The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-13 00:00:00

r1'41,--141)NDON, FRIDAY EVENING, FiEBRUARY 13, 185 7.

journals the Haus°*Of Obinmons ? Let them
be looked at for a few mom-edits without partiality
and without prejudice What are they ? It will
be easy enough to enumerate Chain. Let us do so,
And while we do se, we do moil earnestly adjure
the more watchful observer of events to note well
the startling and entraordinary disparity of the
statements 'ant forward in the House of Commons
by the opposing leaders of the Government and
of the Opposition.
At the commencement of the present session
Mr. DISRAELI, it will be remembered, startled
the country by distinctly announcing from his
place in Parliament the enistence of a secret
arrangement entered into between France and
Austria with the formal consent, if not at the
actual "instance" or "instigation" (it really
matters not which was the precise word), of her
Britannic MAJESTY'S Government. It will be
equally fresh in the memory of the community—
How it was precisely that Lord PALMERSTON met
this very grave charge, speaking authoritatively
for himself and his colleagues as the Chief of the
Administration. The Government had never
even "heard" of any such agreement ! It
was in the simplest meaning of the words
nothing less than a myth, a phantasy, a halluci-
nation ! The Right Hon. Gentleman had been
gulled during his recent visit to Paris by very
innocently swallowing (what is called) a canard,
in his newly-accepted capacity as (what is called)
a gobemouche I There was no such Treaty ! There
never had been any such Treaty ! Ministers had
never heard of it I From first to last it was the
flimsiest fiction, the idlest fabrication, the wildest
absurdity ! The Right Hon. Gentleman—[con-
fessedly a very old juke this, be 14 observed —had
drawn upon his imagination for his facto, and
upon his memory for his arguments ! He had
already won for himself elsewhere a great
reputation as a novelist: he was now, in an
unexpected manner, in the House of
Commons, in his political capacity, justi-
fying his claim to that reputation ! Briefly—
" I must say"—observed Lord Pa.L.KnitSTON--
" that the greater part of the Right Honourable
Gentleman's speech upon our foreign policy is
by the Prime Minister aasirsaoidf
a perfect and entire romance." All
the gayest gtahyiseswt
•
of laughter from the Mmisterialists, on the first
and amidst frequent bursts
scorn and derision,
night of the Session, Tuesday, February 3, 1857.
During a whole week after, the noble Viscount
was absent from the House, but immediately upon
his return to it, Mr. DIsRAELI, naturally enough,
availed himself of the very earliest opportunity to
vindicate himself in the. estimation of the popular
branch of the Legislature. It was then elicited
from the noble Lord (who had talked on Tuesday,
the 3d instant, of the whole statement as
" a perfect and entire romance") that
Well, yes 1 he believed now the thing had been
mentioned—that there was some such understand-
ing as the one spoken of by the Right. Hon.
Gentleman ; but that the Convention embodying
this understanding between France and Austria
(with the cognisance if not encouragement of
England) had never been signed by the represen-
tatives of the contracting Governments. So that,
according to Lord PALMERSTON'S own explanation
upon that the second night of the discussion—if
Mr. DISRAELI'S statement was still to be desig-
nated a romance, it ought in strict truth and jus-
tice to be termed a little more explicitly than on
the former occasion—at any rate a historical ro-
mance—in other words, a fiction founded upon
fact. However, in due course a third night's dis-
cussion of the matter was to arrive at length,
when those explanations would have to be ex-
plained. And it did arrive accordingly. Last
evening, Thursday, the 12th of February, was
the time. The House of Commons was again the
place. Lord PALMERSTON himself once more
the speaker. And now that for the third
lime the Prime Minister has spoken upon this
matter—bow do things actually stand according to
his own showing ? Recollect, first of all, the
whole thing was a romance—a canard—a fabri-
cation ! Ministers had never heard of such a
document as the one spoken of by Mr. DISRAELI I
Afterwards—on refection, Ministers had heard
of it, there had been something of the sort,
but it never had been " signed In Lastly
—yesterday—after a little more reflection—well,
yes ! Ministers had not only " heard" of it, there
had not only been negotiated "something of the
sort" between the French and Austrian, with the
knowledge and consent of the English Government,
but, added Lord PALMERSTON, with regard to the
document itself (a document, remember, that first
of all never had existed, and then never had been
signed) Well, Yes, said the Prime Minister.
" I think it due to the Right Hon. Gentleman to
state that I have since learned that in point of
fact it toes signed ! " So much for the romance !
So much for the canard 1 So much for the fabri-
cation ! So much for Mr. DISRAELI being, in his
political capacity, as Lord PALMERSTON pertly
called him, "a great master of the powers of
imagination !" The " fabrication" proves to be,
after all, a very hard fact. The canard—an
" ower true tale." The romance a most
deplorable reality. There was such a writ-
ten document after all and that written
document was actually "signed" by the re-
presentatives of the contracting Governments ?
Yet, for simply insisting upon these doubtless
unwilling, but very explicit acknowledgments on
the part of the Noble Viscount, the First Lord of
the Jokery, as Boz profanely calls him—Mr.
DISRAELI was charged last night by Lord PAT,-
stEnsToN with " attempting to cover an ignomi-
nious retreat" with " vapouring," and we don't
know what all ! More consummate effrontery
than this we cannot possibly at the present mo-
ment call to our recollection ! The jocular
and flippant Droll of the House has lost
his temper at last smarting secretly, no
doubt, under a painful sense of his own
egregious misstatements. And so the matter ter-
minated yesterday with what we cannot but
regard as a most unseemly display of sardonic
irritability on the part of my Lord Viscount
PALMERSTON.

As to the effect of the whole of these transac-
tions in reference to Mr. DISRAELI himself—we
conceive that the result of the three discussions
cannot do otherwise, in his regard (either before
the House or before the Country) than tend very
materially to elevate his political and Parliamen-
tary reputation.

Sir RAIBERT PEEL last evening, in the House of
Commons, most successfully, and, let us add,
most completely, vindicated his claim to the repute;
of the gay, the sparkling, the light.in-hand, the
touch-and-go Young BARNACLE. His explanation
as to the speech delivered by him on the 7th of
January, 1857, at Saltby, near Birmingham, we
take at once to be really, after all, for the most
part perfectly satisfactory. Sir ROBERT pleasantly:
reminds the House, and through the House, they
Country, that when he spoke at Saltby, on the
7th ult., for one hour and a half, or perhapi
two hour's duration, "without notice," it was on
the occasion of a " jollification " at the place of his
hon. friend the Member for Adderley—meaning
(he adds, in the midst of great laughter), North

Staffordshire. As to his remarks there and then
about M. le Comte de MORNY, he simply said
that he was ie plus grand speculateur de r Europe 1
As to what he remarked about the Grand Duke
CONSTANTINE,
,
he had implied a great deal more
than he had actually uttered in the way of com-
pliment 1 As to the Prince de LIGNE—Why,
truly, he observed last night, " I certainly did
use some such ezpression as this—l said he was
`stiff and starch as the frill of Queen Ems-
BETH 1" Adding...." Of the words I made use
of then (so far as the Prince DE lAMB is
concerned) I accept the responsibility." As
to the rest, observed Sir ROBERT, last even-
ing, in the House of Commons—and evidently
to its infinite amusement—"All I can say is, that
if in the attempt—the very innocent attempt—

to paint a few light airy sketchers—go hold,' as
I think Goldsmith says, 4 the mirror up to

nature,'
" 'And catch the manners living as they rise,'

—(laughter)—l erred in the appreciation of those
whose good opinion I value, and whose judg-
ment must have weight with me, I am ready to
offer the most ample expression of my re-
gret, and to make upon this occasion the
most fitting amends honorable which I can
offer." In other words—He 'll be a good boy
and not do so any more—even at a jollification.
At the close of all whick, we don't wonder in the
least to find it reported parenthetically that

" (The lion. Baronet who spoke in the airiest and
most off-hand manner possible, sat down amid
loud cheers. r Of course—.what could have been
done otherwise Y Sir RO➢ERT Pinn, at the worst,
had only been talking a little fun (poking a little
tun, we believe, is the correct phiase) at a Stafford-
shire jollification. As the son and heir of a great
statesman, and as himself one of the Lords of the
Circumlocution office to boot, he ought, according
to the practice of what Mr. THAMERAY calls
‘4 the old fogyfied times" to have talked more

seriously, sedately, and didactically. Like the
Snip's son in Ml* Old Faroe, however, who had
a soul above buttons, Sir ROBERT PEEL disdained
to prose away for an hour or two in the old Par-
liamentary style at Mr. ADDERLEY'S jollification.
Et voila tout 1 Instead of doing so, he tells us,
he preferred to hold the Glass—up to Nature.
And so the House of Commons in all good humour
laughs and cheers (as it ought) at the Gay Young
BARNACLE'S explanation. And so that Gay Young
BARNACLE himself (as he ought) merrily takes
the Speech so often carped at, and, with a comic
glance out of the corner of his eye, carols it, as it
were, all over again to House of Commons to the
tune of Vic la Bagatelle 1

PROVIDEIVT CLERKS' BENEVOLENT

FUND.

We beg to direct the attention of our readers to
the excellent remarks made at the meeting of the
above fund by the Chairman, Thomson Hankey,
Esq., on Wednesday evening last. A report of
that gentleman's speech will be found in another
column. Mr. Hankey's experience, both as a
Director of the Bank of England and as an Income-
tax Commissioner, enable him to speak with autho-
rity on the subject, and he declares, as a fact
within his knowledge, that the salaries paid to
clerks have not kept'pace with the increased and
increasing price of the necessaries of life. The
wages of mechanics and of domestic servants have,
as we all know, risen considerably during the last
few years. In home rent, especially in the
neighbourhood of
,the metropolis, a large in-
crease has taken place. To taxes we need
not advert further than to remark that of all classes
who suffer from the pressure of the income tax, the
clerks are probably the most to be pitied, from the
severity with which it falls upon a fixed and limited
income.

While this increase has been going on, however,
the salaries of this large body have remained with
but little alteration ; and it was to this fact the hon.
gentleman alluded on Wednesday evening, as a
reason why the ranks of the Clerks' Benevolent
Fund are at present limited to some four or five
thousand members, instead of amounting, as they
should do, to ten times that number. We have
little doubt. that Mr. Hankey has, in vulgar par-
lance, "hit the right nail on the head." An in-
come of 1001., or 1501. per annum, especially if
a family have to be supported out of it, leaves but
little margin for future provision, even with the
most pinching economy.

Let us, however, bear in mind one important
fact. The excuse above quoted cannot be accepted
on behalf of another class, whose duty and interest
it is to foster this institution. We allude to the
employers, to whom the well-being of their clerks
must be, as is well, expressed in the report, "an
object of deep importance."

There is room in the list of noble donations al-
ready received by the Provident Clerks' Benevolent
Fund for a long series of City firms and benevolent
individuals who have not yet contributed to its
funds, and we trust soon to see realised the wish
expressed by many of the speakers at the meeting,
viz., that every deserving candidate may be placed
on the list of annuitants without the necessity of
election. That which is done by many trades and
professions of limited extent can surely be accom-
plished by the exercise of good feeling and energetic
co-operation among such a body as the clerks of
Great Britain. Let them be but true to their ex-
cellent motto, "Tuti qui providi," and they will
ere long place their fund at the head of the "cha-
rities" (we use the word in its best sense) of this
metropolis.

LATEST N E WS.

PARIS, FRIDAY MORNING.
The Moniteur announces that on Monday, the

16th inst., the Emperor will open the Session of
the Legislative Chambers in person, in the Salle
des Marechaux, at the Palace of the Tuileries.

The Paris correspondent of the Morning Post
'second edition), in his letter dated yesterday,

says :

" I have reason to believe that Russia will not
continue in advising Persia to resist the demands
of England. It is quite possible that despatches
will shortly reach the Persian Envoy in Paris of
a conciliatory character. France desires peace,
and Russia wishes to be on good terms with this
country, for reasons easily imagined."

An ukase has been issued at St. Petersburg,
conceding a network of railways. The works to
be completed in ten years. The capital to be sub-
scribed is 275 millions of roubles.

NAPLES, FEB. 11.

The creation of a free port, and the complete
revision of the Customs Laws, have been decided
in Council by King Ferdinand.

TURIN, FEB. 11.

The bill on the reorganisation of the superior
administration of public instruction has been
adopted by a majority of 75 to 55.

A "Vienna correspondent of the Weser Gazette
says :—" It is asserted in diplomatic circles here
that England has accepted the mediation of France
in the Persian dispute."

The Nord of Brussels affirms that Russia has
not abandoned her views in favour of the union
of the Principalities ; and that the assertions of
the English press on that point are without foun-
dation. Russia, it says, maintains, and will per-
sist in maintaining, the opinion on the subject
pronounced by her representatives in the congress
of Paris.

A Berlin letter in the German journal of
frankfort says :—" The preparations for the con•
ference which is to terminate the Neuchatel ques-
tion are proceeding very slowly, and replies have
not yet been received from all the powers to the
note in which Prussia declared that by the libera-
tion of the prisoners she was enabled to enter
into negotiations for the definite regulation of the
question. The Prussian government has profited
by the last few weeks to collect various docu-
ments which support her claims."

--" The severity of the Court of England in all
that concerns foreign decorations is perhaps ju,ti-
fiable. We meet in the ball-rooms of Paris cheva-

Tiers and commanders covered with foreign crosses
which they have often obtained less by services
rendered than by intrigue. The British Govern-
ment is perhaps right in resisting an invasion of
foreign decorations, often worn by men who are
ignorant of the geographical poiition of the Stites
in whose distinctions they delight. We are, how-
ever, of the opinion of the Debats in all that con-
cerns the Legion of Honour, which is acknowledged
by the whole world as destined to recompense civil
as well as military services."
BOURSE, Feb. 12.—The following were the last
quotations :

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End of Month.
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