The Express. — London, England, 1853-12-14 00:00:00

ztte ervreols. •1 1 1 S 1 11 11 edltinft i re;;;;;;.„ :" ;0471•711%. OM! follittleP "Uwe*" ls published 1, , 1rj 7unJq sad Friday syet, in tam As pal. adeeeibmebei ,aterled fee" Two /.sprees," Weiss Esesuag paper. oust be at tee 011101, le, Buuserie-itreet, by Tire O . COPP Op lila 111/ HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. Tam D.. —lava,. IL 14m.. Afterassa I L ' 3116 Twomey —llasraing, 11. .... 100. LOYDON. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11. Oun perfect confidence in the principle of unre stiicted compatition,—which is mere extensively and fairly applied to over-sea trade than to most other branches of business, has often induced us to oppose certain lugubrious statements in the Timer, and to uphold the prospects of _ our trade, against the discountenance of Bank I)irectoes, and the apprehensions of those over-careful politicians who are solicitous for the application of the money-screw to impede the general progress. The very latest arrivals from Australia and America juvtify our cheerful anticipations, and convince us more than ever that it is only for protected businesses that there is any cause for apprehension. Monopoly and restriction are the parents of evil, and those for whose benefit they are intended are always the most easily alarmed and the greatest croakers. Free competition necessarily gives vigour and inde pendence. It makes each individual rely on himself and his own resources; it calls into play the facu::ies of the millions; it excites general activity a: the same time that it provides, in the watchfulness and exertion of all, a check on itr.proprieties in every one. As contradistiogniehed from all artificial contriv ances to promote the public welfare, it is the order of nature, and must be eminently,—and in all cases, — successful. We learn accordingly, as we expected, from Mel bourne, " though the market is still overstocked with goods," that the extraordinary power of count:op. aeon bas prevented anything like a decided glut. while symptom. of • firmer feeling are begin ning to appear. Credit and confidence are unshaken' and activity is discernible in every depart. sent of industry and enterprise. Building opera boas are carried on to a surprising extent. The Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway is expected to be opened for traffic in six or eight months. Sheep, which not long ago were boiled down for tallow, are now wo:th 30s. each, adding at once millions to their value ; and the woollen manufacturers at home are warned in time that flocks are no longer kept exclu sively for the fleece. The wool buyers must be prepared for diminished supplies of wool from Australia, and will do well to increase their imports from other places, Though 2,600,000 lbs. more wool have been exported in 1853 than in 1852, such an incesue in conthin ance is not to be at present hoped for. The yield of gold, however, is increasing in Vie toria. and between August 20 and September 17, in clusive, 2138,950 ounces of gold were brought by escort into Melbourne. More art and skill are now employed in getting the gold,—there am more hands engaged in getting it,—and if the numerous statements made of the auri ferous nature of the country be not all false, the produce hereafter must be greater than it has been heretofore. Such an important interest has that of gold-get t ing already become—giving rise in a couple of years to a trade as large u the trade with India or Chins—that it could not submit to the old crippling system of licensee, which would soon have reduced it to a level with the fettered and impoverished mining of Germany. The Governor of Victoria therefore wisely proposes to abolish the license fee. Properly is it said that this proceeding will render it impossible to maintain the license fee in New South Wales. As gold-digging is set free from political thraldom there is no doubt but it will be prosecuted with greater vigour, become more productive, and the gold mining interest, with an its connected traffic and subordinate trade, will become one of the greatest interests of both hemispheres. Gold is universally in demand. The produce is not half enough for the wants of the world : there are millions of human beings who are never gladdened by the shining ore and its consequences; and we ought in no manner to fetter the industry employed in procuring gold. A license fee is a tax, not oa what a man has obtained. but on his industry before he has gained anything, and, as he may lose by the venture, the state may tax poverty and misfortune instead of drawing its revenues from wealth and success. It is not a tax on the pro duce of labour : it is an extortion from a labourer that be may have permission to toil. Under the old monarchies of Europe the claim of the Crown to all the precious metals was a mere usurpation, but under the modern representative system the claim is absurd as well as • usurpation. To assert for the public of England • right of pro perty in the gold of Australia—nominally to assert such a right for the citizens of London and Liver pool, and the squires of Northampton and Kent, but practically and in effect to assert it for the benefit of the Colonial-office and its hangers-on, who would have all the advantages,—is to overturn the only safe bases of property—the industry which wins the gold—and rest it on legislation which—we need not now be told—may be revolutionary caprice. It the usurpa tion and its consequences have unfortunately been set aside by the violence of the miners and the weak ness of the Colonial G overoment, the result, which is to be deplored, is the consequence of the original wrong urged by writers in the 71nie and other journals ignorant of all sound general principles, and taking no notice of every-day facts. The Governors of the Colonies assumed the power claimed by the POPE and the Kings of Europe, which they could not effectually exercise. We doubt, even, if the fleets of England could enable them to exercise it. We are sure, if they could, it would only be exercised to the public injury ; and that Mr. LATROBE has been compelled to withdraw the license fees is the necessary result of those fete having been originally established in old error and in old wrong. %%'hatever the system of Europe might sanction or permit, it must not be forgotten that on the shores of the Pacific, and with respect to getting gold, new principles as well as new' places have come prominently under our notice. We are there placed in close competition with California, and we cannot with safety, or honour, there evoke a similar contrast to our disadvantage to that which prevails on the shores of the Atlantic between Nova Scotia and Maine or between Canada and the State of New York. The two systems of England with 'dependent Colonies and of America with free Federal States are again brought intojuxta position, and the one which is more free, and displays the nearest approximation to justice, will be most suc cessful. In dealing with our Australian Colonies, in authorising Government to make laws for them, and in supporting their authority by our power, we must never lose sight of the fact that their instito- Cons and their progress will be always compared to the institutions and progress of California. On the same day that the arrival of the Victoria i., announced with, including what the passengers carry, upwards of 200,000 ounces of gold, or about G 40,0001., we are informed of 3,770,000 dollars of gold, or about b 00,0001., heels' been seat from Cali- THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 14, 1853. f,rnia to the States on the Atlantic. Since the gold :n the former was discovered, the latter have re ceived, exclusive of the late arrivals, 203,886,025 dollars, or more than 45,000;000:. Rapidly as society in our colonies of Australia btu grown, especially since the discoveries of gold, society is , . Ci.iifornia has grown more rapidly, and San Francisco • surpasses even Melbourne. Numerous churches, large 1 theatres, great hotels, and several miles of streets exist in the former. An electric telegraph there connects it with Marysville, passing through San Jose, Stockton, and Sacramento. " The whole length of the line is 206 miles, and it was put up in 75 days." The people there do not content themselves with • railway of a dozen or twenty miles. "The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Conven t tion " proposes, and is likely to execute, a plan for constructing a line from ocean to ocean. They are forming a company to run steamers between San 1 Francisco, the Sandwich Islands, and China. Already they have lines of packets to Oregon, on the north, l and Valparaiso, on the south. In the harbour of San Francisco, according to the Shipping List of the Alto California, of Nov. 1, there were 103 vessels lying, bearing fifteen different flags; and between October the fourteenth and November the first, 83 vessels arrived—viz., from domestic Atlantic ports, 15; Europe, 3 ; China, 5 ; foreign Pacific ports, 2; whaling voyage, 1; domestic Pacific ports, 59: total, 85. In fourteen days 74 vessels departed. So that San Francisco is already on the way to be a worthy rival of Liverpool or New York. After giving a very flourishing account of the mining districts, the produce of which is rapidly increasing, the Alta California, from which we bor row these details, states what will show us how dan gerous it is for England to be supine or negligent, or to act on an erroneous system in such a neighbour hood :—" A number of miners have returned from Australia, and all agree that it does not equal Cali fornia for the richness of its placers, and is far infe rior of the enjoyment of those popular rights which are dearer to the American than gold. The emigra tion from here has ceased entirely." That Victoria may, in this great race, not be distanced by Califor nia, she must, like California, be free. If the Ame ricans can rejoice in their institutions, we must make those of our colonies worthy of being rejoiced in. Once patriotism consisted mainly in injuring or in conquering other countries; now it must animate us to be successful in the march of improvement; to equal our neighbours in skill and enterprise, and to exceed them, if possible, in freedom. We must not be left behind by the Americans; Victoria must, for our honour, prosper equally with California ; and Melbourne must grow like Ban Francisco. We learn by the same arrivals that Adelaide is thriving as well as Victoria, and that New South Wales is not behind. It is worth notice, that seamen from Melbourne get from 101. to 12!. per month as wages, or tour times as much as they get in Europe ; that a married couple of labourers, with no family, get from 701. to 1001. a year ; and that shepherds get from 351. to 401. So in San Francisco wages are high, 73 dollars per month, or say 161., and as both places still offer large inducements to the less well paid population of Europe, and of the Eastern States, to go thither, that circumstance ought to influence employers elsewhere. Renewed temptations to emigrate will arise with the ensuing spring, and with the continued and increasing prosperity of these new countries. Europe, great and glorious hitherto, can only retain her post in the front of civilisation by removing old °battle; lions to industry and enterprise, discountenancing old usurpations, and approximating the rewards of labour to its rewards in the New World. San Francisco, like Melbourne, has been rather overdone by commodities sent from the Atlantic States and from Europe. The commercial accounts are not equal to expectation., and though mining is flourishing, though the lumber trade is flourishing, though agriculture and shipping are flourishing, the commodities produced and the demands of the people are net quite equal to the com modities poured in on them. Nevertheless though trade in the Atlantic States, like trade here, has latterly had difficulties to contend with, it is per fectly sound. There have been no failures amongst the traders. There is a growing ease in the money market—say the last accounts ; the banks have been discounting more freely, and all the difficulties that threatened trade there, as they threatened it here, have turned out to be little more than the idle fear of protectionists and monopolists. The great arrivals of gold in both countries will give additional stimulus to exertion and additional means of enter- P rise ' _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Trade, instead of hanging down its had ashamed, — shrinking under the reproaches of an arrogant journal, —and industry, instead of dreading the scowls of pert politicians, malting now may bound, And drink from all the living riUs that gush on freedom's ground. On both sides of the Pacific, as well as in Europe and in the Atlantic States, freedom is exciting exertion and mewing it a great reward. If there be yet amongst us any who, from apathy or ignorance, would still hobble along on the crutches of protec tion and monopoly,—even should they save the sup. ports which lame them,—will linger far behind Free. traders, and be in truth mere spectacles of pity and contempt. LATEST FROM ABROAD. RUSSIA AND TURKEY. (BY 6UBBABINE TELEORAPH.) Advicee of the 3rd inst., from Constantinople, were retie 'j 7' —day at Vienna, If/Lich state that news of the affair at Sinope had reached the former city. Steamers had been ordered to proceed to the scene of action for the purpose of obtaining accu rate information respecting the occurrence, and it was believed that on their return the combined fleets would be ordered to enter the Black Sea. THE PROPOSITIONS OF THE POWERS. BERLIN, Dec. 10. The Prussian Correspondence, in • semi-ofci•l article, says : " The basis of the new project of mediation (that which is put forward by the Four Powers) is the maintenance of the previously existing treaties be tween Russia and Turkey. The Vienna protocol pronounces in favour of the integrity of the Ottoman empire, but at the same time also in favour of the maintenance of the treaties of Kutschnk Kainardji and of Adrianople." Moreover, proceeds the same authority, the proposals for peace which Turkey is invited to make may be modified by further negotia tions should they not obtain the anent of Russia. "The negotiations relative to the treaty of peace will take place directly between the plenipoten tiaries of the belligerent powers, and the participa tion of European diplomacy will be limited to softening down the opposition of litigious pretensions by its conciliatory intervention. It is evident," says the semi-official writer, "that in acting thus the Four Powers have no intea ' lion of meddling in the difference itself, as indeed they have no right to do. Such conduct would be improper towards the Turkish government engaged in defending the sovereign rights, which it deems menaced, by all means in its power; it would be completely absurd towards the Russian empire, the dignity and position of which as a state, represented by a distinguished sovereign, and the patriotism of a powerful nation, form an essential basis of European equilibrium and social order." SPAIN. ... 11. -.- A NEW CRISIS IN SPAIN. The Sartorial; cabinet has been beaten in the Senate on the railway question, the first battle field selected by the opposition on the meeting of the Cortes. From the beginning it was known that the contest would be conducted in the bitterest spirit of opposition, and the government organs only ventured to predict a small majority for ministers. The division list, how ever, shows that they have been defeated most sig nally, the votes being 105 to 69. The policy of the opposition was to assert for itself—that is, for the Senate, in which it believed that it had a majority— the prerogative of initiating an important legislative act, and so expose the impotence of the cabinet, thus despoiled, to the nation. The results of this ministerial defeat may in the present critical state of Spain prove most eventful. Cabinet after cabinet has now for several years been condemned by the representatives of the nation, and has regularly attempted to govern without the Cortes, supporting itself meanwhile by court intrigue. These is good reason for believing that this expedient will last no longer. The Queen's absolutist rivals, encouraged by what they mistake for the reviving prospects of legitimacy, renew their in trigues, and are ready at the first favourable moment to light the torch of civil war. Under these circum stances it is satisfactory to be assured from Madrid that the friends of constitutional government are alive to the responsibilities of the hour. The meetings of their leaders have been of late more frequent, and their intercourse more confidential. The telegraph informs us that the Spanish cabinet has suspended the sittings of the Cortes by a royal decree. This may either be the first step in the path of the old anti-parliamentary system, or a necessary preliminary to the reconstitution of the government itself. The former, however, is the more probable assumption. A Madrid letter of the ith describes the sitting of that day, when the Premier re plied to the attacks on his cabinet. " The Senate," it is observed, " when the President took the chair, was crowded, owing to the interest excited by the railway affair. The President of the Council, the Count de San Luie, ascended the tribune amidst profound silence. He began by expressing regret at being obliged, on presenting himself for the first time before the Senate, to defend himself against hostile and un founded attacks. The opposition which arose under ' the administration of the Duke of Valencia, had con tinned, he said, under five other ministers, and he thought that it might, without injustice or exag geration, be called a systematic one. What proved this was that without waiting to see what the acts of the present ministry would be, the Senate, in exe cution of a preconceived project of opposition, had attacked the ministry by its report on the railway affair, and by the proposed resolutions on the railway bill presented by the cabinet. In that report there was a haughty, unparliamen tail!, and, he might say, unconstitutional tone, which it was not becoming to display towards the direct and responsible advisers of her Majesty. The concessions of railways had led to the conflict between the ministry and the senate; and yet it was precisely the men who had made the concessions—the Marquis de Miraflores, for example —who now opposed the cabinet. M. /toe de Olano had declared in his speech that there was no middle term between the destruction of the ministry or that of the senate. Now, he would say if the question were placed on that ground, the ministry could not fall, for it was powerfully supported by the grace and confidence of the crown, it had the approbation of the majority of the Chamber of Deputies, and, finally, it had a majority of members of its opinion in the senate itself. It is now post hour," says the letter in conclusion, " and the minister is still speak ing. It is expected that the ministry will have the majority on the question;" an expectation which the event has not justified. THE ATTEMPTS TO CHECK REFORM. " Where are ye ganging ?" was the question put by an inquisitive proprietor of an orchard to a suspi , cions-looking Scot who had just crept under the hedge, and was preparing to make way athongst the , apple,. " Bock again," w the sage rep lam, Whit are you about here ?" is the question put by many a • clever detective to a gentleman in a high state of waistcoat, and chains, and rings, moving through a public assembly with his hand in remarkable proxi ' mity to his neighbour's pocket. " Nothing," answers ' the gentleman, with the most provoking sim ' plicity, exclaiming, at the same time, against • the tyranny of being hurried away from so delightful a meeting, contrary to his inclina tions. " What are these ?" says the policeman to IV. Sykes, withdrawing at the same time a centre bit, a watch-spring saw, and divers other like imple ments, from the capacious pockets of the worthy in velveteen shorts and ankle-jacks. "Tools to get an honest living by," replies the ingenuous Sykes. Every one is amused by these answers. Every one expected them, but no one believes them. Sawney's position, the swell-mobsman's obvious intention and known antecedents, Sykes's centre-bit, are sufficient proof is the eyes of the world of the objects aimed at by the respectable trio. The great point that the three worthies ought to have endeavoured to prove would be, that they really had some other end in view than that of which they were suspected. If Swaney could have proved that his sweetheart was waiting for him undera tree in the orehard,or if theputative well dressed pickpocket could produce a patent of peerage, or if the respectable Mr. Sykes could bring evidence of his being a market gardener, and that the dreaded centre-bit was a well-known garden implement, the world would apologies for its suspicions, and allow the injured individuals to go on their way rejoicing. Just so in cases of political delin quency. In our capacity of political detectives we seized an evening journal, on Monday evenings in a auspicious position. A leading article in that paper appeared to us to be one of a series of attempts which are now being made, and to which we always intend to direct attention, the object of which is to defeat, by hook or by crook, the efforts of those who wish to obtain a real measure of Reform. We made a palpable charge against the paper in question, founded on its own language. The obvious defence of the accused would have bees to explain what it did mean, whereas it contents itself with a sullen point-blank denial of our assertions, and then complains of ungentlemanly treatment. The anti - Reform article commenced by denying that there was any enthusiasm on the subject of Reform. We pointed out that this was precisely the line of argument adopted by the old Tories against the first Reform Bill. The writer then went on to say—" Every fresh step in extending popular fran chise involves fresh questions in what degree and in what direction their enlargement can possibly proceed,: and every such step must bring us nearer the limits—wherever these may be fixed—which cannot be passed with safety." It had said just be fore that " it was the opinion of those who move the masses that while the difficulties and dangers which threaten the progress of political improvement from above—viz., from privileged resistance—are di minished, those from below may have increased." It mentioned universal suffrage—it is difficult to say why, for scarcely any one at the present day strives for universal suffrage—and took occasion to warn statesmen, rather uselessly we should imagine, against the danger of " a sweeping transfer of a pre ponderant constituent power into hands hitherto un tried and hitherto unqualified." Now no ono can read these sentences without tracing in them separately, but still more collectively, a desperate dread of what we persist in calling the only true reform,—a real extension of the suffrage, and a transfer of the fran chid) of any disfranchised towns to large town con stituencies at present unrepresented. Any other measure than this would be a mere Sham, a transfer of political power from the right hand pockets of the landlord to the left, a pause in oar historical progress, and in fast, though perhaps not in appearance, nothing better than a preservation of the electoral privileges at the point where they now stand. The Coalition organ of last night evades the whole of this argument, and denies that there is any discussion as to whether electoral privileges should be preserved at " the point where they stand." This is the sole attempt at a reply to our interpretation of the sus picious sentences. Is this honest ? Again, on Monday, in the article alluded to, our contemporary introduced a remark which it pro fessed to find in a late publication, to the effect that the first use every one makes of power is to procure subsistence. The italics are the Coalition writer's own. He then gives a quotation, from which it is attempted to prove that the only result of granting power to the labouring classes will be that these classes will insist upon being fed. In his remarks upon this quotation (which we examined at full length yesterday), the writer in question goes on to say : " Inour opinion apoli tied truth of first rate importance is here hit upon, and one which, palpable as it might seem, is perhaps the truth most forgotten by popular politicians. That which we may call the physical fact above stated, seems to us at the root of all the public disturbances which have generally followed political changes." If this is not an argument against the extension of the suffrage, what is it ? We accordingly alluded to the physical fact (the Italics are not ours) as the "over whelming theory brought forward against the greater admission of a popular element in the Legis lature." " We have brought forward no such theory, who- I ther overwhelming or otherwise, for any such pur pose," tartly replies the paper in question last night —and thus shuts up the discussion on that point. Is this fair? What follows is worse. The quotation in question, on which we persist in stating our contem porary founds its theory, asserted that Pericles in vented the public works in order to employ the indi gent—that the early Roman rulers did something of the same kind, and that Louis Napoleon follows in their wake. All these great works, it is said, proceeded from the same cause—the necessity of em ploying and salarying a sovereign people. Now the general historical name for a clams of the people who are fed by their rulers is the Proletariat. We used the word Proletariat to describe this class, although the writer we were answering did not. We denied the applicability of this term to the classes who are now fit for the suffrage in England, but who do not pos sess it, end we asked, "supposing it to be the fact that Louis Napoleon's sole object in furthering the completion of the great works in Paris is to keep a few thousand proletaries quiet, what is there in this to serve as a text for the denial of the franchise here to thousands who are not proletaries, who have much better occupation than to need a necessity of the establishment of public works to enable them to earn their bread?" Our contemporary replies, with the same brevity as before, "we have not quoted any statement about ' proletaries,' whether Oreek, or Itoman, or Parisian, to 'serve as a text' upon which ' to found an argu ment' for the denial of the franchise here in Eng- I land to thousands who are not proletariee." We asked before, "Is this fair ?" We ask now, Is this true? It is the impudent "I don't know nothiok at all about it" of the juvenile at the dock. After thus abandoning the whole ground of contro versy, our contemporary attacks our " controversial candour," for mentioning its columns as some times used as a vehicle for ministerial opinions. It does not deny the fact, but begs to tell us that its columns are sometimes also used es a vehicle for its ewn—an assertion which we are glad to hear, and which we have no intention to dispute. CITY CORPORATION CoMMISSION.—The Commis sioners did not meet yesterday, cor hu any day been an nounced by them for resuming the inquiry. Zbe court. OSBORNE, Dsc. 13. The Queen and Prince and the royal children walked out yesterday afternoon. The Duke sad Duehme of Brabant arrived at Ostend at one o'clock this morning after a favourable pump. A deputation of magistrates, on the subject of a Refor matory School for Juvenile Prisoners of the Calmly of Mid dlesex, had an interview with Viscount Palmerston yester day at the Hoare-Aloe. The deputation consisted of Mr. Antrobue, Mr. Se_ijeant Adams, Mr. Formal], Mr. Robin- 90D, Mr. Frame, Mr. Cottrell, Captain OtOrDe BMW, R.N., Major Missy, Mr. Evans, Mr. B. J. Armstrong, Lieut.- ! Colonel Begot, Mr. Brooking, Mr. liernshead, Mr. Wilson, and Mr. Hang Chester. A deputation, consisting of the Mayor of Wallingford, Mr. Dalyell (magistrate), Mr. Field (alderman), Mr. Gella (alderman), Mr. Allnatt, and Dr. Allnatt, had an inter view yesterday with Viscount Palmerston. The deputation was introduced to his lordship by Mr. Moline, M P. Dispatches from the Lord High Commissioner of the lonian Islands, and also from the Governors of the Cape of Good Hope, New South Wales, and West Australia, were received yesterday at the Colonial-oflice. (By sucratc FALMOUTH. TUESDAT.—The magnificent steam ship the Victoria left here on Monday afternoon (on re ceiving electric telegraph despatch), with majwity of passes gen, cargo, and gold, for London, fearlessly encountering strong contrary winds. PORTSMOUTH, TUESDAY NH/HT.—The Duntroon Castle steamer from Jong to Newhaven put in here to night, having encountered a heavy gale and consumed all her fuel. The pusengers have leaded, and will be con veyed per special train to London. FATAL ACCIDENT TO A RAILWAY STOSER.—An inquest was held at Ideribsiter, on Monday, before Mr. Herfor the eor 'nor Tar that ally, on the body of Edmund Taylor, aged 23, a stoker la the employment of the London and North Western Railway Company, who lived at Longsight, and has left a widow and four children. Oa Saturday fortnight, deceased accompanied a luggage train, which stopped at the Handforth station, and at the moment when it got into motion again deceased was walking beside the engine, and pushing some sand on the rails with his foot. As he did so he slipped down, and his bond catching the spokes of the engine wheel, his left arm was carried round by it and tom completely off Before the engine could be stopped he had sustained a fracture of the ribs, and other injuries, which caused his death in the Manchester In firmary on Saturday last. The Joey found • verdict of " Aseidestal iamb." FRANCE. PARIS, TUZSDAY Evaituf o. I deeply regret to state that the friends of Turkey here—and I may add the real friends of England and France—are in very low spirits to-day. I have heard, in quarters not likely to be misinformed, that it is determined to put such an amount of pressure upon the Sultan to force him to consent to an armistice that he will scarcely have any choice but to accede. General Barapay d'Hilliers' brusque military manners are to be brought into play to imposes die , graceful peace upon Turkey. If application should be made for the assistance of the fleets in the Black Sea, I am told distinctly that it will be refused, and every advantage will be taken of the affair of Sinope to intimidate the Porte into submission to the terms offered. It will be represented that if Turkey obsti nately persevere in the war, she will be sure to be beaten. That France and England will stand by and give her no assistance, unless in the event of Russia crossing the Balkans and marching upon Constanti nople. That in this extremity they would still pro tect the Sultan's person and capital, but that they should not then insist upon the evacu ation of the Danubian provinces as a condition of a treaty of peace. When these arguments shall be pressed—as I repeat I seriously fear they will be —with the now doubtfully friendly cannon of our fleets pointing upon the city they were sent as it was thought to aid—it will not be surprising if the English name becomes a bye-word of contempt in Constantinople. The Sit s cle has received a warning for having quoted a paragraph from the Independance Beige, stating that M.M. Berryer and Chaix d'Est Aoge, conceiving that the arrest of M. llubbart, the barrister, was owing to something said by him as counsel while defending one of the Opera Comique" prisoners, had applied for an explanation to the Procureur-General. The warning states that the Siecle had represented the arrest of M. Hubbart as an interference with the freedom of defence usually allowed to prisoners' counsel, whereas in reality that person was arrested under the charge of being affiliated to a sestet society, that in having thus misrepresented an act of ordinary judicial pro ceedings it has tended to excite hatred and contempt against toe public authorities. It is now well understood that the Emperor was ad vised not to attend the inauguration of the Boulevard de Strasbourg on Sunday on account of the newly dis covered conspiracy against his life. The inauguration was not, as has been stated in some journals, post poned. The Emperor, however, paid the' new street an unexpected visit yesterday. In the afternoon he left the Tuileries with the Empress in a carriage-and fonr, attended only by a lady of honour and MM. de Seville and Valbrecque, and proceeded to the Bois de Boulogne. Their Majesties alighted at the Porte Dauphine, and walked u far as the Rood Point de Mortemart. They afterwards re-entered the carriage, and proceeded to the Boulevard de Strasbourg, where the conspirators, if any are yet at large, were cer tainly not looking out for them at that time. At the Bourse to-day the Rents opened with some flatness, owing to Consols coming lower than the price officially reported yesterday. Towards tho close, upon a report (not official) that Consols had recovered, the French securities improved. The Threes opened at 75fr. 90c., fell to 75fr. 65c., and closed 75fr. 65c., with a fall of 10c. only. All the railways, however, fell, and some considerably. St. Germain, 20 fr. ; Orleans, 16fr. 26c. ; Northern, 10fr., Lyons, 10fr. Don Miguel Bonds were in consider able demand at 7, the highest price they have yet touched since the Queen of Portugal's death. In consequence of the dearness of provisions the principal butchers of Bordeaux have proposed to dis continue the Christmas boxes usually given to the servants of their customers. Should the whole trade agree to the proposal, and it is thought they will, a sum of 30,000 fr. (the average amount of the above Christmas boxes) will be paid by the butchers to the municipal fund tor the relief of the poor. The Council of State has rejected Madame de Solms' appeal against the order of the Minister of Police requiring her to leave France, and has decided that her husband having repeatedly declared himself to be a foreigner, and affirmed that he had no intention of accomplishing the formalities necessary to establish his right to be considered a French subject, Madame de Solms cannot claim the benefit of the article of the Code Napoleon, which enacts that a foreign woman marrying a Frenchman is entitled to the rights of a Frenchwoman. This decision was come to although M. de Solma had been set down in the recruiting lists for the army, and had voted as a French citizen for his wife's kinsman Louis Napoleon in 1818. RUSSIA AND TURKEY. ' The tendency of the news which reached London yesterday is yet further to diminish the importance of the affair of the 30th ult. at Sinope, considered as a naval advantage for Russia. Despatches from Vienna have reached Paris, stating that four of the lair Russian vessels engaged in that encounter are so crippled that it will be many months before they can again show themselves in action. Another despatch has been published, according to which the Russians lost in the affair of Sinope two ships of the line, three frigates, and two steamboats. It is added that their force consisted of 12 frigate., a brig, and five steamboats, besides the six ships of the line mentioned in the Moniteur. But if the naval importance of this affair is dimi nished, its political consequences are beginning to be more earnestly appreciated. Taken in connexion with the passage of the Ottoman frontier at Bajazid, the attack on the Turkish ships at Sinope destroys at once the Czar's pretensions to a defensive attitude, and presents him in the light of a relentless and aggressive enemy. The difficulty of the situation is thus aggravated for all parties, and perhaps most of all for the two governments whose representatives have it at this moment in charge to convince the Turkish government of the pacific and moderate dis positions of the Czar.. _ _ _ The Bourees of Paris and London are seen to fall, as the apprehension gains ground that the naval forces of Fiance and England cannot lie inactive in the Bosphorus while the fleet of our ally is being destroyed piecemeal, and his maritime frontier is blockaded. It is, indeed, urged in some quarters that the affair at Ship will facilitate a settlement of the quarrel, because it offers a moral satisfaction to the amour propre of the Russians, and is a compensation for their reverses in Asia and on the banks of the Danube. But this character cannot be attri buted to it if it is considered that the dis parity between the forces engaged is so great as to leave the honour of the day rather with the re sisting and obstinate Commander of the small Turkish sub-division than with his bulky assailant. For the rest, it is but too evident that this agreasive measure of the Russian Commander will embitter and aggra vate the quarrel which has already so deeply tn grossed the sympathies and interests of Europe. A letter from Constantinople of the 28th ult. an nounces that the two corps of Batoun and Anatolia were advancing on the Russian territory, and were to unite at Tiflis. The majority of the inhabitants of Georgia had declared in favour of the Turks. The Turkish division of Bajazid entered the Russian ter ritory in the province of Erivan on the 27th October. The Russian advanced guard having been attacked by 3,000 Bashi-Bozouks who preceded the Turkish division, were completely routed, and the Turks continued their march to Erivan. Abdi Pacha entered the Russian territory in Georgia on the 10th November, with the greater portion of his army. The Petersburg correspondent of the Hamburg Nuchrichten writes: Russia still wishes to avoid a general conflagration, and will not by any untimely preparations invoke an European war, although (and this I can inform you on the most trust worthy authority) the RUSFiall cabinet has not for a long time past thought an instant of abating any of the demands it has made on Turkey, as far as we know here all at tempts to bring Central Europe into a less favourable atti tude towards Russia Lave hitherto been fruitless ; but even if they succeeded, the veil first to be sacri fi ce in a general war would be Turkey. This is a conviction which well-informed persons here entertain unshakeably. In consequence of the declaration of this court, all propositions for peace and accommodation of the points at issue must proceed direct from Turkey ; invitations to this effeet have been forwarded from Vienna to Constantinople. The correspondent concludes with the remark— " Under these circumstances we may as well look on the Principalities, for the present at least, as a Russian conquest." Many contradictory statements are in circulation respecting the character of the arrangement of the Eastern difficulty, which the English and French governments are striving to bring about. Perhaps themost explicit ratification of the very offensive amigo made against the British cabinet on this sub ject is furnished in the following p assage f rom th e Paris letter of a ministerial journal :—" It appears certain that the basis of the treaty must be the note of Vienna. All the letters from Vienna agree in stating that the Austrian cabinet has joined the con ference on that condition. The Emperor of Russia does not demand more now than he did three months ago, but he will take nothing less; and by the arrangement that has been come to with Austria, all idea of assisting the Turks in annulling the trea ties with Russia, which existed before the present war, is abandoned. The Turks will, therefore, have pined nothing by their resistance--they will have impoverished their finances, have lost a portion of their navy, have sacrificed lives for conquest in Asia, which they must surren d er , and the Emperor of Russia will be very magnanimous if he does not, under the influence of the protecting Powers, compel them to pay largely for the inconvenience to which he hu been put by their obstinacy." The Dresden Journal, under date of Vienna, Gth, says : " It is stated that Austria and Prussia only gave their assent to the new note relative to the Turco-Russian differences, on England and France giving a formal engagement to insist with enemy through their ambsesadors on the acceptance of it by the Divan independently of the collective de cLratiln. It is hoped that the note will be accepted by the Sublime Porte. On the other hand, Austria has preserved a favourable ground at St. Peters burg. It is therefore thought that if the Ottoman Porte accepts the new project, there will be no fresh difficulties to overcome at St. l'eteraburg. The im mediate result will be an armistice and a direct negotiation between Rusin and Turkey." The Patrie says, private letters from Athens speak of the determination of King Otho to resist energetically and loyally the fanaticism of certain provinces of Epirus and Meanly, and to maintain e his neutrality and good understanding h), Ottoman Porte. According to the Breslau aa:elte, on the 26th a major in the Russian army was killed by a ca nnon ball in the neighbourhood of Giurgevo. The Debate, in giving a summary of its corres, pondence from Constantinople of the 28th, says : It appears that the English ambassador, Lord Stratford de ltedcliffe, after having presented, as we have already said, the last !note proposed for the signature of the Sultan by the cabinet of London, still would not consider himself beaten, notwithstanding the unanimous reprobation which this note met with in the Divan. In seeing him persist in this way even after the arrival of proposals from Vienna, people I°ltualied,s°Th e en extr t a i s l i a r t din;: e y n i a l o u tive ne fo e r in hs c d o o n ndr. t is subject an autograph letter from Queen Victoria, recommending him most urgently, and in terms very flattering for his amour-propre, to do evehing in his power to obtain the assent at the Minn.D Our last letters spoke of this fact to us, but in terms too vague for us to feel justified in repeating them. They now return to the charge in a so positive that we cannot heip mentioning the matter, at least as a report current in Constantinople. Another version attributer Lord Strat ford's conduct to less solemn motives. It is insinuated that, finding all Europe ready to come to an understanding to make peace, the English ambassador is anxious for the honour of making it all by himself. However this may be, Lord de Radcliffe now uses the most pacific language, and ou the very day when he presented the officers of the fleet to the Sultan, he employed, it is said, in a private audience, much warmth and eloquence to urge the Sultan to adopt a conciliatory course. " According to the last news from Trebizond," says the Os!. Deutsche Post, " three or four Turkish frigates have succeeded in landing arms, ammuni tion, and stores on the coast of Circassia, not far from Gelendjick. The arms and other articles so landed were immediately taken off by the Circassians. The Tschau tribe, on the frontier of Persia, which was always in a state of rebellion, has offered troops to the Porte against Russia. From Damascus, it is stated that Mohammed-Effendi, head of a convent, has collected at Destan and Irak a corps of 12,000 volunteers, to be at the disposal of the Porte, without an 7 expense being incurred by the Turkish treasury." the same journal has the following from Jassy, dated the 28th alt.:—" Constantin ltutkowitza, for merly aide-de-camp to Prince Stirbey, was taken prisoner to Russia on the 25th for having kept up a correspondence with Omer Pacha." The Press of Vienna states that a conflict has taken place at Braila (date not given) between the Russian troops and the Wallachians—a Wallachian battalion having refused to obey a Russian General. The affair, however, it adds, was subsequently arranged, but four companies were sent to another place. The Lloyd of Vienna of the 9th, says : According to accounts from Bailie, some agitation was for • few days before perceptible amongst the inhabitants. The Bosuisns now demand with energy that the Turks should pay the taxes, seeing that the r a jah s h ave b orne the burden of them fora length of time unassisted. The appeal made to volunteers had not produced a great enthusium. The government has decreed a levy Cu masse, and it is said that the troops so raised, to the number of 15.000, are to take up a position on the frontier of Servia. The Austrian Ministers of Finance, War, Foreign Affairs, sad Commerce have interdicted the exportation of arms and ammunition to Bosnia. The ►tanderer of Vienna of the 9th says:—" By order of the Emperor of Russia, General-in-Chief Prince Gortschakoff has declared the ports of Galatz and Braila neutral for exportation and importation. The Turks are still at Kalafat, and the Russians at Krajowa. The Russians have never had a camp near Krajowa." A correspondent of the Indtpendance Budge, writing from Vienna on the 9th, says: I learn, although the fact has been called in question, that the note lately addressed to Turkey by the Four Powers is really a collective note ; and I will even add from a cer tain seutc.e, that the new project of mediation has for its basis the very note which was framed by the Austrian government after the conference of Olmute, and not, as has been pretended, the project of Lord de Itedcliffe, presented by him towards the end of October. BELGIUM. BRUSSELS, MONDAY. The Belgian government has at last abandoned all hope of being able to renew, or even prolong, the commercial treaty between this kingdom and the Zollverein—a treaty which expires at the end of this month, and which not a little favoured the coal and iron of the former. A general movement is now being made in the large manufacturing towns of Bel gium, particularly in Verviers, for the abolition, or at all events the reduction, of the duty on cast-iron, and in some places for the tree admission of coal. The Belgian government is not indisposed to accede to a reduction of duty on both. We have intelligence from Bucharest up to the 7th inst. All was quiet at that date, but Russian troops were still advancing towards Kalafat. There is a good prospect of the Porte being able to raise at least 1 1 10 , 000 troops in Bosnia. CRUEL TREATMENT OF TIIE EX-MINISTER POERIO IN PRISON. Our correspondent writes : NAPLES, DEC. 4. I am sorry to inform you that Baron Poerio, who has now worn the chains of galley slave for more than four years, is subject to fresh severities, which, if continued, will ere long remove him from the troubles of this world. Hitherto the police authori• ties have permitted the ex-minister to spend ten ducats (21.) per month for such necessaries as his state of health demands. Orders have now been issued that henceforth he will be permitted to receive from his family only one earlino (fourpence) per day. Now the prison in which this victim of the Nea politan constitution is confined, at Montefusco, is eo exposed, that without fire the prisoners would perish of cold, and the 4d. per day will scarcely pay for wood ; independent of which M. Poerio is in such a wretched state of health as to require many comforts; such as are accorded to the very worst criminal are refused to the late friend and adviser of his Sicilian Majesty. It may be said the King knows nothing of this new cruelty practised towards Poerio, bat on the other hand it is rather remarkable that so important a person should be thus condemned to death by the inferior police. The time may come when these inhuman acts will weigh with a govern ment and people which may be called upon to support the thrones of the Bourbons. At present we have no influence sufficiently strong to induce the Neapo litan government to renounce a policy and abstain from acts which are degrading monarchy and offend ing the laws of Ood and man. Several more arrests have taken place in Naples, owing to some verses (in everybody's mouth) said to have been posted up in the street. The rhymes say : Tho' Naples be so fair and good, We've naught but Indian corn for food. Were Masanier, alas! not dead, Why we should feel no lack of bread. If things go on till then as now, By Christmas time we'll have a row. The French are coming —God be praised— And price of bread will not be raised. There can be no doubt of the existing poverty and high price of food, with a decrease of commerce, which falls heavily on the poorer classes. The Neapolitan Board of Health has this day im posed a quarantine on all vessels coming from Mar seilles. Ten days is the period fixed, and several travellers are already in the lazzaretto. M. Maupas, the French minister, has protested against these pro ceedings, and maintains such acts ought to be pro mulgated before vessels come into port, and not on their immediate arrival. EAST GLOUCESTERSHIRE ELECTION.—A public meeting of the electors was held at Gloucester on Monday evening, to hear an exposition of the political sentiments of Mr. Edward llolland, one of the candidates for the repre sentation of East Gloucestershire. The room was crowded to overflowing. Ile avowed himself u generally a trupporter of the present ministry. He considered their efforts were directed in the right direction, and ha was glad to hear from Lord John Russell that he had found the day had arrived when the increased industry and intelligence of the nation required that there should be an addition of the labouring classes to the franchise. The Reform Hill had now lasted more than 20 years, and owing to the opposition against which it had struggled, it was not free from blot and blemishes, which it would be for the new Reform Bill to remove. In these 20 years the wealth, the respectability, the intelligence, and the education of the country had increased. Ile denied that such 'dorms as were contemplated were of a revolutionary nature, and denied also that he was in favour of uni 1 suffrage, as had been alleged. Ile was for • gradual progress—for stepping into power, and not striding into it. They were as yet ignorant of the exact nature of the new Reform Bill, but he believed it would admit into the franchise mane who were now full worthy of enjoying political pow* e, —Mr. W. P. Price, M.P., afterwards addressed the w.eet ing, and moved a vote of thanks to Mr. Holland for s.atead ing, which was seconded by Mr. Sturge and catti",:d. The meeting then broke up. A REAL SCOTTISH aItIZvANCE,--1,01 4 d Aberdeen. —Punch. Our materii all du more, moved the im foreigi be rep will b will be duties. The a very ing or trade, maoufi improv talon. trade 1 as we they the ( now, The reality not lil York i hu 01 of the the tri only a public Of 115 Ration 50 pet 25 Mike is, I They retail, local I would the " ita nee them went said : ... 0 dents .. 0 wife i 41 N want youl Swan there' " C one p So, at ___ WI and tactic rar, Nap at t 1 throe forw for I extol repw whic tette.