The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-23 00:00:00

ACCUSATIONS AGAINST LORD
PALUE.RSTON.

(From the Morning Post.)

It is of the first importance that the new mem-
bers of the House of Commons—that the future
men of England, and that statesmen and journalists
Et the continent of Europe and America should
know the utter groundlessness—the complete falsity
of the accusationsmade against Viscount Palmerston.
We make no apology, then, for following the Rus-
sian diplomatist who has attempted —we need
scarcely say unsuccessfully attempted—in the .Nord
to misrepresent and vilify the character of the ablest,
the most experienced, the most courageous, and,
above all, the most thoroughly British of living
statesmen. The Nord says that, in leaving the
Wellington Ministry, Lord Palmerston "speculated
on success, and did not then, or at any time, act
from conviction." We have already shown that the
present Premier left the Ministry because he made
common cause with his friend Mr. Huskisson, one
of the ablest, beat-informed, and wisest Ministers
this country ever produced—a man whose untimely
death in 1830 was one of the greatest calamities
that could fall on this nation.
It is one of the few reproaches that can be cast on
the memory of the great and good Duke of Wel-
lington, that he treated Mr. Huskisson's attempts
at explanation on this occasion with an abruptness
and a summary sternness savouring far more of the
camp than of the Cabinet. In this his grace com-
mitted a great error; for, in 1828, Mr. Huskisson
stood first in the foremost rank of living statesmen,
and combined in his proper person more sound poli-
tical, commercial, and statistical knowledge, and
greater administrative skill and sagacity, than any
living man. In trutb, since the days of Colbert and
Turbot, there had been no such Minister in Europe
for a knowledge of commercial and economic theo-
riee Nor was Huskisson a mere theoriser only. To
the highest scientific he allied the greatest practical
intelligence, and was, in the best sense of the word,
a thorough matter-of-fact and highly.dependable
colleague. With the soundest sense he combined
the most perfect suavity and a modesty rare at that
epoch, and now, we may say, almost wholly mtex-
isting among public men. When Mr. Huskisson
found that his letter to the Duke had been mistaken
and misconceived, whom did he select to confer on
the subject with the great Captain None other
than his friend the then" Secretary at War, the pre-
sent popular First Minister of the Crown.
It is said, in the most off-hand Tartar fashion, by
the Russian diplomatist, who unsuccessfully at-
tempts to depreciate Viscount Palmerston, that
"the Duke of Wellington showed him very little
respect." At what source the Russian acquired this
smattering of information we profess net to know,
or, indeed, to care ; but we may take the opportu-
nity of stating here that the illustrious Duke, often
ungracious and brusque to the highest personages
in the State, and generally abrupt and decisive in
manner, was uniformly cordial and urbane in his
commerce with the Secretary at War. The con-
versation held with the trusted friend of Mr.
Huskisson in May, 1828, was of considerable
length—much longer, indeed, than that pre-
viously held with Earl Dudley ; for we may,
in passing, remark that the manners of the
noble earl, the then gifted Secretary for Foreign
Affairs, were quite as abrupt as the Duke's, and
occasionally eccentrical in no common degree.
After having seen the Duke of Wellington on the
part of Mr. Huskisson, Viscount Palmerston ad-
. vised his right hon. friend to pursue a certain
course. That course was pursued, and pursued
speedily, and the result was that Mr. Huskiwon
and his three Canningite friends—namely, Lords
Dudley, Palmerston, and Mr. Charles Grant (now
Lord Glenelg)—went out of office. So instanta-
neous and decided was the course taken by Lord
Palmerston that he waited' on the then Secretary
(Mr. Peel), and requested that he would postpone
the notice for the Army. Estimates, which stood for
the following day, in order that there might be
time to make the necessary arrangements. So much
for the " speculations" of ViscountPalraereton and
" the very little respect," according to the Nord,
shown to him by the Duke of Wellington.
We are next told by the Nord that, in retiring to
the Opposition benches, "Lord Palmerston never
let an expression to escape him to prove that he
had adopted the policy of the Whigs." How little
the writer knows of the facts, or how much he mis-
represents the truth, shall be soon apparent. On
the Ist June, 1829, the late Sir J. Mackintosh, the
leading authority of the Whigs on international
law (and of whom the late Lord Castlereagh ob-
served that the house regarded him as the eminent
professor of that science), brought forward his
motion on the affairs of Portugal. Viscount Pal-
merston, helm able speech, expressed his fullest
concurrence in the policy and principles of the
mover, and told the house, amidst applauding
chceres that the civilised world rang with execra-
tions upon Miguel, " thedestroyer of constitutional
freedom, the breaker of solemn oaths, the faithless
usurper, the enslaver of his country, the trampler
upon public law, the attempter of the life of help-
less and defenceless women," &c. Few speeches
in our day made a greater impression than this dis-
course. On the same occasion Viscount Palmer.
ston challenged the foreign policy of the Welling-
ton Government in reference to Greece, and de-
monstrated that since ce oker Aberdeen had been
Minister for Foreign Affairs, France, from her en-
lightened liberality, had held the first, and Eng-
land only the second, place in Europe. These sen-
timents thoroughly identified the, speaker with the
most liberal section of politicians, and prepared the
way for the best understanding between the Can-
niugites and the Whigs. Every week, nay, almost
every hour, brought these parties nearer together.
Ten days after the period we have been speakiag of
Viscount Palmerston summed up his general objec-
tions to the foreign policy of the Wellington Govern-
ment in asciil more remarkable speech. He observed
that there were two great parties in Europe, one of
which endeavoured to bear away by the force of public
opinion—the other by the force of physical control.
" There is in nature," be observed, "no moving
power but mind : all else is pa,sive and inert. In
human affairs this power is opinion ; in political
affairs it is public opinion." The Statesmen, like
Canning or Palmerston, who know how to avail
themselves of the passions, the opinions, and the
interests of mankind, are able to gain an ascend-
ancy and exercise a sway,, far out of all proportion,
greater than belong to the power and resources of
the State over whic they preside, while those who
seek to check, to prohibit, and padlock, like the
Aberdeens and Gladstones of a lower generation,
find themselves at fault.
In 1827, when Canuingdirected the foreign peey
of the empire, England was in the first r;J: these
conditions, and exercised an immense in
the nati'ous of the earth. In 1829, ftuence on
when Lord
Aberdeen was Minister for Foreir,ll Affairs, by his
maladroitness, narrowness, wed' uosympathising
character, our prestige was leas We were spoeen.
of abroad with contempt
.nd derision ; and, instead
of being looks., up to a a the model of constitutional
freedom, as the ref'age from 'persecution, "and as a
shield against c;,pression, our name, from the Ta-
gus to thaßoephoess, was coupled with everything
hostile
,to 'anprov.emeut and friendly to despotism.
Agsinsfthis servile and timorous policy, whether
in Portugal, in Spain, in Greece, or
.in Turkey,
lend Palmerston protested, and the Whig party
and the country went enthusiastically along with
him. In feet, three members of the Canning party
iu the Lower House, namely, Huskissou, Palmer-
ston, and Grant, exercised at this moment a most
commanding influence, and there-can be little doubt
that all three of them would have entered the Go-
vernment of Lord Grey iu November, 1830, had
not Mr. Huskisson been unhappily killed by an
appslling accident near Manchester about sex weeks
previously to the accession of the Whigs to power.
As it was, however, the three Principal Secretaries
of State were men who formed a portion of the
Ministry of Canning. Viscount" Melbourne, Can-
ning's Chief Secretary for Ireland, was made Home
Secretary. Viscount Palmerston, Canning's Secre-
tary at War, was made foreign Secretary. And
Viscount Goderich, Canning's Colonial Secretary,
was again placed in the same office. Mr. Grant, a
Canningite, was at the Board of Trade ; and Mr.
Wynne, another Canningite, was Secretary at War;
whilst Lord Lansdowne, Canning's Hume Secre-
tary, was made President of the Council.
It is a reuaarkablee• attestation to the ability elf
Viscount Palmeraten that Earl Grey, who held
aloof from the tanning combination in 1827
indsed, who made a violent and vituperative attack
on Mr. Canning—selected, when ho had the power,
a pupil of that Stetesman as his Principal Secretary
of State for Foreign Affairs, at a period when Europe
was seized with the desire of change, and charged
with the eleetents of revolution. The Premier who
made this most fitting selection was au orator of high
pretensions, a politician of. 44 years' standing, had
been leader of the House of Commons, First Lord
of the Admiralty, and, above all, Lad himself suc-
ceeded the all-accomplished Charles Fox as Prin-
cipal Secretary for Foreign Affairs in September,
1806. No man was therefore more indeed so cap-
able of judging who was fitted for the office, and the
choice fell on the present Premier. Front that period,
as the Nord state; and it is the only fact it states
ruly, the scene expanded forlris count Palmerston,
and for the 27
subsequent years the history of the
man and the
Minister is the history of his country.`
pre
We have not yet exhausted the manifold Misre-
sentaVons of the Russian scribe. It behoves us, in
the public interests, and in the interests of justice
and truth, to leave none of his aspersions unre-
moved, none ofhi3 calumnies unrefuted.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE-April 22.

MANSION-HOUSE.—James Langton, a sur-
geon, residing in Cross-street, Commercial-road
East, was charged with stealing 3 waistcoats and a
piece of silk from the shop of Mr. S. Skinner, a
clothier, 18, Aldgate.

The prosecutor, having been sworn, said—The
prisoner and his little boy, about six years of age,
entered my shop at 12 o'clock to-day, and gave me
an order which came to 14s. Whilst measuring him
for a suit of clothes, I observed a waistcoat drop
from under his coat upon the floor. The little boy
picked up the waistcoat and placed it on a chair.
I told him I had forgot to take the measure of his
waistcoat, and upon proceeding to do so I disco-
vered two other waistcoats under his coat. I then
gave bim into custody, and at the station-house a
piece of blue slk, also belonging to me, was taken
from his pocket. When charged he said he was in-
nocent, and that I could do no good by giving him
in charge. He is a surgeon, and bas dealt with me
for the last 4or 5 years. He told me while mea-
suring him that his uncle had recently died, leav-
ing him an income of 4/. a week. •

J.
Brooks, constable, No. 666, said that he found
the piece of silk alluded to by the prosecutor in the
pocket of the prisoner. He also found Os. Bd. in
his waistcoat pocket.
The prisoner, in answer to the charge, said Mr.
Skinner is perfectly mistaken. I declare to God I
never took the articles at all. lam a surgeon and
a member of the College of Surgeons. I have an in-
come of 41. a week coming in. I most solemnly
declare I did not steal the things at all.
The Lord Mayor—But the prosecutor states that
he took, the waistcoats from you, and the police-
man says he found the piece of silk in your pocket.
Prisoner—No, they were not found upon me ;
there was nothing found upon me, I assure you.
The prisoner was fully committed for trial.
John M'Nair was charged under the following
circnmsta nces.

Mr. H. L. Keeling, of the firm of Keeling and
Hurst, fruit-brokers, Monument-yard, said—We
have correspondents at Glasgow, of the name of
Virtue and M'Nair, who are in the habit of drawing
upon us on current account. If a genuine letter
come from them to us, requesting us to credit their
account, we should do so. Yesterday the prisoner
called at our office, and presented to me the letter
produced. I asked him if he was the party repre-
sented iu the letter. and he said he was. I asked
him what brought him to London, when he told
me he was travelling for the house. He said he re-
quired 121. 10s. upon the letter. (The letter, which
was a forgery, purported to be written by Messrs.
Virtue and M'Nair to the prosecutors.) I handed
him the money, and upon his giving me a receipt
for it, I sent for an officer, who took him into cus-
tody. He then said he should be able to explain
matters.

The prisoner, who confessed his guilt, was com-
mitted for trial.

GUILDHALL.—Maria Burling, aged 54, of
middle height, rather corpulent, with fair com-
plexion and bloated countenance, who described
herself as a fortune-teller, was re-examined on a
charge of having sent letters containing threats of
a most atrocious character to Messrs. Welch and.
Margetson, of Cheapside ; Messrs. George Hitch-
cock and Co., of St. Paul's-churchyard ; and other
gentlemen in the City.
It will be remembered that threatening letters
addressed to merchants and others in the City
were found in the prisoner's room. The detective
officers who have been employed in the case, now
stated that they were convinced that the prisoner
had no guilty knowledge of the letters, and no par-
ticipation in the offence, and applied to have her
bound over to appear at this court on Wednesday
next. The application was granted.
Rebecca Rice Hamilton, a respectably-dressed
female, about 33 years of age, and in deep mourn-
ing, was then placed in the dock, charged ori sus-
picion with writing or being concerned with the
writer of the letters in question.
Mr. Thomas Welch (of the firm of Welch and
Margetson), of 154, Cheapside, stated that he knew
the prisoner as having been in employ at their fac-
tory from the beginning of 1855 till March, 1856,
during the whole of which time, and since, he had
been in the habit of receiving filthy and disgusting
letters. Sometimes the prisoner brought him some
which she said bad been sent to her at her resi-
dence. Persons in their employ had also been in
the habit of receiving letters inciting them to rob
their employers. He had received letters on the
24th March and Ist April in the same handwriting
with those he had been in the habit of receiving.
These were produced.
Mrs. Atkins, mantua-maker, of 22, Bartlett's.
buildings, who had seen the prisoner's writing, and
had also seen her write, stated that, to the best of
her belief, the letters produced were in the prison.
er's handwriting.
The prisoner was remanded, that further in-
quiries might be made.

BOW-STREET.—Mr. Wm. Cloak, who keeps
an oyster-house in the _Strand, and has a beer-re-
tailer's licence, was summoned for having, on the
7th Jan. last, sold one gill of brandy, and for
having upon the premises, on the 21st Jan., half-a-
pint of gin and about half-a-pint of orange wine.
About nine o'clock on 7th Jan. two excise offi-
cers, named Wright and Moore, went together to
the defendant's house. Wright went in, leaving
Moore outside to watch. Wright, after eating some
oysters, asked to see a waiter who had served him
on former occasions, and on seeing him ordered
some•brandy, giving him the money (6d.) before-
hand. The brandy was brought, he drank it, and
then went out. Moore, who had been watching
from the opposite side of the street, positively ds-
dared that none of the defendant's servants had
come out as if to purchase spirits at the public-house.
On the second charge the evidence was, that on
the 21st Jan., Wm. Gutteridge, an officer of excise,
visited the house aad found in a cupboard in one of
the entered rooms, a decanter containing about half
a pint of gin, and on a sideboard and another de-
canter containing about half a pint of orange wine.
Mrs. Cloak told him that the wine was left from
what was taken by some children at a birthday
party. The gin, she said, was the remains of some
that bad been got in th.c, night before to give the
servants a glass eac
Mr. Henry.ll after the shop was shut.
QlBerved that as to the first charge
be did not . there was sufficient evidence of
selling. As to the second, he must read the act
agar-2,, and take time to consider h;s judgment.

WORSHIP-STREET.—Henry Johnson, a dock
labourer now, but who persisted in assorting that
he was a seaman, stood charged before Mr. D'Eyn-
court with cutting and wounding John Duggin, in
the employ of the Steam Navigation Company
Complainant, whose left arm was suspended in a
sling, sta'ed last evening, while in the Founders'
Arms public-house, Spitalfields,-the accused, being
a perfect stranger to him, at that time suddenly
accuied him of having circulated a report in the
docks that he had committed a robbery. Tit's wit
ness of course denied with some indignation, upon
which prisoner drew a clasp-knife from his pocket,
and opening it, exclaimed—" I've got it here for
you." Instantly he made a plunge at his breast with
the weapon, which would assuredly have done him
a most serious injury had he.not raised his arm,
thereby receiving the blade on tits whole of his
fingers, which were sadly cut. Prisoner then ran
into the street, and for the time escaped.
Mrs. Duggin, who Was present, confirmed the
statement, and added that when the prisoner found
his intention foiled, he struck her a desperate blow,
which blackened both eyes. She believed he was
sober.

An officer whr subsequently took the prisoner,
in the street, described his conduct as that of a
madman ; be brandished the weapon and threatened
to do for any one who approached him.
Mr. D'Eyncourt, with some strong remarks upon
the use of the knife," said be would remand the p!i-
Boner till this day week.

WESTMINSTER.—Amongst the applicants
yesterday to Mr. Arnold, the presiding magistrate,
was a very creditable-looking middle-aged man,
who made the following distressing communication:
Applicant stated that his aged mother, a poor
widow woman, had for some time past resided un-
der his roof, and after a short illness died two or
three days ago. He was in such bad circumstances
that he was wholly without the tne6s of proeui ing
a coffin to put her in ; and under those circum-
stances applied to the parish for one, but was re-
fused, and had been advised to apply to a magis-
trate by the neighbours, who wore acqu Afeted with
his condition. 'He had lived in Westminster a great
length of limp, and thought he was entitled to what
he had asked for.
Mr. Arnold asked applicant how he got his living?
Applicant replied that he was only a poor shoe-
maker, with a wife and three children, whom he
had the greatest difficulty to find in food.
Mr. Arnold suggested that the parish authorities
might be treating this as an ordinary case of relief,
and inquired wlyether they had offered to take and his family into the house ?
Applicant said they bad not,
go into the workhouse, but
ther's dying condition owing to his poor mo-
apply to th dm for the P.-ar did he want to
e had been compelled to
and now that she W'4B parish do;torto at'end her,
body remaining it,. dead, he could not have her
and three ehildre
his one room whera his wife
found th -
e '32'2% 41 were. If he could
possibly have
ns of getting a coffin
he certainly
tza would, not ha troubled the pad' lh, It was a mcet