The Press. — London, England, 1858-01-16 00:00:00

111 1. 52 These cases have nothing to do with creed, because Mr. HATCHELL is a Protestant and Mr. HUGHES a Roman Catholic. Was it right in Lord CLARENDON (" with the advice of Lord Chancellor BRADY") to have sent Mr. HATCHELL into Parliament as Attorney-General for Ire land ? and was it right, also, for the same Noble Statesman, " with the advice of Lord Chancel " for BRADY," to have consented to superseding Mr. HUGHES, and advancing in preference Messrs. KEOGH and FITZGERALD? Take another ease. Mr. CORBALLIS (" with the advice of Lord Chancellor BRADY ") was chosen by Lurd CARLISLE as " Counsel to the Castle " (a sort of Deputy Attorney-General for Ireland). Mr. LITTLE was barbarously murdered ; there was a mystery in it ; at last the police got a clue by the statement of a certain person. A man was immediate seized and brought before a magistrate. Mr. Con- RALLIB, on the part of Government, appeared for the Crown, but soon afterwards Mr. Fitz gibbon was also requested by the Crown to attend, and the accused party received a sort of half sympathy in his favour, in consequence of the odd way in which it had been proposed to en. trap him first, and convict him afterwards. A county chairmanship of the first class be comes vacant, and Mr. CORBALLIS is appointed to it (possibly in order to get rid of him) ; but ought he ever have been appointed to the one office or the other? Take other cases. There are three Crown Sergeants in Ireland, and there is no " Ser geant's-inn," as here in England. In Ireland, therefore, a sergeant is a great legal personage ex-officio, and those special honours have never, in the ante-Brady history of the Irish Bar, been conferred on mere second-rate practi tioners. " With the advice of Lord Chancellor BRADY," Messrs. BERWICK and O'BRIEN several years since were made sergeants, and, although promotions and vacancies occurred, these Learned Sergeants were passed over again and again. It was quite right to have passed them over, but why should Lord Chancellor BRADY, in the first instance, have misled English statesmen about the calibre of so many mem bers of the L•ish Bar? The rule on which the Lord Chancellor of Ireland has acted should be called " the lift-and-drop system." He first raises men, and then dashes them aside after experiment proves them to be failures. The time, perhaps, is not far distant when the Whig families, finding how deeply they have been committed by the practical blunders of the Irish Chancellor, will give that learned functionary the full benefit of his own sys tematic caprice—a sort of Irish bull, which Mr. BRADY admit ably personifies. The lifting and dropping of such secondary aspirants as Mr. HATCHELL, Mr. HUGHES, Mr. CORBALLIS, Mr. O'Betax, Mr. BERWICK, and similar " cele brities" (!) of the Irish Bar, fully justifies Lord PALMERSTON in saying, " We must get a " better system in the Irish law appoint " merits ;" but we beg to say, with all respect, that it is by his acts, not by his kindly words, that the Premier will be tried. jortign dorrtsponbentt. PARIS, Jan. 14, 1858. ALTIMUOIT I have already entered fully into the difficulties which have arisen relative to the riverain question, yet I am sure it will be interesting to your readers if I endeavour to indicate the line of policy France has adopted in this important negotiation. The Emperor Napoleon has never deviated from his determination to avoid all unnecessary interference in the internal management of any country, but at the same time he cannot forget that his signature is appended to the treaty which formed two commis sions, the one European, to examine the mouths of the Danube, and the other a permanent commission, to regulate the navigation of that river, and which ordained that the result of the labours of these com missions should be brought before the Paris Congress. Until then, France will not take any direct initiative in the matter, nor interfere with the Itiverain Com mission. The Austrian Cabinet has adopted a line of policy completely opposite. According to all appearances, Austria wishes to make the Riverain Commission as independent and as sovereign in its power as the European Commission, and that after baying used all her influence to the effect that all bili. THE PRESS, JANUARY 16, 1858. the regulations for the free navigation of the Danube should tend to one object—the malting Austria cum• plete mistress of the river. Such a pretension cannot be accepted. Franca and her allies are deter mined not to renounce the tight reserved by the Treaty of Paris. This right is incontestable ; for in order to guarantee the complete liberty of the Danube, a special article of the Paris Treaty abso lutely fixed the number of vessels each of the signing powers might station at the mouth of the Danube. The powers given to the Riverain Com mission were merely to draw up regulations; they were in fact secondary, the supreme power being left to the Paris Congress. Besides, Austria has had the double advantage in being represented in both the European and Riverain Commissions. What can she require more? Surely it cannot for a moment be supposed that Russia consented to give up a por tion of Bessarabia in order to give Austria sovereign power on the Danube? England has always con tended for the free navigation of that river, and France on this interesting question goes hand in hand with her ally. Prussia has adopted the same line of policy as England, France, and Russia. But to leave the riverian question, and to come to. one which more nearly concerns you. Considerable in terest has lately been attracted towards the arotestants on the Continent; and in consequence of the remarks made by a Paris correspondent of one of the London morning papers, I have made inquiries into the real status of the Protestants in France. There are in France three different religions, not only recognised by the Government, but the ministers of which are paid from the public treasury, while funds are provided for the maintenance of the Churches, &c. Amongst these is the Protestant religion, in which faith are to be found numerous high functionaries, and even persons holding high office about the person of the Emperor. These gentlemen do not only go to Court in the ordinary acceptation of the term, but they are invited to all the Imperial festivi ties, and are equally well received and honoured as those of the Catholic faith. The number of Protestants in France is far less than the Catho lies, and as such, being the weaker party, they require more protection. And I am assured such has been the policy of the Emperor's Government. The Protestants have always been taken under the special care of the Minister, but undoubtedly no undue preference has been showu to them. f can assure you it is not true that the education of Protestant youths is not free, or that authority to open schools has been refused to one professor and granted to another. Neither is it true that the meetings of Pro testant congregations have been troubled by the police agents or gendarmes. It is, how ever, not sufficient that I should give these posi tive denials to a correspondent who says he was an eyewitness to the facts be relates. I will offer proofs. The education of Protestant youths is so free by law that one of the principal regulatory laws of the public colleges expressly provides that, " Religious education shall be conducted according to the belief of the youth, to whatever creed he may belong." As to the Protestant elementary schools, they are subject to the same laws as those con ducted by the Catholics, and any infringement by either party is equally punished. Before the university laws, all religions stand on an equal footing. France, be assured, has not two cones of laws—the one for Protestants the other for Catholics. The correspondent gives an aecount of a Protestant schoolmaster in a village having had the authority to teach taken from him. This may be true, or not; but can this scrupulous writer affirm that he has seriously investigated into all the circum stances? Can he affirm that, the master possesses all the requisites necessary for the education of youth ? If he has taken the trouble before bringing so serious an accusation against the Government to satisfy himself of the facts, let him publish them. I feel certain that they will be taken into the serious consideration of the Minister, and the functionary, be his rank whatever it may, punished. But thus much I can state most positively, from official statistics, that Catholic professors have been at all times treated with as much just severity as Protes tants. The virtuous have always been rewarded, the guilty punished, and the incapable put aside. And against whom does this correspondent bring these grave charges? Against the Minister for Religion and Education, a gentleman universally beloved, whose integrity has never been doubted, and whose impartiality has become proverbial. It is said to-day that the sittings of the Divan at Bucharest will be closed about the 16th of the pre sent month, and that of Jassy about the 20th. The health of the King of Wurtemburg continues to be far from satisfactory. Letters received this morning state that the Grand Duke Louis, brother to the Grand Duke of Baden, is dangerously ill, and that his death might be hourly expected. M. de Borqueney, the French Ambassador to the Court of Vienna, who is now visiting on the banks of the Loire, will return to Paris on the 17th, and leave on the 20th for his post at Vienna. It is given as positive that marriage of the Prince Frederi with the Princess Royal of amnesty for detained political lished in Berlin on the 25th , and also granting permission to return to their homts. The Emperor did not preside Council held this morning, but with each Minister separately ' his cabinet. His Mkjesty contin) of excellent health. With trut him he is a surprising man. always engaged ; his body is never early, works for several hours, diplomatists, hunts, shoots, skates, tros—in short, he spends - hour. The Empress also health, having completely recovered attack of influenza. The little ' rosy checked, beautiful child. almost every day in a carnage of cavalry. The infant Prince where he amuses himself with sons employed at the Court. It is now certain that the brilliant. Several of the old salons have been shut up since their intention to open this year and balls. The campaign has Duchess d'lstrie. There is to be a second State at which several distinguished invited. A bal costume is also contemplated by nue of the leading On the 17th Prince Jerome w;" at the Paleis Royal. In short, The Duke de Rivas, the Si met with a serious accident slipped in coming down stairs, several violent bruises. It is said that the jewels left been estimated at worth more M. Guizot is occupied in which no doubt will be most tions have been made that M. position he held under Louis will feel some difficulty in publishing but, if I am rightly informed, he making—although a Protestant— In consequence of the death Bourg, Baron Lajus has been named Master of Ceremonies at the T The Emperor made a presen on the Ist of the year of a Ghobelin tapestry, representing ductioes of Raphael. I do not are aware that the distinguished the Ghobelin manufactory is " brother to the celebrated preacher, L'Abbe Lacordaire, who for some late Republic was a member Nationale. THE COLONIES AN, A BLUE-8008, containing extracts spatches relative to the applications made by the authorities in India Ceylon, at the Mauritius, and appeared this week, and the prom) the application in every instance • favourably with the delays which On the 29th of May, Sir H. ceived from the Governor-Genet• the immediate despatch of as could spare. In the island at more than some 750 European men. Sir Henry Ward did not for the movement of the troops day; the detachment at Kand, marched upon Colombo ; instruct Gallo to send on the steamers fro' lombo as soon as they arrived company at Trincomalee was in readiness. By four p.m. of men were on their way from Colomi cutta on board the Cape of r Semiramis, with 100 foot•soldiers, Galle to pick up 50 more there, Trincomalee for 50 artillerymen, with only •10 artillerymen and ' foot-soldiers. Happily, however, Malay troops was unexceptionable, reliance placed in them. On the 19th of July Governor Mauritius, received an urgent vernor and Connell at Bombay might have it in his power to spare with the same promptitude and of responsibility as Sir Henry after the receipt of the application wrote to Lord Elphinstone Five companies, consisting of 500 33rd Regiment of Foot, being all the ger can accommodate, will be embarked vessel *morrow, with orders to proceed in consequence of th e rick William of Prustie ,f England, a general 1 offenders will b e pub. of the present month, to all political exiles to .elide at the Cabinet ut his Majesty worked r for several hours in inues in the enjoyment uth may it be said of His energetic mind is lever at rest. He rises rs, gives audiences to ,kates, visits the thea- ; not one indolent so is in excellent covered from her late e Imperial Prince is a He takes an airing • 3 escorted by a picket ie drives to St. Cloud, the chit :ren of per- ) season will be most r noble families, whose e 1830, have expressed ar with a series of routs s been opened by the to ball at the Tuileries, ed foreigners will he lso announced to be ading nobility. will give a grand Me t, Paris is very gay. Spanish Ambassador, t yesterday. His foot irs, and he received t by Mlle. Rachel have than 20,0001. writing his memoirs, It interesting. Objec- Guizot, from the high I Philippe, as Premier, )dishing all he knows, he has determined on nt—a fug confession. th of Baron Chateau- named by the Emperor ruileries. ent to Prince Jerome magnificent piece of g one of the finest pro- m know whether you guished director of r M. Leon Lacordaire, :her, Dominican Monk some time during the :r of the Assembles ,ND INDIA. tracts from official de- cations for assistance aa to the Governors of d at the Cape, have womptness with which Ice was met contrasts rich occurred at home. [. Ward, at Ceylon, re- eral an application for is many troops as he that moment were not troops and 00 artillery hesitate long. Orders is were issued the next ndy was immediately tructions were sent to from Calcutta to Co- ved ; and the artillery warned *..0 bold itself the 4th of June 390 Colombo direct to Cal- Good Hope ; and the ers, was on her way to i, and then proceed to m, thus leaving Ceylon less than 300 effective 'er, the conduct of the table, and bore out the nor Higginson, at the t appeal from the Go- v for any succours he :pare them. He acted id generous disregard ry Ward. Three days ation from Bombay he iOO rank and file of the the troops that the Pollen- tharked on board of that proceed to Bombay with •