The Express. — London, England, 1860-04-02 00:00:00

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S ECOND-HAND PIANOFORTE& maw., mu. .6 Co. boo. a boys amoodemb of Soossibma Mosolbotob by am moot abeam' maim Y groody MUM slim —en, ltbroot-ougot gte erPrefOS- TO 0011ESTONDICIFTS. otwortlowassts liondol dor "Me London tvoning :Crmust no at taw °Soo It writ, by Two ek on the ..Lky el palikatkm. RATILUiII. Titre I! rime", Ws ANY INLOWICL will give Mr POIRILLA ILIADINOM from Dsomills red What welbus.--AS the amikailla• a the Reeduege NW •Willa Vellmbour ea WOW Addeem written by Tam lis.,—Omiurre at L Ow Is_rn llama/ all nir a r %IP TIP Wollalt. ?baps —Amiss,' lalarallavaprok aMII/4121111 taw& V. IlarKorra °Km/ rid Mawr : Kra Woks. miner C. larlarag, L Easley. / Larhirsa,/ ism* t Ithilaw. sarturzu. Tam Imam • road cons? sad DSAWINO MOM IN TZSTAIIINNIrs l nis ar ie =11• 04 = Naamad, ftwess. lis braise 161, Cabral sad Ma ,la, le. etas WATII. AT LONDON ttIDOL T DAT —MAMA& HR. 61s. A/taw" Ilk sta. Toaosam— aforsing. lb. lba. Altoresea. Ob. fa LONDON, MONDAY, APRIL 2. As the period recurs for the annual election of Guardians of the Poor, the defects of the system under which the opinions of each ratepaying community are collected force themselves on general attention. For many years past there has been a growing sense of the un-reliability of the process by which owners and occripien of property' now signify their choice of persons charged with the duty of settling the local taxation for the rup port of the poor. Between six and seven millions sterling are every year levied and distributed in this way in England and Walea A considerable portion is paid by the owners of rateable property is town and country, but by far the greater part is contri buted by those who occupy as tenants lands, dwelling-houses, or places of business. Without questiouing, therefore, the justice and policy of securing to the smaller and wealthier class above mentioned • reasonable influence in the election of Poor-law Guardians, it cannot be fairly dis puted that the prime rv9l lutes in any method of electing Guardians ought to be—its efficiency in securing the actual suffrages of those who form the great body of ratepayers, and their general confi dence in the honest working of this portion of the law. Unless these conditions are fulfilled in its practical operation, it is impossible to believe that any law can, in a community like ours, prove of long duration. Favoured by popular en itiorties, it may for a tune maintain its place on theletatute-book ; but eventually, like all that is fraudulent and false in legislation, it is sure to yield to the gathering force of public reprobation. The provisions of the Act of 1834 relative to the mode of b.-king elections for guardians, are unmistakeably marked out in popular judgment for inclusion in that doom. More mischievous or demoralising enactments do not exist in any de paitnient of modern legislation. Under the plausible pretence of seeking only to ensure time for independent deliberation in the voter, univer sality of voting by all who are entitled, and op. portunity fur scrutinising accurately the suffrages that are recorded, • mechanism of deception mil delusion has been constructed hardly to hi matched in its working for the extent ti which it silently and Imperceptibly diefran elitses some, falaides the votes of others, and destroys in the minds of all every thing like confidence iris the veracity and validity of its results. Previous to the Poor-law Amendment Act complaint had frequesitly been made that Guar. dimis were elected wholly by the minority of the parishioners who happened to attend the vestry at a given hour on a given day ; while the indo lent or busy majority who were absent or l►te in their attendance were deprived of all participation or electoral yoke. To remedy this acknowledged evil the system of election by voting papers,eopied from the proceedings of certain Joint Stock Com panies, was adopted. We all know the apparently simple and conven: jut details of the system. The busy houaisholder, on his return home, finds a paper left for him by the police, which be may fill up and sign if he pleases, or which he may leave blank if he likes. Next day the paper is called for by the policeman, and taken to the clerk of the pariah or union, with whom it remains until, on the day or two after, it is subjected to the scrutiny of the parochial authorities. Nothing can be more fair or unexceptionable in seeming ; yet nothing can in point of fact be more unreal than the pretences to efficiency and fairness which it sets up. It is matter of painful notoriety that the greatest irregularities occur in the service and transmission of these papers. Where great num bers are to be delivered and called for, it would perhaps be difficult to enforce any eflicieut check without incurring considerable expense. Be that as it may, none whatever is now attempted ; and moons of omissions in particular districts are of constant occurrence. One man forget. all about it till the tune is past ; another man will not take the trouble to complain ; and if a third should do so, he can get no sort of satisfaction. But this is about the least of evils. While the Voting Papers he or are about to lie at the houses of the rate payers, they are found to be constantly filled up surreptitiously, altered, obliterated, or otherwise tampered with. The constables or collectors, se the case may be, can give no account of the contents : it would, indeed, be impossible to make them answerable in this re spect ; and alter a sheaf of papers has been handed in to the cle,k, and flung by him into the general heap, all trace of how or where any inscription or alteratem has been effected is practically out of the question. The records of the Poor-law De partment testify to the number of instances in which the validity of parochial elections has been impeached on the ground of such taniperings; and in several remarkable cases where inquiries have been instituted by the authorities of Gwyder house, elections have been set aside on account Thjbelgiui rs acvool6 of a • - Foreign Affairs Lis iOO3ll delinquencies. The =al .... tribusmis o. realm have hiewies been tamperers and forgers ; and fau se. t t lEro have already been made of plAsit seen in this villanous work. But the ' ty of proof, and the reluctance of in .11i1Miie to devote time and trouble to the irk some business of prosecuting offenders, renders them instances exceptional rather than frequent. Where a parish clique or faction have by illicit arts managed to obtain an ascendancy, they are generally able to throw insuperable obsta cles in the way of preliminary investigations which would tend to subvert their jobbing power ; and it is only where the excess of abuse has created an organisation of resistance capable of devising and directing a ramified system of popular sur veillance that there is any fair chance of being able to track the dealers in electoral fraud to their lair. The inherent vices of this detestable system of voting are sufficiently great, were they wholly uneonnaded with the pelfish passions and preju dices of elan. Unfortunately they are not so in the working of the Poor Law. Owners of property are entitled by the Act of 1834 to double and treble votes, while occupiers vote singly. The consequence is that by securing accuracy in a ooze paratively limited number of Voting Papers a compact party can go far towards the attainment of their object, while the humble and isolated man, who suspects he has been cheated in the exercise of his right, believing that at best his single suffrage can make no appreciable difference, gives up the point sullenly, as not worth vexing himself about. It is clear, however, that if pro party is to be allowed the power of cumulative votes, it is all the more necessary that individual right should be carefully guarded against being overborne by furtive and flagitious means. During the present year the last renewal of the Poor Law expires. A Bill will have to be introduced asking for its continuance for another term. The opportunity might well be availed of to amend the provisions we have been more especially adverting to. If an entire change of machinery for electoral purposes be not contemplated, at least we have a right to expect that some resolute effort should be made to try whether it is possible to check the vices and venalities of the existing method, and to afford easy and prompt redress when persons find themselves divested of their local privileges by no fault of their own. THE EXP agents abroad, relative remarks, that of the two anti-French combinations established in 'l5, ma, the bander of. As French slopes to Sardinia, has just been rectified, while the other, the foundation of the kingdo of the Netherlands, was rectified in 1831 by the se Lion of Belgium from Holland, and the creati of the Belgian monarchy, the neutrality of whit'', guaranteed by Europe, is of great interest to Prance. The government of the Emperor has never had the idea of putting in question a work so full of wisdom and altogether so favourable to France, and which French diplomacy has contributed to establish since 1831. The Independence says :—" We record these de clarations with the more satisfaction from the reason that they interest not only Belgium but also Eng land and Prussia, whose attitude in favour of Switzerland is explained by their fears of an ex tension of the &adamant France to the Rhine." FRENCH DESPATCH TO THE SWISS GOVERNMENT. In a despatch dated the 26th ult., M. Thouveael cites to the French Charge d'Affaires at Berne the second article of the treaty with Sardinia relative to the cession of Savoy and Nice, as • proof that the imperial government has no intention of alter ing any of the legitimate conditions upon which the neutrality of Switzerland rests. • " It is equally understood," says this article, "that his Majesty the King of Sardinia eannot transfer the neutralised parts of Savoy, save on the conditions by which he holds than him self, and that it will appertain to his Majesty the Emperor of the French to come to an understand ing on this head, both with the powers represented at the congress of Vienna and with the Helvetic Confederation, and to give them the guarantees that result from the stipulations alluded to in the present article." M. Thouveuel adds, "As you see, Monsieur, this arrangement is such as to completely reassure the Federal Council. It seems to me, then, that henoefor-h all apprehensions ought to disappear before this spontaneous pledge, and that, certain of being able to discuss the guarantees which, after a European consultation, will be deemed fittest to bring about, in ita relations to the permanent neutrality of Switzerland, the object of the stipulations relative to the eventual neutralisation of a portion of Savoy the Helvetian government has no raison to fear that this interest, the impoi :aim° of which has thus been recognised by us, will not be regulated in a satisfactory manner. The government of the Emperor is pleased then to hope that the Federal Conch will use its exertions to allay an agitation altogether sterile, and that it will profit by the approaching meeting of the Federal Assembly to dissipate anxieties as unfounded as they are op posed to our friendly relations with Switaerland." NORTH SAVOY. (nos ous smut oomerosziairr.) GENEVA, Maw' 31. The affair of Thonon is reduced to ins:gnilicanoe. Thirty men landed without arms at Tho.ion and Evian, and passed the morning in publio-honess. They then returned by the evening steam-boat. No one amongst them is known, with the exception of Perrier. The are all of the lowest class, belongin3 to no party whatever, and coining no one knows Miaow. It is as inexplicable as it is ridiculous. SiltNt, MANOR 31. The event communicated yesterday loses all essential impoi.anoe ; for the individual who left Geneva entered upon tte territory of Sa►oy without arms. An invas..i.9...io i is going on, and the utmost rigour 0: t..e l.iw will he enforced. The President of the National Committee at Nice has forwarded the following telegram to Mr. Renter : "NICK—ENTRY OF THE FRENCH TROOPS. "NICE, fiumosr, 8 p.m. "To-day the entry of the French troops took place here. The aptitude of the population was cold. This evening disturbances have been suppressed. (Ce suit' couflita comprimis. )" PARIS, MOMDAY Roam°. The Monastic of to-day publishes the following : ' Nies, BU/IDAT EVENING. " Two battalions of the Second French Regiment of the Line have arrived here, and met with an en thusiastic reception by the population, who went to meet the troops and strewed flowers on their Passage. All the houses we decorated with tri colored flags." annexation of Savoy, Austria declares that after having ascertained the views of the other great powers she could not abandon the : t e e and reserved attitude which her real in demand in that affair. As regards the neutrality of Switzerland and the neutralised districts of Chablais and Faucigny, Austria declares her readiness to join her good aloes to those of the other !iciest powers for the fulfilment of the legitimate wishes of Switzerland, the more because the circular note of K Thouveael, of the 13th ultimo, promised beforehand to respect the guarantees granted to Switzerland by the treaties of 1815. SARDINIAN MONARCHY. GENOA, lEtaca Piedmontese troops entered Florence on the 28th. The division under the command of General Ro selli is on the march from Bologna towards RP venni', The Piedmontese garrison at Nice is on the point of returning to Genoa. FLORENCE, Yaws 30. Prince Car in his proclamation to the Tus cans, says ignan, " The king understands the importance of his mission to unite your destinies to those of the various races who have elevated him to the national throne. I shall respond to the oonfidenos of the king, whose firm resolution is to achieve your hap piness to the full extent which your conduct has merited." I EXPRESS, MONDA f VENING APRIL ~........—.--------, to maintain the . • the IF cing t:L ...Ir.:to 10% liimi vin 9 proof of her moderatii of the LATES FR I INTELLIG I EN . I L L : -ur uweit berg has col= . . " . 1 ty ....i.da. urn rs yesterday thaltibe the Charg‘ ' of Swi ..i z e tIE leek of a ' w ' oh mi n kt or o f raply • to the .est the . .1 to French dog Toy, addressed by the Viral Ca , i r k_ 1" 1 . 1 ! Affairs • Liu' recently the great powers. !mien, agents abroad, relative to M. Thouvenel In reference to the annexation of Savoy, be Court. The Queen rode on horseback, with the Prince= Alice, on Saturday morning, in the Riding-house of Buck ingham Pekoe. The Prises Consort, attended hy Colonel the How A. Harting*, went on Saturday morning to the New E. mental Hospital of the Grenadier Guarda, in Boaster. row. Prises Alfred, attended by Major °oweit, honoured Mr. Maya with a visit, et his photographic eatablialunent, in Regentatreet, cm Saturday. The Prison Comport went in the afternoon to the South Keseingice Mileasm. The iastess bad a dinner party Is the evening. The comply beleded the Prince of Wales, the Primmer Alise, Prises Alfred, Prince Nicholas of Nassau, and Prince Victor of Holtenlobe ; Lady Caroline Barrington, the Earl sod Coulee@ at Tnakerrine, the Earl and Counter of Chi charter, Visemat and Vieeountawi Newport, Lord Clarence Paget, Lied !Annoyer, the Right Hon. Sidney and Mrs. Hertient, W. E. Gladstone, the Right Hon. Sir John Remaly Menke of the LOU.), Professor de V Rive (of Gessira), Majo► Cowell, and Lieut.-Colonel Keppel. The bead of the Grenadier Guards was in attendance, end played daring dinner. Her Majesty's private band afterwards performed in the Drawing -roost. Yesterday the Queen and Prince Consort, the Prince of Wales, Primal Ahem, Prince Alfred, Prince Arthur, the Princesses Helena and Louisa, the Ladies and °enflames of the Court, end the domestic household, attended Divine Berries is t►e Private Chapel, Buckingham Palace. The Bee. Dr. Vanessa preached the sermon. Colonel the Hon. A. N. Hood and Captain Du Plat have relieved Lord Alfred Paget and Colonel the Hun. A. Her dinge In their duties as the Equerries-in-Waiting to the Queen and Primp Consort. A Cabinet Council was held on Saturday at the official residence of the First Lord of the Trea sury, in Downing-street. The Ministers prc sent were Viscount Palmerston, the Duke of Ariel, Sir G. C. Lewis, Lord John Rus sell, the Duke of Newcastle, the Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, Sir Merles Wood, the Chan cellor of the Eichequr the Duke of Somerset, the Right Hun. T. Milner Gi:sion, Sir George Grey, the Earl of Elgin, the High.. Hon. C. P. Villiers, and the Right Hon. E. CardweLl. A deputation consisting of Mr. W. Hon, Mr. E. Mr. G. Brown, and Mr. G. Palliser, ratepayers of 1 1 1 4.1:kies, Middlesex, had an interview with the Right Row. C. P. Villiers, at the o&e of the Pour.law Board, Whitehall, on Baturd.y. Despatches were received' on Petuniay at the Colonial office, from the Governor of Vancouver's Island and British Columbia. Despatches were sent to the Governor of the West India Wands. Their Royal nighttime. the Ditches. of Cam bridge and the Prince% Mary, attended by Colonel Purees sad Indy Geraldine Somerset, left their residence in St. Jamie Palace on Saturday for Kew, for the Feaster holi days. The Duoheu of Somerset had a reception on Saturday eight at the Pint Linl of the Admiralty's racial miasma in Whitehall. The Earl auil C.,untoaa of Derby and Lady Emma Stanley have left town for Knowsley Park, Lama shire, fur the Parliamentary ream. Vinoount and Viscountess Pa!menden enter tained • select circle at dinner on Saturday evening, at Cambridge Howe, Piccadilly. Field-Marehsil Lord Beaton wad lady Seaton aad the Hoe. Mow Colborne have arrived at Tarrasees Hotel. from Ireland. The Bishop of Loudon and Mrs. Tait are etaying at Starkey's Royal Victoria Hotel, Mt. leseerds-cmeSes . . We are glad to le•rn that the health of the right rev. prelate has improved since his arrival at this salubrious place. We (Haddisighin Courier) understand that the Marquis of Dalhousie intends fixing his residence, during the summer months, at Coalston House, in this immediate neighbourhood. Wd are glad to learn that • `real pavement has taken place in the health of the Marquis, and that his friends entertain the hope of soon seeing him restored to health. His lordship now dispenses with the sim et tie centavo, and is able to take • good deal of alum museis• IheOlder Nom has the following " stop peso'—" Telegraph No. 1, March 2R--Francis M. Calculi to Cannel Taylor, M.P.—Did Calcutt, to Colouel Taylor's insowhige, ever apply for tunas to the Carlton Club ! Pray, talapapb reply. Telt-7,mph No. 2 -Colonel Taylor, M.P., P. M. Waal, Esq., March 28—Never to my ksowlailea.* After a sharp siege, the seat for Londonderry, termed by the death of Sir IL lemmas, bee bees won by WOarsdek, the eminent railway contractor. He pro femme to be a moderato , conservative. The other candidates were Mr. Skipton, moderate whir, and Mr. Greer, ultra liberal, a radical (r in the start. The whir nowhere on the peal, and thesoeforward it wee a pliant nee between Meese. 11'Cormick and Greer, the former wine* by a majority of 19. The following were the gross numbers at the chew : 111•Cormick, 328 ; Grim. 307 ; 13kiplos, 82. An adjudication in bankruptcy has been made spinet the Phoiniz Life Assurance Company, of Leaden halletmet, Louden, and Mancheeterdiuddiage, Liverpool. Thies is the wooers that for some time mit, frost its WWI. till* title, km eased gnat aanoysitioe to the Phomix-oilles, of Lombard-street. on- of the bar:feat and most mrectable of the London Ire mammas. companies. AUSTRIAN PROTEST. VIENNA. Wiacn 31. The Austrian cabinet has resolved to protest solemnly against the annexation of Tuscany, Parma, and Modena to Piedmont. A note to this effect (dated the 24th inst.) barn bean directly addressed to the cabinet of Turin. hi this no Austria first establishes, by histori cal and legal considerations developed at great length, her positive and inoontestable right to op pose an act which in despoiling legitimate princes of the states guaranteed to them by European treaties would also destroy the rights of succession and reversion which these mine treaties secure to tho House of Hapsburg with respect to the said states. Austria then proceeds to demonstrate that Sar dinia has participated in the engagementacontracted by France, who, in misitleration of the treaty of 1736 has guaranteed the possession of Tuscany to theßouse of Lore ire , i r order to indemnify this dynasty for the cession o: her ancestral heritage. The note of Austria further recals that by virtue of the treaty concluded in 1753, by the mediation of George If., King of Eiglaud, and countersigned by him in his quality of head of the house of Este, the right of sueoeseion in the Modeneee states was conferred, in case of the extinction of the male line, upon the third son of the Emperor Francis and Maria Theresa, whom it was designed to unite to the granddaughter of the Duke of Modena. With respect to the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, the treaty of the 10th June, 1817, eon chided between Austria, Franoe, Great Britain, Prussia, Russia, and Sardinia, explicitly oonfirms in favour of Austria the rights of reversion atipu lated by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, dated 20th May, 1815. These rights of reversion received • fresh sanction by the treaty of Florence, concluded the 28th November, 1844, between the courts of Lucca, Modena, Tuscany, Sardinia, and Austria. Thus then the King of Sardinia, in accepting the annexation of the IWian duchies, openly violated, o not only the public treaties of 1815, but also the ! acetics which he has signed as a direct contracting party with Austria. Such • violation is so much the more flagrant from having been accompliahtsl upon the morrow after the peace of Villafranca and Zurich, of which the essential condition was the restoration of the legitimate princes. Induced by all these motives, Austria protests in the most peremptory manner against this most illegal annexation made by the King of Sezdinis e and appeals to the conscience of Europe upon the subject. I To this end, at the same time that this protest is forwarded to Turin a copy will be furnished to all the foreign cabinets, to whom also a circular note is addressed by Austria, in which it is said, I "that Austria, in (*Mining herself at the present time to protesting against the said annexation, hopes that Europe will recognise in this proceed- THE TWO 81011.1E8. NAPLIffi, MAIIIYI 27 Oa Marseilles), No military movement has yet taken place. The Xing has granted several commercial conoeesions to the inhabitants of Sicily, and has decreed the con struction of a network of public roads in the three Calabrian provinces. UNITED STATES. LIURPOOL, MONDAY, APRIL 1 The Royal Mail steamer America, Captain /Mar, which touched at Queenstown at noes yelAtwAsy, has arrived here. Her sews has been anticipated rid Queenstown. Nnw Yom—Eichaoss on ladoa dull but dm, at 108 t. EXPRESS FROM PARIS. (nom ous owir coltrarommxr.) PARIS, SUNDAY Evsensa. Several journals advance the opinion that the general words of the Pope's excommunication apply to France, the French Emperor, and even to the individuals who subscribed to the loan for carrying co the late Italian war. This view receives emir oration from the note in the Moniker calling to mind that the concordat prohibits the publication in France of any bull, rescript, Are., from the court of Rome without permission from the government. It is therefore probable that we in Paris shall not see the text of the excommunication until it appears in the English papers. I hoer that it is short, and contains very little fun. The form of excommunication lately given by several French papers, and which differs very little from Slaw kenbergiva's curse in "Tristram Shandy," has not been adopted. The Patric persists, not only that the King of Naples is not going to occupy any part of the Roman states, but that he has never had any idea of doing so. What, then, becomes of the great IL Orandguillot's article, which made the evacua tion of Rome by the French army entirely depen dent upon the Neapolitan troops coming to guard the Pope in their stead 1 Is the French army after all going to stick in Rome I M. Thouveners despatch to Berne, dated March 26, in which he refers to the article of the treaty for the cession of Savoy, which stipulates that the Emperor will " come to an understanding with the powers" as to the neutralised provinces, as a gua rantee which ought to relieve Switzerland from all uneasiness, affords some countenance to the reports that after all France will give way with regard to Chablais and Fauckry. M. Grandguillot, in the course of the homily which he ►ddressel yesterday to the English parlia ment and press, wrote : Let u■ suppose that, departing from the moderate course which it has hitherto followed, and altogether changing its system, the imperial government were to soy to the Corps Legislatif, " Harangues for harangues. Just like the English troops at Fontenoy, the deputies of England have fired first; gentlemen deputies of France, it is now your turn;" and then addressing the journals were to say, " Articles for articles, diatribes for diatribes; reply, retort, cale•nniate es much as you like ; follow the example of the journals on the other side of the Channel." This awkward confession on the part of the lead ing government writer, that French legislators and journalists are tongue-tied until they get the word I of command, is cleverly fastened upon by the Silde, which ventures to say : ' There may be certain journals which write to order ; but is it not a libel upon the government, the elect of universal suffrage, and the press ►t large, to make such an assertion as the above? For our own parts we can declare that we never received orden to write a line, and we certainly would never have submitted to inch humiliating dictation ; neither our wo believe that any delegate of the nation ever made • provoking Of calumnious speech at the request of the government. Having now protested against the ill-judged sally of the Constdationnet, we shall be delighted to learn that it spoke inadvertently, and acknowledges its error. I told you some time since that the French go vernment, in oonsequence of the stagnation of trade caused in some measure by the prospect of delay before the new tariff comes into operation, had de termined to present a bill to the Corps Logislatif for taking off the duties upon raw material, more especially cottons and wools, almost immediately, and before the time anticipated by the commercial treaty. I have not seen this important matter alluded to since, and you may possibly have begun to doubt the accuracy of my information. It was, however, perfectly correct. I have now before me the draft of a bill signed by MM. Michel Chevalier and Butenval, councillor of state, and counter signed by K Baroehe, the President of the Council, entitled " A bill concerning the tariff of wools, cottons, and other raw materials." The preamble states that it was at first thought that the let of July next would be a date which would suit all interests, by giving sufficient time to sell off stocks on hand, but that yielding to the urgent request of influential manufacturers, the government had re solved to shorten the term, in order to avoid, if not a suspension, at least a slackness of work, and that the new tariff, as to the admission of wools, cottons, and other raw materials, should come into opera tion on April 15. It is proposed that the present drawbacks on the exportation of cotton and woollen threads shall continue to be levied for two months from the passing of the new law, and that those on cotton tissues shall be levied for three months, and on woollen tissues for four. 1 CZWISAL ITALY.—Oar special oorrespoudent, writing from Bologna, March 27, sa ys Lb. otlicial return of Bologna elections has been pur,a2 la the Int °allege, nut of 346 electors, 320 voted far Count Cavour. lu the second, out of Zird voted for Mar quis Pepal. Mignon Beni, Pichat, Miughetti, and Andre. cot were elected in the other by overwhelming majorities. Mr. Corbett, your charge d'aftaires at Florence, is just ar. rived in this city. He will gu back to Tuscany to-morrow, and then start for England, tho Fatglish legation at Flo rence buying been Milady.' in oousequence of the &LUKLIII tif the duchy to Piedmont. 14 1 - - 0; PORTUGAL. • • , oisou;sers ow essimoreinsirr.) • LISBON. MAsca 27. The Co &sao.wg the question of the rail to Dom Joad de Salamanca. A letter the Hon. Win. Napier has published respecting the claims of Sir Morton Peto for plans, surveys, Arc., has been extensively cir culate& An establishment for the coinage of base money has been discovered in one GUIs back street* of the Beirro Alto. It appears that the money which was coined was English sovereigns and Spanish ones. Great excitement has prevailed on this subject, and several persona in respectable circum stances have been charged as accomplices. In the j house of the ooiners were discovered *quids, bars of metal, and utensils pertsiahfg to their illicit trade ; and Dom Francisco de' Judieibus, a Genoese, the tenant of the house, was apprehended and lodged in gaol. After undergoing his examination he coin- plained of his sufferings from asthma, and asked leave to take the fresh air in the infirmary, which permission was granted. Shortly afterwards he wrote several letters, which he sealed and ad dressed to various friends, and then retired to bed. About six o'clock the next morning the Inirma rian was aroused by hearing groans as of a person in pain, and on going to the bed of Judicibus he found the unfortunate man weltering in blood. He had secreted a penknife, with which he had opened the artery of the left arm, and, although medical aid was promptly brought, he expired in a few minutes. News has also been received that a coin ing establishment has been discovered in Madrid, and another in Cadiz, both in connexion with the one in Lisbon, and it is thought that many parties abroad must be implicated, as the base coin does not seem to have circulated in Portugal. The Lisbon journals have commented very freely upon the bad conduct of the seamen of our fleet, which has row sailed for the Channel. The Jornal do Coromerclo relates • circumstance which I occurred the other night. An English sailor who was very tipsy was making • dia;:urbance at the door o. • wine shop ' • the Poreguess municipal' guards passing at the time teed to taLe the man to the guardhouse ; of course Jack reaisted, and gave • soldier • heavy blow on the nose, which he bore with exemplary piuience. At this juncture the armed guard o' English marines, which had been daily sent ashore by Admiral Free mantle's orders to pick up stragglers, came bv, and attemned to carry the sailor tote boat. The Por twiiese guards insisted upon taking him into cue tody, through their misunderstanding each other's languages, an angry altercation arose. In the end one of the Portuguese guard struck the lieutenant of marines commanding the patrol a violent blow with his musket. la a second out sprang every bayonet of the marine guard, and, but for thez ia pravieworthy forbearance and prudence of the • h o ffi cer who commanded his men at once to sheathe their arms, bloodshed would in evitably have occurred. The Jornal do Comei:rcio speaks in the highest terms of the conduct of the of of marines, but reprehends the policy of allowing an armed guard of any foreign power on shore. On the other hand, however, I have heard that Admiral Freeniantle sent the patrol on shore without having asked the consent of the Portuguese minister. It is that the steamer Lusitania hoe met with an accident in paasing the Oporto bar, having touched on the rooks through the negligence of the pilot. It is said that the injury is not of a serious nature. Foreign exchanges for this packet are quoted as follows :—London, 30 days sight, 9O days date, ; Paris, three months dale, 5. 3 0 ; Ham burg, three mouths da,e, 471 ; Amsterdam, 42i ; Genoa, 5.29. Paper in general scarce, and in some demand, especial , y on Paris and Genoa. In stock there has been a slight imp.ovement, and some .raasactions have been effected at the following rates :—Three per Ceat. Registered, 471. ; ditto Co _mons, 461 ; Bank of Portugal shares, from to 10 per cent. premium. THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. The mail steamer Norman, Captain Boxer, ar rived at Plymouth yesterday. She left the Cepa of Good Hope on Feb. 21st. Her cargo emulated of colonial produce valued at about 12,0001., comprising 269 bales of wool, 200 oaks wine, 2,0001. worth of ostrich feathers ; also, French eoirs to the value of 4,0001., and 1,2001. specie for St. Helena. The following is from the summary of the Oape Mail: The vise disemelme not spread to the extent anticipated, and it is now oalcolated .lay the yield of wine this season will not, aeon the whole, be mut.' less than that of last year, owing to the larje additional extent of land lately brought under sit eyard cult , vation. Two descriptions of gripes have been chiefly affected, the bsanepoot and inns mold, and in come places these have been almost en tirely deetroyed, but thimedesetiptions ;roan which we obtain by far the greater part of the vintage have suffered com paratively little, and a large proportion of the principal vineyards are reported in a healthy and flourishing state. Alth6oouogghh the total quantity of wine, however. may not be disdsishtd, the quantity available for exportation to the home market will certainly be much lees than for several years put, owing to the greatly increased local demand. Cape Town hes been enlivened during the last few weeks by the arrival of 12 large French men of war and transports, on their way to China, eight of which are ' still at anchor in Tails Bay. These vessels have on beard upwards of 6,000 troops, and about 300 officers. It was at first intended, on the part of the French general iu couunand, to have the men landed and entamped during their stay here, but no instructions having been received to that erec., they have been landed in ile tachmenta of two or three hundred a day, and allowed a run of 24 hours on shore, which they enjoyed with all the lighthearted gaiety of their nation. The otßoers have been Pied at Government-house by the Lieutenant-Governor, Lieut.. General Wynyard, and also by his Honour the Chief Justice, by the Hon. Mr. Jnitioe Bell, by the French consul, M. Hausman, and by the Swedish consul, Chevalier Let terstedt ; and yesterday evening they were again enter tained at the Commercial Exchange at a grand ten, given by the principal inhabitant, of Cape Tows 1* their honour. Dunng the month several English men-of-war and gun boats have also arrived as their way to China. The Cape Parliament had beau further prorogued to March 21st, but it was not expected that it would assemble before the middle of April. The Cape Mail says The fo llo wing men-of-war Sr. at present in Simon's Bay ; 8011011/011 Oleg) Vulcan, steamer; Sphynx, steamer, and steam gunboat s Havoc and Hardy (fur China). Three additional vessels have touched here with time expired and Mgalided troops from India, vie. arrived Jan. 21 - 1 left 28th. Marlborough. arrived Jan 80; left Fob. 2. South, arrived Feb. 2 ; loft tith. The only immigrant ship arrived during the month is the Maria Some*, which entered Table Bay on Satonlav last (Feb. 18), bringing • welcome addition to our still too limited European population. The previous writ ale by the Jalawar have long since met with satisfactory employment. The Opinion Nationale 'Wes that the chief oom mood of the Papal troops wee offered to Genend Chan gander, before General de lamoriciZre wee tueutioued, but declined. The Abb6 Huc, formerly a missionary in China and Thibet, and well known for his excellent wort ou this last named country, has just died in Putrid, after a short diner. M. Bethmont has become so much worse that his physicians have little hope of his recovery. • , The widow of Captain Tonto, late of the 40th regiment, who was killed by an uafortunate accident on the Lyons railway in August last, when the regiment was on its way home from Italy to the kit. Maur Camp, has re covered from the company the Luxe sum of 70,000 fr. damages• . . . Mlle. Talons at present in Paris on her way to London, being engaged at Her Majesty's Theatre. kidlle. Titiens has been singing at the Opera House in Barcelona, when on her cloning night the subscribers presented her with a laurel crown in silver, with berries in gold. It was her benefit night, and the house was crowded to excess; the fair srtiste receiving the crown on the stage, with every manifestation of favour Spanish enthusiasm could bestow. The first representation of Meyerbeer'n Croeiato is Alin., after a slumber of more than a quarter of a cen tury, drew an immense audience to the Italieue at Paris on Tuesday. " But, though," says Gefigssasii, " the principal parts were strongly cant, the result cannot be milled satisfac tory, the gen,ral impression on the public being that it waa hoary and inanimate." AMUSEMENTS POE PASSION WEEK. Regular dramatic performances being suspended for the next six days, London is given over to leetarers, conjurors, readers, and singers. At the Haymarket Theatre daring the week, Good Friday, of course,. excepted, Mi.. Amy Sedgwick gives every evening at eight her " Plds, Readings from Dramatic and other Writers." At sr,. Martin's Hall to-night the Rev. Mr.. kellew reale a @election from Milton's works; and at the Hanover-square Rooms Mr. Ryder, of the. Plitlcou'". reads Afactetkon Tlmendap sassing. Mr. C. H. Adams open s tonight at the last named theatre with his ever•pepular Orrery. Signor Poletti, "the celebrated Roman malicia;" gives a magical entertainment at the Strand dur , sg the week. Herr Frikell, " the great Realise magician," e dit mystify east-end audiences at the Standard Theatre, while Mr. Sinclair, " the renow.aed wizard," Meet his entert.,M. ment at the Grecian. Miss Julia St. George goes to Sadlet's Wells with her entertainment, "Hume and Foreign Lyric.," being her last appeexances previous to a conthental tour. Mies Poole and Mr. F.amaden temporarily occupy the Surrey with their musical entertainment, "Old English Song, and Ballads." Mr. end Mrs. Howard Paul return to St. Hall with their "Patchwork," and it is necessity to re. mind those who have not seen this clever entertain. meat that it is the last season the,. it will be played. Mr. Albert Smith announces six more representation., 4,y " China," to be given to-night, to-morrow rooming and evening, Wednesday and Thursday nighte, and Saturday morning. Mr. and Mrs. German Reed give their ente r . tainment ►t the Gallery of Illustration as usual ; sad the Christy's Minstrels, at the Polygraphic Hall, continue their @nonmetal performances. The musical events of the week are the Monday Popular Concert at St. James's Hall to. night, the programme of which is selected from the works of Mozart, and includes the splendid quintet for clarionet and stain7ed instruments, and the ar.ista elapsed are Mr. Reinton, Mr. Lazarus, M. Paw, Mr. Benedict, Mr. Rims Reeves, and Mies Laura Bat. ter. At the Crystal Palace Mille. Piccolomisl will sing every day ; at the Surrey Gardens a grand eamoet, ender distinguished patroness, is to be given ce Wednesday at 8 o'clock in the evening, at which four basJa and a Large number of popular artists will moist, the whole being under the direction of Mr. Schallen. The sev,-rd music halls remain open, and the Canterbury, Wsto❑'s. the Raglan, and Frampton'e, with, doubtless, receive mor e than an ►verge share of patronage. The gardens show sign@ of animation. Cremorne, however, with not open at loiter this year, but the North Woolwich and Rasher% die Gardens will provide for the reception of visitors on Coed /Way and Easter Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The National Portrait Gallery, 29, Great Oeorge-dreel, Westminster, will be freely open, without tickets, on Mon. day, Tuesday, and Wednesday in the Easter week, from 10 to 5 o'clock. At other times admission is limited to Wednesdays and Saturdays between the hours of 12 and 5, ARTISTS' GENERAL _BENEVOLENT TUTION. On Saturday the annual festival of the Artiste General Benevolent Institution took place at the Freeze. ems' Tavern. The report for the past year showed that the income et the seeirhy from all sources during the year amounted to 1,9931., and the relief afforded to the widows and. orphsas .f deceased artiste and distressed living artiste amountol to 1,0261., the expenses of the socie.y being he. 257/. On this oecesicra the Right Hon. W. R. GLADFROXII found time 'midst his arduous duties to take the chair, and to per. ram the duties connected with it, iu s mannerm earnest sod exhibiting as much knowledge of the ob . eci he had to ad. voca;a as if no other subject had occupied his atieution far the as. month. The good feeling which induced Mr. Glad. Mope *to winkle was very fully appieciaiod, not, rely ss ap. pcared by the warm mummer in which he was received, sod the applause which vested him am every (amnion that he addressed the company in the course of the evening, hat in the circumstance that a larger number of halals of the institution ameniblcd dam has Leen the case for many years. Among those present were Ford Stanhope, Sir Chula Eastlake (preaide - it of the Royal Academy), Sr Roderick Murchison (redden: at the (4eographical So. ciety) v the 800. R. Stanhope, Gordon Doff, Esq., M.P., Deed Roberta, 8.A., Thomas Creswick, Fag., R.. 1, Charles Landseer, Fag., R.A., Sydney Smirke, EN., R. A., W. P. Frith, Esq., R.A., F. W. Piekera;ill, Fay., R.A., A. Elmore, R.A., W. Boxall, 1.1% . A.R. A, E. W. Cooke, Esq., A.M.A., J. E. Millais, ~ A., H. O'Neil, Ewa, A.M.A. A. L. Rif i L i sq., A. A., J. C. Rote ley, Esq., A. A .A. F. Taylor, . (president of the Water Colour Society), Mr. Dawson, r. 0. Hurlestooe (med. dent of the Society of British Artists), Dr. Qualm, Mr. John Mornay, Mr. Gibbs. Mr. F. Godwin, Mr. 8. Cartwright, jun., Mr. •W. Pollock, Sir Charles Barry, R. 1., and about two hundred other gentlemen. The arrangements eciameted with the dinner were everything that could is desired ; and the musical department was peculiarly god, the artists being the members of the Madrigal Union, os. dating of Miss Eyles, Him J. Wells, Mr. Leder, Mr. liar. ter, and Mr. Clumning, under the directiou of Mr. Land. TheCoanuma, in proposing "The Health of the quem," announced a subscription of 1001. from her Majesty. His ROYAL HIORICIIIII PRINCE ALPRED.—tin Saturday his Royal Highness Prince Alfred honoured Mr. Mayan with a visit, at his photographic studio, at the owner of Argyll-place, Reerent-strea. The Prince appeared to be highly interested with the collection of portraits dem mat individual& photographed from time to time by Er. Mayall and arranged on the walls for public inspection. Having gone through the exhibition, liis Royal Highness eat fora Weenie ph h, and although the weather ese anything but favourable, . Mandl succeeded in endue dug a remarkably succe ssful portrait. Tie Prince wore to uniform as midshipman in the royal navy. CONFIRMATION OF PRlNcit ALFRED.—Thin con firmation of Prince Alfred will take place at Windsor Gimlet on Thursday ' the sth of April. A select number of ths nobilityand personal fr.eods of the Royal family will be invited to the ceremony. Then will be no state obserred, and the religious rite will be ilerformil with every eimpb. city. These honoured with invitations to be present mend expected to be in uniform, nor will the ladies appear is court dresses. The only mark of distinction will be tint the officers of the household will wear the Windsor uni. A VITZRAN ACTOR AND READY Cottruurwm.-.. At the theatrical performances for the benefit of the Rood Dramatic College, at the Opera House, Covent-garden, Sr. T. P. Cooke reappeared as William in the drama of Blur! Rod Snorts. •In relating to the initonitheel villagers the outrageous yarn about • great shark, " St. Domingo Billy," he intertozatively says to Mr. J. L Toole (Guatbraml, " Now what wonderful thing do you suppose they oleo covered inside that shark r " WAL" ark ans‘enisi the comedian, "if I don't know what they did find, I know what they couldn't find—that's another T. P. Cooke' This apt tribute elicited shouts of laughter and rounds of applause from the great audience, which, after subsiding, revived upon the veteran of 711 .unimeno rejoining, apes: featly touched by the compliment, " Alt, that's a very kiM we to make a Toole of me." ' Tau FRISCH COIIII6PeIAL Tannin.—lt is not generally known that the French govemtuent is lousily He gaged in obtaining information on articles affected by the recent treaty with Great Britain. Such grave important' is attached to the matter, that some forty commissioners are here in England from thn country recently converted from prohibition doctrinet, whose mission is the °plinths; of details with a view to aiiist the ' , much government W fixtig contemplated specific duties. These gentlemen, on in course of travel in various districts of the kingdom, are, we understand, in somewhat of a difficulty as to the precise nature of their duties, and, from aU vs learn of their so far movement., no very martini' line of action seems to have been talked by them. They are re ported as at sixes and amens, some of the party regard* the purpose of their misshou as scientific, while others take a purely business view of it. object. So far as Liverpool is concerned, we do not hear of any of them having yet non• tuted inquiries. We presume, however, that our vast com merce engross a becoming share of those geutlemeuk thoughts and attention.—Literpout Alltion. MAROANIST HUONE4, ali4sa "Low FILIZNANDri. " AGAIN.--Our n,adetnvcill ronember that this clever is pretor summit.' about the middle of &wintry Lb, in oho fabling a cabin passage to Hong Kong in Goo ship Sir nil. limn Po el, at the expense of the •oliVerewers trunspat authorities, after imposing union, and Plttaiping merry fro" Sir Robert l'artlen, at the Mausion.house, Irr. Lichanist compSoolltr of the transport s nice, and many other pwsons in London and eines here. It will also be reiewie bored that, in wane of the newspap.r wpm,s at that ow , there was ex 1 a doubt sat, Margaret Halbes Lola Ferns s being one and the none proem. We on the 88th of Janualy, however, ntch informatiA as could leave very little doubt upon the subjtel ; awl 114 little, if it existed, we aro now enabled 100 as 111 woman Who mailed uniltr the name of "Lola Ferraudet ham written to England in her tows name Man - Stagtot Hughes. She had the iMpitilenee be Virile to the obotective inspector who had charge of her in Loudon, thanking hun "for past favours," and promoiono; that if she "should roe come his way again, she will gist, dates from Santa CAI ; where il,e %veep' had put in ti. and water. The postage of the letter, she i° pay ; but the letter emeltenn one :or her aunt, a ton . P ' woman in Manebei,ter, Mal it May reimonahly that the letter to the inspector will/ merely a nor to it , * her aunt the tentage. There can lac im doubt , that if We reached Hong Kong in surety, tneny irenvois in that Is...tied colony will have reason to " make a note d " her .10 1 ' tricks.--Manchater Ativie.ea front Alexandria of the 19th state that Sulieitran Pacha died very maidenly nine it aye beton, He had been amoking with some frirrotA, when hi. heal drape. They believed him asleep, lad, out trying to rouse hua afterwards, found it was the sleep of death. I