The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-29 00:00:00

- .
(From the Morning Herald of, tait.:4*-SW, '`'C.,,,,
When some future Macaulay sllielle liaielli- . ,\''
intoethe-secret—histar of the t sticiroMi 4ftt 4i
asi
last three years—when the true mo 'area Wietch****4-
actuated the members of her Majest ?s'GdieennaiitiliP i
during that period shall be uufoleleiefoi theiStittii& ':7--
gazaof our descendants--do,We of the 'preasenTellit
eec
imagine that when contrasted with those men *to
formed the Administrations of the
clays of William
and Mary our statesmen will appear in a light at
all .more respectable than they do ? We are said
ti) live in_an age of progress. Have our-statesmen
progressed ? If so, we may well inquiringly ask,
have they progressed in basenese or in virtue ? It
is true that no exiled Monarch now exists with
whom they can keep up treasonable communica-
tions to bring about his restoration to his throne ;
but the same principles--if principles they can be
called—which produeed the :" base and wicked
conduct" of the Russells and the Churchills of
those -days, - have evidently been in full ope-
ration amongst the Russells, the Aberdeens, and
the Palmerstons of these. " They have," as Mr.
Macaulay shows _ that their. ancestors did—they
have only done "after their kind. The times
have been troubled. A thick cloud has hung over
the future. The most sagacious politician could not
see with any clearness three months before him.
To a man of virtue and honour," says the indig-
nant historian, "this mattered little. His uncer-
tainty as to what the morrow might bring forth
might make him anxious but could not make him
perfidious. Though left in utter darkness as to what
concerned his interests, he bad the sure guidance of
hi i principles. But unhappily, men of virtue and
honour were not numerous amongst the statesmen
of that age."
A future Macaulay, writing on present events,
might state with truth that Downing-street. had
during a quarter of a century " swarmed with low-
minded, double-dealing, self-seeking politicians.
These politicians have acted as it was natural that
men profoundly" profligate in political affairs
" would act at a crisis of which none could pred;ot
the issue. Some of them had a strong ' predilec-
tion' against the French -Emperor; some of them
had a strong 'predilection' in favour of Russian
power ; bat ,_ it __wt xi* lay-any sualkasredilectiffle
-thatithe ebnditctof any of the breed was lidded.'
If they had thought that the spirit of the nation
would compel an alliance with the French Em-
peror, they would all have been fur Louis Na-
poleon : if they had thought that the nation would
have tolerated Russian encroachment, they would
ail have been for the Czar. " But what could
they do when the chances were so nearly balanced ?
The honest men of our party answered," resist
Russia to the death in the attempt- to crush the
liberties of the world. " The honest men of the
other panty answered"—Russia is the great Conser-
vative power which uphold the despotio monarchies
of the Continent. Let us not assail that Conser-
vative Colossus. But such consistency was unin-
telligible to the noble and the powerful ; their ob-
ject was to be safe "in office" in every event ; they,
therefore, openly argued for going to war wine
Russia, and secretly gave their assurance to Rusiia
that they would avert such dire extremity. They
denounced Louis Napoleon as a tyrant on the lea a-
ings ; but hastened to crouch to him when they
wanted him as an ally. Such, with a few triflieg
ad ,pta lens to the altered circumstances, may well
I e the contemptuous words of some future Macau-
lay, words which the present Macaulay has em-
ployed when describing the statesmen of the time
of William and Mary. Who can deny their being
strictly applicable to tLe stet smen of the time
of Victoria ? To them the word "c, nsistency" is
unintelligible. They can see no baseness in hold-
ing one language to the Czar, and another to the
British nation. They can see no baseness in pro-
mising the nation to conduct the war with the ut-
most vigour, yet nevertheless so conducting it as
to spare the foe whom they undertook to conquer.
When the language of the late Czar comes to be
accurately ascertained, and the exact nature of it
set forth by some future historian, will it not be
found that it was full of complaint against the
English Ministers for having betrayed him into the
war ? They beguiled him into the belief that they
would not fight, Dead then consented to be the agents
for carrying on the fight against him. They sought
a balm for their con,cience in afresh treason. They
Npvijothmitshei
e d
utthme 0
stv i Britishgou
vigour,
people tey to chaarrvey
to conduct it as to do the least possible injury to
coonnttrilive edwa so
r
the country which they assailed. Their state of
mind was this—if our armies are triumphant, well
and good ; we shall reap the glory. If they are
defeated, well and good ; excuses can'be formed,
and Russia is saved from being humbled. They
failed in both. Our army, triumphant in battle,
was destroyed by shameless neglect. England
was dishonoured; but Russia, nevertheless, was
humbled. .

The Russell of William's days led his old master,
King James, to believe that he would deliver up
to him the English fleet, over the command of which
his confiding new master, King William, had placed
him. And when King James, relying on his assur-
ances, acted in full conviction of their fulfilment,
Russell, with characteristic faithlessness, crushed
James's hopes for ever by the decisive victory of
La Hogue. Tile Russell of these days first openly
approved of the Papal aggro *lion, then secretly
connived At le then fanned the flame of_vm4htiad.
indignation which had sprung up against it, by
fiercely denouncing it ; and then when, by these
means, he had regained the confidence of the public,
he betrayed that confidence by bringing in a mea•
sure which confirmed rather than repelled the ag-
gression. Allowing for the difference of circum-
gtzuces, what is there to choose between the
Rmsell and the Nottingham of William's time,
and the Russell and the Aberdeen-of Victoria's ?

Are they not the Fame motives by which " the
conduct of the breed is guided ?" We ask then, in
this age of progress, if our statesmen have pro-
gressed, have they progressed in baseness or in•
virtue ?

IRONMASTERS' MEETING.

_ BIRMINGHAM, March 28.

The usual assemblage of the ironmat•iers of South
Staffordshire and East Worcestershire, preliminary to
the spring quarterly meetings of the trade was held at
Dee's Hotel this afternoon. Mr. Philip Williams occu-
pied the chair ; and the attendance, although not un-
usually numerous, was bighly influential. The late
questionable state of the iron trads necessarily occupied
the attention of the meeting, but comparatively little
discussion ensued. It was admitted on all hands that,
so late as three weeks back, considerable depression ex-
isted in the iron districts, and that great doubts were
entertained as to the possibility of maintaining existing
Witi.in the last fortnight, however, a marked
improvement has occurred, and there are now prospects
of renewed prosperity. The expectations which we
ventured to express a few weeks ago with respect to the
deafnads of railway companies have in a degree been
realised, and further contracts are anticipated. Within
the last fortnight orders have been received for not less
than 20,000 tons of Staffordshire rails, and another large
demand for a similar description of iron is daily expected.
Besides these requirements there have been good orders
received from the East Indies, and these comprise not
only rail, but various descriptions of foundry work used
in the formation, maintenance, and working of railways.
The fact that underselling has of late been carried on to
a great extent is not denied, but it is stated that it has
been altogether confined to inferior makers, and not
prevalent in the slightest degree amongst the manufac-
turers of best "brands."

Taking all these matters into consideration, the mett-
ing of to-day resolved unanimously, subjec.l. to the ap-
probation of the ensuing quarterly meetings, that the
prices fixed in January should be the prices exacted
during the ensuing quarter ; and there is little donbt,
whatever may be the condition of the trade generally
during ithat period, that the first firms of the district
have sufficient contracts or orders in hand to keep their
works in full employ at those rates. Prices, therefore,
uow stand as follows :—Bars, 9/. per ton ; sheets and
boiler-plate=, 101. 10s. per ton ; and hoops, 101. per ton.
It was stated that there is a better demand for pig iron,
at improved prices ; best pigs are at least ss. higher
than they were a fortnight ago. At the close of the
proceedings it was remarked, by old members of the trade,
that they were never present at any meeting at which
greater unanimity prevailed, or a more decided convic-
tion expressed of the flattering prospects of the trade.
The large firma of the district, who have been exten-
sive exporters of Staffordshire iron to the United States,
do not anticipate any lengthened or serious interruption
of trade with that country, and they attribute the partial
suspension of orders which has occurred during the pre-
sent year more to the severity of the winter in America,
' and the frozen state of its rivers, than to any fear of a
rupture with Great Britain. No doubt present diffe-
rences
demand
e has
sb
inducedeenthecaution,
consequence
; bu
considerablett o s
cks areslackness
known
in
to be extremely low in North America, and
should the dispute in hand be speedily settled, a great
additional impetus will be given to the South Stafford.
shire ironmasters.

TICE PROPOSED `VAR•OFFICE, PALL MALL.—This mat-
ter does not stand now exactly as our corresponeent of
lase' week put it. Professor Cockerell was at first re-
garded as desiring to quit the profession, and so was
not included in the list of invited competitors. Ulti-
mately, however, ho was applied to, and accepted the
invitation. Mr. Tits has declined, and Mr. George Mair
has been added to the list, which now stands thus :
Sir C. Barry, Mr. Cockerell, Mr. P. C. Hardwick, Mr
Mair, Mr. Pennethorno, Mr. Shaw, and Mr. Smirke.
The designs are to be sent in six werks after the instruc-
tions have bee❑ issued. The selected competitor will
carry out his design and receive 5 per cent. commission,
and each of the other candidates will receive 100 guineas
—all the designs remaining the property of the Govern-
ment. The idea originated, we believe, with Sir Ben-
jamin Hall, who deserves credit for desiring to render
such new buildings as may be required by the Govern.
went worthy of the country, —The Builder.