The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-04-19 00:00:00

MINISTERIAL DEFEATS.

As the time drew near in which the crowning act
of Ministerial wisdom was to be divulged, it would
seem that the ABERDEEN Cabinet received a
warning of their pending discomfiture by a series
of minor Parliamentary defeats. There was a time
when such expressions of want of confidence would
have been received as a preliminary notice to quit;
but our present rulers possess so extraordinary a
tenacity of office, that they are altogether oblivious
of etiquette, and will accept no other hint than a
positive ejection. On Tuesday, an Address was
moved for a Commission of Inquiry into the state
of the borough of Clitheroe ; but though it was op-
posed by the Law Officers and the Ministerial leader
of the House of Commons, the motion was agreed
to by a majority of 143 to 60. On the same day a
motion for an Address to HER MAJESTY for the
maintenance of Kilmainham Hospital in Ireland
was carried by a majority of 200 to 133, despite the
exertions of several of the Ministers to the contrary-.
On Wednesday, an amendment to one of the clauses
of the Bill for extending to Scotland the new
system of Polling at County Elections was carried
'by a majority of 73 to 62; and ,on the same day the
-second reading was agreedto .of a Bill to disqualify
'the 'Master of the Rolls from sitting in the House
of 'Commons, notwithstanding both Lord PAL-
IkfERSTON and Lord :JOHN IIDeSELL spoke strongly
'against the measure. They did not, however,
divide the House, and therein showed their fear of
'being again in a minority. 'On Thursday, a 'blow
'was struck in anticipation at 'the then undeveloped
IBudget, by a series •of resolutions to Repeal the
'Duties on Advertisements, Newspapers, and Paper.
/dr. GLADSTONE brought the weight of his
ingenious eloquence against it. Lord J. RUSSELL
and Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT also came to the
rescue, but all would not do, and the House re-
solved, by a majority of 202 to 171, to Repeal the
.A.dvertisement'Duty.

These are evidences of an independence of feeling
and action in the House of Commons which will by
no means suit the arbitrary notions of the present
Cabinet. Their union of all the factions was,relied
upon to secure them a working majority, but their
prestige has already departed, and a succession of
defeats may give the country some hope of a.bene-
ficial change, and ought to inspire the Conservative
party with confidence in, their own strength, if they
will but preserve that unanimity of action which is
essential to success. We have abundant testimony
to the fact that Lord A43II4(DEENN professions
of Conservatism are mere moonshine; and now
grit we have the unmitigated Radicalism of ,the
Cabinet exposed: is its naked deformity, we have a
right to view their accumulation of defeats with
gratification.

THE NEW .BOROUGH \MAGISTRATES.
THE Town Council of Liverpool naturally feel
indignant at the manner in which their recom-
mendation has been,passed over, and an addition
of sixtnames made to the Commission of the Peace,
without including one of those which they had
forwarded to the SPITTETARY OF ST;-TE. Had this
slight come from any:other Ministerial leader than
Lord JOHN RUSSEM, it might have been con-
sidered as a strict observance of the law,-for during
the passage of the MustieiTal Act through( Committee
the clause which enabled•the SECRETARY, OF-STATE
to take the recommendation of Town councils in
the selection of Borough Magistrates was struck
out by theliouse of Commons. On that:occasion,
however, Lordj..Russw, declared his intention,
and has since acted uponit, to be guided!by the
recommendations of Town(Councils in defence of
the express decision of the Legislature; and„ there-
fore, in departing from it on this occasion, he -has
shown a petty .epirit which ,is unworthy of this
position as a Minister. In offering any remarks
upon the recent appointment% we repudiate the
slightest intention of expressingany opinion upon
the respective merits of the gentlemen who have
been selected. Indeed, we might JO further, and
say 'that, other considerations apart, and bearing
in mind the political aspect of the present Ministry,
they are entitled to some credit for the firmness
with which they have split the difference in political
opinions. At the same time, we cannot forget that
the list, which has been so unceremoniously ignored,
was before the late Secretary of State, Mr. WAL-
POLE, and being among the unperformed duties of
his office, which etiquette commonly induces a
successor to fulfil, it might reasonably have been
expected to meet with a better fate.

REPEAL OF THE ADVERTISEMENT
DUTY.

THE House of Commons has performed one act of
gustice towards the public, in voting for the repeal
of the Duty on Advertisements, notwithstanding
the urgent protestations of the CHANCELLOR OF
THE EXCHEQUER and his Leader to wait until the
Budget was fairly before them. This has been the
answer to all demands for reduction of Taxation,
until it became evident that, if the demand was
inconvenient before the Budget, it was almost im-
practicable afterwards. This is not, as may gene-
rally be 'supposed, a question concerning only or
chiefly the conductors of Newspapers, but one

which far more affects the public at large. The
duty has to be paid by the Advertiser ; and
whether that is a poor servant out of place,
anxiously seeking for the means of subsistence, or
a wealthy capitalist desirous of disposing of some
valuable estate, the duty levied under the present
system is equally the same. This is a manifest
injustice, while it was difficult to find another
remedy that► the total abolition ; and, accordingly,
the motion was supported by the great bulk of the
Conservative party. The duty also operates as a
serious obstacle to the due development of our
increasing home-trade ; and in this view alone
should have received the support of the Profc46ing