London, January 19. In The Morning Advertiser, a_ lively 
discussion is taking place at this moment as to whether the 
accusation of “stupidity” levelled against the Coalition Ministry is 
just. From his point of view which presupposes a secret agreement 
of the Ministry with Russia, Urquhart has successfully defended 
the Ministry against the accusation of incompetence. 

The Morning Advertiser is a peculiar phenomenon of the London 
press. Owned by the “Society of Licensed Victuallers”, founded 
for charitable purposes, namely for the support of orphans, 
veterans and bankrupt members of the trade, it unquestionably 
enjoys the widest circulation among London dailies, after The 
Times. This is certainly not because of its editorial board, which is 
directed by a certain Grant, formerly a shorthand writer. This 
Grant married the daughter of Homer, the most influential man 
in the Society of Licensed Victuallers, that is the great Homer, as 
the united publicans call him, and the great Homer has made his 
little son-in-law chief editor of The Morning Advertiser. Since the 
Society had it in its power to push the Advertiser into every pub 
and even into most parlours,’ the material foundations for the 
prosperity of the paper were laid. However, it owes its influence to 
the fact that it is not edited, but rather offers a forum where any 
member of the public may join in the discussion. Not admitted to 
the meetings of “respectable” London journalists because it is 
considered inferior, it takes its revenge on the fraternity by 

opening its columns, not only to the general public, but from time 
to time also to important writers who have not sold themselves to 
any party. 

It is but a short step from The Morning Advertiser to beer and the 
latest Beer Acts of Mr. Wilson-Patten. This latest ecclesiastical coup 
d’état has caused much mirth and has proved that Shakespearean 
prototypes, etc., still flourish in the second half of the nineteenth 
century. The serious aspect, though, is the surprise of the masses at 
the presumption of the Church in meddling in an interfering and 
regulating manner in the lives of the citizens. The masses have 
become alienated from the Church to such a degree that its 
attempted encroachments are looked upon merely as _ practical 
jokes* which are rebuffed when they become tedious. Last night at 
Nottingham the ecclesiastical party, unaware of Its position, had 
the effrontery to hold a public meeting during which it proposed 
that Parliament be petitioned for the closing of all public houses, 
not only during the times of day recently laid down by 
Wilson-Patten, but during the whole of Sunday. There was a huge 
audience of workers, and after a stormy session the following 
amendment was proposed by a factory worker, called Halton, and 
passed by a large majority 

“that Parliament be petitioned to close all churches and chapels on Sundays.” 

We are assured that shortly after the opening of Parliament, 
Lord Lyndhurst, in the House of Lords, is going to summarise all 
the points of accusation against the Ministry. Everyone knows that 
during the session of 1853/54 the Marquess of Clanricarde was the 
would-be* leader of the anti-Russian opposition among the Peers. 
Of course, the letters which he and his son, Lord Dunkellin, sent 
to Tsar Nicholas’—on the occasion of Lord Dunkellin’s release 
from Russian imprisonment—make it impossible for him to play 
this role any longer. With reference to Dunkellin’s letter, the 
well-known humorist, Douglas Jerrold, remarks in Lloyd’s Paper: 

According to Lord Dunkellin, “Nicholas is ‘a really great man;’ for this 
tremendous reason—he liberated Lord Dunkellin! ‘Great let me call him, for he 
conquered me!’ Says the giantess of Tom Thumb; but here it is the dwarf that 
glorifies the ogre!” 

of November 10, 1854. The Times, No. 21946, January 9, 1855.— Ed. 

“ Lloyd’s Weekly London Newspaper, No. 634, January 14, 1855.— Ed. 

Anyone who has studied the Blue Books* published in 1841 on 
Turko-Egyptian affairs,” and has gathered from their contents 
what position the Marquess of Clanricarde was accorded when 
British Ambassador at the Court of St. Petersburg, will also have 
realised that the Marquess’ anti-Russian tirades in the House of 
Lords belonged exclusively to the category of opposition which 
every true Whig practises as a matter of principle whenever God 
does not give him an office.