The Press. — London, England, 1856-09-13 00:00:00

876 THE WEEK. WE can note from week to woek some progress in the drama of European politics, though the ultimate tendency of events is obscure. Spain seems, for the Governments of France and England, a pivot of divergence. The energetic action of Marshal O'DONNELL, naturally re garded with much disfavour by Lord PALMERSTON, has been rewarded by the Emperor of the FRENCH with the Grand Cordon of the Legion of Honour. This is a sufficient proof that, as regards that country at least, there is no sympathy or understanding between the Cabinets of London and Paris. British influence is completely overthrown in Madrid, while that of France is in the ascendant. The demonstration of the English fleet in the Black Sea appears likely to be attended with more serious consequences than was at first imagined. We can judge only from the tone of our Ministerial journals. The invasion of Serpents' Isle by eight Russians, with oil for the lighthouse, was not, one would have thought, an act to call fur hasty action. The Morning Post, however, is anxious to inform the public that Lord PALMERSTON determined, without even the form of consultation with the allied Governments, on sending a British squadron into the Black Sea. This act seems to have given offence, not only to Russia but to France, and hence, perhaps, the hints of the Post, that England must be prepared to stand alone in her policy to wards Turkey, should occasion require her to do so. On the close of the war there were many reasons, one would have supposed, why England should have cultivated cordial relations with Russia. The commercial interests of the two countries aro identical, and the commencement of a new reign afforded a favorable oppor tunity for establishing a solid alliance. This policy, for some reason, was not relished by our Government: occasions were seized for mani festing► hostility to Russia in a most offensive manner, and, as the natural result, the Court of St. Petersburg has thrown itself into the arms of France. The coronation of the young Emperor has been seized to impress on the minds of representatives from every part of his vast empire, that the material power and splendour of Russia have not been impaired by the war. The difference between Sardinia and Austria makes progress. The former continues the armament of her frontier, and holds out to the Italian peninsula the flag of nationality, while Austria observes her every movement with suspicion, and is said to be preparing protests against it. The Ost Deutsche Post proclaims Sardinia to be in an open state of war against Austria. " War," says that journal, " does "not consist only in a violation of territory. The rights of the people " demand that a state of continued menace, iatolerable to good Govern " ment, should be forcibly arrested by diplomatic means, if possible." The relations of England with the two Governments are not clear. Her alliance with Austria must prevent her from affording Sardinia say effectual support. - From Naples no authentic intelligence has been received. Lord CLARENDON'S declaration that the kingdom of the Two Sicilies was in so exceptional a state as to justify a departure from the general rule of non-intervention, remains without effect. It is beginning to be recognised that the French Cabinet will be no party to any interference with the independent action of the Neapolitan Court. It is reported in the continental journals that such a modification of the original note has been presented as the King will have no difficulty in accept ing—a questionable effort of Lord CLARENDON'S to make things pleasant. The question of the form of government to be established for the Danubian Principalities remains completely open. The people them selves ardently desire the union of the two provinces. The project is supported by Russia, and opposed by Austria and Turkey. France and England have not yet declared themselves. The impracticable character of the United States' Government has strangely developed itself of late. The extra session of Congress has produced no result. The House of Representatives on the one side, and the Senate on the other, refuse to give way. All attempts at a compromise have failed, and each new division only confirms the ob stinacy of the contending parties. Meanwhile the service of the State is neglected. The artificers in the military establishments of the Go vernment are discharged through want of funds to pay them. The first step has been taken towards the dissolution of the power of the Executive. While its force is thus weakened, the hostile parties in Arkansas are preparing for war on a large scale. Governor REF.DER has harangued the citizens of New York, calling on them to furnish a contingent of 3,000 men, equipped midi provisioned for a year's cam paigning. The slavery quarrel continues to grow in intensity, and to present serious peril to the stability of the Union. A work illustrative of the Treaty of Paris, has been published in Paris by M. DE BRAUX, a gentleman officially connected with the Austrian Cabinet. From the summary of its contents given in (la/iy. nani, the most important part of this essay appears to relate to the discussion on the affairs of Piedmont. " The logic of M. DE Busex," it is said, "is but too clear and convincing when ho demolishes the (SATURDAY, " hopes which the Liberal party may have founded upon the ' notes " presented by the Piedmontese Plenipotentiaries to France and " England." Events stronger than mere surmises have shown that no serious action was ever intended to be taken on these notes. The Tri partite Treaty of the 15th April isolated Sardinia, and placed her Court in that embarrassing and perilous position in which she now stands. Shirt collars have undergone many changes of late, but we appre hend they are yet destined to a more remarkable mutation. The fact is, there is a fortune to be made just now in shirt collars, and the way is open for any man with taste and ingenuity. We want an " anti ga.rotte " collar. The modern " dogs," we admit, are stout enough and stiff enough to strangle you, but something is wanted to prevent your being strangled. No time is to be lost ; the long evenings and dark nights are close at hand, and garotting on the increase. This week the police authorities have stated that— From information received it appears that garotting offences are on the increase ; that there is a gang of the worst characters, whose location is in the neighbourhood of Duck•lane and Pye-street, Westminster, and who may be seen nightly arranging themselves into bands of four or six, and then spreading themselves over different parts of the metropolis. We beg inventors to ponder this extract, and to set their faculties to work at once. Mrs. STOWE'S new story of " Dred" has been a godsend to tho critics in this dull time. Opposite opinions have been expressed of the merits of the title, and the authoress has been attacked for making an unfair use of individual cases of cruelty and oppression. It is said that the cases of wife-beating, which figure in our police courts, might be urged against our institutions with as much justice, as particular instances of cruelty to slaves against the institution of slavery. The ana logy would hold good, if we upheld alaw that no man could be punished for the beating of his wife, though such beating should be cruel, malicious, and excessive. We do what we can to protect women from brutal husbands. In the slave States nothing is done to protect slaves front brutal owners Judge BULLER made his name famous by "putting a case " that a man might beat his wife with a stick no bigger than his thumb. The suppositious illustration was caught up as a legal dictum, and still lingers iu the vulgar mind. Unfortunately for the black population, there is no " thumb BULLER" in the States to define limits within which chastisement shall be confined The law allows any number of stripes, and any form of punishment which the owner thinks fit to administer. It does not seem possible to attack with too much energy this iniquitous principle of law, with its resulting practices. The exact reduction of the army, upon which the Government have now determined, has this week been made public. It will leave us still a very considerable force on foot, and in a much better state of organisation than the British army has ever been in before in time of peace. The troops kept in camp will be practised in every species of movement real warfare could require. Let us hope we shall now run but little danger from the inexperience of military exigencies, which was evinced both by officers and meu during the last war. The system of hutting both men and horses will now, we trust, be fully acquired, and we suggest that the myste ries of cooking be added to them. This also may not be a bad oppor tunity of bringing forward some scheme for the amelioration of the condition of the soldier. We know that a vast deal has been done for him of late years ; that he is already a much more intellectual and re fined animal than he once was ; but the grand improvement of all still remains untried—the increase of his pay. As soon as " soldiering " in this country becomes a scientific profession instead of what it hitherto has been—a service in which the dregs of the population who could do nothing else were officered by the wealthy classes who had nothing else to do—so soon, we say, must a considerable rise take place in the pay both of officers and men. When an officer was the idlest man in the community, he had no right to grumble. But he calm° be expected with hard work to put up with low pay. The acedunt 4iven by a police officer of two juvenile delinquents who were last Tuesday brought before Mr. D'EYNCOURT for robbing orchards at Hackney, is as full of instruction as amusement. These two young Crusoes had constructed a large cave for themselves under neath a brickfield, where they appear to have lived with comfort, if not indeed with some luxury. A frying-pan and gridiron were found among their household goods—utensils, we should say, of ominous import to the eggs and poultry of the neighbourhood. Grilled fowl and apple fritters were probably the order of the day. The ingenuity and independence of these young scoundrels is most remarkable. But then these arJ not the sort of boys to bo sent to hard labour for three months. Why, after they had been out again a week they would have a whole colony in the brickfield, or half the brickfields round London would in time be honeyco►nbed with eaves, like so many rabbit warrens. No, no ; these are exactly the style of fellows to make their way capitally in Canada or Australia. Orchard robbing is not a very deadly offence—at least, we hope not—and we rather respect the young heroes of the frying-pan and gridiron. We should like to see them confided for a month or two to the care of our friend Mr. DRIVRR, and then launched across the Atlantic to rough it in the backwoods. It was eminently a case for a reformatory, not a jail. An eloquent essay on employments for women has been issued by Mrs. JAmEsoN. It contains some startling facts. An instance is mentioned of fifty per cent. of the girls sent into the world from work houses, returning in a ruined state ; while of boys nut above two or THE PRESS.