The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-04-25 00:00:00

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FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.

MONDAY MORNING

THE Easter holidays are generally less productive of
incidents suited to illustrate the sober realities of life than
other seasons, and the past week has formed no exception
to the rule. Pleasure seekers were to be met with in
abundance, and in all cases, where frivolity and mere pas-
time were wanted, there was no lack of means for their
amusement.. Speaking of pleasure seeking, sets one to
think of the very conflicting means by which enjoyment
is sought by different individuals, and the absence of what
is generally called public business suggests the reflection
that, in some instances at least, the most laborious exertion
is that of trifling. If any of your numerous and intelli-
gent readers is inclined to doubt such an assertion, let
him take the trouble of perusing the solemn and tedious
farce enacted at the Manchester Corn-exchange, on Wed-
nesday last, by Mr. DAVID URQUHART and some few of
his infatuated coadjutors. For several years past this
gentleman has freely wagged a privileged tongue upon all
matters directly or indirectly pertaining to Russia and
its affairs, but most particularly have its relations to the
Turkish empire and the state of Oriental affairs enjoyed
his special attention. The perverse ingenuity with which
he has discovered the motives for now one course of
action, now another, and invested the proceedings of
Russia with them, must, I think, have materially aided in
extending the views and developing the policy of that
state. The strongest symptom of his Russo-phobia is the
most recently declared one. He has discovered that all
our movements, ostensibly to check the aggressions of
the CZAR, are only so many secret means of forwarding
his views. According to Mr. URQUHART'S opinion, the
English Ministry are sold and wedded to the Russian
policy, and our movement of troops and fleets is only a
cunningly-devised means to aid the Russians in their
conquest and partition of Turkey. Time was when Mr.
truQurrAuT appeared a formidable antagonist, and his
onslanyhts upon public men and public measures were
looke: crt as of consequence; bat, alas ! how has he fallen
now ! See what a following he has got ! The ragged
regiment which FALSTAFF declared his resolution not to
march through Coventry with, is obviously the model of
his corps ; and, from brother BRIGHT to Colonel CHESNEY,
all recruits are heartily welcome, the only condition of
their enrolment being that they shall not contradict their
chief. The family of this Caledonian spouter has long
been remarkable for the oddity of its whims. Two cen-
turies ago, a bewildered Knight of this same family,
burning with a patriotism as pure as that which animates
the present orator, devolved upon himself the national
task of proving the gentility of the URQUHART breed,
and enlightening the world as to the antiquity of the said
tribe. In this operation he did not go quite so far as
another Celtic authority, who, in tracing the genealogy of
some breechless MACDINGAWA, or MACDONAWA, set down
as a remarkable feature in the middle of his chart " about
this time ADAM was created." Sir something (I forget
his Christian patronymic) URQUHART modestly starts
with our common parent, from whom he distinctly deduces
his own descent, arguing from time to time upon the na-
tional importance of the event, and insisting with grave
earnestness upon the purity of blood which marks the
URQUHART race. Our modern purist tells us " there is
not a country where our government is not suspected of a
treacherous bias, and that we have not an organ which is
not suspected of being the recipient of Russian gold. In
this latter suspicion he was somewhat countenanced by a
letter from JOHN BRIGHT, who, sadly out of favour even
with the mob, appeals to "posterity" for justice against
dishonest ministers and hireling newspapers ; the illustrious
couple, it would seem, being a good deal out at elbows
with " a discerning public."

Among the remarkable features of the holiday festivi-
ties, not the least remarkable was the banquet at the
Mansion-House on Easter Monday, given by the Lord
Mayor of London. The company was numerous, and
embraced among the celebrities Sir HAMILTON Sax-mous,
our late ambassador at the court of St. Petersburgh.
Lord Jolts- RUSSELL, too, having recovered from his
recent attack of pat' ~,tics, was likewise present. He em-
braced the opport Laity, no doubt much wanted, of making
a public appeal in defence of his ministerial colleagues for
the conduct of the Russo-Turkish quarrel, which has pro-
cured for them the epithet of " the unready coalition." '
Sir H. SEYMOUR, in replying to the toast of the diploma-
tic body, adverted to the detention of his ambassadorial
pledges, remarking that those who have experienced the
discomfort of arriving at a station minus an umbrella, or
a carpet bag, would be able to sympathise with him, in the
greater deprivation of having to travel without any lug-
gage at all. His speech was that of an English gentle-
man—frank, manly, and unhesitating. He spoke in
terms of warm commendation respecting the disinterested
conduct of the French in reference to the matter, and
laid particular stress on his individual belief, that the Rus-
sian people are not in reality possessed of feelings of enmity
against England. Of the CZAR personally, he said he believ ed
that, if he had been correctly informed as to the state of
Faleish feeling in respect to Turkish affairs, the present
rupture would not have occurred. " If," said Sir HAMILTON
Szynota, " what had been said to the Emperor in English,
had been said to him in his own language, and if his own
subjects and councillors had had the courage to declare
the truth to him, he would not have embarked on his
present unfortunate course." Perhaps not, but if his
Czarship will not keep honest councillors about him, I see
no reason why, like other culprits, he must not pay the
penalty incurred by keeping bad company.
A propos of the CZAR and his evil councillors, consi-
derable discussion has arisen in the political and commer-
cial circles of the Metropolis, on the subject of a letter
contained in some of the American newspapers recently
to hand. One passage, which has been much canvassed,
is the following :—" Russia is the best friend America has
st this moment, and America can help her in the way of
regeneration. America has money, and Russia is in want
of it, and no doubt will be glad to contract a debt with
America at the rate of six per cent., not by obtaining
Oath, but for cash-worth in ships, and the means of keep.
ing up the war with those who oppose her. America can
build her ships to any extent, large and small: and
American ships can take out Russian seamen for them as
passengers, which neither France nor England can pre-
vent." This passage is looked upon by some, who do not
profess to see further into a mill-stone than their neigh-
bours, as rather significant of JONATHAN'S desire to keep
his weather eye open as to the main chance, while having
• sly, as well as profitable rap at the " Britishers." The
ides of advancing a loan at six per cent., in the shape of
ship-building, savours so much of the Yankee notion of
turning "an honest penny," as to gain for the rum our
a greater amount of attention than it otherwise would
have received.

Now that rumours of war are important items of gene-
ral conversation, it may be readily believed that no small
sensation was created by the receipt of intelligence, in
London, from Portsmouth, intimating that a prize was
towed into the latter port, on Friday evening, by HER
MAJESTY'S screw revenue cruiser Argus. The prize is a
fine, clean, well-conditioned craft of 440 tons, laden with
salt and wine for Abo. She had fifteen of a crew, and
left Lisbon on the 25th of last month, and was fallen in
with and boarded off Beachy Head. Being the first prize
which has reached an English port since the outbreak of
hostilities, her captors, Commander GRANBY and his crew
and officers, were welcomed with hearty congratulations
by a great concourse of spectators, who lined the beach
mad the walls, on her arrival. Notwithstanding accounts
of some trivial successes, considerable murmurs as to dili-
toriness, in conducting operations, pass freely, and in dif-
ferent quarters ; and the conduct of the chiefs is com-
mented on in terms more explicit than complimentary. No
one professes to understand what the allied fleets are
ding in the Black Sea ; and many express themselves
sated that Lord RAGLAN is so far on his way to head-
as to have left the fetes and frivolities of the
h capital. Many an old soldier hints that better
preparation for the opening of a campaign might be
obtained than in such places as ball-rooms and banquet
balls.

The oft-defeated, oft- repeated problem of ventilating
and equalising the temperature of the House of Commons
has, once more, en gaged the attention of practical men
, and
and theorists during the brier
nenrzess. To secure the
greatr them to good
attendance of zephyrs
yetmienntal and bodily
behaviour, has been the object of
at enor-
labour, and has been sought for, as
mous expense. The House has ordered anydaitnlienavuntry
has paid £260,000 in setting up a steam engine
members, and erecting two below them, to pump thee the
air
in and out, out and in ; experiments innumerable haver
been made with these and other means for securing a
regulated atmosphere of pure fresh air, and all have sig-
nally failed. One honourable member is at zero, while
another complains that he is half-stewed and suffocated.
To obtain the objects professedly sought is, I fear, an
impossibility ; a temperature fitted to every taste will be
more difficult to achieve that was the disposal of the ass
in the fable. The effort, however fatiguing, must end in
disappointment ; happy ivill:it be for all concerned, if it
lead to no greater amount of mortification.
The holiday time appears favourable to the display,o that
f new
character, and not a few choppings and changes in
commodity have beenbrought to light during their continu-
ance. One remarkable case has just been declared. Lord
?pair, forgetting the instincts of his race, and abandoning
the predilection of family habits, has become a donor to the
iwnm!ill church ! Impossible ! must burst from every
mouth. Be not too incredulous ; a Radical ex-premier
may, it seems, become indeed liberal—a Russzu may
contribute to the adornment of an ecclesiastical edifice.
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