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rnHE Parliamentary story of the week is a ro-JL mance of real life . Before last Sabbath interrupted the turmoil of political existence , it was announced that the Peelites intended to support Mr . MrLNEB Gibson ' s resolution , condemning the ¦ wa r , and proposing the acceptance of peace on Eussian terms . There was a grand muster in the House on that day to see the Three Grand Peelites
of the Commons commit political suicide all of a row , while John Bright instigated them to the horrid deed , and Mr . Milner Gibson winked amusement from his cheerful eyes . The stage managers of that evening either had little discipline over the green-room , or they chose to change the piece , as they do at the Italian Opera , without i $ W advertisement . The merry Milner Gibson looked sad , the austere Gladstone looked
penitent , and the hopeful Disraeli looked perplexed , when , with an air of much import , Mr . Sidney Hebbert rose and asked Lord Palmerston whether the negotiations at Vienna had been absolutely broken off . Everybody knew they had not ; but Mr . Gladstone wanted a plank to puss back from his strange position , and Mr . Sidney HekbJEBT supp lied the retreat . Learning , as if for the first time , that the Conferences at Vienna had not been absolutely broken off , Mr . Gladstone received a sudden enlig htenment on the impropriety
of the open proposal to close a pence with Russiaand lie advised Mr . Milner Gibson " to postpone his motion . " Here , then , was a triple desertion First , of the country , in joining to propose capitulation ; secondly , of the Government , whose war Mr . Gladstone took part in commencing ; thirdly , of his new allies , the Manchester Peace men . An ingenuity less than Mr . Gladstone ' s would have been taxed to comprise a more complicated relation . The whole House was thrown into confusion ; nobody know what to advise .
On the next evening " an Individual" rose ex viachind , to got the Anti-Ministerialists out of their difficulty , and Mr . Disraeli announced a motion censuring the " ambiguous language and uncertain conduct" of Government , but offering to the Crown the support of the House for prosecuting the war to a safe and honourable poaco . Here Was a now combination . Mr . Latard , who had a motion for Thursday night , " on the state of the nation , " was publicly asked to give way , having , said Mr . DvwcoMnia at JFinabury , previously boon
asked in private . He gave way with the most natural grace in the world , and the Individual was master of the situation . But whom could he rally round him ? Of course it was presumed the Tory party would rally to his newly-raised standard heartily , since the country requires the war and Opposition required a vote of censure upon Ministers . Of course it was supposed Mr . Layard and his immediate friends now took this view of " the state of the nation ; " but if Manchester could condemn " the ambiguous language , " and so forth , could it support the war ? Even the charge of " ambiguous language" was to a great extent disarmed by a very plain statement from Lord John Russell , of what had passed
at Vienna , and a very stout blast ot tne war - pet from the renovated lungs of Lord Palmerston , who appeared to regain much of his ancient vigour in the excitement of a rising contest . The Derby day offered a lull to the preparation for battle . Veterans of all parties mounted their hacks to have a gallop on Epsom Downs , and to witness the parody of their own contest in the race won by " a dark horse" belonging to a young gentleman of Somersetshire , inaccessible to " nobblers , " trained by an Incorruptible who could not be " squared , " and ridden honestly to win . But who was the dark horse to be ? Layard
was the favourite . Gladstone was at one time spoken highly of , but with a superequine ingenuity he had " scratched" himself in public ! The knowing ones said that Bright had bottom , but he is given to bolting . The eventful Thursday came , and with it the day meetings . Palmerston and Disraeli reviewed their forces . Neither of the great armies proved to be quite in training ; sounds of mutiny were heard in either camp ; the same disease of intestine division afflicted both .
Thus formally prepared , the debate ought to have had some more positive result . Great occasions bring forth great faculties ; but this great occasion oertainly failed to exhibit before us any mind capable of bringing out and wielding the power of the nation . There was scarcely a man that seemed capable even of presenting the case : Mr . Disraeli's speech was in his strongest manner—personal and virulent to the last degree . His virulence indeed is of that Oriental kind which has something sublime in it , though one ia g lad that it does not come from English lips . Lord John suffered , and wo cannot pity him . View of the situation Mr . Disraeli gave none ,
and has none to give . The party is disgraced whose leader at a great national crisis makes such a speech as that of Mr . Disraeli on Thursday night . Mr . Gladstone's friends on the contrary , had i-eason to be proud of his display , which was that of a noble nature , feeling deeply for its country and humanity , and above the meanness of self-display in wounding an opponent . But his reasonings , however logically cogent , were wanting in practical force . Of course the objects of the war are not the same now that we are before Sebastopol as they were when we first entered into the quarrel . "We have gone further , ventured and suffered more , and we ought to
demand more—not more " military glory , but more effectual securities than we should have been content with before we had spent a shilling or shed a drop of blood . Virtually , Ministers pass an act of oblivion in their own favour for the past . We are in the war , they say , and we must go through with it , and that was really the most intellig ible proposition acceptable by the House of Commons . Mr . Lowe put the case best , when he moved to say , that in consequence of the refusal of Russia , the negotiations had failed , and therefore we must obtain peace by fighting for it ;
but that of course was too positive an assertion for the House of Commons . The Government affirms that statement , the whole body of the country affirms it ; but the House of Commons trims between that rough proposition and all the little niceties and negatives , aptly picked phrases , and pretended votes of censure , that amuse the small factions around tho margin of the Commons . In the midst of these grander battles there was a little skirmish respecting our dip lomatic establishments . Mr . Wise had discovered that two
years ago an inquiry had been made into our diplomatic and consular establishments , but that the recommendations of the report had not boon carried out-the salaries not reduced , the inferior qualifications of Attacks not retrieved , the nee dless establishment * not abolished . No admitted Lord Palmkkston ; but improvements have been
introduced , examinations are to be enforced nnu in many cases tho expenses cannot be , kept dow , n , without abating tho dignity and utility of . tJitt i establishments abroad . There is , as uftuaj pju'lfltf r truth on both sides , absolute truth pn neftM < jrt > .: TJio fact is that our consular establisjunonta * i& ' roado to a pattern of home manufacture , w ^ tliotkf reference to tho necessities of different ; wuntjUesV
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"The one Idea which . History exhibits as evermore developing itself into greater distinctness is the Idea of Humanity—the noble endeavour to throw down all the barriers erected between men by prejudice and one-sided views ; and by setting aside the distinctions of Religion , Country , and Colour , to treat the whole Human race as oa . e brotherhood , having one great object—the free development of our spiritual nature . "—Humboldt ' s Cosmos . ___
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NEWS OF THE WEEK— paojb Imperial Parliament 482 The War 485 Count Nesselrode ' s Version of the Vienna Conferences 487 Administrative Reform 488 The Holy Wedge 489 letters from Paris 489 Continental Notes 489 A . Russian-German Chevalier d'lndustrie 490 Naval and Military News ..- 490
Our Civilisation 491 The Epsom Races 491 Miscellaneous 491 Postscript 492 PUBLIC AFFAIRSThe Confidence Debates' 493 The State of Feeling in the Country 493 The Duty of the Opposition in Prance 494 What are the Tories ? 494
The Chartists , Old and New 495 " The Stranger" in Parliament ... 496 LITERATURE- ( Summary ' . 498 Bailey ' s Philosophy of the Mind 498 Widow Burning 499 Papers of Lord Metcalf 499 THE ARTSThe Royal Academy Exhibition 500
The Amateur Musical Society ... 500 The Operas 500 Births , Marriages , and Deaths ... 501 COMMERCIAL AFFAIRSCity Intelligence , Markets , &c . 501 Advertisements , 502-504
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VOIi . VI . No . 270 . 1 SATURDAY , MAY 26 , 1855 . [ Price Sixpence .
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Leader (1850-1860), May 26, 1855, page unpag., in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2092/page/1/
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