The Express. — London, England, 1855-02-16 00:00:00

THE NEW RETURN OF NEWSPAPER STAMPS. bound so far to defend his reputation—the verification and adoption by Aot of Parliament of all his statistics, all his " expo:isms," and all his tables, or their entire repudiation, and the total erasure of himself and his staff from the list of public burdens. While this journal pressed for the treesseify of something like control for the benefit of ' the honest but uninformed working clams', we find that, far from attempting to introduce order and system, Mr. Barniackx has only made " confusion worse confounded." Hie bill carefully admits any ten persons to form an association, and register it or not as they please. Such associations, however may grant insurances of amounts preposterous in comparison with their means ; and they are empowered to fuse several aseociatious into one without any provision as to similarity of objects or concord of tables. They may receive donations, but for the application of these there is no provision. A very salutary regulation wee required that offiarbearers and members of societies should not be, directly or indirectly, interested in contracts or deal ings with these bodies ; but this is not to be found in it' proper *co. It is proposed to be enacted that, in the case of bankrupt or insolvent officers (a sadly frequent cam), the societies shall have the first claim on the estate, and shall be paid before every other creditor. This is surely inconsistent with the well-known pre cedence of the Crown, which, in a recent owe, stepped in for a considerable debt, leaving a large friendly society in the lurch. There is no suggestion of any check upon the Ws appropriation of the funds, in the purchase of paw phernalias, banners, &o.,in entertainments and pro amnions; and there is no provision that the fair expenses of a Friendly Society shall be borne by a separate land or rate, collected with, but distinct from, those chargeable with the legitimate payments of the institution; or that expenditure in excess of such fond shall be at the risk of, and chargeable to, the officers who have improperly sanctioned it. The above are someof the grave omissions and errors found in the draft of a Bill most imposingly ushered in by its preamble as a text-book : but while pointing them out, it is right to say we are not taxing the The return of newspaper stamp just issued gives the lellowiag malts : First Quarter. Bseend Quarter. Daily News • 319,191 348,044 Morales Herald . 303.000 299,000 Morales Post . . 206,000 226,000 Morales Maraud& . 162,600 186,000 Express . . 177,133 198,389 Globe . . . 175,000 196,000 Boa . . . . 168,000 192.000 Standard . . . 103,000 106,000 the erpreoo* TO CORRESPONDENT& ismed SWIM/rpm..." emumbl rbr mar muMbes "Claartto." palglabor mu 7 Tmerry Mb/ WON bar j=ssie blerbel br "The ■ate.' Lapels Ibmbe mar. mart be as Or OS^ 10, Dormwir.rorsr. b Two Week or be a pelboacks. • RIOR WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. Tais DaT—llarulag, 111. 210......Aftersoas, lb. Pm To-atossow—Mormag, L. Ilis 41.. LONDON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18. LATEST NEWS FROM ABROAD (SY CONTIJIMITAL Talasaare.] PARIS, Tamar. The Mallon. of this day costa= the following, vim.: The foreign journals have been pablishing in jurious repxts regarding the discipline of the army. " These reports Sr. without foundation, and the discipline of the army hss never been interrupted. 14 The troops have, on the contrary, oa all coca• sions shown their obedience and attachment to their chiefs." Intelligence from the Crimea haa been received up to the 6th of February. Nothiog of importance had orenned.—Daily News. INS BILL FOR FRIENDLY SOCIETIES. Wa mentioned some time mince that a Bill for Friendly Societies" was in preparation by Mr. Sotnisoo, and ventured to express a hope that it might be a final measure of a character worthy of the interesting subject. We now find that the creek has spoken, the brain of the Wiltshire ;ore hen produced its Minerva, but what a goddess! With the first wave of her lance she sweeps away no less than 13 entire Acts of Parliament, not to men tion fractions—i.e., repeals them, except where they an in use ; and thus, having cleared the way, Ifilentiee, by encumbering it with ruin, peacoats to build a new structure out of the rubbish. The Bill has been drawn as a Pesticcio. It appears that the Be. gistrar-General must have had a hand in the skeleton ; then it found its way to counsel's &imbue in the usual manner; after which the head cook and his co-endorsers we presume, flavoured it to their taste. A spice or two of quite parliamentary bad English betrays the a 'prentice hand," saves the eon veyanstr's credit, and lends a charm to some of the more ingenuous of the proposed clauses. The most striking feature of the new Bill is the proposal to appoint three real unpaid Commiseionere—literally weld ; and some very curious work is also planned for them; they are, of course, to have no responsi bility—it is not in the nature of a gratuitous servant to be responsible—but unlimited power. They are to have offices, clerks, calculators, stationery, and so on, and their first function is to give their opinion and advice to everybody who may ask it ; to order any thing to be done by anybody and everybody; to admit Socialist under the wide shadow of their wing which have been, are, or may be, out of all law and order according to this or any other Act; and to authorise and require the responsible paid pub lic otiose to make such admissions and give such certificates as he may previously have refused on his own judgment. They may originate or sanction roles ; may permit these or any others to be set at nought, giving indemnity to the offender; and may dispense generally with the operation of the law of the land. honourable member with the original sin of innova tion ; what seems most objectionable in Mr. BOTHREONII draft is the plentiful lack of novelty. We have been told that all propositions for the real elucidation of the subject and for an improved system are sure to encounter the dogged opposition of those whom it is intended to serve, and that this may fairly account for every faltering attempt at program : bat oar opinion of the mere natural saga city, called often " mother wit," of the laboroing classes, will not permit us to allow any =MU weight in this argument. Surely Mr. BOTHREON ice not found, in hie long experience, that there wee a total disregard by the lower orders of precept When& by prudence in those above them. He cannot kiime found that a pleasant word from the squire, the be. nigdant exhortation of the clergyman, or the prem. tied lesso n on thrift by the village tr adesman, have been utterly fruition where the experiment has bees made; and it is known that the manufacturing coon manlike offer some most striking examples of dale enjoying large prosperity, due to timely and julienne financial supervision by the employers. That the state has the right, in in paternal charm,. ter, to roper= the wolves of knavery and waste which are found in the sheepfolds of modest providence, there can be no doubt. The middle classes, whose enterprises certainly deserve no more attention at the hands of Government than those of the lower orders, are amply protected against schemes and schemers by the very stringent provisions against unauthorised association contained in the 7 and 8 Vio., asp. 110, and its sister enactments on the subject of life insur ance; and the chief outcry against these enactments has proceeded from those who have been saved a blindfold, headlong plunge into difficulties, and than again whose finances have been nonplussed by the Registrar's inexorable demand of a few sovereigns is return for the mystical charm of his autograph. To prove, though proof is hardly needed, that the poor are not too well able to take care of themselves in this matter, the following extract from their "short and simple annals" may be worth attention : " The lodge at the Lamb Inn is, I believe, in a sound state now, but it has been very precari ous at the time the fever raged. Mine is the London order : it has only the gift fond ; no member has a claim on it. We have had several benefit clubs, and most of them broke up in consequence of bad manage ment. I have had two at my house about one hun dred straw; each, but the young members broke them op when the old ones began to fall on the box. Others have been rained by having worthless treasurers. One invested their capital in their brewer's hands, who We sketched out on the former occasion the prin cipal points which should be dealt with in this or any other measure en the subject pretending to be comprehensive, and were hopeful that Mr. So =MON would be found the Treboniaa of the eon. aion ; but it was not so to be. He bee devised& Gunning pas de trosi for his Xing Logs ; and again he has made provision that they should seldom be coiled upon to perform it by holding out a positive premium —at least we should so consider it—to those who, being within the mops of the Commissioners' jurisdiction shall sleet to keep oat of its reach is tote. A neat form for the summary settlement of disputes is considerately provided for the recusant Society, while legal formalities and the right to a Chancery nit are the boon held out to the virtuous enrolled. soon broke. One had made a madman their trea surer, who also failed, and broke them up. I be longed to one supported by the neighbouring gentry, but extravagenos has made them very poor; we had several others, but they never stand above two or three generations; there is one in the town managed by the Quakers : they are in a flourishing state, and likely to stand the test of ages." Now, the above being a sketch by a native hand of what goes on is one small, well-ordered country town, there an be no room for doubt there mast be a rut amount of evil to be rectified and good to be done in this matter through the length and breadth of England. It has been the fate of many measures on the subject, unlike the ponderous trifles which arrest the ear of legislation for weeks together, to be whirled through their various stages u rapidly as if they bad no more bearing on the common weal than an unop, prima bill foe the settlement of some Lord Tom Noddy's estate, oe the deviation of 1 railway ; but we hope the few observations we have made may attract the attention of some Government official to the manifest widgeons= of the new bill as it stands now, and procure either some material alterations, or its withdrawal for six months, or such longer period as may be needful for the discovery of a de partment willing and competent to undertake its revisal and re-introduction. Then will our seed have fallen upon good ground.—Deily News. We seriously advocated the suggestions of lifr.Trun PAM, that for the present, at all events, the opera tions of Friendly Societies should be limited to pay ments in sickness and at death, and the collection of separate contribution for the purchase of government annuities. Them the proposed Bill ignores. We urged the well•knowu and oftenosenserated evils of the old system, which recent cenumusleations confirm most fully, and the value u buss for calma latices of the statistics laboriously collected during five years with the professed object of assisting this interesting domestic question out of the slough of despond in which it is at present floundering. But we find that the experience of the National Debt Olds, and the tables formed on it, are entirely passed over. Where uniformity should and might have been enforced, diversity is invited by the clause which permits societies to go where they like for experience and for tables—so that Übe always to an actuary. A second Demi, on the judgment-seat le hardly needed to tell the reader that to consult a dozen actuaries (albeit professors of an exact misuse) is absut as sure a way to arrive at a difference of opinion as the consultation of a dozen independent members of say other profession. Bat most of ss will surprised to learn why all Friendly Societies are too l saddled with the impost of an actuary's fee. A glance will show that the calculation of new tables must be far too expensive; the mere certifying of . those sanctioned by the State, useless. But it is asserted that the Government, having once been led into grave error by their mathematical NI. culator, are not prepared to vouch foe Se work done in his office. We must, them, loudly impeach the official neglect that has allowed a very large sum to be thrown away through this business, and demand foe this purely ornamsntal functionary—if he doss not feel t • THE EXPRESS. FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 16, 1855. I \ • • -•,1 TSB BALTIC FLEET. It is said that the following chief appointments ) hate been side to t►e Bettie fleet : Rear-Admiral the Hoe. Richard Bounden Dundee, C. 8., thread Nanl Lord of the Admiralty, to be Commander-in- Chief. Rear-Admiral ltiohaol Seymour (Captela of the Fleet hut Fear) to be mooed is command to Rein Admiral Donau. Boar-Admiral Baynes, C.D., jolt promoted to hie flag reek, to be third la colussod. C►pt►ia the Has. F. T. Pelham, it is said, will be C►ptain et the Fleet. Admiral Berkeley, C. 8., at the earnest desire of the Cr Mast, coatiattes as Chief Naval Lord at the Admiralty. LORD JOHN RUSSELL'S MISSION.—WS regret to ears that indisposition yesterday delayed the departure , of Lord John Boman. —lt has bees remarked that the ',godfather se Mr. Ilionamod (who agoompaaiss the noble lord), was net, is 1796, by Mr. Pitt upon a somewhat similar wisdom to Berlin—the object then beta" to persuade Prussia to wage an attitude of armed neu trality. MARRIAGE 114 HIGH Ll7ll.—Yesterday morning wen solemnised, at St. James's Church, the nuptials of Vieawast Isgestre, the eldest sou and belt of Earl Talbot, and Mho Cockerell, the eldest daughter of the late Cogatem of Eglialts by a former marriage. got court. WINDSOR, Pa. 16. The dimmer party at the Castle last evening in• slated the Dolmas of Haat, the Imdles Pansy and Mary Essrard, Bareness d. Speak, Col. the Hon. N. and Lady Mary Hood, Colonel and Lady Rasfy Seymour, and Mr Oeorge•Cesper. The Band of the Royal Horse Guards was in attendance and played during dinner. Her Majesty's Print* Band afterwards performed in the Coate. The Queen and Priors Albert, with the Priwceof Wales, the Princess Royal, Prince Alfred, the Princesses Alice, Helena, sad Louisa, Prince Arthur, and Prince Leopold, I left Windsor Castle at three o'clock yesterday afternoon, attended by the Countess of Desert, Lady Caroline Barring ton, Hon. Matilda Paget, Hoa. Mary Seymour, Lord de Tabley, Col. the Hon. C. B. Phipps, Meier-General the Hon. C. Grey, Mr. F. Cavendish, Lord Alfred Paget, Capt. the How. D. de Roe, the Master of the Household, and Mr. Gibbs. Her Majesty and the Prince with the royal party went to the South Western Railway station—travelled by a special train to the prints station at Nine-elms, and pro ceeded in eight carriages, escorted by a detachment of car bineers to Buckingham Palace, where the Queen and His Royal Highness arrived at ten minutes past four o'clock, sad were received by Lord Breed Bruce, Lord George Lennox, and Major-General Wylde. ♦ depntatios from the Market" Improvement Committee of the Corporation of Landon had an interview with Sir George Grey yesterday at the Home•oBtoe. The deputa tion 'insisted of Mr. H. 1.. Taylor (chairmen), Mr. J. H Hall, Kr. Deputy Obbard, Mr. Deputy Ricks, Mr. Deputy Altana, Mr. De Jersey, the City Remembreaser, the City Solicitor, and the City Aniline. A deputation, consisting of Sir James Duke, Bart., M.P., Mr. William Williams, M.P., Mr. B. Oliveira, ld.P., Mr. William John Hill, Mr. Beeler, Mr. Wm. Smith, Mr. Wm. Wright Landoll, Mr. Parker, Mr. J. Penning., Mr. Joseph Barber, Mr. Silva, Mr. Thorpe, Mr. C.Ctirliag• Mr. White, Mr. John Cooper, Mr. &resell, Mr. Sidney Smith, and Mr. G. R. Corner (eolicitor), had an interview with the Right Hon. B. Cardwell and Lord Stanley of Alderley, yesterday, at the Board of Trade. Mr. Oliveira, had an interview with the Chan cellor of the Bachequer, yesterday, at his °Metal residence in Downing-street. The Cathedral Commission met at No. 1, New-street, Elprintgardens, yesterday. The commissioners present were, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Marquis of Blind fold, the Earl of Rarrowhy, the BishOp of London. the Bishop of Oatord, the Ron. and Rey. H. H. Villiers. the Rev. Dr. Wordsworth, and the Rev. Canon Selwyn. TEE EARL OF ABERDEEN AND ST. OLAYSB, florrnwAnk.—Some weeks ago the rectory of St. Olive's, Southwark, became vacant by the death of the Rev. Dr. Kenney, who, since 1850, has been living abroad, in cones sequence of the sequestration of his living. Daring that time the duties have been performed by the Rev. L. M. Humbert, and, when the death of Dr. Heneey became known, an the principal arms and private individuals me morialised Lord Aberdeen (the benefice being i• the gift of the crown) in favour of Mr. Humbert, of whom they azpiressed an opinion that a atter clergyman for such a parish maid not be found. The Earl of Aberdeen, in his reply, said he regretted that It was net in his power to ap. point Mr. Humbert to the living. This was understood by the inhabitant, to mean that Lord Aberdeen's resignation from office was the cause alluded to, and they immediately memorialised Lord Palmerston, who lost not a moment in stating that he had nothing to do with it, as Lord Aberdeen had filled up the appointment just prior to his retirement from once ; but that he did not know the name of the clergyman nominated. A strong feeling of indignation was manifested towards Lord Aberdeen, on account of his evasive reply; and this feeling has bemuse more intense now that it has been ascertained that the new rector is a clergyman totally unknown to the parish, and ono who does not appear to have held any previous benefice, namely, the Hon. and Rev. Arthur Gascoyne Douglas, • nephew of the late premier. THE NEW VICEROY OF EGYPT. His Highness Mohammed Said, the present Vice roy of Egypt, the eldest; surviving son of the late cele brated Mohammed Ali, is about 34 yule of age, and ante needed to the vieeroyalty on the death of his nephew Abbas Peeks, a few months ago. Since his accession to the governorship of Egypt, he has evinced a spirit of liberality and intelligence in regard to social and commercial im provement surpassing thit of say of his predaceous. One of the first acts of his government was to abolish that eye tem of serfdom which compelled the FoUaheen, er agricul tural pageantry, to pay their tales in prods' at an arbitrary valustioe, fixed by the pathos themselves, by which a mono poly of the produce of the country we. created in the hands of she government. The cultivators are now at liberty to dispose of their surplus produce in such manner as they may find best for their own interest, paying their taxes in mosey. Other measures recently adopted by him manifest a liberal and enlightened mind. The channel leading into the greet harbour of Alexandria wind' between a number of sunken rooks, and it is both intricate and dangerous, especially in bad weather. The palm policy of forum pathu has hitherto prevented the buoying-off of lige channel; but the present puha has directed that buoys shall be forthwith planed in the channel, to facilitate the navigation of the port, and the necessary buoys s about to be constructed in England, and for warded to Egypt at his expense. Another lustanes of his liberal policy is displayed in the aid which he is rendering in the transport of British troops through Egypt—a smears to which former Cosroys have always been opposed. It was recently arranged that troops from India, and particularly the 10th Eurars, should be 'mimed from Bombay to Sum, and thence across Egypt to Alexandria, for scherication for the seat of war in the Crimea. Mohammed Said has not only promptly volun teered to reader every assistance in his power to facilitate this arrangement, but has insisted on doing so at his own expanse ; and he has already fitted up somfortable barracks, cabling, &a, for the amoxamcdation of the British troops daring their sojourn la Egypt. With regard to the transit of passengers, goods, epeeist &a., to sad from oar vast oriental dependencies, of which Egypt km sow become the highway, the following reply to an address of congratulation from the Peninsular and Oriental Stem Navigation Company, as bearing on the subject, will be road with interest : "To the Directors of the Peninsalu and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. " Gentlemen,—l have received by the bands et Mr. Boo& Ill'OhloWillooz, number of the Imperial Parliament, tai we of the founders of the Paninsalaz and Oriental Ompay, the address which you deputed him to present to M erateliag your eaagrataiations en my accession to the Viee-loyelty of Egypt. Besides being deeply moved by the 'easeful attention paid to me In deputing one of the most honourable and distinguished members of the company to wait upon me on this occasion, I was aka win mush impressed by the sentiments you have eon- Weil la the address, and by the marked solicitude you bile talmignted for the well-being sad prosperity of Egypt- Who% Olin Great Britain for lay model, I proclaimed 11Sinsidal freedom in Egypt, I had it is view to benefit Zoom and, at the same thus, to promote the interests of NM 01111107 ; and I feel a plume In knowing that this MOM has met with the approbation of your ho ses:alio baud. Mealy resolved to enter upon a mune of primes mid mead reform, I trust that Providence will useheale to support Worts which will always tend to con dilate Ise me the esteem and sympathy of European nations, aletfue for the layptien people a participation is the of °Mamas& With to the transit, I am sensible of the real es your company nut attack to that establisluseatomel you may rut assured that I shall always be disposed to swat them every desire: hie felinity, and to do everything that may be in my power to militant the security, sad preanas the celerity of the tramper{ of passengers and semiamlie assess Bia l a I ma mat grated to you, gentleman, fa the geed Ism 100 haea good enough to equine life 4 posommiss mai boggier ; sod I beg of you to osiolpt fa y very amuse food es od wish for the W haneantNe company whose ad=lia to your high intelligence. 0 31 5 110 4/ litaaalaga Sate. "Cairo, Ilitk January, laos." DsAra or MLW. FOIU3IIB, M.P.—The Edinburgh papas annownes tits death of this gentleman, who has re• presented Stirliagehire on the conservative Interest shim 1841. Kr. Forbes married, in 1832, Lady Looks Antoi walla, sloth daughter of the late Earl of Weems and Kara, and by this lady, who died in 1846, he had Wee a sea—who now saemada him lathe family estaise—mad other ahlikkuk. THE WAR. ST. PETERSBURG, Pas. 4. The hard frost which has set in is hailed with joy Si the old sad true ally of 1812, come once again to the aid of Rusk. Pictures are multiplied, in which the Preach and English are represented u bivotutoing is the greatest misery before Sebastopol, and the populace are taught that the ice and snow and deso latinirbiastsre sent of Clod, in answer to the prayers at Ike orthodox, and for the annihilation of the enemies of the holy cease. These people forget what Butusoff's army suffered, and what the Russian army in the Crimea must also lately have endured from the same cause. The fair promises of the government respecting the new paper money do not find people credulous There are many old enough to remember that issued in 1812, which fell to 26 per cent. of its nominal value, and wu then redeemed with new paper, the govern ment pocketing the 76 per cent. difference. The with drawal of workmen by hundreds of thousands from the fields by recruiting, has reduced the tax-paying power of the nation as well as impoverished indi viduals. A Belgian journal mace an announcement which reads like malicious irony, that Tuscany, Parma, and Modena have adhered to the Western Alliance, and will furnish each a contingent of 1,000 men. The Colored Gazette publishes the following tele graphic despatch : Warsaw, TREAS.—The Emperor hu ordered a new levy of Cossacks l Ruda Minor, and in the Governments Tokarisigeff mad Poltava, for the spring of 1855. The treaty oonaluded between Itirssiaand the United States relative to the onanterise of neutrals, has been pub tislipd. The treaty is lel% open for she adhesion of other Stake. A letter dated from Vienna, in the dagsburi Gazette, declarer that Prussia, under date of the 2nd February, has addressed another circular note to its diplomatic agents, which indicates plainly that Prussia is resolved, when the decisive moment has arrived, to peas from a state of " preparation for war" to mobilisation. A similar statement is made in the Ort-Detzteche Post. According to returns just made to the Diet by the military commission, the Federal army amounts to 527,037 men; but this force, in which the secondary States are included for 190,000 men, may be carried up to 800,000 or 900,000 men, that is to say, 11 per ant. of the total population of the Confederation, which is about 65,000,000. Intelligence from Sebastopol to the 2nd is given in the Vienna journals, but it does not amount to much more than we know already. The weather continued fine. Stoves and other articles for the troops were being landed in abundance at Balaklava. It appears certain that the supplies were more abun dant, and that the troops were improving in health. The allies continued to throw bombs into the town, using the new mortars lately tried. They have at present, these accounts state, 176 siege pieces in battery. A letter from Bucharest, of the 3rd, mentions that the Croats in the Austrian service have been commit ting inch atrocities in the neighbourhood of Craiova and ether parts of Moldavia. that Prince Ghika at length declared to General Corenini that unless something were immediately done, he would lay a statement of them before the Emperor. Gene ral Coronini, seeing the firm resolution of Prince Ghat', promised to take the most peremptory measures to put an end to the complained of outrages. A letter from Craiova mentions two cases of bru tality committed by these Croats. An inhabitant of the place, named Tohernatesco, a married man, and whose wife was far advanced in pregnancy, was attacked in his house by about twenty Croats armed with their muskets. Having placed a sentinel at the outer door,they entered the court and barricaded the doors of two rooms in which his servants and five soldiers, who were quartered on him, slept. After taking all these precautions they entered the house, which is composed of three rooms, and in one of which an Austrian officer was actually sleeping. Tchernatesoo hearing the noise of one of the doors being broken open went oat, and was assailed by the soldiers, who gave ' him three eats with a sabre; he then went back ' and endeavoured to leave by another door. In the ' mean time some of the soldiers got into the room ' where his wife was, and inflicted several wounds on ' her with their sabres. The husband making another k effort, succeeded in getting into the street, where he I raised an alarm. The brother of Tohernatesco, who resided near, roused four Austrian soldiers who were I quartered in his house, and, with six other persons, I came to render assistance; but by the time they arrived the Croats had made off, fearing to be arrested. The brother, however, traced them by their marks in the snow, and by calling for other assistance five of the offenders were arrested, all of them having marks of blood on their clothes, which clearly proved their guilt. The poor woman and her husband were both seriously injured, but their lives are not considered in any danger. On the following day the matter was reported to General Schwartz, who promised that when all the offenders had been arrested they should be tried, and if proved guilty, shot. On another occasion four Croats entered the house of a widow woman, and attempted to vio late her daughter, aged 16, but her cries brought assistance, and the Croats were well beaten and driven away. FRANCE. *LILT 31/M11.) PARIS, WIIINISDAT Evaringo. I learn that the Spanish Ambusador, M. °longs, who lately left on leave to take his seat in the Cartes, will return to his post by the end of the month, and I am assured that he is empowered to make a treaty of alliance offensive and defensive against Russia, analogous to that jut concluded with Piedmont The Spanish government feels, it is said, the need of French influence to make head against the Carlists. To complete the analogy, M. Gloms will propose a Spanish loan to be guaranteed by France and Eng land. Spanish credit is not in very good odour, but no doubt in this emergency some " material guaran. tee " will be suggested. In an enthusiastic and thoroughly French article, the Sikle, jamping over the sufficiently hard task which the allied armies have before them at present in the Crimea, proposes to add a fifth point to the four of which so much has been said. This fifth point is the immediate emancipation of the Russian serfs. Some advanced liberals would be content with the emancipation of Poland by way of a practical beginning; but the Sleek wishes at once to proclaim that we are to carry on the war to establish principles of freedom in the farthest wilds of eastern Europe. On this article Galignani has the following very sensible remarks: _ _ We are afraid that the Russian serfs would scarcely un derstand es cm the point, or, what comes to the same end, their clergy would take care that they should not. At this moment this particular class of savages would sweep from the face of the earth the civilisation of the West, which would emancipate them and raise them to a state of social and moral independence. We must conquer them first, and tract to their civilisation by the effects of our conquest afterward'. The lees that great conquerors promise of the civilising elements to barbarous or semi-barbarous popula tions, the less of their own notions of et:lights:sant they inscribe on their banners,' the better. Alexander in the But and Napoleon in the West left the traces of their civi lisation behind them, which bad their humanising influence when the palm of bard knocks and the bitterness of humi listless had passed away. The dice!., and the well-meaning propagandists of the emancipation of Russian serfdom, pars poses with the achievements of oar arms, may be well satisfied to allow the civilising Powers of the West to do one good thing at a time. A pamphlet on the Crimea, which will shortly ap pear at Brussels, is understood to have been wntten by the Emperor, assisted by M. Emile de Girardin. It will perhaps be published in the name of the latter. It has for some time been announced that M. de Manbreuil, who played a strange part in the drama of the fall of Naeon,, and who, as is well known, publicly gave Ta Usy rand a km on the ear, for having, M he said, disavowed him, was about to publish his Memoirs. Memoirs. They are now eady for the press, but the author's friends are of opinion that the disclosures they contain cannot possibly be printed at the pre sent time—either in France or any neigilbounng country. It is stated that M. de Maubreuil (who long since changed his name) is about to go to Ame rioa on purpose to publish his revelations of the put. A Legitimist manifestation of small importance occurred the other day at Toulouse, on the occasion of theists of the Immaculate Conception. The large sum of 250,000 f. was subscribed to celebrate the new catholic dogma with becoming pomp. The streets were hung with white and blue flags, and images of the Virgin at intervals. But among the decorations were such a large number of Bourbon lilies, that the police thought proper to interfere, and took some of them down. There was, however, nothing like dis order in the town. The second son of the Prince and Princess Murat has been suddenly taken ill, and the Princess's reception for this evening has been postponed in consequence. The Duchess do Trevise, widow of Marshal Mor tier, died in Paris yesterday evening. PARIS, TEUREDAY EVENING. Military movements of considerable importance are announced to-day by the Moniteur, and the private telegraph. Omer Pacha has definitively left fur the Crimea. General Pelissier has arrived at Pert, on his way to Sebutopol. A despatch from Admiral Brest mentions the entrance of both the Grand Dukes into the latter town. The Russians, it is said, have received very consider able reinforcements. The 9th division of the French army has received orders to leave Constanti nople for the Crimea. This is the division, it may be remembered,, which halted at Constantinople in con sequence of an order from General Canrobert stating that more troops at the time would have been an in cumbrance. It is therefore to be inferred that the French general has now improved means of victual ling and housing his army. A telegraphic, despatch, received this afternoon, states that General Niel arrived at Constantinople on the 4th, on his return from the Crimea. The rumours that the Emperor is going to the Crimea are more persistent than ever to-day. I have seen people who offer to bet 1,000 to 1, and othersl who take the most solemn oaths that the luggage is all ready packed for the journey. The Empress, it is said, will accompany his Majesty as far as Con stantinople, and Prince Jerome will be left regent of the empire. There has been another considerable fall at the Bourse. The Rents declined 35c., closing at 65fr. 90c. The railways fell as much as yesterday. An announce ment that Tuscany, Naples, Portugal, and even Puma, were about to furnish contingents tor' the war had a depressing effect. This evening's Patric says : The general tenor of the news which we receive today seems to dispel the last remnant of hope that was enter tained of the establishment of peace. The Prem says of Lord John Russell's mission : The selection of Lord John Russell is very significant. Of all the statesmen in England he is the ens wbo by his speeches, is, so to speak, the most personally committed against the Emperor of Russia. We may be certain that if he goes to Vienna he will not give the signal for concessions, and that an English policy will be firmly defended by him. The Doaawerth line of-battle-ship and the steam frigate Montfizuma, arrived at Toulon on the 12th from the Levant, having on board 83 Russian pri soners. The St. Louis, French line-of-battle ship, has just arrived at Toulon from Constantinople, (having on board 42 Russian prisoners. The Bulktin des Lois publishes an Imperial decree sanctioning a contract entered into between the Mi nister of Finance and Messrs. Clebstall, Churchward, and Co., for the conveyance of the mails between Calais and Dover. The company undertakes to con vey the mails from Calais to Dover, and from Dover to Calais every day for fifteen years, commencing on the Ist of next month, for a sum of 190,000 fr. a year. The quantity of snow which has fallen in Paris and the surrounding country within the last two days has been very considerable, and towards the north of France the weather has been still more severe. The snow, in the country round the capi tal, lies very nearly a foot deep, and a fur ther fall is considered probable. The weather is, however, delightful for walking exercise, the air being clear and bracing, and not too cold. The , aspect of the capital, when clothed as at present in its wintry garb, is most striking. The outlines of the churches and public buildings are brought out beautifully by the snow which has lodged on them, and their fine proportions can perhaps be never better judged of than when thus covered with white. The public gardens, the Champs-Elysees, and the Boulevards—wherever, in fact, trees are standing to receive on their outstretched branches the thin lines of snow, which so quickly freeze on them—offer a thousand studies to • painter's imagination, since actual sketching in such weather as this must be con sidered quite out of the question. All day yesterday crowds of persons were to be seen in all the public thoroughfares, enjoying the keen dry air, and medical men declare that no weather is better calculated to remove sickness. At midnight the thermometer of M. Chevalier stood at 6 6.10 below zero Centigrade pl.; Fahrenheit); at six o'clock this morning (16th) it was at 4 deg. C. (24! F.); and at noon 2 3-10 C. (27t F.). GERMANY. PRUSSIA. (Pl.Oll THE 111011LE5PONDIUIT OP THE DULY NM.) BERLIN, Fen. 12. You will have heard by the telegraph that Count Eeterhazy has returned to Berlin. This is a proof that the cabinet of Vienna hes confidence in the diplomatic talents of the Count, and entrusts the same person who was mainly instrumental in bringing about the hostile attitude which Austria and Prussia Lad assumed, with the delicate and diffi cult task of bringing about a reconciliation between the two cabinets. Such a reconciliation is the more necessary, as Austria still claims not only from Prussia, but from all the other German Mates, the mobilisation of their several contingents, whilst by continuing to negotiate with France the details of the military convention, she gives proof how earnestly she looks to her own interests, and how little regard she pays to those of others. The ultimate result of this conduct is plain; the diplo matic relations between the two great German powers will be reduced by degrees till they reach a minimum, or are entirely broken off, whilst the intimacy of the Austrians with "the hereditary enemy"—as the court party are pleased to call tho French—is daily increasing, and the military com missioners of Austria are fraternising with the Impe rial Guides. The wish to circumvent Austria and negotiate directly with the Western Powers, is very natural, after what has already paned between the two courts; but the great difficulty lies in finding a proper basis for negotia tions ; for one of the most important concessions made by France to Austria is the excluding Prussia from the "European concert," unless the latter is ready to sign a treaty binding her to act in future with the allies. If Prussia had been willing to do this, she might have done so long since, by simply giving in her adhesion to the December treaty; but she still wants to maintain her neutrality, supporting herself by the fragile declaration of Russia of her readiness to swept all the preliminary conditions imposed by the conference at Vienna—with the exception of razing Sebastopol and the reduction of the 'fleet in the Black Sea, and adding more over that she (Prussia) would withdraw her troops from Silesia, and did not entertain the most distant intention of attacking the Austrians. The principal object of General Wedell's special mission to Paris appears to be the negative one of proving that Prussia has throughout acted in a frank and open manner, and by her conduct given the Western Powers no cause for alarm or suspicion. The intelligence of the new British cabinet has created an unfavourable impression here, principally from Lord Palmerston being Premier, and great fears are entertained of his following a hostile course towards Prussia in his foreign policy. HAMBURG. (1110/1 TIE 001228PONDINT OF TRII DULY WIWI.) HAMBURG, Fan. 12. The decision of the Frankfort Diet for Ifriegsb& reitscha4, or preparation for war , h as caused a plink in our nate, as every member is quite aware that in the completely neglected state of our troops it is morally , and physically impossible to comply with the order. Accordiag to the original Act of Con. federation (Bth June, 1815), the amount of Ha w burg's contingent was fixed at 1,298 men, which has been subsequently raised to about 1,800, i n consequence of the increase in the population ; but it is a well known fact that the troops never reached the original minimum num ber, and were kept up more for show than for real use, and now that their servicea are required the cue comes out. They are deficient in training (the greater part of them being raw recruits); they have not a musket that is fit for the purposes of wa r , having been bought in a lump of an exporter, who was shipping a quantity on speculation to South America (a most shameless job, and only hashed up because the merchant had friends and relations in the Senate); there are no cartridges, no field cooking apparatus, no baggage waggons, no surgeons, n o ambulance, no stores of medwines, no tents, no wag. goo horses. This comes of tho beautiful system of making " his magnificence" the senior Burgernwi a t ee generalissimo and head of the forces! But now that the Senate has got into a mew, and is unable to fulfil its federal engagements to the rest of Germany, the difficulty is how to get oat, And here again we have to deplore the lamentable want of capacity and energy to be found amongst the combined wisdom of our many-headed State, foe there is nobody able to make even a proposal on the subject. Under these circumstances it will not be wondered at that the foreign syndicus, or seers. tary, has thrown himself unconditionally into the arms of Austria, praying Count von Menshagen, the envoy here, to dictate any stipulati on h e may pl ease,l and to excuse Hamburg at Vienna for not complying with the order. When one considers that Hamburg bas hitherto looked for support in all such conflicts to Prussia, it may be the wisest thing it could have done to desert her now and join Austria; for the latter being the sincere ally of England, it may save its commerce from receiving a very severe check, should the blockade of the Elbe in the spring be really executed, as is threatened by England, and for which some preparatory steps have already been taken at Heft• goland. The news of the royal proclamation has created a panic on the Exchange, and many holders of Russian produce were glad to realise their stocks at any price. DESTRUCTION OF THE STEAMER MAURITIUS BY FIRE. (DT ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.) (TROY TER CORRESPONDENT OP TEE DAILY NEWS) SOUTHAMPTON, FRIDLY Moarrixe. The General Screw Company's steamer Mattritittio which has just arrived from the Crimea, and was in the large graving dock repairing, caught fire at five o'clock this morning, and has been totally destroyed. She was above 1,800 tons burden, and cost nearly 80,0001. THE PARIS EXHIBITION. BIRMINGHAM, THIMID/T. The preliminary arrangements connected with the contributions from this town to the French National Exhi bition are now nearly completed, and our manufactures will be fairly represented at Paris. Altogether there will be about 100 exhibitors ; and althout,h a larger amount of space was applied for than the commission at Marlbo rough-house were enabled to grant ' the allotment of the space allowed will be, on the whole, tolerably ample. The manufacturers of papier mache g oods require more space than they have at present obtained, which is insuffi cient to display properly those elegant products. At present there has been assigned to the exhi bitors from this town 2,211 square feet of counter space; of wall space, 2,600 feet; of hangiog, 1,728 feet; and of floor space, 1,414 feet. The branches of tens represented, and the number of exhibitors in each, are as follows:—Paper, one; surgical instruments, one. In naval and military arts—guns and pistols, four; percussion ceps, two; gun wads, &c., two; swords and bayonets, one. Ice general metal wares—buttons, nine; bellows, one; bells and cocks, one ; chains, one ; carpenters' tools, one; ooffin furniture, one; cast iron and hollow-ware, one; general brawfoundry, five; needles and fish-hooks, six; win-- iron, steel, and brass, five; saddlery, three; lamps and brackets, four ; tin and japan ware, two; and in dies, fancy metal works, fire-irons, gold pens, naval brass foundry, screws, door-bars, &0., one exhibitor each. In the department which includes goldsmiths' work, jewellery, end bronzes, there will be six ezbibi ton of electro-plated wares; one of silver and gold electro-plated works and bronzes; one of gold chains ' • and one of gold inlaying for ornamental work, &c . Of ornamental, bottle, window, and cut glass—there are three exhibitors, of papier-mache, two ; of mechanical drawings, &c., two ; of sculpture, one ; and the department of machinery, as applied to industry, has eleven exhibitors. Under this head come anchors, railway signals, railway ironmongery, planing machines, screw-stocks, raining apparatus, needle-making machinery, magneto-electrio apparatus, and specimens of iron ores, &c. The only important branches of our trades for which space has not yet been sought, are metallic bedsteads sod table-glass ; some of the mechanical trades, and polished steel wares. Some magnificent specimens of ecclesiastical furniture are, however, in course of preparation, and will be exhibited by Messrs. Hardman. To-morrow a meeting of the general committee takes place, for the purpose of appointing an agent to represent the Birmingham exhibitors at Earls, and for completing some other arrangements, which have so far progressed satisfactorily. Mr. Alderman Lucy, wko presided over the committee for arranging the local contributions to the Exhibition of 1851, has consented to act in a similar capacity in respect of the contributing to Paris. SPECIAL PRAYERS FOR THE ARMY.—Yesterday the Bishop of Oxfo►d issued an address to his clergy, is which he says Without yielding to any fears as to the issue of the great snuggle in which we are engaged, we know that our brave soldiers are suffering under the honors of disease and war in their most aggravated forms. Such a state of things appears to me to 'call loudly upon all of us to turn anew to our merciful God in special rerentaace, intercession, and prayer. Let me then beg you, on the approaching fast of Ash Wednesday, to call upon your Socks to join with you in such a turning to God ; and though you cannot legally alter the appointed order of public prayer, you may, in my judgment wisely, take advantage of the liberty commonly allowed us, by introducing before and after your sermon on that day some appropriate collects; such, for example, as those contained in the Prayers for Our Present Troubles,' which have been printed for me by Mr. J. H. Parker." THE GENERAL SCREW STEAM-SHIPPING COY PARY.—Tbe result of the ballot has been a large majority in favour of the adoption of the accountant's report. A CHANGE OF FORTUNE.—The Rev. Mr. Chichee ter, who succeeds to the vast estates of the late Lord O'Nell (valued at 40,000 L per annum, and wholly free from in- I cumbrances), is at present incumbent of St. Michin's, one of the poorest parishes in Dublin, and to which he was but recently promoted from the still poorer incumbency of St. Michael's. SUDDEN AND REMARKABLE DEATH :A death occurred at Stirling on Tuesday evening, which is im• I pressive and remarkable from the circumstances under which it occurred. The relatives of a tradesmen named Reid had 'mumbled to see hie remains put in the coffin — he having died after a somewhat protracted illness on the Si. turday previous. The melancholy duty had just been cow completed—the relatives of the deceased had all retired, and the widow sat down by the fire with an infant on her knee, when she suddenly dropped down and expired. A famry of four children has been left.—North British Matt. GRAND CRESS MEETING.—For three days in the first week in June there will be • grand meeting of chew players at Leamington, at which Lord Lyttelton is to act sa president. Many matches between players of celebrity and between London and provincial clubs will come off. THE " REASON Wirf."—Col. Sibthorp put a ques. tion in the House of Common. last week concerning the new Bribery and Treatment Act. He wished to knoll whether it was illegal for a member to give away coals at Christmas? The &ausfo►d Mercury explains the query, when itsaya that the following was formerly the practice at Lincoln:—" To those who gave the Colonel one vote a cer tain quantity of coals was given ; to those who gam a plumper, double that quantity ; and freemen and electors who had net voted for the Colonel, and who applied for coals, were refund."