The Press. — London, England, 1853-08-27 00:00:00

„ V rott4ings in V arliamtnt. THE POST-OFFICE.. A question put by just before the house was prorogued on Saturday, respecting the de ficiency of postal facilities in Ireland, elicited from Mr. NV IMON some explanations of the present state and growing magnitude of the Post-office service : " Compared with 1840, which was five or six years after the penny postage had come into full operation, the daily number of letters at present passing through the General Post-office was 140,00 additional, and of newspapers up wards of 40,000 more daily. Taking the three periods of 1841, 1840, and 1853, the number of letters which passed through the Post-office in the last week in June in each of those years was:—ln 1841, 3,773,000; in 1840, 5,043,000 ; and in 1853 they had increased to 7,700,000 ; so that since 1840 the number of letters had increased 2400,000 a week. Then take the registered letters, which required no less than four separate entries for each letter, and the signature of two clerks. In 1840 the number was 27,000 ; in the present year 01,00. Then there was another department, the money order department, upon which there was a great pressure. In 1841 the whole amount which passed through that department was 900,0031.; in 1854 it was 9,400,0091. ; and this year it would be upwards of 10,01 OAOI. if it went on at its present rate. He thought these facts were a sufficient apology, if any were required, for any deficiency in the Post-office, but he could only say that the noble lord who was at the head of the I'ust•oftice and Mr. Rowland Hill were occupied in endeavouring to give every possible facility, and especially in the south of Ireland." TRANSPORTATION. The new act for restricting transportation will come into operation on Friday next. • After that day no person is to be sentenced to transportation, except for life or fourteen years or upwards. Any person who might have been sentenced to transportation' for a tens less than fourteen years is vibe liable, at the discretion of the court, to be kept in penal servitude. Persona liable to transportation for fourteen yearn or upwards, or for life, may still be sentenced either to transportation or to penal servitude. The following terms of penal servitude are to be awarded instead of the preeeut terms of transportation. Instead of transportation for seven years or less, the penal servitude Is to be a term of four years. For any term of transportation exceeding seven anal not ex ceeding ten years, the penal servitude substituted is to be not less than four, and not exceeding six, years. Instead of transpor tation exceeding ten and not exceeding fifteen years, the penal servitude Is to be for not less than six and not exceeding eight years; where it exceeds fifteen years, the penal servitude le to be not lest' than six 'aid not exceeding ten years ; and instead of transportation for life, the penal 'servitude to be for the teem of life; and In every ease where, at the discretion of the court, one of any two or more of the tenns of transportation might have been awarded, the court shall have the like discretion to award one of the two or more term' of penal servitude in relation to such term of transportation. There are three clauses in the act with regard to tickets of leave in the United Kingdom, and the system is new tube tried for the first time in this country. It is declared to be lawful fur her Majesty, by at: order in writing under the hand and seal of one of the principal secretaries of mate, to grant to any convict now under sentence of transporta tion, or who may hereafter be sentenced to transportation, or to any punishment substituted fur transportation by title act, a li eeuce to be at large in the United King:don' and the Channel Islands, or in such parts thereof respectively as in such licence shall be expressed, during such portion of his or her term of transportation or imprbe 1111 l lent, and upon such conditions in all respects, as to her Majesty shall seem fit, and it shall be lawful for her Majesty to revoke or alter such licence by a like order at her Majesty's pleasure. Sot long as such licence shall continue in force and unreveked such convict shall not be liable to be im prisoned or transported by reason of his or her sentence, but shall be allowed to go and remain at largo according to the tents of such licence. On a licence being revoked the convict may be apprehended and committed to prison. After the commencement of the act, persons convicted of larceny, after previous conviction for felony, are not to' ho liable to transportation. The set is not to affect the discrefis n of criminal courts as to alternative pu nishment, which n ho in addition to the punishment now sub stituted for transp. wit m." RUssIA AND TURKEY. A last attempt was made on Saturday, by Mr. Mom :tans MILNES, to extract from the Government some definite statement or reliable hope of the eva cuation of the Danubian principalities by Russia under the pending negotiations. The hon. member entreated even to be assured that the Ministry had a " moral confidence" of that result, so that Parlia• meat might separate without anxiety. At present, he said, it was to this one point that the attention of the country was mainly directed Turd PshituttsroN : The answer as to the confidence of her Majesty's Government may be given in the shortest possible space—namely, their belief that Parliament may be safely prorogued under present circumstances. With regard to the evacuation of the principalities, I can only say that I am confident that the Emperor of Russia, having that due reganl for his honour and character which even• sovereign of a great country must always be inspired by, will take the earliest opportunity, after the settlement with Turkey, and of his own accord will make a merit of evacuating the principalities without the slightest delay That is my confident expectation and belief. The noble lord had scarcely concluded when " Black Rod" was announced, and summoned the members to hear the commission read for the proro gation of Parliament. THE PROROGATION SPEECH FROM THE THRONE. " My Lords anti Gentlemen, " We are commanded by her Majesty to release you from your attendance in Parliament, and at the same time to express her Majesty's cordial approbation of the zeal and assiduity with which, during a protracted and laborious session, you have applied yourselves to the cow aideration of many subjects of great importance to the public welfare. THE PRESS. " Her Majesty has seen with much satisfaction that, by the remission and reduction of taxes which tended to cramp the operations of trade and industry, you have given fresh extension to a system of beneficent legislation, and have largely increased the means of obtaining the neces saries of life. " The provision which you have made for meeting the demands of the public service, not only iu the present but also in future years, is of a nature to give permanent sta bility to our finances, and the►eby to aid in consolidating the strength and resources of the empire. " The buoyant state of the revenue, and the steady pro gress of our foreign► trade, are proofs of the wisdom of the commercial policy now firmly established; while the pros perity which pervades the great trading and producing classes, happily without even a partial exception, affords continued and increasing evidence of the enlarged comforts of the people. " The measure which you have passed for the future government of India has been readily sanctioned by her Majesty, in tl►e persuasion that it will prove to have been wisely framed, and that it is well calculated to promote the improvement and welfare of her Majesty's Eastern dominions. _ . " Her Majesty regards with peculiar satisfaction the provision you have made for the better administration of charitable trusts. The obstacles which existed to the just and beneficial use of property set apart for the purposes of charity and of education have been a serious public evil, to which her Majesty is persuaded that in your wisdom you have now applied an efficient remedy. " Gentlemen of the Hotili of Connnons, " We are commanded by 14r Majesty to thank you for the supplies which you have granted for the service of the present year, and for the provision which you have made for the defence of the country, both by sea and laud. Her Majesty will apply them with a due regard to economy, and consistently with that spirit which has at all times made our national security the chief object of her care. " My Lords and Gentlemen, " lier Majesty commands us to inform you that she con tinues to receive from her allies the assurance of their un abated desire to cultivate the most friendly relations with this country. " It. is with deep interest and concern that her Majesty has viewed the serious misunderstanding which has re- ceutly arisen between Russia and the Ottoman Porte. " The Emperor of the French has united with her Ma jesty hi earnest endeavours to reconcile differences the continuance of which might involve Europe in war. " Acting in concert with her allies, and relying on the exertions of the Conference now assembled at Vienna, her Majesty has good reason to hope that an honourable ar►angement will speedily he accomplished. " Her Majesty rejoices in being able to announce to you the terminatisn► of the war on the frontiers of the settle ment of the Cape of Good Hope, and she trusts that the establishment of rep►esentative government in that colony may lead to the development of its resources, and enable it to make efficient provision for its future defence. " We are also commanded to congratulate you that, by the united exertions of the naval and military forces of her Majesty and of the East India Company, the war in Bur mah has. been brought to an honourable and successful issue. The objects of the war having been fully attained, and due submission made by the Burmese Government, peace has been proclaimed. Her Majesty contemplates with grateful satisfaction and thsnkfnlness to Almighty God, the tranquillity which prevails throughout her dominions; together with that peaceful industry and obedience to the laws which ensure the welfare of all classes of her subjects. It is the first desire of her Majesty to promote the advance of every social improvement, and, with the aid of your wisdom, still further to extend the prosperity and happiness of her people." fort* 10 Colonial l!nttlligtna. THE MARRIAOE OF THE DUKE DE BRAItANT. [From our own Correspondent.] BaussEr.s, August V. Oun matrimonial solemnities are at an end. A dis play of fireworks, which the heavy rain prevented from taking place yesterday, closed to-day the series of popular festivities. I do not think proper to send you a naked description of the flies, which most of your subscribers may have read already in almost all English newspapers, who had several of their reporters in Brussels, together with those of the German press. The French papers alone were but poorly represented, and were content with abridging the Belgian journals, omitting anything which would mark the truly popular character of the solemnity. This circumstance, coupled with the absence of any French diplomatic representative at Brussels—the former envoy, M. de Butenval, having presented to the King his letters of recal, and his successor, M. Adolphe Barrot, not having arrived yet—was the sub ject of diversified comments, and had even, for a moment, an unfavourable influence on the Paris Bourse. At the head of the foreign Sovereigns who have sent a special envoy to compliment the young married prince and archduchess is Queen Victoria, who has entrusted Lord Elphinstone with that plea- ♦ __ w" .. - SATURDAY, sant duty. His lordship was present at all the solemnities, together with Colonel Teymont, the special envoy of Prince Albert ; Colonel Lowenstein, for the reigning Prince of Saxe-Coburg; Colonel Loren, for the King of Sweden; Count Gersdorff, for the Grand Duchess Anna of Russia, sister to King Leopold and the Duchess of Kent. The Duchess of Brabant, Archduchess Mary Henrietta of Austria, is a charming young woman, who completed her seventeenth year on the day following her marriage. She is less distinguished for striking beauty than for her air of kindness, simplicity, and modesty, which has already won the hearts of her future subjects. According to the programme adopted by the Court of Austria, she was accom panied to Brussels by a detachment of trabans and garden-nobles in rich uniforms, who were present at the official transfer of the young princess to the Belgian Plenipotentiary. Belgium, having no guards, deputed for the service some young officers, pupils of the Military School. The King and Prince met her Imperial Highness at Verviers, and brought her to Brussels. The journey was a formal triumph, the King and the betrothed pair being received by all the local authorities, and by the enthusiastic cheer ing of the people at all the railway stations, which were decorated with Belgian and Austrian banners, with foliage and flowers. The marriage was to take place the next day, but a litt e indisposition of the royal bride led to its adjournment until Mt ndt y, when the ceremony went off with truly royal eclat in the midst of unprecedented popular enthusiasm, in presence of an immense crowd of strangers, and with regal pomp. The marriage, at the palace, was performed by the burgomaster of Brua-els ; the reli gions ceremony, at the cathedral, by the Cardinal Archbishop of Mechlin, assisted by all the Belgian bishops, and some three hundred members of the lower clergy. The church presented a brilliant scene. The high altar had been placed in the centre of the transept, before it the seats for the King and the young bridegroom. Both of the aisles were filled with rows of seats occupied by persons in court costume, and the uniforms of almost all nations of Europe—those of England in great number. After the ceremony the cortige returned to the palace, tra versing streets adorned with flags, hangings, and carpets of all colours, and occupied with an immense and cheering crowd. The wedding dinner, which took place in the evening, seems to have been some what disturbed by questions of etiquette, the Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives having refused to sit below the cardinal, and accordingly declined to be present. In the evening the whole town resembled an ocean of fire, not an inhabitant having abstained from illu minating, and all having vied in their ardour. The beautiful Gothic monument of the Hotel de Ville was illuminated by 80,000 lampions, which showed all the details of its rich architecture. The passage St. Hubert was most tastefully adorned with luminous flowers, and was traversed at ten o'clock by the two royal princes, the foreign ladies and gentlemen of the court in their costumes, borne on the arms of several thousand people, accompanied by the accla mations of a thousand enthusiastic voices. I heard l'arisians, whom pleasure trains had brought by thousands, avow that their own capital had perhaps produced grander things by spending more money, but never gave the spectacle of such loyal and unani mous enthusiasm. The spectacle was, indeed, me morable. The most curious part of the festivities, and which had especially attracted the unprecedented mass of strangers and foreigners of all nations, the so-called Ommeyang, took place on Tuesday. The attempt to revive this kind of mediaeval spectacle may be said to have been completely successful, notwithstanding the rain which fell at intervals. The procession, which perambulated during five hours all the principal streets of the town, was divided into two parts. First came the historical detachment, preceded by the Brussels giants, something in the style of your own Oil and Magog, without the presence of which every popular fête would be incomplete. Then came the meditvval military corporations, the metiers, with their banners and masterpieces, each class of indus trial art being symbolised by a tower-high chariot, bearing its special emblems. All the costumes and objects were of strict historical verity, and of a mag nificence without example. One could easily suppose oneself transported for a moment into the presence of some mediaeval procession, so true were all the details reproduced, so much dignity was observable in the demeanour of all the actors. Then came the modern part of the show, the chariots of Belgium, of the town, the constitution, the nobility, and of Royalty, followed by specimens of all kinds of military cos tumes used in the present Belgian army. Every object in the pageant, each evoking an historical souvenir or striking some fibre of the national feeling, was enthusiastically cheered by the crowd and was equally approved by the strangers, for the beauty of design and the harmony of the composition, as well as for its historical truth and beauty of execution. ■ R r •