Of Lo
ordinary importance—from putting fmfard our

disinterested or iini_ons on a question in which we
have at least considerable experience to guide
and direct us. We go the full length with the
Society for Pre emoting the Repeal of the Taxes on
Knowledge. We feel that the paper duty is a
heavy blow and great discouragement to the
anticipated e: alightenment of the people, that
"it limits tl le supply and enhances the price
of paper, au d thus restricts the field for the
employment of capital and labour." There-
fore would w© labour for its abolition—
therefore vt r•ould we refuse to accept an in-
finitesimal instalment of what we, in common
with the r est of the community, have a right
to demani 1. We ask for nutritious food,
and will n .ct accept a stone as a substitute, a
matter tha t in its working may be found to
restrict rat b er than enhance circulation.

With con ►mendable candour Mr. GIBSON has
,acknowledge 1 the existence of a job. He has
confessed to the inducement offered to the Le-
viathan, or leading metropolitan journal, which,
as we all la ow, " exceeds four ounces weight."
Now, this is what we object to. We want what
is fair, alikE to the Press and the People—that
which will .o for the benefit of all, not limited to
suit the cot senience of one—what will fit the
average 8121?,, not made especially to order for a
single ove:eg;r+own corporation.

It is im; pot;sible to deny that what is offered may
retard the ;great object. The Financial Minister
may hesita to as to relinquishing a source of re-
venue so p ,roductive as the paper duties under
existing circumstances. But we shall offer a sub-
stitute, one that, without infringing on the prin-
ciple of Rol ,VLAND HILL'S great Postal Reform
Bill, will fairly and reasonably add to the
Revenue. I ;very one knows that under the exist-
ing regulatic ,ns everything not exceeding half-an-
ounce in we ight may be transmitted from one
extremity of Great Britain to the other, from
the Land'%s End to John o'Groat's, for
the uniform; charge of id. Throughout the entire
Continent tle weight transmitted for a single rate
of postage is but a quarter of an ounce, and
much confusion, is thus occasioned to the foreign
correspondence of the country. Now, if ld.
werci charged. for every quarter ounce, in-
creasing in proportion, and not jumping
by ounces after the first, a very large addition
might be made to the Postal Revenue, which
would be still further enhanced if a
double rate, 2d. per quarter ounce, were
charged for everything beyond a certain
radius, say 20 or 25 miles. There could be no ob-
jection to this. It could not in any degree restrict
the interchange of friendly communications between
the scattered members of families. But, we ven-
ture to assert, that. it would produce a fund suffi-
cient to enable the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
whoever he may be, to relinquish the paper
duties, and thus to give a real boon to
journalists in esse as' well as in posse, and also to
the British people of all classes. Let him do
this, and he will indeed merit the thanks and
gratitude of the community.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.-(THIS DAY).

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.
SPIELMAN V. THE GOVERNOR AND COMPANY OF THE

BANK OP ENGLAND.

The jury this morning gave their verdict in favour of
the defendants in special form, thereby allowing the
plaintiff the right to move for a new trial.

BOW-STREET.--(THIS DAY.)

THE CASE OF KING THE DETECTIVE.

Charles King was again placed at the bar this morn-
ing for his eighth and final examination.

Mr. Bodkin, in opening the proceedings, said he had
to inform the magistrate that inquiries relative to the
system of robbery brought to light by this investigation
were still going on. He thought it would be unjust
towards the prisoner to detain him under remand any
longer, and he therefore asked for a committal on the
three cases which he, on the part of the Crown, had
prepared.

Lockerby, the police-constable, was then called to
confirm the evidence of the two constables who, at the
last examination, deposed to seeing King and the boy
Reeves at the fancy fair held last year at the Wesleyan
Chapel in Camden Town.

Mr. Hall then committed King for trial on the three
cases mentioned by Mr. Bodkin.

ing :

LATEST NEWS.

THE SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL

PARIS, THURSDAY, -FEB. 22.

The Moniteur publishes a telegraphic despatch
from Admiral Bruat, dated Kamiesh Bay,

Feb. 10.

Two ships had arrived with troops and stores.
A.dvices from Balaklava, dated February 12,

have been received; they state that the siege works

are pushed forward with great activity on every

point.

The railway from Balaklava to tho English
camp is far advanced.

Advices from Varna of the 10th February an-
nounce that the Turkish troops that have landed
at Eupatoria form an effective body of more than

30,000 men.

Their sanitary condition was excellent.

A new corps d'armee was to embark at Baltscbik

in tke course of the week.

The electric telegraph from Varna to Shumla
is to be completed at the end of February.
The following telegraphic despatch from Con-
stantinople was also received in Paris this morn-

Baron de Bruck had had an audience with the
Sultan. His successor, Baron de Keller, had

arrived.

On the 10th a thaw had set in in the Crimea.
Communications with the camp were difficult.

The Allied fleet was prepared to co-opeiate in

au attack with the army.

The English had placed 18 guns of heavy
calibre in position. The general health of the

troops had improved.

Omer Paella leaves Balaklava for Eupatoria

without delay.
The southern forts had been mined by the

Russians.

MARSEILLES, FEB. 21.

The Eupbrate, which left Constantinople on the
12th of February, has arrived.

Despatches for the Government left at 10 a.m.

Our advices from Balaklava are to the 10th.
• On the 7th the approach of 35,000 Russians
from the Belbek towards Balaklava was an-

nounced.

The allied tropps were under arms on the morn-

in; of the Bth, and again on the 9th:
The enemy did not make his appearance.

The Russians have, however, returned, and are

throwing up works on the heights in the vicinity

of Kamara.

Omer Pacha arrived at Balaklava on the 9th,

on which day a council of war was held.

The Princess Royal had arrived at Balaklava.
Rain and snow had fallen.

On the night of the 9th the French bom-

barded the town.

The Russians made sorties every night.

Accounts of the 18th from Varna state that up

to the 16th nothing important had occurred

before Sebastopol.

CONST A.NTINOPLE, FEB. 15.

Baron Koller, the new Austrian Minister, has

not yet arrived. Baron Bruck is still here.
French troops continually pass through the

Bosphorus.
Some Sardinian companies have arrived.
An unusual movement is remarked in the
Russian camp in the Crimea, where the weather
has become quite warm.

arsenal. A special train with ammunition left in
the direction of Cracow yesterday.
" General Baron Hess and General Schlick have
arrived at Lemberg. War with Russia is looked
upon as inevitable."