The Express. — London, England, 1868-02-05 00:00:00

LIFEBOAT SERVICES. —During the storms 01 the peat year the National Lifeboat Institution son tribsded to the easing of LORI lives from various shipwrecks • meals from destraction. The Institution aka a:peened Sums in the same period on Its lifeboat ratablirunieuts, in addition to granting for rewards. The Committee et the institution earnestly appeal to the public for assistance to enable them to meet the oossinuel heavy demands on Ndr 186 Lifeboat Establishments. Contributions will be tbanktully received by the London and eountri banker% and by the Secretary, Richard Lewin Esq., at the Institution, 14, Johnntreet, Adelpid, Leaden. PARIS KIIIIBITION, FIRST CLASS STLYZR WIDAL, 1607. GOLD CHAINS.—JOHN BROODEN begs to cull the attention of the public to the FORM of AA VOICE which he delivers with Gold Chains purchased L at snanufactery : i d. To workmanship of we pattern chain, 24 Inches long 2 10 0 To (15) carat gold. weighing 2 ow., at g 2 12► id. per cnuae, Mint price T0ta1..., 171,Dn this system . the QUALITY, WEIGHT, wd VALUE of the gold are accurately defined, and guaranteed to the purchasers. John Brogilen looking fora fair remuneration on the workman shiV . which is .harged according to the intricacy or sinipli day of the pattern. Manufactory, 16, Henrietta-street, Covent-garden. London. _ REAKFAST.-EPPS'S COCOA cite erpreois• TO OUZIMPOND)LNITS. eivalleemeata Intended for &pre's," London Zeroing = must be at the °Mee. 10 , Bouveriwatreet, b 7 Two on tits day of publication. HANN AHEM. TIT! Ewmtio, THE BROKEN-HEARTED CLUR.—A WIFE WELL WON. Yana &Ahern, buckstaee, Howe, Kendal, Beakl. Weaibereby, ate. ; and Mai Roberteoa.—Alter :r i b ' AN UTTER PKWYERSION OY THY BRIGAND. MINCH:3BIr This Emma. THE OoLLsav BAWK. Hr. and Mrs. Dion Boaciesult.—After which TIM 8 ritJihTS OF LONDON. Mr. Wising, Messrs. Murray, Shore, Neville, Forrester, Mellon, etc. Misses Sliworthy, Harsett, Rachel banger, sad Ars. Addle. is. tats EVENING. OLD SALT. Mr. Emery and Ws Nally Moore. ...After which THE CALIPH OP BAGDAD. Miura Thorne and James; Mesdames Ada Svanborough, Johnstone, Harland, Holt, dc.—Awl COAL ANL) COE& HOLBORN. Tint. EVENING, THE FLYING SCUD. Kamm Atkin., Trice, Garden, Arthur, Westland. dd Wilatott ; Mesdames Ilenr►dc, Goodall, Lennox, and Saunders—Conclude with VALENTINE AND ORSON. Male. Montero, Little Rowena. Gm. BI ITA N NIA. THIN Eresnts, MINDS DOWN.—DOINI QVTXOTE. Ifrs. S. Lane, 4t Mimeo Edwin and Booth : Pantondluhta Ileum Duane. Louis, Newham, and CU:toren!, Mdlle. Stephan and Wu Rose Nathan.—To conclude with fHU MAI= FLOWFA. HIGH WATIIR AT LONDON BMW& tm DAY —Moraine. 101. 670..--Aftemooe.lll. She. TO-golchoW—Moneng, Oh. tes..--Afterpoon, Oh. two. LONDON, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY L. SE NJ ri Ts which involve a great private anxiety are not in themselves fit topics for public com ment. But private affairs are in some cases inex tricably interwoven with public interests, and the scrupulousness which would respect the sensitive ness of kinsmen and friends must occasionally give way to considerations of wider interest. The mysterious disappearance of the Rev. BENJAMIN Speer is 110 t a matter for curious speculation or for piquant writing. So long as reticence could spare ally private sentiment we have observed it. But the reasons for silence are now outweighed by graver reasons in favour of open speech and dis cussion. The fact that a man, in the very heart and centre of London, can suddenly disap pear as completely as if the earth had opened and swallowed him up, and that all traces of hint may fur weeks be irretrievably lost— never, perhaps, to be discovered—is of the highest public importance. A destructive gale, an erup tion of Mount Vesuvius, a French press law, a Clerkenwell outrage, are not more serious. Whether the disappearance of the missing gentle man be voluntary or violent, whether it be the deliberate purpose of a sane mind or the impulse of one suddenly visited with the most fearful of human calamities, is, in this connexion, a matter of secondary interest. The fact that every effort male t, trace him has proved fruitless, that the eagerness of private solicitude and the resources of civil inquiry have been in vain, is the must alarming feature of the case. The story, so far as is known, has lately been brought before the public in a connected form. on Wednesday, the Bth of January, Mr. S VEK E left the Chard station, in Somerset shire, on the South Western line, in order to be present at the marriage on the following day of a friend in London. He intended apparently to have returned home immediately after the marriage, for he to iok a return ticket, and ordered hisgroomto be in waitiegforhimattheChard stationlontheeven big of that day. On arriving in London, he drove to the house of his brother in-law in Ecclesten-aquare, dismissed his cab, and after a few minutes' con versation with ono of the servants, who had been brought up in his parish, went out, telling the footman that he was going to buy a new hat, to call at half-past six upon a young man whom he hail apprenticed in London, and to dine out at seven. Ho bought a hat in Warwick-street, and left the shop at half-past five o'clock, requesting that the hat might be sent home at a quarter to seven; repeating here, too, that he was going out to dine. From that hour to thiahe hasbeenlostaightof. No trace of him can be found after he left the hatter's shop. At half-past seven his old hat, bearing the marks of ill-usage, was picked up by a workman in Itirdeat,m-walk. These two hours contain the undisclosed secret of his fate. What then betel is matter of pure conjecture. The sup position of Mr. SPEW: E'S voluntary absence is beset with many difficulties. It is scarcely possible to believe that a visit so natural should have been made the occasion fur carrying out a previously contrived plan of di appearance. On this hypothesis the purchase of the return-ticket at Chard, the notification of the groom to be in waiting for him there on the following day, the full statement of his arrangements for the evening to the servant in' Eccleston-square, and the instructions to the hatter in Warwick- street, 11 mild be so many cunningly-devised blinds. A man who desired for any reason to convey the ideathathe had been made away with, and under cover of it to evade search and escape from Eng land, might adopt these expedients, and might crown them by injuring and throwing away a part of his dress, in order that its discovery ' might heighten the mystery of his disappearance. But the character of Mr. SPEER opposes insupera ble obstacles to the entertainment of this sup position. There is not any greater probability in the idea that between half-past five and half-past seven—or rather a quarter to seven, the time which he had fixed for his return home— an access of madness should have come upon him. "In perfect health, of an even/y -" balanced mind, high religious character, and of " a singularly cheerful and amiable disposition, " he was about the last man," say his friends, " one would have imagined could come to harm, " physically or morally ; and being the only " member of his family residing with his parents, " and knowing how heavily recent bereavements " have pressed upon them, it is incredible that he " should not have communicated with his family "if he had the power to do so." On the other hand, the supposition of murder in the public thoroughfares of the West-end of London, or of violent abduction and forced concealment in some villanous haunt of the city, are equally improbable. The outrages which have been com mitted with impunity during the winter have pre pared the public mind for much that not very long ago would have seemed incredible. A century ago, when the press-gang was in fell swing, and r NHE t*ICKP when recruiting for the East India service was simple kidnapping, mysberions disappearances were common. The newspapers of Gismos M.% time tell us of prisoners held under lock and key, who killed themselves in attempts to escape from the roofs of houses in Chancery-lane, of men held in duress among the black spots of Clerkenwell and in the dens about the Fleet River, of trap-doors, and skeletons, and the other accessaries of a Rateliffian romance. But the motive to crimes of this sort has vanished. The hidden places of such iniquities have been opened to ,the light of day. If Mr. SPEKS had ! been a political man, alarmists might fancy that he had been seized as a Fenian hostage or victim. Speculations of this sort are, however, purely and wantonly gratuitous. Conjecture is puzzled by the improbabilities--amounting almost to impossibili ties—which face it on every side to which it turns. Only one thing is certain, and that is the ineffi ciency of the police, which either failed to prevent a crime of unparalleled audacity, or cannot clear up the secret of a sudden disappearance which combines in an equal degree mystery and noto riety. frovrt. nit\ The Queen drove out yet lia erafternoon, accompanied by Princess Christian and Prtnoese Henrietta of Schleswig-Holstein, and attended by the Duchess of Athol'. Lord Alfred Paget was in attendance on horseback. The Queen went out this morning, accompanied by Primes Lollies and Prince Arthur. Prince Arthur, attended by Lieutenant Pickard, left Osborne at half-past one o'clock for Southampton, on his , way.to the Ranger's House, Greenwich. I Prince Christian, attended by Colonel Mande, accom ' ponied his royal highness as far as Southampton, and (returned to Osborne. A Cabinet Council was held yesterday at the official residence of the First Lord of the Trea sury, in Downing-street. The Ministers present were the Lord Chancellor, the Duke of Marl borough, the Earl of Malmesbury, the Right Hon. Chthonic Hardy, Lord Stanley, Sir John Peking ton, Sir S. Northcote, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Right Hon. H. T. L. Corry, the Duke of Richmond, Lord John Manners, the Earl of Mayo, and the Right Hon. Spencer H. Walpole. A deputation from the Plaarmwentical Society, (moist ing of Mr. Sandford (President). Mr. T. H. Hills (Vice- President), Messrs. Carteighe, Brans, Haselden, Moron, Waugh, and others, had an interview with the Right Hon. (lathorne Hardy at the Home-office yesterday. The lords present at yesterday's sitting of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council were Lord Caiyas, Sir J. W. Colvile, end Sir R. T. Kinderaley. A meeting of the Judicature Commission was held yesterday. Present :—Lord Cairns ; Sir William Erie ; Sir James P. Wilde ; Sir R. J. Phillimore ; Sir W. P. Wood ; Mr. Baron Bramwell ; Mr. Jostles Black burn ; Mr. Justice Smith ; the Attorney-General, M.P.; Sir Ronndell Palmer, Q.C., M.P. ; Mr. Quain, Q.C. ; Mr. Rothery ; Mr. Arbon, M.P. ; Mr. Childers, 111. P. ; Mr. F. D. Lowndes ; Mr. Holism. ; Mr. W. G. Bateson ; and Mr. Bradshaw. the Secretary. CABINET COCNClL.—Summonses were issued late yesterday afternoon for a Cabinet Council to be held to-morrow at the official residence of the Earl of Derby in Downing-street. LORD CHAMBERLAIN ' S - OFFICE, ST. JAMES'S PA LACE, Fri. 3.—Notice is hereby given that the Queen will hold drawing rooms at Buckingham Palace, ouThuraday, the 12th March, on Wednesday, the Ist April, and on Tuesday, the 12th May next, at 2 o'clock.—Ga:rtte. THE PRINCE or WALES.—The Duke and Duchess of Manchester give this evening • grand ball at Kimbolton Castle, in honour of their august visitor the Prince of Wales. His royal highness did not reach the castle until 5 p.m. on Monday, having terminated his railway journey at Huntingdon, proceeding thence in a carriage and four to Kimbolton, instead of by the Kettering, Thrap ston, and Huntingdon Railway, as had been anticipated. The ball of this evening is for the aristocracy of the district, and will be succeeded by another on Friday evening for the local volunteers. A meet with the Oakley hounds and other field sports will occupy the days which the Prince will spend at Kimbolton, and his royal high. ness will not conclude his visit until Saturday. The Prince was warmly received at Huntiugdon, and was en tertained, en roetc to Kimbolton, at Hinchinbrook, by the Earl and Countess of Sandwich. A distinguished circle has been invited to Kimbolton to meet the Prince. PRINCE LEOPOLD.—Prince Leopold, who is at present with the Queen at Osborne, has, we are informed, been suffering from • severe illness, which at one time created much alarm in the royal family. The Prince has been attended by Dr. Jeuner and Dr. Paget. At one crisis in the Prince's illness the case is understood to have been considered almost hopeless, but the latest acoounts speak of • gradual improvement in his health. The Duke and Duchess of Newcastle and family arrived at their residence on Carlton House.terraos, yester day, from Clamber Park, Notts. The duke is going on favourably after his recent accident. The Duchess (Dowager) of Sutherland left Stafford House, St. James's, yesterday, for Chiswick, and to-flay goes to Cliveden, near Maidenhead. The Earl and Countess of Dudley arrived at Dudley House, Park-lane, on Monday, from Witley Court, Worcestershire. Lord and Lady Elcho and family do not intend to return home from Cannes till Easter. Lord Broughton is entertaining a select party at Tidworth, Wilts. Thu Earl of Hardwicke has arrived in Portman square from Sydney Lodge, Southampton, for • few days. Yesterday the Lord Lieutenant held his first levee. It wee the largest ever witnessed in Dublin. The christening of the infant son of the Hon. Reginald and Mrs. Sackville-West took place on Monday at the Holy Trinity Church, Brampton. The sponsors were the Duke of Rutland, the Marquis of Salisbury, the Duchene of Hamilton, and Mrs. Baillie Cochrane. The future heir to the title of Buokhurst received the family names of Lionel Charles Contend. The Rev. E. Kershaw officiated. It is stated that the Marquis d'Azeglio, Minister Plenipotentiary from the Italian to the British govern ment, has resigned his office, and that his successor will arrive in London before Easter. The Marquis d'Azeglio continues to reside in London. The death took place on Friday last, at 7, Sion hill, Bath, of Edwyn Henry Vaughan, M.A., late Assistant-Master of Harrow School, aged 49. The Birmingham Post of to-day thus describes the interruption which occurred at the commencement of Mr. Bright's speech last evening :—" There was some little disturbance at the commencement of the meeting—attri buted, whether rightly or wrongly, to some few foollah members of the Liberal Conservative Association, who laboured under the delusion that, by persistent clamour, they could ' put down Bright.' The Chairman, with some perseverance, got through his short speech without any very great difficulty. As soon as Mr. Bright rose, some half-a-dozen persons at the back of the floor began shouting—perhaps barking would better ex press it. An effort was made by their neigh bours to silence them, and a good deal of confusion followed. Mr. Bright waited very patiently, once or twice essaying in vain to obtain silence. The great majority of the audience for • long time imitated his patience. At last they could endure it no longer. In about as short • time as it takes to read this sentence two of the ringleaders of the disturbance on the floor were un ceremoniously ejected, end order was at once restored there. Then some foolish fellow at the top of the orchestra interfered. Instantly his neighbours turned upon him. For a moment he was seen protesting ; than a number of gentlemen were seen politely bowing ; the next moment the disturber had disappeared. From that time perfect silence reigned, and Mr. Bright began and closed his speech without interruption." Nearly 300 Irish people—men, women, and children—left Wedncebruy, on Monday, en route for 'Southern Brazil. With others collected from different parts of the country they are to proceed from Liverpool to their deetination, where they will, it is understood, be employed in agricultural pursuits. A second party is to follow shortly, and to be seecormuded by the Rev. G. Montgomery, priest of the Roman catholic, of Weapo nry, who himself was employed aetively in arranging . or the departure of the first detachment. Mr. Richards, the medical gentleman who gave evidence in the case of Clark, the Lambeth murderer, writes :—",Wbea the man beard at the police-court that I OUR CONTEMPORABMS. (THIS DAY.) MR. BRIGHT AT BIRMINGHAM. The Times sees more unity of sentiment between ' Lord Stanley and Mr. Bright with regard to Ireland than at first sight appears. Though the hon. member for Bir mingham questions the propriety of Lord Stanley's sweeping declarations with regard to repeal, yet we find him repeating them in substance. But Mr. Bright supplies an outline of Irish policy. He would retain some portion of the endowments of the established church for its future clergy and ministers ; another share he would allot to the presbyterians ; and he would grant a glebe or some stipend to the catholic priest, all churches, from the time of this distribution, being disconnected from the state. As a prelude to legislation, this scheme does not seem to the nmes very promising; and his plan for set tling the land question smacks of the quackery against which Lord Stanleyprotested. Theexistenoe of standing evilswhich crown and parliament cannot touch, such as improvidence, indifference about dirt and beggary, a trust in luck, and the necessity of veracity, furnishes no excuse why the legislature should not do what it can towards the improve ment of Ireland, but they make our contemporary aim dent of flattering schemes promising any immediate change of its condition, and they teach us that our first and last lesson in dealing with the Irish problem is patience. The Star regards the speech as the counter-manifesto to that of Lord Stanley. While the eon of the Prime Minister acts towards Ireland as though he were one of the " peculiar people," Mr. Bright points out concessions which must be made to the principles of justice and natural right. Abolish that huge political job," the Irish State Church—create a peasant proprietary—be just and fear not. On the ab solute separation of the church from the state, the equal ising of all sects, and the introduction into Ireland of an improvement on Stein's famous land scheme for Prussia, such as Mr. Bright has already recommended, and which he developed last night in fuller detail, the great liberal leader is prepared to rely for the pacification of the Irish people, and the cordial reconciliation of the two nation , Oaks. THE FARETON•OFFICE ADMTNIRTRATION. lancing at the discussion which is now some weeks old respecting the mismanagement by the permanent staff of the Foreign-office, the Daily New says it is obvious a feeling of distrust has arisen, and that the office is just in that plight when a committee of the House of Commons on its oompositionand administration would be meet valuable. Take Mr. Lay's came for example. That gentleman rendered great service during the last China war, and was thanked over and over again for what he did ; but his project, adopted by the English government of the day, relative to the clearing of the Chinese Bean of piracy in conjunction with the Chinese government, failed because the Foreign office did not condescend to address a word of instructions to the English ambassador at Pekin. Why, it remains for the Foreign-office to explain. But without adequate ex violation, Mr. Lay's story is another added to the long list of examples of " how not to do it," which in all human probability would not hive occurred had the Foreign-office had annually to render an account of its transactions and proceedings to parliament. THE SHIPWRIGHTS AND THEIR EMPLOYERS. The Mondani is glad to observe that the greet meeting of shipwrights and their employers at Burdett Hall is bearing good fruit. Both sides, it will he remembered, agreed that s committee of the operatives should be chosen to confer with the muters upon the disputed points of the deplorable dead-look on the banks of the Thames. The committee-men were duly selected, and after clearly ascer taining the sentiments of th.ir fellows, they met two representatives of capital yesterday at the Mission Church, Millwall. These two were Mr. Green and Mr. Field. It is now probable that •mw meeting of the shipwrights will be shortly called, and that they will consent to get to work upon two of the North German Lloyd's boats, and as many others as can be taken up in the London yards at the piece•price of rg. per finished ton. MR. TRAIN. The TiNl47 describes the seizure of Mr. Train and his papers as evidently the result of a mistake, though a most fortun►te mistake for the victim. If Mr. Seward has made any remonstrances, which is hardly probable, the matter will be easily explained In the meantime, it cannot influence in the smallest degree the perfectly distinct question whether a native British subject. which Mr. Train is not, is amenable to British ' jurisdiction for treasonable conduct abroad, of which Mr. Trsin has never been accused. The Post maintains that the arrest was perfectly justi fiable if the English government believed themselves in a position to show that he had violated the provisions of a statute passed in the year 1818, which provided that " if any person whatsoever" should, " either within or with out the United Kingdom," commit certain acts in the nature of treason be should be guilty of felony. Supposing, uks the Standard,th;t the Fenian President Roberts or Sweeny were to land at Cork, at a time when we were protecting ourselves against Fenian plots, should we be expected to permit him to go free merely because his scheme of an insurrection had been drawn up not in Ire land but in America THE PILL ON THE PUNCH PRES. The Daily New describes this bill, of the liberality of which the French government is secretly afraid, as one that would be scooted in Austria as a relic of the barbar ous ages. The situation is full of pleasantry, if not of dignity; the government, in reality, dreading the bill, yet without the moral courage to withdraw it ; and a majority more afraid of liberty even than Its makers, and only waiting for a hint to release the government from its re sponsibility by throwing out the bill, or retaining only its restrictive and penal clauses. Let us do justice ►t least to the minority in France, a minority of brilliant and high minded men, whose pretesting voices, and whose cha racter and conduct, redeem their glorious country from the disgrace of being ranked with Russia and with Turkey in political civilisation nearly eighty years after the proclamation of the rights of man ! STICATTORD POLITICAL Lnerultga.—Thie Course I w a s ordered t o maks a Pall4neeeee; examination, be of lectures has thus far proved most auceseefal, th e said to me in an under tone' that I should find both the audience having grown larger and larger. Mr. Anthony arms broken,' which statement had no foundation. Judg• lecture, of which we published a report, wax mg from the dogged pertinacity with which he pleaded followed by Mr. Mason Josses, who di ourned on the wide b„.. guilt and th e•x t raar di ltary manner in w hi c h h e robjece of " Work for the new Parliament ;" Mr. Edward North Bunks being in the chair. Lest Monday, Mr. voluntarily gate himself uP to /intim, combined with his Joseph Barmaid lectured on the ballot ; Mr. Ebenezer wretched poverty. being in on absolute state of sterretioo. Clarke presided. The lecturer's main argument was that hawse nee to think that at the time he committed the electors should be assisted, as mach as possible, in making d eed b e was not responsible . Again, the peculiar ar a connoisntions choice of their representatives ; and this wse more likely to be done if they bad set to being into insane expresaloa of his countesses*, aad the above fads the question what their patron, their master, or even their taken eolleotimii. strengthen ms in en opinion that this Mends, would think of their vote. sir. Marsden, of the is a seas in whit& a mead view of the law might be Ballot Society. proposed vote of thanks to the lecturer, takes, we that the capital punishment might be deferred and Mr. WB. Dealt ascended it. A resolution was also is -- that the „see of hie mind b e zemeewe bi es i y adopted in favour of the adoption of the haEot. After a vote of thanks to the chairman, the meetlrg separated. emestalloted. a The last of the series is on Monday next, by W. Carvell TES MILITIA IN BIMINI AITERICA.--CanOdk bee Williams—subject " The Irish Church." about 34,000 aisles militia, of which Ontario sad Quotes Dr. Deane, Q.C., has been appointed Admiralty have 81,000, Nova Scotia 1,000, and New Brueswlek 1.000. I Advocate in the place. of Sir Travers Twim, who resigned The iserldled Militia of the disdain inashall about on being appointed Queen's Advocate. 142,000. Vr, F. PIFFSS FROM PARIS. GREECE. frail Gen OWN COHILESPONDENT.) The Liberti says that in consequence of seriiii PARIS. TUESDAY EVENING. Efferent*, between the ministry and the National I Something very exciting and extraordinary must Assembly the King has signed a decree for the du `have taken place in the Corps Legislatif this after solution of the latter. - noon, but the difficulties systematically thrown in the way of the admission of the public, and the scrupulous and constitutional care taken to prevent the remit of the debates from being known before the publication of the prosy Muniteur report, effec tually preclude my sending you any full and reli able account of the sitting. lam informed, how ever, on authority which I do not doubt, that after " great tumult" a speech by M. Rouher left the " median " leaders, Baron Jerome David and Grazier de Camagnac, high and dry with only five followers, of whom two were the Marquisd'Havrin court and Baron Benoist. Article 1, I am told—that article which the Opposition con eider the most important in the bill—that article which allows newspapers to be started without " previous authorisation"—has been car ried with but five dissentient voices. This being so, as I have no doubt, it is clear that M. Rouher, having taken the Emperor's last instructions, must have, in unmistakeable terms, reminded the mem bers of the majority of their nothingness, and put an end to the farce of their pretensions to be inde pendent conservatives. This violent charge of the Prime Minister must have been a great surprise to them. The most sanguine calculation of this morning admitted that from 70 to 80 deputies would vote against Article 1. Cassagnac's journal of this evening, published before the result of the day's debate was known, scouts the idea of the government being given over to the tiers iiarti, and says that the tiers parti is synonymous with oppo sition, hneute, and exile. In allowing the defeat of Cassagnac and Co. the government has no doubt taxen a wise course ; but how lamentable is it that extraordinary privy councils, convoked in a hostile spirit to tho bill, should have manifested the grudging spirit in which the promises of January 19 are kept, and should necessarily raise doubts as to the honesty with which they will yet be observed. The fall of in Consola affected the Bourse. Rente fell l7ic. for cash and 12ic. for account, closing at 68fr. 45c. in each case. Italian fell 321 c.; Credit Foncier, 13fr. 75c. ; and Mobilier, !gr. 50c. *5, r Q ~' Q ► ,868. INTELLIG] (Lomb Twasowes.) FRANCE. y~.,.. PARIS, FED. !", The Moniteur of this morning, in its bulletin, says :—" On the occasion of M. Benedetti, the French Ambassador at Berlin, presenting his cre- dentials as the representative of France to the North German Confederation, the King of Prussia said that he was happy to behold in that step a certain pledge of friendly relations between the two governments. He also spoke of the remem brance he should always retain of the reception he met with at Paris from the Emperor and ]Empress of the French." . . The Constitutionne/ publishes a letter from! Bucharest stating that three bands of armed indi viduals, each band 450 strong, are assembled at different points of the Danubian Principalities. They appear to be under the command of foreign leaders, and are preparing to enter Bulgaria, to set fire to the Turkish villages, and renew the scenes of brigandage which were suppressed last year. The Roumain government hating been warned of their intention is preparing to disarm these bands and to prevent by every means at its command an expedition which would entail upon it so heavy a responsibility. AMERICA. (BT ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.) NEW YORK, FEB. 4. The Inman steamer City of London arrived out on Monday. Cloeing prices :—Gold, 1411. Sterling exchange on London, 1091. 5-20 United States Bonds, 1882, 111}; ditto, 1885, 110 ; 10-40 Bonds, 104 a. Illinois, 1341 ; Erie, 73g. Cotton ; Middling Upland, 19. Petroleum, standard white, 25. Flour, extra State, 10.40. Corn, old mixed, 1.34. THE COUNT OF PARIS ON THE STATE OF GERMANY. A Leipeic journal publishes by authority a letter from the Count of Paris on the state of Germany, dated the 20th of last July. This letter seta forth the impres- THE AUSTRIAN RED BOOK. alone made upon the count by a visit to Germany. The unity of Germany under the supremacy of Prussian assumed to be an irrevocable fact. Proceeding to con sider whether Prussia will be merged in Germany or . . . . VIENNA, PER. 4, EVENING.. The Austrian Red Book was laid to-day before the delegations. It contains 158 documents, which are preceded by a statement of the position of the empire. Referring to German affairs, this statement says: " Austria entertains since the treaty of Prague the same peaceful and friendly sentiments towards Prussia and Italy as towards the other powers. Though Austria's loss of her position in Germany did not imply the extinction of her sympathies towards her former Federal allies, she never theless would not side with Prussia in the Laxemburg difficulty ; on the other hand, she would not at tempt to profit by • war between France and Prussia ; and the imperial government, therefore, took care to prevent the Emperor Napoleon and the French statesmen from expecting the co-operation of Austria in a conflict with Prussia. Impartial and neutral, Austria's attitude most have greatly contributed towards the preservation of peace. In any farther proffer of its good services the Imperial government was compelled to act with the greatest prudence, as it desired neither to exercise any pressure upon Prussia to induce her to sacri fice German national interests, nor did it wish to lay itself open to the suspicion of confirming Prussia in her resist ance with the view of bringing about • conflict." With regard to the relations ,between Prussia and the South German States the Red Book says: —"Without departing from the stand-point of the treaty of Prague the Imperial government did not allow itself to be arrested in the pursuit of its peaceful occupations by the new state of things which had been brought about through the treaties of alliance between Prussia and South Germany, nor did the government of the Emperor think it necessary to enter a decided protest against this state of things on the ground of its formal rights. On the contrary, it looked upon the treaties rela tive to the re-organisation of the South German armies, and the parliamentary representation of the States of the Zollverein, with no other feelings than well wishes and reserve, although these treaties limited in important respects the rights of the South German States to act in dependently, and subordinated their decisions to those of the Prussian government. The Emperor's government has regarded from an equally conciliatory point of view the question of North Schleswig, in regard to which the treaty of Prague in the sth article bears traces of the mediation of France. The provision of the treaty referred to has not yet been carried out. Lastly, there is one fact which cannot be overlooked—namely, that while under the im premien of the danger of an European war, many a serious glance was directed both from Berlin and Munich towards Austria. The intimations which were received respecting a new alliance were too vague and too exclusively favour ing the Interests of one side for Austria to sacrifice for it the freedom of action she obtained in exchange for the rights and duties cancelled at the termination of the era which closed with • dissolution of the German Confede ration." With regard to the relations of Austria towards Italy and the Roman question, the Red Book says :—" As Austria has attached greet value to the maintenance of friendly relations with Italy. so also has Italy shown her self equally well disposed towrrds Austria. The with drawal of the French army of occupation from Rome aroused dormant passions, and manifested the full danger of the conflict between the Italian claims to unity and the interests of catholicity. The most open declarations were made to the Pops of the impossibility of Austria's affording the Holy See any material support. The despatch of Austrian corvettes to Civita Vecchia in November, 18G6, for the protection of Austrians übjeets, was at fi rst regarded by France a. a sign of mistrust. Mutual declarations which followed between Austria and France removed all doubts of the latter's firm determination to insist upon the execution of the September Convention. The apprehen sions of Roman diplomatists induced Austria, in March, 1867, to request information from the French government respecting the then threatening eventualities in connection with the Roman question. At that time the extent of the danger was doubted in Paris." The Red Book then recapitulates the events of Septem ber last, in connection with the invasion of the Papal territory, and concludes as follows :—" The Imperial go verument, appreciating the just desire of Frame to lessen her responsibility by submitting the Roman question to the united consideration of all the European powers, ac cepted not only the invitation to a conference, without any distinct programme, but also • proposal proceeding from another quarter for • preliminary conference of the five great powers. The Austrian government awaits the realisation of this proposal. Germany in Prussia, the count distinguishes be tween the government, with its marked predilection for formality, despotism, and Careerism ; and the Prussian people, the first in Europe in point of intellectual culture, industrious, steady, and pervaded with a spirit of associa tion. A Germany in which Prussia has been merged is a prospect which France ought cordially to accept, and prefer to the division of Germany between Austria and Prailla ; but a Prueeis in which Germany has been merged would be Ca3eariam established in cen tral Europe. Reviewing Count Biamarok's career with no little acuteness, enlarging on his audacity and the weakness of the liberals, and tracing the details of his policy, the count glances at the jealousy in the petty states towards the Prussian army, and then pro ceeds to allude to the public feeling in tte Benthematates, where it runs in the opposite direction. The south is commercially perfectly unable to dissever itself from the north, and is even more dependent upon it in its intellectual life. Everything com bines to cause the south to long for re-union with the north, and rather than remain in its present situation it would prefer to accept Prussian supremacy without delay and at any sacrifice. The injudicious demand of • cor rection of the frontier put by France to Prussia in 110 i has sufficed to prove to the governments of the southern states bow very much they need the protection of the latter power, and they have accordingly hastened to place the whole of their military force at its disposal. The North German parliament, at no very distant time, will include the representatives of all Germany Amon its members ; and though Prussia would like to put off the day of this supreme con summation, from the French point of view speedy ac complishment of such complete unity is to be desired, for Pinola would then encumber herself with an opposition strong enough to counterbalance her predominance in Ger man affairs. For the German opposition to be able to organise itself and make head against the absorption policy of Prussia it is necessary that no war should break out. In Germany the prospect of war is odious to the people, but they are none the leas Jealous of foreign in terference. The idea of recovering Alsace or Lorraine, or annexing Holland, the Germans hare never regarded as anything more serious than a wild fancy hatched in the brain of some professor of history ; but they, too, have their Monroe doctrine, " Germany for the Germans,' and whoever would attempt to violate this axiom by the appropriation of a slip of that land whose entire soil forms their great Fatherland, or even by meddling with their internal concerns, might be assured that be would cause them all to units and tarn against him. Thin is a fact which it would be useless and absurd to conceal from oneself. Hence the national sensitiveness, which may be taken advantage of by the Prussian govern ment at any moment, should it wish for a rupture. It is the conviction of the German mind that the Emperor is deter mined to make war, and that he is only waiting for a favourable opportunity. The Germans see in the words of M. Thiers and in the articles of the government press unconditional opposition to their unity move ment and warlike hankerings on the part of the French people. Though they have no wish to pro voke war, they are by no means in a conciliatory mood, and will not eschew it. Though disclaiming it, they yet hold war to be a neeemazy evil under the circumstances, and, once in it, will carry it on with a will, so as to have .lone with it all the sooner. Germany does not incite Count Bismarck to war, and will even thank him for obviating it ; but it will supply him with the means. But though war is possible, the count does not consider it at all inevitable or even probable. Its first result would be to effect the reunion of north and south to the advantage of Prussia alone. The letter concludes as follows: " What was possible a year ago, what France might have wished for then, what to our neighbours might have been acceptable then, is to-day irremediably lost. German unity having been long in course of preparation has not only been established, but established by fovea of arms. Foreign com plications or domestic events may accelerate or retard mat ters. e. war may break oat and sweep away all resistance yet opposed to the Prussian system. A revolutionary burd ensome:arise, and the Hinge( Prairie, hewing successively turned all parties to amount without inspiring any with con fidence in him, may some day realise the fact that he will rise highest when restoring, with his own hands, the natural supports of his throne. But should a prolonged mho emceed the storm of Wows, it may be foreseen even now that the liberal ideas will revive during the process of internal reorganisation, that their old defenders will rally, attract others, and strive against the growing pre dominanie of Caesarian in Central Europa. If the aura popsleria be favourable, Count Bismarck him self may some day be numbered among the most devoted champions of the liberal ideas. However that may be, the evade of an uncertain future cannot be foretold to-day, but we have never belonged to those blind admirers of success who only strive to foresee it in order to prostrate themselves before it. Should we not, in view of the grave revolution now going on in Ger many, confine ourselves to an equitable isentiny of present events, without loan time in anticipating future contin gencies or regretting an irrevocable past ? Perhaps, we may hereafter even be side to see where we should bestow our sympathies, as Pashas, as Maas. sad, I should like to add, as Soars triads of °assay." The Boston Advertiser, commenting upon the arrest of Mr. Train, observes :—" We are tempted to reflect that the retributive justice incident to the oscilla tions of human affairs has occurred with unusual prompt ness between Americo and England. A few yeas since, rebel speech-making, sympathising, money-loaning, and ship-building were pretty rife in England. Yet we never arrested any Englishman simply for Laving been engaged in any of these matters, even when such parsons, in our darkest days, gave vent to Mar sentiments in the public rooms of our hotels and other similar places. New we sea England terrified out of her wits at such petty sedition so we had always supposed that great power could mush ss a strong men would crush an 'eyeball. Nor can we justly be dimmed very conceited if we compare with sons emnplacrasy the self.sustainiug dignity of our own national &Facto:sat in the face of a mighty armed rebellion, with Me nervous solicitude smiled in the British people by the clumsy Al lende of a few disaffected Irishmen." &Home Fos DEAF' Mum IN THE UNITID Sturm—The first school for instruction of deaf mates in Anicries was darted in Hartford fifty man ago. Them are now tweuty-five such inatitatioss In the United State, with 2,500 pupils in attendance. The splendid flight of steps by which henceforth the pablie will eater the Tailesise gardens hen the Rae Castiglione is f set ecespleted. The ekes ia which this as. Right of steps is eat wee quarried in the Department de Mum Three are 12 gisande detall of ► beelighd wbite, sad much reesabbag nimble la eimenna of grain. IRELAND. (nox 0011 MI COIRISPOIMENT.) _ CORK, MONDAY EVUING. Two arrests were made in the city to-day, which it is thought will lead to some important disclo sures in reference to the extraordinary robberies of arms committed here in the early part la s t month. About midday Mr. Allport noticed pas s . ing by his shop two men ; one of them bore a strong resemblance to one of the party by whom his re volvers were taken away. He sent after the pair his assistant, Mr. Daunt, who was present when the shop was plundered, and had ample tunity of observing its unwelcome visitants. Alt. Daunt at once recognised the man on wh.in Mr. Allport's suspicion had fallen, and, seizing h: ga y,. him into custody. The man's companion was a i s „ arrested, though not recognised by either Mr Daunt or Mr. Allport. The person charged I„.. Mr. Daunt is a coachbuilder named Barr . . and belongs to the city. His contlanit.'A name is O'Sullivan, a cooper. The feet the prisoners being local men encourages the Nies to hove that they may succeed in unearthin.i. th e whole gang, and exposing the three robberies it h i o, have so greatly alarmed and perplexed the one. munity—that of the Martello tower, and th.”, of Allport's shop and Murray's magazine. A thirh person, named Fitzpatrick, a printer, was arre‘te,l later in the day for threatening to " do for - the the policeman Duffy, who had given evidence against a brother craftsman in connection with the explosion of Greek fire in the city a short to ago. A man named Adams, of respectable posits. in life, was arrested last week at his house in the city, and it is alleged that papers of consider:ill: importance in connection with Fenianism w‘ found in his possession. He will, it is believed. be transmitted to Dublin, and tried with so h , others at the commission of Oyer and Terminer for treason-felony. It is alleged that, on bein 4 searched in the gaol, a recipe for making Greek ire was found in his possession. Adams was in eu.t...;.• once before under the Habeas Corpus butivetatet Act. Last night all the telegraph wires in the bourhood of the city were cut. THE RIGHT HON. W. E. GLADSTONE, M.P., , os THE WRITINGS OP SIR WALTER Scurf. On Monday evening a musical and litemry tertaininent was given in the Ilawarden Literacy lustit tion, at which Mr. W. E. Gladstone, MP., ar..l 31t , Gladstone were present. The chair was ocetti.i. d by Stephen Clyne, Bart. ; and there was a cru..t audience. The musical portion of the entg rtainutt:r consisted of two glees ; a solo on the pianoforte by r. ,r; lady; and, in oonclusion, a comic song. Mr. 1.1a.1e.a.0 arrived at the close of the performance, and WA* 1.1.4 cheered. The chairman announced that the ri,;ht gentleman would give a reading, with comment., froth tl:e works of Sir Walter Scott. . . Mr. GLADSTONE, considering the character of Scott 11 writer of romances, pawed to observe that ccott a great purifier. He was one of those who mi,;lit el e:t for himself in prose that honour which belonged in gre pert to Wordsworth in verse, of elevating and prrciv ; the aim of poetry, of directing it to nobler and excluding from it whatever might he the Wild e tion to pander to morn depraved tastes, wlrdev tended to defile and to debase. Another quality :1 which Scott was more remarkable still was his power of reviving antiquity. He (Mr. Gladstone) did not kr.ia whether he was right, but hie belief was that in that r, traordinary power of calling forth from the hepulchre the dry bones of former ages, of clothing them with sits, and with flesh, causing them to live and move bef..re our eyes, and us to live and move anions them, :A if we belonged to them and they belonged to us in that peculiar and very rare power Scott was unrivalled among all the literary men the world had ever produced. Scott grew up with Jacobite mall. lectiotui ; and it must he admitted that in respect to one conspicuous character he had drawn a picture that was not true ; and that was the picture of Mary Queen of Soots. It was not his fault ;it was the revelations that had been made by historical inquiry mince his time tl.it had chiefly tended to draw down that Queen from Ii" elevation upon which her lamentable death had mainly availed to place her, and to exhibit her to the world a the character of a very beautiful, a very clever. but at tie wine time, though we might hope she was purified by as affliction of her later days, a very bad wou.an. Scott did not know that ; and one was almost glad that with hit affection for the Stuart family iu all generations of it. he was spared the pain of these disclosures. He (Mr. (dad. atone) owned that he himself grew up with somethil.; like a worship of the Queen of Scots, which was entirely due to the novels of Scott ; and undoubtedly the maim ought to be taken by the readers of Scott's works with reference to that one particular instance of character. which he, not knowingly. for he was a genuine lover of the truth, had been led to draw in colours different Iron the true ones. In considering the Jacobite predilectiss of Scott, it should be borne in mind that when lie was t boy Scotland was yet full of horror at the cruelties slach 1741,.attended the suppression of the of And that was an example that t aunt to show bow cruelty, like every bad and slaws thing, tended to produce a reaction unfavourable to the very purpose it was intended to writ. Mr. Gladstone read several passages from LockliartS biography of Scott. In conclusion, he said that Sir Walter had left us a double treasure, the meuely of himself and the possession of his works. Roth of time would endure. The recollection of a character so noble, so simple, so generous an his could not pass away. .UI that was beat and highest in the age of chivalry brought down by him into the mid st of an age of intin eon, of criticism, of movement, of increased command over the powers of external nature, and possibly,f as increasing servility to the wealth and luxury whit by the use of those powers we were enabled to attain. Me) his works, they were immortal. Nothing hut the OW. Mon of civilisation could possibly extinguish Scott. If We did sot now appreciate him as we ought. it wag our In I fortune, not his. The fashion of the moment might I prefer the newest to the best ; but as the calm order of nature was resumed after a storm, so the permanent judgment of mankind would regain its equilibrium. sad would render the honours of poetical and Meal achievement where they were due. These remarks had been addressed to a local audience, an audience of neigh bours and of friends. They were hasty and familiar. and far beneath their subject, a nd would but ill hear criticism; et be should not regret ha vin g addressed them if what he had said should tend in one willing heart or in one willing mind to produce a more reverent, a more jest, and a more affectionate appreciation of the great Sir Walter Scott. (Prolonged applause.) A vote of thanks to the right hon. gentleman ass pined with mewed cheering. Mr. , ren GLLIYSTOXE said, in reply, that his object had be es altogether of apractical character. lie had felt that we wee happily possewed in this country of a very rich, sad &elk, "ma glonous literature. That was • meet powerful inane meet of civilisation, and he was very anxious and deers , " that all should use it to the best of their power. The maw agernent of the press, the cheapness with which mod standard works could now be obtained, was such that it was really their own faults almost if they did not Set them. The works of Shaltspere, in as nice a volumesa an y o ne need wish to see, and with type which, though it was not quite large enough for eyes that had dew i much work as his had, yet would be very was sure, for the great bulk of his hearers, could be cb• tamed for a few shillings. He really did hope that effort. such as that of that night, which was only nue, he hpe!, convenient, 10 of a thousand, would have some effect in leading the pot to appreciate the means and facilities they now powe sasd of enjoying the stores and wonderful treasures of then literature. If that effect were produced,it would be by far the best expression of thanks that could be wide s t° him or any one else ; and the satisfaction be shoal ( 101 " from it would be a great deal more than the r i c hest reend he could hope to deserve. (Cheers.) The company separated after singing the IS .410101 Anthem." THE POLITICAL FUTIIRL OT THE WORKING CLASSES.—Mr. Mandela, M.P.. delivere den eicquo t lecture on this subject last evening, at St. Jamcdohali. a crowded and euthuriaatic audience. THR FRENCH PRESS RIOCLATIONIL—Tho Meal' berm of the Concordia, a society of literary men and io@ v nab in Vienna, have addressed • memorial to the Ccl 4 Legialittif in France, complaining of the detention le l . demi. of foreign journals by the French authorise,. They my they cannot believe that a liberty which ejected in Russia, in Turkey, and even in China, vat lost to to France. The Irish Times states that the Treasury W e granted 100,0001. for the purchase of the Exhibition rain" the site for the Royal Irish Institute of Art ; d eo 100.0 for the improvement of Cork Harbour, and 100,0001. is the conetructka of a harbour in Belfast licnib• DISPINIALT FOE SKIN DISRASZS, 56, tan MaaLaosoomperszer,ltaewerwraerr,W.—Twe sad alas patients were relieved at this disposal' aw" the week eadias Feb. 1. • E. And cum; whit oan just. sin I bed e won noble, nattv stroll taw mod hot it t get mess bough cc bp at, be be ob eats hoped, 1 1 °P 4 n ested their be by ade derl Kves FLOG maent a, to mew tea" crew m eetd L • i e. .01:0 r hire Pato* oot lire ••