The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-01-04 00:00:00

Eibapool tanbarb.

FROM OUR LONDOIV CORRESPONDENT.

MONDAY MORNING.

THE festivities of the season have, as usual, operated as a
quietus on all other movements ; while the Ministerial
crisis has thrown a wet blanket on the festive enjoyments
of those who are immediately interested in it. Inappro-
priate, however, as is the time of year for such proceedings
as are comprised in Parliamentary speeches and elections,
the circumstances under which Lord ABERDEEN has
played his part, as a Cabinet maker, have afforded oppor-
tunity for many ingenious speculations as to the future
career of his strange collection.

"All the talents," was the derisive nickname given to

one of the most contemptible Governments mentioned in
English history. Some sly friends—admirers of the new
Cabinet—suggested the applicability of the title to our
present rulers ; and, in some quarters, the sarcasm was
naively accepted in its literal meaning. There was at first
something novel in acoalition of such incongruous elements
as thecomponents of the ABERDEEN ONIINUMGATHERUM,
which seemed to tickle the curiosity of the country, and
to lead to much amusing speculation. The surprise of
the nine days' wonder, however, having now subsided, the
public are beginning to count loss and gain, to look from
the list of Lord DERBY'S Administration to that of Lord
ABERDEEN'S Cabinet, and to weigh the aggregates, and
the individuals one against the other. The range of the
new Ministry, from the FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY
to the SOLICITOR-GENERAL FOR IRELAND, iS certainly
pretty comprehensive; from the antiquated, precise, dull,
puny old Scotchman, Lord ABERDEEN, to the rattling
Radical tenant-league young Irishman, Mr. KEOGH. A
glance at the lists of the old and new Administrations,
now lying before me, suffices to assure one as to the answer
which the country will give to the appeal which the new
Government is paid to be on the eve of making to it.
First of all, I would ask, what man in his senses could
prefer the Scottish Thane as the director of a government,
—the head of a party,—a leader of the House of Lords,—
to the vigorous, eloquent, conscientious, and chivalrous
Earl of DERBY ? Second on the lists stand the Chan-
cellors—Lords CRANWORTH and ST. LEONARDS. Re-
spectable as Lord CRANWORTH unquestionably is, both
privately and professionally, his best friend and most en-
thusiastic admirer would never dream of comparing him
to the brilliant luminary of the Law of England to whom
he has had the trying honour to succeed. Coming, in the
next place, to the Chancellors of the Exchequer, I would
ask in what possible respect it can be believed that Mr.
GLADSTONE will bear comparison with Mr. DISRAELI ?
The new financier will very soon discover, and show to
the country, how much more easy it is to find fault with a
budget than to make one. As regards the leadership of
the House of Commons, the ever fresh brilliant powers
of Mr. DISRAELI surely outshine the hackeyed and used-
up abilities of Lord JOHN. In the three Secretaryships
of State, I am much at a loss to find how the
country is to gain by the recent change. Lord PALMER-
STON is very likely to be " abroad" at the Home-office,
and Lord JOHN " not at home" in the Foreign. The new
Home Secretary is by no means fond of the routine of
official work, and will not relish going to school again to
fit him for his new place. Time and gout have somewhat
impaired his working powers ; and, in most of the essential
qualifications of the Home-office, be can hardly be deemed
as competent as his predecessor, Mr. WALPOLE. Lord
MALMESBURY had little opportunity of displaying his
administrative powers to the country ; but what he has
done he has done well ;—and his successor, Lord JOHN
RUSSELL, seems to be thrust into this department for the
express purpose of justifying SYDNEY SMITH'S well-
known witticism about his modest assurance. We have
yet to learn why the pushing new Duke of NEWCASTLE
should be deemed fit for the delicate and responsible duties
of Colonial Minister. Much care and special study, with
respect to colonial matters, combined with remarkable
practical business ability, rendered Sir J. PAKINGTON
specially fit for his late office, and inspired the colonies of
Great Britain with hope for the future.
The Duke OF NORTHUMBERLAND—hit:OS(3If a sailor—
having his heart in his work, is generally acknowledged to
have been about the best " First Lord of the Admiralty"
who ever held the office ; and he is succeeded by a politi-
cal hack who has been for some time sinking and sinking
in public estimation, till all parties seem at last ashamed
of owning him.

To one other appointment only need I advert at pre-
sent, and that is "the Lord-Lieutenancy of Ireland."
In the occupation of the Earl of EGLINTON, that office
had become a very important one. His manly, straight-
forward, and conciliatory bearing, his unceasing proofs of
sympathy with the Irish people, his zealous efforts to pro-
mote the progress of their industry, the developement of
their natural resources, and the harmony of their society,
were so remarkable and so full of promise, that every
friend of Ireland must deeply regret that that country
has been deprived of his eminent services, and that he
has been succeeded by a nobleman whose past career
offers no assurance to the community of his qualifications
for so important an office.
As of the chief members of the new Goverment, so of
the subordinates. In no one case do I find superiority
in the new over the old occupant of place. So, I doubt
not that " all the talents " which could be recruited
beyond Lord DERBY'S camp, will find it a hopeless task
to keep the national Conservative party long out of
power.

A. contemporary says :—" It is whispered at the Club
Houses that Lord Aberdeen's difficulties in effecting the
late political amalgamation were such that the choice of
offices was at length determined by the old practice of
shaking the bag.' A hat (a wide awake ?) was sent
round, and with the proverbial caprice of fortune, the re-
sult was that :—Lord Aberdeen, who signalised himself at
the Foreign Office, got the Treasury. Lord John Russell
drew the Foreign Office, never having had it before.
Lord Palmerston the Home Department, for the first time
in an official reign of nearly half a century, Lord Lincoln
the Colonies, for which a trial of the Woods and Forests
had qualified him. Mr. Gladstone, having held the Colo-
nies, got the Exchequer. Sir Charles Wood, whose merit
(!) lies in the Exchequer, drew the Board of Control.
Sir Wm. Molesworth, whose political life is identified with
Colonial Reform, almost fainted on finding his ticket for
' Public Works.' One solitary and splendid exception,
however, turned up. Sir James Graham, the " Knight of
the bright sword," as Cobbett used to call him, who has
occupied various offices, and represented every shade of
political opinion,—who had by a judicious economy some
years ago, so reduced the material of the Navy, that
Lord Hardwick charged him with having left Portsmouth
Dock Yard ' without a lower mast or a spare topsail
yard,'—he whose cheese-parings are now occasioning an
expenditure of millions,—Sir James drew—the Admiralty.
They had better shake the bag again."
Play-goers are, of course, just now much interested about
the pantomimes. on the production of which more than
usual cost has this year been lavished. Most are of
opinion that the Lyceum bears away the bell in a bur-
lesque travestie by Mr. PLANCHE, entitled " The Good
Woman in the Wood." Drury-lane, the Haymarket,
and the other theatres present, however, considerable
attractions. There are several musical displays in prepa-
ration ; and the Royal Concert on Saturday, at Windsor
Castle, has given the highest stamp of sanction to this
species of entertainment.

Iv._ ~
THE LADIES.—A TOAST.—" No skylights or heel-
taps," exclaimed Castigan, standing up with oratorical
pomp, and looking around to see that every glass was full.
NIT
young
ng man, human heart
youlil is
knowa i
" Sir—There are moments.
tated by emotions—don't laug
better when you row older. We ve enjoyed, sir, at your
hospitable board gthis day, an intellectual feast that'll be
remembered by our great grandchildren, to whom we will
feel it our duty to communicate
the rich trate. A grateful
posterity, sir, will hold the day in reverence, and every
mother's son of them will emulate your example, and
consider himself bound to give a dinner on the occasion.
But I appale to every one o' you,
in your concave and
convex connections with the world
at large, as husbands,
fathers, sons, brothers, lovers, and
sin
would this intellectual trate have ecnennwigtheormutanths'whate
pre-
sence of lovely woman ? The eye of a woman, sir, is
the growing refulgence that lights up transparencythe
uth of
paptl
ide
ao
teisonn't
s
human life. Is there a heart amongst y
respond to my appale ? Sir, the ,extent of our a
to that sex is unknown. From the cradle to the
I spake advisedly—woman is with us everywhertavZ
are born of woman, and when we die we go back to her
arms, for aren't we then put to sleep in our mother earth?
Everything that's beautiful, and grand, and glorious, is of
the female gender. Isn't Liberty a woman? Isn't
Britannia a woman ? and when does she look so like areal
divinity as when she's leaning on her anchor, and shaking
hands across the green waters with her sister Hibernia ?
Aren't the Muses and the Graces women to a man ? And
the only bull in the fine ancient heathen mythology was
making Love a little boy. If we had had the making of the
gods and goddesses in Ireland, maybe we wouldn't put
petticoats upon Cupid, and convert him into a girl ? If
Love isn't a woman. the deuce is in the dice. A bumper,
boys, for woman, upstanding, with one foot on
your
chairs, and three times three, and all the honours ! Im-
maculate, immutable women! Take the fire from me—
The ladies, sir, that have left us, and may they never leave
us again, and my blessing be on them wherever they go.
One, two, three, hurrah !—bathershin l—one, two, three,
titirrah I bturak r