The Press. — London, England, 1858-12-18 00:00:00

THE PRESS, DECEMBER 18, 1858. • positively announced a few months back, is now con sidered very doubtful. The Reform movement in England excites great intertst amongst all parties in this city. The real admirers of England, that is to say all who love c onstitutional liberty—and in the ranks of these are the Guizots, the l'hiers, the Montalemberts, the Broglies, the Viliemains, in a word all the most dis tinguished men in the land—see the movement with regret, because they think that the existing greatness and liberties of England are as nearly perfect as it is given to human institutions to be, and that they ought not to be touched for so trifling an object as the attempt to remedy some petty imperfections. The mass of the vulgar public, on the contrary, are rather disposed to applaud Mr. Bright and his friends, because, disliking and even hating England, they delight at aught which diminishes her prestige and endangers her power, and their instinct tells them that a sweeping democratic reform, such as these gentlemen intend proposing, must needs have that result. As usual in Advent, all the pulpits of all the churches in Paris are now filled by the very ablest preachers the French Church possesses. None of the reverend gentlemen, however, have succeeded in attracting the crowds and cleating the sensation which in bygone years Father de Ravig nan of the Jesuits, and Father Lacordaire of th e Preaching Brethren, used to do, when they occupied the pulpit at Notre Dame. Whether this be owing to the lack of eloquence in the preachers, or to any increase of indifference to the Roman Catholic religion on the part of the people, or to both, I will not venture to decide. Saturday at midnight —or, more properly speaking, Sunday at morn—the first bal masque of the season is to come off at the Opera. These halls are the grand saturnalia of the Parisians, and so wild, licen tious, uproarious, and Pandemonium-like are they that they give one a very sorry idea both of the public and private morality of the people. It has more than once been proposed to suppress them, but so popular are they that the Parisians would be savage at any attempt of the kind, and it is not politic in any Government to :make the Parisians savage. There are, however two things which the Govern ment might do, whilst tolerating the moral nuisance —the first is to have the balls given at some other place than the principal musical theatre of France ; the second, to have them held on some other day than that which man is commanded to keep holy. Nothing else is talked of in military circles than of experiments which are being made at the fortress of Vincennes, by order of the Emperor, of fulminatin shells and other awful projectiles, arid of revolving muskets and other fearful war engines. jortign anb (Colonial ]ntelligtntt. Ummur Singh is reported to have fled, and Dur kishen Singh to have been killed. G. F. EDMONST,frNE, S 'cretery to the Government of India, with the Gove►nor•General. SUPPLEMENT TO MR. SECRETARY ED3IONSTONE'S MESSAGE DATED THE 18TH OT NOVEMBER. CENTRAL INDIA. The rebel force under Tautia remained in the Siodwara districts of the Nagpore province for four or five days. On the Bth of November they passed twentyfive miles south east of Baitool, and continued their course via Sautnair and Meil Ghaut towards Boorhaunpeor. On the 14th they crossed tho TaptEe River, and proceeded in the direction of Manirod and Dhar to the Nerbudda. They reached Acbarpore, on the south bank of the Nerbudda, on the 21st. All the forts on the north bank of this river are t uarded. The British forces are in close pursuit. Troops have been concentrated at Sindwa and Chupra to prevent the enemy entering Candeish. The Banda Nawab has left the rebel camp, and is on his way to Major-General Michell. Adil Mahomed and his party have separated from Tautia Topee, and are now with Mann Singh near Seronge, pursued by the columns under Brigadiers Lockhart and Smith. Mann Singh wai surprised on the 14th at ii)on diLle by Brigadier Smith, and defeatea with a loss of 600 men. SAWUNT WARRE E. The rebel leaders Baba and Dunmunt Dessaees have surrendered to the Goa Government. The Bombay Presidency is quiet. Intelligence just received from the magistrate of Candeish that naafis Topee had left Kurgaon yesterday morning, and taken the road to Chupra, via the Dowlabaree Pass. This place is guarded by 1,200 men of all arms. The Poonah Horse and Horse Artillery will be at Chupra tomorrow. Cap tain Abbott will be there this day with the two regi ments of Beatson's Horse. The Meet chiefs are harassing Tantia Topee's flank. Che feelings of the population of Candeish are excellent. H. L. ANDERSON, Secretary to Government. Bombay Castle, Nov. 25. V. MONTANABO. Malta, Dec. 14, 5.30 p.m. " TAXATION AND REPRESENTATION" IN AMERICA. IT is very much the fashion with us to preach homilies upon the awful condition or the down- trodden millions of Europe. We point with a sigh to the preponderance of the military power in France, and thank Providence that our bourgeoisie cannot be snubbed by our standing kriny, and that our journalists are not compelled to fight a whole regiment in satisfaction for a harmless pasquinade. Our parsons shed oceans of tears over the condition of priest-ridden Italy, and stern native Americans affect a colossal degree of pride in the fact that we have no peerage like that of England, and that all class and trade privileges are unknown in this happy land. What, then, is the governing power in the metro polis of the Union. Freed from religious or military or aristocratic despotism, we seem to have attained the highest political happiness. But such is not the fact. We cannot shut our eyes to the truth, and therefore we are beginning to acknowledge that our governing power is the ._.ob ; and that is a despotism worse than that of Russia or France, because it is senseless, cruel, and bloody. Here we have, within ten miles of the City-hall, a poplation of over a million of people, presumed to be eminently blessed in their political surroundings. The law guarantees to every citizen the right to choose his own rulers, as well as protection to life, liberty, and property; that is according to the oommou reading of the constitu tion of the State and the charter of the city. But what is the fact' It is that the laws are set at naught—that the power of the mob is supreme, and that this million of people trembles before a few thonsaod scoundrels who ought to be in the peni tentiary. These precious rulers mey be classed as follows : Superior pugilists 100 Inferior bruisers 1,000 Vagabond shoulder-hitters .. .. Gamblers and touters .. 2,000 Keepers of houses of bad repute .. 1,500 Men about town .. 2,000 Thieves, swindlers, and loafers .. 6,000 Total governing powers .. 15,100 All these men vote, and some of them exercise the elective franchise several times. No storm, however severe, can keep them away from the polls. They form, with the five thousand prostitutes who live in New York, the Prestorien cohort which rules the city of New York, and dissipates in all manner of de• bauchery the imposts wrung from the hands of honest and respectable labour. It is in their bands that the government of the city really rests, and the natural consequence is that it is not governed at all. 131 It is fortunate for us that they are not united with any one political party. They are generally free lances, fighting for the faction that pays the best. They work in the wards just at this time, and control the nominations, subsequently securing the election of their nominees through the indifference of the respectable classes, who will not give ten minutes from their business down town even to save half their annual tax bills. If the legal and respect- able voters of the city of New Yolk could be roused so as to go once to the polls, and vote for men nominated by themselves, instead of those selected by conventions of pugilists, gamblers, and black. guards of all sorts, the mobocracy would receive a blow from which it would never recover. As matters stand now, however, :here is little hope that our governing powers for the next year will show any improvement upon the past ; and that they will become more insatiate in their demands and reckless in their profligacy is beyond peradventure.—New York Herald. We believe we express only the settled judgment of reflecting men when we say that self• government, with universal suffrage, in large cities, has proved a failure. It does not answer the purpose of Govern ment. It does not give us security either for our persons or our property. It does not preserve order or prevent crime. It gives us neither clean streets nor safe walks. It does not check ruffianism nor prevent pauperism. It is neither a terror to evil doers nor a praise to them that do well. It gives us dishonest law-makers, corrupt judges, and imbecile executives. It elevates the worst men to the highest places, and stifles the voices of good men when raised even in remonstrance. Under its operation the most reckless and unprincipled adventurers riso to places of the highest power, and then tortify themselves in their seats by the weapons and wealth of those they plunder. There is no certainty of justice—no fixed meaning to law—no reliance upon magistrates—no security for life—none of the gua rantees and guards against violence and fraud which Government was made to secure, and without which all government is a nuisance and a sham. This is not the'experience of New York alone—every great city in America is showing the same results and teaching the same lesson. —New York Times. INDIA. The following message was received at the India. office, Tuesday, Dec. 14, 11.30 p.m. : To J MES C. MELVILL, ESQ., ASSISTANT UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE, INDIA OFFICE, LONDON, FROM G. F. ED MONSTONE, ESQ. ALL.LHABAD, Nov. 16. OUDE. On the 29th of October Beni Madho, with 20,000 men, made a determined attack on our force at Poorwa. The rebels were beaten off, and lost two guns. No casualty among the Europeans. On the 30th of October the rebels under Mebudee Hoosein w. re defeated near Sufdurgunge, losing five guns and one elephant. No loss on our side. On the 3rd of November Brigadier Wetherell took the fort of Rampore Kupie by assault, and found five guns in it. He lost 30 men ; the loss of the rebels was Revere. On the 9th of November Brigadier Eveleigh took the fort of Jamree. Two Europeans were kisled. The tint of Amethee was surrendered by Loll Madhoo S ngli on the 9th of November, and on the 11th of November was occupied by our troops. Sixteen guns found ; more believed to be in the fort. CENTRAL INDIA. On the 31st of October and Ist of November Tanta Topee and his followers, without guns, but with a number of elephants, crossed the Nerbudda, forty miles up stream from Hoshungabad, and are believed to be making towards the Deccan. They were last heard of as crossing the Chundwara hills. They have plenty of money, but are short of ammu nition. General Michell was at Hoshungabad on the 7th, and Brigadier Parke expected there on the Bth. The Resident at Hyderabad and the Commis sioner of Nagpore are watching the rebels, and are prepared. BENGAL. Nothing particular has occurred during the last fortnight. The rebels, it is expected, will try to break away, and make in the direction of Mirzapore. A mutiny is `aid to have occurred in the rebel camp. Court aio fasilian. THE PRINCE OF WALES landed at Dover, at 11 o'clock on Thursday night, from Ostend, and pro ceeded direct to tho Lord Warden Hotel, where he passed the night. The Prince left Dover early on Friday morning. ALFRED landed at Gibraltar from Her Ma jesty's ship Euryalus on the 20th ult., amid great honours. His Royal Highness took up his residence at the Convent, where he received the principal per sons in Gibraltar, who were introduced to him by the Governor, Sir James Ferguson. In the course of the day the Prince was present at a review held in the Alameda. On the Ist inst., the Prince visited the galleries, signal-station, and St. Michael's Cave, and in the evening honoured by his presence a ball given by the Governor. On the 2nd the Prince took an excursion in Her Maiesty's steamer Redpole, round the back of the rock, beyond Catalan Bay. The Redpole afterwards crossed to Algeciras, and the Prince alined the town privately. On the 3rd, his Royal Highness hunted with the Calpe hounds, and in the evening dined with Captain Warden. On the -Lb, the Prince - .:i.tended by Major Cowell, and ac companied by a party of ladies and officers of both service=, paid fa visit to Ceuta, in Her Majesty's steamer Redpole. Don Manuel Gosset, the Governor of the place, accompanied his Royal Highness round the fortifications. Horses were then provided, and an excursion was made beyond the wails and the Moorish outposts. After returning to Gibraltar the Prince dined with Lieutenant-Colonel Hamilton and the officers of the 2fith, at that garrison. The Euryalus left. Gibraltar on the fish. Crowds of sol diers from the garrison cheered the Prince on his departure. Volitltal. THE SHIPPING INTEREST. A PrBLIC meeting of shipowners and others inte. rested in British shipping was held on Wednesday at the London Tavern, "to take into consideration," in the language of the advertisement, " the ruinous condition of British navigation, and to adopt such measures as may be deemed expedient thereto." Mr. David Dunbar was in the chair, and the platform was occupied by a large number of delegates from the various ontports of the United Kingdom. The following members of the House of Commons were also present :—Mr. J. C. Cobbold, Ipswieb ; Mr. Robert Ingham, South Shields; Mr. John Mellor and Mr. A. W. Young, Great Yarmouth ; Mr. NI