The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-02-07 00:00:00

cautious wording of the speech, and its laudable brevity.
But there was another and a novel topic for discussion
which occupied all men's minds, in and about the purlieus
of Parliament. The character of an individual, for 14
years proverbial• for his good conduct, good under-
standing, nice judgment, and great discretion,—a Prince
—the husband of the SOVEREIGN—the father of the i
future king of these realms—long avert the day—Prince ,
ALBERT, a name hitherto only associated with works of
" art and benevolence,"—this illustrious individual had
been charged with unconstitutional conduct. I need not
be more particular—the charges are before the world—
they have been scattered before the winds—they were
uttered though at the corners of the streets in town,
throughout the country ; the discussion of them absorbed
every other subject. HER MAJESTY, I need not tell you,
reads the newspapers of every shade of politics ; she was
not ignorant of those charges ; I have already truthfully
alluded to her emotions on the night before she met Par-
liament, and on the morning thereof—when such a Queen
as VICTORIA. weeps, it is no common event. Without
stooping to notice a hundredth part of the vulgar gossip
about the Tower !—the QUEEN not going to Parliament !
—Her CONSORT'S certain absence ! the closing of the park
gates, to all but ticket holders ! and I know not what
besides,—there was great uneasiness in the Palace. The
illustrious subject of all this was distressed ! Else why
that pallid face, weary eye, the eager and open mouth
which I observed The PRINCE had not condescended to
notice the charges inimical at once to his happiness as a
man and his position as a Prince. Well, it was known
that the Earl of ABERDEEN in the upper,chamber, and
Lord Joss RUSSELL in the lower, had been commanded
to notice the charges referred to. That in fact the QUEEN'S
Speech, War with Russia, Ecclesiastical Courts Abolition,
Education, aye the new Reform Biil (which will turn out
a splendid humbug), these and other questions were all as
nothing compared with the " defence of the PRINCE," for
so it was called. The debates went on; those acquainted
with the topography of the houses know that they are
both reached in a little time—that if a dull speaker occu-
pies one house, in a twinkling relief may be found by
jumping into the next chamber. Why should I wade
through the observations of ABERDEEN and RUSSELL,
touching the PRINCE ? The precis writers at the offices of
both Ministers had the sainematerials to abstract; hence the
line of defence was the same. But old ABERDEEN bad by far
the best of it; he really warmed, and achieved what I never
knew him to do during the last thirty years—he absolutely
made the assembled peers laugh ! It is only necessary to
state that the hear, hears, and the cheer, cheers, which
caused both houses to echo, vindicated the PRINCE. The
pulse of the Parliament, up to its close at midnight, was
intimated to the QUEEN every few minutes. The Earl of
DERBY, in the Lords, comported himself magnificently ;
a hear ! hear ! from DERBY, given in a hearty manner,—
which is very seldom, for he's ill to please—is worth noting.
Such were his acclamations for Prince ALBERT. Chivalry !
Loyalty ! So also I willingly bear witness to DISRAELI in
the Commons, in reference to the remarks made by Rus-
SELL respecting the PRINCE. Mr. DISRAELI was discon-
certed all the evening ; his speech touching the Reform
Bill—that is to be —was very droll. Why didn't he take
his good old port—BELLAMY'S particular, up stairs, as he
has ? Soda water at this season of the year ! Ugh ! I
knew DISRAELI would come out cold and windy. He did.
N'importe he gave some spicy notices referring to Exche-
quer Bills, deficiency bills, reduction of the national debt,
balances in the exchequer, savings banks, Three per Cent.
Stock; sinking fund, South Sea Stock, and I am sure some
twenty other GLADSTONIAN topics. DIZZY says he is
determined to stick to the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE-
QUER, and he has come out with a broadside the like of
which was never given to a minister of finance, in these
same notices, &c., referring to returns he requires, in order
to his effective and intended attack.
Your mercantile marine especially will be glad to be
informed that the recent disasters at sea, in connexion
with the port of Liverpool, have been, during the past
week, the subject of frequent deliberation and discussion
at the Board of Admiralty, in order to avert, as far as
human wisdom and science can avert, such calamities. It
is not generally known that in mostly all questions refer-
ring to nautical science the Government, in the first
instance, puts itself in communication with the council of
the Royal Society, which embraces among its members
some of the most scientific men of this or of any other
country. They meet every Thursday afternoon in nine
months of the year for council business, after the trans-
action of which they partake of a quiet but elegant repast,
generally at a neighbouring tavern. For many years the
" Crown and Anchor" was so distinguished ; now that that
once famous hostel, where Westminster's "Rump" dinners
used to be given, has been transmogrified into the
" Whittington Club," the Royal Society Savans dine else-
where. All great scientific questions, as I have said, are
referred to this body. For example, the ancient standards
of our weights and measures were lost, at least could
nowhere be found. The Royal Society was applied to, and
by a succession of nice observations and experiments,
succeeded in forming the new standards—those now in use.
They were—the originals I mean—committed to the keep-
ing of the city authorities, and were well nigh lost again;
they were discovered lately.- But to return,—Mr. WELD,
the secretary to the Royals, who must be allowed to
possess much experience, seeing for several years he held
a similar appointment in the Geographical Society, is now
engaged on the subject of the doleful disasters to which I
am alluding. He insists that no ship should be allowed
to leave port without her compasses being examined and
certified to, by a local government officer, of accredited
talent and veracity ; his stipend to be paid out of a small
fee levied on each vessel. Other equally important details
are in contemplation for immediate adoption, and on no
account is a vessel to leave port without its being ascer-
tained beyond doubt that she is under the entire control of
her helm ; and further that, if a new vessel, the efficiency
and working order of blocks and cordage are to be tested
by repeated trials. These are the heads of the new mea-
sure ; you will perceive they have immediate reference to
the ill-fated Tayleur. At the time the Mercantile Marine
Act passed, many persons of great information and expe-
rience considered that measure, good as it was,—and much
good it certainly has achieved,—ought to have been of a
more comprehensive character, and embracing details such
as those now forced on the attention of the legislature.
The remarks of a celebrated wit, in! regard to reported
accidents on railways—that they never would be effectually
considered until a Bishop or two had "quietus made,"
applies here. The succession of disasters to our ships,
mercantile and emigrant, surely justifies all that I have
communicated.