The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-07 00:00:00

NAVY ESTIMATES.

On the motion of Mr. WILSON, it was agreed that
tc-morrow orders of the day should have precedence of
notices in order that a vote might be taken on account
of the supplemental navy estimates for the years 1854-55.
The other orders were then disposed of, and the house
adjourned at half-past one o'clock.

THE MINISTERIAL CRISIS.

(From the Times of this day.)

The intelligence we have to communicate to the public
on the present Ministerial crisis, and the materials from
which we can attempt to form an opinion of the success
and stability of the new Cabinet, are still, unhappily, of
a scanty and unsatisfAtory kind. It is known that Lord
Palmerston perseveres in his undertaking, and had two
audiences of her Majesty yesterday to report progress.
It is known also that some of the impediments which
had been raised against the formation of the projected
Administration have been removed. We believe it to be
definitively settled that Mr. Gladstone, Sir James
Graham, and Mr. Sidney Herbert retain their positions
in the Government, the latter gentleman succeeding
Lord Palmerston at the Home-office. Sir George Grey,
too, has consented to remain at the Colonial Department,
in spite of his ill-health, as a proof of his cordial desire
to support Lord Palmerston at the head of the Govern-
ment. The changes likely to take place are, therefore,
even fewer than had been anticipated. They will, in
fact, probably be confined to the removal of Lord Aber-
deen from the Premiership and of the Duke of New-
castle from the War Department, and the only office
now to be supplied by a now Minister is that of the Se-
cretary of State for War. After 10 days, then, of anxious
negotiation and endless intrigue while the whole
business of the empire has been suspended Parlia-
ment been adjourned from day to day, or vexed with
Personal recriminations—negotiations for peace post-
poned, and the fate of armies in the field left in suspense
—we revert to a point which might have been reached
with less delay and less injury to personal reputations.
Nay, even at this hour we are by no means certain that
the office of Secretary of State for War is filled up,
though it was the source of all this commotion, for some
doubt remains whether Lord Panmure's health will en-
able him to accept its arduous duties. We believe, how-
ever, that Mr. Layard will hold the effiee of Under-
Secretary of State for the War Department—a post for
which his great knowledge of the East, his recent visit
to the theatre of war, and the energy of his character
undoubtedly qualify him.

The most certain and inevitable result of the vote of
the House of Commons appeared to be that Lord Aber-
deen and tho Duke of Newcastle should cease to form part
of the Government. The Duke intimated, with great
feeling and dignity, that he was equally determined to re-
sign the seals of the office he held, and to accept no other,
because he felt that his name, under the existing cir-
cumstances of the country, would be a source of weak-
ness rather than of strength to his colleagues in office.
As matters now stand, the Duke acts wisely for him-
self and for the country iu keeping aloof fora time
from the direction of public affairs, nor should we have
doubted that Lord Aberdeen himself had come to the
same resolution, and for the same or still stronger rea-
sons. Rightly or wrongly, justly or unjustly, his name
has been connected by the public in this country and
other parts of Europe with the inefficient conduct of
the war, and that imputation has been used as an instru-
ment to break up the Governtnent over which he pre-
sided. The belief in Lord Aberdeen's retirement was,
therefore, so general and so natural, that we should
hardly have adverted to the subject, if we had not ob-
served in a journal connected with one section of the
Government a statement that Lord Aberdeen was ex-
pected to return to office in the capacity of Lerd Preii-
dent of the Council. We cannot suppose that Lord
Aberdeen himself entertained any such intention.
Whatever be the merits or the defects of his character,
they are perfectly consistent with the principles he has
uniformly professed—an earnest desire for the restora-
tion of peace, and a strong hope cf obtaining it chiefly
by diplomatic means. That opinion is not popular at
this time in the country or in Parliament, and Lord
Palmerston is called upon by acclamation to form a War
Ministry. We heat tdy trust that his cuergyand practical
knowledge of military affairs may enable him to prosecute
and terminate the war with triumphant success. But
there would be an ob►ious absurdity in Lord
Aberdeen's holding a subordrnate office, in a Cabinet
which comes into power for the express purpose of tak-
ing measures which he, as Priuio Minister, did not think
it necessary to adopt. his own dignity and reputatibn
evidently proseribs a comparative retirement, •although,
in an age of great and extraordinary events, accompa-
nied by strong revulsions of feeling and judgment, it is
by no means certain that the opinions which are identi-
fied with the name of Lord Aberdeen will always be as
unpopular as they are at the present moment. These
considerations are so self-evident that we wonder any of
Lord Aberdeen's friends should have thought it expe-
dient to put forward his name at all at the prevent
moment, or to make his presence in the Cabinet a con•
dition of their own acceptance of office. If Lord Aber-
deen formed part of the new Ministry its failures would,
in the present.temper of the nation, be thrown upon him,
and its successes ascribed to others ; it is therefore in
his power to render far more valuable services to the
Government and to the country in an independent

position.
We are reluctant to suppose that any cause of this
nature can have contributed toretaxd the formation of the
Government; but certain it is that there has been a most
injurious delay, and the mutterings of impatience which
were heard last night in the House of Commons will, ere
long, burst forth in an explosion of dissatisfaction. We
have much lost time and lost ground to regain—we
have great and continuous efforts to make before we can
restore the military influence of this country to the high
point at which it stood after the Battles of Alma and
Inkerman ; and we have yet to prove that with a free
Parliamentary Government this country can carry on a
campaign to a successful termination. The world,
jealous of our wealth, and jealous of our freedom, may
say that prosperity has relaxed the warlike spirit of the
nation, and lileerty impaired the authority of the Go-
vernment. Yet never were the people of England more
eager to throw their whole strength into tise prosecu-
tion of a war, or more ready to obey any Minister who
will take the measures necessary to obtain success. The
more resolute the Minister, the more he will be sup-
ported, and our difficulties have arisen entirely from a
want of authority in the Government, not from any re-
sistance to authority in Parliament or the nation.

MARKET NEWS-(T1IIS DAY.)

The chow of English wheat in to-day's market was
limited, yet most of Monday's unsold samples wore cleared
off at that day's currency.

There was only a trifling inoiry for foreign wheat, the
supply of which was moderato, yet holders generally were
firm, and tho quotations were well supported.
The barley trade was dull, yet we have no change to note
in prices. Malt moved off heavily, on former terms.
Oats were somewhat firmer than on Monday, and prices
were supported.
In the value of beans, peas, and flour no change took
place.
•----•--

ARRIVALS VMS WEER.
I 1 Wheat. l Barley. Malt.
English .. 220
Irish ....
Foreign .. 2,810

Oats. I Flour.
70 ( 540

130 I 120

BOROUGH HOP.
Our market is steady. In pricos no change has taken
place.

WHITECHAPEL.

The general demand ruled inactive to-day, as follows :
—Beef, 3s 2d to 4s 4d ' • mutton, 3s 2d to 4s 2d ; veal,
4s 4d to 5s 4d; pork, 3s Od to 4s Gd per 81bs. by the
carcase.