The Press. — 1858-05-29 (London, England)

PALNIER.sToN at the present time will receive the final censure of posterity cannot be doubted by any one who observes the opinion of general society. Even as the facts now stand there is a case against the Noble Viscount of no ordinary gravity. Let us examine the nature of the charge which is raised against the Noble Lord in so many quarters, and we shall see that England has good cause for congratulation in the removal of so unscrupulous a politician from power.  Only three months ago a grave complication arose in our foreign affairs, and the policy of the Palmerston Cabinet towards France came before the House of Commons. On February the 19th Lord PALMERSTON'S " Conspiracy to Murder Bill " was discussed, and there were for the second reading 215 and against it 234, leaving a majority of 19 against the Government ; and, after a Cabinet Council on the following day, Lord PALMERSTON resigned his office, believing that he had lost the confidence of the House of Commons; and he accordingly compelled her Majesty to seek new advisers at a critical moment, when difficulties were sure to be the legacies of any Ministry. Let it be remembered that a Minister is not necessarily bound to assume that one defeat, or even two, must necessarily be taken as proofs that he has lost the confidence of the House of Commons. Mr. Prrr, in 1784, sustained several defeats and did not resign his post; and in his short Ministry of 1834-5 Sir R. PEEL did not throw up power until he had ascertained by repeated trials that the House of Commons was against him, and in his place on the Bth of April, 1835, Sir R. PEEL stated that, after "four impressive defeats," no other course was left him—(Hansard's Debates, vol. xxvii., p. 980). Lord PALMERSTON, however, thought that one "impressive defeat" was enough, and he retired. Whether the Noble Viscount was right or wrong in doing so need not now be debated. If he were wrong, so much the more discredit redounds to an experienced statesman making a political blunder at such a time ; but if he were right in doing so, then the act of his resignation in February impeaches the whole of the factious conduct of the Noble Lord during the last three months. By his retirement the Noble Lord cast upon her Majesty the burden and responsibility of a total change in her .Royal counsels ; and no sooner was that change effected than Lord PALwitsros used every art, and employed all sorts of resources, public and private, in order to upset the Ministry which his own errors had been the means of bringing into power. He spared no trouble and omitted no practices by which he could embarrass his successors, who had the grave task imposed on them of directing those affairs which had been cast into confusion by Lord PALMERSTON'S failing to manage the majority which had been once at -his command, and which he had outraged by his arrogance. By his resignation the business of the session was interrupted ; for nearly three weeks the progress of Parliamentary affairs was suspended, since sixteen or eighteen gentlemen appointed to office had to go through their re-election ; and while it was admitted that the previous year had been " lost," there was imminent danger that the current session would also go for nought. In the meantime the public opinion of Europe was much perplexed at the sudden downfall of Lord PALMERSTON, and some of those "foreign intriguers " (alluded to by the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER in his brilliant speech at Slough) took advantage of the fact in order to spread prejudice against the free Constitution of England. In the saloons of Vienna, and in certain German and French organs, there were virulent sneers about " popular fickleness," " uncertainty of the British Parliament," " wavering democracy," &c., &c., and a prima-facie case was affected to be made against the insecurity of an English Executive ; and even the dignity of a British Crown.was invidiously contrasted with the superior certainty of a more fixed and less constitutional sovereignty. As the facts were told upon the Continent it cannot be denied that some of the taunts had effect. The partizans of