The Express. — London, England, 1848-04-14 00:00:00

PI OM gentleman us Ireland who was not prepared th p ay even more to 'hoes meritorious persons than ow' aswreesived. What was proposed for the house to con "-"'" ersa, whether the abolition of this most obnoxious tax * mid not be effected in a manner consistent with the prin ogee of the hon. ms on the other side of the house. igriusindttnOnt the sand n the possemion of the ecelesiasti mt and that was amply sufficient for the purr and that fund might not only be employed inp a ying the church ems, a tax which was not so obnoxious sa nunue we' romey, but also in reducing the latter impoat. The ;;liestion of the fund to pay church a ss was deemed no i."%aisst of church property; and could it be pre „,,t.d that mthe inisters church ems ' money ? was He was less an ecelesisati- 01 tat t as he had satioied there were sufficient fuilds in the bads of pa i d commissioners for instance, there . 0 1,1 be o them the sum of 10,6601. a rat after the death of the Bishop of Clugher. The Church Temporalities act required amendment. Was the house aware that the Eno of mauy of the bishops in Ireland exceeded those of English bishops ? The incomes of English bishops were re amed to an amount net exceeding 0,0001. Whilst the ra teltsof the Biehop of Armagh, which was 16,0001. before Church Temporalities Act passed, was at present 12,0001. ender that act. The Bishop of Deny, who gave up 4,0001. year by stipulation to tte eceleviastical commissioners, was in the receipt of an income of 8,0001., which was secured es him and his successors. He would not take one shilling *GO that most excellent and meritorious bishop. But at the same time he could not lose sight of the fact that the revenues of the Irish bishops were greater than those of the English bishops; and ought they to remain in that state The parliament of James 11. seized the whole of the pro testant church revenues and applied them to the purposes of the Remise catholic church, but that same parliament 'holland, by a specific act, the impost of ministers' money. With respect to the protestant church of Ireland, he must m g, generally, that unless the two ecclesiastical establish ments in Ireland were dealt fairly and equally by, it would tos in vain to look fur satisfaction or to hope that the bitter asm of feeling now existing would subside. Mr. D. CALLAGHAN . complained of the exactions of the parties who collected the ministers' money, in enforcing payment from the poor. He considered it a bad tax alto- gether, and would abolish it at once, even during the lives of the present incumbents, trusting to the fairness of the egisliture to find some other means of payment. The tax was a badge of slavery, imposed on a catholic people, for the benefit et the minions of the church of England. When it ,u laid on the government had other means of making the provision, but they did not choose to do so. Mr. OROGAN said, it was evident the real question was, sot the burden itself, but the fact of its being paid by Roman catholic' to the protestant church. The plan proposed by the' right hon. gentleman opposite (Mr. Shell) would be a clear alienation of the property of the church. Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL defended the proposition of Mr. Shed, and said that it would be to more an alienation of thumb property than was the act of Lord Stanley passed in 102 for abolishing vestry eels. This tax was a grievance, set only in principle but in the way in which it was levied, wig chiefly in towns where the bulk of the inhabitants vas Roman catholica. The continuance of this tax would comer being about the destruction of the protestant church than anything else. (Hear.) Mr. J. O'CONNELL said the people of Ireland would lever be content until all compulsory payments to the pro testant church were abolished. Mr. FAGAN replied, and the house then divided : For the motion 73 Against it Mr. G. A. Ilauturon's amendment, as altered by Sir If. Somerville, was then put sod agreed to. LYME REGIS ELECTION. Mr. HUME rose to call the attention of the house to the special report of the Lyme Regis election committee, charging Hr. Attwood with brib ry, and to submit to the house that the Attorney. General be directed to prosecute Mr. Attwood. He said he rose in compliance with the sentiments expressed in a petition which the electors of Lyme Regis had presented to that house praying for inquiry. The duty he hid to perform ism very clear. The 49th George 111. provided that any such conduct as had taken place at the late elecnon for the borough of Lyme Regis should be visited with penalties to the amount of 10001. for each offnee. There was also a standing order of that house, which ordained that all parties engaged in corrupt practices, as related to elections, should be punished in the severest manner. The hon. member cited as precedents hr the course he was taking the cues of Mr. Scott, elected kr Penne, and of Sir Manasseh Lopez. Neither of these MO he said were equal to the corruption which had been mortised in the borough of Lyme Regis at the late election. trends of 100,0001. was expended in the purchase of houses, the occupants of which were bound to vote, not sorely for Mr. Attwood, but for any person he might :mina, and appoint. Under these circumstances, he had considered it necessary to submit to the house the motion which he had placed on the paper. Hr. BAN EX:3 contended that the eases of Mr. Scott and Sir M. Lopez were not in point, inasmuch as they themselves had been unseated for bribery, arid were prosecuted for natters relative to their own el, ctions. In the case of Lyme Regis, Mr. Attwood had, at most, only a collateral interest. lie thought that at that late hour a proposition of so much importance should not be proceeded with, the more especially she believed that not a single member of the Lyme Regis committee was present. He put it to the hon. member, whether the better course would not be to postpone the dia conal. Mr. HUME said that if any single member thought he should be acting unfairly in persisting, he would consent to withdraw the motion. Sir G. GREY approved of the withdrawal of the motion, which was accordingly withdrawn. RECOVERY OF SMALL DEBTS. Mr. B. COCHRANE moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend the law relating to the recovery of small debts in England. He said he should net have brought forward his notion at that late hour, were it not for the injustice which the law in its present form had entailed on the community. A ret-eat case, which would be fresh in the recollection of the house, would he trusted be sufficient for his justification. He was induced to propose this alteration in the law in con. ate , nee of the treatment of Mr. Follett, whose case was lately detailed in the Daily News. The first clause of this WI provided that no person should be committed for debt to other than the debtors' side of the gaol; and the second to bait the fees to 21. instead of 51., and the confinement, in default of payment, to 7 days. Sir G. GREY said that, as the bill only went to an amendment of the law, be should not object to its introduc tion; but the repeal of that law he should have most deci dedly opposed, as it had conferred great benefit on the pub lic. Re was not sure that, in the ease of Mr. Follett, the levjaatified his treatment. Ir it did, it was of course neces any that it should be altered. Mr. BANKES thought his hon. friend deserved the nab of the house for bringing forward this bill, and he skald have his support in pressing it through its future After a few words from Captain Pechell, Mr. Henley, mi Sir 0. Grey (who "aid that Mr. Follett had made no tlication to him on the subject of his treatment, and he therefore, made no inquiry into the matter), leave was inn to bring in the bill. Ile house then adjouraed, at a quarter past 12 o'clock. Vie )IfEfigi• MAILS, He mails for British North America, and the llnfied UMW', %I be mac up on the evening of the 15th ApriL She West India Mails, excluding Bermuda, Nassau, Havana', Iladuras, New Orleans, Vera Cruz, Tampico, and Porto Rico, and marling those for Madeira. Jacmel, Carthagena, Santa Martha, Nee', POMIIIII4 West Coat of South America, and St. Juan-de- Incsgue, will be made up on the evening 01 the 17th April. The nails for Vigo, Oporto Lisbon, Madeira, Cohn, and Gibraltar •L be nude up on the morning of the 17th April. He overland mails for Gibraltar, Malta, Greece, the lonian Islands, 1 413 t, Aden, Ceylon, India, liong•Kong, and China, sin Bout/tams. nt, will be made up on the morning of the 20th ApriL The overland closed mails, rio 51arseilLes, to the Mediterranean, MM. Aden, Ceylon, India, Ilong-Kong, &c., will be made up on the ming of the 24th April. He moils for New South Wale., Van Dietl3o.ll', Land, and New %had will be made up on the evening of the 30th April. The mule for the Wert Coast of Africa and Madeira will be made Oa the evening of the 30th April. He mails for the Brazils, the River PL,te, Monte Video, Peream. Sax. Bahia, Madeira, and Buenos Ayres, will be made up on the Ming of the 4th May. NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS. The number of STAMPS issued by the authorities of the Sarep•office, during 1847, to the DAILY NEWS was 3,447,009 This, we believe, is within eight per cent. of the number itir4 to the Morning Herald, Morning Chronick, and if Pat, Post, ALL PUT TJOETI I BkI. Ins dition to the above, issued to the DAILY NEWS, Yarning Paper, there were issued for the Evening Edition, THE EXPRESS 778,714 Which was more, we believe, than were issued either to the Globe or Standard, Evening Papers. TO CORRESPONDENTS. banded to.. The E1y,.5," London malag /Ye , . Boverle-atnat, 0, Two o'clock os the 41 gi 1110li WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. '1:/: ... 1): . 1:11orolutlada past MUM., g: LONDON, FR IDAI', APRIL 14. is the HOUSE of Loans yesterday the royal as sent was given by commission to the Property Tax, 11 .* Stamp Duties Assimilation, and the Administra tion of Oaths (Court of Chancery), Bills.—Lord CUPIALL laid on the table two bills, for amending the law of marriage in Scotland, and for the registra nt! of births, deaths, and marriages in that country, Eckwere read a fire time.—The Mutiny and Ma nse Mutiny hills passed through committee.—Lord ittotsuitk, after hating referred to an article !kith had appeared in the newspaper called Tablet, of Saturday week last, desired t° know, whether an application had been !bade by th e J esu i ts to come i nto t hi s country. The lerilius of LANSDOWNE said it was true that the 'Mita were required by law when they came to this °until to apply for licensee, but since the passing of the Emancipation Act, in no one instance had any such license been applied for. The government had no official knowledge of any each persons coming into the country, and could give no further information on the matter, but he would attend to it. Lord BEAU MONT did not believe the Tablet was in any way con nected with the Jesuits, but was the pro perty of an individual who had been a quaker, and was now a catholic. The Jesuits had now no refuge in any other part of Europe, and they seemed to have hope in being allowed British hospitality, which, he trusted, if they did no overt act to excite the disapprobation of the government, they might be permitted to enjoy.—The question of the second reading of the Removal of Aliens Bill gave rise to a somewhat protracted diecussion, not only on the principle of the measure, but with referenee to the past and present state of affairs on the continent, in which the Marquis of LANSDOWNE, Lords ELLEN BOROUGH, GREY, BEAUMONT, BROUGHAM, GRAN VILLE, STANLEY, DENMAN, MALMEBBURY, REDEs- DALE, the Duke of RICHMOND, and the Marquis of CLANRICARDE took part, at the termination of which the bill was read a second time, with notice of passing it through its remaining stages on Monday next. _ _ In the House of COMMONS Sir W. SOMERVILLE, in reply to Mr. I. O'CONNELL, relative to Colonel BROWNE, and the "pike" case in Dublin, read a passage from a letter of the LORD LIEUTENANT'S to Dr. GILAY, stating that he could not too strongly express his abhorrence of the conduct of any man who should seek to entrap others into the commission of crime with a view to delivering them into the hands of justiee.—Mr. TIIORNELY, as chairman of the committee on public petitions, presented a special report from the committee, on the subject of the Chartist Petition, which was read by the clerk at the table, from which it appeared that the number of sig natures attached to it, instead of being 5,706,000 as stated by Mr. F. O'CONNOR, was only 1,975,496; that many of the consecutive sheets were all in the same handwriting, and names attached of distinguished individuals, who could not be supposed to concur in its prayer. There were also a variety of names alto gether fictitious, and other words and phrases which, though written in the form of signatures, and included in the number reported, the committee would not hazard offending the house, and the dig , pity and decency of their own proceedings, by report ing, though it might be added that they were signa -1 tures belonging to no human being. Mr. F. O'Coveoa ' amidst some interruption, said he should certainly move for a committee to investigate the matter; and if the house still doubted that the peti- Lien had received the signatures of five million per. sons, he would undertake in a very short time to produce them a petition signed by double or treble the number.—Mr. THORNELY de fended the accuracy of the examination made by the persons employed for that purpose, and, with re ference to a previous statement of the hon. member for Nottingham, that the petition weighed 5 tons, its weight was only 51 cwt. After some observations from Lord J. RUSSELL, the Earl of ARUNDEL and SURREY, and Sir It. INGLIS, as to the exaggerated statements respecting the late demonstration, Mr. Caters rose, and begged to affirm, without fear of legitimate contradiction, that the committee had taken every pains that there should be no mis take on the subject. His own attention had been di- I rected to the matter from the very moment the hon. member for Nottingham made the audacious state ment that the petition was signed by five millions and a half of persons. On investigating the matter, he had ascertained that of every 100,000 signatures 8,200 were these of women. He did not wish to throw ridicule on the petition, but he did wish to throw ridicule and obloquy on the hon. gentle man, and he for one should say that he should never believe the hon. member again. He hoped the house would not cast such a censure upon the committee of petitions as to appoint another committee to inquire into the subject. Mr. F. O'CoNtion said an explanation was required on three points ; on two, relating to the petition, he should explain to the house; on the third he should have an explanation elsewhere. In the first place, he did not believe the persons appointed for the purpose could have counted the number of 1,900,000 names in the time stated; and, in the second, he did not consider himself responsible for what might have been written in the way of signatures to the petition. After some further conversation, and an explanation from Mr. Caters that he did not intend to offer any insult to the hon. member for Nottingham, but merely to as sert that he did not place any coefidince in his state ment, Lord J. Russet'. moved that the hon. member in question be ordered to attend in his place forth with, which motion was agreed to. At a further period of the evening the assistant eerjeant-at-arms appeared at the bar, and reported that he had seen Mr. F. O'CONNOR at the Norther); Star office, and served him with the order of the house, but which order the hon. gentleman declined to obey. On the motion of Sir G. GREY, Mr. O'CONNOR was then ordered to be taken into custody. At a later hour the Serjeant-at-Arms reported Mr. O'Comeoe's caption, when, oa the motion of Sir G. GREY, the hon. member was discharged oat of custody and resumed his place in the house. After an address from the SPEAKER, and mutually satisfactory explanations be tween Mr. Caters and Mr. O'CONNOR, the latter gentleman said he had a further and higher duty to perform to himself and to those who had entrusted him with the petition, which was to state, that after the unequivocal expression of opinion on the part of the house he should not proceed with the motion of which he had given notice for this day, but should leave the matter to be settled between the house and the government, and between the committee and the petition itself. — Mr. FAGAN'S motion for a committee of the whole house for Tuesday dext, on the subject of ministers' money in Ireland, was, after a debate, rejected by a majority of 76, the numbers 149 to 73.—Mr. Hume proposed to call the attention of the house to the special report of the Lyme Regis election committee, charging Mr. ArrwooD with bribery, and to submit that the ATTORNEY-GENERAL be directed to prose cute that gentleman ; but at the suggestions of Mr. BANKES and Sir 0. GREY did not persevere in press ing it.—Mr. B. COCHRANE, after referring to the case of Mr. PoLLETT, specially reported in the Daily News, moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend the County Courts Act. After a short discussion, in the course of which Sir. G. GREY intimated that Mr. PoLLErr had made no application to him on the subject of his treatment in prison, leave was given to bring in the bill, and the house adjourned. SOME of our cotemporaries publish a letter, of which a copy was found in the Tuileries, in a portfolio be longing to Louis Pititirre. It is a long exculpa tion by that prince, addressed to his daughter, the QUEEN of the BELGIANS, of his conduct in the matter of the Spanish marriages. It brings forth, however, not one new fact, and merely serves to confirm the popular and settled opinion on the subject—which is, that the KING of the FRENCH having solemnly pro mised not to marry his son to the INFANTA until the QUEEN should have a child, not only broke that promise by the marriage of the INFANTA at the same time as the QUEEN, but defeated everychance of the great object of that promise being attained, by marrying the QUEEN against her remonstrance and desire, to a Prince, whose defects were so notorious as to necessitate, were it but for appearance sake, a very shameful in quiry on the part of Louis PaiLirre himself. M. GUIZOT, personall!. - , is, indeed, somewhat excul pated by these letters. They prove, at least, one cir cumstance in his favour, which is, that he desired at one time to marry Queen ISABELLA to Don ENRIQUE. A stronger power, however, intervened and prevented it. The French envoy in Belgium,RuNtioNv, when asked to exert himself to get round Don ENRIQUE and send him to Paris, declined. M. GuIZOT accuses him of want of address. But this was not the true reason of his reluctance. It was no other than that, whatever were M. GCIZOT'S views, Louts Pnitiree never had any other than to render ISABELLA sterile, and secure the crown of Spain for his son. We wish the NIONTPENSIERS joy of it, if they get it. The position of a continental king is at present, and apparently in future, so little desirable, that really we can conceive no one, willing to accept the place, unless he be a knave or a fool. And even then we have striking examples how, in these times, knavery cannot save, any more than lay can protect, a crown. For the moment, General NARVAEZ reigns, by the support of the army and his own address ; bat his power is based on nothing. Not only is he detested by the citizens, and incapable of forming a free and liberal Cortes, but even the packed moderedo Cortes has been sent about its busi ness, lest it should upset him. The bourgeoisie, THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 14, 1848. and a band of the better eases of Madrid, ham been foolish enough to attack the military in the streets, ' gentlemen in kid gloves taming the paving stones, and erecting barricades, in imitation of the Parisians. A real Spaaiah insurrection is quite a dif&rent ani a much more formidable thing. Nor is there anything more calculated to revoke it than the arrival and installation of the Duke de MONTPENSIER M Madrid. England, however, should feel no rancour or exclu siveness. The ORLEANS family, whatever their de merits, are in a position which excites far other sentiments; and if that dynasty could save and constitutionalise the Spanish throne, which, consider ing the national sentiments of Spaniards, and the hostile vicinity of France, we deem almost impossible, it is not for us to oppose, to intrigue, or to gainsay. The discovered correspondence of the Tuileries contains one of the most servile letters we ever read, from one of his late ministers, M. SALVANDY, to LOUIS PHILIPPE. It is written last September, for the purpose of enclosing a copy of the Standard to the King. The Standard had been praising and sup porting the Spanish policy of the French court, and seeking to fright English ministers into acquiescence with that French policy by menaces of war. M. SALVANDY says, the Standard could not take its inspiration from better sources; but adds, that the organ of the French court, the Debate, durst not re produce the Standard's articles, lest such threats of war might scatter disquietude, and disturb the Bourse. This precious ministerial epistle to Majesty thus concludes : The King bas achieved everything, impossible to the rulers who have preceded him. Lie has done the work of the revolution without disorder or excesses—completed the work of Napoleon without despotism and without conquest; and the work of the restoration without insurrection 'and without unpopularity. He will re-commence the work 0:- Louis XI V. without a war of suet ession !" ---- ..... Vile flattery never concentrated more egregious falsehood. Such were the men whom Lours PHILIPPI: trusted, such the counsels with which he enlightened his rule, such the courtiers with whom he surrounded his throne ! TIIERE can be no fitter preface to a debate on the Charter, which is after all but a popular demand for purity of election, than a consideration of the state and nature of our elections, as recently revealed before the committees charged with examining them. That corruption pervades the whole electoral body, as at present constituted and divided, there is little doubt. The guises in which the sys tem covers itself are, indeed, as numerous as the places returning representatives; the form in each is different, but the thing itself is the same. The amount varies, but the substance is there. In no two towns are the modes of operating alike. Each borough has its pe culiar mode ; but the electors are as readily dealt with by the quiet single-handed payment, as by the open, undisguised, and general distribution of sovereigns, at so much per vote. - • -• It is somewhat curious to see how the corruption still works in all its varied forms—hnw well it adapts itself to local wants and local circumstances, and how it survives the attacks of committees, the resolutions of the Commons, and the enactments of the legislature. The Bribery and Intimidation Com mittee of 1835, and the Compromise Com mittee of 1842, made us well acquainted with the ways as they then were; exposure there was ample, denunciation there was in the cxtreme, and in Sudbury there was punishment that might have frightened other, not less notorious, though more fortunate boroughs. All warning, however, has been thrown away ; all fear has been dispelled, and we have in 1848 corruption as rampant as it was at any period, either antecedent to, or following the Reform Bill. As to direct bribery, what do we find proved: Great Yarmouth stands alone in its glory of payments of 21. and 3/. each to the freemen in the mass, and the freemen of Yarmouth are to be marked out for punishment; but Derby escapes with a condemnatory resolution, because the full extent of the system was not made patent to the committee; though the "free and independent" freemen and householders received ss. a day for doing nothing, except recording their votes, under the pretence of being put upon the committee—a custom which has there prevailed for the last 16 years, and which sprung out of a former custom of giving a a. refreshment ticket to every freeman. This former custom, moreover, received, in 1834, the express sanction of Sir ROBERT PEEL, who then declared that if the refreshment of the electors were matter of corruption, it would be necessary to disfranchise half the boroughs in the country, and avowed that the custom of giving refreshment tickets for ss. each to the lower class of electors had existed at Tamworth since the time of ELIZABETH, and had never been thought blameable. Yet the generosity of the banker of Carlisle to his friend and protege failed to secure his seat from the attack: and the proof that 1,2001. were expended in refreshment tickets, drank at some thirty public-houses, was sufficient to render the election void. What is so blameless in sa. at Tamworth that no one thinks of petitioning, is fatal in Carlisle ; as if it were the excess and not the prin ciple which was objectionable. At Bewdley almost every public-house and beer-shop has been proved to have been opened, at a cost of 709/. or 8001. to one side alone, and what for ? To treat the elm tors ? Oh, no ! that was never dreamt of ; bit for the necessary refreshment of some hun dreds of non-electors employed to prevent the worthy voters from being kidnapped and taken by force out of the town. The representation must be in a nice condition when every voter needs a keeper, not to take him to the poll, but to prevent his bodily abstraction from the borough. The reverse picture was exhibited at Kinsale, where the worthies were " cooped" up in a yard in a glorious state of intoxica tion, and were shaved and made fit for the pall by the tender services of the barber's daughter. In Bolton, the sitting member managed to hold his seat ; for the " shots " were put on at the public houses and beer shops, and though breakfasts were freely given to the men about to vote, and though we have the distinct report of the committee that voters were bribed, yet the proof of the agency was not strong enough to satisfy hon. members. In Lancaster we have suppers and drink, and, in Lincoln, the persuasive assemblies of the " Pig and Whistle "Club, with another case of single-handed bribery. In Elorsbam, the treating by legal agents is, at once, admitted by the counsel for the sitting member, and it is in evidence that he wan present upon one occasion, at least : and, at liarwioh, see have once more a single-handed case of bribery, and plenty of treating reported, though, as in the case of Bolton, the treating was not brought home to the agents of the sitting member. Another mode of corruption has passed through the committees with something like a sanction; it has been reprobated in terms, but sanctioned iu fact, for no committee has unseated a member on this ground —we mean, the bribery of the out-voters, under the pretence of paving for travelling expenses and loss of time; in truth, paying not only the actual fare, but giving a good bonus over. In Carlisle, the out voters had their whole expenses paid to the city, they were found in bed and board in profusion till they had polled, and then were paid a bonus of some two pounds each over and above the whole railway fare back to their own homes A resolution of the Rouse of Commons declares that paying money to out-voters, under colour of indemnifying them for loss of time, is highly illegal, subversive of the freedom of election, and tending to the most dangerous corruption ; and Lord Mansfield declared that if any decision of a com mittee had allowed the payment for travelling expenses and loss of time to pass uncensored it was clearly ilk gal ; and yet the Carlisle committee contented them selves with saying, that "practices of this kind, if not strictly illegal, must always be open to the most serious abuses, and require regulation by some defi nite enactment;" and the Lincoln committee echoed this resolution, when it was proved that the out voters were paid 9d. a mile if they voted a plumper, and 40. a mile from each candidate, if they split their votes. The Reform Act intended to cut off all the non-residents, by making residence within seven miles necessary. Neglect of the registry leaves some of these out-voters ou the list, and those who pay for their " expenses and loss of time," have their votes; and committees do not vote these payments to be " strictly illegal." If all the electors of Bewdley had vanished to some distant place, and re-ap peared on the nomination day, by the same rule they might have secured for themselves " expenses and loss of time, " and a bonus over. Fertile as were the local managers in electioneering resources, this escaped them. If the North Staffordshire petition had been proceeded with, we should have seen whether a committee would bare legalised the payment of travelling expenses and refreshments to the freeholders and tenants withoat will, with this remarkable addition, that those who voted for both the candidates of a party wanted twice as much refreshment as those who voted for one only of each party ; and who were thus made, in the _strictest sense of the term, " only half-and-half men." This is the state of things as they exist at present. Exposure and punishment have been tried and have been found inefficient. Act after act of parliament has passed to prevent corruption at elections. At the restoration of 1688, there bad been 14; at the death of WiLusx 26 ; at the end of the reign of Queen ANNE, 35; at the death of GEORGE 1., there had been 37 ; at the death of GEORGE IL, there had been 49; in 1800, there had been 75 ; and no less than 11 have passed during the 19th century. All the means hitherto employed to paralyse these improper influences, and to abolish corruption, have failed. Is there no other means to which we can resort ? Even if detection and punish ment were certain and cheap, would not prevention be far better than cure ? Can any one look at the effect of the present system of petitioning, when suc cess attends it, without perceiving that the issuing of a new writ, where the corruption has been flagrant, is but a premium to the corrupted electors, and that dis covery enables them to "eat the cake and yet have it?" First, they may tte corrupted ; then they may expose the corruption. 'then comes another election, and with it may come the corruption all over again, or it may be that the very candidate whose agents have treated to the tune of thousands of pounds, may go down to reap at a new election ingratitude from those voters who have partaken of his former expen diture. To cure corruption we mast atop it at its source ; we must render it impossible ; or, if not im possible, worthless to the corruptor. We must resort to such a method of voting as will render an illegal and corrupt: expenditure by any candidate useless; in short, we must adopt the ballot and new electoral divisions, two of the points that come under discussion this evening. GERMANY. NEW ELECTIONS IN PRUSSIA FOR THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY AT FRANK FORT. DISSOLUTION OF THE DIET. — STATE OF PRUSSIAN POLAND. PRUSSIA.—We have received the German jour nals, and our usual corresyondence. The Berlin journals are of the 11th, and the following is the letter of our correspondent: BERLIN, Aran, 10. Your readers are already aware that the Diet had elected the Prussian delegates to the forthcoming constituent assem bly in Frankfort, and that this step had given considerable umbrage to the country at large. You may judge then of the surprise of the numerous persons in the public tribunes of the Diet to-day—for it is probable the members of Cho Diet were already in the secret—when the president of the council announced that all the elections were null and void, and fur the good hut all sufficient reason that the Germanic Dint had resolved, on second thoughts, that the delegates to the constituent assembly on the Ist proximo should be elected in a direct manner, and by uni versal suffrage; that is to say, that there shall tie a delegate for every 50,000 inhabitants; that every German of age, who is an elector in his own country, shall be an elector, and alto eligible for the constituent assembly; and that even political refugees, if they return to their country, shall have the same rights. In announcing this important decision Herr Camphausen stated that his Majesty considered the elections so null, and that as othtr countries had made their submission to the Diet, Prussia of course could not hold aloof. Prussia must, in fact, lend a helping hand to the effecting of German unity, and it must do so in an efficacious way. The question that the elections be cancelled was then put, and resolved affirmatively by an overpowering majority. VIENNA, APRIL 6. The 'het then proceeded to the discussion of the project of 1 can only partially state whet is going on here, because law relating to the financial question, and of the report of all would be too much for a letter. One would think that the committee, an analysis of which report I forwarded the Viennese had been practising for years to play their part yesterday, in anticipation of the Berlin journals, In the well when opportunity offered. Public opinion is all-power first part of the report the committee recommended the ful, and yet it is moderate. The Archduke Louis. who had house to vote a bill authorising government to raise fifteen for years been president of t!e council of state, would not millions et thalers, in order to be prepared for any hostilities join in the move onwards. A couple of hand-bills posted that might arise. That first part was brought under discus. about the town sufficed to procure his resignation, as also lion. One speaker exereseed his readiness to vote the sum the dissolution of the council of state, which had become required, but observed that government had not pointed out superfluous with responsible ministers. The resignation the way in which that amount could be raised. If a loan of Kolowrat, Inzaghi, and ethers, was the result were held in view, it could not be contracted at present of this decision. The army bulletins are now made without a great loss to the state ; and as for incrinuang the public. The new Minister of Instruction, Id. Soma taxes or imposing new ones, the people expected a diadem- raga, declared that with free d o m of the press freedom of don of existing imposts. Three ways, however, were open ; public instruction was also established, and that the anther • voluntary subscription, with the King at the head of sity was to be remodelled on that footing. the list ; a voluntary loan ; and a forced loan. The maso ns a pp lied to g overnment for higher wages, but Herr Hansemann, the hliniater of Finance, observed that as their numbers increased and became turbulent the na he would not enter then lute an examination of the plans tional guard interfered, took the ringleaders into custony, proposed by the hen. member. He (Herr Hansemaun) and dispersed the remainder. The tailors wanted to do the would just remark that the King's name ought to be kept same; and having assembled, passed resolutions, which out of the debates. The minister requested the chamber to they took to a master tailor. The resolutions related to their allow the report to be read entire. This being agreed to, treatment, food, and pay. The master replied, " These are the second part was read and brought under discusaion. As excellent resolutions, you are capital fellows; but take me dated yesterday, the committee further agreed to recommend with you • it is worth nobody's while to be a master just the additional grant or guarantee of 25 millions of dialers, now The men smoked the jest, and went off quietly to in order to be employed in a way advantageous to trade, work. Happily we ha ve no Louis Blanc here. oornmerce, and agriculture. To get rid of the most restless, volunteers for Italy have Herr Bismazk suggested that it would be better to refer been enlisted, but eo many gave in their names that the the question of the grants to the future Diet of Prussia . He government was puzzled. Several panne have gone off, and condemned the abolition of the duty on the elaughtering of a fresh body of about a thousand are now defiling under my cattle and the grinding of corn (in other words, the munici• window, with the new banner of the empire. The Poles pal or octroi duties on meat and flea r), and declared that he presented a petition to the Emperor to-day, containing, be. should vote against the bill, so far as a lean was concerned. sides the points universally demanded, the demand to be Another member (Ilerr,Schauss) proposed a forced loan restored as a nation, enjoying the protection of Austria. (zwanysanledw) of eight millions of' thalers, instead of the They were promised a epudy answer. The deputation then 25 millions asked for, and suggested that each province proceeded to the university, where a meeting was held in the should have one million advanced to it for establishing great hall. Prince George Lthowinski addressed the meet national pawnbroking institutions, or similar ones. Herr ing, and preeentiag the Polish flag said, he deposited it in Hansemaun in reply r. marked, that if the Diet would vote the hands of the youth of Austria. The universal cry, the proposition of the committee, there would be no im• "We take it with hand and heart," bunt from all assembled. mediate necessity for a loan, or for increasing the taxes. The The flag was fixed in the balcony of the building betide the proposition of the committee, or section, was finally adopted. Germanic flag, and soon after a wreath was thrown over the l'erhaps it will be well to give in full the propositions such two as a symbol of unity. It was afterwards decided not to as they were voted (as already stated) by the Diet. The pass by the Polytechnic school, which is a numerous body, committee proposed, lst. That the sum of 15 millions of and a procession was formed to go thither, in which a Ger thalers be raised by extraordinary means, for the internal man carried the Polish flag, and a - Pole the Germanic banner. and external protection of the country ; and 2d. That for Count Stadion had provisionally agreed to a number of mo the restoration of credit in the interior, and for the uphold- dente coact:oone in Galicia,so that the joy is now universal, ing of trade, commerce, and agriculture, the government be and the countenance of every Pole we meet is radinnt with authorised to guarantee the sum of 25 millions of thalera, on satisfaction. If their demands are granted, they will prefer the condition that means should be taken to prevent as much remaining under Austria's sceptre to being left to themselves, as possible any losses to the state from such guarantee. which would throw them into anarchy. The Diet was then declared dissolved. The Hungarians have also replied, when 60,000 men were I'rotet after protest hail arisen against the mode by which demanded, on the concessions which they demanded being the delegates to the constituent assembly of Frankfort have granted, that they would not only send that number, but been elected, and against many of the delegates themselves ; 100,000 men. In two months this army is to be raised and and not only had the municipal authorities, the town equipped, and placed at she disposal of the Emperor. council, and the university protested against the elections, No less than ten different cockades may be teen worn by but the popular leaders, and the great majority of the per- those who serve in the national guard and furnish guards of sons attending the public meetings, appeared resolved to take honour to the deputations as they arrive. The university ' the matter into their own hands, and to choose their own de- has the lead, the people following where its mem legates to the constituent assembly of Frankfort. There ben direct. May this deed prosper! Vienna is will be a popular meeting convoked here in a day or two, for now a more delightful residence than ever, and the purpose of choosing the delegates, and thus matters will the Austrians are proud of its position. The police have be brought to an issue. laid aside their uniforms, and have become tame and civil, The thoroughly democratical portion of the liberals urge confining themselves to their proper duties. The military the electors to put the two following questions to the cudi- mount guard at the palace and at sonic of the gates. They dates for the next Prussian diet Will you favour or oppose are well looked on, because they did not behave savagely the formation of a House of Lords ? Will you concede or during the conflict. The name of one bombardier is in refs eto the King the right of a veto on the dec isions of the everyliody's mouth. When an august personage gave orders legislature ? It in unnecessary to state the responses which to fire, he stepped forward and askew if they were to fire in would be acceptable to the political party alluded to. the air t The answer was, " No, into the crowd, wi:h ball." At a large popular meeting held yesterday in as open field He called out that cannon balls were not meant to be used about a quarter of a mile from the &bid:maser gate, it was against an unarmed people ,• , and as the command was re resolved that each trade elect ono hundred representative. peated, the bombard.er, who had the command of the guns to negotiate with the governmentrespecting the interests (which the august personage had not), threw himself in of their fellow-workmen. One of the orators spoke warmly front, and said that as long uhe could give an order they in favour of higher protective duties Inc native manufactures, should not fire : when he was dead others might do asthey in order to exclude English goods. Free trade, he observed, liked. In this way it happened that although the military was all very well for a rich and powerful country like Great was drawn out, yet but 17 were killed in the course of several Britain, that could compete with the entire world, but it charges. The number of killed in all was 31, but the other would never do for a country like Germany, where menu- 14 lest their lives in attempting to pillage houses in the factures were comparatively in their infancy. Hie remarks suburbs. The names and physicians' report have been were loudly cheered. A public meeting is announced for published. this evening, "in order to elect as delegates to the Frank- The following is the addrees presented by the de fort National Assembly such men as may be considered potation of Poles from Galicia, headed by Prince worthy and possessing the confidence of the pe o p le." It is expected that this meeting will be more numerously attended Bi Labowinski, to the Emperor of Austria : thee up previous one in Berlin. of re,—A series of extraordinary events has shaken the old edifice , European politics to its foundation. The system Out was di, long It appears by a correspondence which has taken place be - eupported by bayonets and by the greatest exertion of diplomatic tweets the leading merchants and manufacturers of this capi- power has fallen with a sudden crash. who The awakened Coll.ciouar*FA tal and the Minister of Finance , that the latter has agreed of nations are Impoten hu attained Those a power de si against which be decr eesover and ev by en to advance to the former 150,000 dealers, in order to enable armies t. re not to whelmed weeny torrent newt with all them adept their policy to the new clecum them to continue to give employment. The money has been and must penevenngly an d openly follow the path of pro. paid into the Bank of Prussia, and a committee of six has Unsteady councils and passive expectation am bring but ruin been appointed by the applicants in order to superintend the =d r train. distribution of the above sum. The municipal authorities That part of Poland which the unhappy partition of our country and the attorney-general have issued proclamations respect- brought under your Majesty's sceptre, is now in a position of peril, ing the attempts to create disturbances during the past week. which i b Y giow .rine n cte d uhtres"frojihmmiehreancoLw,TaltiiZhrrot of the The latter states that the authorities are resolved to act with ' throne'to declare our anxiety. Lad to beg for the speedy adoption of severity against all promoters of disorder, that several per. meseures, now grown inevitable, to meet the storm and the danger $Ol3ll of that description have been arrested, that others will whiit threaten the throne with the nations that surround it, and even be shortly in custody, and that they will be brought as soon the civilisation of this part of the world. Our position paints to m as possible to trial. as the foremost in the conflict, and the sympathy whin we have There are in the so-called Luareth 45 persons who were non that we are again mit upon to form the barrier against the earned from the rest of Bonze is the result of that correct apprebess wounded during the late revolution in this cety. Measures progress of the barbarism and slavery with which Europe is Ulnas have been taken by the civic authorities to expel from the teasel. Your sWe:sty's ancestors learnt by sad txperience that the capital all foreign operatives who have no employment. The destruction of our can:ow:Asa might imong—apokiticalerror. But we town council, and, as we should say in Englaad, the com• acknowledge gratefully that at the of Vienna, in 1515, the missionen of woods and forests, have resolved, at the request o f the workmen employed by them on works of national or desire Viehha to t)i rruire et p Po roff lead hied as a ccn a wide and m " de t teaden is w"lr t nalien. a° teeti wi fted asat a eir we cn in mstausea . wiy no for w w re hic ad h ef ,e esay ... . communal utility, to allow the latter 21 silbergroechen pernormal that this .the tdtimate aim day, over and above their usual wages, 121 egr, on the ready to sea m.. Li e .nil proper ty, Th e w ee a l one „ek e . to set ground that they, generally, live at a great distance from nation in movement end to inspire it with the heart to endure every the scene of their labours. The workmen have also ob- needle'. Enconreged by the patent of March 15, 1548, which pro tained the following concessions :—They will be allowed to Liaoe to ereereiea _anel._thethea_neldensl clis!Mea_seeties open select elders from amongst their body for the purpose of ralomereir.°'-d...,lLtnlfirk„.T=t,.... wemr_rxlaTrtyLY maintaining tranquillity in their order ; their attendance in mot n ety I tem ; t ' , ."" nni ii ty ' tn "r p a tio "r n l ent i o r tae civic guard will, whenever they so choose, be dispensed for the sake of your throne, for that of your people, we beseech with ; they will be allowed, at option, to work half a day or your Majesty sot to delay the word that is to pronounce our freedom. three quarters of a dal. and the dismissal of all workmen Thatword the already been *then in heaven; do you pronounce, on earth. At the sound of this word millions at hands in all countries not belonging to the district. grupwill their arms. The treaty of Vienna has bees annihilated. As anticipated in a recent despatch, Major• General Von War enema inevitable. we do not fear war, but wish to be prepared Willisen has gone to Posen with full powers to promote or for it in time. For centuries we have shod oar blood for others ; we develop the national reorganisation of the grand duchy. are ready to bleed again for others, but also for ourselves. The call The proclamation which he has issued proves that those of re-establialied Poland will an the heart of every Pole o to beat Berlin journals that asserted that he was chiefly sent on his of ardour for at cause, .7111?•thstalteeathold It hest. ther mission to keep down the Polish " element" were ill-in- 1 „` de . "` Wrc Thai i n ali nte 7 e T,Tp re o f t h e common enem y, we formed. His proclamation, which is very favourable to the ;con the protection of you Majesty, on/we desire to remain reitn,e, Poles, and which fully and unequivocally promises them tea- the bond that shcireles the people of Austria. But th is bond can no.y tionality in language in judicial tribunals, and ultimately in be durable while s openly respects the general libertiee of all in the an army, MI given offence to the German inhabitants, the manner that Magary has keg enjoyed, and the Grand limy et enema of came of whom against the Poles he energetically ?seen elle. blames. The Silesian Gazette of yesterday asserts that en- We entreat your Majesty, therefore, to sanctio• the emetic* d • committee composed at Poles that have the full academe of the fire districts of the grand duchy have become Polish ; that country, that it mar quickly undertake the rtorganisatkeof the cogs in Schroda there are from six to eight thousand Polish tr., on a pur e ly n a tion a l rooting, t om f orm a plan fora t op i onentadoe troops, with six cannons. Whilst proceeding with the na. national assembly which may take the place of the old diet, the faulty lions] re-organisation of the grand duchy, General Willisen, coostitution of whith has nraclaimed it useless and gone ; farther, It is understood, will take steps to preserve the rights and that reeeddedens may It ePPainted to prepare e the eabllee of those nationality of the German inhabitants, end also to restore 'P eet "' which relate t o the aemeefehatt . ee m g eeleetieh of the public order. There will be two presidents for the grand country ; finally, that th royal rent be given in order that the fol.. lowing value, which were to part embodied in the address detach duchy—one a Pole, the other a German. The latter will 15, 1817 , may be realised : be the head president. 2,000 Polish troops have taken full I. The removal of those omelet whom the committee shall deem possession of the town of Pleschen, and resolved not to let unworthy of coadence, and their replacement by natives . . any Prussian soldiers enter. The Silerion Gazette adds that 2. organisation of a national . guard on the widest uee . hama, and la it will be very difficult for the Prussians to regain the town. conformity 3,, with a t li a :Z ta b o e o r m 'r l . by t h e . g C Cof ''',. , of Good , The nobles, accompanied. by their tenantry, armed with or of such foreigners as have devoted themselves to the cause of the scythes, have joined the military. It is now fully understood country. The commencement of this army to be termed by the rui.. that some grand move sill be made against Maga, if no meats which have been raised in Galicia, the speedy recall of which. obstruction be given by the Prussian troops. and their subjection to the orders of the committee of organisatiin, is The Breslau Gazette of yesterday confirms the intelligence humbly tr;quested take an ; . at that orders i,,y be given wW to th e e troo t z t oo b, w e in ite the t. of the Siksian Gazette respecting the numbers and determi- our national iluititutions an long as they remain, and that they may, nation of the Polish army. It adds that in mate towns the in the meantime, be employed i n ma i ntain i ng peace said mom in the Poles have exclusively placed themselves at the head of country. affairs; that the communication between those places and 4. The me of the Polish language in schools, courts of j tietirr. and Posen is interrupted ; that thousands of Poles are armed in public business; in the elementary schools, the prevailing language of the place may be employed. with scythes ; th at barricades are erected in various p arte ; 5. The speedy assembling of a diet or national assembly, on pti n s and that, in fact, the Poles are regularly in th e fi eld. The doles to be declared by the committee, but whom chief disunctioa former journal states that it was resolved to forward to shall be a full and fair representation of the whole peoi.le, without Schroda several thousand infantry, two squadrons of cavalry, distinction of rank, or of rt ileums oonfereion. and four cannons ; but that, on the arrival at Posen of Gen. G. With fervent gratitude foe the liberty of the preu conceded by Von Willisen, counter-orders were g i ven. Th e nat i ona l your Majesty, coo pray that free dacuasion of public business may be all (Polish) committee have promised to do all in their power 1. A owe general ammaty for m ili tary „m it t& i m mormi so roc r, by to induce their Polish countrymen to surrender their arms been granted to civilians, and that bath be restored to their rights and for the present, but it is thought that they will not succeed property as before incarthiatlem. in the attempt. 8. Public and oral proceedings in courts of justice, and Mal by The Oder Gazette (Breslau) of yesterday contains a cm , Poy respondence from Warsaw of the 6th, is which it is stated ___.;.9 The eclu'heiee rime or el 'ous infesion, the abolition of all restrictions on m 'hi d all eitisiens before the taw, whatever be their that the Russian government has ordered all the landed cm, and other juce,, also at all mtm moo levied oo Jews proprietors to forward all their corn to the state depot in the 10. A communal ornmaation for towns and villagee on the mast above city. They will be paid half in ready money and half liberal bola of parachul and municipal government. in bills. According to the same journal the greatest excite- 11. The abolition of the system of police organisation and maths. meat prevails throughout the kingdom of Poland. The Oder !ion of that . laid a y to its proper u ttut:usiedubitnian"oonagirmlyt° % p :he Gazette rho contains a correspondence from Cracow, under Itir tee •=,.. li A r eeeeinge t est - w date April 8, refuting the statement already made in a Be,- ij. The release of the pe,,,..ts from forma labour, too, being the lie journal to the effect that Austria had resolved to give up with of the landed proprietors no less than of the peasants. The pu tts possessions in Italy. The forint r journal adds that a cone- vision il committee to be clanowesed to proclaim this release, and that mission will be sent to Milan in order to settle the question national assembly to discuss the terms upon which the coratuutaLloa amicably. of the labour rent for an mistrial tax or rate is to be utablielcd. Finally, we resume all the wishes here unrested in one urgent 'flee hollowing is an extract from one of the morning request that your Majesty will plows to sanction the mumbling of a journals of thus day: "We protest against the idea that provisional oommit.ee to tweet the danger which threatens, has a Prussia should undertake at its own expense a war against tempest, to accumulate above us, and whose discharge, if violenas - which -' -a deeply I break -. ' - '- overwhelm all in ow common destruction. A& —.seta, in order to loss a province w___ stretches into the heart of our fatherland, a province in which many millions of our taxes have been expended, in order to make the formai of Posen a bulwark against invading Russia ; we protest against the surrender of a province in which half a million of our German brothers reside, brothers who, moreover, protest against their incorporation with the king dom of Poland." Some disturbances took place on the 11th at Co- logne, which caused the calling out of the national guard. These disturbances were caused by the com plaints of the owners of horses for hauling boats up the Rhine, that they were deprived of employment by the use of tug-boats, which consequently ought to I be abolished, and by the demands of certain work men who called for a rise of salary of 15 silber groechen. AUSTRIA.—We have intelligence from Vienna of the 7th. It was stated that the King, after having closed the liunprian diet on the 9th at Presbarg, would go to Pesth, where he has not been since his accession. It was also stated that the Emperor had named the presumptive heir to the imperial throne, Archduke Francis Joseph, eon of Archduke Francis Charles, captain general of Bohemia. The Berlin Zeitungs Halle of the 10th, contains a correspondence from Vienna stating that two Austrian plenipotentiaries have left for Italy, and that the Emperor had resolved not to sacri fi ce any more energetic errictly national committee Is .1005 able tocollect around it the org-ante element, of power for a good end. Every other ramie of transition from the rule of foreign officials must plunge us into an abyss and !hake the power of every neighbouring government. 'Pius we lay our wishes for the grandeur of your throne und the weal of the people of this empire with confidence before your Majesty. FRANKFORT.—The Germanic Diet has issued the following decree relative to the Sleswig Holstein question : I. The German Diet declares, conformably with Art. 3S of the final act, that the German federal state of Holstein is in danger of an attack, and the Diet entirely approves the decie lions taken in a federal and national spirit by l'russia and the states of the 10th corps of the army for the purpose of de fending the federal frontier in Holstein. 11. In order that a unity may subsist in military measures which may be ultimately adopted for this object, the Germanic Dirt invites Prussia to agree on this subject with the states of the 1011 t corps of the army. 111. To obviate the effusion of blood, and to endeavour to obtain an amicable arrangement, the Germanic Diet is ready to ch.rge itsclf with this mediation in the name of the Germanic Diet on integral rights of Hole stein, namely, on its union with the Duchy of Sleswig, founded on public rights. There is no doubt that hostilities will be immediately suspended, and that the slain quo anis will be rs established. LISBON, APRIL 4. Late last night the steamer Jackall was announced for sailing. She will take a mail, I believe. Up to this 'into Lisbon is perfectly quiet, nor have there oceured the slightest disturbances in the provinces, but the greatest anxiety exists as regards the course events may take in Spain ; in the mean time the Lisbon government are taking every precutiou to suppress or to put down an outbreak, should anything of the kind be attempted ; and, from the very strong garrison in the capital, it is unlikely that any movement would be rue eosin!. blood or treasure. The following letter of a correspondent gives an account of the reception by the Emperor of the depu tation of Poles from Galicia : In the ministerial ranks, however, a small civil war hu been going on, and, as usual among Donna Maria't coun cillors, the skirmish has had sole reference to the loaves and fishes. Two of the minkters, those of the home department and of the marine, have been very unceremoniously ejected from their posts. The cause. may be stated as follows :—lt would seem that M. Albana, the minister of marine, bad sought to obtain privately the signature of the Quo. n to a royal decree, creating some party or other a baron, with the title of Fianunier, for which he was to get some four or fire cone* of rein, wnile the home minister, Id. Gorjao's little job was in connection with a privili ge to be conceded to a gag company, the price to be paid him for his good offices beteg twenty-five contoa, or nearly 0,0001. ; sterling, however. as ill-luck would have it for bath of these gentlemen, the affair oozed out by some means or other, before the transaction eras completed, and the Cabral* and John Oliveira, ►ighly indig nant at finding interlopers intheir particular line of business, ' insisted upon the Queen's sending the offender to the right about forthwith, which was accordingly done ; the ministry therefore has had to be re-constructed, and the coesequent changes are as follows : Foreign affairs, Gomea de Castro, in room of the Duke of Saldanha, who goes to the home department ; Costa Fares is appointed minister of justice; and the Baron Ourem, late civil governor, is named minister of marine ; and the Mar quis of Fronteira goes back to his old berth as civil goy, race of Lisbon. In the Cortes there is little of interest occurring, be yond a very general impression that in the financial measures presented to the chamber au important modifica tion will have to be adopted in as far as the home debt is concerned, the reduction of the rate of dividend being strongly opposed ; the robb:ry of the Engli• h bondholder, however, meets with as equal applause as the attack upon Portuguese pockets does opposition. There remains little to be added. The Howe, now complete in her interior arrange. meats, went down the river yesterday ; she proceeds to Madeira, to bring home her nxijesty Qu,ca Adeliiele and aude, but we are expecting the Jupiter I ut to take the place of the Howe. Exchanges upon England as follows ; —At 30 days, 521 ; 90 days, 521 t ; while Lisbon Bank note are feat hurrying to the value of waste paper, the Moeda note of 4,800 rein being now quoted at 2,750 discount ! To-day is the Queen of Portugal's birthday, and some attempt is being made for an illumination, while the soldiers.' loyalty, it is stated, is to be stimulated a little by the issue of a fortnight's pay, it the wherewithal can be scraped together, which is somewhat problematical DENMARK AND THE DUCHIES. The Hamburg Borsenluslie of the 10th says: "The suppo sition that the Prussian troops are to be confined to the defence of the frontiers appears to be wholly without foundation, for the cantonments of the two battalions of fusiliers are on Sleswig ground." A letter from Itendaburg of 9th April, says: The fusilier battalion of the :Kith Pruwian regiment of infantry arrived here this morning, and have taken up their cantonments in the surrounding villages. An obstinate engagement has taken place at 800. Twu Danish men-of-war threatened to bombard Flensburg in consequence of which the Sleswig.llolstein troops have been obliged to ►bandon their position, both at F -enchurg and Bon, ►ad have taktn up a firmer position on this side of Bon. The 16th battalion, under Count Bandiseeu, is .aid to have suffered very much in the retreat. The King has entered Flensburg.' Another letter soya: "An engage ment between the outposts of Denmark and Sleseig took place on the ith. One of our troops was wounded, and an officer and two men fell on the aide of the enemy. The Danish troops have concentrated at Sondern, and carried away some of the principal inhabitants prisoner,. Prince Waldemar wee expected to return from Berlin to Sleswig es the evening of the 9th." 'Ube Court. The Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Mary visited the exhibitiou of the British lostitutwa yesterday. A Cabinet Council was held jesterday at the Foreign office. The Ministers present were Lsrd J. Rowell, the Lord Chancellor, the Marquis of Lowdown., Sir G. Grey, Viscount Palmerston, Earl Grey, the Chan,*llor of the Ex chequer, the Earl of Auckland, Sir J. Hobhouse, Lad Campbell, the Right Hon. IL Labouchere, the Marquis of Clanricarde, Viscount Morpeth, and the Right Hon. T. H. Macaulay. The council sat two hours and a half. The Archbishop of Canterbury had an interview with Lord J. Rouen yesterday, at his official residence in Downing-street. The Lord Chief Justice Doherty had an interview with Sir G. Grey I tsterday, at the Home-otfiee. Sir Henry lour.g had an interview with Earl Grey yesterday ; the Earl of Suffolk and the Rev. Dr. Nicholson had also ietertiews yesterday with the noble earl at the Colonial-of f ice. The Ecclesiastical Commisaiosers fur England had a general meeting yesterday. Sir Thomas Fr.mantle, Chairman of the Customs, had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer yes terday, at his official residence in Downing-street. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council sat yesterday. The lords present were the Master of the Rolls, Lord Brougham, Lord Campbell, the Chancellor of this Duchy of Cornwall, and the Judge 01 the Admiralty Court. Judgment was given in " Magnus Smith v. the Judges of Sierra Leone." Their lordships afterwards ►sod appeals. GRAND ENTERTAINMENT TO LORD HARLINGE AT /RE MANSION-mut 3E.—Yealercl4y the Lurd Mayor gave a grand dinner to Lord kiudinge, after the presentation of the freedom to the noble lord at the Court of Common CouneiL Amongst the company were the Earl of Auckland, the Bishop of Oxford, the Biahop of Madras, Sir John Cam Robboure, But., M.P., Viscount Castlereagh, M.P., and Lord Adolphus Fitzelarnce. INTEROOURSE WITH THE EIoNTINENT.—The usual returns of the number of pastengen through the ports of the channel, give for the week, ending April • numbers ;—Through Boulogne, 1,72.5 • , Corresponding period last Tea r—tbre Tioulogne, .1 re through Calais, 279. The peaseng Idayougn •Ik:i may be subdivided as follows :-1• I Yefrestone, • ~... from Dover, 36 ; trom London, 62 • ' WM, 4U2. For Folk , - - . 0 stone, 909 ; for Dover, 113; for Lonclan,l,3ol. ; total, .1,39 . 221 Thus it appears, that the law of mongers to .E.e7-70 WI c:iatianes unabated. tl . .• = • •/- : ::1.iic0...::-- ........,:,;_sl.