The Press. — London, England, 1857-03-28 00:00:00

MARCH 28, 1857. THE announced retirement of Mr. APSLEY PELLATT from Southwark appears to have been premature. Mr. Pellatt has solicited re-election, and met and addressed his constituents on Tuesday night. With reference to his vote upon Mr. Cobden's motion, he observed : It was greatly narrowing the question to say that it was a China question ; because, in fact, it involved an important constitutional principle. Those of the Liberal party who voted against the Government did so, no doubt, with great reluctance ; but they resolved to vindicate truth rather than to follow expediency. He contended that in the Chinese affair Sir John Bowring had acted prematurely, and contrary to the orders of five successive Prime Ministers, who had directed him not to reopen the question of entrance into Canton without first referring home. Had Sir John Bow ring followed those instructions and referred home before commencing operations, he would probably have had gun boats sent to his assistance, and his hinds would have been so strengthened that the Cantonese would have been silenced without the effusion of anything like the blood that had been shed, while we should not have been in the ridiculous position of having taken several torts we were compelled afterwards to abandon. A vote of confidence and of support was unani mously passed. MR. MASSEY, who has been flitting about the country between the Isle of Wight and Manchester in search of a constituency, has at length settled down at Salford in opposition to Sir Elkanah Armi tage. On Monday evening a crowded meeting was held in the Town-hall, Salford, to hear Mr. Massey give an exposition of his political sentiments, and of his claims upon the electors for support. Indescrib able confusion prevailed throughout the meeting, in consequence of which the proceedings, which would otherwise have occupied under an hour, extended over two hours. Mr. Massey was received with loud cheers, groans, and hissing, which lasted a con siderable time. At length be was permitted to speak. He defended Lord Palmerston's foreign policy, which he declared had maintained the honour of England, encouraged the liberties of Europe, and checked the progress of despotism. With respect to the Chinese war : He had been a humble member of Government, and had endeavoured to make himself politically useful. ( A voice : " For a very good reason, you've been paid for it." ► Mr. Cobden's opposition was a pretext for the purpose of crying down and disparaging Lord Palmerston—( cheers and groans )—and be never heard such nonsense come from the lips of any man as was uttered by Mr. Cobden. Every statesman in the house, unbiassed by party or factious spirit, admitted that the Chinese war was a necessary war. MR. WILLIAMS AND THE "WHIP." MR. WILLIA M 3, in his addrcss at Lambeth on Tuesday, gave a touching instance of the purity of his parlia mentary motives:— He had often been tried, he had been subjected to tempta- tions of all sorts and upon many occasions; anti before these temptations almost every member of the House of Commons had succumbed. The first thing done when a new member took his seat was to find out his weak points, and in this the Government were generally successful. Some members were invited to aristocratic dinners, balls, and things of that sort. This laid hold of a great number of them. Others sought for favours. if not for themselves, for their friends and supporters. He, however, had never accepted an invitation under any circumstances. When he first went into Parliament, the whipperin, a gentleman who had the dispensation of 20,000 places, and who was always scattering them over the house in order to get votes, came up to him and said, " What a misfortune it is you are always so cross with us ( laughter) ; we don't care about the Tory party denouncing us, but it is most unpleasant to see you, a Liberal, and a supporter of Government in a great number of instances, finding fault with and exposing us in all sorts of ways. You don't want a place or money, but I should like very much to make friends with you. What would be agreeable to you? Would you like honours—a title?" His answer war., " I see perfectly well what you want ; you want me to support the Government. Now, I'll tell you how you may secure my support. Bring forward nothing but measures beneficial to the country and you will always find me backing you up. No other temptation you can offer me will buy me or prevent me from di sc h arg i ng th e d ut y which I owe to my constituents and to the country at large." THE VERY REV. HFNRY ALFORD was installed on Sunday last in the Cathedral as Dean of Canterbury. THE MuRRIAN, it is confidently predicted, will soon seize our cattle, if steps are not taken by the Govern ment to prevent the importation of infected beasts. The disease is spreadinse rapidly on the Continent, especially in Prussian Silesia. The mortality is estimated at ninety per cent. Loan CAMPBELL, now at Warwick Assizes, at tended St. Mary's Church on Sunday morning last. The Rev. Albert Roudior, the assistant minister, read the service, and in the course thereof commenced to read the prayer usually offered doling the sitting of Parliament, doubtless unaware that Parliament dissolved the previous evening. Lord Campbell, who was cognisant of the fact of the dissolution, created some excitement by exclaiming, " No, no, there is no Parliament !" upon which the rev. gentleman de sisted from putting up the supplication. THE PRESS. Sortign Curresgunnuct. BRUSSELS, March 25. Ix the diplomatic circles on the Continent every other topic is merged in that of the parliamentary elections of England. The interest with which this trial of party strength is regarded, and the value attached to the decision of the country, summarily disposes of the assertion that the prestige of England had departed from her. A Belgian personage of some distinction remarked, during the disasters of the Crimea, that England might possibly, after a probation of ten or fifteen years, regain her lost position in Europe. This proverb of the Belgian Solomon, in all his glory, will hardly be repeated. A correct view of the state of affairs is given by the foreign journals. They show an intimate acquaint ance with those tactics that are more creditable for selfish than for public purposes. The speech of Lord Palmerston at the Mansion-house is generally accepted as a war speech, addressed to the pugna• cious propensities of England rather than to those higher qualities of statesmanship which keep nations in peace during troubled times without having recourse to the ultimo ratio. This belief may be attended with damnifying results in the actual position of Italy and the otherwise unsettled state of the Continent. M. de Hatzfeldt has received his instructions from Berlin. The title of the Prince of Neufchatel is to be preserved to the King of Prussia, who insists that the point de depart shall be the recognition of his various rights conferred at the Congress of Vienna, and that this formality shall precede any concession on his part. An indemnity is to be made to the Royalists for the losses sustained before and after the conflict or revolution. One of the chief difficul ties of the negotiation is the colour to be given to the late outbreak, whether it were a rebellion or a forcible demand for positive right. The liberation of the prisoners gives the argument in favour of the King of Prussia. A suspension of diplomatic relations between Austria and Sardinia is now made public. M. de Paar had already received his instructions on the 13th, but delayed the notification until the note of M. de Buol, in answer to M. de Cavour, had been transmitted to the Ministers of foreign powers. The strong expressions used in the debate on the fortifi cations of Alessandria brought matters to a crisis. M. de Buol, in stating that the powers of Europe had censured the licence of the Piedmontese press, omitted to add that the same measure of animad version was bestowed on the journalist attacks of Austria against Sardinia. The English Govern ment will have to choose betwixt their approxima tion to the views of Austria, that at one time had been conceded for a stipulated price, according to the revelation of Mr. Disraeli, and the declaration of Lord Clarendon at Paris in favour of Italy, with the revolutionary addenda supplied by L)rd Minto. As the animosity betwixt Austria and Sardinia in creases, so in equal proportion do the assurances of regard multiply on the part of Russia. The Em press Mother had a state dinner on the birthday of King Victor Emmanuel, whereat the more than festal compliments paid to the King were of a cha racter sufficiently significative. The precarious health of the Duke of Modena makes the matter of his succession one of great interest. By the old treaty of Aix la-Cbapelle, in 1748, between Great Britain, France, Holland, Hungary, Spain, and Genoa, whereby the treaties of Westphalia in 1618, of Nimeguen in 1678 and 1679, of Ryswick in 1697, of Utrecht in 1713, of Baden in 1714, of the Triple Alliance in 1717, of the Quadruple Alliance in 1718, and of Vienna in 1738, were re newed and confirmed, and again certified by the conque-t of Vienna in 1815, in the event of male extinction, the duchy would revert to Austria. That of Parma also, now in the pos'.esslon of a child, would be divided betwixt Austria and Sardinia by the convention of Florence in 1844. These possible contingencies, each and every one capable of bring ing about a continental war, render the present unsettled disposition of affairs perilous for the peace of Europe. M. Pianeli has left Naples for Paris and London, on a private mission, and there is a report that M. Carini is to be intrusted with a particular negotiation. It is certain that the antecedents of England and France have not always been in union on Neapolitan affairs. If the private papers, direct and indirect, relative to the dispute, ever reach the table of the House of Commons without suppression, it will be seen that the interference of England would rather hit” been in conjunction with Austria than with France, and this under the pilotage of Lord N,,r nianny, the Whig-Radical representative of England at the Court of Tuscany. On the 9th of March, the firman for the convoca tion of the Divans "ad hoc" was publicly read by Kiainii Boy in the old palace at Bucharest. The Kairnakan—Prince Ale:ander Ghika—tho Metropo litan and dignitaries of th f Church, the foreign agents and consuls, with the military and civil func tionaries of all classes, were present at the solemnity which took place in the throne-room. The oligar chical faction does not yield ground. It has pro tested against the legality of the firman of the Porte, and circulars are distributed, containing a decla ration of political faith,—called that of the majority —in the hope of creating disunion, and thus thwarting the success of the popular and independent party. Mr. Colquhoun, the Consul General of Eng land, will probably he recalled, on account of his dif ferences with Sir Henry Bulwer. A Russian army, of considerable force,ithreatens the Circassian frontier. By the "Clarendonian " lave in the Treaty of Paris, this country will, sooner or later, be subdued by the Muscovite. For this there will be no help, notwithstan.ling repeated and valiant resistance. The only precaution to be taken by England is, that the presence of a Russian soldier beyond the Caspian boundary shall be construed into a declaration of war. Lord Palmerston is in error, in his address to the electors of Tiverton, in claiming a satisfactory termination of the Eastern question. It is capable of being reopened, by the Clarendonian lapse, at any time most convenient to Russia. The latter country will not place confidence in a Whig Government. C. A. H. Sonign antr (colonial 3ntelitgente. AUSTRIA AND S tRDINIA. The rupture between the Governments of Vienna and Turin is c' , mplete. Count Paar, with the entire personnel of the Austrian Ligation at Turin, has been recalled to Vienna, while the Marquis Cantono de Ceva, with the Piedmontese Legation at Vienna, has been recalled to Turin. The protection of Austrian subjects in Turin has been confided to the Prussian Embassy, while that of Piedmontese subjects in Vienna is intrusted to the Embassy of France. The Vienna and French papers regard these mutual steps merely as " a suspension of diplomatic relations," and argue that as Count Paar and the Mar quis Canton° de Ceva yet retain their credentials respectively to Turin and Vienna, their absence from their posts is simply an extension of leave, and that at any moment they may return and resume their duties. A letter from Vienna in the National Gazette of Berlin says : It is stated that the second Austrian note sent to the Piedmontese Cabinet develops this thesis :—that Austria is animated with the most sincere desire to procure the greatest prosperity for her Lombardo Venetian subjects, and that it is her interest to see in the remainder of ltsly Governments and Administrations well organised ; and that Austria could not submit to see her rights systema tically attacked by the Ptedmontese press. This note was only sent after the return of the Emperor to Vienna. It is said here that Lord Palmerston does nut approve of the conduct of Sardinia, and that he has recommended her to adopt a less offensive policy. Le Nord, in its Berlin correspondence this week, publishes an analysis of the circular despatch ad dressed by Count Buol to the Cabinets of Europe. According io this document, the Cabinet of Vienna is not only dissatisfied with Count Cavour's reply to its complaints of the Piedmontese press, and of the tolerance with which these attacks are treated by the Sardinian Government, but it sees a new offence in the language used by that Government on Cie occa sion of the debates which have taken placo relative to the fortifications of Alessandria. The despatch adds that— The Austrian Government has become 'convinced that Piedmont seek= to place itself at the head of the revolu tionary movement in Italy—a movement the ultimate object of which must be the destruction of the Austrian domination in Italy. Piedmont pursues, then, a subversive policy, which not only tends to disturb social order in Italy, but even to totally change the European political system established by the treaties of Vienna. In presence of these facts, Austria deems that her dignity will no longer permit her to maintain official relations with Sardinia. Nevertheless, Count Buol in informing the foreign Courts of the step which Austria has determined to take, declares formally that this measure will not be followed by others of a more hostile or threatening character, and that in any event Austria will avoid, up to the last moment, all that can compromise the maintenance of peace or create embarrassments amongst the European Cabinets. FRANCE. The Neufchatel Conferences have been resumet The Prussian Minister last week received ins'auc tions from his G , ivernment to the effect that the King Frederick William would consent to treat upon the bases proposed by th e C on f erenc e on the follow: ing conditions:—