The Express. — London, England, 1852-01-13 00:00:00

ghe erprelso. TO CORRESPONDENTS. A Snood Whin of " Expos,' oestalsiou be Name eveatree G000llik" pablkihoi every Tuosisy sal tulay eight. lb tube ger pot. Stun useisookilslosdod lot " The Esproos" Lasko fusing paw, taut los at Me Osc., 10, Soeconsokreet. y Two o'clock us Ws fly of publkatioe. DIOR WATER AT LONDON BRIDOR Tun tha—lkusig. 4. 13,1 Ara .a, 6a. 4Saa. Ircanosaow—llmils& I► 13& Anemia. 76. Cau LONDON, TUESDAY, JANUARY 13. IT is now understood that Lord JOHN RUSSELL will open the parliament without enlisting any Pcelites in his ranks. lle is,—it is said,—to make his explanation on reform, and then to appeal to the country. Let him well consider his position mean while. _ . . A close parish is a fraud upon the neighbourhood ; a close borough is a fraud upon the county in which it lies; but a close cabinet is the greatest fraud of all, inasmuch as it not only engrosses every perqui site and privilege of state, but usurps the right to express the will, and to wield the power of the nation. . . . We are told upon unerring authority that it is • blessed thing to see "brothers who dwell together in unity ;" but nothing is mid about brothers-in law ; and am for cousins or more indirect connexions there is not a word mentioned concerning them. Lord Jon: is too well read in divinity to strain the mean ing of a text; but it might he perhaps as well for his reputation for worldly wisdom if he would try to stretch his political con fidence beyond the degrees of consanguinity. His own position in this respect is indeed peculiar, for he has only one of his immediate relations in the cabinet—a somewhat remarkable, and to uticandid observers, a quite unaccountable circumstance. We read the fact, however, of Lord lisi - ro's appoint ment as Lord Privy Seal, and his continuance in that capacity, in another light. The thing has an esoteric meaning, and ought, perhaps, to be judged of in that ismse. Lord Jolts - has too much shrewd ness and too much of what BENTII ill loved to call enlightened selfishness," to stow his ship with lumber of his nem. A good deal belonging to other people he might and actually did take on board; but that was obviously a sacrifice made to humour them—part of the bargain made with the lieutenants, or a perquisite exacted by the mate. Such things constantly occur. But who ever heard of an experienced captain putting to sea in rough weather with a helpless father-in-law for coxswain ? Natural affection forbids the thought ; and the Pante. NI iNisrea, whatever be his other faults, has never been accused of being deficient in humanity. After much reflection, wo have come to the con clusion that the circumstance is to be accounted for in a way . not generally thought of, that its con tinuance is attributable to similar considerations, and that the sequel will convince the world that from first to last it is only to be ascribed to a lofty dis interestedness. When Lord JOHN found in the ori ginal formation of his cabinet in I1;16, that one after another two-thirds of the great offices of state had been appropriated by the fortunate family, he resolved to fill up what were kit forthlyith with persons whom he knew that he could do what he liked with, and who he knew would readily make room for competent successors as soon as he desired it. He knew full well that nothing but "adverse possession," as the lawyers term it, would save the Privy Seal or the Admiralty, or even the Foreign Department itself, from the * lnsatiable Connexion; and he hastened, accordingly, to pn occupy those posts with individuals outside the pri vileged degrees. Mark how the event has justified his foresight in two instances already out of the three. No sooner did Lord At pay the debt of nature, than the Admiralty was "enclosed," in addition to the official feofs already held by the Family from the crown ; and the brother-in-law of Sir G. GREY was brought into the cabinet. And, still more recently, have we not seen the place so long occu pied by the veteran PALMER4TON tilled up instantly by the cousin of Lord CARLIsLE ? We are not now con sidering the personal merits of either Sir Facsicts B tam: Or Earl GRANVILLE ' • or their fitness respectively for the posts with the duties of which they have thus been entrusted. We are wholly occupied at present with the claims and qualifications of the rest of her NI Lawn's subjects, and observing on the anxiety shown by the PREMIER, in 1816, to save for their benefit a few of the crumbs which fall from the Fortunate.' table. And following out in logical sequence the view we have just stated, we have not the slightest doubt that were Lord Nltsfro forced to resign to-morrow, a great effort would be made to secure the Privy Seal for an off shoot of either the llowsittis or the finess. And this we surmise is the only conceivable reason why the septuagenarian earl is retained as permanent locum teivertv. It is simply to prevent scandal; which, —such is the perversity of a cavilling world,—it unhappily fails to do. But now that the negotiations with GRAD t and CARDWELL are broken off, and that it is more than ever necessary to seek strength from the commonalty of the liberal side, a good opportunity , is afforded for testing the truth of our charitable theory of patri cian motives. We have always believed that the in articulate PRESIDENT of the Bosun of CONTROL had been placed where he is just for the same reasons as the LORD PRIVY SEAL. And considering that the said functionary bas now received for his inappre ciable services since 1846 upwards of 20,0001. of the people's money, and has been further rewarded by the Soviiimix with the Barony of Broughton de Gifford, we humbly submit, on behalf of the excluded commonalty of three kingdoms aforesaid, that the gentleman in Cannon-row has been already amply paid. We frankly admit, however, that if what he has done during the last five years is good value for • peerage and 20,0001., it is quite beyond our vulgar knowledge of political arithmetic to calculate what his value would be for the rest of the decode. On the NOM of economy, however, we should bo in clined to say that a less expensive description of public servant might answer as well, and would better suit our financial condition, with a Kaffir war on hand and other struggles imminent. Again we say, it is a rare opportunity for Lord low, to carry out what wo are willing to persuade ourselves was his primary intention, too often abandoned or too long postponed, of forming and leading an administration which should repre sent fairly the talents and attainments of the great liberal party in the legislature and in the nation. lie has already three minor offices at his disposal, and without going further, we have named two cabinet places which everybody would approve of his de claring vacant. If he can summarily dispense with the abilities of Lord PALNIER,TON he can hardly keep his countenance •r and . ,pretend that he cannot do with out Lords Miso and BROUGUTON. Whom he ought to name in their stead it is not for us to say. All we demand is that we shall have no more lords and no more cousins or brothers-in-law. After five years of wanton and offensive exclusion from all participa tion in the executive government of their country, it is time that the middle claws should be re-Ql - to their proper privileges. But if Lord Joni( Itessei.i. will persist in the fatal system which has well-nigh brought his go vernment to utter wreck, and which may thereby give • transient hope of power to the avowed friends of social and political re-action, then upon his head and upon those of his foolhardy emaciates in • short-sighted monopoly of official power, must rest the consequences. they have kindled a feeling of resentment at this scheme of exclusion which will yet make itself felt. The narrow selfishness of bureaucracy in France led to far different results than the fall of a minister; and though we are in England happily incapable of the excesses into which our more excitable neighbours were drawn, we are firmly persuaded that a further adherence oa the part of the whigs to maintain their unconstitu tional oligarchy, will tend to the formation of a spirit of hostility to which it would be difficult to prescribe bcflinde. As the session of parliament now draws near, it becomes interesting and important to find out what the plans of her ICieary's opposition may be. Hare they any? Or, are they going to retire on Mr. Insaaet.i's amusing powers of criticism and his enjoyable capacity of sarcasm ? Will they be aggres sive sad suggestive; boldly attacking a weak govern ment; ready themselves to form a strong one? Or, will they merely follow up the trick of ministers; pick off their measures singly ; and weaken still more what is already helpless enough, without being themselves prepared to assist the QUEEN and the country out of a difficulty in which they would be delighted to place both? Are they going to set up as parliamentary reformers? Or will they resist any extension of the suffrage, and oppose any redistribution of the repre sentation which dues not give to agriculture greater weight than it has in the House of,Commons? These are questions un which public curiosity is be coming alive. What are Lord DERBY and Mr. Dna:Acta going to do? The country wants to know. And do those two distinguished personages still pos sess the confidence of the country gentlemen of Eng land ? Perhaps their organs will say. Their representative amongst the morning journals of the metropolis occasionally assumes a comical, devil-me-care, jaunty, Irish air of liberality, that ill accords either with its habitual gravity or with the antecedents of its party. It has no objections to a large measure of parliamentary reform. Nut it. On the contrary, making a wry effort at happiness, much as CUMBERLAND did when forced out of a smile at SHERIDAN'S comedy, it would rather like a reform hill. Only— and then comes a score or two of objections to quiet any apprehensions of the tory leaders and camp fol lowers, if it has gone further than they wish. So that we really learn nothing on that subject worth knowing from the Morning Herald, probably because it has nothing to tell. (1f this, however, we may be tolerably sure, that its friends will try in some shape or other to perpetuate the preponderating influence of landlordism in counties. lk it therefore our duty ' to watch that point of the coming measure closely; for the aristocrats in the cabinet have, of course, a strung leaning to the aristocrats out of the cabinet; awl at the last Bedfordshire election the head of the ducal house of RussEt.L—(more liberal though he be than Lord Jotts)—preferred seeing a tory squire returned as knight for that shire, rather than soil his hands by helping in a free-trade farmer. _ _ _ Of protection, in the plain, frank,undisguiscashape of laws torabse rents at the expense, and by unflinching suffering and privation on the rest of the community, it is probable little will be heard in the coining ses sion. Even the Duke of RICHMOND now admits that until the country rises and demands to have bread made dear by a statute of the realm, the present ruinous plenty and frightful cheapness will have to be endured. And on that topic the country is so ab surdly apathetic at present, that the tory journals rarely or ever now venture to reproduce their stereo typed demonstrations that cheapness has utterly and irretrievably ruined England. llisitamt's fine realised. spun theories about cheap money have now been ised. Capital is to be had in all the abundance he sighed for two years ago without a re-issuc of one-pound notes; private wealth now competes with exchequer bills for drainage ad vances; the interest on mortgages may now be reduced; gold is a drug; and no little of the imports from California must be laid out in agricultural improvement. Events have therefore silenced Mr. DisitAELt on this point; and reason and refutation in past sessions will probably have done as much for him in the present session on the graver theme of shifting the local taxes on land from the bucks of the squires to the shoulders of the people. We shall see. What, then, are they going to do? Perhaps the report of a meeting held last Thursday so far off us in Newcastle-on-Tyne, on the income-tax, is sugges tis eof their tactics. At all events in its origin it jumped with what the London journals of the party have lately been amusing their readers; and though its result was,— as will be seen from the report in yes terday's Daily Noes,—more rational than the propo sition it first aimed at, it is by the first moves of the straw that the real wishes of the party are to bo esti mated. Let us just see, then, which sort of a tory movement was attempted to be launched on the Tyne. Sonic ten days ago a requisition appeared in the local papers to the Mayor of Newcastle to call a meeting on the subject of the income tax. This the worthy Mayor (an excellent and tried liberal) at once did. First and foremost amongst the requi sitionists was Mr. HonGsos lltsliE, who formerly represented the town in parliament, and who, in retiring last election, attempted to saddle his brother on the representation. Now, Mr. litsiDE is a crafty, subtle, self-seeking tory, who is not likely to make a move of this sort without consultation with the chiefsof his party. It is important, therefore, to understand what it was Mr. HODGSON lIINDE put his name to ; for it may teach us how the wind is setting in. Now the meeting he and his tory allies requested the Mayor to call was for the purpose of petition ing parliament against the renewal of the property and income tax is any shape erlialerer. 'This, at all events, was plain speaking; it went direct to people's pockets. But the Newcastle liberals were too wary and sagacious to be caught in Mr. HEIDE'S trap ; the total repeal of the property tax they saw very clearly would have, and was meant, to be replaced by an impost on human food ; and aimed at nothing less than a fixed duty on corn. Accordingly, they resolved to oppose the proposition; to meet it by an other for the revision of the income-tax, by which property might yet be made to pay at a fair rate to wards the burthens of the state. And at the meet ing they carried an amendment limiting the repeal to the tax on incomes derived from trades and pro- Mr. lIINDE'u argument in favour of total repeal was characteristically crafty. A partial repeal would only enlist a few interests; whereas a total repeal ' would unite all : let us go, then, for the aboli tion of the tax in tote. But, in this appeal to popular credulity, Mr. HINDE forgot two im portant points ; first, that so far as prop t za and capital are concerned, the tax is a tax, it is levied on those who can pay it and w o are al ways boasting of the deep stake they have in tho country, and who insist on having great establish ments to protect their property; secondly, though • revision of the tax might be met by increased eco nomy, a total repeal would leave • void that could not be so met. " 'bey would have," said Mr. HINDS, " to submit to some other taxes to meet the defi ciency." Yes, there it is. To meet • deficiency of five millions and • half, the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER must tax some article or articles of general consumption. Now, what is there he can tax ? Tea he can't fall back on ; for already it is burthencd with an enormous import duty ; nor tobacco, for it Tay. from 30 to 160 per cent duty; nor sugar, nor co f f ee, nor wine, nor spirits, nor malt, nor soap; loran these the CHANCELLORof the Es t:IIE44I:ER has now under oppressive contributions. What, then, is there but corn,—but bread? And to that it comes. A total repeal of the property and income tax in the present state of our finances means the re-imposition of a bread tax. Wisely, therefore, did the keen and sensible men of Newcastle reject this new trick of the protectionists, and limit themselves to what is practicable—the retention of the tax on property and the revision of the tax on income— without repaving the way to another corn-law. The good example they have set will not be lost on other towns, if Mr. HINDeII meeting there be the com mencement of a new tory crusade. But there are other persons besides the tories on whom the result of this meeting ought not to be lost; and one of them is Mr. CIIANCELLoR of the Ex- CHEQUER. And what ought it to teach him? Why, that not half a dozen sensible men can be assembled together in any corner of the kingdom who (whilst assenting to the principle of direct taxation and to the application of that principle to property) do Nit denounce its extension on the present scale to incomes derived from trade and profession. Let him read the evidence of his own revenue authorities—(which after the last session closed we published from the minutes of his seer( committee);—and there he will find them explaining how easily jester principles might be applied to the two sources of income. Let him read the proceedings of the meeting of actuaries of the insurances offices which we reported only the other day ; and there he will see principles laid down for calculating the real value of temporary income. And now let him read this report of the Newcastle meeting; and there he will find proof that the industrious middle class will no longer submit to have their daily exertions taxed as if they were the accumulations of centuries. Under such circumstances, Sir CHARIER WooD will be a rasher man than even we think him, should he propose a simple unreformed renewal of the tax next session. If, however, he do, the proposal will end in sending him to pick his teeth somewhere else than on the Treasury Bench of the English House of Commems. THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 13, 1852. FRANCE. Prince Aldobrandini, cousin of Louis Napoleon, is arrived in Paris from Italy, and proposes to spend some time in the capital. The Unirers states that a serious indisposition will prevent M. de Montalembert from making his ex pected discourse on his admission to the Academy on the lath. Hence ho requests that the ceremony may be adjourned. Several copies of the bust of Louis Napoleon, by Madame Lefevre Ileumier, have been ordered by the Minister of the Interior to be executed in marble and placed in the halls of the different mayorics. The President has ordered a funeral service to be celebrated in honour of the memory of Marshal Soult, twesorrow morning, at 11, in the church of the lavalides. ream, MONDAY MORNING. The Moniteur of this morning contains a decree for the dissolution of tho National Guard throughout France, and the reorganisation of this institution upon an opposite principle, so as to make it an instrument in the hands of the executive power instead of the municipalities. The considerations upon which this important decree is based aro tho following. Order, it is alleged, is the only source of work, and is established only in the direct ratio of the strength and authority of the government. The National Guard ought not to be a guarantee against the execu tive power, but a guarantee against disor der and insurrection. The principles applied to the organisation of the National Guard at the sequel ol different revolutions in Franco, by indis criminately arming everybody, were only a prepara tion for civil war. Tho composition of the national guard effected with discernment secures public order and the welfare of the country. In the rural dis tricts especially, where the public force is inconsider able in number, it is important to provide against every now attempt of disorder and pillage. Recent experience has proved that a single company of good citizens armed for the defence of their homes suffices to keep in check or to put to flight whole bands of malefactors. The most important provisions of the decree are as follows: announces, without comment, several inmarea taken by the English government for placing the coast in a state of defence. The wooden houses building at Bordeaux by Messrs. BourgOs and Verges, for Cayenne, are to be one hundred in number, each capable of containing accent) , of the transport.l prisoners. The Liberec', of Lille, says: Notwithstanding the formal refusal of the French autho rities to receive Belgian deserters into the French army, such persons continue to cross the frontier and offer their services. A few days back a Belgian, named Lefebvre, belonging to the 10th Belgian regiment of the line, pre sented himself to the authorities at Lille, declaring as Bel gium was soon to belong to France, he only anticipated a little in now entering the French army. lie was quite sur prised ut his services being refused, and at a peremptory order being given him at once to quit the French territory. The Minister of War has just appointed a com mission, with Generals de La Rue anti Cornemuse at its head, to sec to the proper employment of the voluntary gifts sent in from various quarters, and in aid of the families of the soldiers and gendarmes lately killed and wounded in the defence of society. The Minister of War has put his name down for 5000 f. Tho National Guards ofthe Seine will be ►e-organised by battalions under the orders of the Commander-in-chief. The service is obligatory for all Frenchmen between the ages of 25 and 50 who shall he deemed apt by the (mini!' do recensement. The government *will nevertheless fix the number of National Guards for each locality. The Na tional Guard is re-organised in all communes where the government deem necessary ; it is dissolved and re-organised as circumstances require. The President appoints the officers of all ranks on the presentation of the Minister of the Interior, according to the proposals of the commander in-chief in the department of the Seine, and according to the proposals of the prefects in the other departments. The adjutant non-commissioned officers arc appointed by . . . M. Malay (de la Meurtlic) has ceased his func tions of Vice-President of the Republic; he recehed his salary up to the end of last month, but it was for the last time. the chef de bestail:on who appoints also to all posts of non-commissioned officers and corporals, on the presentation of commanders of companies. The National Guard is placed under the authority of the mayor, sub-prefects, prefects, and Minister of the Interior. Tho citizens cannot take arms, or meet as National Guards, without the order of their officers, aor can the order bo given by these without a requisition of the civil authority. No commander of a post can distribute cartridges to the National Guards placed under his command except by virtue of a precise order or in case of an attack. The cowed de reeeneeonent is composed as follows :-1. For • company : of the captain, as presi dent, and of two members appointed by the sub-prefect. 2. For a battalion : of the chef de beataillon, as presi dent, and of the captains of each of the companies. Provisionally and until the appointment of officers, it is composed of three members for each company, and of nine members for each battalion, appointed by the prefect or sub-prefect. At Paris the appointment shall be made by the Minister of the Interior, on the presentation of the ge n •ral commanding. The con cif de recensement decides on admissions. At the Bourse, the Fives fell 155, closing at 103.25; the 'Dimes fell 2.23, and closed at G 8.50. 'fhe dissolution of the national guard ( )reduced an uneasy feeling. A heavy full took place in railways. Orleans fell Gofr. ; Rouen, 47fr. 50e.; Tours and Nantes, 32fr. 50e. ; Northern, 20fr. ; Central, 17fr.50c.; Strasbourg, 16fr. 25e.; Versailles (left bank), lafr.; Havre, 12fr. 50e.; Marseilles, 10fr.; Dieppe, Bfr. 73c. Bank of France Shares fell 110. To sum up briefly the changes made by this decrees in the National Guard, hitherto all F rcnch men, with certain exceptions fixed by the law, were National Guards, chose their own officers, and were at the disposal of the municipal authorities of the commune. Now the officers arc appointed by the President and the prefects, and none arc admitted to servo except those chosen by the central authori ties. In the meanwhile this force, which is placed entirely under the control of the executive, lies at the charge of the municipalities. The national guard has thus received its death blow. No doubt this institution has declined much in popularity since the revolution of February and the days of June ; and if it had been totally sup pressed at Paris I believe that few would have murmured, for the shop-people would have been generally only too glad to get rid of the irksome duties of drill and exercise imposed on them. But the mode of reorganisation adopted by the decree of to-day gives universal offence. It completely per verts the institution by making the national guards and their officers nonunees of the government. Thus citizens of a liberal and independent turn of mind will have to obey those as their superiors who are selected for their subservience to the authorities, in stead of the officers whom they elected freely them selves. Thus, the irksome duty still exists, and is rendered as galling as that of the common soldier by being deprived of its peculiar character of self-orga nization. You will easily perceive how degraded the bourgeoisie must feel by the destruction of a fran chise which gave them a guarantee against military despotism. At present the last means of national resistance to absolute tyranny is fallen. Virtually, indeed, the national guard of Paris is extinct. That of the departments alone will be called into opera tion. The prefects will appoint as officers the most abject adherents of the present relgime, and these will be obeyed with reluctance by the national guards, who despise them. The measure will produce disaf fection throughout France. The swift succession of arbitrary measures during the last few days has produced an effect highly un favourable to the new government. The abolition of the device of "Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity," and the cutting down of the trees of liberty irritated the population of the faubourgs; the lids of pros cription struck terror and dismay through the upper classes, and excited the deepest indignation in all political circles ; the dissolution of the national Fuard has offended and humiliated the bourgeoisie. Thus the agitation of minds is grown general, and no doubt the considerable fall which has taker. place at the Bourse to-day is the consequence of the sinister depression which prevails throughout society. fho l'ays says: We are informed that a second detachment, consisting of 614 persona, arrested after the events of the 2nd December, left Paris yesterday morning for Brest, whore a vessel is waiting to convey them to Cayenne. We are immured that amongst the number is M. Xavier Dorrieu, formerly prin cipal editor of the journal the Ift:rotation, and M. Lacham beaudie, author of " Fables Populaires." Among the 18 representatives included in the second decree of proscription published in the Mo niker of Saturday, you will have observed the name of F.mile de Girardin. Reports have prevailed since the 2nd of Dee., that the talented editor of the Prase, who had been latterly writing in favour of the Elyske, was privy to the coup cr4tat, and consulted as to the measures which followed it. I have the best reasons to believe that these reports are calumnies. Equally idle and absurd is the rumour that Girardin solicited his own expulsion. Ito was at the office of the Presse when he first became aware of this blow through the Moniteur, and was quite stunned by it. Owing to his own intimacy with M. de Morny, and that of his wife with the Countess Le lion, Girardin was full of self-confidence that ho was quite safe. lie immediately sought an interview with the Mi nister of the Interior, to know the meaning of this extraordinary punishment inflicted on one w h o h a d rendered such immense services to Louis Napoleon. M. de Morey is said to have replied that his own was the only voice in the cabinet raised in favour of M. de Girardin. The only service which the minister could now render him was to grant him a few days' respite, a favour which had been refused to MM. Chambolle and Jules de Lasteyrie, who were escorted without delay to the frontier. A committee is appointed to examine the pro priety of restoring gambling-houses. General Changurnier, Colonel Charras, and M. Raze arrived at Valenciennes with false passports, in the respective names of Leblanc, Vincent, and La Salle. At tho station there the two first were recog nised by the inspector of passports. It was at once suspected that they had escaped from Ilam, and they were called upon to give explanations. The agents who accompanied them then stated the fact of their having received orders from government to conduct the three prisoners out of France, and to set them at liberty. The officers at the station supposed natu rally enough that as the passports werE false the commission of the police agents might he counterfeit also. They, therefore, refused to allow the travellers to proceed. But a message to Paris by electric telegraph soon got over this difficulty. General C'hangarnier maintained the greatest calm, and said, " It does not belong to me to take part in any discus sion between those who dispute the custody of my person." The Montt( nr contains decrees appointing General de Lawrestine, Commander-in-Chief, and M. Viegra colonel and head of the staff of the National Guard of the Seine. SWITZERLAND. The ,Votional Swiss Utizette contains the following: On the sth December, when intelligence of the events of Paris reached Lausanne, several French refugees drew un an appeal to the French people, and had it printed. The conclusion of that appeal was, "Wo arc ready to perform our duty as you are ready to perform yours. To arms. Virc la It4ntblique I.Aksorralique et Suckle." That appeal was signed A. Holland, T. Thore, Boichot, L Avril, Eugene Beyer, K Kopp, and Ed. Pfiegcr. On the 26th December, the Federal Coun cil having heard of that appeal, adopted the follow ' lug resolution: Whereas the signers of that appeal have attempted to effect an insurrection in France, and have thereby compro mised Switzerland; whereas Rolland, Boichot, Aida, Boyer, and Flier'', were expelled from Switzerland by a federal resolution of the 24th March, 1811, the council de• trees Ist. The above resolution is confirmed. 2nd. Kopp and Thori shall likewise ho expelled from Switzerland. The present resolution shall he communicated to the go vernment of the canton of Vaud, and the departments of Justice and the Police are charged with its execution. G. MuNztnoin, President of the Federal Council. SCHWA, Chancellor of the Confederation. " The decree," continues tho flaralte, " will be carried into effect. It is time that Switzerland should cease to be made a cat's-paw. She will fulfil her international duties at the same time that she will maintain her independence." SPAIN. MADRID. JAN. 7. The banquet of Maria Christina, given yesterday, was on a sumptuous scale. The absence of the Eng lish minister, Lord Ilowden, was remarked. The new captain-general of Madrid will arrive from Valencia in three or four days. The Gazette contains a notification from the Junta of the Public Debt, that the second public adjudica tion of the debt subject to be paid off shall take place on the 30th. The sum to be employed in the purchase of stock is 3,659,000 reels. The Duko and Duchess de Montponsier have left for Toledo.—The (Yr/- mar l'ublico states that the progressist minority has resolved to draw up a memoir expressing' its opinion on the present situation, and to propose, in the event of the Cortes meeting in 1852, to im peach the ministers for having usurped the preroga tives of the Corks; also to resign in case the majo rity should approve of the unconstitutional acts of the cabinet. The Military tia,:ette says that the pay of the first and second majors and sergeants of infan try is to be increased. ITALY. The o,feial Journal of the Dueliy of Saroy states that a railroad through Savoy is now in contempla tion, and that a bill on the subject will shortly be presented to the Sardinian Chambers. The survey of the projected line has been executed by Mr. Ilen frey, in the interest et a company already formed for the undertaking. The line.is to commence at Modane, pass through the Mont Cenis, and touch at Montmehan, Cliambei7, Aix, Athens, and Rumilly ; thence it is to run along the Val do Ficr, touch at Scyssel, and meet the Lyons Railway at some conve nient point. In its sitting of the Bth, the Chamber of Deputies at Turin continued the debate on the treaty of com merce with Austria. M. Depretis attacked it with Austria. M. Depretis attacked it with rather more vigour than prudence, making it appear that it wus disadvantageous in every respect, which was " proving too much." M. Farina spoke in favour of the treaty. Tho Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, in an able speech, repelled the insinua tion that the treaty had been imposed upon Sardinia and Austria, and expressed a hope that the Chamber would vote the treaty by a jarge majority. The dis cussion was again adjourned to the following sitting and a secret sitting fixed at the request of the go vernment for the discussion of financial matters. The Oazette du Midi states, on the authority of a letter from Genoa, that M. Casablanca, son of the ex-minister, is to be sent on an extraordinary mission to Piedmont, relative to the political refugees and the license of the press in that country. Our Roman correspopdent, writing on the 4th January, states that on New Year's Day a quantity of red liberty caps cut out in paper were strewed about the streets; many arrests had taken place in consequence. Mr. Freeborn's guest, Signor Maz zoni, had been transferred to the secret cells of the new prisons. The French ambassador had consented to send the advocate Petrochi out of Rome to free him from persecution. Fifty-two non-commissioned officers were to be dismissed from the army. Car dinal Alteiri had a grand reception on New Year's day. The Roman journals make no comments on Lord Palmerston's resignation. Father Marchi had discovered an interesting inscription on lead in the catacombs. Tho extraordinary rise in the French funds has sot been without its due effect on the Roman Exchange, Five per Cent. Consols having gone up from 82 to 88, an increase doubtless greatly attnbutable to.the rise of Roman stock in Paris consequent on the un expected circumstance of the French Five per Cents. soaring so much above par. Tho exchange on Paris is 19.01, but that on London has gone down 1 per cent., being now 490. A letter from Rome, in the cattolico of Genoa, contains the following passage : It is said that in his autograph letter to the Holy Father, Prime Louis Napoleon has avowed his sentiments of filial devuteduess in the strongest term., and declares he will make every effort to put down socialism. It is added that an eminent personage having waited upon the Prince, had a long conversation with him, iu which the Prince said to him . " Understand me well ; I am of the religion of the Pope ; I know I sin only here provisionally, but I hope I shall remain here long enough to stifle the two monsters of socialism and of the revolution." 'these words have been frequently repeated in well informed circles. MONMOUTHSHIRE IL►tr.WAT.—Tho parliamentary estimate for enabling this company to make their proposed now lines 6 160,000 L GERMANY. BERLIN, JAN. 8. By the Vienna papers, received to-day, we have news of the customs congress assembled in that city. The protocol of the first sitting is given in the Gazette, while Lloyd contains a copy of the draft of the treaty proposed to be concluded between the Zollvercin and the Austrian customs union. The proceedings were commenced with a speech from Prince Schwarzenberg, in which ho was at con siderable pains to obviate the impression likely to be produced by recent articles in tho Prussian Ga:ette : At this moment (he raid) certain minds aro occupied with the idea that besides the intention expressed, there exists another which is enameled, or at least that the realisation of our views would put in hazard the existing commercial and customs union. While I declare that this inquietude is unfounded, I regret much that all the members of the confederation are not represented here, for I could convince them of the nature of the negotiations, their common utility, and the possibility of agreeing to them. Austria, ho repeated, did not wish to break up the Zoll verein ; but the difficulties originally in the way of the for- maim of that organisation, as well as the difficulties of car- , rying out the treaty of September, were as great as those which now opposed the formation of an Austro-Oerman customs union. The difference which exists between the position of Austria and the other German states, which, un til now, have formed part of the Y.ollverein, is less marked, and offers fewer difficulties to the realisation of a customs and commercial union than the contrasts which have ex isted, and now exist, between the respective members of the Zollverein. Nevertheless, a determined will awl a loyal and firm spirit have established this community, and serve to maintain it by perseverance and mutual concessions. Thus, a commercial and customs union more extended be tween tiermany and Austria could not only he established in the same manner, but even more easily, seeing that the whole extent of the territory favours the conclusion of this union, elevating its utility, and limiting as much as possible the obstacles incident to it, and which present themselves even in the best systems of customs. - - - The speaker then appealed to the fears of well wishers to the Zollverem : In fine, the approaching expiry of the treaty of the %oil ver,in inspires well-founded fear., for its continuance, con sidering the known sentiments of its members ; and this offers a favourable opportunity to introduce modifications by which an advantageous and permanent ettension of the territory of the union may ho realised. If we profit by these favourable circumstances—if the difficulties, arising lets from facts and from real wants than from theoretical views, arc examined with calmness and impartiality by chosen men—and it they commence by regarding as a guiding principle that all sudden and violent transitions and all precipitation ought to be avoided—and if, in despite of the union, they admit certain special conditions depend ing on local eircuinstances, smoothing insensibly away cer tain inequalities in periods to be fixed beforehand, and taking care of all interests, this union may be safely effected. In tine, every member, by practising self-denial, and look ing only to the grand and common object in view, and con trasting it with the trifling sacrifices it will be required to make, will feel without doubt that our efforts will produce abundant fruit, to which your counsels, gentlemen, will powerfully contribute. Ho concluded by observing that he did not expect that any definitive measures could be taken at that congress, but he hoped that the interchange of ideas might prepare the w•ay for a treaty which should be acceptable to all the German govern ments. The Bavarian deputy, Count do Lerschenfeldt, briefly replied, expressing confidence in the good in tentions of Austria in calling the congress. There were two projects of treaties distributed to delegates at the sitting of the 3th. • The first pro poses a treaty between the Zollverein and the Aus trian customs union. It contains 54 articles, and is to come into operation Jan.,1854. According to this treaty uniform administrative processes and measures are to be established throughout the two unions; transit dues to be abolished, and articles of con sumption, cx gr., cereals, timber, fuel, &c., be per mitted to circulate free; a reduction of duties to the extent of from 10 to 25 pet cent. is to take place on the products of each union imported into the other ; the regio of the state be maintained only for salt, tobacco, gunpowder, and playing cards ; no new impost is to be laid upon consumption, and no exist ing tax to be augmented; facilities aro to be given for the most intimate relations between the two unions; the consuls of both shall be bound to render aid and protection to every German; a permanent commission shall sit at Frankfort to preside over the distribution of the common receipts, and all new modifications of tariffs and customs regulations shall be made with the common consent. To this first project the government joins another, fixing the bases of a union to enter into vigour on the Ist of January, 1859, and which is to unite the two unions above-mentioned. According to this, each state is to receive the paper money of the other in payment of duties, being held bouni at the same time to make good any depreciation of the same exceeding 3 per cent. of the amount receivable. The division of re ceipts to take place on the base of the average of four years prior to 1856. The duration of the union to be for ten years certain, its administration to be conducted by a commission at Frankfort, and a con gress of delegates to meet each year for the adjust ment of general questions. The Berlin second chamber adopted to-day the three ordinances concerning the modification of the Zollverein treaty, of which I have before spoken. The debate in both houses was uninteresting. The Cunatitutiwowlie tates that in consequence of the accession of Lord Granville to the Foreign•office, and in the hope that the refugee question will be treated by him with other views than those expressed by his predecessor, the Chevalier Bunsen has been desired to withhold the note drawn up for presenta tion on that subject, and which was identical in sense with those of Austria and Russia. The last of the popular ministers called into exist ence by the crisis of 1848 has fallen iu the person of the Councillor Chop, at Sonderhausen. The committee of the second Prussian chamber, appointed to consider M.Claussen's motion condemn ing the government for its arbitrary treatment of the press, has mado a report unfavourable to ministers. The New Prussian Oa:ette states that the Hano verian ministry has intimated to the Austrian cabi net that, while desirous of seeing an arrangement effected between Austria and the rest of Germany in what concerns the material interests, it will con sider itself strictly bound by the engagements of its prede•essor. TURKEY. Telegraphic advices, dated Constantinople, Dec. 29, state that M. Lavalcttc had delivered the ultimatum of the French government on the subject of the Holy Places. Cubali Effendi, at present Turkish minister at the court of St. James, had been nomi nated to represent the Porte at Athens. The Greek consulate at Adrianople had been attacked by a band of armed Turks, with the intention of obtaining pos session of two Greek girls who had taken refuge there because one of them had been promised in marriage against her will to a Turk. The father was a Turk, and the mother a Greek. The consul had received satisfaction for this aggression. The new Governor of the Dardanelles had waited upon the Austrian consul, and tendered an apology far the assault recently committed by order of his prede cessor on a dragoman. LATEST FOREIGN EXCHANGES. PAWS, JAN. 12. F" / I - For AeooNat. linnet'. pp m.* ' Illsbeet I Lowest Cloning. per 0006. .... so 0170 0 71 10 61 23 61 30 per OWL lle 70 10113 lel 33 103 10 103 23 Ter amts. do, New Loam par Ceuta. ~ _ , ._ lE. a at. l aa2re on I . .lo s tdrat : at sliii, 1 3 .35 ; 90 dew, 1310. ler Ogngs. I NI 3 pie Oasts. N do. New Loan 3 pa Oesta. Exchange on London: et. sight, 23 33 ; 90 day% 25 N. Wean, 3, 14110 y Do. Do. 3, 10.1 — Roman Loan, la3l .91 Do. 4 4 lb. 33 Piedrnnnt 3 n.1'071 4 ;1 O5 73 11 Ink sh Paulo, JAN. I2.—St. Germain, 525; Versailles (right bank), 203; do. (left hank), 338 75 ; Parb and Orl. ana, 1,070 ; Park and Rouen, 6412 50 ; Rotten and MM.. 245; Ilarrmllea and Avignon, 2:3; Stranhous t and Rate, 19 i ; tants', 300; l ac . an d ma ma% 494 ; O r l eami and Pan (*aux, 4'13; N9rthern, 3344 ; parts and Stnehourg, 435; Tours and Nantea, 275; Mon. Irma and Trove. 110; Ihepr and Fecamp, 320. MADRID, JAN. 7.—Three per Cents., 381 ; after 8010, 381. Four per Cents., 141. Five per Cents., 18! ; after Bola, Pt!. Coupons, 9 ; after llolsa, 84. Naives. 52 ; after Belo, 5'4. Bank of St. Ferdinand, 10'2 e. Exchange on London, 50.80 p. NAPLES, JAN. 4.—Neapolitan Fives, 103?,. Ex change on London, 577. THE BISHOPRIC OF JEROSAI.F.M founded, ten years since, end, r the protection of England and Prussia, having become var Ant (how it is not stated) will he now tilled by a prelate chosen by the King of Prussia. W. Va lentiner, a Schleswig ecelesiutic, who had been obliged to quit the country in consequence of political events has been selected for the post, lie has just lettlierlin for Trieste, on his way thither. THE NEW REFORM BILL. (Prom the Daily Netts.) TO LORD JOAN RUSSELL LETTER. IX. (Continued from the Lynn of Jan. 8.) MY Loup, There have been many instances of late year s of electors subscribing to petitions, praying for thei r own disfranchisement or the disfranchisement of the constituencies to which they belong. They ask to sacrifice their right, because they cannot exercise it freely: they would yield it rather than submit to the galling coercion and intimidation which now overrules the tree will of the electorates. Petitions of this character have emanated, amongst othe r; from residents in the towns of Stamfi,rd and Ripon ; and I think, my lord, that we may profitably recur to the facts which have been submitted to polio, ment respecting these two bin:Highs, in order to WV what is the condition of electorates in by no means inconsiderable or unimportant towns. The first case, my lord, is that of STAntrottn. l a the month of May, MK a committee of the noose uf Commons was appointed to inquire into the tilleo. lions of a petition complaining of the interferi nee 4 the Marquis of Exeter at the elections of romlxi l to serve in parliament for Stamford. The poitio n on which this committee was granted was signed by 211 electors and MI other inhabitants of the Is,. rough. There were a great many statements in the petition which were not proved before the committe c . I shall therefore abstain from quoting it, and eontine myself to what wax reported by the committee to have been established; premising that the committee was of the most moderate possible character, end that their report was drawn with an obvious de ,irt to moderate the facts. It was proved, my lord, that the Marqui s of Exeter has above 500 tenants in the laolopA pd Stamford, of whom 192 are electors: the total num her of electors in the borough being 574. it wa s proved that after the election of Is3o, when the liar. leigh candidates were hard run by Mr. Tennysn IrEyncourt, the tenantry who voted for the latter were treated with such extreme harshness as greatly to intimidate them. The committee instguee a rasa which occurred at that period, which illustrates the rigour of the system under which the town is held. It is given in evidence that Lord Thomas Cecil slw the wife of a voter of the name of Marshall, who lull a garden under Lord Exeter. Marshall was about to vote for Lord Thomas sad Mr. Tennyson, and his wife :tat., th a t Lord Thomas promised her, if her husband voted for him alone, that they should not be ejected from the Ranks. Iler husband did BO vote, but nevertheless received a notice. The wife remonstrated with Lord Thomas and the notice was withdrawn. At the next election, M 1831, her husband send for both Lord Exeter's nominees (as the want termed it), and was not put under notice ; but in 1832. he Toed for oue rr l can didate and the blue candidate, and he was then turned eat from the garlen. These acts of severity made so much impression act the electorate, that from 1832 to 1847 Stamford was held by the Nlarquis of Exeter's nominees without contest. In 1847 a party of electors invited the dis tinguished equity lawyer, Mr. Holt, to offer himself for a vacancy , which was occasioned by the retire. meat of Sir George Clerk, who had offended lord Exeter by his votes upon the Corn Bill. Mr. Bolt presented himself, and the committee report— That it has been proved that reference was frequently and openly made at public meetings, as well as on the hurt. inns or elsewhere, and in public journals and other publics. tions, to the facts, or alleged facts, that the voters were threatened with the marquis's displeasure if they in any way promoted Mr. ltolt's election, and that the voters be. lieveil, and were acting under the belief, that they would be discharged by the said marquis from their premises if they promoted Mr. Rolt's election. It does not appear that any one was authorised to contradict, or did contradict, such alleged facts, except that Dr. Hopkinson, who proposed Lori Granhy on the hustings, denied the use of any undue influence by Lord Exeter or his agents, and no au, nu of Lord Exeter were present on any public occasion during the election. Your committee, think, however, that it up. pears that an apprehension did prevail among the tenantry that they would be discharged from their premises if they did not promote the election of the candidates approved by the marquis, founded on the circumstances which incurred in 1830. This, my lord, is a sample of the state of things which exists under the Reform Bill. Was this what your lordship expected when you recommended that measure to the British parliament and British people ? On the whole the impression which was left on the minds of the Stamford committee is stated to have been, that the discharge of the tenants in 8430 led the voters to fear that they ran the risk of similar conse quences if they voted against the Burghley interest in 1847. The committee state that they also believe that some of the ejected tenants would not have been dim. charged, if it had not been for the votes they gave: and they wind up by declaring " that they are led to con clude, that an undue influence had been made to operate on the minds of a great portion of the con stituency, and that they have thus been placed under a certain amount of bias and constraint in the exer cise of their elective franchise." Such, my lord, is the report of the Stamford committee. It 'thews that a constituency, even of moderate proportions, is not safe from the intimidation of a powerful peer; it shows that your Reform Act, which was designed to make the franchise every man's privilege, has in certain cases made it a burden and an injury: it shows, also, the necessity of being resolute in deal ing with the present system of elections. My lord, these cases illustrate, I think, completely, the injustice, the tyranny, and the oppression, which has, been practised in the borough towns of England since the Reform Act passed into a law. I propound an all-important question when I ask what is your remedy for these abuses? It must be a large and a complete one. The evil itself is of a nature that reiptires complete eradication ; and it must be a popular and comprehensive measure that wilt rally around you the people by whose power alone you can hope to defeat the combined forces of whig and tory boroughmongers which you will find arrayed in detente of the abuse. The leading characteristic of the legislative pro ceedings of this nation is anything but that of which all sections of legislators make the loudest pro- fession. In almost every debate the people arc told that their well-being is the sole end the law-makers have at heart. Alas, my lord, those who are behind the curtain, and who know anything of the springs by which the state machine is influenced, know full well that the public interest is the last thing thought of. Let us take a glimpse behind the scenes. A motion is brought forward, involving, as we will suppose, some useful measure of reform in our juris prudence. A lawyer—perhaps an Attorney-General —gets up to speak upon it. What constitutional principles ; what felicity of illustration : what smooth and well-turned periods; how fascinating a manner; what deeply expressed conviction of the impoliev (on public grounds) of the change which is prop;sed! My lord, an hour before that law officer came down, he was not aware that such a subject was to be discussed, and he was " crammed" upon it on his way from the Temple-chambers to the house by au otfieer of the court,iu the annual receipt of 3,0001. f . romsuitorai for doing nothing? Or it is a question of church reve nues that is about to be debated. The Bishops' accounts are being overhauled, and the peccadilloes of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners looked into. Mark that must respectable old whig. llr rises to address the House. I I ow confident his deprecation of " the tune" in which the question is brought fens ard: how solemn his admonition to the much l ounger mover: how confident his expression of cons iction that the commissioners were right : how disinterested his defence of all their acts! This gentleman is a church man ;—yes, and he is also the brother of a bishop, who has been guilty of far worse jobbery than any thing revealed to the !louse, and who lives in constant fear that his turn is about to conic. Ands° it is. ale lord, all through the chapter. There is a great muster of members on a Railway Bill. WhydJ they [ensemble? To throw it out because it is a had line ?—beeause it takes a circuitous and inconvenient route ? Not a bit of it. They have come in obedi ence to a " whip" sent out by a county member who could not get from the company the compensa tion he demanded! There is a great party straggle. The lion. Toni Noddy, who is generally classed as an oppositionist, votes in favour of the government. alas he been convinced by the arguments of their supporters ; or is he tired of his principles, or dis gusted with his party ? Neither. Ask him, and ho will tell you candidly that he voted " no" instead of " aye because it was his wife's brother's depart- meat that was specially assailed, and because his 34 II 1 17 I 1e Ri toi ad as