The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-05 00:00:00

- _
LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 5, 1857.

PUBLICATI©N,S•

THOMAS MOORE'S POETICAL WORKS•
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Spirit of the Public Jo:rnaL•

(From the Times.)
Had it been possible to make an immediate
appeal to the country on the result of the Division
yesterday morning her Majesty s Ministers would
only have met in Cabinet to resolve on a course so
evidently to their advantage. 'They would not
have given an hour's opportunity to the political
sections who have just made the discovery that
union is force. As we haire it on the authority of
one of their chiefs that "England does not love
Coalition," the sooner Engler' I is invited to express
her feeling on the charac' er of the present extraor-
dinary specimen the better. A dissolution is not,
fioweve-, possible at this moment. Parliament
could not reassemble before the expiry of the Mu-
tiny Act in April, and her Majesty would then be
left without money and' men for the service sand
defence of the State. To day, therefore, the Pre-
mier will propose such temporary arrangements as
will allow time for au appell to the cen it tuencies.
A Three Months' Mutiny Act, Mete id of the usual
one for a year, and the necessary votes for the same
period, would answer this •purpoze, and unless the
three branches of the Coalition wish to adi to the
existing difficulties they will throw no obstecle in
the way. No doubt there are people who look on
such an interval as a sort of Saturnalia, when, like
shipwrecked sailors rushing to Vie liquor, they may
indulge in any proceedings, however factious and
'futile. It is not on behalf of the Government that
we deprecate any course of simple annoyance. Toe
new Coalition has a charact jo make, and it will
not do that by throwing everyteing into confusion,
es well at home as abroadess—We believe that Go-
vernment has no other wish than to to.l,- the opi-
nion of the country on the' question raised by its
opoonents, and so far carry out their wishes. It
will, on its side, abstain from all new measures.
only going on with those on which Parliament
has fully declared itself. The remission of
the " War Niuepence," and, we pre-ume, too,
the other parts of the new Budget, will be
proceeded with ; and if the House of Com-
mons, under its new inspiration, should think fit
to recede from its present decision on these points,
it will have the opportunity of doing so. Under
these arrangements it is evident that a dissolution
may be expected in the course of the present
month, and a new Parliament in May.
The constitutional ceremony we are about to go
through is, 'in fact, a trial of her Majesty's advisers
at the bar of the people. The House of Commons
does but perform the part of a Grand Jury, and,
as it has not thrown out the bill of indictment pre-
ferred by the triple accuser, that bill goes at once to
the jury of the mica'. When that nation, how-
ever, hears of the task which devolves upon it, we
are incliued to think it will be rather at a loss to
know the precise question to be answere I. Whit is
the offence ? What is the substance of the solemn
interrogatory, " Guilty or not guilty ?" put to the
Government now at the bar of public opinion ? The
question is an extraordinary one, and we doubt if
the like was ever put to the British people before.
It is simply this—Has Lord Palmerston 's Cabinet
forfeited the confidence of the people, on account
of a series of ac' a committed on the other side of the
world six weeks before they were here even heard
of, and by public servants appointed under a former
Administration ? The present Cabinet neither ap-
pointed the men nor advissd the measures, nor had
anything whatever to do with them. At Christ-
mae, when all the world was in the country, Mi-
nisters went down among the rest, and there read in
the papers, some hours later 'than the London, and
Birmingham, and Manchester world, that an unfor-
tunate dispute had broken out at Canton. The
tzreater part of the proceedings that have occupied
the attention of Parliament during the last ten
days had occurred several weeks before the least
inkling of them could come to this country ; and,
from first to last, including the firing of a river-
side suburb of Canton to prevent its being a per-
petual ambuscade, everything took place long
before the arrival in China of a despatch from the
Government at home. In fact, had the scene of
the narrative been the Moon, or had it been a
chanter from the "Arabian Nights," the present
Cabinet could not have had less to do with it. It
did not even appoint the men, for they were be-
quests from a former Cabinet, and stand upon their
own merits, in which they can well hear all the
scrutiny tlp)publi3 choose to require. Here, then,
Ls the quet•Liou which. {,lie people f Roglavid are
called on to answer Lord Peitnerston's Ad-
ministration to be condemned and displaced for
what it never did and could not do ;—for what it
only he ird of when everybody el-e heard of it ;
for what was done by men whom it did not appoint,
and with whom it has not yet been able to hold
any communication ? We have only heard of one
question at all like it, though hardly se foolish a
one, and it was put by certain persons who made
a great pretence of religion and justice—" Did
this man sin, or his father, that he was born blind."
Of course, it will be said that as Government
accepts the issue, declining to agree in the condem-
nation of these proceedings and the consequent sur-
render of their authors, rt is responsible for them.
Strictly and constitutionally Government is respon-
sible for everything that is done by its servants,
even if it be in fact wholly beyond its control, or
even its knowledge. They, however, who have
carried this doctrine to the theoretical perfection
exhibited by yesterday's vote must have borrowed
a hint from the system of that Celest'al Empire
which they have taken under their patronage.
We read in Mr. Meadows's work :—" Ono of the
principal defects of the polity of the Chinese
Empire is the existence and operation of numer-
ous provisions in the code entitled Code of the
Board of Civil Office for the Punishment of
the Mandarins,' whereby the mandarins are
made responsible for a vast number of things
over which they cannot possibly exercise any
control, and in which punishments, more or less
severe, are laid down for them in the case of
failure." , But we must net travel out of the vets,
case before us for a parallel, only not quite so un-
reasonable as the new English practice. One of
•Yeh's pretences for seizing the crew of the Arrow
rulers at a
was that there was an old man on board whose son
was a pirate, and, as the son could not be caught,
the old man's head was wantedinstead of his son's.
Certainly a father may in some sense be held ac-
countable for a son. But according to the Code of
ouri Cabinetis to be
leldthresponsible Iplopilloientamento of its
prede-
cessors, and for the acts of the officers so appointed.
This is to hold the son accountable for the father,
tenl
fir r
over whom he can have no control. It is true that
Government does refuse to remove or censure the
alleged otlendere, and does accept their acts. We
too, we believe, should have done the same in their
case. We are persuaded there was no other alter-
native, and when the whole story is before the
world England will think so teo. We shill not at
present drag our rea iers over the ground they have
so often traversed during the last week. We may
say that, assailed with deliberate outrage by one of
the greatest miscreants over heard of, threatened
with more, denied reparation or, what was more
important, any guarantee for the future, in the
very presence of da ly atrocities, and with a fana'ic
population, ever ready to rise up against them, her
Majesty's servants in this trying situation acted
according to their discretion for the honour of the
British flag, the observance of treaties, the interests
of their country, and the cause of civilisation.
No doubt, beset with horrors, and latterly assailed
with poison, assassination, and every form of
villaey, they bad a trying time of it. Yet they
did their duty to the best, of their knowledge, and
we shall require butter and less factious arguments
to convince us that they were wrong. It is, then,
for not joining in the censure and abandonment of
these men that the British people are invited to
expel the Government which, among other ser-
vices, has brought the war with Russia and now
that with Persia to an honourable termination, and,
with the exception of China--and must we add
Naples I—has not a single quarrel with any other
Government in the world.

hofefl nnerae: la
snti feelings
of the
(From the Daily News.)
The debit° and vote on Mr. Cobden's motion
cannot fail to elevate the reputation of England and
her free institutions in the estimation of the world.
The discussion and its result prove that the moral
sense of the representative branch of our Legisla-
ture is pure and healthy—that in judging of inter-
national relations it has not one measure for our-
selves and another for other peoples. It is as ready
to condemn and denounce English abuse of supe-
rior strength as Russian.
Some puny attempts have been made to dispa-
rage the character of the House of Commons' vote
on the China question, by representing it as the
combination.and party,
ob
j e
ets Wemdaoy n4)oct
.
golguessd in the minds of the ae-
pirations. It is obvious that
rdbcaeaaelssntaujeyrolrgniteiaolwipaftiytratohpphmahoirertrclyeei
party, and a large proportion of the minority to
another. It may freely be admitted that the elo-
msjority belong to one
quence of Conservative leaders may at times have
been rendered more eauAtio and overwhelming by

the consciousness that they were riva4 for political
power who were subjected to its seatning influmce.
And Ad ies not admit of denial that many an un-
willing vote was given in the minority from reluct-
ance t) breakthrough all par ty asso3iat ion s or aban-
don old friends in the dilemma in which they hal
involved themselves. • Man will be man, and human
weakness w:11 mingle with his most g'nerous emo-
tions. But we fearlessly ass rt that he general, the
pervading, motive of the majority arfaytd 0 de-
nounce the bombardment of C.n.on was a h;gh
minded determination 0 effac) from the scutche
of England th 3 blood-rust left on its surface by that
lawless courage. What other motives could induce
Sir Francis Baring and Lord Ro' e:t Grosvenor—
men remarkable for steady, quiet, uno-tentatious
adherence to their hereditary politics—to wrench
themselves loose from-the habits and associations
of their whole lives ? What else could induce a
man so suscepiib!e of family affection as Lord John
Russell 0 separate himself for the time fforn his
whole kith and kin? What personal advantage
can such men possibly promise themselves from the
course they have pursued ? Common &ease tells us
that the low ant unworthy designs imputed to
them, and to the other Liberals who voted with
their, are the unseemly birth of the foul imagina-
tions of m Tcenary drudges of fact:on, who can
only see tile reflection of their own vileness when-
they try to look into the purest souls.
The hearts of mee ara inscrutable. - No man' can
say what the inmost thoughts are of the speaker
who may be giving utterance to the loftiest senti-
ments. But men can tell whether the sentiments
expressed are just or unjust. --And it is impossible
to read the five nights' debits wAhlut being im-
pressed with the moral superiority of the views and
sentiments expressed by those who arrai„&"iced Vie
proceedings in the Canton river, over those which
fell from the lips of the apologists of those proceed-
iugs. Even though we were to take .he most
humiliating view of the case, and regard bolt par-
ties as mere actors, we should be compelled to ad-
mit that the speakers on .the sideof the majority
evinced a more correct est:ma'e of what ought to
be the language of virtue and justice—that they
said the truth whether they themselves believed it
or not. But it is impossible to follow the deb ate
through all its windings and turnings, and adhere
to this painfully low estimate of those who took
part in it. There is on tine part of the majerity
a frank and tarle s grappling with the question
at issue, a determination to place it before
their auditors in alt -its details and ramifica-
tions,- that bespeaks cenfid3nce in the justice
of their cause. And there is on the other
side a constant endeavour to gloss over facts, to
escape from the issue really submitted to tham, and
to diverge into irrelevant discussions, that betrays
an uneasy consciousness of being in the wrong.
The temporary alliance of the discordant elements
of the majority is hououralde to all. They were
brou2ht together by an irresistible impulse to vin-
dicate the fair fame of England, by r.,pudiating in
her name the buccaneering operations in the Canton
river. None of them will ever need to blush for
having thus frankly and-, unites tatingly acted upon
the maxim—"Fais quo devra, vient que pourra."
The people of England will ratify their verdict.
Whoever holds the reins of government must shape
his course in the East-in conformity to the recorded
declaration-of the House of Comm° O. All that
DOW remains for the friends of justice and huma-
nity is, to keep watch lest the vote of Wednesday
morning should ba allowed to become a dead
letter.

(From the Morning Herald )

We cannot, of course, pretend to any very pecu-
liar or official information in re'erenee.to pending
events ; but we think, from what we have heard—
and events find currency—that Lord Palmerston's
viz-it to Windsor yesterday will produce the result
th.it before twenty-four hours have elapi,d, an offi-
cial announcement will be made, either orally or
in Gazette print, that the present Premier will ap-
peal to the country for its approbation (1) of his
conduct.

The ability of Lord Palmerston no one can deny.
Its‘misdirecton we must regret. Tue country will,
we believe, in a very few days-1 we ate lighty
informed, have to deal with all the great facts
which have recently agitated it, and which will
agitate for years 'this great empire, unless seitled
by the settlement of a Conservative Administration
in power, placed there by the opinion-of the people
—'he dominion of right, and plo aged to principles
We have no fear of Lord Derby I

As no public announcement was yester lay made,
either in Parliament or out of it, of the intent.ons
of the Cabinet ; and as it would i.e idle for us to
pretend to penetrate the s-3cre.s of the party to
which we are opposed, we shall not aftempt to pre-
dict or to aisert anything ; but shall me:ely point
out certain necesitit,s of the else, which seem t
lend to almost inevitable clnclusion4.

First, then, we incline to the opinion that the
Palmerston Administ iaton is at an-en I. We doubt
the possibility of an immediate diszoluti, n, with all
the financial busiueAs of the county untouched,
with no one tax adjusted or re-adjusted, and with
all the estimates waiting for d'scussion. We repea..
that to disband Parliament for ti•e whole of Much
and half of April, wi' h affairs in this plight, seem;
to us nearly impossible. Nor is it likely, on the
other hand, that the members would coesent to go
on with the ordinary busine-s of a sb,sion will a
condemned Government and with a dissolution in
June impending over the house of Commons. Teis
assembly has a right to say to the Ministry,
" Either bow before our censure and retire, or
else, if you appeal to the country, make that appeal
at once."

In this position of affairs our expectation is, that
Lold Palmerston will bend to his inevitable fate,
and will to-day announce that his resignation is in
the hands of her Majesty.
Should-this prove to be the case, the history of
this crisis an 't the way in which it has been pro-
duced, will ba one of the most remarkable in the
British annals.

The blow has been struck by a man who, for two
years past, has been he'd in something like c at-
tempt. Mr. Cobden, for a considerable perio I,
has bean held to be effe'e and " gone by ;" and
Punch has levelled more j,kes and caricatures at
him than even at Mr. Disraeli himself. Yet has
this disregarded and scorned man found streng:h
enough to overthrow " the great, War Ministe-.
Look, too, at the names of some of th it m
which has ovet thrown a "Liberal Ministry." Here
are a few of the culprits :
!rhos. Alcock. Lord Goderich.
Sir F. Baring. Lord R. Grosvenor.
J. Bell. 14-rd J. Russell.
T. A. Bellew. Hon. P. L. King.
G. Bowyer. Sir J. Paxt :n.
J. Crock. A. Pelle tt.
W. J. Fox. J. L. Ricardo.
G. Hadfield. J. A. Roebuck.
L. Hayworth. Cape. Scobell.
T. Kennedy. W. Tite.
S. Laing. E. Warner.
W. Laslett. W. Williams.
A. H. Layerd. Sir T. E. Perry.
J. Locke. R. Cobden.
E. Miall. T. M. Gibson.
One singular contrast deF:erve3 to be noticed. In
1852 a great contest took place in Middlesex.
Lord Blaudford was the Conservative candidate,
and Lord R. Grosvenor the Whig. Now, in
Tuesday night's division, Lord Bl:indfoid voted
in favour of Lord Palmerston, and Lord R. Gros-
venor against him
lacnhdesslobooka
rfdo.rward
Should Lord Palmerston shrink f, om the fearf
ext moveslet usoqnuth e
i
to However,thenquit
hpeo Ipi at
iscta,

siruggle which an attempt to retain his seat would
bring on, and should he this afternoon announce
his retirement, the next important question would
be—To whom would her Majesty turn for counsel
and assistance in this difficult crisis?
We, as Conservatives, naturally rega-d the pre-
ference as almost belonging to Lord Derby, on the
obvious ground, that no other individual has so
numerous a body of attached ft iend- and supporters
in both Houses of Parliament. The universal ex-
pectation would be, that the first summons from
Windsor would be sent to St. James's-square.
Bu,, let this difficult duty be impos,d on whom-
soever it may—Lord Derby, Lord Aberdeen, or
Lord J. Russell—that individual will immediately
find troubles and difficulties spring up on every
side. The Conservative array is too weak without
the aid of Mr. Gladstone and his friends ; yet their
alliance, while it brings great strength in some
respects, brings some weakness a'so.
Twenty-one Conservatives vote I with the Govern-
ment on Tuesday night ; and if asked the reason
why they did so, nearly every one of them would
have replied, "Because we do not want to bring
Mr. Gladstone into power."
We may be told that it would be wiser and more
patriotic to keep silence on these delicate points.
But our conviction is that the truest patriotism is
shown by a frank, but respectful, avowal of differ-
ences and difficulties.
What wilt be the reception of a Derby Adminis-
tration, with Mr. Gladstone as leader of the House