The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-03-15 00:00:00

ttberpoot tatibarb,

FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.

MONDAY MORNING.
fr is trite to remark, that Ministers and Members of
Parliament fur the most part hold no sinecure offices.
Were the question doubted, a visit to Downing-street and
the House of Commons on Saturday—generally cons

a holiday, from the schoolboy upwards—would have dissi-
pated the pleasing illusion. I will give you the result of
a walk in the neighbourhoods referred to, and I firmly
believe it does not comprise a tithe of the business dis-
posed of. First, there was a Cabinet Council, which sat
pretty well all the afternoon ; at the same time there was
a si

ting of the committee of the Privy Council for the
affairs of Jersey and Guernsey. Then there was one of the
greatest deputations I ever remember to the CHANCELLOR

OF THE EXCHEQUER, on the important question of cus-
toms reform, at which Mr. BROWN pleaded strongly, I
must say, on the part of the Liverpool merchants, that
differences arising between them and the Board of Customs
may be submitted to an open tribunal in future, in order
to guard against the hardships constantly arising under
the present secret system. Lord PALMERSTON received
no fewer than three deputations ; the first was from the
Epidemiological Society, on the Vaccination Extension
Bill—a measure, by-the-bye, which will make the prolific
beggars of London and Liverpool more careful of their
brats, The other two deputations to the " bottle-holder "

were from certain colonels of militia, and divers personages
on the subject of land drainage. Mr. CARDWELL, President
of theßoard of Trade, also had a deputation on the subject
of a National Savings' Bank,—(don't you wish you may
get it ?)—for the convenience of the less affluent classes.
From what T could gather, it appeared to be a sort of
Mr. CARDWELL heard the parties, and told
them that the chief points aimed at must be left to Par-
liament to decide. PALMERSTON is the best behaved
tellow in the world to deputations (all of them great minis-
terial bores). " PALMY" never loses his temper, laughs
now and again—at the deputation—they don't mind—
shakes hands with lots of them, having allowed them to

company

stay as long

as they like,—wise policy in a minister—

promises everything after a manner. In short, never says
no ; the consequence is, that before the parties are out of
hearing, " capital fellow !" " aint he ?" resounds through
the passages echoed by " PALMY'S" " clever fellows, I
dare say,"—when at home. GLADSTONE is cold at first,
to a deputation, but on a great commercial question, like
that of Saturday's, he warms up, and don't seom to get
tired. ABERDEEN is coldly indifferent all through, but,
as wag used to be said of JOHN BRAHAM'S old parrot,
perhaps he thinks the more. SIR CHARLES WOOD when
he was CHANCELLOR OF TH^

EXCHEQUER was very apt
to lose patience,—aye temper,—with his coffee and chicory
visitors, laying hold of the handle of the door, and telling

them to be off.
The

ess of Parliament during the past week was
drowsy in the extreme—good for nothing, in brief. I
need not except the proceedings of Friday evening—
usually considered as an interesting night. A discussion
on the affairs of India i❑ the Upper House occupied the
entire sitting of their lordships,—the second reading of
the Jew Relief Bill was the work of the Commons. Great
exertions had been made for several days previously by
Baron ROTHSCHILD and his party, to get as many votes
for the second reading as possible. The baron and his
friends said they would be satisfied if they could obtain a

ity of 40 ; their united exertions produced a majo-

rite of 51, being an increase of 21 on the last division.
The baron was under the gallery of the House of Com-
mons during the debate. It is understood that the
Archbishop of Dublin (WHATELy), the Bishop of Nor-
wich (born at Barbadoes), and the Bishop of Oxford
(WILBERFORCE), will vote for the measure in the Lords;
and of course the members of the motley Ministry, with
their hangers on. The promoters of the measure think
they will carry it in the House of Peers.

For fun, I would advise your Liverpool visitors to the

metropolis just to pass two or three hours in one of the
election committee-rooms of the House of Commons.
They will find it much more enlivening than some of the
theatres I could name. Guffaw, loud and long, suc-
ceeded guffaw, the other day, as old FLEWKER gave his
evidence in the Derby affair, and told about the £l,OOO
offered to him if he would cut to Boulogne. Some peo-
ple, honest enough, say that FLEWKER ought to have
taken the money and gone off to France, singing or
whistling, " Tantarara, rogues all,"—allowing himself
to be taken—come back, and furnish his evidence. NA hat
use there would have been in his going to Boulogne, I
am sure I can't say. Perhaps W. B. or FRAIL may be
FLEWKER was as liable to be caught in Boulogne
as he would have been in Palace-yard. N%t to Derby,
Chatham comes,—worse even ! Thanks to honest en-
quiry, they have sent the chivalrous knight, Sir JOHN
MARK FREDERICK SMITH, about his business, and put
an end to dockyard abuse in Chatham for ever. Then
come a lot more, Hull, Rye, &c., served in the same
manner. Touching Rye, every decent politician must
regret the fate of WILLIAM ALEXANDER MACKINNON.
His election-people had a leg of mutton and trimmings
for dinner one day ; some of the voters were at it,—
straightway MACKINNON is unseated. A more irre-
proachable and thorough Conservative—beautiful scholar
and writer, patron of the fine arts, and single-minded
man than the rejected member for Rye, does not exist.
His conversation instructs and pleases ; his magnificent
collection of pictures, for the most part kept in darkness,
save when the owner finds a visitor—never mind his rank

—the poorer the gentleman the more welcome,—in an
instant the picture-gallery is full of daylight, life, and—
liberty to roam. Beneficent BENJAMIN BOND CABBELL
has come off better at Boston. The SPEAKER could
hardly but smile the other evening, when he intimated to
the house he had received a letter, stating that the peti-
tion against Mr. CABBELL'S return had been withdrawn.
Success to him. I wonder what the charities of the
" Wen" could do without him. Immensely rich, CAB-
BELL goes about the streets, anywhere indeed, wearing a
hat so bad, you would not get a Jew to give twopence for
it. Why ? During the dining part of the year, BOND
CABBELL attends every charity-dinner. Wbo ever went
with a good bat to the Albion, the London Tavern, the
Freemasons', the Thatched House, Crown and Sceptre,
Greenwich Yacht, and Trafalgar Ditto, and found it i❑
the morning ? Nemo. Hence the honourable member
for Boston's shocking bad hat.

But who is COPPOCK ? I fancy I bear your readers
inquire ; his name appears everywhere in connection with
election committees ; " fighting petitions," too, what
are they ? First touching friend COPPOCK—for he is
among the number of my illustrious—he is a stiffish-built
fellow, about forty-five years of age, certainly more
than inclined to be fat—to say corpulent or obese, I
question if COPPOCK could understand the terms;
n'imporfe, COPYOCK'S countenance is replete with
vitalit

y, as the critics say, and vulpine cunning, a most

serviceable

development, by-the-bye, considering the

files he has to deal with

A few sessions ago COPPOCK

was not known as agent, parliamentary or otherwise,
beyona those precincts of gingham,—Milk and Bread
Streets, Cheapside, London. CoPPocx was a "bagman ;"
in more elegant phraseology, he was a traveller for some
warehouse or other in the above-mentioned localities—
he was a popular bagman in the north, a very feather in
his cap—made noise in traveller's room in the big towns
to the north of Liverpool ; pooh-poohed the Reform
Bill as it suited the flavour of his company; CoPpocK
made many friends, and the Reform Bill made work for
many men never heard of in parliamentary philosophy.
Such a one was and is Mr. COPPOCK. Election law is
soon known ; all the agent especially has to do, is to sail
as near the shore as possible, keeping aloof from
breakers,—and herein CoPeocx is a prince. He lives in
good style, keeps a drag, and puts a friend down as he
goes home, like a brick. It is a sad thing, politically,
however, to consider that such men, during a few months
of a parliament, can clear several thousands of pounds
sterling.
A job in petto. Gore House is now in the hands of
the Government for fine art purposes. Save the mark !
1 have been over every part of this splendid mansion ;
it is enough to say that it belonged to Lady BLESSINGTON,
and within its classic walls D'ORSAY found refuge, and
passed much of his time. The chief rooms are large in
the extreme ; fit for the accommodation of a conclave.
Well aired, too and beautiful, looking out on an open vista
of bill and dale and woodland, the throstle and black-
bird with " mellow •
pipe" making the scene—so near
London—perfectly enchanting. Yet we find the fine art
chandlers, who have got hold of it, want a new wing to
be added. Gods and little fishes ! This is £lO,OOO dead
out of the public purse, and no more cause for it than
there is for a frog to have a side pocket. Pray, CHARLES
too strong ; your ginger-
BARRY, don't " come it"
bread palace, 'vclept the " New Palace at Westminster,"
is by no means magnificent, convenient, or satisfactory ;
take care what you are about at Gore House. You are
not a MICHAEL ANGELO. You cannot conceive—vou
may execute. MAROCHETTI also, the Baron—the Pim-
lico-French-Italian sculptor—he of the Lonpsword,_
very like, in great part, to MATTHEW WYATT s gigantic
chimney ornament of the DUKE on the top of the arch,
Hyde-park Corner. CHARLES BARRY and Baron
MAROCHETTI ! We have no sculptors here,—no BAILY
—no WESTNIACOTT—" no nuffin •"therefore we must
patronise the baron : the two are at it tooth and nail—
fine art commission, and so forth ; let them,—we can't
help ourselves—fleece our purses, and flay our pictures !
Who's afraid ? Too much truth will be found, I am
afraid, in the foregoing. A commission to'enquire into

the management of the National Gallery, on the motion
of Colonel MUIRE, has been appointed ; but really when
we see such men as BILL EWART and JOE HUME taking
the lead in such a question, what good can be expected ?
Mr. EWART thinks he has a knowledge of the fine arts,
and that he loves them ; Mr. HUME, I believe, don't
affect such nonsense ; his remarks, though not artistic,
were useful and business-like. Nous verrons.
Apsley House still attracts its thousands of visitors per
diem. Indeed, those who can command tickets and time
for a second visit will find themselves amply repaid, for
it is impossible on one visit to appreciate sufficiently the
chief works of art and objects of interest in that marvel-
lous collection. I went again the other day—found the
crowd intolerable, but well-behaved, which is by no
means the general rule with our well-dressed crowds.
The directors of the Apsley House exhibition have made
a great mistake in dating the admission tickets each hour,
without causing each hour's company to turn out and let
the next's come in. As it is, you have five hundred per-
sons distributed over the rooms at a time, while there
ought only to be about two hundred. At this rate about
2,000 persons a day could see, admire, and study the
great works in comfort; and surely that number, in these
comparatively short days, is quite enough. It was gratify-
ing to witness the immense crowd, thickest in the DUKE'S
sitting-room, wherein—(pardon this ugly use of the ad-
verb)—are the elbow-chair, with red back, made of the
elm-tree under which the great man stood at Waterloo,
and his writing-desk. The chair is magnificent
enough, but the desk—the despatch-box is of rough
wood, and rougher workmanship ; it has a two-
penny padlock (second-hand) with a rude iron hasp.
Jupiter ! what has not this ignoble bit of car-
pentry held in its narrow compass ? It was the
DUKE'S companion in the tented field all through the
wars. It formed a contrast with the orient riches around.
The most poverty-stricken pedlar that ever tramped
through Lancashire would be ashamed of it. Why of
such beggarly aspect ? I'll tell you ; the papers have
not. Had the despatch-box been of ducal splendour,
it might not have escaped so long. The DUKE was
always prepared for a " skrimmage "—it might come ;
the bumble-looking wooden box might be kicked about
by a mercenary foreign soldiery and despised. This was
what WELLINGTON wanted. I heaved a sigh as I recog-
nised,
flung carelessly on a book-table, the DUKE'S well-
known overcoat, precisely as be left it. The next and
greatest attraction—beyond all services of china, candela-
bra, sculpture, and paintings—was the DUKE'S bed-
room, as it is styled. It is neither a room, nor a closet,
nor a passage, nor a cupboard, nor anything else I have
ever been in. I will call it a hutch, with seven doors and
, a chimney. The place is so small, you can scarcely whip a
cat round in it. How the DUKE guarded himself from
the innumerable draughts of air, which must have con-
tinually prevailed in this chamber of iEolus, I know not.
The portraits of SOULT, COI',IBERMERE, Sir GEORGE
MURRAY, COl. GURWOOD, General ALAVA, Lord BE-
RESFORD, Lord LYNEDOCH, Lord A NGLESEA, and other
renowned soldiers, mostly all of them by that prince of i
portrait painters, Sir THOMAS LAWRENCE, are the finest
likenesses I have ever seen.

Leaving Apsley House and the contemplation of these
heroes, I met in the Park, as a droll pendant to the
" military glory" referred to, a strapping sergeant, all
moustache, and harmless ferocity, with about sixty tat-
terdemalion•, 'of all sizes and shapes ; these lads had
taken the shilling in the QUEEN'S name. Oh, dear !
Her gracious MAJESTY must be ill off for soldiers, if
nine-tenths of such creatures pass examination. Many
of them were splay-footed ; well, never mind,—they
could march the surer !—knock-knee'd, others. What is
to be done with such ? Nothing. The only indications
of a virile character observable in others of the lot, were
a few straggling sandy-coloured hairs on either side of a
face debased in feature ;—great open mouths others had,
with scarcely any teeth. Do the soldiers now bite off
the end of the cartridge, when they load ? If so, these
boys can be of no use. However, they all appeared to
be jolly, giving token that they were, as far as they had
gone in the " paths of glory," contented and happy ;
and what more can mortals want.

Permit me to introduce to your readers a dusky, frisky,
funny fellow and friend—His Highness the RAJAH of
COORG ; some people call him the ex-RAJAH ; I don't.
A season or two ago we had in town the Nepaulese
princes, terrible fellows they were in their way, with their
iridescent blades stuck quietly under their girdles, merely
for ornament, of course. Hookey. Those princes were
gentlemen, especially careful how they ate in public, tem-
perate in the extreme. The London Tavern tables
groaned, as the phrase is, with calipash and calipee,
stewed sturgeon, venison, and so forth, the Nepaulese
lads ate only an apple or two, with a tumbler of pump
water. They had their carnival, however, when at home
in the magnificent river-end mansion of Richmond-ter-
race, Whitehall. Prodigious was the slaughter of young
cocks ; these were roasted in the ashes on the prepared
floor by themselves, and formed their usual dinner. Their
pleasures in other respects were refined—fond of the
opera and ballet, the latter especially. During their stay
their diamonds sparkled everywhere. Our friend COORG
is of another sort ; he stays at borne in one of the state-
liest houses of one of the west end's stateliest streets. He
thinks his affairs are all in confusion, perhaps they are. But
this circumstance don't mar theßAJAH'Ssport. Tumbling
in the other evening, Scottish melody greeted theear. Shade
of ROBLE BURNS! what was played,—and well played too
(ear music) before the RAJAH ? " Of a' the airts the wind
can blew ?" Who the performers ? Those blind bon-
netted varlets that every visitor to London must have
seen and heard playing as in a gang—the violoncello first,
split clarionet second, then following, in glorious musical
confusion, fiddle and flute. There they were playing like
mad before the RAJAH,—lots of cognac for them during
the performance—lots of tin when they left. I never felt
so happy in all my life : the simplicity was the thing. The
blind Scottish pauper-minstrels took their crown apiece,
reverently thanked the Giver of all good and the Raujaah.
The concert, such as it was, I liked,—Scotch melody—
Scotch whiskey—Scotch lasses—and Scotch scenery—
the little I have seen of it, have pleased me much
always. After the music came several athletce ; one
stalwart chap—the muscles of whose arm quivered like a
bag of eels—cut a leg of capital mutton in twain at a
slash—bone and all ; likewise a thick bar of suspended
lead. The RAJAH seemed to-he desperately pleased with
these feats. I observed that the mutton was sacked by
the party who cut it, also that every bottle opened, if not
drank, was not suffered to remain on the premises. The
Rajah COORG is proud of our gracious Queen VICTORIA
standing godmother to his daughter, now being brought
up as a Christian lady at a charge of about £4OO a-year.
Coortc is anxious to remain among us a little while longer,
but lam told he must " toddle" to India. I forgot to
mention that his ladies participated in the vagaries refer-
red to,—a drawing-room door was left ajar, and you could
hear them chuckling applause in their own way, very
significant.

There is a rumour still very prevalent in parliamentary
circles, notwithstanding the denial of its truth which
has been published, that the widow of the late Sir
RonEa.r PEEL, and her lovely unmarried, but betrothed,
daughter, together with Lady KENMARE, the cara sposa of
a member of the House of Peers, and one of the visitors of
Maynooth College, have gone over to the Romish Church,
not only in spirit, but according to the forms usually
prescribed in the Roman ritual for those who desire to
read their recantation. Lady PEEL was always known to
be tinged with Puseyite principles ; but I confess that
for this step on the part of the lamented statesman's re-
lict I was quite unprepared. Latterly she has been in the
habit of invitinc, to her domestic circle some distinguished
members of the Roman Catholic hierarchy and clergy ;
and it is a notorious fact that while travelling on the Con-
tinent, immediately after Sir ROBERT PEEL'S death, she
was seldom or ever unaccompanied by one of the sharpest
files among that disinterested class of surpliced gentle-
men—the Italian Jesuits. It is not difficult to believe
that Lady PEEL'S " geographical guide " also directed
her views in another direction. Young FRED PEEL, who
assists NEWCASTLE in propagating the Roman Catholic
religion in our colonies—voila his speech on the Canadian
Clergy Reserves Biil—has been twitted more than once
about his mother's secession from the Established Church;
but the only answer our juvenile Colonial Under Secre-
tary condescends. to vouchsafe is, " I have heard the
rumour, but I was not present at the imposing ceremony
of their recantation." Such is the extent of information I
am able to give you touchinc, the religious " embrace "
of Madame and Mademoiselle PEEL ; for aught I can say
to the contrary, they may have allied themselves to
Popq,ry for " better or for worse." But there is another
description of embrace presenting features of a decidedly
less ambiguous character, about which I can give you in-
formation beyond all probability of doubt cr cavil:
Lady PEEL'S marriage to no less distinguished a states-
man and warrior than our present Commander-in-Chief,
Tiscount HARDINGE, is said to be settled.

With regard to the performances at the theatres, be-
fore the curtain, little or nothing new is to be said. The
sale of properties, contents of repertoire, &c., of HER
MAJESTY'S Theatre, which I intimated some weeks ago
as likely to take place, has been put off. The Opera
opens in a couple of weeks or so. Ditto at the Royal
Italian C. G., very strong in lyric talent—MAßlo, GRISI,
FORMES, and others. The ballet department is to be
much improved, and more of it given, which was very
necessary at this house. Benefits at most of the English
theatres indicate a near close of them before Easter
season—merely—(ahem !) to afford an opportunity for
preparing the Easter spectacles ; but, in fact, to get rid
of a certain loss per night during the Lenten period.
BEN WEBSTER, after losing a couple of decent fortunes—•
one season I know he lost £8,000—(to be sure be had
previously made the money), quits the Haymarket, to
stick entirely to the merry little Adelphi, with CELESTE.
BUCRSTONE, Mrs. FITZWILLIAM and her daughter,
together with Mr. CopELAND—a rather popular manager,
I believe, in Liverpool—jointly try their fortune at the
Haymarket • where WILLIAM FARREN, the last man of
the real school of acting, is to play some ten or twelve
nights, take a benefit, and leave the stage—for ever !
When FARREN shall have left, there will not be one—no,
not one—genuine English actor on our boards. I know
scores ofimouthing fellows—actors, forsooth , they call them-
selves, without an atom of the real dramatic in their earthy
temperament—who will cry out against such a hideous re-
mark : let them—they can't act; though some of them have
the impudence to stand out for full £l5 a week. Oh !
Gemini ! a couple is quite enough. Twenty-five shillings
to live upon, five shillings for white sheep-skin gloves
and clean stockings, and the remaining ten shillings to
go to the Savings' Bank. If there be a wife and kids (they
seldom stand in the way), of course the foregoing arrange..
ment must be slightly altered. CHARLES KEMBLE, the
last of the Romans, is creeping about—large, heavy, and
much bent, but vastly cheerful—at the Garrick, over his
cup of tay, as he likes to pronounce tea. What an
immense change the last fifteen or twenty years have
worked on the frame of this fine actor and otherwise
accomplished man. During that period I have seen him
play Mercutio; no one has come within a million of
miles of him since : young Mirabel, too—perfect em-
bodiment ! Now CHARLES KEMBLE is RS stiff as a
Pantaloon in his last days. That other, CHARLES
YOUNG, the gentleman, takes it quietly in the country ;
sometimes he " apes humility " in town by bestriding a
horse of such homely aspect and symmetry, you'd fancy
that the rider—the greatest lago of them all—was a
small farmer, just come to see about the sale of his wife's
butter and eggs for the previous six months. CHARLES
Youxc, was indeed wise in his day and generation—took
his salary, always good, and never was a manager. Yet
another CHARLES—MACREADY ; he is likewise enjoying
his otium in the country, far enough away not to be
bothered with humbugs—happy immunity ! yet not too
distant fer the few to