The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-02 00:00:00

LORD PALMERSTON---IN THE HOUSE.

Lord Palmerston has-..just come in, walking
rather stiff in the limbs, but planting his feet firmly
on the ground and looking like an honest, sturdy
Englishman, as he is,who would make a fight of it,
if necessary, even at seventy. eight. On sitting
down he pulls his hat well over his yes, folds his
arms, and waits to be spoken to. Presently some
member asks a not particularly bright question
upon foreign policy. The Premier is on his legs in
a moment, with hat in hand, and says 'with perfect
gravity half a dozen words which make the House
laugh immoderately. But there is seldom any sting
in what he says. His good-humour and unwilling-
ness to offend are taken for granted, so the member
who has been put off with an evasive answer, or
with no answer at all, at last joins in the merriment
as heartily as anybody. The answer to the next
question on foreign policy is, perhaps, entrusted to
Mr. Layard, who is "bearded like a pard," and
speaks with a brusqueness, and with something of
aggressiveness and almost of defiance in his tone,
which sometimes conduce to anything but mild de-
bates. However, the Under-Secretary can hold his
own well, and with that lion-front of his, and a
confidence which Eastern travel may have given
him, but which more probably came to him by
nature, ha is always a formidable debater.
Now Lord Palmerston rises again, and the House

listens at once in rapt attention. It is a question
of great importance—a fighting question, in fact.
This time hie lordship, in pregnant statesman-like
language, enters somewhat fully into the subject,
and his voice can be heard distinctly in the remotest
corner. Now he resumes his seat, and, from the
look of the notice paper, his work for the night
seems to be at an end, the subjects which will now
be " on" resting in the bands of the Ministers, who
can take care of them thoroughly. You suppose
that the veteran statesman takes the opportunity of
going home quietly to dinner, and getting to bed
by eleven at latest ? Not at all. You see he is
fixed in his old attitude, and there he will remain
until the house adjourns, no matter what time that
may b 9, shaming all the young members of the Go-
vernment into regular attendance, but after they
have done their best, being the moat regular and
most indefatigable sitter in the Government. One
most valuable habit he posscsse's is the power of
inducing sleep at any moment. This is a power
which requires great concentration of thought, and
is possessed by but few people. The late Duke of
Wellington had it, and the Premier, by the aid of
his hat drawn well down over his brow, nods from
hour to hour, and yet always seems to know when
he is wanted, and always seems to be sleeping, like
a certain reputed very sharp animal, with one eye
open. If there is a hitch, he will be sure to come
to the rescue. If an angry member has to be calmed
down, or a disagreeable motion to be got rid of, ho
is the man to do it. And then, having seen the
night over, and the business ended, he takes Mr.
Cowper's arm, and walks with him, as often as
not, to Cambridge House, without troubling cab or
carriage.—" Parliament Sketched" by a Correspon,
dent of the Court Journal.

PHOSPHORUS AND UIVILItiIiION.--COliShidiserso forfter
a moment; every adult human being requires at
least four pounds of phosphates to build up 1115 bony frame-
work, quite apart from the quantities used up in
parts. This amount is sequestrated from the earth, and
fnoufe
svpeeogrutrnosdtgsumrwnwhs
ptcolhainst.rets.dYraTetiiiiheekweoaafrytthfhrweomimthitlohluieotuppsrhiumopsiotpuih
primitive
millions
stock,
phosphates re-
act; e of
tf
been robbed of
of
thehEr
Nile ancient
renown
and you will understand why vast stretches
plains of Babylon, ion, are
are barren, why parts of Sicily, Arabi:
Fdeesleixrts(.enTeehessoe
lfaenrtidlse)h,avaend the
the t sir epr
precious
ecious phosphates.
ph(,
phos-
phates. phates, Philosophy
the
eE annualpt inundationpres cr cs
and
dies
tbreaCi agUhdta-
considers this,asreeruetisitedity:
of history (she is fond of such "laws"), theorise
tisupon*t
wealth, skill,luxury,
emerging y begins
frotomthbShelaw tuhsat remark
nationst h the law
and m
populousness, into civilisation,
aro
always af after gr
submergedowi rg in.
by some fresh wave of barbarism. The puny citizen,
ener-
vated by luxury, cannot withstand the stalwart barbarian.tener-
all the
appilt hianacs b--
-ichso aitwkiell rouveenr be.
fail to
fermAidlilbltelietoskbilelaasntsd,
make men formidable to barbarians. With knowledge and
wealth has come the corruption of luxury. It is that which
has destroyed the rude and manly sir toes of an elder
time; it is that which makes man dissolute,
aelfish, timid, without fervour, without patriotism.
Are you quite sure of this, 0 philosopher ? Is Luxury
so universal in civilised communities that nations no
less than individuals aro enfeebled by
been accustomed to Capon indulgences ? Let us they
rhetoric for a moment, and see whether the enfeeblement of
nations may not be tracer less to the excess of cliaation.
it ? nave illions
than to the deficiency of phosphorus. It is a paradox I
set before you, no doubt ; but it is not less likely to
is be a
truth because it contradicts your opiniona—whi the
meaning of a paradox. Did the borbarians always conquer
because they wore ignorant ? ; because they were strong.
'They were truly the "eons of the soil," end of a soil 1.,,t
robbed of its phosphates, like the soil of old end crowded
nations. The civilised Roman trembled at the presence
of the gigan:ic and ; but the descendant, of that
Gaol is so little of a, giant that he now boasts of Lis
stature whin be ;s four feet ri,r ! It was r,marlred by Pliny
that the Romans were rapidly derenerati -
DK in stature, And
that sons wore rarely so till as their fathers; but he at 'rt.
bated this degeneration to the exhaustion of the Vital sap,
not knowing that a Liebig would come to proclaim the ex-
haustion of Preek/Us phosphorus.—Collatill Magazine for
March.