The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-04 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING,

Cabinet, to any whom Lord PALMERSTON; except
under constraint, would be likely to introduce.
Lord STANLEY, unlike the ovor-year'd Reformers-
to whom Lord PALMERSTON would turn, has the
candour, which is open to argument, instead of
the proud obstinacy which resists all it dares re-
sist, and as long as it dare do so ; he has the prac-
tical interest in tke welfare of the middle and
lower classes, which disposes him to trust the ob-
jects of his regard, instead of the Whig dread of
democracy ; he thinks "his order" more honoured
by relying on the well-earned good-will of the
million, than by constant denial of their rights ;
he is, of course, an aristocrat by birth and rank,
but he covets not a mere feudal superiority to the
many, but their willing homage to aristocratic
advantages conscientiously used in their service.
Of such a man every true Liberal would be but
too ready to exclaim Utinam fluster esses !

Another reference to a very admirable pam-
phlet, commended by ourselves the other evening
as eminently worthy of examination—the pam-
phlet entitled "Phases in Politics"—will be very
welcome, we doubt not, to our readers if but for
the sake of one pithy quotation. The pamphleteer
has just been remarking (p. 44), in words of
epigrammatic antithesis, that the late Opposition,
the present Government, " use office as a means
to carry measures, the Whig party using measures
as a means to obtain office : and he adds there-
upon :

"And here it may not be out of place to remark the
singular faculty, displayed by some recent Whig ad-
ministrations, of doing nothing during a series of long
official existence—it is very ingenious, and proceeds
somewhat in the following fashion :
The great object of course is to avoid responsibility ;
hence it does not answer to undertake measures of great
importance ; they are unwieldy, and one is liable to be
turned out upon them—so far, therefore, better to pre-
scribe than to take—still it does not suit altogether to
resist them, especially if of a popular character ; ac-
cordingly, the Whig party being (as we may safely
assume) in office, they coquet with the question a little ;
speak, some for, some against it, till nobody can make
out exabtly what will come of it ; the sanguine people
on each side severally contending that they have the
Government with them. "Mr. A. spoke for it," says
one, " therefore they are certainly with us." " But
Lord B spoke against it," says another, "therefore they
are certainly not," and Lord C. has puzzled everbody,
for he spoke one way and voted another.
"At length, however, all doubts are to be solved ;
the Government, in the person of its leader, steps in (he
has been judiciously absent hitherto) and amid breath
less silence proposes—a commission.. This is eminen, ly
convenient, for it pledges Ministers to nothing, and is
not very repulsive to either the supporters or opponents
of the measure ! the first think it is something good
gained, the last that it is something evil deferred. The
issuing of these commissions is a surprisingly tedious
business ; accordingly the month of May has arrived
before it is organised ; ab-)ut June it enters on its func-
tions, and as the days are then hot, it cannot sit long at
a time. About September the report is presented, and,
as Parliament does not meet for nearly five months sub-
sequently, chances are strong that in the interim some
thing turns up to put it out of every one's head.

All this we take to be admirable—the description
throughout not being less true than humorous in
every particular. " For shelving a question,"
continues the writer—

" There is no pion like a commission ; it is the
only certain method known of bringing about the
great Whig desideratum—nothing ; and for many
years past, therefore, has been constantly and un-
failingly resorted to. We remembar no great pub-
lic question that has not undergone this nullify-
ing proof se at their hands. Maynooth, the Poor
Laws,. Corporation of London, Harbour Dues, and
Passing Tolls, Landlord and Tenant relations, Edu-
cation, and it is impossible to say how many more.
The diversity of subjects, however, in no way precluded
an uniformity of result—it was always the same—
nothing. After a vast number of inquiries on the sub-
ject in Parliament, "the report is placed in the hands of
members," and by them quietly placed some where tbat
they are never likely to see it again, and so ends—
the Commission."

Every one acquainted even superficially with
the routine of Parliament will appreciate the
vivid truthfulness of this minutely accurate and
poignantly exact description. It is Whig policy
to a T, both in and out of office—touched off in
every micros topic particular with the distinctness
and varisimilitUde of a photograph.
A supplementary comment upon the advan-
tages accruing to the country at large as among
the inevitable results of Whig rule, the pam-
phleteer afterwards specifies thus whimsically—
where he says :—"lt is certainly very fortunate,
but Whig Ministers have, beyond all others, the
faculty of never leaving anything but a deficit in
the Treasury. Nobody ever yet found sixpence
there when they had gone out." For example,
adds :—" In 1841 the deficit was above two
millions sterling, and necessitated the Income
Rix of Sir R. PEEL. In 1852 the Exehe
quer was just afloat and no more ; in
1858, it is dipped to the extent of four
millions." Or, to be exact, precisely 3,990,000/.
These are, indeed, undeniably among the only
certainly reliable consequences of installing in
office at any time a regular old Whig administra-
tion—

Do-nothing and Deficit.

It is something to be rid of that lamentable
double certainty at last, and to have a chance
at least of securing a Surplus, and of getting
Something done in the way of legislative improve-
ment.

ME PROVIDENT CLERKS' BENEVOLENT FUND.—We
are much gratified to learn by the report, which appears
in another column, that the recent festival dinner of this
excellent institution has been in the highest degree suc-
cessful, more than 1,2001. having been collected on the
occasion. We know of none, among the noble list of
charitable instilutions in thin metropolis, which has
achieved a greater amount of good among the class it
is intended to benefit, or that has pirfurtned its m'ssion
in a more practical and unostentatious way than the
Provident Clerks' Fund. We have on very many OCCA-
sione, with sincere pleasure, called attention to its pro-
gress, and we trust to have to record for it a long and
uninterrupted career of prosperity.

ST. JAMES'S lIALL.—A. grand concert for the benefit
f the daughter of the late Mr. Leffler will be given on
Monday eveciiv, the 7th inst. Amongst the ar istes the
names of Mr. Sims Reeves, Miss D .Iby, Mr. and M.:-
dame Weiss, Miss Arabella Goddard, &c., will appear.
Herr Rubinstein and Herr Jca .hiss will appear at the
performance of the Vocal Association, at St. JAmes'a
Hall, on Wednesday evening next, June 9. The Vocal
Association, of 300 voices, will also perform some pal t-
songs, fir the first time, composed expressly for the
• iciety.

MADAME RISTORI.—The public will be glad to hear
that this diAinguished arti-t has signed articles with
Mr. Gye for a series of performances in Landon this
senior). The St. James's Theatre has, we understand,
been taken for these peiformancf-s.
A supplement to the London Gazette of Tuesday, June
1, was published last night, containing the particu'ars f
the inve,titure of the King of Portugal with the insignia
of the Order ef ti e Gaiter, by the Marquis of Bath, at
Lisbon, on the 27th ult.

THE DERBY GOVERNMENT. —The Edinburijk Nel4
8,y9 Pte Liberal sect-on of politicians, from whom
i lone the Government has anything to fear in the house,
as w 11 as the public out of doors, will respond to Mr.
Disraeli's appeal, and support the Government, at least
fo! a sev.o:l—fir,t, t ecause there is all but univer, al dis-
trust and condemnation of the Palm- r,tonian Whigs ;
stcon.l, because the public love lair play even to poli.
goal enemies ; and third, because they will get, as they
Lave already obtained, more liberol concessions to the
people's cause and the principles of self-goverr.ment firm
the pr,:tsent Government than from the Whigs. On
these grounds Lord Derby will receive present forbear-
ance, ald will obtain confidence according to his
measures,"

our most aii!telscurY.,itT:'arB'
:11‘',Iikpcx:ten.raPtUaZZI'S CONCERT.—Madame Puzz,, till
has enjoyed the patronage of
inot'sYay hlotw
„ic teacher of singi3g, who, for we mug.
morning
faenilies, gave her annual (miner;
on Monday
at the Hanover-square Rorms.
1,-. is almost superfluous to state the the comp Any was
civis le
indeel
pa
tic:
z•einise
ec
sf
highly na
incommolionsly numerous,
r::and fashion. To show that
oills, and that it included the
eiteemEd by her professional
bretlii en as the is by 1,
between the i partsai
a of
massivethe caonna-
bneutrrJus pupils and their
fa nil OP, we may state that
i:di
mwiirtahtiaosn
o,nsdtlabsequently pre.
cert she received from Madlle. Pa
rwgnificent si very taver, an
vase, en bronze
and respect of those
distinguished artistes.
sdeonrtj:clasbytoSiiigeinl:roftrbge
DEATHS FROM LIGHTNING, —A very melancholy 'Event
happened at North Uist a few days ago. As two
men, named Angus Macleod and Angus Macphairobuo4
young
residing at Middle Quarter, North Uist, were standing
together during a thunderstorm, they .were struck by
-
lightning and instantaneously deprived of life.--inver-
-71M.00/trier.

rre
14 _IL EST NEWBI

ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO' ASSAM':
NATE THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON.

A rumour circulated yesterday in Path; that
another attempt at assassination had been made at
Fontainebleau, and that several Italians were ar-
res'.ed. This, it• is declared, is false. Again, it was said
that though it was not true that an attempt had
been made, yet some persons were caught in the
act of fabricating grenades. This again subsided
into three or four suspicious people being taken
into custody. To•day the story runs that the Sar-
dinian authorities had given notice to the French
police of the movements of six persons who had
come from Rome, and were coming to France for a
criminal purpose, and that two of them were
arrested on the road, two in Paris and the re•
maing two escaped, and have not yet been Lund.
This, we believe, to be nearly the true version.

RUMOURED RECALL OF MARSHAL
PELISSIER.

Among the on dits current for several days past
in Paris is one that Marshal Pelissier has been re.
called from his post of Ambassador at London, in
consequence of the courtesies exchanged between
him and the Duke d'Aumale, and, in particular,
his having met the Prince at a private dinner
party. Nothing is more probable than that this
Court was not over-pleased at the tenderness
so unexpectedly exhibited by the Marshal on the
occasion of the meeting, but the rumours of re-
call originated perhaps- in the angry comments
of some over-zealous courtier. It is denied that
the Marshal is recalled, though it is not unlikgly
that remonstrances were addressed to him by the
Foreign-office on the necessity of always placing
public above private feeling, however respectable
this might be ; and that the Marshal replied to the
admonition in a rough and laconic style, which is
not always found in diplomatic correspondence.
The Emperor is far too sensible a man to allow his
Ambassador to be dismissed for merely showing
respect to the Duke d'Aumale ; and Pelissier is
too spirited to accept quietly a lecture from the
chief of the Foreign-office on the impropriety of
guarding too faithfully the memory of past favours,
and, generally, on the crime of gratitude. If we
can give credit to what semi-official authority says,
you are not likely, on this account at least, to lose
Marshal Pelissicr.

MARSEILLES, JUNE 2.
Accounts have been received from Constanti-
nople to the 26th ult. General Abdi Pacha, who
was wounded in the late affairs with the Monte-
negrins, died on the 28th ult., at Scutari. The,
Mussulmans evince great indignation towards
Montenegro. Three steamers have been de-
spatched with reinforcements to Candia. The
accounts from Athens are to the 28th. The
Esperance states that the Candiote insurgents
have been reinforced, one influential chief having
joined with 1,000 men. Prince Vogorides has
arrivtd at Marseilles from Constantinople.

BERNE, RI NE 2.

The newly-elected Grand Council has chosen as
its President M. Niggeler, a member of the
Liberal party; and as Vice-President M. Kurz,
a Conservative. There are in the Grand Council
111 Liberals and 95 Conservatives.