The Brecon Reporter and South Wales General Advertiser

THE ARTS, LITERATURE, &c. -♦ COLONEL ALFRED B. RICHARDS, already well- known as a dramatist and lyrist, has a volume of verse n the press, entitled "Religio Animaa, and Other Poems," which will be published vary shortly. THE Court Journal says :—The number of decent, tbinking fellows amongst London workmen, not roughs, must be great. For instance, the Working Man has now a sale of 40,000 weekly-a very ex- cellent, intelligent, and sober-minded publication, capitally illustrated. THE French paper L'Euenement, recently offered a copy of Victor Hugo's last work to all subscribers who sbonld put their names down for the year. In one week they found themselves called upon to sup- ply 7,700 copies, and it was necessary they should be delivered within 48 hours. The publishers, Messrs. Lacroix, had sold the entire edition; but the well- known printers, Messrs. Lahure and Co., undertook the contract, and performed it to the time agreed upon. A French writer remarks that the three volumes con- tained 62 sheets of 16 pages eaoh, which, multiplied by 7,700 copies, gave, 477,400 sheets, and 7,638,400 pages; or, by measurement, 286,440 yards. A NEW tale by John Saunders, entitled The Lion in the Path," will be commenced on August 22, in Cassell's Family Paper." A map of London will be given away with this number. THE Spurgeon Jest Book," reoently published in London, has been reproduced in New York, under the title of "Five Hundred and Ninety-five Pulpit Pungencies." No name is given, and the people of New York have come to the conclusion that Henry Ward Beecher is the author, or editor. This is how the compiler expresses himself in the preface:—" I think that the minister of God has carte ilanche liberty to touch man's mirthfulness, even so far as by so doing he can help them toward the right and away from the wrong. I regard all this superstitious, un- smiling Christianity, as a relic of old Vandal times." There are some strange things in the book; as, for instance, at p. 123, where it says that "the Almighty gunner never shoots unless there is good game," and at p. 248, where a nursery scene is depicted, with the great globe as the cradle, and God, the kiad nurse, rocking it with His foot. LORD JOHN MANNERS has announced in the House of Commons that two of the lions for the Nelson column were completed, that a third was near com- pletion, asd that he hoped, before the end of autumn, the whole four would be in their places at the base of the column. AN elegant monument, which will be completed in a few days, has been placed over the remains of the late Sheridan Knowles, in the Glasgow Necropolis. It has been erected by a number of friends and former pupils of Mr. Knowles, when he was a teacher of elocution in Glasgow, and some of whom stand among our leading citizens. The monument is situated on the highest pars of the north end of the hill, and is in the form of a cenotaph. It is in the Italian style of architecture, and is built of fine durable sandstone, surmounted by a sarcophagus of grey polished Aberdeen granite. The entire height of this monument is upwards of 15 feet. A MOST successful casting in bronze of Mr. Foley's statue of the Lord Herbert of Lea, better known as Sidney Herbert, has been made recently at the extensive works of Messrs. Prince and Co., the "Phcsaix" Foundry, Ewer-street, Union-street, Southwark. The figure is of colossal size, and is in- tended to be placed in the enclosure opposite the entrance to the War-office in Pall-mall. Mr. Foley, E.A., has been most fortunate in producing an excellent likeness of the late nobleman-his highly intellectual and thoughtful features have been most admirably transferred to the bronze. The statue was cast in one piece, and it took but fifteen seconds to pour in the metal. There were present Lady Herbert, the Earl of Cianwilliam, Mr. Foley, Dr. Shea, and several other ladies and gentlemen. Messrs. Prince have within the last two years introduced into Southwark this valuable branch of art manufacture. THE recaipta at the doors of the Royal Academy Exhibition, now closed for the year, turn out, not- withstanding the remarkable amount to which they rose in the earlier half of the period of opening, to have been not so great as was the case last season. The influence of universally expre.ssed public opinion en the inferior selection of the works for display has apparently made itself felt in the pockets of the [ Academy. The bad, or rather careless hanging of the i, pictures has provoked many remonstrances, applicable to the ill taste which suspended close to the ceiling the glorious" Moonrise," by M. Daubigny, one of the most honoured of French landscape painters, as well as to the elevation above five doors, of so many ad- mirable pictures, while the line was crowded with those of inferior quality, and the space above it sacrifined to bad portraits in unusually large numbers. The sale of pictures at the Academy has been greater than "u former occasions, considering the panic and other drawbacks. ON the decease of the late Lord Lyndhurst the famous painting by his father, John Singleton Copley, of the death of Major Piereon, became tha property of the nation, and is now in the Exhibition of South Kensington. The authorities of Jersey have resolved M hava a copy of this great historic work of the full size to adorn their Court-house, which is one of the objects in the picture, the death of tha gallant Major Pier a on having taken place in the market-place of Jersey, in which the Court-house stands. The Dake of Wellington considered that this was the best battle- piece he had ever seen painted, from the vigour, spirit, and action pervading every part of it. It was in the year 1781 that the French invaded the Island of Jersey, made the lieutenant-governor prisoner, and compelled him to Bign a capitulation to surrender the island. Then," to use the language of Alderman Bovdell. for whom the picture was originally engraved, Major Pieraon, a gallant young officer, under the age of twenty-four years, sensible of the invalidity of the capitulation made by the lieutenant- governor whilst he was a prisoner, with great valour and prudence attacked and totally defeated the French, troops, and thereby rescued the island, and gloriouslv maintained tha honour of the British arms but, unfortunately for his country, this brave officer fell in the moment of victory-not by a chance shot, but by a ball levelled at him, with a design, by his death, to check the ardour of the British troops. The major's death was instantly re- taliated by his black servant on the man that shot the major." The painter has taken care to place the black strvant in question in a conspicuous position. In fact, he has chosen the identical moment for his illustration when the ready-witted, faithful, and brave African icvela his piece, and with sure aim sends the remote shary-shooter reeling to the dust: aNd the painter did him the honour to place him in the centre of the picture among the officers of the staff, where he will remain as long as paint shall last, and the engraver's art endures, for the engraving which records the act ia in its way, like the original picture, a master-piece. Tho copy O' this painting, executed by order of the bailiff of. Jersey, has been entrusted to Mr, William Holyoake, curator of the Royal Academy, and it is but doing him justice to &ay that he has lost very little indeed of the energy of the famous original which he has studied with care and faithfully copied.

Eton Vacation.—On Fridaya11 the fJtuàeniis took their departure from Eton College for the Midsummer holidays. The result of the examination before the Rev. W. Churton and Mr. Bosanquet, for eighteen boys on the foundation, has terminated, &r.d the following have been elected :—Armifcatead, Bay ana, Mackenzie, Welldon, Milman, Tuck, Browning, Salt, Grainger, Collins, Reade, Clark, Ellison, Richardson, Hill, Mundy, Freeth, and Gould.

OPXKIONS OF THE PRESS. The Debate on the Jamaica Disturbances. The Housia of Commons is pm-eminexitly the guardian of the liberties of the people, and the debute of last evening is chiefly remarkable as showing that in the opinion of the House no violation either of the statute law or of the constitution took place in Jamaica when Mr; Eyre proclaimed martial law. Of the manner in which that law was administered there was doubtless much to complain, but it must not be for- gotten that in its very nature the administration of this extraordinary system of judicature is specially liable to great abuse. Whatever errors may have been com- mitted by those who administered it in Jamaica, it was not shown that they sprang from mere wantonness or cruelty; and, this being so, it would be unreason- able to demand the punishment of persons who were called upon, under the most trying circumstances, to discharge a most difficult duty.-Morning Post. We are certainly amazed to hear from Mr. Forster an argument which has in it all the vices of Mr. Disraeli's outrageous reply to Mr. Mill's question, except its insolence of manner. Whatever Mr. Forster may say, Mr. Mill never did overlook Mr. Eyre's obligation to establish martial law. On the contrary, by implication he accepted and acknowledged that obligation. But he added—and in this lies the constitutional lesson of these lamentable occurrences ¡ —that the greater the difficulties of martial law, the greater was the necessity of its perfectly humane and just administration, and that the more Mr. Eyre was obliged to establish it, the more he was bound to avoid those excesses which he deliberately sanctioned, and which, judged by any other principle, must be deemed a precedent for every atrocity that a governor can oommit. The debate has strengthened our conviction that the Jamaica Committee have resolved upon the only course adequate to this most melancholy occasion. The perfunctory manner in which even the soundest of those who are opposed to the prosecution of Mr. Eyre deal with the vast issues involved, proves that any other line of action would be a caricature of r justice and a wanton abasement of the constitutional liberties which are the birthright of every subject of the British Crown.-Hoining Star. Let it not be supposed that we would palliate the excesses of which many of those employed against the negroes were guilty. Mr. Buxton recapitulated the sad events with great force, and showed that it would be the duty of Government to make further inquiry into these matters, particularly with the view of com- pensating, as far as possible, those who have uejustly suffered. But there can be no doubt, we think, that the present is not the time for the House of Commons to pledge itself to any particular course by the passing of resolutions. The questions of compensation, of further inquiry into the cases of the convicted rebels now undergoing punishment, and, in short, everything that relates to the management of the island affairs, and the wiping out the traces of this calamity, had better be left to the new Government. Everything is now new in Jamaica. The old Constitution is swept away, and the colony is administered and legislated for by the Crown. The late Governor and his Executive Council are now no more, an, power is lodged in the hands of a man accustomed to administration, one who may be depended on to judge with intelligence and to act with firmness The decision of the House was the most rea- sonable that could be adopted. The first resolu- tion, which deplores the "excessive punishments which followed the suppression of the distur- bances, and especially the unnecessary frequency with which the punishment of death was inflicted," was carried while the others, to the effeot that the acts of the civil, military, and n'wal officers, ought not to be passed over with impunity, that compensation should be awarded to those whose property was de- stroyed and to the families of those who were put to death illegally, and that, lastly, all further punishment on account of the disturbances ought to be remitted, were withdrawn. The discussion was carried on with much temper and discretion, as was becoming in a case which every one must feel to be a national misfortune. If anything could prevail on the Jamaica. Committee to abandon an inexpedient and unpopular prosecution, which is likely to end in practical failure, it would be the speeches of Mr. Forster and Sir R. Palmer. On the other hand, the Government gives assurances that due inquiry shall take place wherever there is reason to believe that acts of cruelty have been committed. It will be the duty of the present Colonial Secretary to carry out to completion the work whioh was begun by hifi predecessor, both as regards the late outbreak and the general government of the iolv-ud.-Vimes. The Tory Ministry at a Civic Banquet. The Tory Ministry dined on Wednesday with the Liberal Lord Mayor, and doubtless liked their dinner, Mr. PhillipH keeping up the repute of the City for hospitality in a style which ought to procure hiua the costly honour of a second term. The speeches had little political interest, but, the Lord Mayor made a good point by describing Lord Derby from his own translation of Homer as the smooth-tongued chief, from whose persuasive lips, sweeter than honey flowed the stream of speech," and a very bad one by hoping that Mr. Disraeli might be as successful with facts as he had hitherto been with fiction," a "taunt," as he called it, to which Mr. Disraeli retorted that can- dour and frankness were evidently not without charms in that hall." Lord Derby, in a somewhat lengthy and carefully weighed speech, regvetted that he was compelled to take office with money at 10 per cent. and the cholera in our midst; rejoiced in the coming harvest and in peace; declared that recent events in Germany affected neither our interest nor honour;" boasted of the new "link" between Eng- land and America; promised a new and stringent health bill this session; and affirmed that no cause, however good, could be furthered by intimidation and violence, a "proper" remark, at which, remembering 1831, he must have internally smiled. Mr. Disraeli denied that Parliament had wasted the session, the discussions on the Reform Bill having enlightened public opinion; and Sir John Pakington, for the fifth or sixth time this month, promised to be guided at once by science and economy.- Spectato- The Preliminaries of Peace on the Continent. We aro in a position now to furnish our readers with some interesting particulars concerning the pre- limine-rieei of peace. Prussia definitely annexes the Elbe Duchies; but it is stated as certain that she will restore a part of North Schleswig to Denmark. She demands also some rectification of frontiers, which would deprive the contiguous States of very little. Germany will be divided into two Confederations. A northern one, which will extend to the Maine, of which Prussia will have the military command and diplo- matic representation. A southern one, comprising Bavaria, Wartemburg, and the Grand Dnchy of Baden. This Southern Confederation will have the right to organise itself and regulate its relations with the northern Confederation as it pleases. Saxony will preserve her territorial integrity, and, contrary to what several papers have said, will form part of the northern confederation. Austria appears to have ao- oepted her exclusion from the two confederations on condition of her preserving her present territorial in- tegrity. These are the points regulated by the prelimi- naries of peace which have been signed between Prussia, and Austria at Nikolsburg. With respect to Italy and the cession of Venetia ne- gotiations are still going on and seem to be on the point of coming to a favourable result. Italy main- tains her pretensions to Trente, but her ally, Prussia, does not seem disposed to go beyond tho engagement she entered into by the treaty of alliance whioh only guarantees the possession of Venetia. guarantees the possession of Venetia. As for Venetia, the situation is very complicated, as 1 it has been given by Austria to the Emperor Napoleon, and as it is now in part occupied by the Italian army. To settlo the difficulty, it is asserted that the means which will be adopted, as being the moat worthy and the most in conformity with the principle of the national sovereignity, will be to "call on the Yenetians to decide their destiny themselves. In this way Ve. netia, given to the Emperor Napoleon, will be restored by him to the Venetians. It is known that Prussia claimed 200,000,000 francs of Austria, as indemnity for the war. This demand has been reduced by the mediation of France to less excessive proportions, and it is announced that it will not exceed 75,000,000 francs. The armistice is for four weeks, but it is supposed that long before the expiration of that term peace will be definitively con- cluded. The treaty of peace will be signed directly bet ii -er. the belligerents. Franca will not interfere in it. It is a great result for our country, having stopped this war at the moment when it might have extended in a way menacing to all Europe. The trne victory ot tha Emperor is Ms having appeased ambitions, the shock between which was a cause of such profound perturbation. But if the sovereign who governs us has the honour of having evoked peace, the responsi- bility of the conditions which are to regulate it, and the effects it may produce, will fall on those who are about to conclude it.-Lo& France, a, Paris Imperialist paper.

THE WEIGHT AND THE ROUGH. I'm a British working man, I should say an artisan, For there's working men that's lords and wears the Garter; And there's others in degree Far inferior to me; There's the shepherd, and the ploughman, and the carter. I desire to exercise The electoral franchise. As to loyalty there's nobody more sounder. And I fanoy, with respect To the claims of intellect, I'm as good as a small tradesman and ten-pounder. How erroneous you must be To confound that rough with me! 'Tis a proof that you don't practise observation. For I am not a bit like him In the looka or in the trim, Nor his manners, nor his words in conversation. In our clubs and reading-rooms There is nobody presumes To commit in his discourse such gross transgressions Or he soon gets put outside, For it'a what we can't abide For to sit and hear the use of them expressions. If Reform is what we need, We 're accustomed to proceed In the reg'lar way of speech and resolution; Not by breaking down park rails For to get through them there pales, Let within the pale of England's Constitution. Stones and brickbats we dou'6 choose For our instruments to use, Nor break windows for to make a demonstration We don't damage trees and flowers To convince the ruling powers That we ought to have a hand in legislation. 'Taint by hisses, groans, and yells, At the mansions of the swells That the working men expresses their opinions They're entitled to a voice, And to exercise a choice 'Mong the voters of her Majesty's dominions. 'Tis the roughs, half-men, half-boys, Flings the stones and makes the noise; Idle vagabonds, 'tis they breaks down the fences, And the flowers and shrubs destroy, Which the people should enjoy; And I hope two months will bring 'em to their senses.

HE NEVER CALLED AGAIN. Ballad jor Music. I met him in the festive scene, ) ^Vhere hearts and eyes were bright; I met him—ah, we ne'er had been Acquainted till that night. I met him once again: 'twas where The warbling queens of song With liquid music filled the air, And hushed the listening throng. Next day he came to make a call— I'd lodgings then at Brown's- He stayed an hour, that was not all, "J He borrowed two half crowns. Thia world is but a wilderness, Of grief and tears and pain- I travel onward-but you'll guess, He never called again.

HOW IT STRIKES A CONTEMPORARY. That it is magnificent, that it is sublime, this spec- tacle of a great people rising itself against oppression prolonged and atrocious! Genius of the Britannic proletariat, a child of France salutes thee Sir Maine has prohibited our assemblage. He for- bids us the Hide-park; let him look to himself, that old one there! We give each other rendez-vons at the Arch o Marble ha, ha, we shall make ye tremble yet, eques- trians of the Rotten-rough, and ye, blonde misses of th brumous Angleterre The uprising of a people, it is tha reclamation of a right. Explication' short but essential. Let us re- sume. The walls are covered with announces and pro- grammes. The leader of the democracy is denounced, textually:— BEALES STICKERS BEWAKE I have this document, triste and mocking at a time, from one of my friends, the gay, the chivalrous Bloggs, of Clerkenwell. II. Tnmult indescriptible-the streets impassable, pow- derous—the Berried ranks of the police-the assembly general ef the proletariat — behold ye there the panorama of London on this eve momentous and august. Stickers is repulsed. His courage fails him. He diverges to the Squara of Trafalgar, that per- petual menace, that secular insult, to the children of France.. I diverge not, I! Quick a pebble Ah, Sir Maine, is it that you like it, my old one ? 00, on, my braves! Live the Republic! To the barricades. III. Fanfare. The trumpets sound. The vaunted Guards of Life are approaching them. selves of us. Now, oh, cavaliers of Great Britain, we await the battle. IV. The dastards do not fire a single shot! JEAN GODIN.

HOW TO CLEAR THE PARK. Mr. Punch has received several admirable sugges- tions. If they have arrived a little late they will do for any future emergency:- 1st Method. Let the park be filled with fire-engines. Let the fire-engines play soap-and-water on the Great Unwashed. Let the engineers be very particular about the soap. 2nd Method. Put one of our leading tragedians in the park as Iiamlet. The moral effect of this would be marvellous. 3rd Method. Keep it perpetually undermined with gunpowder. (Slightly troublesome this, perhaps.) Lith Method. Turn the animals from the Zoological- gardens loose into the park. WHEN doss a. boy begin bird-keeping "-When he first sets np a (h) owl. A WELCOME SENSATION.—Steady people have lately boen oiten disgusted at the frequent Bight of the word 11 Suspension," in large capitals, at the head of the list of contents on the advertising boards of the papers which principally circulate among the weak and excitable classes. The other day however, that word produced, on a second look at it, a pleasant impression. It did not refer to a commer- cial failure. The announcement commencing with it was found to be Suspension of Hostilities." THE AUTHOR OF HIS OWN RUIN.—A great many people are afflicted with a morbid craving for literary eminence, but the most startling instance of the pre- valence of the mania is to be found in the fact that a bankrupt marino-store-keeper wishes to be con- sidered an anther on the strength of his latest com- position shillings in the pound. THE PERVERT OF PETERBOROUGH.—The suspicion that Mr. Whalley is a Jesuit in disguise is confirmed. Among the delegates from the Reform League that waited the other day on the Home Secretary, a leading part was taken by the bon. member for Peterborough. The object of the Reform League is to obtain manhood suffrage; and Mr. Whalley, as one of its spokesmen, has at least avowed himself an advocate of the mass. SOMETHING LIKE A TELEGRAPH. When the Atlantic cable is completed, it is a fact, that a message will be received in Amacioa five hours before it leaves England. HYDRAULIC NEWS.—We hear that Mr. Walpole is about to be raised to the peerage with the title of Lord Watershed. „ PARK r,,AILINGS. Mob Abuse. THE RIOT ACT.CIO,'iDg the Park-gates. TtiF, PF,P.-UQuIFF.'S PAP.ADISE.-Wigtckn. WHY would it be useless going to an auction where Chang was P Because he would be sure to ba the highest bidder. TALLEYRAND IN PARLIAMENT.—It IS, or it should. be, a saying in the House that" No M.P. is an orator before his reporter." MUSICAL NOTE.—Just published, a Sequel to the affecting song, "0 ye Tears," entitled, 0 ye Focbei- handkerchiefs.

THE COUET. HER MAJESTY the Queen, during her sojourn at Osborne, enjoyed excellent health, and took daily walking and carriage exercise, accompanied by one o the Princesses. „ „ THE Prince and Princess of Wales, and his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, paid a visit to her Majesty at Osborne last week. DIVINE service was performed at Osborne on faanaay morning before the Queen and their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Dake of Edm- burgh, Princess Louise, Prince Leopold, ana Pnnaese Beatrice. The Ladies and Gentlemen m Waiting were present. The Rev. Robinson Duckworth, M.A., officiated, THE Right Hon. Sir Henry Lytton Bulwer arrived on Saturday afternoon, and had the hsnour of dining with the Queen and the Royal family. ■. « THE Bishop of London has received a letter from Sir T. Biddulph. intimating that the sufferings of the poor in London from cholera have most painfully attracted the attention of her Majesty the Queen, and that her Majesty has commanded a cneck for A500 to be forwarded to Messrs. Herries for the Cholera Fund of the Metropolitan Relief and District Visiting Association. „ „ HER MAJESTY and the Royal family are expected to return to Windsor Castle on or about Tuesday or Wednesday next. The Queen will rest at the Castle for a night, and then proceed to Scotland. THEIR Royal Highnesses Prince Christian and Princess Helena, soon after their return from a Con- tinental tour, and previous to their going to Scotland, will spend a week at Windsor Castle, Frogmore Lodge not being in sufficient readiness for their recep- ALL the people engaged in the Lord Chamberlain's department at Windsor Castle were allowed two days holidays on Monday and Tuesday, in celebration of her Majesty's birthday and the marriage of her Royal Highness Princess Helena.. „ „ THE JPrinco and Princoss Christian of Scblcsswig- Holstein (Princess Helena), with their suite, have been staying at Geneva.

POLITICAL GOSSIP. --+-- XORD BAYNING is lying in a critical condition at his seat in Norfolk. The noble lord has been seized with an attack of paralysis. THE Wigh Ministry is the newest political deno- mination which the French have found out. Charivari caricatures the Wigh" Ministry as a one. eyed horse, and the Conservative Ministry as blind altogether. THE Ministerial whitebait dinner took place on Saturday, when her Majesty's Ministers dined at the Ship, at Greenwich. There were present-Lord Bagot, Earl Belmore, the Duke of Buckingham, the Earl of Bradford, the Earl of Cadogan, Lord Chelmsford, Lord Colville, the Earl of Derby, the Earl of Devon, Lord Harwarden, the Earl of Longford, the Earl of Malmes- bury, the Duke of Montrose, the Dake of Marlborough, the Right Hon. C. Adderley, Sir W. Bovill, Lord Burghley, Sir H. Cairns, Viscount Cranborne, the Right Hon. S. Cave, the Right Hon. H. Corry, tbe Right Hon. B. Disraeli, C. Da Cane, R. A. Earle, E. C. Egerton, Sir J. D. Hay, Right Hon. G. Hardy, G. W. Hunt, Lord C. Hamilton, Right Hon. J. Mowbray, Lord J. Manners, Sir G. Montgomery, M. Morris, the Hon. G. Noel, Hr S. Northcote, Lord Naas, Sir J. Pakington, Right Hon. J. Peel, Viscount Royston, Admiral Seymour, Lord Stanley, Colonel Taylor, the Right Hon. S. H. Walpole, and John E. Walsh. THE Saturday Bevievj has the following: —It is un- fortunate that the appearance of the Liberal party in Opposition should be simultaneous with turbulent popular demonstrations which are possibly the begin- ning of a war of bitter class-feeling. Monster meet- ings are never removed by anything except the thinnest legal partition from tumult and disorder, and at the close of a protracted session, when autumn is well-nigh begun, for all legitimate political objects they are simply useless. An autumn and winter of fiery platform oratory will not heal the open breach that has been caused by the Adullamite secession. Violent partisans will feel tempted to reply that they wish to punish the Adnllamites, and have no wish to make friends with them again; that revenge, and not reconciliation is what is required. When the next general election cornea, lot the Adullamites who are not safely ensconced in little boroughs and other clefts in the rock be thrown by all means to the hungry crowd, AdvMamitos ad leones I" will do as well as any other for an election cry. But, considering that a general election is not immediately at hand, and that the Cava holds the Parliamentary balance in its hands, we should have thought that prudence dictated a less boisterous policy than a policy of intimidation. Even if such a policy were likely to frighten waverers, it would still be distasteful to every man of sense. The Liberals ought; to have a noblar ambition than that of merely mounting to office on the shoulders of the mob, in order to secure the loaves and fishes after which political parties always are a-hungered. The first duty of every statesman and patriot now is to prevent, if possible, the coming struggle for Reform from dege- nerating into a war of class against class, and to do his beat that what changes are to be made in the Con- stitution may be made calmly and without passion. MINISTERIAL WHITEBAIT. (By an .Ex-Minister.) Some call the sturgeon king of fish, But I could never see The splendour of that monster, or His varying fleshes three- A thousand, thousand times more dear Is thy slight form to me, Thou whitebait of the Minister, Thou treasure of the sea 1 Some praise the crimson-spangled trout, Wet from his darkling pool- The opal- flashing mackerel some, Fresh from his ocean school- Some love the salmon's rosy flash, But dearer far to me, The Ministerial whitebait gleams The glory of the sea! 'Tta not his savoury, crisped form On which my fancies gloat, 'Tis not his freedom from the bone That racks the tortured throat, 'Tis not his lemon and cayene That give such zeat to me When Ministerial whitebait I Within my grasp can see. Ah no, thou emblematic fish, But on the table spread In endless numbers, counfcerchanged With daintiest plates of bread, Thou showest to my hungry mind, As plain as plain can be, The loaves and fishes that I love, Now fled so far from me! Bait ? Yes, indeed, a lordly bait For wealth, and rank, and name; A bait whose charms shall no er abate Whilst man loves power and fame. White ? Yes, as are the motives pure That hold my heart to thee— Or purest moonshine. So thou art- And art thou lost to me ? Have I not swallowed for thy sake My scruples, great and smali- My published words, my promises, My conscience, pride, and all ? Ah, bitter, bitter was the taste, Yet all seemed sweet to me, In prospect of the high reward I deemed secure in thee. And oh, I might have tasted thee; I might have seen thee lie In plenty on my well-filled plate, Whilst hungry souls stood by; Bat curst Reform has ruined all, And (ttera o t with glee My whvte'>%it—-iuir-e—■whose watery eyes Strive vainly after th.<}! How often wo me: in joy Ere died the earliest grouse, The session cloKad—the bullying o'er, The perils of the House- From questions., and from adverse votes, And boring speeches free, But now—ah, others feal my joy, o whitebait;, woo ia me! Farewell! my briny tear-drops fall To think those days are o'er, Thou monument of dangers past, Thou pledge of joys in store; Thou emblem of fat things that Beemed By birth my rightful fee; Fa-ro,vell--to others, now, thou art What thou hast been to me. Farewell, then, miracle of fish, Life's jojs are few and fleet, I know not, O, I know not when Our fortunes next may meet. Full many a woful day must pass Before the Treasury key TJxilooks again, in happier times, The whitebait realms to me. Bat on wild Scotland's purple heaths, Or ocean's bounding crest, Or where the yellow stubble grows, One hope shall thrill my breast- The hape of all my future life-- Again to feast on thee, Thou whitebait of the Minister, Thou treasure of the sea! -Staiidard.