The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-02-15 00:00:00

TO CORRESPONDENTS,

We shall be happy, at all times, to receive communications
on subjects of local or general interest ; and if ourfriends
vvill be good enough to authenticate the same by their signa-
tures, for our own satisfaction, we shall feel obliged.

The Work on the Production of the Precious Metals, by M.
Michael Chevalier. translated by Mr. D. F. Campbell, shall
be noticed next week.

Xiberpoot tanbarb,

TUESDAY

MORNING, FEB. 15, 18 5 3

MINISTERIAL MEASURES.
PARLIAMENT has again met for the real business
of the session, and Lord JOHN RUSSELL, as the
leader of the House of Commons, has announced
the measures which will be brought forward as the
course of Ministerial legislation. It has been a
matter of anxious speculation to ascertain in what
Way the discordant pinciples of the several members
of the Cabinet would be reconciled to any practi-
cable system, and some light has been thrown upon
it by-the sessional programme, which will be found
detailed in our parliamentary report. It is a curi-
osity in its way, and is well deserving public atten-
tion, as a new illustration of the phrase in which
Rolm() expresses his admiration of JULIET— "She
speaks, yet she says nothing." The Ministerial
organs profess to be satisfied with the statement.
Satisfied with what ? Would a hungry man be
satisfied with a bundle of shavings, because it might
contribute to dress his food, though of itself it
would yield him no aliment-? Yet this is much
the character of the feast which this nondescript
Cabinet has prepared for those who were anxiously
looking for a declaration of political principles,
which should combine the united opinions and
views of Peelites, Whigs, Radicals, Romanists, and
Infidels. The only really important part of the
whole affair—the chief stumbling-block, the solitary grain of wheat in the bushel of chaff—is postponed
until sometime after Easter, when Mr. GLADSTONE
is to brinvorward his financial statement; so that
the Ministry have more reliance on the hoe of what
may turn p
up in the chapter of accidents, than con-
fidence in the ability which they boast of having in
" all the talents." In the meantime, let us look at
the meagre list which has been prepared, and derive
some consolation from the implied admission that
its very poverty shows their prudent fear of being
able to do anything.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL commenced his statement
by announcing that they should bring under con-
sideration the usual estimates for the Army, the
Navy, and the Ordnance. This is business so much a matter of course, that a declaration of theinten-
tion of the House to sit on the days ordinarily
devoted to public business, would have been equally
important. We are, however, gravely informed that
the customary supplies will be moved for, and we
ought to be grateful for the information.
The next item in this grand catalogue of Minis-
terial intentions is a Bill to enable the local legisla-
tureof Can
of the Clerada to settle the long-debated question
Reserves in that colony. In trust-
worthy ha ~
nds such
beneficial, but, 'considering a measure might have been
of the Home Goverindering
exism , . and
the Romanist tendencies
in that direction~ernment, the violent feeling
g in Canada, it bodes no
good to the Christian ent
Church, but will simply lega-
lise Church spoliation. In any case, however, it will
but •
slightly interest those thing from Imperial legoissieLhno.are expecting some-
.. We now come to the Shipping Interest, and find
that, taking a leaf out of their predecessors' book,
and but one, a Bill is to be brought in with refer-
ence to pilotage. W
With the e are, of course, unacquainted
details, but, whatever may be their nature,
it is clear that the relief to the Shipping Interest
rded under this head must be of an infinitesimal
character. This is not, however, quite all, for we
rare to have a statement of the views of the PRESI-
mI7." THE BOARD OF TRADE on this subject—
Sider that those chiefly
" satisfactory announcement, when we con-
pounder of these concerned rejected the pro-
views from being their represen-
tative. They, perhaps, have yet to discover the
mistake they comtnitt d
Lord JOHN RussELL, it
e , and the extent of their loss.
forgotten his old crotchet, nor
would appear, has not
refresher to his memory, s will he require a
cum]) is his colleague in the long
as Mr. ROTHS-
representation of the
City of London; for his next announcement if/ a Bill