The Press. — London, England, 1858-07-31 00:00:00

Mr. ADDERLEY, not opposing the motion, took the opportunity of removing a considerable amount of misapprehension which he said existed respecting the circulars referred to by Mr. Cowper. After a long suspension of business certain bills were returned from the Lords, their arnendunents of some of which were ordered to be considered on Friday. The house adjourned at a quarter to ten o'clock. foreign 6orresponbente. PARIS, Thursday. THE Queen's visit—the Queen's visit—is what everybody is talking of in Paris more than of any thing else. Even allowing for exaggeration in the accounts that reach us, it will cause a greater move ment of the population of France than has taken place on any one occasion for many a day, for it will attract from Paris alone scores of thousands of spectators; and from Rouen and Havre, Nantes and Bordeaux, and all the many towns that are within reach of Cherbourg, either by ship or rail or vehicle, crowds on crowds will go. Never during the many centuries it has existed has Cherbourg seen so large a multitude within its walls, or swarming on the sea before it, as next Thursday will witness ; and it is hardly probable that it will ever see the like again. True Normans that they are, the inhabitants of the town are taking advantage of the occasion to sweep as much gold, filthy dross though it be, into their pockets as they can ; in fact, if only a tithe of what is said of them be true, they are going far beyond even the wide limits of rapacity which custom autho rizes in such events. But it is not with the splendour of the visit—though if the weather be fine that will be great—nor with the gaping multitude it will assemble, nor with the greediness of lodging-letters and vendors of viands, that political people trouble themselves; what occupies them is the precise political signification the visit will have, and that depends entirely on the nature of the visit. Now on this point uncertainty prevails, no authentic pro gramme of what is to take place having been pub lished, and even the highest officials of the Court appearing not to know. Last week it was believed that the interview between the Queen and the Emperor would be on board ship in the roadstead ; two days back it was said that. the Queen, at the earnest request of the Emperor, bad consented to enter the port of Cherbourg, to put foot on Lind, and then go back again ; now it is said that the Queen will nt.t only land, but will stop an hour three hours half a day a whole day. It is evident that a meeting of the two Sovereigns out at sea would not have the same stamp of political and personal friendship as the actual presence of the Queen in Cherbourg ; and it is evident that a brief " dropping in " at Cherbourg would not have the same importance as a longish stay there. The French Emperor is naturally most anxious to have the Queen in Cherbourg, and to keep her Majesty there as long as he can ; because it is his policy for the present to show that the Anglo-French alliance is as solid as ever, and tlat the personal feelings of the Queen towards him are, in spite of recent events, as friendly as when her Majesty was his guest at Paris, and he her Majetay's at Windsor. But perhaps Russia, which since the peace has been making ardent professions of friend ship to France, and has seen those professions received with marked complaisance by France, would feel displeasure at a new and ostentatious aisplay of Anglo-French sympathy ; and perhaps Austria, which of late has been cultivating the friendship of Eng land, would feel herself a little revenged at seeing England turn with revived cordiality towards her ally in the Eastern war; perhaps, too, Prussia and some other powers would like ngland not to be too intimate with France in order to be more intimate with them. The manner in which the English Cabinet appreciates these circumstances—that is to say, whether it thinks it more important to endeavour to detach France from Russia than to humour the exclusive jealousy of Austria and other powers—will be manifested in the visit; and the manifestation will influence the policy of Europe for months to come. Hence the great interest which the precise nature of the visit excites in political circles. What ever may be the conclusion come to by Lord Malmes bury and his colleagues on the matter, we may be certain, from the mingled prudence and vigour cf their foreign policy thus far, that it will he in accord. anee with the true dignity and interests of the nation. It. was asserted the other day that Count de Cav our, the Prime Minister of Sardinia, had paid a visit to the Emperor at Plombieres on his Majesty's invitation, and was his guest two nights and a day. The statement was contradicted ; it is now positively affirmed to be true, and confirmation of the truth THE PRESS, JULY 31, 1858. arrives from Sardinia. The visit has created an immense sensation, and is universally regarded as a proof that the Emperor is not only unfriendly to Austria, but is anxious to show that he is so. Con sidering the antipathy with which Austria regards Sardinia and her statesmen, and of all statesmen Count de Cavour, the Emperor, it is remarked, could hardly have acted more offensively towards her in making that nobleman his guest, than he would have done if he had created Mazzini himself a Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour. What took place between the Emperor and Count de Cavour of course is not known ; but it is known that they were long closeted together, and that they afterwards took a walk, in which, from their manner, and fr3rn the Emperor stopping every now and then to trace lines on the ground with his stick, their conversation appeared to be both interesting and important. A great deal of irritation has been caused to the French Government by the receipt of telegraphic despatches announcing that the Turks, in violation of a formal armistice, or at least truce, attacked on Saturday last, with a greatly superior force, a body of Montenegrins, and, after killing five or eight and wounding forty, routed them. The French Government having been instrumental in bringing about the suspension of hostilities between the Turks and Montenegrins, and having to a certain extent taken the latter under its protection, thinks itself both wronged and insulted by this act. It is certainly a most unfortunate thing for Turkey, coming, as it does, close on the Jeddah massacre. The Russian party here, which spares no opportu nity of exciting animosity against Turkey, is urging the French Government.to take energetic measures for showing the Sublime Porte that it is not to be trifled with. It is to be hoped, however, that it will do nothing rashly ; in the present temper of the Chris tion populations of Turkey on the one hand, and of the Turkish populations on the other, any act of hostility, or even of decided ill-will, on the part of France to Turkey, might have tremendous conse quences. I have heard that the Porte has already sent by telegraph to Paris an expression of profound regret that the truce with the Montenegrins should have been broken by its troops, and giving the asset• ranee that the thing was done without its consent or even knowledge. The Emperor has returned to the Empress at St. Cloud from his lengthened visit to Plombieres. Not only did no conjugal tempest break on him, as dit. on was the ease on his return from the same place in a former year, but he was welcomed with smiles and rejoicings ; and, like a good husband, he brought back numerous little presents for wife and child. The ladies and gentlemen of the Court and all the interior domestics were glad to see him again, for, in spite of his frequent migraines, which do not enliven the temper, and his fits of silence, which are boring to the French, who chatter incessantly, he is, in his interieur, a kind and considerate master, and is much liked. His health is improved by his stay at Plomhieres, and he had the gratification of find ing the Empress and the Imperial Prince well also. Early in the ensuing week the Emperor and Empress set out for their visit to Cherbourg and Brittany. On their way to Cherbourg their Majesties will stop at Evreux, Caen, Bayeux, and perhaps some other places. fatty( anb doloaial BELGIUM. On Monday last a discussion commenced in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives on the pro posed addition to the fortifications of Antwerp. General Bertin, the Minister of War, explained that the object of the project, which was only a modified reproduction of that of 1856, was to cover the city itself by an outside line of forts beyond the faubourgs, consisting of an intrenched camp and of a series of forts so built as to be able to support each other, on a system to enable the place to hold out successfully against a long siege. The extension would involve an outlay of 45,000,000 f., and it could not be done unless the population of Antwerp gave pecuniary assistance. The Minister refuted the idea of a wish to be able to concentrate the whole army within the walls of Antwerp. The idea of the Government was, that in case of invasion, which was never absolutely unforeseen, the army should be able to keep the field as long as it could hold its ground successfully, and then fall back, in case of need, upon Antwerp, which would then become the central and sole point of the national defence of the ' country. The Minister then supported, in the name of the Government, the project, which proposes : . . 1. A partial enlargement of the existing enceinte, by carrying it further north, so as to include the new docks and building yards. 2. The suppression of two of the detached forts recently built in a bad position, and replacing them by other forts forming part of the double line of defence proposed beyond the faubourgs. 737 M. Loos, the Burgobssater of Antwerp, endea voured to show that the defence of Antwerp could only be made with a general enlargement. He drew a disheartening picture of the fate reserved for the town if the defenders of the intrenched camp and of the forts should he defeated. The forte would then serve the enemy to bombard the city, and the enemy, elated with success, would pillage the town. M. de Renesse (Left) proposed an amendment to this effect : In cue the Government should receive advantageous offers of money not coming from the Treasury for the execution of the great enceinte, the Uovernment should be authorized to negotiate, reserving the concurrence of the city of Antwerp and the approval of the Chambers. M. Thieffry (Left) admitted the possibility of a sudden invasion. Italy and Spain were there to show that when France thought it suitable to invade a country she lost no time about it. The country should therefore be prepared for defence. He said the expenses which were made an objection to the great enceinte might be reduced. He could not admit an extension of the means of defence of Antwerp, no matter on what scale, except on the condition of the simultaneous demolition of the other fortresses. Should the Government not de clare itself on this point he should vote against the grant of any money for the object of the bill. General Renard replied to him in a long speech which occupied almost the whole sitting. The debate was continued on the following day by MM. De Boe, Vanderdouckt, and Vervoost against the Government, and M. De Rogier in favour of it. The debate was again adjourned. TURKEY. An attack was mad; Otithe ; iith by 3,000 Turkish troops on the Montenegrins, and the latter had retreated to the mountains, with five of their ad vanced guard killed and eight wounded. EGYPT. Public attention sinoe the despatch of the last post has naturally been almost exclusively occupied with the Jeddah massacre and with surmises and doubts on the consequences it may yet entail. Anxious inquiries are daily made as to the effect the news has had upon the native population of the country, and how far there may be any foundation for the fears so generally expressed that in Egypt the sympathy of the people with their co-religionists in Arabia should resolve itself in an actual outbreak. There have been unmistakable symptoms, showing that a state of excitement pervades the population, such as has not existed in Egypt for many years. And, although the Egyptians deservedly bear the reputation of being a quiet and orderly people, still every one feels that in their present temper fanatics might succeed in working upon their religious bigotry and hatred, and that a mob might thus be formed on a sudden in any part of the country, and led into disastrous excesses. That such men are abroad is equally certain. Even at Alexandria, where the Christians can, with good reason, derive feelings of security from their numbers, a man has been arrested who was vociferously calking upon the people in the public streets to follow the example set to them by the faithful in India and at Jeddah. He continued his wild outcries even at the police-office ; but the authorities appear to have thought it the best policy to look upon him and treat him as a common madman. In order, however, to counteract any evil effects from this display of violent enthusiasm, some of the most influential among the Sheiks have been set to address the people in the mosques in a more temperate tone, to point out the utter hopelessness of their succeeding in any active demonstrations, and the absolute certainty that the slightest movement on their part will result in the discomfiture and ruin of all those who may be concerned in it. At Suez the panic first mined on the arrival of the Cyclops with the Jeddah refugees has been kept alive by a report lately received from the Governor of Tor, to the effect that a body of Bedouins was advancing from the Hedjaz along the great caravan road, with the declared intention of pushing on to Suez. Whether the report be true or false, Government thought it of sufficient importance to prepare for whatever might happen, and Acbmed Menikli Pacha was accordingly despatched to Cairo with a detachment of regular troops and four field-pieces, in readiness to proceed to Suez ill case cf necessity. It was also reported that armed boats were on their way up the lied Sea from Jeddah, but they have already turned out to be nothing more than the usual coral fishers. Her Majesty's gunboat Wanderer has arrived from Malta, with despatches for the Cyclops , which were imn.ediately forwarded to Suez in charge of Mr. Vice Consul Calvert. It is believed he will accompany Captain Pullen to Jeddah. From that place we have no further intelligence, but through all the comments that are made upon the late disastrous events a strong impression shows itself to the effect that, if strict inquiry be mad e into the circumstances, the Turkish authorit i es will not