The Express. — London, England, 1853-03-29 00:00:00

ght er,prtoo. Tt) ItitifSPON •k N le. itaa , u4l Ultima at " Ty. hayrem." r. ar • he ..as rraisiara oatatte." u pAb...tlxot zy. ry ant. *Today WO; is Una M Part ♦tteruacsaat.taurated !kr "ne [Ayres," Wails analog paper. W.:- be at 01. 41144, IJ. 11 myligid6ou.#l, by Tea Oita* aa the day uf pabiaatioa. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. Tim thor—Kaniste. Oa. Altrrasea. 70. 16 '. 04,03 W—wry. A. SI.. THE GREAT BIFFIN CASE. TUE "Miss" AND THE INNKEEPERS. day last. Scoundrehem has taken the hint, and left Mr. Breach was multiplied into a thousand off its former disguise. Ole roguery has ripened Breeches, and the whole landlord community exhi into sanguinary ruffianism. The private purchase of i Wad in as unfavourable a light as the monsters in ' individual voters has given place to costly and con- the drop of water. prehensivc levite of bludgeon men and vagabonds of I "Toeurjudgment,"saysth e M ies , " t h ew h o l e chap every description. Tippling in doors is no longer ! ter of hotel prices in England imperatively requires re noticeable in the roar of drunkenness .lad blasphemy form. There is no part of civilised Europe—and by the in the public streets. In a word, corruption, ni!kfe we of that term we would simply exclude the northern bold by impunity, has called in the aid of pliye'leal and eastern districts and the Spanish peninsula ge nerally — in which the accomm o d a ti on at h o t e l s i s no t force, and amid s cenes or violence and silkily rarely equalled, the mandate of the House of Commons has it:fiat!elp . superior and infinitely more economical been complied with, and a new election has been than in lengland. Even while we write, recollections held for Blackburn. It would be farcical to a ff ect of luxurieue evenings in France, Belgium, on the ignorance as to the means whereby this matchless Rhine, and in the larger towns of Germany and Italy, illustration of our present electoral system has and on the Swiss lalfes, rise before our memory, been brought about. We know not, and we and we turn with a shudder to oar own villainous care not to know, which side in the contest was first English caravansaries, with their dingy rooms, their or must to blame. The question is not one of party, ' stuffy' beds, their tough half-done mutton, their but of national importance, and in this light we are half raw or sodden vegetable', their noisy, dirty, bound to view the transaction as a whole, and to' greedy servants, and their enormous charges." express a belief which the public at. large will un- ' This is the slashing way in which the whole class doubtedly entertain, that no each exhibitions of; of British innkeepers are dealt with on account of an brutality and violence, as those which it has been our equivocal statement made by the unknown " Biffin " duty to record at the recent election, mule ever have i and the . equally unknown " Pippin." We have a takes place without a p ro di ga l an d pro ffi gs to expen- , perfect right to call the statements equivocal, because diture of money by the partisans of one side, if not I no endeavour has been made in the way of proof. on both. We do not say that the candidet es were Mr. Breach, in a letter published yesterday, sug personally involv e d i n th e i n i qu i t i es th us ergs nised, ! gests that "The Biffin" might have paid for and enacted. We take for granted, that, indi- a breakfast with meat, the tariff price of vidually, they may have been kept in the .dark which is two shillings. Of "The Pippin's" case he as to what was doing, until it was dr, ne. can make nothing at all. Ile offers, however, on the But what then ? Ie the shame and dem o- production of the bill, or on information of the time 'ululation of such transactions less, became tie when the circumstance took place, to have a old trick of corruption has once more been played thorough investigation, and in the event of its being by keeping the principals in ignorance, while the proved that there has been an accidental overcharge, accessories bully and bribe in their name ? No man to return the money with an apology. Ile then en of common sense will believe,—no man of common .ten into the general question of hotel charges, in honesty will say,—that gangs of ruffians, armed with e hich he show., what was evident enough before, bludgeons and other weapons, could be organised in th at the 2'itnes and "The Biffin" decide upon incor an ordinarily peaceable town, or brought from the nee t grounds on the subject of exorbitant prices. neighbouring villages to overawe and intercept voters Bat, `i these authorities consider their case on the day of polling, at a time when no great clues- made • out, when they can show that the tion of creed, party, or class excites the community, prico paid for an article at an hotel exceeds or affords any colourable motive for spontaneous very g neatly that paid for it uncooked at a retail ebullitions, unl ess somebody paid them. It is plain dealer s • But does that accurate calculator " The enough that force was the result of fraud, an d t h at niffie e 'eally believe that his cup of tea costs him no fraud did not fear to resort to force. more tha n what was given to the grocer and the We shall be exceedingly curious to see what the next milkman for the articles which produced it ? Did step of the present House of Commons will be in the the tea set 'vice and the spoons cost nothing ? Does gradual development of this system. Other writs he pay not, 'ling to the cook down below for boiling remain in suspense, and it would hardly be fair to the water, t, his housemaid or footman for bringing the bribing agents, treating-house-keepers, and it into the . dralrielg•YOOM? Was the water swede bludgeon men of the other convicted towns, to with- hot without an expenditure of fuel ? Does he hold from them the opportunities of a harvest which live in the Min ea rent free ? And film is obliged to their fellows at Blackburn have been enabled, to incur all these t 'apnoea before hie cup of tea is pre realise. Besides there will thus arise many occasions seated to him, .does elm erudite friend ever expect for exercising the army scattered in country quarters to find an innket per who will make lane a present throughout tho kingdom. By way of amendment of all these ? we would suggest, however, that it might save Unconscionable Bifffiti. be thought as, doubtless. bloodshed and money if burlesque elections He chooses to take his tsa.ai a mansion which cost were conducted directly and exclusively by 60,0001. in erecting, for which the lessee pays 3,0001. her MAJESTY'S troops in their own barrack-yard in rents and taxes. He his on entenag all the instead of by means or through the instrumentality privileges of the house, whittle are many. He may of bribing agents and debauched or intimidated enter into the rooms provided with the linden voters. Poor Mr. WALPOLE was very properly I t ournals and magazines, and see his last letter io the very mercilessly quizzed by her biAJESTY'S present Tunes for nothing. Fires sod lavatories an at hi s Ministers and their friends for proposing to give disposal. All this, however, he cannot or will sot votes to the Militia ; but it probably never occurred see, and is intent upon nothing but getting liens at to his ingenuous mind that we so soon should come to the rate of as. the pound, and his bread and buttes a time in which, without the help of drawn swords at the usual market pike. Shortsighted Barn and fixed bayonets, some elections could hardly be " I desire to know," says Cowley, the poet, "nher held at all. And what is to become of the peaceable the honest innkeeper who provides a public table fw population in places, remote from military depots, his profit, should be but of a mean profession, and he should the House of Commons persist in directing who does it for his honour, a munificent prince ?" writs to be issued indiscriminately to places like If the pout were alive now, he would sand Blackburn ? but a poor chance of on answer from the " gnat On the other hand, surely such cases as this public instructor." The Times which looks so riotous Lancashire Election will serve to stag- complacently at Austria crushing out Bor ger the most obstinate in their objections to secret tionalities, or Russia preparing to swallow up voting. With secret voting, such scenes as Turkey, or Americans flogging their slaves, feels a those at Blackburn could scarcely have occurred. It spasm of horror when an innkeeper includes in the appears by the records of the day that the successful price of the articles which he sells the due remune candidate was ahead early in the morning, and ration for the capital he has Invested. It assumes, that, upen this being made known, the organisation without hesitation, the truth of a doubtful charge, of mercenaries, whose business was to intercept and and comes down with a heavy blow upon a whole influence voters still unpolled, was at once put into class of men for the presumed crime of one. There requisition ; in addition to ehich, it is asserted con- is an evident injustice in :this which cannot be too fidently that the usual mechanism of corrupt induce- strongly reprobated. The power of the press can went began to be felt, and that both continued to be never, indeed, be better employed than in correcting exerted with increasing tecklessness as the announce- public grievances. But, in proportion to the in meats were published from hour to hour of the state fluence which the press exerts should be the care of the voting. It is, indeed, notorious that, in most taken that it is exerted on due grounds. Unless this instances, bribery bargains are completed during the is done its influence, however great, must in time last three or four hours of the polling. The indepen- vanish, and what was first admired for its useful dent electors are then generally exhausted, and the news will become hateful for its tyranny and in auction begins for the corrupt minority, with whom justice. lies the fortune of the day. If it had no other good effect, secret voting would put an end to this iejne ticc and iniquity. TO THE EDITOR OF TI! TIMES. Sir,—Will you permit me to appeal to your *ewe ofjus flee so much as to be allowed a few lines in the Tunes, in . . consequence of the importance to me of the remarks made in a leading article of to-day en the charges made at this hotel ? I would first expisin that, with regard to the ac count enclosed to you by " WAD," he hay paid 'tariff price for a breakfast of tea or coffee, with cold meat or eggs ; without these the charge is Is. 6d. In the letter of " Pippin" lamat a loss to understand the ease he speaks of. Himself, three servant., and three little children, if they went into the coffee-room, the proper tariff charge was Is. Gd. for each adult, and he would have been charged the half of that pries for children under seven years of age. My tariff is printed and posted in every room in this Muse, and in the cabin of every steamboat sailing from Folkestone it is constantly advestised, and either I or my mensger, Mr. Giovennini, are here ready and willing at alines to attend to any complaint that travellers may he,. occasion to make ; and if they are too careless to do ss or too dull to understand the plainest language, to which lint greatest publicity is given, I appeal with confidence to pea whether lam te blame. In the case of " Pippin," if M will do me the favour to produce his bill, or inform me when the circumstance occurred to which he alludes, I offer him every possible inquiry, and if, by accident, there has beepan overcharge, the return of the money with my apologies for a mistake. On the general argument whi sk you have raised on this occurrence, will you permit me to say that your correspondents have misled you. At the steam-boat station them is, adjoining the begin, ware house, a refreshment room open on the arrival of every boat, where " Balls " might have had as excellent • cup et tea or coffee, with • roll and butter, as he got at Amines, the chug. for which is Is., and no attendance charged as permitted to be taken. My charge at this hotel is 6d. he a large cop of tea or coffee; for a plain tea or breakfast, with bread and butter, Is. 6d.; either with meat, 2e.; and Bd. attendance for tea or breakfast. Two ehildrea under seven years of age are considered as one adult, and charged he accordingly, except for attendance, which is not charged Wen served in private apartments. To make comparisons between the charges at a railway/ station, when everything is served @Wading, and where , generally, namely five minutes' time is permitted, and the accommodation and comfort with which them things ass served at an hotel, I would suggest to your eorrespondast "Biala" is most unjust. Here is as hotel which mat nearly 60,0001. in erecting, for which I pay, in rent, rates, and taxes, rather over 3,0001. per anniam—here an large rooms of various kinds for the MeilmOodolim of the which are provided with the loading Leman journals and other periodicals of the day ; to them apartments the tea yeller has free seems ; he warms and he dries himself, ar . 6 1 in many COW, his clothes being wet, they are old • ta r him. • lavatory is provided for him, with every scam' pip. dation mossemy, sad all tree et any charge. IDeny • ava il themselves of these amommodatioss, and take met 4 g in the sham of refreshment, but merely walk into the as caking roses and smoke the cigar whirl they kayo bronglth ',a th e i r pocket. Still lam glad to see old faces, and kaps.•ta make new [Ands. That this accommodative—that the earellenc e of the viands here served—and eat the charges made al e not only not egesesive, but modeled', is appreciated tiv; thousands who use this hotel, and)," the protracted stay of not only the Seat families in the eimatry, but by those whose mo re limited means render thesakeenly alive se excess. All this is scresably ascertained by me, by the great increase of my liminess and by visits often repeated by enetomen. I trust that you will do me the greet favour to publi sh this letter. I regret its extreme length, but lem natur : most anxious neither to lose the patronage of the Wilk, our the confidence and respect of my friends. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, J. G. ill/4CH. Pavilion Hotel, Folkestone, Hareh 25. REPORTED DESTRUCTION OF THE SIIIF AMERICA. —The following was Posted yes.crday in the underwriters' room, Liverpool: "A telegraffi from New Orleans men tions that the America, as well es the Belmont, was burnt on the 7th inst. The cargoes of both wore 6,000 bales. There may be some mistake in this, u th e owners of the America here have received no information of it. It my refer to the American ship Maine, which lay beside the Belmont at the time of the burning, as the America lay at Point." - ----- AIISTRALTA.—The total number of vessels pre paring to sail hence for Australia is 61, and the total amount of registered tonnage is 34,761. The fleet contains some of the largest and fastest sailing ships in the world.—Liverpool Albion. TILE BREAKDOWN OF THE AUSTRALIAN.—The last mail from Australia contained several thousand registered letters; nearly a thousand of them were for Ire land. There were some for almost every town in the king dom. About 40 were for Manchester. The mail disem barked from the steamer Australian, which put back into Plymouth, contained nearly 30,000 newspapers for Aus tralia. The whole of these bass been sent out by private ships at sn expense of above 1001. LETTERS FOR SYDNEY AN PORT PHILLIP.— Ths Post-office authorities have advertised that ship letter bags will be made up fur Port Phillip chid Sydney, to be dnpatched by the screw steamer Argo, on the 4th of May LONDON, TUESDAY, MARCH 29. Tor Ministerial meeting at the Mansion-house on halter Monday may be regarded as marking one of the red-letter day; in the life of a London Lord Mayor. There beside him at his b.,ard are the men ranged in a row who wield the executive power and tinge the political fortunes of the country. Downing. street hotenobe with Chespside ; the House of Lords eats turtle with the House of Aldermen; Peers and Statesmen take a City dinner, and repay it lie civil speeches. This time last year we had Lord Demie talking at the civic banquet—hinting praises of himself aid colleagues, and exciting hopes rather than making promises of what they were to do. One sentence Iu his speech ruse above common place, almost to the prophetic. "No Minister," he said, "can direct the affairs of this country for any lengthened period unless he enjoys the confidence and support of his fellow-countrymen." Mr. WALPOLE also tried his 'peen lice hand at a Ministerial speech, in which he strove to be complimentary to the City at the expense of St. Stephen's. Last night the dra matis perionre were all changed. We had the Earl of ADFAIDELN, in the r:ie of Premier, thanking the LIED MAYOR for his hospitabe treatment of Ministerial goat.., and tacking to his thanks a short oration on the benefits of commerce and of pence; whilst Sir JAMES °BAIRN( explained our ability and recalled our renown in war. The Egyptian Hall with its new party of guests, looked just as well as it did twelve months ago. The turtle and the lime-punch, the substantials and the delicacies, were just as abundant and as excellent as ever. The trum pet sounded, the toastmaster was sonorous, tho "lov ing cup" went round as fast, and champagne corks and "hear, heurs," were just as ready--nay, the latter much readier—to make welcome the Whig- Peelites as last Easter they were to hail the Dee byi:e-Tories. And how will the result differ in this instance from the last ? At Easter 7,2, Lord DERBT seemed full of promise, and Mr. Wstrete of hop?. The one was as high-born as Lord ABM:DEEM, and the other quite ns ambitious, if not as logical, as Mr. GLADSTONE. Yet where are the 'furies now? Why, then, should nut next Easter see the changes rung once more? Only one thing can prevent it, But this one vital talisman all the friends of the present Cabinet must hope will be present to guide and preserve its members from the disgraces and the fate of their immediate predecessors. The Derbyites traded on fable pretences. They got into office under false colours. TL y set up some halt-fraudulent firm with " PROTECTION" as the name of the chief partner, but nobody knew who or what was concealed under the additional "AND Cu," They were not straightforward men whose words were their bonds. They had promised one thing to the farmers of the coiLties, and another thing to the traders of the towns, and even over their Easter cups with " My LORD MATO4," t h ey had speeches, in which offi cial reserve was m ade to look as much like some thing else as possible. They did not meet their acceptances to the agriculturists, and they failed in satisfying the just demands of the commercialists, , and when the inevitable hour arrived for realising by , deeds their often-pledged words, the bubble burst, and amid a howl of national discontent and derision the , hybrid combination was declared politically bank- rept, and was ignominiously ejected from place. Their pledges ooce thoroughly broaen they were gone. %VIII the warning he lost? Will their successors, who, last night, spoke from the same platform , to the same audience, in like words of bland com pliment and guarded half explanation avoid a like fate? The same rock of political bank ruptcy is still ahead. The same generous yet in exorable public creditor still demands his own. Pledges have again been given—promises been mask, and a day of reckoning fixed. This time our political traders are people of far higher quality— men of more proved integrity—politicians of better known and loftier character, of more liberal principles. This time we have a leader of the House of Com mons whose name is identified with the growth of our liberties, and who, however he may halt or limp at times on his journey of Reform, has ever kept on the same straight and respectable road. We may often have quarrelled with his pace, but never with the direction of his way. He has never boxed the political compass— now ultra-Radical, now ultra-Tory, now fiercely de nouncing Peet, and now following PEEL'S footsteps. He has never danced the STANLEY and DISRAELI reel. He has been consistent and respectable, if slow. But neither the character of Lord Jowl ItussELL —the experience of " Athenian " ABERDEEN, the skill of Sir JAMES GRAILUI, the subtleties of Mr. GLADSTONE, nor that kayak of the Radical Reform interest repre sented by Mr. VILLIERS, Sir W. Mott:swell - pi, and Mr. BERNAL OSBORNE, will fail to save the Coalition Cabinet from the fate of their predecessors, if they fall into that fatal state in which pledges and prince plesareforgotten. On Education, on Fiscal Reform, and —when the appointed day comes—on Parliamentary Reform, the pledges given on taking office must be redeemed. 'Die country was asked for time, and time waLcheerfully conceded. But the day of reek aging will come at last, and then it will be confi dence justified—or lost. If the first—aes we sin mealy trust it ma be---all will go on cheerfully, pleasantly, and wel t There is a grand vista open ing upon the world at large, and on England in par ticular. At home and abroad, in our provinces and is ear colonies, there is good work enough ready for the deist to give say half doses statesmen great repu tatioss—nay, lasting fame. All this harvest is wait ing the sickle. The reapers are in the field. Will they do the work—or shall we have a fresh set of Ministers at the Mansion-hones next Paster Mon day enjoying the abundant hospitality of my Loan MAYOR ? A glass of clear water is one thing to an ordinary mortal, who rejoices in its refreshing qualities, and another to an experimental philosopher with an ozy hydrogen microscope. You may have drunk draughts of the said liquid for the last fifty years, and fancy you have a right to expatiate on your own tempe rance, and the wholesome qualities of your beverage, but your philosophic friend will be able to stop your eulogies, and turn your stomach by showing you a magnified representation of a single drop of water. You then sicken and shudder at the thought that although you really are tolerably strong and healthy and never paid a guinea to a physician in your life, you have been swallowing alive, day after day, for years, an incalculable number of "horrid looking creatures," the like of which had never been seen or dreamed of until the oxy-hydrogen microscope came into existence. You ineonunently make "war to the knife" against the unoffeoding beverage : .you boil it, you filter it, you adulterate it with spirituous fluids, and the chance is that you end at last by looking upon water with such a holy horror as Falstaff himself seems to have entertained of it. The oxy : hydrogen microscope has made a monster of a minute drop of water that would not have sufficed to wet the wings of a fly. What the oxy-hydrogen microscope does for the material world, the limes does for the moral and political world, Some wiseacre stumbles upon what he considers a grievance, the details of which he would find a difficulty in getting half-a-dosen sensi ble people to listen to. Fully aware of the real in significance of his story, he submits it to the enor mous microscopic power of the Times, and multiplies it immediately by a million. The Times, which has Tut wisdom of the Howe of Commons in their made the monster, then sets to work valiantly to kill late resolution that a new writ should be issued for it, and congratulates the nation upon the correction Blookburn—eegardlesi of the imputationsaffecting the of a great public nuisance. The last example of this constituency of the borough—has already been tested kind is the " °rest Biffin" case. " The Ban " is a and illustrated in a very remarkable manner. It voyager who has no sympathies with inns. He evi will be recollected by most of our readers that upon dently thinks small of Shenstone's lines: the petition of the defeated candidate at the last ge- Whos'er has travelled life's dull nand, meal election, the sitting member Mr. Ei rtes was Whence his stages may have been, unseated for bribery and treating. lint the personal May sigh to think he still bestowed question bein4 once disposed of, the investigation in the warmest welcome at an inn. the Committee room came of course to an end. There He can't " take his ease in his inn," for thinking was in point of fact no means then and there avail- of the difference of the price of a chop in the waiters able for carrying the inquiry further, and it con- bill and in the weekly house-book of the wife of his sequently devolved on the House of Commons to bosom. He is only at ease at the abomination of decide what further steps, if any, should be taken for modern railway travelling—a counter. Had he made sifting the case thoroughly and completely, for the the pilgrimage with Chaucer, instead of putting up sake of public justice, public decency, and public In Sonthwerk, at the gentil hostels* honour. More than a prima facie case of prcva'ent That highs the Tabard tuts by the Bell, sal-practices at the late election having been esta- he would have dived into some alley in search of blished, and the member so returned having been ' a cookshop. lie arrives from France, sick and deprived of his seat, it seemed but reasonable and at Folkestone, and as there is no counter, he pros just, that until a Commission should have impartially ito the hotel at the station. He has tea, and would investigated all the facts of the cue on the spat, no have had bread and butter had not the latter article new election should have been held to fill up the i disagreed with him, so he ate his bread dry. For vacant seat. So thought all the sincere and earnest this he tells ua ho is charged two shillings and friends of purity of election in the House. sixpence. Fired with indignation at the exorbitant Rut their counsels were overborne, and their i charge , he "writes to the limes." The proprietor of remonstrances were set at naught — an over- ! the inn denies the truth of the statement, appealing whelming majority of Tories, Whigs, and to his printed tariff of charges, in which the price for Coalitionists insisted that the new writ for • a " full tea" is one shilling and sixpence, with six- Blackburn should issue without delay. Mr. Dot- pence for attendance. "The Bifiln," nothing daunted, mmHg did not hesitate to tell them at the time, that sends a copy of the bill to the Times, in which the country would not believe that they really desired the prices agree with those named by him ti suppress the scandal and crime of corruption, at first. The national mind being thoroughly while they thus wantonly defeated its exposure and roused, in comes "A Pippin " with a corroboration of invited it. repetitiou. But he was answered bye" The Biffires " statement. Up to this point little plausible assurances that there was no reason to sup- can be said upon the subject but that it is a curious pose the evil to be grner lat Blackburn, ani that it case of discordant testimony. Had "The Biffin " was highly prolml,lc the new election would be a' forwarded the original bill to Mr. Breach, the pro model of propriety. order, and law. prietor of the hotel, instead of sending a copy of it to • Well, a new election for Blackburn has been held, the editor of the Times, it is more than probable that and a model it has certainly proved in its way. The the affair would never have come before the public. cosl-prectieerol last July have assuredly not b.en imi- But fate and "The Biffin " decided otherwise. The t ested in any timid or servile spirit by the mci: of this I case, minute as it was, was supposed to be a fit one d stinguisLed borough. They have been fairly tutdene for the tremendous powers of the Times. The moral and eaAt into the shade by the procecdin, L. ' oxy-l:ydrogeu microscope was brought into play. THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 29, 1853. FRANCE. PARIS, MONDAY Evaninci, At the close of the Bourse there was a rumour that news of an unfavourable nature had been received from Turkey, and the latest quotations were weak in consequence. No telegraphic desp.tch, however, announcing the arrival of the Egyptue at Marseilles, has yet been made public, and I have reason to think that none has been received. Letters from Con stantinople, dated the 11th, have arrived to-day. They contain no intelligence respecting the ultimatum of Prince Menchikoff, bat they mention a fact , tending to show that no serious alarm can exist at Constantinople, namely that the new bank is de finitively established. The contract is said to have been signed on the 11th instant. Prima Menchikoff had an interview with Kosrew-Pacha. M. de Lacour is still at Marseilles, and it is now said there that he will not sail till the 28th. This is a further confirmation of my statement that he was instructed to wait for the Egyptus. M. Tucker, the government messenger, who brought the despatches from Colonel Rose, had arrived at Marseilles with instructions for Admiral Dundee. He put to sea in the Caradoe at once. It is confidently stated in Paris this evening that Admiral Dundee is not to proceed to the Archipelago, but rather to keep within call of Alexandria. Yesterday being Easter Sunday the printing offices of all the Paris journals were closed, and eon asequently none of them appear this morning. The parti pretre, encouraged by the belief that the Emperor will shrink from no sacrifice to induce the Pope to come to Paris to place the imperial crown upon his head, has commenced a odious campaign against the validity of civil marriages. The over throw of civil liberty on Dec. 2 has given such stimulus to the spirit of intolerance that it is alreaiy thought possible to abandon one of the most im portant conquests of 1799, to reverse legislation which for the last sixty years has satisfactorily re , gulated the most important of all civil contracts, apd to restore a priestly domination against which the Kings of France struggled ineffectually during eight centuries. This most revolutionary scheme is put forward in an insidious guise. The Roman Catholic church is ever eminently practical in its encroach ments. It is felt that a naked proposition to declare every marriage not consecrated by the church of Rome a mere state of concubinage would stand no chance of acceptance at the present time. The priestly party, therefore, affect to advocate free dom of conscience, and to consider one reli gion as fully entitled to respect as another. M. Sauget, sometime minister of justice and minister `of public worship under Louis Philippe, and president of the Chamber of Depsties at the moment of the revolution of 1848, stands forth as the cham pion of obligatory religious marriage in the interest of liberty of conscience. He truly observes that the vast majority of French people do Beek the religiose senorita° to their mostiages ' although it is not re quirei by law. Give ellteet, therefere ' he says, Is this general public feeling by your legislation, but shock nemetedence; impose upon no moo or woman any pimplier forms, but lot every one be married in the religion which he lutafeses the R 3111161) catholic by the priest,the protestant t o his minister, and the Jew by hiensibi. lie then sash perverse ingenuity, puts a ease of' possible hardship under the present system. Only think, iate argues, what a (heedful thing it would be if a lady haring been legally mar fried at the register oilte,• but intending es go to church afterwards, shoedibe fined as , she ;night be by an impious husband,,tts , lit, with him ae his ' wife withcut any religions ceremony. No , instance is known ea any evah extreme.esser havingoecur!ed. Whenever a measure limitelte provide against tllat particular hardship shall be *sop° forwanil,.it may ; deserve consideration. Meamelule the diibreneo is great between enabling all possess who desire it to be married at an altar, and fereiax religiose- over monies, religious free, and religious actortions• ups* those who object to them. Tithe msriage state cam not be legally entered into without the priest, the priest, as of old, will assume thrpowerof prohibiting marriages except upon his own conditions. He will multiply impediments which roast beebaughttif with money. The tendency of the 'kaiak *arch to do this is proved by French history.. (ice 4the art pedients to which the civil government aL France was driven against priestly eaatationteres• the ereee tion of a tribunal of appeal ugliest Jeoleeisstical ob. jections to the celebration of rearnagast Ike priest , was ordered by a lay judge to. perforce the nuptial , ceremony. What would religoon gain. by the re storation of such an anomaly,? Tt is transpanant hypocrisy in the parti pretrc to.pretend to put other ' religions on a level with thrice owls Tie pro - rant reactionary change in the lesson/di giro them pmts. diction over the vast majori ay.of Frenchmen th agree fess no other religion than the Raman catholic,, and this Would ben pretty good step towards the embalm domination which they wi add inevitably claire:when ever they should feel trtreag enough to do so. I me net bring myself to be lie withal the Emperor sill be so blind to public op;.nit ea to yield to kolas upon this point. The present marriage law was accepted by Louis XVI. wit moot a protest. It was inserted without a question t is the Code Naleon. The priestly jurisdictio n was warped so lately as the tenth century. The abases of the power of the church were so flagrant that the kings of France were continuaU y struggling against them. In ' 1639 a royal or dinance prescribed that civil regis ter, ef nia, es should be signed by two notaries and the m cure or the vicar-general. This being found insufil dent, the ordinance of Blois, orellin 1579, laid down rigorous rules eping the registers, and inflicted severe penalties up on priests who should fail to remit certi ficates of marriages to the registers within two menthe of their celebration, together with "judicial evidence" of the truth of the certificates. Subsequent Vold dec rem, especially two of 1667 and 1738, tes tiU the constant difficulties with which the civil goventr sent had to contend in consequence of the "Mud on introduced into families by priestly jowl,. dietiet t over marriages. In the early days of the Ns !teni on, a work published by a perfectly orthodoz diee, the Abbe Tabourean , laid down principles as this subject which have never since been disputed by t statesmen. He quoted texts of Scripture a d passages from the fathers innumerable, tr I show that the modern doctrine, that the .unction of the church was an essential element of the status of matrimony , was wholly unten able. He devided marring, into three elements, — consent of parties, which is the essence of the rela tion, a civil act to testify that consent, and the sacred rite, " which rectifies but does not constitute the mar riage state." The existing law has worked well, it hurts no man's conscience, raises no difficulties with regard to mixed marriages or otherwise, is engrafted in the habits of the people, encourages marriage by its ai'.nplicity, while it discourages concubinage for the same reason, and—excepting only the priests— is not complained of by any section of the er,mmunity. Such a law cannot safely be t ouched for the miserable purpose of bringin g the Pope to preside at a raree show in Paris. Neither M. Sauzet, nor M. Vatimesnil, who has given his adhesion to the pamphlet ever thought it their duty when they were responsible ministers to make anj such proposition as that which they now advocate. Ido not believe that Louie Napoleon will be so short-sighted as to tirer les marrow du feu for their benefit or amusement. There was not much business transacted on the Bourse to-day. The following are the closing prices, for cash :—Titree per Cents., 79f. 90c.; Four-and-a- Half per Cents., 103 f. 66c. For the account: Three per Cents., 79f. 80c.; Four-and-aaalf per Cents., 103 f. 60c. ; Bank Stock, 2,640. 1 he following are the latest quotations received by telegraph:—Frankfort: Austrian Five per Cents., sal; ditto Four-and-a-Half per Cents., 7.;; Bank, 1, ii3 .— Berlin : Four-and-a-Half per Cents., 1024 ; Four per Cents. 991, ; Three-and-a-Half per Cents.,l 93; Bank Shares 109.—Vienna: Nletallique Five per Cents., 944 ; Lean, IWil, 101 ; Lombardo-Vene tian, 1001 ; Bank Stock, 1,420. PARIS, SUNDAY EVENING. The Peace deputation has arrived here from Lon don. The gentlemen forming it are—Sir James Duke, Bart., M.P., Sir Edward Buxton Bart., Mr. Samuel Gurney, Mr. Wm. Gladstone, 'Sir. St. Leger Glyn, Mr. Thomas Dent, Mr. J. 1). Powles, and Mr. G. Barclay. They are commissioned by nearly 3,000 of tho merchants, bankers, and traders, of London, to wait upon the French Emperor, and to present to him a declaration of the friendly feelings which exist in England towards the people of France, and to deprecate the ill-feeling which the tone of certain English journals has been calculated to arouse. The deputation is to be received by the Emperor to morrow. SPAIN. The discussion in the Senate on the report of the majority of the committee favourable to the preten sions of Marshal Narvaez was resumed and brought to a close on the 22nd inst. The report was rejected by 106 to 64. In the Chamber of Deputies M. Lujan and other progresista members brought forward a proposition to the effect of obtaining some mitigation of the law on the prem. After a short discussion, in which M. Lujao, the Minister of Finance, M. Pidal, and M. Gonzales Bravo took part, the proposition was rejected by 1.53 to 47. The chamber afterwards elected a committee to examine the application of the govern ment for leave to continue to collect the taxes. Seven ministerial members were appointed. GERMANY. The police have paid a domiciliary visit to the house of Professor Hafen, of Heidelberg, which they searched for papers. All his correspondence, notes, and memoranda were carried off. The Grand Duke of Ilem Darmstadt, finding that his people continue to emigrate in numbers con tinually increasing, has forwarded a circular to the potentates his neighbours, praying them to arrest and send back any of his extravagant and erring sub jects who have not his permission to depart for coun tries beyond the sea. SWITZERLAND. Letters from Berne of the 23rd state that the Ans train Ambassador received on that day from the President of the Swiss Confederation the final answer of the Federal Council respecting the Ticino difference. Should Austria after this persist in its offensive treatment of the Italian-speaking canton and refuse to take steps for placing its relations with the Con federation upou a friendly footing, the Council will call together the Assembly without d. lay, and de clare that all diplomatic means consistent with the honour of the Confederation have been exhausted. By another resolution the Council pledges itself to pub lish all the documents connected with this dispute, and so appeal to the judgment of the nation and the European public. The Swiss journals publish a spirited letter of the well-known General Dufour ex pressing the joy with which he should find himself once more among his old companions in arms,should the cause of Switzerland's freedom and independence require the services of the army. ITALY . ROME, MARCH 20. The Par correspondent of one of your contem poraries gyres it out for certain that the Pope will comply with , the wishes of the French Emperor ere low, and repair with a ssniptuous train of ecclesisa tie* to NotreStsme, to plass the imperial crown upon ther anointed heed of Napekon 111. Such, however, ils. by no means , the prevalent opinion- here, nor can any ape acquainted with the temporising character cedar Pupal tenet imagins. that a stsp.of such im portance is like, to be nisei by his 'Holiness, con tra" to the wall of Austria. w 4 the remonstrances of the. whole Sacred , College, unless some very cogent arguments are put forward :u an irresistible form by the uncompromising Genesall Montreal,. This new commander meanwhile keeps- his own lounse4 and with doubtless act vigorousl.r up to any instructions he may, receive ftsim his government he likewise keeps- the city perfectly trusqpil witimst adopting any of the extraordinarily severe measmocsuggested to him by . the Papal authorities, altixagh be has takan- the liberty of causintr the arrest of a few of the most mischievous sbirr.Aand reactionary police undisiings followers of this biple heinicide Gen naraceio, whose zeei-for the parrnment has kept his herd:on his shoulders, men aver ready- M. get up a soya in order to-get credit fon putting it down again; anth.finally. the general keep. his soldiers. in a most effibient state of disciplin i i , sead3r foe action at a moment's nctioe,. and quit.t. as lambs in. their every dap intercourse with the citizens. 'lucre never won a justooariticism od the French away in the-Papa States,than that made the other dap by a Roman of high finding, celebrated for his Nanning and his witticisms. "Throe things have astounded me:" said he, "-ever since the French occu pied our esuntly : the Besot their rowels, the dia. sipline of their soldiers, and the dissonance of their Sands!" The first chum, has been fully established by the wonderfully contradictory proclamations of Oudinot and his successors; the second by the won derfully few frays between soldiess and citizens of different nations, by so means food of each other; and the third by the torture which the French mili tary music invariably inflicts upon the sensibility of an Italian tympanum. Mr-Lyons, who supersedes Mr. Petre in the post of unaccredited diplomatic agent of the British go vernment in Rome, has not yet arrived, but is ex pected every day. The city is thronged to excess with foreigners flocking in from Naples and Florence to witness the ceremonies of the Holy Week. This morning his Holiness performed the customary palm branch ceremony in St. Peter's, which opens the series of splendid ecclesiastical pageants for which Rome is celebrated at this season. Uniforms and costumes of all descriptions enriched the scene, and the prooeasionary train comprised the usual throng of cardinals, diplomatists, generals, and converts. This winter has been much less productive than the last in swelling the ranks of the Roman catholic church at the expense of those of the church of England. Father Manning is expected to be the favoured competitor amongst the three candidates whose name, have been submitted to his Holiness for appointment to the Roman catholic see of Notting ham, as he has the advantage of a considerable theo logical reputation, and moreover a personal acquaint ance with the Pope. Considerable sensation has been 'produced in the provinces by the execution of several individuals at Ferrara, convicted by the Austrians of political of ' fences, amongst whom is Signor Gullanelli, who . served as an officer in the army which defended Rome ' from the attacks of the French. The animosity of ' the Austrians against the very shade of liberalism ' dictates the harshest possible measures to the Papal L authorities, who, indeed, do not require any such ' instigation, and it is the will of the Austrian ambas sador here that prevents Monsignor Matteuoci from L relaxing the rigour of police surveillance which sends I so many Romans like children to their houses every ' day at sunset, and so many suspected individuals to r prison on the first rumour of disturbances in other ' countries.. The fourth battalion of the Austrian regiment, Francis Joseph 1., has relieved the disaffected Hun garians hitherto in garrison at Ancona. His Holiness has condescended to patronise the sculptor De Fabrio's plan for a monument to the memory . of Torquato Tasso,.and has handed over to Prince Borghese, one of the members of the commit tee appointed to carry out the undertaking, a hand some sum from his pnvy purse. Exchange upon London, 482. Roman Console, 96; The Genoa Gazette of the 23rd inst. announces the arrival in that city, from Nice, of Mr. Campbell Scar lett, Charge d'Affaires of Great Britain at the Court of Tuscany. The Opinione publishes the following letter, dated Milan, 22nd:— The news of the "Amnesty of the Innocent" was re ceived at Mantua with demonstrations of joy by a great number of families who beheld tke are of the ezecutioner suspended over the heads of their relatives. The entire city was illuminated. The Mayor of Milan also wished th►t this amnesty, if it can be so called, should be celebrated by an illumination of the theatre of La Scala. The military com mander insisted on the National Hymn being sung, and at • signal given by the commissioner of police all the specta tors stood up. General Gyulai observed from his seat how his orders were era uted, and, having remarked that the Marquis Foncino had retired with his lady to the inner part of his box, he sent to him a commissary of police, who con ducted him to the city prison, where he remained until mid night. Liberated at that hour, he wasenjoined not to leave his house, fur I don't know how many days, and to receive none of hi. friends until further orders. I have to com municate to you another strange piece of intelligence, the object of which is not easily understood. The military authorities have granted permis , ion to a number of old "Mecca of the Kingdom of Italy, who served in Napoleon's army, to proceed to l'aris to compliment the nephew of the Great Captain. They have been even furnished with letters of recommendation. in any Hanauer whatr,„ t mci: in c r e eTh secretil u..,,,c,1df,ie,,f: statingi e e s ii agt,sh - i i nga i p e at,: s : : o : : : , , ' j a i:, is i hn • ,: r e. a. art i n ou f dr es 0, e s t v h ed e iur. 7 u bi es uni:l i 1. • presence of the horrihle and repeatel atteMpu , social ara. .ir, and with a view to prevent thss:datrio::::4ll;t.°, including milita ry rzt ' 0143Staj Said order, it :s ! u ""P c F"uie. to. adopt aiiditional p,,, laity of 1.4 wear racka.lcs or other revolutionary TL -ies of a sediti„) s blems, sang songs, or utter e. . u nature. ir. proceedings are to be summary', and . the trial of sari v prom o s trul li f i al" e as u v l u e d r r z e o : tf ‘ r e an u n nt d k oi :p ga u en b i n l ?CI L ''‘ n ° :' e t i °w^haor who, e• , fences is to belong to military commismona. THE OVERLAND MAIL. lVo dad have te received the following t e l egraphic sage, " TftlEsTE, au t „,„ "The steamer Bombay arri ve d t hi s morning :;.2;:z Alexandt in 123 hours " Ambassadors from Ava, accompanied he ;;,, missionaries, had reached General Godwin's camp, " lhe Emperor of Ava was besieged in all UDC fort by his younger brother, who had the m hole a e .,, on his side; he was sure of reducing the fort, desired peace with the British on any terms. " In consequence of orders received from Ara tLe Burmese troops had evacuated the province of A A and General Steel had occupied all the strong Sons in the district. " The province of Bassein had been cleared of the enemy by Captains Fytch and Jb nnie, but an cr, peditton sent against a robber chief, near Donabcr had been repulsed, with a loss of two guns and killed and wounded. " Among the officers killed were Captain In c h and Lieut. Kennedy, It.N., and Captain Pric e , 67th Bengal Native Infantry. Among the sercn:s wounded were Lieut. Bushnell, R.N., and sh,sti. Wilde and Wilson, mates of the Winchester. "Trade was brisk at Calcutta and Bombay. " The rebellion in China was growin g more yd more serious every day." TILE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE (n imzentsc TziaGnAril.) PLYMOUTH, TUESDAY MORNIN • The General Screw Steam Shipping Cianpai;rs vessel Calcutta, Captain J. T. Hall, arrived here this morning, at half-past five, from India and the Cape. Her dates are: Calcutta, January 20; Madras, 24. Ceylon, 29; Mauritius, February 9; St. Helens' March 4; Ascension, i ; St. Vincent's, 17. The Great Britain steam-ship, Captaiu B. Mathews, left the Cape on the 20th of lebruary, at 4 a.m. At St. Helena, on the 4th March, were her Majesty's frigate Polyphemus, and the Australian Bond steam-ship Adelaide; the latter had been Howl seven days for coal, and then was filling up with t%,,..4 The General Screw steam-ship Queen of the Suut was steaming out from Ascension, 7th March, when the Calcutta entered. sth March, hit. 13.23 5.,1 ng. 8.26 'W., exchanged signals with the French ship Adolphe, thirty days from Bourbon to Nantes. t;t March, in let. 10.335., long. 11.21 W., passed Greens ships Seringapatam, Wellesley, and Harlem). in con. piny, homeward-bound. 25th, in lat. 41.34; N., !unz . 14.3 W., exchanged signals with the ship Plyangvlina and barque Holyrood. The Victory, Capt. Fowler, Idt Port Elizabeth for London on the tenth, with a carp principally of wool, valued at 16,0004 Since th e re ., turn of the governor from Basutaland all has *I mined quiet in that quarter. His excellency hall closed accounts with Moshesh without leaving any claim or balance, as the germ of future litigation in &idols Kaffiraria. The governor is making pre/s rations thr holding the Amatolas as a settlewnt with military poets in strong positions, and surround. hag them to within the distance of a mile, offering to resident settlers allotments of cultivatable ground, ma the conditim of residence and readiness to. act with the military for the general defence. This involves the exclusion of natives and EafErs, l and the maintenance of a considerable and watchful! terse among the mountains. Sandilli has abaud,aei his hopeless coa , est with the British power, and, agreeably to thit requirements of the governor, his retired from Katfraria. He has announced this far, acknowledged hisdefeat, and signified his submis,ita He is now beyend the Kei, together with Mum, Ants, and Teta so that the Kaffir war, to all impel:- acre, is closed. The Governor, on the 14th fa, proclaimed that peace and amity have been meo:11 :between her Majesty and her faithful friend fin who, on his part, promises to be true and faithf.; to all his engagements, and to regard the rivers lain and Kei as the boundary between her Majesty's ter• ritorities and hie own (thus, by the way, sponging Kaffirland from the map). Reductions in the various forces hitherto engaged in the war we immediate:y to take place. AMERICA. ARRIVAL OF THE CAMBRIA. (HT XLECTELIC THLEORAPH•) LIVERPOOL, TVISDAY MORNIN The British and North American Mail ateam- , ..: Cambria, Captain Miller, has arrived here from Boston and Halifax. She left the former port a: the 16th, and the latter on the 18th, bringing the mails and passengers from the United States and Canada, and four days later intelligence than that previously received. The Cambria brings 40 passengers, but no specie; she entered the river soon after midnight. On the 22nd inst. she passed the United States steamer Frankfort, bound for New York, asd on the 27th, the Royal Mail steamer Europa. The Africa arrived out at New York on the 13:11 instant. Business was brisk at New York when the Cambria sailed. A slight change for the better was reportal in monetary affairs during the previous week. Later dates had been received from California, by an arrival at New York, to the 16th February bat. Three millions of gold were at the Isthmus on this way to New York. The mining operations were re ported good, provisions plenty, and cheaper. In the United States Senate, the debate on the Clayton and Bulwer treaty still continued. Intelligence from Havannah to the 7th inst. had come to hand, but there was nothing of pressing importance. Vice-President King continued so seriously ill Os: he was daily expected not to survive. There was great excitement at Washington,owia; to the steamer Devastation demanding the surreado of Truxillo from Honduras. A contest was far& between the steamer and the troops. COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. In the market for breadstuffs prices had given way, nvaz to the advises by the previous steamer from En:land. T -, rt was little disposition to purchase, at the following pricy. Western Canal flour, 4 dole. 621. c. to 4 dole. 7ac barrel ; Oennes‘ce wheat, 1 dol. 22c. to 1 dot. :14e than corn, northern round yellow, 64c. to 66c., ormlY dian meal, Jersey yellow, 3 dots. 25c. to 3 dolt. 3; lc. The cotton market at New York had been very inseve. and prices had slightly receded for most description! tte sales had been very limned. The following are the ouotsvr! New Orleans and Mobile, middling fair to fair, ill:. ' 12 c.; Upland., ditto, 101 c. 11 c. By telegraph from ‘• Orleans to the 14th, we learn that the market was brickg 4 the excess of receipts 129,000 bales. The provision market was dull, and closing very beet Freights were very little altered from the rates premar4 at the previous departure. Cotton to Liverpool we ‘B l ° l4 3.16 d. to id. per lb.; flour to ditto, 2s. 3d. to 2s. 6d. barrel ; grain to ditto, 7d. to Bd. per bushel. tsi E ne s d ch , a o n n ee pa cT is, Lo zil d s7 , ll l . o9 .2! urgStocks were in better demand, and firm. 791 to 791. t0 h, 1 3 111 6 to' n3o6tl;Werkell ANOTHER ARRIVAL FROM THE About 16 years ago a man named " Jack Jones , " of Wells. was tried at the Somerset quarter sessions before M I for breaking into a barn in Back-lane, and embed who a he reappeared in Wells, on Saturday He was sentenced ' o transportation for life. Strange toe,* meat of everybody, bringing a number abuses an.: psch; 0. IMO ages, with luggage, &c. lie states that he IV3 , tran,s to New South Wales, where he served faithfully fjr w`" years to a master, which made hint free of the colony . Afterwards he engaged with a gentleman to go to Sydney. last, to the astonish at regular wanes and his food, and from thence he t oo . a vessel for Port Phillip, where he had a long . il ?l! then started fur the diggings, and was amongt the raring. arrivals there. Here he accumulated a large quantity o f gold, and determined to return to England wstb it, sii?: reached London about a fortnight ago. lie 'toye d a wet, in the metropolis, converted his got into cash, Slid 50 : 1 rived in Wells on Saturday, where he found his wire ' a W family all well. It is repotted he lass brought homes lar was passed upon him, he told Mr. Miles publicly ip that if he ever retuau'ed to this country be would Mtn, it a monkey, and e understand Olathe has actually Via I word. It ib Tr.uctubered tha t, when the sea was of money.