The Express. — London, England, 1847-11-26 00:00:00

• IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS.—Thenspia, Nov. 25. The Earl of SMAFTZSBURT sat 111 speaker. Baron FOLIT and several other peers took the oaths. REPLY TO THE ADDRESS. The Lord Steward laid on the table her Majesty's reply to the address , which was then read as follows :—" I thank you for your loyal and dutiful address. It will be my constant desire to co-operate with you in all measures calculated to advance the permanent interests and welfare of my kingdom." On the motion of we Earl of SHAFTESBURY, her Ma jesty's most gracious reply was ordered to be printed and published. SLAVE TRADE. Lord BROUGHAM asked whether the government would object to lay before parliament whatever information they had most recently received respecting the state of the slave trade in Brasil and Cuba ? Earl GREY said that all such information was regularly incorporated in the volumes and papers relating to the slave trade annually published by the state. The particular information desired by the noble lord would, therefore, op. pear in due course. BANK CHARTER. Lord STANLEY said that as the government intimated that they did not think fit to move, in their lordships' house, the appointment of a select committee similar to that to be appointed in the other house, to inquire into the causes of their Mating commercial distress. and, among other matters, fat* die operation of the Bank Chart. r Act of 1844, he beeped leave to give notice that, on Tumidity next, he should arm the appointment of such a committee. Perhaps the • mellie earl opposite could let him at once know whether %Mee would be any objection to the motion on the part of • the government ? Earl GREY said that, sines the intimation referred to by See seine lord, government, upon a reconsideration of the =le, lad resolved to have a committee also of their lord to inquire into this important subject ; and hi. noble Mend the President of the Council would, accordingly, move the appointment of such a committee, when he was well enough to resume his seat among their lordships. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. Lord REDESDALE begged to repeat a question he had' put on a former evening, as to whether there was really to be no public business originated in that house before Christ mas? He repeated the question in the hope of obtaining a more satisfactory answer than before. Earl GREY'S answer we did not exactly collect, but we understood it to be a reiteration of his statement that no public business would be originated in that house before Christmas. BANK DISCOUNT. Lard ASHBURTON said it appeared that whereas so late as last Thursday the directors of the Bank had commu nicated to the government their desire to alleviate the ditli cultic. of the commercial community by reducing the rate of interest from 8 to 7 per cent., adding, that under the cir cumstances of their immediate position, they did not feel sati.fled in doing this without the previous consent of the government, the government, despite the pressing circum stances of the times, actually delayed their answer until the Monday following. He wished to know from the govern ment whether such was the fact, and if so he should be glad to have some explanation of the circumstance. Earl GREY, however, having complained that a question of this kind should be put without notice, Lord ASHBURTON gave notice that he wouldto-morrow (this day) pat the question formally. Their lordship, adjourned at a quarter•past five, till to morrow (this day) at a quarter to four. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TFIVRIMAT, Nov. 25., , The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock, when several members were sworn. .ITBLIC FSINESS. PICITTION.—By Sir R. I.rous, from a place not Marl, spored the a=tof the Jews. 10; PEITTION.—A petition was laid on the table nom phining of the undue return of Mr. Ileold, for the borough of Stock port. =MISS ORDERED.—On the motion of Mr. Item, of the num ber el bee lishetyli Wm et was employed ea the meet of Affica for ibi impers• Mthe dam Md., to the sees& dame, OW, Mating Ihe ariselese of mon end Ms en board of embomil the le : IMlmee• MOS nears snits Mejertyh abils Mar teethe et the ilme trade. sad of ad their applhimangtole as to . te ampegnis damp Os country for their la the :=lllMien el Ms wilabra of ships Nam kdeVeg to the ramhar bu istim 17nlied of Ansa" =es the met et /*berm In neppeeselsset Or de e, m trod eatrealke vreth Owes Ifeksim Web. Ms mminent ships of ant dimmed the nesaber of and et gum Womb, Iterneh, and smpepsee:—And, esm sigh Ms replete despoldmi meshed Item the °Goers comasmeng bre Mid" slip of me employed kr Mr euppreokat ef the elm Weds en ths emit of Attica, dace juM, 1011, the damn sal Or dem hide. En OP MOTION.—Wme Lev Ym ILtnarnen—Lard on Thursday the >r ef Deummler, to more for • tom. miens of inquiry into the prom& midi= mid future prospects of ase seiselen in the West Indies aid the Mmerliten Perira,aw Are.—Mr. Barrie. en the Id M Deeembee, to move for base Is bring la a bill to mad the Puce-law Duane or MULTI. (lamaas).--Mr. F. larzrn, en Id of Decem ber, Ilst eurnin return relative is the beanie of health In Ireland. .Isurim age:en—Led Messecc, on Thursday the 9th of Dwathar, M e esenthe ham is king In • for the furtbff relief of hr ~lli~Y~aee~b~yJawYi Item allgioes dustbditten OlumnrOginmh—lie Waararem en se early day, to move for • m ines the mama of los -We meaty court. linememen E , 74IIIIIMINIAJIIO.—Mx. 11. 0611010,C on Wednesday ▪ mg of December, to move for reform of all the rotate, to Ire ...nd 111Milr the management ef modems of the Court of Chancery. Ones. —Mr. B. C. woutAN ..,on an early day, to move for certain eor atze between the Fortign.oflee and Sir E. Lyons, or the Ilysteson or one llorvr..--Sir S. PAJUNGTON this day. to more thed Christmas, orders of the thy take precvlence of notices of EDINBURGH ELECTION. The SPEAKER announced tiatTeiiiiitroeived the rol l= letter, dated Nov. 19, front Mr. Cowan, the recently member for the city of Edinburgh el —1 beg Mails that at the recent eked= kr the city of Mtn lamb I bad the Yaw to be retorted as one of the members for that deg. It yes ttatwlfl some time after I became aware of my discos. alludinalami at the time of my election engaged In • ooninet tat Me meg* ef to gorerament ; ro teak although lam aoleaggif atisaltaller, I am nevertheless, as I am informed, liable to VIIt or vote in the house. lam desirous of dia higialost &enema to the home. Mart no desire to ahrlok also I mayors to my somentuents, but the eiresmstanon I ban ugalltsed will reader it requiniss that, la easformity sib the aeries nine reedred, I should decline blithe the oath or my seat. I have respestrolly to request that you will communicate this my de dre sad intention to the —I have the honour, See. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. Mr. BROTHERTON took the opportunity of there being no motion before the chair to offer a suggestion which he trusted would be acceptable to the house. He put it to the house whether it would not be expedient that until after the Easter holidays orders or the day should take prioedeuce of notices. There was no member, he was sure, who could wish to stop in town at this season of the year. (Loud cheers.) He did think that at present they should confine themselves to public business et the greatest importance. (Loud cries of 'Hear.") BANK OF ENGLAND. Mr. HINDLEY moved for »tarns of the rates of distannt charged by the Bask of England since the passing of the Bank Charter Aet. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER had no ob jesniess to granting the returns. Ha had communicated with the authorities at the Bank, and they had no objec tion to giving the information required. Mr. F. T. BARING thought' that, as the Bank of Eng land and its affairs were likely to become the subject of much discussion, the better way would be at once to prepare all the information that might be required. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER had ex pected that to call for all necessary information would have been the lint business of the committee about to be ap pointed. The Bank of England and the government were prepared to grant the fullest information. Mr. HASTIE thought that any returns produced rela tive to this suhieet should contain the maximum and mini mum rates of discount since 1834. Mr. BLEW ITT asked whether it was the inteutionUf go vernment to introduce any measure enabling the Bank et' England in ease of need to issue bone beyond the fourteen millions specified in the act? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER thought It would be better to defer until Tuesday nest his statement of the intentions of the government. The returns were then ordered. LAW OF ENTAIL (SCOTLAND). Mr. B. COCHRANE asked whether it was intended to bring forward any measure for the relief of entailed property in Scotland ? 81r G. GREY said that the Lord Advocate had a bill in aa advanced state of preparation, which he hoped to intro duce shortly after the recess. LAW OF SETTLEMENT. Sir J. PAKINOTON begged to ask the right hon. the Secretary for the Home Department whether it was the in tention of government in the course of the present session to introduce any bill to alter the law of settlement Sir G. GREY was not able to state at present that the government would introduce a bill on the subject. This did not, however, preclude his doing so at a future day, should the state of public business allow it. BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS. Sir J. PAK INOTON wishest to know from the noble lord at the head 0! ,... th ,v e government, whether it was his intention to take any p *hags in that house, in consequence of the extentto which bribery and corruption were reported to have been carried on during the late general election ? Lord J. RUSSELL -I have net any measure to propose on that subject. ROMAN CATHOLIC CHARITIES. Mr. ANSTEY, who spoke in a low tone of voice, raid that the mischief which he sought to remedy by the bill he was about to introduce was shortly this • down to a very recent period the law of superstitious usage—not resting on the express letter of the statute, but resulting from the general tenor of enactment. sgainat the Roman catholic* —made endowments for the advancement of the Bo man catholic religion illegal. In 1829, the Laws stigmatising Roman catholic@ were repealed, but still great doubts ware entertained as to the retrospective operation of the relief act with respect to charities existing at the time oT it. paring. In consequi nee of this, and a recent decision of the Vies Chancellor, suck Roman catholic charities were completely at the mercy of the trustees, against whom there was me power of proceeding in the temporal courts. His proposition , was to give the act of 1829 a retrospective *N so u to make all Roman catholic charities foun ded . _ - the provisions of Sir Samuel was identical with that into oed member for Kinsale during merely went to remove penal ap athetic', which had long become learned member concluded bill to amend the laws re -see ; also a bill for the further against Romau eatbolies on st. to the introduction of the member would find great difficulty in carrying them thwack their stages. He(Sir O. Grey) bad understood that the bill of the hoe. member for Kinsale had been withdrawn, as being unacceptable to the parties for whose benefit it was intended. (Hear, hear.) I•se his own part, be could only promise his careful cond. derides. Sir R. INOLIS said that the first bill wee not limited merelto Roman catholic charities existing previous to 1829,bat contemplated a repeal of the law of mortmain. He fully remembered that the bill of last session bad been withdrew°, for the reasons stated be his right hon. friend. With respect to both bills he (Sir R. Inglis) thought that the prime minister would do well to instruct the law officers of the crown to watch them, and to see whether the latter did not trench on the supremacy of the crown. (Hear.) 'The hen. and learned member called his bill a bill fur the removal of Roman catholic disabilities, but it should be recol. leeted that the Roman catholic church was *egret°vr in every country of Europe. He would ask the govern ment, were they prepared to state by what autho rity the church of Rome had been permitted to create dioceses within the provinces of her Majesty's dominioas ? And also, whether there was any instance in which the church of Rome bad been permitted to exercise that authority in ' any Roman catholic state in Europe ) He believed that in no country in Europe had the church of Rome veneered to create bishoprics without the consent of the sovereign power of such country. He wanted to know, then, whether the consent of her Majesty had been given as to these domi nions ? Retaining all the objections he had expreseed when these measures, in former *miens, were before the house, he gave the hon. member notice that he should oppose them to the best of his poser. Mr. FIUME submitted that the hon. baronet had intro -1 duced a question that was not properly before the house. How far, and under what authority, the influence of the Pope had been exercised in the creation of Roman catholic dioceses in England had nothing to do with a measure for placing the Roman catholic subjects of the Queen in the same position as their protestant brethren in respect to the rights of property. Ile understood the object of these bills to be the abolition of three discriminating laws which had so long unjustly pressed on Roman catholic,, which it bad long been admitted ought no longer to exist, and if so, he should "Wed both Earl of ARUNDEL and SURREY wished it not to be supposed by his silence that he would support these bilis. He would give them his best consideration, and if he ap proved of them, he would assist in carrying them through their future stages. Leave was then given to bring is the first bill, and in re spect ts the second, at the suggestion of the Speaker that it could only originate in a committee of the whole house, the house went into committee, and having passed the neces sary resolution, leave WAS given to introduce the bill. ACCUSATIONS AOA I NST 'rHE ATHOLIC CLERGY OF IRELAND. Mr. MAHER rose, pursuant to notice, to move for copies of correspondence between the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and the Roman catholic clergy of the diocese of Cashel, relative to reports made by Captain Morris, a government inspector under the Board of Works in Ireland, reflecting upon the character of certain of the catholic clergy of that diocese. He felt bound, as chairman of two relit f committees in the county of Tipperary, to bring forward this motion in justifi cation of the conduct of the Roman catholic clergy. That body had done their duty in the trying circumstances in which the country had been placed in a manner that en titled them to the thanks of the country, and the value of their services had been acknowledged by members of the go vernment. He admitted they had been well auplorted by the protestant clergy, who had united with there and both had acted together usefully for the go od of the country and in relieving the domesav that prevailed. Unfortunatily, however, Capt. Morris, at the suggestion of some invidious person, had, in a report made to the commis sioners, stated " that the leading members of many of the committees arc catholic priests, who have no landed pro perty, and consequently no interest in keeping down taxa tion, while they have an interest in enabling their flocks I. pay them their stipends. Some of the resident gentry, in disgust at their proceeding., rarely or never attend, while others are afraid to perform their duty, knowing that if they object to place improper persons on their list, the small far mers, many of whom are also on the committees, and who are only one degree removed from those who I are employed on the public works, soon make it known to the applicants out of doors who are their friends, and who arc those who refuse to admit them to relief." This report appeared in the public paper., and had been commented upon to the prejudice of the Roman ca tholic clergy. He believed that the charge inainucted in this report against that body was a gross libel; and the best proof that it was so was, that they had themselves memorial ised the Lord•Licutenuit to institute a full inquiry into the accusation. That, however (he did not know for what reason), had been refused. They asked the government to send down a Queen's counsel, or to call on Mr. Gore Jones, the resident magistrate, who was himself the friend of Capt Morris, to investigate the transaction. He was anxious that the libel should be refuted, because, as it appeared on the records of the house, if it were not, it might hereafter be quoted in the house to the prejudice of the Roman catholic clergy generally. The question having been put, Mr. LABOtiCHERE said, having been the Secretary for Ireland when the correspondence alluded to took place, he might be permitted to trouble the louse with a few ob servations. The facts of the case, he believed, had been correctly stated by the hon. and learned member. It was true that Capt. Morris was an officer sent down by the government to superintend the relief works in Tipperary, acting in which capacity he had made a report to the government of Ireland, which was afterwards printed in one of the blue books, and laid on the table of the house. He was ready to admit that, owing to the great mass of documents included in the report which had been presented as to Irish distress, expressions had, in some instances, been inserted, which (though he be lieved to be justified by the facts) it would have' been well not to have made public. So in Captain Morria's report there was a sentence implying that some of the catholic clergy of Tipperary had not performed their duty as they might have done in assisting the government in checking abuses in the distribution of relief. Of this the catholic clergy naturally complained. Captain Morris's charge was in general terms, not specifying names, end it had been asked that an inquiry should be instituted, in order that the guilty parties might be aimed. He (Mr. Lehouchere) did not see any good result that could arise from such an inquiry. Capt. Morris bad already stated that nothing was Blether from his intention than to make a charge generally as against the clergy of Tipperary ; on the contrary, he admitted that as a body their conduct had been most praiseworthy ; but he added that there were I (as there would always be in every large body) some ineli victuals amongst them whose conduct was reprehensible. He bad no objection to the production of the papers asked for, bat he was sure that those members who sat on the commit tee of last sewsion on Captain Wynoe's case would agree with him that an inquiry into every individual cam of this kind could be productive of no led vantage, while it would be attended with great in. eoneenience. He assured the hon. gentleman and the house that nothing was further from the intention of the govern ment than to bring any general charge against the Roman catholic clergy of Ireland or of the county of Tipperary as a body, from whom, during the last year, they had received the most valuable assistance, both in relieving the distress and preserving the peace of the country under circumstances the most trying and difficult. (Cheers.) Mr. J. O'CONNELL thought some punishment should be awarded to those government officers who, in their official correspondence, insulted the Roman catholic clergy. He complained also of an observation used by the Lord- Lieutenant as bearing unjustly on the catholic priesthood, to the effect that it was is consequence of the superiority of the prtsbyterian religion over the Roman catholic that the north of Ireland was in a better state than the south. Such expressions could tin no good, and ought to be avoided. Major MACNAMARA said that the charges which bad been made against the catholic priesthood were malicious and fah's. THE MAIIRITLUS, Mr. HUME, in reference to his on as to the supply of labour to the Mauritius, said that be was anxious thee the whole facts should lio before the house before they were called upon te discuss it ; as, however he understood the noble lord intended to make some observations upon it, be would poetpoae his motion for copies of the despatches till to-morrow. EXCISE LAWS. Mr. HUME asked whether government proposed to make any alteration in the Excise laws, with a view to the re moval of those vexatious and injurious restrictions which in terfered with trade and manufactures ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied that previous to the conclusion of the last session le had re quested the chairman of the Excise Board to inquire into the subject, and he believed he had been occupied on the subject ever since, some of the moat experienced officers of the department having been called in to agent him; and he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) hoped that before the end of the session he should be enabled to introduce a mea sure for removing the restrictions complained of as bearing injuriously on trade. The house then adjourned at half.past five o'clock. previous to 1829 subject to the Romilly's act. The other bill woo dead by the han. and learned met dVi frivious session, and merely a = l :ic a tz t !st IHoman'ebon ca . an th rrei ts. litetioli o t i l n eava to bring in a t . to catholic charities; of "esti osodukents against 1 :-/Mtersi :r tletr M: G. t:ilitliY, o objection :4lbebst ka appitte the hon. , ..',.: .... ' t .; • i i the enrcegg. MAILS, The mails for Vign, * Madeira, Quilt, and Gibraltar will be nude up on the morning of the 27th November. The mails for New South Wales, Van Diemen's Land, and Nes mand will be made up on the evening of the 30th November. The West India Mails, including Bermuda, Nassau, Havanna, Honduras, New (Meek Vera Crva, Tampico, and Porto Rico, and recloding there for M edetes, Jaemel, Carthagens. Panto %oil., Chagrin, Panama, West Omit of South America, and St. Juan-de- N iniragua, will be made up on the morning of the Ind December. 1 be orerlart4 malls for Gibraltar, Maim, Greece, the lonian Ulan& [fret, Aden, Ceylon, India, liong-Kong,and China, me Southampton will be made up on the morning of the led December. The main for 13ritiah North America, Bermeda and the United itstee, will be mile op on the keening of the 3rd December. The mails for the &Miry the River Plate, Monte Video, Penns nue°, Bahia, Madeira, and /kenos gyre., will be made up on the t wining of the 4th Domelike. The overland *Med malls, rim Marseilles, to the Medlternmean Perot, Aden, Cleyke. India, Hang Kong, he., will be made up on the evening of the 7th Demeter. a lase r rr, r. n. ..• Asinvllsomesto 1.61 Z 'et The Nzprofts,' .a Lauko noel., paper, sat to at the *elm stmt. by T... ea...k 0. U. ‘ 3 7 of v 111011 MATES AT LONDON 111001. Tin D .6 Morming. 21 al. put 4 ; Aftemeee, 44 ND. Mut 4 . 1641•••••-1166slas, AAA pea 6; Aassres, ADA past LONDON, FRIDAY, NO V. 26. MR. ANSTEY, who has contrived in a very short I time to acquire considerable notoriety for habits of incessant writing and promises of iaterminable talk sling, has given one or two notioes of Ids intention to deal with i subject which legitimately belongs to him, and is which we wish him somas at a proper dm. We believe be drew Mr.Warsou's hip for the relief et Roman catholic'; and he wits at any rate, as en active advocate of the measure, possessed of the matidenoe of a large number of his co-religionists. As a Roman catholic, he is fully entitled to claim exemption from the obsolete and frivolous indignities which form almost the only remnant of the extinct penal laws. There was a purpose, a meaning, in the laws against Roman catholic' up to the time of the relief act of 1829. It might not be just, or philo , sophical, or statesmanlike, to exclude catholics from I parliament, or, as was the case at an earlier period, to discountenance and to persecute them ; but it was not inconsistent or illogical. According to the English constitution in the early part of the last century, the state consisted—not, as at present, of all natural sub jects of the crown, but of protestants and conformists. Roman esthetics were treated as the resident aliens of ancient republics, with occasional indulgence, with frequent severity, but, in every case, as persons who had no concern with the rights and franchises of their fellow-citizens. It was at their worst point that the penal laws were most defensible. Persecution has often proved thoroughly successful. It extirpated the reformation in Italy and Spain, and utterly sup pl eated and destroyed t, after it had reigned for a time in the hereditary states of the house of Austria. It is semi-tolerant persecution which always fails. The English constitution was too tee, the people too reasonable, to carry out the peaal laws as they ought to have been executed, if theprinciple on which they were founded was once admitted. The persecution was I never active ; by degrees it confined itself to an ex elusion of the obnoxious sect from office and power ; and in course of time the gates of the constitution were opened, first to officers who had earned promo- tion, and at last to parliament, the privy council, and every rank except the throne, and one or two spe cified offices, which were supposed to have some con nexion with religious administration. The principle is new fully established, that not only Roman catholic., but all other sects, provided at least that as nominal Christians they can take the anti. Jacobite oath, are entitled to the tame political rights as the moat orthodox members of the English church. There still remains, however, a number of scraps and fragments of earlier legislation, which, if not oppressive, are insulting to the esthetics whom they concern, and unmeaning on the part of parlia ment, which maintains them. If they concerned any other sect or body, they would probably be suppressed by universal consent ; but it is impossible to deny that the_lirejudiee or feeling against popery which prevails in England throws obstacles in the way of any mea sure which can be represented as a concession to the Roman catholics. Unfortunately, the unpopular sect is by no means solicitous to avoid giving new grounds for the complaints of those who regard it with jealousy. The Pope's ill-timed rescript to Dr. MACHALE, the recent assumption of territorial titles by the Romish bishops in England, and above all, the moral complicity of some of the Irish priests in the murders which have been perpetrated there, will make the subject of Roman catholic relief distasteful to many not ill-instructed Englishmen, if they allow their feelings under the influence of temporary cir cumstances to prevail over the dictates of political principle and expediency. Archdeacon LAFFAN will , be found by Mr. AsslEY his most formidable oppo nent, nor will Mr. OsnoaNe's defence of that " ex citable " person for using murderous language to an audience ripe for murder, influence public opinion in his favour. We hope however that protestants, however indig nant, are beginning to discover that the state will be beet able to guard against the dangers which may arise from the abuse of priestly power, by depriving Roman catholic agitators of the real grievances which serve to ballast their clamorous complaints. As keg as the Irish catholics were treated unjustly, and for many years after their exclusion was removed, it was impossible to unite opinion in England with respect to any measure in which catholics were con cerned. That injustice was done at their expense was an argument against dealing with them, when necessary, with impartial justice. When the more enlightened catholics are satisfied that their equality with their countrymen on all points is fully established, they will be as unwilling as any protestant to see their re ligion used as a cloak for sedition and disorder. We arc not prepared to pledge ourselves to all parts of Mr. ANSTE'eti bilL It is possible that it may contain provisions in favour of the monastic orders, which will require to be strictly watched, and facilities for processions and other public ceremonies, which would endanger the public peace. We are not prepared to see the Host carried publicly along the Strand, till we are convinced that the bulk of the population would regard the display with favour or indifference. The toleration of such forms ou the pare of any sect may safely be left to those who from time to time administer the laws which protect the public peace. The question of monks and i ups is more difficult. They already exist in England, as is well known ; and in Ireland, as might be expected, they are much more numerous. lie have no wish to enforce against them any harsh laws ; but the example of catholic governments would well warrant parliament in regarding them with jea lousy and watchfulness. The law, as it at present stands, can only regard a professed member of a religious order as any other subject of the realm. They are neither dead in law for the purposes of holding pro perty. nor are their vows in any way binding upon them in their civil capacity. But, if monasteries and convents are to become common in the United King dom, it will be necessary to do something more than recognise the principle that their members are clothed with the rights, and subject to the duties, of their fellow-countrymen. The Court of Chancery, which lately in Ireland set aside a conveyance of pro perty made by a nun under undue influence, may per haps be trusted to protect the property of the unhappy inmates of monastic institutions from the natural rapa city of the orders to which they belong. For the protection of personal freedora it will further be ne cessary to provide a constant and efficient inspection of the convents and monasteries. All attempts to en force religious rules by restraint, under pretence of i discipline, must be vigorously put down, and every member of an order must, practically as well as in theory, be at all times fully at liberty to renounce the voluntary mode of life which he has adopted, and to exercise the rights of a free man without molesta tion or control. If, however, Mr. Arrimer's bill is the same with Mr. Warrior's, we are disposed to support the greater part of its provisions. The chief objection to it is the time at which it is brought forward. It is impossible for parliament to find time before Christmas for every measure which any individual member may think fit to be brought forward. Dr. BOWRING'S decimal coinage and Mr. ANSTET'S im peachment will not be the only subjects for which there is really no time at present. Until February or March we most be content not only to carry shil lings in our pockets, if we are fortunate enough to possess them, and to see an alleged traitor in the Foreign-office, but to inflict on Roman eatholics the continuance of a persecution which happily will not extend to the burning of their persons, or the confisca tion of their goods. We do not think that thehouse, from its short experience of Mr. ANSTET, will be inclined to give him any special license to occupy, with his peculiar projects, the time which it can so ill afford to spare. We should be glad to see his motion met by an intimation from the government that a measure for the relief of Roman catholics will be brought for ward officially in the next session. As it is now understood that an attempt ie immediately to be made for the relief of the Jcws from the restriction which excludes them from parliament, it would be consistent in the ministry to undertake at the same time to get rid, as soon as possible, of the remaining fragments of penal legislation. WARY and experienced tacticians like Lord Asst_ BOSTON and Mr. HERRIEB, cannot fail to be seriously annoyed by the incontinence of language which prompts their allies, Lords STANLEY, and GEORGE 13ENTIMCK, to play their best card bunglingly and out of time. There is, indeed, about Lord STANLEY, an oratorical power and finish that to. a certain extent veils his confusion of ideas, and diminishes the injury ho would otherwise do his party. But the inartistic compilations of Lord GEORGE BENTINCh are open to the criticism of all. Lord ASIIIICRION and Mr. MERRIE 3 feel that the monetary question is likely to be the weak point of ministers. They are aware that if the cabinet do adopt a mistaken monetary policy, their error will be made most palpable and dam nifying by keeping the question uncomplicated with THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 26, 1847. ethette. They know too wall the many important reepecti . in Which the views of their own party are ontwemstie to public opinion—the distrust enter tained by the public of the lodgment and capacity of many of their oolleaguno-td dream of organising a party ca able of retaining power upon one question alone. They are anxious, therefore, as their speeches (alike pregnant and guarded) of Tuesday night show, to stick at present to the Bank question, and to rest I contented with any contingent advantages which the reputation obtained by a victory on it may obtain for them. It must have been gall and wormwood to such skilful calculators and self-possessed gamesters to see Lord GEORGE RENTIRCK, on Wednesday night, by huddling one incompatible statement upon another, do his best to attach a degree of uncertainty to the very inference they are most anxious to draw from the present state of commercial affairs. The hopes of the more judicious members of that third party, which aims at superseding both Pt:en and RUsSELL, are at this moment mainly reposed upon their expectation, that ministers will cling with martyr-like fidelity to the currency notions of Sir ROBERT PEEL. The line of argument which, with a view to this event, theyare prepared—some from con viction, others to serve their political ends—to adopt, is, that notwithstanding the disarrange ment of commercial relations occasioned by the dearth of food, the short supply of cotton, and excesek speculation in several branches of trade, the national capital and the national energy could have carried us through the transient pressure without material suf fering, but for the prejudicial influence of legislative tampering with the free play of credit. It is obvious that the introduction of any new element, with a view Ito attribute to it a portion of the lato or present dis tress, cannot fail to weaken this line of argument. If it can be proved that the commercial crisis has been brought about exclusively by the difficulty in timing the incidence of liabilities and credit., the case of those who assail the existing monetary system is clear. But if an impression can be created that some other cause has in whole, or in great part, contributed to bring about the crisis, then may the adherents of the ex isting monetary system be enabled to evade the argu ment of their assailants. And this service Lord GEORGE BESTINCE has contrived to do them by blunderingly introducing the totally indecent ques tion of free trade. After working out, by a process more satisfactory to his own peculiarly constituted mind than to more enlightened advocates of the same view, the result, that " all this distress" is owing to " the want of credit," to " your restrictive monetary laws," to " your cruel Bank Charter Act," Lord GEORGE went on to proclaim "these are the works of your free-traders." If, as Lord GEORGE asserts, cotton is now selling in Liver pool at 41. per bag less than in the American markets, and sugar at 61. or Bs. less per cwt. than in the markets of Cuba and Brazil ; and if this be " the work of the free-trader,'," then, not only the momentary price, but the permanent value, of these commodities must bo lower here than in the countries which produce them. On the other hand, if the alleged depreciation be the consequence of "the want of credit,' of the "restric tive monetary laws," the excessive low prices of the moment do not represent the real values of the com modities in this country, but are the consequences of forced sales; and these, again, the consequences of legitimate credit being unduly denied. If free trade have done the mischief, the Bank Charter is blameless ; if the Bank Charter is culpable, free trade must be absolved. The end of Lord GEORGE'S argu ment is incompatible with the beginning. The honourable member for Lynn has thus neutra lised and nullified his own reasoning most unneces sarily. It can be demonstrated that free trade has not had anything to do with some of his examples, and could not have had anything to do with others. The large importation of corn to which he adverts, it is ad mitted on all hands, must have taken place, even had the corn laws not been abolished. The consequences of a sudden transition from a limited to on almost unlimited importation of that commodity, afford an illustration of the ffects of an artificially restricted, not of a free system of trade. The returns of last year's sugar importation show that if a glnt of that commodity could be conceived to exist, it must be owing to the excessive production of our own depen dencies. But the amount of stocks upon hand, compared with the growing power of consump tion in the country, indicated by the returns of past years, shows that there is no glut, and that, if prices are not remunerative, it is simply owing to consumption being checked by other causes. As to the low price of cotton, it is not by contrasting last week's quotations at Liverpool with last month's quotations at New York, that the comparative value of cotton in the two countries is to be ascertained. Let the money market regain a healthier tone, and the relative prices of cotton here and at New York will soon be re-adjusted. In the certainty of the low price of cotton, of which Lord GEORGE BENTIRCK seems to complain, rests the hope of oar manufacturers to be able to resume operations as soon as the artificial high price of money is reduced. The least creditable feature of Lord GEORGE'S speech remains to be touched upon. We have pointed out hie lack of controversial skill in unnecessarily complicating his argument. We have shown his iznorance of facts in attributing to free trade, conse quences with which free trade could have nothing to do. We have now to draw attention to the unblush ing recklessness with which he can continue to make use of assertions which have been disproved. The gossip of certain clubs and certain circles upon 'Change had represented Lord GREY and Sir GEORGE GREY as yielding to the latter's Northumbrian con stituents what they had refused to deputations from great comnaercial towns. Lord GEORGE—who is an extensive dealer in this bard money of debate—re peated the story, but was promptly contradicted by the CFI ANCE LLOROF TIIE EXCHEQUER. Half-abashed, Lord GEORGE assumed for a moment the tone hypo thetical, but before he had finished one sentence, he relapsed into an assumption of the truth of the wretched fabrication. From a talker, however glib, who is so glaringly unfair, ignorant, and illogical, little serious damage can be apprehended to the course of sound legislation. It is matter of curiosity bow long his party will allow him the shadowy honours of ostensible leader ship. That ho is resolved not to relinquish the office of honorary leader without a struggle, is obvious from the speech delivered on Wednesday night. Ob viously compiled with a view to its being delivered at the proper period of the debate on the address, its delivery was forestalled by the rush of Irish orators. It was spoken out of due time, simply in order that by showing he had prepared it, Lord GEORGE might enter a protest that, notwithstanding the presence of Mr. Hrsams, he still looks upon himself as opposi tion leader. Lord GEORGE is too experienced a rough rider to be easily or quietly thrown out of his saddle. THE discussion of the motions, on the subject of railways, of which the CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHE QUER has given notice for this evening, may be ex pected to make known the attitude which ministers are prepared to assume on the whole of this subject, concer ning which, of late, various and contradictory rumours have been current. For the present, as we shall soon be enabled to exchange oonjecture for some thing like certainty, we confine ourselves to a very few observations on the two measures, the express notices for which stand on the order book for tonight. A general extension of the time to which the promoters of railway bills, granted in past sessions, are restricted for the exercise of the power in their several acts, for taking land, &c., cannot fail to be acceptable to all concerned, and useful in its operation ; provided the per mission is not clogged with arbitrary condi tions. The true object to be gained by such a relaxa tion, we apprehend to be, to facilitate those voluntary movements which the parties concerned will be suffi • ciently prompted to make by the circumstances of the times, and by the desire of shareholders to be relieved from too frequently recurring calls. Of the existence of a disposition to move in this direction we have al ready evidence enough in the Grnette, which con tains many notices of special application to parlia ment for the very object which appears on the face of the motion of the CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER. A comprehensive measure, extending the p erm i ss i on to all who may find it expedient to take advantage of it, would at once apply to these special instances, and might also be welcomed hereafter in others, where the burden has not yet been felt heave enough to induce the directors to make similar applications to parliament. Our approval of a permissive measure of this kind would, however, by no means extend to a compulsory one, against which the arguments we have more than once touched upon, when speaking of the clamour foe arbitrary restrictions upon railway calls, will pre- ' vail to the felled extent. It may be very well to enlar , se,, those restrictions in the acts, that would pre ' vent the companies in any case from slackening their progress in compliance with the natural demands of their circumstances—to remove the necessity of push ing on faster than they would otherwise do, were it not for a fear of losing the privileges, which have been granted for a limited period only. But it would be quite a different thing to prevent those who have the power and the will to expedite their works, from advancing at more than a certain rate of progress ; from calling more than a given amount in any one year; in other words, to retard by authority, and against the wishes of the parties concerned, the period at which the enterprise they have undertaken may become at once profitable to themselves and useful to the public. Against such an interference with the voluntary use of capital, whether for railway-making or for any other kind of business, there lie many grave objections, which we need not at present recapitulate. They have already been stated in this journal, and it may be hoped that there is nothing in the design of the ministry to re quire their re-appearance oa the motion to be made this evening. We will only remark that, should the intention be shown to impose such restrictions as must have the effect of preventing works from going forward at pre sent, which but for the restrictions would be prose cuted, or of reducing the rate of progress on the works now in hand to a lower scale than the pro moters, if left to themselves, would continue them at, the consequence of throwing out of work those la bourers who would be the immediate victims of the restraint will properly take the first place amongst the many grounds for resisting a precedent opposed to all former practice, and at variance with the re ceived doctrines of political wisdom. The motion for a committee on the hills of this session, it is obvious, must derive its chief significance from the instructions given by the house at large to the body deputed to report on the subject, and from the manner in which these directions are carried out. To hazard mere conjectures on the tenor of the one or of the conduct of the other, at a moment when the real course of the proceeding is on the eve of being made known, wculd be superfluous. A word or two only may be offered on the nature of the materials, tho treatment of which the committee may hare to determine. Although the number of applications is not small, the amount of enterprise they represent is in general far from being considerable. Of independent bills for new railways we find scarcely any in the Gazelle. Of the new lines for which notice bus been given, the greater part consists of branches, extensions, and other supplements, to extant railways ; besides these, no small part of the business will consist of amendments, deviations, en largements of stations, 8:e. Each of the-o several 'classes of applications would obviously require to be treated on grounds appropriate to the nature of each respectively ; and the points of view from which all may be regarded are so various, that it would be ne cessary to know what principles are to be assumed for the direction of the survey, in order to divine what the committee may have to do with them. In its narrowest sphere of operation, the task may be confined to a revision of standing orders, and to the proposal of stricter conditions to be observed is the conducting of the private-bill business. In its widest scope, all the main questions that have been agitated on this sulject may come to trial —from that of the expediency of granting any more bills at all, to that of the jurisdiction to be exercised in de termining which shall be suffered to proceed, or in conducting the inquiry into the merits. In a field so wide we must wait to see how it is intended to break ground ; the direction once known, the course of ob servation will then become more definite. The minis terial views, alone, we need hardly say, cannot well be taken as our guide to the proceedings of the house on this subject, constituted as it now is, and we must hear its determinations before we undertake to follow the further course of the business. Onr Paris letters of Wednesday say that the diplo matic services of M. Piscatory are about to be trans ferred from the court of Athens to that of Madrid. M. Bacourt, who was designed for Madrid, is to re place the late Count Bresson at Naples. The Parisjournals continue to give reports of the reform banquets. A great manifestation of this kind had just taken place at Conipi4ne, and another at Montargis. The Courrier Francais affirms that it is settled that diplomatic conferences on the affairs of Switzer land are to be held at Baden by representatives of England, France, Austria, Prussia, and the other great powers. Railways in France have rather a novel effect on the transmission of correspondence through the me diation of the Poet-office. Every new line that is opened retards the delivery of the correspondence. This was the case when the line between Paris and Amiens opened. Before Monday last the English letters were delivered in Paris before ten o'clock. The railway was opened for traffic to a point within eight miles of Boulogne on Monday, and the line between Paris and Boulogne was reduced to nine hours. Ac cordingly the letters were several hours later in arriving. Oar Paris correspondent had not received his London despatches until noon on Wednesday. The Madrid journals and despatches of the 18th have arrived, but those of the 19th are still due. The letter of our correspondent, which will be found else where, gices the principal news. We learn that on the occasion of her fke on the 19th, the Queen intended to nominate the King to the high rank of generalissimo of the army. Among Ws aides-de-camp, all of whom will be generals, General Pezuela will be included. No proceedings, except mere forma, had as yet taken place in the Cortes. The Eco del Conserrio an nounces that the Union Bank will resume its pay ments. • No event of importance had taken place at the theatre of war in Switzerland at the departure of the last &deices. At Friburg, order was in a great mea sure restored, and the state of siege and martial law discontinued. Some excesses, inevitable in a country which has been the scene of such a conflict, had been committed, but they were repressed by the firm con duct of the civil and military authorities. The federal army had crossed the frontier of Lucerne, and was gradually closing round the capital of the Sonderbund. Two Lucernese districts, Pfeffikon and Menzikon, were seized and surrendered without the least resist ance. In two hours from the moment of the entrance of the federal troops all was tranquil, the militia having dispersed and returned to their respective homee. Not a shot was fired. On the 18th the Lu cernese attempted a sortie into the Bernese territory, in the neighbourhood of Huttwyl. General Dufour having detached a division upon the menaced point, they immediately retreated. The news which we gave yesterday from Tessin is in pert confirmed. It appears that the troops of the Valais, being blockaded on the aide of Vaud, and prevented from co-operating with Lucerne, had re solved to make a diversion in the direction of Teseino. With this view, four or five battalions having crowed the Puree, reached the canton of Uri, and directed their march thence to the St.. Oothard, to reinforce the Uri troops, which had already by that route penetrated into Tessin. This reinforcement having raised the forces of the league collected at that place to 4,000, they took the offensive, and on the 17th, after a severe action, they advanced to Airolo, where the battalion Casselini and a company of car biniers were quartered. This divieion were compelled to retreat before the superior numbers of the league, and fell back in the direction of Bellinzona, where Col. Luvini, the commandant of the Tesaineee army, had concentrated his forces, and where a decisive battle was expected. It is net known whether the Tessinese had yet received the reinforcement expected from the Grisons by the Bernardino ; but, if so, the united troops would have probably defeated the in vading force. The Augsburg Oazelte states, on the authority of a letter from Paris, that the general of the Jesuits has given to the members of the onlerresiding in Switzer land instructions of a nature to facilitate an arrange ment in favour of the catholic cantons. We continue to receive daily a multitude of reports of the fomentation. produced in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, in consequence of the outrages against humanity and the law of nations perpetrated by the Prince of Modena, whose perfect sanity is more and more questioned. The Patria, a Florence journal, gives the most revolting accounts of the proceedings of the Modenese soldiery in several districta of th a t duchy. At Carrara, says that journal, M. Tueeh t i was watching over his dying daughter and his sick wife, when he was summoned from their bed side. H e proceeded to the door, and there received his death from a musket ball. The soldiers rushed into the apartment, beat the wife over the dead body of her husband, and then sent the latter to the cemetery, These reports reaching Fivizzano and Pontrentoli, put the people in a perfect fren7. The peasants receive arms from the priests on their knees, sw eet , panied by a benediction, and then rush to their pe s ts with all the fury of fanatics. Upon the mash, la th e houses, in the churches, all is agitation and wild desperation. Every height is crowded with videttes. Armed men are every where in ambush. Ali are armed for resistance without distinction of age, me; or condition. Pontremoli is one vast camp. The King of Sardinia has granted to the Greed Duke of Tuscany permission to conduct the troop s destined to reinforce Pontremoli through the Genoe se territory. The Tuscan troops will disembark intim ' Gulf of Spezzia. The outrages committed by the Duke of M o d em are aggravated by the absurdities of his officers. X Guevra, who commands the division which seized Fivisaano, and by whose orders the soldiers tired upea and murdered several of the inhabitants of that sty, published a proclamation on the 11th, in which the following specimen of Medencee eloquence is found : _ _ --- • The coilspan ionate and clement heart of H.R.11., deplore ins the sad ci•cumatanxs and the desolation occasioned be death or injuries, which bare befallen persons or families, sad wishing as far as it is in his Dower to hold out to them the hand of succour, has requested me to di tribute among tan sufferers the sum of SOO lines (something less than 200, which he has sent me fur that purpose. Since the above was written we have received the journals and correspondence of Florence of the l7th. The greatest difficulty existed to obtain intelligen ce from the district of Lunigiana. The Modenese police having established a footing in FivizrAtio, the chief place of the district, opened all letters, and searched ' the persons of all couriers and private messengers. The soldiers are reported to give themselves up uti le most detestable exceqses. Lord Mioto was received by the Pope on the Bth inst., and had a conversation of nearly an hour with him. Many of the principal personages of Rome have been to wait upon him. . Great activity is remarked at the Austrian legati on at Rome. Count Cristoforo Ferretti, it is said, h as been instructed to treat the question of Ferrara defi nitively with Count Redetzky at Milan. The .Augsburg na:ette has the following, under the date of Naples, Nov. 12 : It is reported • dreadful plot has just been discovered at Leghorn. A reward of 24,000 livres was to be given to the I person who should have killed King Ferdinand. We ari assured that 24 persons are greatly inculpated ; the number of arrestations is said to amount already to 8. We treat these report are exaggerated, and should be happy to find that this rumour, which hu spread throughout the town, is without founds ion. We know nothing certain relative to the successor of M. Benson. Several persons design M. de Bois le Comte as being about to be nominated to that peat. The Noxrellige of Marseilles gives the following correspondence from Naplts: I informed you in one of my late letters that the King would probably commute the penalty of death pronounced by the different military commissions up in four individuals; and in fact the Gazettg Officielle, of the 13th inst., loudly extols the royal clemency in granting this pardon to the condemned. But the writers of the Delcaretto school, with their usual duplicity, do not acquaint us with the nature of the condemnation which has been substituted fur that of death. These worthy disciples of Escobar have carefully avoided informing WI that these wretched men have been condemned to hard labour for life, exactly on the same foot ing as murderers or highwaymen. But amidst the infamy and among the execrable men who abouud in our country, it is consoling to hear from time to time of the noble and generous conduct of some men of heart. 11. Pietracaklla, the president of our ministers, whom I have so often praised to you, can no longer restrain the profound sentiments of disgust which the act of this go vernment, to which he is involuntarPy attached, hare ex cited in him. lie has jut, for the third line, sent in his resignation, declaring to the King that it was meet urgent, if he desired to avoid putting the throne in danger, to dismiss from the palace MM. Coale, Dclearetto, and Santangelo, and to enter upon the reforms demanded by the country. That as for him, being neeeilling by his presence to become the accomplice of a catastrophe rendered inevitable by the odious system pursued at present, he was about to retire to his estate of Pozzuoli. M. Cock, alarmed at the demos stration of M. Petrautelia, and thoroughly acquainted with the versatile character of his royal penitett, prepared secretly for his departure, in case an modification should be made is the form of government. The affection and very pe culiar gratitude which the Neapolitans bear this worthy bishop, sufficiently explain the desire M. Code may feel to secure himself from the manifestations of these feelings. As to Delearetto, he appears to increase in cruelty. His tyranny augments every day. It is thus he flatters himself that he is consolidating his reign and rendering his iniqui ties more lasting. lie feigns a continual belief in the cant een of a conspiracy against the life of the King, to remove from the royal mint all plans of amnesty and reform. It is an infamous and unqualifiable calumny ; and the liberals of the Two Sieilies have sufficiently prayed the horror in• spired by the thought of an assassination, since Delcaretto and Campobaseo still exist. The persons taken into eustody during the night of the 4th, are placed under the surveil la, ce of Campobasso, who subjects them to the most cruel treatment : among them is a priest, who is subjected each day to a serves of tenures, in order to make him acknowledge suppcsed crimes. The prisoners of Reggio do not meet with a less cruel treatment. Delearetto has sent the commissary Cioffl, to institute an exsmination. It is necessary to in troduce to you this new personage, the worthy acolyte of Campoduse—Cioffi, formerly a torturer in the time of Canosa and Intonki, those savage ministers of the police, who have left such • bloody remembrance in the Two ,Sicilire, is the very man whom Delcaretto calls a wild bent, chained up in time of peace, and let loose on the people in times of insurrection and tumult. Those are the expression of the Minister of Police—what an I add to them This torturer is sow invested with judicial functions, and the letter of the brother of a prisoner at Reggio will fully let you into his manner of proceeding. I impart to you the public rumours occasioned by the retreat of Petracatella and of Ferri. Should these resignations he accepted, it appears the ministry will be reconstituted as follows :—Prince Camp franeo, an honest but weak nun, to the presidency; I. Fortunato, the renegade, despised by all parties, to the Finances; Santangelo, to the Council of State, ss president ; Spinelli, a moderate and intelligent man, would have the Interior; as to the inevitable Dela retto, and the o'her ministers, they would retain •heir pow. This ministerial modification, should it be confirmed, would produce no change in the order of things, and would but in crease the benighted despotism which weighs heavy on our country. Thus all the plans of moderation and reform attri buted to King Ferdinand are positively contradicted. Ca this oystea continue without producing • catastrophe ? That is the question which now occupies every enlightened Mid. The question becomes more difficult every day, for the paw of Europe is evidently connected with it. We here see se solution possible, but in an intelligent interference of macy, which cannot, without danger, continue the sible pert it has been acting till now in the affairs of Naples. emir:coolly when England is actively preparing b avail her self of the ensuing event. MADRID, Nov. 18. The session of congress held yesterday,although node bate took place, offered some points. of interest. The listed deputies who bad received favours from the government, sed another of thews who had resigned their seats, were pne tented. The Minister of Finance then read • project @f law by which her MOULT authorised the government te r collecting the taxes till the end of the present year. I *4•1 1 have stated yesterday that this bill was referred to a new mitten. For the rest it is a pore formality. It would beer. less at the end of the year to dismays the budget of 1847. The Minister of the Interior then read the bill introduced by government for preserving pnblie order. At the rising d congress, to meet in the sections, the president made knora that a motion had been laid upon the table, requesting ea - tain documents from the government, of which an Domed would be given when come member of the gourmand was present, which was not the ease at that IDOMIIIt This document refers apparently to the accusation subset Senor Salamanca and his colleagues, drawn up, it is. said, by Senor Tejada. It seams that during the last few days Ms. pouts have been exchanged between the partisans of Moe and Salamanca for the reconciliation of those ex-Finsnes Ministers. The conditions on the Salamanca aide were that all notion of impeaching himself or his colleagues should h. dropped, end be would give up the intention of retaliating upon his adversaries, that all hostilities should be forgettells and that the government should not oppose his re-election for Alcor. The ministry, according to all accounts, is des. interested in cementing this peace, and Moo, fearing divisions which will result in the moderado ranks fres keeping up the war, is aiding the ministry in their efforts to allay strife. The quarrel, in fact, had been all but aceomnse dated, when one of the investigating committee would sot give in ; and other moderados out of the committee declared that they would take up the subject if it were abandoned by those to whom it had been committed. The motion alluded to was made in consequence ; but all the documents hove not been demanded which it was at first in contemplation to ask for. Mon is said to wish to put off the subject, and for this reason he did not give an amount of the motion, as he ought to have done, reserving the diacumion till the ministers should be Ortega L ei le t titioned retirees to settle whether the go vernment have acted according to the law in sending his, • national deputy, to quarters in Gallicia, The London correspondent of the Espanol state , ' that Isturits has resigned his poet of minister at the court of her Britannic Majesty. His motive for so doing is said to he that he is affronted at being degraded from =humidor to simple plenipotentiary. The Queen's flee occurs to-morrow. ller Majesty has fixed two for the hour of reception of the deputation from congress. The daughters of the Duke of Riansares us not to appear at the ball in the evening.