The Express. — London, England, 1867-03-11 00:00:00

Elie erpreoo. TO CORRESPONDENTi Advertisements Intruded for "The Express," London Evening Taper, moat be at the Ofloe, 10, Bouverk-street, by Two o'clock on the day of publication. JOHN BROGDEN. ORIGINAL GOLD CHAIN MANUFACTORY, 16. HENRI Krf A-STREET, COVENT-OARDKS. JOHN BROGDEN'S 18-carat GOLD CHAINS. JOHN BROGDEN'S GOLD GUARD CHAINS. JOHN BROODEN'S GOLD ALBERT CHAINS. JOHN B ROG DEN'S GOLD BROOCH CHAINS. BENSO'NS WATCHES. 6$ and 60. Ludgate-bin: 25, Oltlllond•dreet. B ROWN and POISON'S CORN FLOUR forCEILDRE—VS DIET. -aP. To obtain extra profit by the sale other kinds an smitten ottercd Instead et iiit4)W.ai and PULSON'S. "John Brown," "John Poison," Is signed by Os makers on each packet. DR! RY LANE. TTITS P.cnnn , VAl';if Messrs. E Phelps, T. 'Loony. Fit/Anima, Harcourt. M'lntyrc. Warner, awl W. Harri son Mrs Herman Vern., Mrs. IL Van lenholl, dr Isabel —And WANTED HUSBANDS FOR SIX. Miss L. Thompson. HAYM &RILEY. MIS EVRIIING, DAVIDI.cRkIiIE Mama. Sothern, Buck atorr., Chipiandalc. Rogers, Clark, 6c.: Mcs,larnes More. Chip prrplale, ac. —DI A NII D:4 AND HEA RTS. Mcs,rs. Chippcitalc, Farrell, &c. Nlcal:ancs ISurke, Moore, rte.—Awl ?IRS. WHITE. ratzfqwurs . Taw Bream, HIS LAST LEGS. Messrs. Verner it Fenton: Hrs. B. White and Miss Wentworth —And SILUS/W THEE 811 AFT. llessr, Vining : Shore, Venwr, F. Vlillers, Forrester, Mellon, and Cathcart: Misses Montagu : FAinonds, and lodgers, LI LISI7II. TIDE Fri:six% sI M ISocAWD63. Messrs Y.mery & Price Elsworthy. -1)0N +.:AAIt DE BAZA Messrs. Feaster. j..nlan. awl A SI. All•pt . Mrs L 'Murray. and Misees Ileursde and C. Leelercy.—And THE TWO POUTS. Mr. I%ldb:canto. ATRAVD ..... Tell EVP:NING, NIARRI ED DAUGHTERS AND YOrN4I HD& RANDS.—E.4MERAI.OA . OR, THE SENAITION 04 IAT. Messrs. Thorne, Jame, Uni.m, and Tumor Mesdames assaubonsugh, Hughes, Newton, Viesthersby, Sc.—AlAd A BUIT UY IWYRIra. HOLBORN. Tine EMnimo, MT TURN NEXT. Mr. Delmore: Moms loots sad Lesn‘m.—Amt FLYING SCUD. Mean. Neville, Bel mont, Blake, VaMare. Re. Meedsroes F. Josephs, C. Menders, Bogs Foots. Valdes, Lamas, Raymond, &c. BRIM TAO rvicrwqn, TRF. CLOILSICAN BROTHER' —After which the Opening id the PANTOMIME, ending with the Grand Trans. formation Meet, gm Lane it Mi Jacnlsa—To conclude with TILE LAMT LINK OF LOVE. Ulu* Milos. RIGR WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. TIIII sb. Sae. TO•Moitow—Murnteg, sb. 56m Aitarnooa. Gb. lbsb. LONDON, MONDAY, MARCH 11. Jr is to be feared that the House of Commons is hardly up to the mark in discussing the daily transactions of commerce. There are indeed many members who are engaged in business, but from some inexplicable cause their ordinary shrewdness will not bear translation from the City to Westminster-hall. Few debates are so unsa tisfactory as those on commerce. Bankers of experience in their own affairs, As sessing an instinctive knowledge of an un sound bill or investment, when they pass from practice to theory, bring forward the wildest cur rency doctrines, as far opposed to the public expediency in one direction as our present laws are in the other. Manufacturers who have been powerful in battling against protection when it related to corn, turn suddenly round the moment the question is shifted to their products. An illustration of this curious kind of self-contradiction has been afforded in tho past week. Merchants have been pleased to dignify with the name of free trade a speculative gambling which differs only from that 0f the punters at Wiesbaden and Ems, that in the latter case the losers ruin only themselves, while in the former they inflict indis criminate ruin, for the chance of a small profit, upon a thousand innocent families. It is fortunate for the prosperity of the nation that this kind of argument was not available some twenty years ago. If the name of free trade could have been at that time branded as it is now attempted to be, with the impoverishment of widows and orphans, for the sake of a few greedy speculators, the fact might have created such a disgust in the mind of the nation that the Corn Laws would have remained unrepealed until this hour. The crisis of last year has shown to shareholders in a joint stock bank that a very valuable property may in critical times be ruined in a few days, perhaps a few hours, by half-a-dozen unscrupulous speculators. The plan was very simple ; it consisted merely in spreading what may be called a practical libel. Mr. A did not venture to say that a certain bank was worse than insolvent ; that would have been actionable ; he, therefore, sold, through four or five channels, as many shares as he could for deli very, not now, but a fortnight hence. Of course, if the actual shareholders had taken no notice of these tactics, A would have had in all probability to suffer a heavy loss. But A knows human nature ; he is very well aware that a fall in the price of the shares will shake the confidence of depositors, and of share holders likewise. A run, or something approach ing to it, may take place. The depositors will withdraw their balances, and the shareholders will sell at any sacrifice. Mr. A buys back his shares cheap, at a large profit. In some cases the bank is forced to go into temporary liquidation, and perhaps, after a time, resumes business, its posi tion being, in fact, intrinsically sound, but in the meanwhile a vast amount of suffering and loss will have been inflicted. There is no exaggeration in this example. Take a case in point. One of our principal banks, hold ing at least 10,000,0007. of deposits, and with cash balances in hand of over three millions, was threatened with a run. Thu failure of Overend, Gurney, and Co. affected this esta blishment so little that it had only about 30,000/. on deposit there, or one per cent. of the total cash balance. Yet it pleased certain speculators to assume that this bank was driven to extreme inconvenience by the great failure, and speculative sales of the shares were pressed in consequence, accompanied by the dissemination through the country of all sorts of anonymous and defamatory reports. The heads of the bank, however, hap pened to be both wealthy and courageous. They bought as fast as the speculators sold, and the consequence was that, greatly to their chagrin, the latter had to pay heavily on the settling day for shares they had not got to deliver. This, however, is an exceptional case. It is unfortunately too easy to find instances where no such assistance was or could be given, and thus the speculative sellers had it all their own way. Now, it is perfectly clear that this course of business could not, in any possible degree, be beneficial to the public. The point was univer sally understood, and it was desired to apply a corrective. The first resort was to the Committee of the Stock Exchange. Unfortunately, a portion of that body happen to be beneficially interested in these transactions, and cannot help, however un- T'~~ ~ ~. _. _.. - THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 11, 1g67. consciously, having their minds warped between their sense of duty and their prospect of profit. It is perfectly unreasonable to expect a judge to be impartial in deciding on his own case, or, at all events, the phenomenon will not, in these sceptical days, be received with credit. But in this particular instance it is of paramount necessity that the judgments rendered shall command a conviction of their complete impar tiality. There was a general desire that certain steps should be taken to check a practice which had proved so often prejudicial. The Committee refused to do anything, and the question has, therefore, been taken out of theirhamls. A Bill has been introduced in Parliament to enact that in contracts for selling joint stock bank shares the numbers of these shares shall be inserted. This provision Can in no wise prejudice the bend fide seller, but it will materially, if not totally, check I the operations of those speculators whose sole object is to trade upon the ruin of their neighbours. The Committee seem to have discerned the mistake they made, and have put forth a document, a piece juxtificalie,, which hardly helps their case. They contend for "an open and " unrestricted market for both buyer and seller." How does Mr. LEEMAN'S Bill prevent it ? They say that a shareholder could not realise his pro perty in an emergency in consequence of the re strictive regulations now proposed. We should like to know the reason why. To ordinary minds it seems that when a boniiiide. proprietor desires to sell his shares he will do so much more advan tageously than if exposed to the competition of a dozen speculators for the fall. They speak also of prices "being mainly regulated by the amount "of stock or shares actually taken or de " livered by the public"—a conclusion upon which there can be no dispute, but in the absence of some measure like Mr. LEEMAN'S Bill this amount has hitherto been impossible to be ascertained. It is a more serious matter when it is pointed out that the effect of the regulation would be to prevents director of a bank or other influential person from selling his shares in a period of un easiness or panic. We would rather not go into this question, since it implies that in the case of a falling company a director would be debarred from the knavery of making use of his special knowledge to sell his shams to an innocent buyer. There is one more question that should be consi dered. The Connnittee observe that " the rule " which enablesthe purchaser to complete his contract " by buying in the undelivered shares, without re " gaud to price, and at the expense of theseller, is afar " more stringent and effectual check to speculative " sales than any restriction or penalty that could "be devised." This reads admirably on paper, and is prima furle true. But the Committee are well aware that the dealers in joint stock bank shares are very few in number ; three, or perhaps four at the outside. Supposing none of these will sell—and it has occurred often enough—of what good is the privilege of buying in ? Instances occurred, not infrequently, last year of persons having bought bank shares, which the dealer, from default, as he said, of his client, was unable to deliver. "We shall buy them " in against you," said the broker, and lie tried, but found no one able or willing to sell. The " check " was evidently good fur nothing, as far as the Stock Exchange was concerned, and indeed might at any time be set aside by a combination, actual or tacit, of three or four dealers. Lastly, when the present mode of dealing in bank shares is dignified by the term of free trade, it is desirable to see how differently it applies to the purchaser and the seller. The former must possess a large capital, the latter need have com paratively little. Suppose a client instructs his breker to sell fifty shares in a given bank. Per haps he has them, and the transaction is safe ; perhaps he has none, and the bargain is purely speculative. " But," reasons the broker, "it is " impossible in a time of difficulty and discredit " for the shares to rise more than 51., and I " know my client to be good for at all events " 2501." Take the converse, of a man desiring to buy the sante shares, which perhaps stand at 601. to 801. in the market, say 701. This involves an outlay of 3,5001. Many men may be good for 2501., who would find it impossible to furnish 3,5001. Hence the broker for the purchaser is cautious, and hesitates, while the broker for the seller shows no hesitation whatever. The debate in the House of Commons was not particularly instructive. Mr. NEATE showed great want of acquaintance with the subject, but voted on the right side. As a set-off to him Mr. CRAWFOID showed his practical knowledge, and voted on the wrong. By far the best speech on the subject was made by Mr. ALLEN. Although short it was really exhaustive, and went thoroughly home to the subject. The more elaborate efforts of Alderman &Leixoes and of the distinguished member for the City, Mr. CLAWTOED, were by comparison failures. As we have already said, not much is gained by these debates, but common sense will in the end have its way ; and as re gards this question, we cannot help thinking that Mr. ALLEN will, as regards soundness of judgement, be one of the leaders. HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS OF WALES. We have authority to state that the paragraph in the honing Puss of this day, relating to the Princess of Wales, is not authorised. Her royal highness is suffering much from the rheumatism in the knee, from which, as stated in the last bulletin, the recovery must necessarily be slow. There is no foundation for the report that the Queen is coming to London to-day. March 11, 11 a.m. DEATH Or THE DEAN Or HEREFORD. —We learn by telegraph that the Very Rae. Richard Dawes, M.A., dean of Hereford, died yesterday at the deanery. His mortal ailment was cancer in the stomach, from which he had been suffering for some weeks past. Mr. Dimas was fourth wrangler of his year, B.A. 1817, M.A. 1820, and afterwards fellow and tutor of Downing College, Cam. bridge. He was promoted to the deanery of Hereford in 1850. ST. PAVL's CATHEDRAL.—Yesterday evening the 11th of the special services for the present year took place under the douse of St. Paul's. It was, as usual, • full choral service, the sermon being preached by the Rev. C. Wellington Fume, 11. A., of Christ Church, Oxford, rector of Staines. The sermon next Sunday evening sill be preached by the Right Rev. Dr. Craves, Bishop of Limerick._ THZ BISHOP OF OXFORD AND RITCALIRM.—A lay declaration from 200 male communicants of Reading, expressing want of confidence in the administration of the Bishop of Oxford, has just been presented to his lord ship. Those who sign the declaration say that they feel that a wide-spread apostacy from protestant truth and practice has already taken place in the land, and that in the diocese over which his lordship so energetically presides the evil is extensively diffused and actively progressing. They conclude as follows : " Under these circumstances, after close observa tion tf your lordship's episcopa l career, and impelled by the deep conviction that the present ix the most im portant religious crisis which has come upon England since the Reformation, we feel it our bounden, but painful duty respectfully, yet frankly, to state that we have no confidence in the course pursued by your lordship as our spiritual guide.—Regretting the necessity for this avowal of our sentiments, we remain your lordship's obedient servants." [2OO signatures follow, and among them are Dr. ' Cowan, Colonel Kizett, Dr. Mates, Major Papillon, Dr. Woodlioum, &c.l DISPRNSARY TOR Sire DISTAREA, 50, GREAT M 111.1 so Hort: H•WITRET, REGINT-RTREIT. W.-294 patients were relieved at this dispensary during the week ending March 9. OUR CONTEMPORARIES. rpm DAY.) Cite (Court. BUCKINGHAM PALACB, MAum 9. The Queen, accompanied by Primes. Christian, went out this morning, attended by the Duchess of burghe. Princess Beatrice and Prince Henry of Prussia drove to the Zoological Gardens. Princess Louise, attended by Lady Caroline Barrington, went to Marlborough-house, and visited the Princess of Wales. The Queen received to-day at Buckingham Palace an addreu of congratulation from the Corporation of the City of London on the birth of a Princess. Her Majesty, accompanied by Princess Christian and Princes Louise, visited the Princess of Wales at Marl borough-house this afternoon. Her Majesty and their royal highnesses left Marlborough house a• 5 o'clock, for Windsor Castle, escorted to Pad dington by a detachment of the 14th Hussars. The Duchess of Roxburgh', Mnjor•General Hon. A. N• Hood, and Colonel the Hon. A. Hsrdinge were in attendance. Prince Leopold, Princess Beatrice, and Prime Henry of Prussia, attended by Lady Caroline Barrington, Mr. Legg, and Captain von Schroetter, met the Queen at Paddington, and travelled with her Majesty to Windsor. The Duchess of Cambridge visited her Majesty at Buck ingham Palace this afternoon. WINDSOR CASTLE, M.Ascii 10. The Queen, accompanied by Princess Christian, Princess Louise, Prince Leopold, Princess Beatrice, and Prince Henry of Prussia, arrived at Windsor Castle at 20 minutes pest 6 o'clock last evening, from Buckingham Palace. Her Majesty was attended by the Duchess of Roxburgh., Lady Susan Melville, Lady Caroline Barrington, the Hon. Caroline Cavendish, the Hon. Florence Seymour, Major- General Hon. A. N. Hood, Colonel Hon. A. Hardinge, Mr. Legg, and Captain von Schroetter. Prince Arthur, attended by Major Elphinstone, arrived at the Castle last evening from Greenwich-park. The Queen, Princess Christian, Princess Louise, Prince Arthur, Prince Leopold, and Princess Beatrice, and the Ladies and Gentlemen in Waiting, attended Divine Service this morning in the private chapel. The Rev. C. Kingsley, Chaplain in Ordinary to the Queen, preached the sermon. Lady Begot arrived at the Castle yesterday, and had the honour of dining with the Queen and the Royal Family. The Rev. C. Kingsley also arrived at the Castle yester day. The Prince of Wales attended Divine Service at the Chapel Royal, St. James's, yesterday morning. The communion service was read by the Rev. Thomas Helmore and Rev. C. V. H. Sumner. Anthem—" How dear are thy counsels."—Crotch. Mr. Gass presided at the organ. The sermon was preached by the Load Bishop of Ely, from Acts, c. iii. v. 19. A Cabinet Council was held on Saturday, at the official residence of the First Lord of the Trea sury, in Downing-street. The ministers pre sent were the Earl of Derby, the Lord Chan cellor, the Duke of Marlborough, the Right Hon. Spencer Walpole, Lord Stanley, the Duke of Buckingham, Sir John Pakington, Sir Stafford Northcote, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Right Hon. H. L. Cori", the Duke of Richmond, Lord J. Manners, and the Right Hon. Gathorne Hardy. Sir D. Gooch, M.P., Mr. Laing, M.P., Mr. Watkin,M.P. and Mr. Young waited upon the Chancellor of the Ex: chequer in Downing-street on Saturday. Sir Stafford Northeote was present at the interview. A deputation, consisting of Lord George Paget, Sir James Ferguason, Captain Dashwood, Mr. W. Vaughan Williama, Mr. Winans, Mr. D. Cubitt, and Mr. Somerset, had an interview with Lord John Manners, at her Majesty's Office of Works, on Saturday. Despatches were sent on Saturday from the Colonial office to the Governors of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, St. Helena, Canada, and the Bahamas. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales honoured Lord Henry Lennox, M.P., with his presence at dinner on Saturday, at his residence at the Admiralty, Whitehall. There were present to meet his Royal High ness—the Duke of Sutherland, the Duke of St. Alban's and Lady Diana Beauclerk, Lord and lady Cecilia Bing ham, Hon. Charles Carington, Mr. George and Lady Charlotte Russell, Dr. Quin, tc. His Royal Highness the Duke (4 Cambridge en tertained at dinner on Saturday evening, at Gloucester house, Piocadilly, his Excellency the Russian Ambassador, his Excellency the Austria&Ambassador, the Due of Mon trose, the Earl of Bradford, the Earl of Shaftesbury, the Earl of Hardwicke, Viscount Cranborne, Lord Stanley, M.P., Lord John Manners, M.P., Lord de Mile and Dudley, Lord Colville, the Right Hon. Sir John raking ton, Bart., M.P. ; the Right Hun, Sir Robert Peel, Bart., M.P. ; Vice-Admiral Sir Sydney C. Dawes, Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Milne, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir W. Russell, Bart., M.P.; Mr. G. Cavendish Bentinck, M.P., Colonel North, M.P., Mr. Beaumont, M.P., Mr. Sykes, M.P., Mr. G. Tomline, M.P., and Colonel Tyrwhitt (in waiting on his royal highnew). The Count and Countess do Paris honoured Lady Molesworth with their presence at dinner on Saturday last at her residence in Eaton-place. The following com pany were present :—His Excellency the Prussian Ambas sador, the Marquis and Marchioness of Clanricarde, the Earl and Countess of Clarendon, the Earl Cadogan, Fran ces Countess Waldegrave and the Right Hon. Chichester Forteacue, M.P., Lady Dorothy Nevin, the Hon. Edward F. Leveson Cower, M.P., Mr. George Moffatt, M.P., and Mrs. Moffatt, Mr. R. Bernal Osborne, M.P., Mrs. acschen, Mr. Delane, Mr. Harcourt, Mr. Alfred Montgomery, and the lady in waiting on the Countess de Paris, &c. Later in the evening her ladyship had a reception to meet their royal highnesses. The Duchess of Inverness entertained the Earl Russell, the Countess of Kerry and Mr. Francis Gore. Viscount and Viscountess Torrington, Viscount and Viscountess Sudley, Lord and Lady Stanley of Alderley, the Right Hon. Sir David Dundee, M.P., Baron Beck Fru., H. de Sabouroff, Mr. and Lady Maria Ponsonby, Mr. and Lady Elizabeth Bowllly, Mr. Arthur Russell, M.P., and Mrs. Russell, Mr. and Mrs. Boothby and Min Anson, Mr. Wm. Peel, Mr. Sandford, &c., at dinner on Saturday at her residence in Kensington Palace. The Earl and Countess Percy had a dinner party on Saturday at Northumberland House, the guests in cluding the Marquis and .Marchioness of Salisbury, the Earl and Countess Grey, the Earl and Countess Stanhope and Lady Mary Stanhope, the Earl and Lady Constance Grosvenor, Lord and Lady Elcho, &c. Mr. Blackburn, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, is seriously ill. The Right Hon. the Speaker gave his fourth parliamentary full-dress dinner on Saturday to the follow ing noblemen and gentlemen :—Lord George Manners, Lord Robert Montagu, Lord Arthur Clinton, Viscount Hollandale, Hon. Henry Portman, Right Hon. General Forester, Right Hon. Henry Baillie, Sir Philip Egert o n, Bart., Sir T. F. Buxton, Bari, Sir Charles Russell, Bart., i Admiral Erskine, Colonel Bourne, Colonel Bartte iot, Co lonel Hogg, Colonel Dyott, Major Dickaon,Mr. It. Ormsby Gore, Mr. Winn Knight, Mr. Edward Ellice, Mr. Acland, Mr. G. Grenfell Glyn Mr. C.oldney, Mr. James Lowther, Mr. Beresforil Hope, Mr. Hildyanl, Captain Herbert, Mr. Heneage, Mr. lon Hamilton, Mr. Grove , Mr. Greensll, Mr. R. N. Grenville, Mr. Paull, Mr. F. S. Powell, Mr. P. Robertson, Rev. Dr. Merivale (chaplain), and Mr. Alfred Denison, (private secretary.) LORD CIA/SCURRY AND THE DEPETY-LIZETENANT. —The Lord Mayor has been made a deputy-lieutenant for the county of Dublin—a fact which has given mortal offence to the political susceptibilities of Lord Cloncurry. The following indignant letter appears in thelfad of Satur day evening. It is addressed to Lord Howth, as Lieutenant of the county and county of the city of Dublin :—" Lyons, March H. Dear Howth,—As I see by this day's Dublin newspapers that you have thought At to make Mr. Charles White's ultra-radical election agent a deputy. lieutenant for Dublin, I write to request you will direct that my name be removed from that diaWnoured list. Certainly in the present unhappy and disgraced state of Ireland, entirely caused by the past sell& conduct of the mendacious, mercenary, professional agitators who so abound in this unfortunate country, it a a singular time to select to honour one who for many years was only notorious as • fomenter of agrarian disturbance. I have had no communication with any brother magistrate or D. L. on the subject of this letter, but I am certain my feelings on the matter are shared by every loyal man who loves the best institutions and laws of his country,—l am, dear Howth, yours faithfully, CLONCCRRY." GREAT NORTHERN HORPITAL, CALEDONIAN-ROAD TRUNOTOI.—Number of patients for the week midis; March 8,1,014, et which 264 were new eases. THE COMING REFORM •ILL Ono thing the Daily News says is now clear, that household suffrage must he a part of any measure of reform which can be accepted by all parties se a settlement of the question, we will not say, for a generation, but for six monthA. A leaser scheme will not now abate agitation, though last year something much smaller would have I served the purpose. Though her Majesty's ministers favour household suffrage with checks and safe guards, still in offering it at all, they concede as • fact that the persons whom it would enfranchise have, on the whole, the qualities which fit them to make an independent political choice. The social organisation of England, its histcric traditions, and the feeling of the pe ,ple, supply the real checks and safeguards which are wanted, and to give them shape in definite legal provi sions would provoke an inquiry that might not stop its course when that which lust roused it was removed. If the safeguards provided for property are to be discussed anew, the peculiar securities for its influence which are provided in the 80 or 90 pocket boroughs and nomination counties will not be left unquestioned. The liberal party, , however, will do wisely if, sparing no pains to improve the government scheme, they resist every temptation to throw out the ministry, and thwart the efforts of men like Mr. Lowe and Mr. Hemmen and the smaller theorisers and crotchet mongers, who, in the interest of obstruction are anxious to put the conservatives out. These classes of politicians desire to throw out the present ministiy, not because it is an obstacle, but because it may be an in strument of reform. From their advice, the liberal party may learn what is the course which it ought not to pursue. Considering bow it happens that sensible and honour able gentlemen who trembled last year at the pro spect of a 71. franchise now talk glibly of house hold suffrage, and almost terrify veteran liberals by their unwonted intrepidity, the Times puts aside the hope of power as inadequate to account for conversion on so considerable a scale ; and, moreover, Lord Derby informs us that remonstrances against a scanty and pro visional measure of reform flowed in from conservative adherents in all parts of the country. The change of tone, the Times ventures to hope, is genuine, and springs from a conviction that a liberal, though discriminating, extension of the franchise is for the good of the country. The Times then proceeds to show how the dangers of an increased weight of working cleats representation are weakened byself.adjust log natural safeguards. The number of adult artisans with out receipt of parochial relief, and who pay rates, is much less than we might have expected, and were they really animated by unscrupulous objects, is there no danger in excluding them ! Would the most levelling measure of reform paralyse the social forces which so vastly outweigh political forces in our body politic ? and Is it not pos sible that a moderate and statesmanlike measure of reform might strengthen their conservative efficacy ! In the lower house the increasing preponderance of wealth over Math is viewed with dislike both by advanced radicals and by the best and ablest of the present governing class, and it is possible that reform might extirpate the chief strongholds of this new aristocracy. The Star gives a rumour that the government intend asking for further delay in the production of their bill, and insists that no such postponement ought to be endured. The Tilegrriph believes it can state Mr. Disraeli's mode of proceeding. Household suffrage will be announced in the boroughs, without distinction ; but the vote thus given will be made to depend, like the municipal franchise, upon • residental qualification of two years and eight months. and upon the personal payment of rates ; while the grant of an extended franchise is to be counterbalanced by duality of voting. The Post stirs up the government to rigorous measures in Ireland, entering rather more into detail than mine of its contemporaries have done. every insurgent who can be proved to have crossed the Atlantic for the purpose of exciting a civil war in Ireland should be treated as a mere filibuster, and consigned to the gallows. A special com mission is on the point of being issued for the trial of such of the leaders of the insurgents as have fallen or may fall into our hands, and it is scarcely necessary to my that they will be indicted for the capital offence of high treason. The thrall tells the American leaders that although they have escaped through the wise decision of the government the prompt condemnation and instant execu tion consequent on the decision of a drum-bead court martial, to which in almost any other country they would have been subjected, they are certain to meet at the hands of a civil judge and jury the doom they have so madly called down upon their ow a guilty heads. The Teleyraph tells a story of a guest who, when neg lected in the dining-room of an hotel, called several times, but no waiter came. He then threw on the ground • valuable vase, smashing it in pieces; immediately several waiters surrounded him. " Now that you are here," he said, " I want my dinner." It was a costly way of calling, and Fenianism is a very expensive petition to the house ; but it is a petition, however insane in its tuna ; and it must be beard. The Star holds the suppression of the revolt to be a mere matter of time, but remarks that euppresirion by Beat even were it as savagely retributive as some of our contemporaries desire it to be, is no security against re newed revolt. The horrors of 1798 did not delay one hoar the rising which Emmett headed in 1803. Let Lord Stratbnairn and his subordinates be entirely freed from magisterial control, and allowed to deal firmly with any armed resistance. Bloodshed in the field does not rankle. It seldom originates revengeful feuds, such as are begotten of courts-martial and wholesale hangings, and the other tune-bonoured devices of the Orange squires of Ireland. FOREIGN AFIAJRB. The Times supports the policy of the government in the matter of the Cretan refugees, and objects to the Duke of Argyll's view that in resisting with success the claim of Russia to an effective protectorate over the Christian population in Turkey, we virtually took, conjointly with France, the same responsibility on ourselves. The collapse of Turkey by n►tural decay is recognised as inevitable, but our policy should be to resolutely hold aloof front the movement in Crete and Thessaly. The example of the Principalities may and will be imitated in good time by all the provinces of Turkey in Europe, and thus, without any dramatic catastrophe or dangerous shock to the balance of power, Constantinople may within the lifetime of some of us be once more restored to Christendom. The Herald believes that the three Great Powers have arrived at a distinct agreement on the common course which they will pursue and the recommendations which they will address in common to Turkey and other Powers concerned in the present or in future difficulties in this part of the world. The Star can see no policy more selfish than to maintain the vast crumbling mass of Ottoman corruption and op pression simply to baulk Russian designs. Why should we fear the erection of a great Eastern State by Russia, even supposing such an event were likely, or supposing there were no other way than maintaining Turkey to pre vent it The Daily Yens looks to see the fortieth Congress carry out the reconstruction policy of its predecessor to its legi timate conclusion. No pity can be felt for Mr. Johnson in this crisis of his history. He has thrown every opportu nity away, and now the last is only an opportunity of entire submission. With a hostile Congress watching him, he must undo his own work, or step from his post. There is almost a poetical justice in the time and manner of his humiliation. This Congress, which was to have been constituted to his liking, in his endeavour to influence the composition of which he incurred his defeat, meets just in time to witness the first result of the national repudia tion of his policy. The Tim; a thinks that M. de Oirardin should temper seal against his government with a little discretion and tact. It is inexpedient to crow over the failures of the imperial foreign policy and there is little wis dom in retrospective reproof. It would be • better policy to meet the Emperor half-way, to test the sincerity of his offers, to put the new liberties to practical uses, to win back, were it even by driblets, that right of self government which France had so unanimously, so eagerly, and so unconditionally abdicated sixteen years ago. All the efforts of French patriotism should be directed, not to overthrow the government, but to make the best of it. CRYSTAL PALACE. HALF-A-CROWN DAY. SATURDAT, MARCH 9.—Adrnianomi oa payment, 869; ditto by season tickets. 4,597: total yiaiton 6.466. LATEST INTELLIGENCE. THE EASTERN QUESTION. We extract the following from the Joro•rurl des Debate of to-day : Yesterday evening La Fovea, this morning the Consfitte rionnd,affirm the existence of a despatch from St. Petersburg, which announces or confirm , ' the news of an understand ing between Russia, England, and France on the Eastern question. Yesterday morning the Memorial Diplomatiloe spoke of an agreement between the three Powers with the object of demanding reforms at Constantinople in favour of the Christians. It is to be wished, for the repose of Europe, that these three journals have been well informed. But unhappily the hopes they give rest on no solid femur dation. What is this mysterious despatch announced by the France and Conotitutionwe 1 To whom and by whom has it been sent' How is it that neither of the two journals which refer to it, has the kindness to give us its text ? Why is the Menitear of to-day silent on so im portant a fact ? How is it that none of the Vienna jour nals of the fith appear to have any knowledge of it ? On the contrary the Fremdeablatt, the Prrifre, and the Wan dervr agree in taking a gloomy view of the situation. Ac cording to the Froadenblatt Russia does not care to en gage on a great European war, but the only way of making the Czar pliant is by consent ing to the official tearing up of the treaty of Paris and obtaining from Turkey guarante e s an d s p ec i a l advan., tages for Russian vessels and Russian commerce. The Delwitte says positively that the three powers are far from being agreed, and that this state of things cannot but be favourable to Russia. It is difficult to believe, after read ing the speech of Lord Derby in the House of Lords, that the alleged agreement between the three powers could be so easily and so quickly come to. (mom% rizzaauts.l AUSTRIA. VIENNA, MARCH 11. A rumour is current, although in no way au thenticated at present, that Baron von Beust, in order to improve the financial position of the empire, will mortgage the ecclesiastical property, and an arrangement to that effect is said to have been made with the clerical party. The Emperor leaves to-morrow for Pesth. It is stated that Peath, as well as Vienna, is to be fortified. The Ministers von Widlerstorf and Komer. von Lindenbach intend to send in their resignation. THE ITALIAN ELECTIONS. FLORENCE, MARCH 11, NOON. The result of the definitive elections known up to the present shows that out of 88 candi dates returned 66 are favourable to the government, the remaining 22 belonging to the opposition. In 156 contested elections 108 govern ment candidates have been successful over the opposition. THE AMERICAN HOUSE OF REPRESEN TATIVES AND THE FENIANS. The Timis has received the following telegram by the Atlantic cable : " NEW YORK, Barcaosr, ][sacs 9, 5.30 r.a. " The House of Representatives has ordered the immediate appointment of a committee on foreign relations, in view of the approaching Confedera tion of thu British North American Provinces. " A resolution expressive of sympathy with Ire land was also referred to the same committee. " The steamers Nova Scotian and William Penn have arrived." MALTA. (PROM OCR OWN COERESPONDIMT.) MALTA, Mmtcu .3. Her Illajesty's steam iron-clad frigate Royal Oak. Xi, Captain the Hon. G. D. Keane, returned to Malta on the evening of the Ist instant, from Cephalonia, whither she had been despatched • fortnight ago with provisions for the poor sufferers by the late earthquake which visited that island on the 4th ultimo. The Royal Oak left Cepha lonia on the 28th ultimo, and the news she brings con firms all previous accounts received here respecting the great havoc and destruction caused by the catastrophe. The two towns of Lisuri and Argostoli are a mass of ruins ; the few buildings in the latter town which bad withstood the severe shock on the morning of the 4th were shaken by the subsequent shocks. These continued till the (Is parture of the Royal Oak, on board of which upwards of seventy were registered during the stay of the frigate at Cephalonia. It appears that the distress prevailing in the island is not so great as previously stated ; and although all the ovens were shaken by the earthquikke, the inhabi tants have managed to get bread from ships, sent to them from Patras and the Greek continent. The King of Greens has arrived at Cephalonia, and paid two visits to the Royal Oak. His Majesty declined the offer of the pro visions which had been sent by the Royal Oak for the use of the poor islandeis, and the frigate has brought back the biscuit she had taken up to Cephalonia. Her Majesty's steam despatch vessel Caradoc, 2, Lieute nant4'ommander Wilkinson, left Malta last night for the Pireus, conveying the Right Rev. Dr. Trower, Lord Bishop of Gibraltar, who is proceeding to Greece and other parts of the East where there are English commu nities. The screw-steam troop-ship Tamar, 5, Captain F. W. Sullivan, C. 8., took her departure from Malta yesterday morning for Jamaica, having on board her Majesty's 84th (York and Lancaster) Regiment of Foot, under the com mand of Colonel T. Lightfoot, C.B. The Tamar will touch at Gibraltar, for which place she carries a general mail, and at Madeira. The French steam-frigate Eldorado, Captain (ley. E. Chastenet, arrived in Malta on the Ist from Toulon and Algiers, having on board 800 French soldiers and 60 horael for Cochin China. She left again yestenlay evening for Alexandria. At Algiers the Eldorado embarked Arabian horses, which are offered by the Emperor Napoleon to the Emperor of Japan. Si, F. Blackwood, Bart., R.N., it command of her Majesty's ship Psyche, on this station, left Malta on the 27th ult. for Marseilles, in the Peninsular and Oriental Company's packet &mine. SERIOUS EXPLOSION OF GAS IN MANCHESTER. Yesterday afternoon the Corporation Gasworks, in Gould-street, Rochdale-road, were the scene of a die estrous explosion, which has caused severe injury to a number of men and considerable destruction of property. The accident occurred in the jourifying-house, which abate upon Gould-street, and occupies a considerable part of its extent. So far as could be gathered yesterday, the facto seem to be As follow :—At regular intervals the accumulation of impurities in the apparatus renders it necessary to remove the gas from one purifier to another, in order that they may he alternately cleaned. Yester day, about a quarter-past four o'clock. this operation was commenced, and a man, named Thomas Histon, had charge of the valve through which the gas was passed from the purifier that was charged into the empty one, both of which are under the same roof. From some un explained cause, a very large volume of gas escaped through the cap of the valve, and presently filled the puri fying-house. Almost before an alarm could be given the gas tired at the boiler fire, or some other exposed light, and a tremendous explosion took place. The shock was felt in nearly all parts of the city ; as far as Broughton the report of the explosion was heard with great distinctness, like of • cannon. In the works, and in the immediate neighbourhood, the shock was alarming in the extreme and the streets were immediately filled with excited crowds. As soon as the dense smoke had cleared away so as to allow the purifying-house to be entered, steps were taken to rescue the men who bad been at work there. Seven men were removed, suffering from burns, and were at once taken to the Royal Infirmsry. The in juries that three of these men had received were so severe that the surgeons kept them in the institution. It was not expected that any of these cases would prove fatal. The four other sufferers were sent home after their hurts had been dressed. The explosion set fire to the wood work in the building, and information having been Bentto the fire-office, Mr. Tozer and the brigade attended. After working for nearly an hour , they succeeded in putting out the fire, which had not obtained • serious hold. The roof of the building, which was of slate, was blown completely off ; the wall in Gould-street was partially destroyed ; the doors of the engine -house were blown into fragments, and considerable damage wee done to the roofs sad windows of the offices. It happened, however, that the explosion had not in'ured the purifiers, and there was consequently no se ri ous to the wo rki proceed. ing as nsuaL In Rochdale-road, Gould-street, and the man smaller street. in the neighbourhood, there are hum of broken windows.—Manckester Guardian. THE FENIAN INSURRECTION: (egos OUR OWN CORRESPOND/LIR. ) CORK, 54 _art RI 'AI. Tranquillity in this county has been completely restored. Since Wednesday evening, when the encounter between the troops and the Fenians took place at Bottle-hill, a few miles from the line of the Great Southern Railway, between Blarney and Mallow, no bands of insurgents have been met with, and none are left lurking anywhere in the county. Mr. Ryan, R.M., reported this morn ing that the county from Midleton to Youghal was perfectly quiet. The Midleton Fenians have disap peared into the county Waterford, and are believed to have joined the main body of the insurgents in the Galtees. Thinned as they have been by desertions, their numbers must have become very insignifi cant before they reached their destination. The parties a hich were to have risen in the west of the county failed their leaders at the List moment. On Tuesday night an inconsiderable body of men are said to have assembled at Slecom Hill and at Macroras ; but they appear to have dispersed at once without attempting any en terprise. Of the Bellincollig Fenians, who were to have seized the powder mills with the assistance of contingents from Blarney and Cork, there was only a partial rising, and the Dien, discouraged by their small number, separated after a few hours of indecision. A detatchment from Passage and Cannegaline were to have joined a force from Cork at Rochetown, on the Cork and Passage Railway, to have destroyed the track of the railway, torn down the telegraph posts, and then to march on Passage, where the police-station was to have been attacked ; but only fifty men assembled at the rendezvous, and their captain—a Cork man—de cided that they had better disperse quietly, which they accordingly did. From the city of Cork a body of two or three thousand men—tradesmen, ahopmen, and labourers—went out to the various rendezvous on the night of the rising ; but three-fourths of them were un armed, and more than half returned the same night. Numbers of others who remained out until the neat day have re-appeared at their homes since Thursday, and more are still coming in. From the statements of these men it seems that the bulk of the insurgents were highly in censed at the manner in which they had been duped by their leaders. Want of arms was the chief cause of the sudden collapse of the movement, which, as far as regards mere numbers, was of the must for midable character. Not a tenth of those called on had any description of arms—not even pikes. " What can we do without arms 1" was the universal cry. It seems that the leaders relied upon obtaining large quantities of arms from the country homes, but theraid upon theseyielded only a veryfew really serviceable weapons, the guns usually obtained being fowling-pieces, with an occasional blunderbuss of the time of our grandfathers, and pistols which had been preserved solely as heirlooms. In conducting this raid for weapons the Fenians were careful to observe a strictly military aspect. No attempt at indiscriminate plunder was per mitted. The leader, attended by a small body of men, entered the house marked out for attack, and demanded the surrender of the arms contained in it, his men remaining outside prepared to back Iris request by force if necessary. On receiving such weapons as were to be had—guns and farmyard Pi kea in sonic instances—the party derail' ped without doing mischief. In each case the leader left with the proprietor of the house an acknowledgment of the weapons taken and a pass to secure him from further molestation. One of the latter documents left with Mr. Dyce, of Birch-hill, a Roman catholic gentleman, was signed " Francis Loners, commanding 2nd division Cork infantry, Irish Republican army." Lomas is an Irish- American, and several of his subordinates were of the same hybrid nationality. The party were armed one-third with pikes and two-thirds with guns, of which only a small proportion were rifles. It is asserted that there is a considerable number of men in the Fenian ranks who have joined merely for fearthat if they held back they would be shot. In this city several young men applied for permission to sleep in the police barracks and in the houses of their employers, in the apprehension that they would be taken out of their beds if they remained at home. There were numerous cases in which ' men were called fur by armed parties, and com pelled to go out. Those men of course waited for the first opportunity to desert. Tipperary and Limerick are the only southern counties in which the insurgents still hold out. A small party was reported to have been seen in the county of Waterford, but these may have been the Midleton detachment to route to the Gaite 4 - 11 . In Kerry there has been but one outrage, the attack by a small party ou the railway station at Millstreet, where the telegraph wires and instruments were destroyed, but great ; apprehension prevails in the county, and special constables have been sworn um for the pro tection of Tralee. This evening a small detach. meat of soldiers was sent front the Mallow Junc tion to Millstreet, on which another attack was expected to be made. The hills in this district afford facilities fur the assembling of an insurgent force. The accuracy of recent reports of the appear/oleo of Fenian/. in large numbers in the t;:iltees begins to he doubted. A large number persons assert that they saw the Fenians front a di.stmtec massed on the slopes of the mountains, but the detach ments of troops and police sent up to the passes have been unable to meet with any insurgent par ties. The explanation given of this failure to reach the insurgents is this. The mountain in which the Fenians were seen, the Galteemere Peak, is in advance of the main range, and it is said that on the approach of the troops the Fenians retired to the mountains in the rear, when amongst the steeps and crags they were secure from pursuit and even from observation. Yesterday the Fenians were reported to be moving gradually away as if dispersing, but it is possible they may be only moving farther hack into the mountains to stronger psitions. At Pallas and Kilfeacle parties of relals of no cmt siderable number have been seen, but no collision between the insurgents and the troops has occurred since Wednesday evening. The farmers in the two countiesare in great apprehension fbeing pressed into the Fenian rinks, as several are said to have been ; and those who can do so are coming for safety into the towns. Reinforcements, c..n sisting of three companies of the 48th Regiment, a party of the Military Train, and a party of Etig't ewers, arrived in Tipperary to-day. A telegram from Cork, dated last night, says The Fenian on the hills are broken up into foraging parties, pillaging farmers and villagers and stealing arms, the rebels occasionally concentrating at distant points• The military and constabulary We said to be harassed day and night. ♦ dwelling in a populous part of the city, owned by a nun named O'Beily, is reported to has,: hero enteml be.