The Press. — London, England, 1856-12-20 00:00:00

1208 of dollars, exceeding those of the preceding year by nearly seven millions of dollars ; and the imports therefrom during the same period amounted to more than twenty one millions—an increase of biz millions upon those of the previous year. The improved condition of this branch of our commerce is mainly attributable to the above-mentioned treaty. On the question of maritime law, relating to the abolition of privateering raised at the Paris Con ferences, the President observes : It was doubtless intended to imply approval of the prin. ciple that private property upon the ocean, although it might belong to the citizens of a belligerent State, should be exempted from capture ; and had that proposition been so framed as to give full effect to the principle, it would have received my ready assent on behalf of the United States. lint the measure proposed is inadequate to that purpose. It is true that if adopted, private property upon the ocean would be withdrawn from one mode of plunder, but left exposed, meanwhile, to another mode, which could be used with increased effectiveness. The aggressive ca pacity of great naval powers would be thereby augmented, while the defensive ability of others would be reduced. Though the surrender of the means of prosecuting hostili ties by employing privateers, as proposed by the Conference of Pat* is mutual in terms, yet, in practical effect, it would be the relinquishment of a right of little value to one class of States, but of essential importance to another and a far larger class. It ought oot to have been anticipated that a measure, so inadequate to the accomplishment of the pro posed object, and so unequal in its operation, would receive the assent of all maritime powers. Private property would be still left to the depredations of the public armed crosiers. I have expressed a readiness on the part of this Govern ment to accede to all the principles contained in the decla ration of the Conference of Paris, provided that relating to the abandonment of privateering can be so amended as to effect the object for which, as is presumed, it was intended, the immunity of private property on the ocean from hostile capture. To effect this object, it is proposed to add to the declaration that " privateering is and remains abolished," the following amendment: — And that the private property of subjects and citizens of a belligerent on the high seas shall be exempt from seizure by the public armed vessels of the other behigereut, except It be contraband. This amendment has been presented not only to the powers which have asked our asasent to the declaration to abolish privateeriug, but to all other maritime States. Thus far it has not been rejected by any, and is favorably entertained by all which have made any communication in reply. h e Several of the Governments, regarding with favour the proposition of the United States, have delayed definitive action upon it, only for the purpose of consulting with others—parties to the Conference of Paris. I have the satisfaction of stating, however, that the Emperor of Russia has entirely and explicity approved of that modification, and will co-operate in endeavouring to obtain the assent of other powers ; and that assurances of a similar purport have been received in relation to the disposition of the Emperor of the French. Certain disagreements with Mexico and Granada, the unsatisfactory condition of Nicaragua, and the lawless state of Panama, are remarked upon as attracting the serious attention of the United States' Government, and the President shortly concludes his Message in the following terms :-- We have at length reached that stage of the national career, in which the dangers to be encountered, and the exertions to be made, are the incidents, not of weakness, but ot strength. in our foreign relations we have to &item per our power :o the less happy condition of other republics in America, and to place ourselves in the calmness and conscious dignity of right by the side of the greatest and wealthiest of the empires of Europe. In our domestic relations we have to guard Against the shock of the discon tents, the ambitious, the interests, and the exuberant, and therefore sometimes it regular impulses of opinion, or of action, which are the natural product of the present political elevation, the self-reliance, and the restless spirit ot enter- prise of the people of the United States. The more important State papers, the Reports of the Secretaries of State, were presented next day. Those of the Secretaries of the Navy and War pre• sent some features of interest. The Secretary of the Navy recommends the in crease of the Pacific squadron specially, and the increase of the navy generally. It " affords h►m pleasure to state that three of the new steam frigates are afloat, and that the performance of the Merrimac has impressed favorably the severest architectural critics " The introduction 'of these magnificent vessels, consti tutes an era in the history of the United States' navy, and while they may well stimulate the energy and valour of its officers, they also will excite emotions of a just national pride in the bosom of every American beholder. He repeats his recommendation of last year, to build additional sloops of war, capable, from their stead draught of water, of entering such ports as New Orleanm, Savannah, and Charlestown, as well as New York and 89.t0n. A formidable battery of from five to twenty guns would render them very effective. They could annoy the enemy at sea, and penetrate and defend harbour-3 along the coast, inaccessible to the larger class of heavier draught. The Secretary of War puts the authorised strength of the United States' army at 17,894. The actual strength on the Ist of July was 15,562. The sea coast fortifications are progressing, but there is much yet to be done before many of the most important THE PRESS. will be efficient. The fortifications for harbour defence are held to be most efficient, and reference is made to the failure of formidable naval armaments against fortified places in the Black Sea and the Baltic, as showing conclusively that properly-con. structed fortifications are a sure reliance against the most powa:ul fleets. The ret , ort urges the importance of completing the fortifications in progress, and of making liberal appropriations for new ones. Time is necessary to make them efficient, and it ought to be done while the country is in a state of peace, because ii cannot be done hastily except at increased expense, and then not reliably. He asks a law for liberal appropriations for armaments for new forts, improvements in small arms, and the accumulation of supplies of am munition. Cori ant lastion. Her Majesty the Queen and Royal Family left Osborne yesterday for Windsor Castle. The Windsor Castle theatricals, postponed in con sequence of the death of his Serene Highness the Prince Von Leiuingen, will commence on the Ruh January next- The Duke and Duchess of Bedford are entertaining n distinguished circle at Woburn Abbey. The usual Christmas festivities will be kept up this year with the noble duke's accustomed hospitality. The Earl of Ellesmere is recovering from his recent illness. The noble earl remains at Bridgwater • house. Volitlcal. MR. W. Mtr.Es, M.P., at the annual dinner of the Clevedon Agricultural Association, on Tuesday, made a few remarks upon the present state of foreign affairs He thought it was for the interest of England to avoid as much as possible intertneddling with the affairs of con tinental nations. If any particular nation wished for liberty, let them fight to gain it, but let not this country intermeddle, for if she did it would lead to complications of which they knew nothing. Whenever England em barked in a war she did it heartily, and those who could recollect the old wars would remember there were such things as subsidies. If our honour was touched, or our flag insulted, or our colonial possessions injured, let them up with their flag and fight it out ; but again he would say, let us not meddle with the affairs of foreign nations, many of them, too, small nations with which England had scarcely any commercial intercourse—nations which were merely visited by pleasure-seekers, and the scenery of which might be exceedingly beautiful. but which (lid not in any way serve to aggrandise England. Let us stick as much as possible to our alliances, and remember there was one small State in Italy which came forward to assist us in the Crimean campaign ; he referred to Sardinia. When Eng land was in difficulty Sardinia came to her aid, and for a small nation nobly did she do so, and therefore, if she was trespassed upon and required aid, England would be bound to give it ; France, too, would doubtless join, and thus would that alliance which won for them the blessed fruits of peace be doubly cemented. As to home affairs, there was little or nothing to say : He never recollected such a lull in home politics. But what a happy state of things that was. All, whether Whigs, Tories, or Radical, appeared to be satisfied with the ease and plenty the country enj wed; and woe to that man who lightly disturbed this condition of things. The opinions which he had advocated twentytwo years ago, when he first advocated them, he advocated still; he was not a changeling politician, and he had become somewhat too old now to become an advocate of new doctrines. He still said,'• Defend your Church, uphold your Queen ; do reverence to your Constitution, taking care, however, that when refor►us are necessary to make them; but at the same time see that you do not, for the sake of gaining credit for the passing hour, or the advantage of any party, break that tranquillity which now so happily prevails. SIR MONTAGU CHOLMELEY, at the Owston agri cultural meeting last week, said, in reference to the income tax : Be hoped the electoral constituencies would urge upon her Majesty's Ministry the duty of modifying this obnoxious tax. The manner in which they bad acted in respect to this impost had acnrcely been honest. It they really wanted money they ought to have c.une forward boldly a:►d said eo ; but, instead of doing this, they had taken advantage of what he would term a " disingenuous gc.ibble." They professed that the money was wanted for the purposes of the war, whereas the war was ended in February last, and the Uovernment had availed themselves of the delay which took place in the ratification of the treaty of peice to impose the extra part of the tax for two years atter the conclusion of the war instead of one. The tax pressed hard upon everybody, and be could not help saying that the manner in which it was levied, assessing all incomes alike, was essentially objectionable and unjust. THE Wart WITH PERSIA wax discussed on Wednes day evening at a large meeting of the inhabitants of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The Calcutta proclamation was denounced by all the speakers as an evasion of SATURDAY, law, and the following resolution was unanimously agreed to : That, in the hopelessness of either prevention or redress by the Parliament, it is requisite to appeal to the laws against the subordinate agents executing lawless orders; and this meeting pledges itself, in ease the expedition against Persia shall he persevered in, to bring to trial for their lives, before the Central Criminal Court, certain of the officers and soldiers engaged therein. AN ANTI-INCOME-TAX MEETING was held by the inhabitants of Holborn, on TuPsday evening, at the Gray's.inn-lane workhouse, and several resolutions passed for the reduction of the tax to 7d. in the pound, and the non liability of incomes of 1501. II year. AN INFLUENTIAL ANTI-INCOME•TAX MEETING was held at Birmingham on Thursday. The Mayor pre. sided. Mr. Mantz, Mr. Scholefield, Mr. Attwood, and several other gentlemen addressed the meeting at great length, and the following resolutions were proposed and carried unanimously : That the income•tax laws, in their present form, are unjust, oppressive, and degrading, and ought not to be tolerated by a free people; and that the people should be satisfied with nothing less than their total and immediate repeal. That this meeting condemns the mode in which the commissioners fur general purposes under the income tax laws have too frequently exercised their powers, and de clares that the duties of additional commissioners are such as no British Legislature ought to be allowed to ha pose, and no Englishman ought to perform. rttrogolitait. DR. LIVINCxSrONE'S AFRICAN DISCOVERIES. DR. LIVINGSTONE, the great African traveller, who for sixteen years has been wandering over Central Africa, has at length arrival in London. On Mon day night a special meeting of the Geographical Society was held for the purpose of presenting Dr. Livingstone with the gold medal on his return home from his African travels. The society's rooms were crowded to excess with persons both anxious to see the distinguished traveller and to hear some account of the strange lands and peoples amidst which he spent the last sixteen years of his life. Dr. Livingstone, on his entering the place of meeting, was loudly cheered. As might be ex pected, his face is considerably tanned, but is not quite so darkened as one would expect from so long a residence and so constant an exposure under a tropical sun. His countenance is placid, but de termined ; and his eye at times betokens great vivacity. His accent is very much that of a foreigner, but he speaks with considerable ease, is never at a loss for a word, and his choice of expression, though sometimes rough, is ge nerally picturesque, and full of meaning. The ceremony of presentation was then gone through, and Dr. LIVINOSTONE in a few words acknowledged the honour. He said that south of the twentieth degree of south latitude the country was arid and contained very few rivers, but to the north of that line tho country was well watered, and very unlike what the centre of Africa was popularly represented to be. The country which he had traversed, indeed, was covered with a network of waters, many of which were large and deep, and never dried up. The natives belonged to the true negro family, having a good deal of very woolly hair, and being darker than the Bechuanas. They held their women in high estimation, and many of them became chiefs. If a man were asked to go anywhere or to agree to any arrangement he said, "I must go home and ask my wife." If she said " No," there was no possibility of getting him to move. Women sat in their councils, and while a Bechuana swore by his tether, these negroes swore by their mother. Dr. Livingstone related several amusing instances to show the high estimation in which these tribes held their women. He believed they deserved it, and he and his men had always been kindly treated by the " fair " sex. The country in most parts abounded with elephants, biiffaloes, zebras, giraffes, and other game, and he had shot three new antelopes not yet known in England. He had found it unnecessary to burden himself with provisions in travelling, for the animals did not seem to knew a gun, and would stand within how-shot of his weapon. In the interior the people were very kind to him, but he could not say they improved as he approached the confines of civilisa tion. The English name had penetrated a long way into the interior, and the English were known as " the tribe that likes the blank man..' Domestic slavery existed, but the exportation of slaves was very effectually repressed. Ngami was not a deep lake, but was what was left of a large lake which existed before the fissure was made near the Lakai falls, which allowed a free course to the Zambesi.