The Press. — London, England, 1853-05-14 00:00:00

MAY 14, 1853. to communicate only to himself. They have been directed to place themselves in relation with all local functionaries of note, with all persons of a certain standing in each department, and with the principal manufacutrers. Sze., in order to inquire into the poli tical and moral situation of the country, and to dis cover what ameliorations are possible, what evils exist, and what dangers may threaten the Government. The state of the Empress's health appears to have thrown some doubt over the projected imperial tour through the southern departments. On Monday she is reported to have left her bed for the first time since the commencement of her illness. The session of the Corps Ugislotif has been prolonged to the :PAIL. The Government have agreed to the proposition made to the Chamber by M. Bitlault, for re-establishing the penalty of death for certain political crimes. The campaign against the Kabyles is about to commence. The troops which take part in the ex ',edition are concentrated at Aumale and at Setiti. ' The Governor-General left, Algiers on the Nth inst., to tale the command of the army. The Emperor has agreed to grant the request of the Dramatic Authors' Society, presented by M. Scribe and M. Empis, that the widows of authors shall enjoy during their lives the rights of property possessed by their husbands, with reversion to heirs of thirty years' possession. The committee on the budget have presented their report, declaring it to be " the most eloquent com mentary that could be given upon that memorable phrase which has echoed throughout Europe—' The Empire is Peace.' " Among the reductions proposed by the Government and sanctioned by the committee are. 1010,00 K on public works, 100,000 f. on the war es timates, and :MAK. on the imperial colleges. Thus the budget has been made to assume at last a favourable equilibrium ; the total of estimated pay ments being 1.516 millions, while the anticipated revenue amounts to 1,320 millions. - - A convention was signed on Tuesday by the Minis tern of France and Bavaria respecting the service of the electric telegraph between those two countries, by which a reduced scale of charges is established. A project of law for the establishment of an elec tric telegraph between France and Algiers has been presented. The bill to grant a pension of 300,000 f. a year to the widow of Marshal Ney has been received by the Legislative Chamber with some disfavour, but will probably be passed. The inconveniences caused by the extensive demo litions of dwelling-houses continue to be much felt. The common price of a working man's night's lodg ing is 10 sous, instead of 3or 4, which it was till lately. A number of operatives employed at the Louvre lately petitioned the Emperor on the subject, and obtained a promise that their complaints should have serious consideration. It is understood that M. Visconti, the architect, has received an order to build on Government ground lodgings for 0,(000 work • men, which are to be let at 4 sous a night. l'aris trade has improved a good deal within the hist. few days, and the activity observed, especially in the fashionable millinery and tailoring establish ments particularly, is nearly equal to the brilliant season last year. The cabinetmakers of the Fau bourg SL Antoine have received numerous orders ; and the jewellers and dealers in bronze and fancy articles are busy. and not dissatisfied. The orders of the latter are for the departments and for abroad, partticnlarly from South America. The Count de Chamford is reported to have ap plied to the Credit Fonder Company for a loan of MOM) francs on his estate of Chambord, to which the French Government, after having been consulted, declared it had no objection. As the count has a large income, and, according to report, lives much within it, it is suspected that his legal advisers imagine the possibility of the same course being pur sued towards him as towards the Orleans branch, and have therefore recommended him to adopt a precaution which would probably avert such a measure, or at the worst prevent his being a loser of the entire value of the property. A new Court journal appeared on Sunday last, called L'Abeille Inykriale, Journal de hi Cour. The first article is signed by 31. Marco de St. Hilaire. The Pavillon Marbo•uf, in the Champs Elysees, the property of the well-known journalist, M. thrardin, of the I'resse, is to be sobl, to make room for the improvements in that quarter—at the valued price of 530,0(.)0 francs, being 26,400 for the materials, and 50:000 for the land, consisting of 2,:ilN mitres. at 100 francs the metre. 31. de Girardin has occupied the pavilion for nearly fifteen years. A fall of earth took place a few days back in the tunnel of hilly, on the Rheints branch of the Stras burg Railway, now in course of construction. Seven teen workmen were buried, but after ten hours' nu interrupted labour they were ding out. Nine of the men were found to be dead, four were very badly in jured, two were slightly hurt, and two are without injury. THE PRESS. ITALY. The anniver , ary of the festival of the constitution was celebrated in Turin with great pomp on Sunday last. The King, the Queen, the ministers, senators, and deputies, and the foreign tunbasstulors, among whom was the Count App ono. attended divine set vice in honour of the day. The King hell a review of the National Guards and the troops of the line, amid the enthusiastic direr% of the population. The Austrian tiovennuent in Lombardy has given directions that the net produce of the confiscated cstdes of the emigrants shall be paid into the Im perial treasury to form a fund for repaying to the Minister of War the extraordina-y slims expeutlett by him dating the late disturbances. The Order of Jesuits is at the present moment in a state of great excitement, in consequence of the dangerous illness of M. Itoothan, general of the order. The election of his successor must take place at Rome, and that immediately, since it is ne cessary to provide for the performance of the func tions of the office. On the 7th inst. the Pope proposed to visit Porto d'Anzio, which it is contemplated to restore to its an cient functions as the seaport for Hou►e. THE CAPE. By the overland mail, intelligence to the :Ind of March has been received from the Cape of Good Hope. The war with the Katirs had terminated by the com plete 14 uhmissi on of the rebel chief Santlilli. lie and his tribe are driven beyond the Kei. The treaty with General Cathcart was concluded on the 9th of March. The Calcutta steamer arrived at 'Neste on Wed nesday from Alexandria. Winging the India mail. On the 19th of March the force under Sir John Cheape took the fortress of the robber chief Meaton, near I)onabew, after four home hard lighting, and with a loss of 192 rank and tile killed and wounded. Nothing was precisely known of the state of affairs at. Ava, nor of the latest movements of our finvev. It was thought probable that Lord Falkland would remain another year in Bombay. Mr. Luard, of the civil service, had been sus petaled, for having alleged that, if a public inquiry were appointed, be could prove that two superior officers haul been guilty of infamous conduct in the exercise of judicial funet' A strong wish was expressed in the Indian press that an investiga tion should be appointed. Great and general indignation was felt when the news arrived that the British Government pruposed to renew the Indian charter for ten years, without inquiry. Intelligence from China is of the 17th of March. Sir t;. Bonham was gone to Shanghae. The insur gents were advancing w► rapidly that the Emperor was compelled to demand assistance. THE UNITED STATES. The late arrivals from America bring no political intelligence, but report an awful amonnt of disaster and sudden death. The Californian steamer Indepen dence ran ashore on the 10th of February on Margaretta Island, Lower California, where she leek fire and was entirely consumed. There were the hundred passengers on hoard at the time, nearly all of whom jumped overboard, and braved the dashing surf and strong tide to gain the shore. Those who succeeded in reaching the land were afterwards obliged to stand helpless spectators and listener: to the vain struggles and dying shrieks of the less for tunate of their companions—including men, women, and children, who were either perishing 011 11111 MI the blazing vessel or being swept out to sea by the caw rent. The number of lives lost is said to have been iTh. Among the names given, are those of E. Collins and two children, R. Davy, and It. Francis, all of England. Out of eighteen Jews on board, sixteen were sunk by the weight of gold in their pockets. Ono gentleman ()tiered 50,fino dollars to any one who would save his life, but in vain. Several of the papers say that the Independence was known to be unfit for the voyage. At Chicago, on April 251 h, a terrible accident (N -eared on the Central Railroad by the collision of the express from that place with an emigrant train on the Central Road at the crossing eight miles from the city. Twenty-tae persons (all emigrants) lost their lives, and fomi-eight were wounded. An inquest was held on the Ixrdies, and a verdict of man slaughter returned agairst the engineer. The Itechester Hotel in New York was destroyed by fire on the 29th ult., and four persons burnt to death. Loss, '20,000 dollar.:. By another contlaga tion -10 or 50 pour Irish families were rendered lantseless. At a recent duel near Victoria, Texas, between Lieut. Brady and a Mr. Burnett, an innocent by stander named Walpole was shot dead, but neither of the combatants was injured. Senator Dix has been appointed I7nited States Minister at Paris. Mr. Dillaye, of New York, is nominated Charge at Brussels. 31 The Baltimore Tekoraph says that the Emperor Napoleon has sent an invitation to the Bonaparte family there (that of Jerome Bonaparte by his boa wife, Miss Patterson) to visit France. Young .le. mine Bonaparte, of the United States army. has aeeonlingly obtained leave of absence for six months. intending to visit his impenal cousin. e:ourt anb lasbion. I ler Majesty remains still at ',shortie. house taking daily &hes and walks when the weather tier wits. The noble Secretary for Foreign Atlairs paid a brief vist to his royal mistress early in the week, returning to town on Wednesday last. The Countess of Clarendon gave a grand ball tin Monday evening at the official residence of the Fo reign Secretary. in Downing-street. The Earl of Roast., as President of the fl t t Soeiety, gave his second saiKe this season at his lordship's residence, Connaught-platy, on Saturday. A very numerous party of the leading scientific and literary men of the day honoured his lordship with their prestinee. Many of the leading peers and a few of the beau morale were likewise among the etan patty. The third and usually the last soiree takes place on Saturday, the 21st. Workmen have been engaged during the week in renovating the ornamental work and easing of that. portion of the front of Buckingham Palace immedi ately over and atUoining the principal variative. This operation has been considenill necessary in quenee of it having been ascertained that much of the stonework was in the first stage of decay. We are sorry to learn that the Puke of Devon. shire has been obliged, trout a slight illness, to sus pent) the hospitalities at Do o nshire.house fur the present. It is said that his grace intends to give a magnificent fife in the course of next month, to celebrate the MHO of Lady Louisa Cavendish, eldest (laughter of the Earl of Burlington (the heir pre sumptive to the dukedom 1, who is to he presented at her Majesty's first drawing-nsaa. THE LATE I►t•lu: or Wm.itNoroN's WILL has been proved and letters of tultitinistration taken out in the Canterbury Prerogative Court, by hilt eldest. son, the present duke, the executors originally appointed, namely, Lent I►erby, the Speaker, and Mr. I►israeli, having renounced that. office. 'L'he will was written under very peeuliar eiretunstanism, upwards of :15 years ago, and displays evident h'at'es of the agitation under which it was drawn mi. It is dated February 17, Isis, and wits wtitteu in fans by the duke him self, who accounts for that circ u mstance in the follow ing remark which forms the preamble :—" An attempt hit% ing been made to assassinate tile on the eight of the 1(1th inst. t Feb. 10, 1M1s), whit.), may be repeated with meccas, and being desirous of settling my worldly affairs, and there being no proftissional person in Paris to whom I can entrust. the task of drawing my will, I now draw it myself in my own handwriting." Ilia grace then direets that an annuity of 1,000/. shall be paid to his aeismil son, I.ttnl Charles Wellesley. who, however, has the option of claiming a smn of 20,000/. as an equivalent. Apsley house, and the furniture therein, noney invested in the funds and Exchequer Hills, are thins to he disposed of The money is directed to be laid out in the purch►tse of an estate, which, together with Apsley-house and its contents, are given to the present duke for life. with remainders over to his issue, and, in default of issue, to Lord Charles Wellesley, and his issue in like manner. In ease of the death of both sons, without. heirs male, the property passes over tAI the descendants of the brothers of the late duke. Cer tain perminal property, which his grace designates as " money given nai by the nation," or any estates which may be purchased with melt money, are directed to pass under trusts very similar to those of the foregoing. The wording of the will is very involved, and the residue, which, owing to the lapse of time, must have greatly aecumulated, is un• disposed of. fu.. UHATitottNi: and Mom*: were released front Warwick gaol on Wednesday la.st,without the pay went of costs, by order of the Master of the Rolls, the two rev. defendants having given up all the property they . were possessed of, amounting to about 2001. THE former Australian mail packet contract having been anulled, the Post-office authorities have an• nounced their readiness to receive tenders for the performance of the postal service between England and Australia. The contract is open to steamers Or sailing vessels, voyaging by any route, and making either London, Liverpool, Plymouth, or Southampton the pert of departure. A thonsand p ounds will be !laid for each voyage out, and the candidate who molertakes to perfortn it in the shortest time will be accepted, other requisites being fulfilled. Penalties for non-perfonnance of contrail as to time , itc., will be strictly enforced. 1