The Press. — London, England, 1858-06-05 00:00:00

friend to consider why the Scotch have one pound inotes when the English have none. It was plain that rho Scotch have retained their one-pound notes, because they have shown that, owing to their manner of transacting business, and owing to the system of banking which is peculiar to that country, they k now how to use these one pound notes safely, and that the retention of them is essential to their material interests ; this is a ptivilege adapted to the peen itarities of Scotland, and he held that it was most unwise to neglect these national peculiarities, or to atttemFt to enforce an arbitrary uniformity in treasures applicable to the three countries. It would be to ;ignore peculiarities and difficulties which you cannot :annul. He therefore answered his honourable friend's argument by his own instance, " The Scotch have one pound notes while we have them not in England." (Hear, hear.) But his principal objec ition to this measure was, that it ought not to be an isolated measure, but to form part of a general scheme for the reform of the representation of the ipeople. He thought that a Reform Bill ought to ;he introduced—a comprehensive scheme of reform 'such as would enable the people to weigh one provision of the measure against another, and thus to form an intelligent and sound opinion of the ;general effect of the measure upon the represe n ltative system of this country. He condemned this piecemeal system of reform, because it virtually :proposes to effect great changes without the know ledge and consent of the people of this country —(Hear, hear)—for men engaged in business and .daily avocation cannot keep their attention fixed upon the constant current of measures passing through this house. Piecemeal reform, therefore, is reform carried on behind the backs of the people of this country, if be might he allowed so to express himself. (Hear.). He objected to this measure on Wiese grounds, but still more strongly because he aloaoidered that these isolated measures formed parts .of a system of agitation ; that they are intended to .00llect A certain amount of spurious popularity for ale mailers and supporters of them, and to entail &hum tow the House of Lords on account of their rejection. Katlear, hear.) He stated this last night, And theirtaliesiad to the same opinion to day. (Hear.) In conclusion the repeated that he refused to reverse the votes which he had given against this measure where no new @w and for his doing so was shown. (Hear.) Mr. KNIOHTLEY Pad Sir W. FARQCHAR spoke ,against the bill, and Mr. HENLEY said be retained the opinion he bad Winerly expressed, that this question belonged to a Larger subject. t; pon a division the amendment was negatived by fte AO 109. The house then went into committee upon the bill, where the principle and policy of the measure were redigcussed but the clauses underwent no alteration. Some other bills were advanced a stage, and the house adjourned at twenty minutes to six o'clock. HOUSE OF LORDS-THURSDAY. lEarl ST. GERMANS called attention to the number dl,iestions on several different subjects of which notwie had for some time been given by Lord King -film (who was not present) ; none of those o.lleStMini had been asked, and he thought it was very inconvenient to retain them so long on the paper. The Karl of MALMESDURY admitted the inconve mence, particularly to the Government ; but giving notice of questions was a matter that must be left to the discretion of their lordships; in the present case there was no remedy. A short conversation took place on the subject, 'during which Lord CAMPBELL remarked that one of the questions involved a charge against Rajah Brooke, and, from the publicity given to the questions, that • charge was circulating through the country without any reply. Lord REDESDALE thought Earl St. Germans should have apprised Lord Kingston of his intention to refer to the subject. Oa the motion of the LORD CHANCELLOR, the Non • .Parochial Register Bill was read a second time. The Chancery Amendment Bill was, after some dis 'cession, read a second time, and referred to a select ,committee. Lhe Earl of CARNARVON, in answer to Earl Powis, 11 tubiJ that the arrangements for dividing the diocess of %eiar Zealand were nearly completed. INA Marquis of BREADALI3ANE gave notice that he shotili.on Friday put a question to the Government for the purpose of ascertaining what are the relations in military matters between Sir Cohn Campbell the Governor-General of India, and the Commander Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS—THtrik.nAv. On the report of the Committee of Supply, Mr. HORMAN took occasion to vindicate himself from a charge made against him during his absence 'on a preceding night by Mr. M'Mahon, of having, in the two years he had held the office of Qkief Secretary for Ireland, neglected its duties, affirming that not only were the facts stated not consistent with the truth, but that they were (not meaning thereby any personal offence to Mr. Al`Mahon), diametrically opposite to the truth. In the course of his vindication Mr. Horsman gave a pleasant description of the duties of the Irish office in London, which it appeared were not sufficient to employ a salitary clerk. Mr. - M'Muros, in replying to Mr. Horsman, made some rather strong remarks upon that gentleman's parliamentary conduct. Sir G. GREY bore testimony to the efficient manner in which Mr. Horsman had filled the office of Chief Secretary ; but Lord SliAsiave the most unqualified contradiction to his representation of the amount of business apper taining to that office. The matter, after some further discussion, was allowed to drop, and the report was agreed to. On the order for going into Committee of Supply, in reply to Mr. WISE, Mr. S. FITZGERALD stated that Mr. Tulin, re cently Vice-Consul at Oran, had been appointed Consul at Mobile, and that a certificate of naturali zstion had been refused to hint ; and explained the grounds upon which be had been appointed to an American Consulate, there being no legal impedi ment to the appointment. The house then went into a Committee of Supply upon the civil contingencies, and was occupied with the discussion of the various votes until mid night, when the chairman was ordered to report progress. _ _ On the order for going into committee on the Joint-stock Banking Companies Bill, moved by Mr. HEADLAM, Mr. BUCHANAN moved that the debate be ad journed; but this motion was negatived upon a division. Mr. Wit.som then moved that it be an instruction to the committee that they have power to extend the provisions of the bill to insurance companies; but, atter some discussion, this motion was withdrawn on the ground of irregularity, and the committee was postponed. The Hainault Forest (Allotment of Commons) Bill passed through committee. The Ecclesiastical Corporations Leasing Bill was read a third time and passed, as well as the Property Qualification Bill, after some remarks by Mr. BEN TINCK and Mr. DRUMMOND. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER obtained leave to bring in a bill to repeal certain provisions for the issue out of the Consolidated Fund of fixed amounts for the reduction of the funded debt. The house, after some further business, adjourned at a quarter past one o'clock. THE P &S-S, JUNE 5, 1958 fortign 6orrtspontenct. PARIS, Thursday. LORD PALMERSTON says, in contradiction to Mr. Disraeli, that war between England and France was not a question '• of hours " at the time he was ez• pelled from office; and Lord John Russell says the same thing; and the Tines says "ditto to Mr. Burke !" But if either of the three bad been in Paris at the epoch referred to, you may be certain that no such assertion would have been made. War was a question of hours. Men who are high in office—men who are connec'ed with the Court—men who write in the governmental journals—men who, in ordinary parlance, are "well informed," all, in interviews I had with them at that time, spoke of war as imminent. There was scarcely a newspaper in France which did not, more or less, plainly re present it as a likely contingency ; not an officer's table in any garrison which did not ring with bounce loud and long against perfidious Albion. And that the speculators of the Bourse and the commercial classes thought war close at hand, was proved by the fact that all sorts of Securities underwent a heavy decline, and that all branches of trade were plunged into stagnation. More than this, it is notorious that many of the English families resident in this city and its neighbourhood sold oil' their furniture and departed, and that the hotels generally occupied by the English became suddenly emptied. Trifling circumstances are sometimes an excellent indication of public feeling, especially in a country in which there are no free Parliament, no public meetings, and no outspeaking press ; and you may judge of the state of feeling here with regard to England when I tell you, that just before the change of Ministry took place, bets were freely made between English and French friends, not as to whether there would be war or not—for that was almost taken for granted—but as to the precise epoch at which it would break out. The Conference is trA to meat again before Satur day; perhaps not even than. At the last meeting the Pleniptentiaries found that their views about the Danubian principalities were so very divergent that it would become necessary for them to ',due to their respective Governments for new instructions. The Conference will molt decidedly not meddle with the M mtenegro question, Turkey having very peremptorily declared that it shall he settled at Con• strintinople—nowhere else. It is with regrA that mention that, tticoAin.: a rumour, which is pretty generally crelited, a new plot for the assassination of the Emperor has just been diseoverel rite conspirators are Italians, and they conternplsui perpetrating the atrocious deed at Fontainebleau, where the Cmrt now is. The wretches are in custoly, and the police have seized arms and ammunition. Observe, that I only men• tion these things as a rumour, the press being, and no doubt obe bent to or.lers, silent on the subject. It is aided, but much more vaguely, that another conspiracy for attempting to mur ler the Emperor in the course of a visit he is to make to Cherbourg in the summer has also been discoverel, and that one or more bombs, similar to those used by Orsini, have been seized. I hear that the French Government has resolved on making Algiers a regular naval station—that is to say, to have ships of war constantly hover* on the Algerian coast. The reason assigned for this " creation " (to use a French phrase) is, that it will add to the eclat of tho Prince Napoleon, as Lieutenant of the Emperor, to have a fleet protecting his vice. royalty : the real reason, it is hinted, is, that it is thought desirable to enable Algeria to protect her. self against any sudden molestation of the English Mediterranean fleet, in the event of the two countries going to war. The Emperor has given a new proof of that sound common sense, and that deep political sagacity, for which he is pre-eminently distinguished. Finding that public opinion decidedly disapproves the pro jected sale of the real property held by hospitals, and the investment in three-per -cent. stock of the 20,000,0001. capital that property represents, his Majesty has given orders to the Minister of the Interior to let the measure quietly drop. This is not the first time by many that the Emperor, absolute as he is, has yielde l to public opinion. It seems that every sovereign in Europe is destined in turn to honour the Emperor and Empress with his presence at Paris. To the already long list of those who have done so will, I understand, be added before the end of the summer the name of the King of Greece—perhaps, also, that of his gay and hand some and intelligent Queen. Nor do their Imperial Majesties despair of persuading the Emperor add Empress of Russia to come—if not this yesr, at all events next. Some persons sneer at these royal and imperial visits as nothing more than a puerile desire on the part of the Emperor Napoleon to show himself the intimate and the equal of the greatest of the earth ; others—but they are flatterers —regard this as a solemn acknow!edgrnent of his Majesty's personal and political pre-eminence in Europe ; but perhaps the only right way of regard ing them is as an excellent means of smoothing down political difficulties, and coasequently of pre serving peace. The Queen of Holland has departed —sot to her own land of cheese, but to Wurtemburg, the realm over which her royal father rules. In courtly circles it is whispered that in coming here, and in stopping here so long, her most sacred Majesty was not actuated solely by the wish to show friendship to her illustrious relatives at the Tuileries, but had a great political object in view, and that that object was to aid in what so many great personages have, at heart—the breaking up of the Angle-French alliance and the establishment of one between France and Russia, with which latter country she not only, like most continental sovereigns, strongly sympathises, but has close family ties. On the other hand, souse people say that as her Dutch Majesty professes great friendship for England, aspires to a matrimonial union between a member of her family and ; member of the Royal Family of England, and whilst here did honour to England which► she did to no other country—that is, dined twice at the English Embassy and attended Divine service at the English church—she cannot have any such wicked design is her heart as to set France and Russia against Frig. land. Unable to decide between these two contra dictory versions, I communicate them both to you, and leave to time to show which is the trite one. Now that her Majesty has gone, the gossip as to why she committed such a breach of matrimonial etiquette as to come without her royal husband, which gossip accompanied her arrival, has been re vived. The truth is that !he royal couple are not on good terms ; and if what is given out by courtiers in this city can be believed, they are so from no fault of the Queen's, but from certain eccentric conduct on the part of the King.