The Press. — London, England, 1857-12-05 00:00:00

THE PRESS, DECEMBER 5, 1857. lortigrc Q.raorresponbtute. Vrott6ings inVartiantent. PARIS, Dec. 3. OPENING Oh THE SESSION. HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN opened Parliament in person on Thursday last, with the usual ceremonials. The attendance of Peers in the house was very numerous on this occasion ; the Corps Diplomatique was fully represented, the Siamese Ambassadors taking conspicuous rank ; and the galleries and corridors were crowded with distinguished visitors. Her Majesty having ascended the Throne, the Commons were summoned, and her Majesty de livered from the Throne the following ROYAL SPEECH. My Lord] and Gentlemen, . . THERE has been little political matter stirring this week in Paris. Among purely French matters the refusal of MM. Goudchaux and Carnot to take the legal oath of a deputy on taking his seat in the Corps Legislatif has failed in creating a great sensation in France, and men of even extreme opinions blame them greatly, but none more so than the moderate Republicans. MM. Goadchaux and Carnot have evidently aimed at effect, and they have been greatly disappointed. Both these persons signed a docu ment permitting themselves to be announced as can didates, and by so doing evidently allowed their con stituents to believe that they were prepared to take their seats should they be elected. All the time the elections were going on they carried on this dupli city, and only when called to take the required oath they refused, not from conscientious scruples, but to keep up a spirit of opposition amongst the lowest classes of republicanism. The conduct of MM. Goudchaux and Carnot is disloyal and unworthy of honest men ; and I feel certain that, so far from weakening the Imperial authority, it has greatly strengthened it. I only notice the Danubian question to deny the report of a proposition having been agreed to by France and Russia, and which is to be submitted to the Congress of Paris. For the moment this im portant question is in statu quo. As to the delimita tion of Bessarabia, several persons are occupied in the offices of the Minister of War in preparing the plans for the plenirortiaries. They are expected to be ready in a few nays, when the ratifications will be exchanged. The Turkish Government has contrived singular means to delay the grafting of the firman for the construction of the Suez Canal. Redschid Pacha now declines to grant his firman until " England has evacuated the Island of Perim." Redschid Pacha can never be seibus. The financial crisis in France is subsiding favour ably, though great fears are entertained that the many failures in Hamburg and Sweden may more or less react upon some eminently mercantile houses in Paris. The French Government is annoyed at the refusal of the Spanish Cabinet to receive M. de Lafragua, the Mexican Minister. Had Spain acted with com mon prudence—had she adopted a conciliatory line of politics, the Spanish-Mexican dispute might have been long since settled. Circumstances have recently arisen, connected with the commercial interests of the country, which have in duced me to call Parliament together before the usual time. The failure of certain joint•stock banks, and of some mercantile firms, produced Bach an extent of distrust as led me to authorise my Ministera to recommend to the Directors of the Bank of England the adoption of a course of proceeding which arpeared necessary for allaying the prevalent alarm. As that course has involved a departure from the existing law, a Bill for indemnifying those who advised and those who adopted it will ba submitted for your consideration. I have observed, with groat regret, that the disturbed state of commercial transactions in general has occasioned a diminution of employment in the manufacturing districts, which I fear cannot fail to be attended with much local distress; I trust, however, that this evil may not be of long duration ; and the abundant harvest with which it has graciously pleased Divine Providence to bless this land, will, I hope, in some degree mitigate the sufferings which this state of things must unavoidably priduce. While I deeply deplore the severe suffering to which many of my subjects in India have been exposed, and while I grieve for the extensive bereavements and sorrow which it has caused, T have derived the greatest satisfac tion from the distinguished successes which have attended the heroic exertions of the comparatively small forces which have been opposed to greatly superior numbers, without the aid of the powerful reinforcements despatched from this country to their assistance. The arrival of those re inforcements will, I trust, speedily complete the suppres- No restrictions were placed to the free entry into France of General Lamori6ere. The fact is that the instant the Emperor learned that the son of the general was seriously ill a passport was ordered to be sent to General Lamoriciere. Unfortunately, it arrived too late, the son dying the next morning. The permission for the general to return to France still continues, and I have reason for believing that be will before long avail himself of the oppor tunity. The financial crisis in Austria still continues. The Government is seeking by every means to reduce the public expenditure. It is now said that the fourth battalion of each infantry regiment will be suppressed, and the remaining three battalions reduced by two companies each. The reduction in the cavalry will only be 600 men, owing to the difficulty found in selling the horses. The following is intended to be the destination of the Austrian army :-100,100 men in Hungary and the German provinces; 100,000 in Italy ; and 30,000 men in Vienna and its environs. King Maximilian of Bavaria returned to Munich on the 10th November, having passed several weeks in the Tyrolian mountains, hunting the chamois. It is said that serious disturbances have broken out in four different provinces in Persia. The brother of the Governor of Asterabad has been wounded, and is now blockaded in Bugeunard. Troops have been sent to his relief. sion of this widely spread revolt. The gallantry of the troops employed against the muti - neers, their courage in action, their endurance under privation, fatigue, and the effects of climate; the high spirit and self-devotion of the officers; the ability, skill, and Fersevering energy of the commanders, have excited my warmest admiration; and I have observed with equal gratification that many civilians placed in extreme diffi culty and danger have displayed the highest qualities, in cluding, in some instances, those that would do honour to veteran soldiers. It is satisfactory to know that the general mass of the population of India have taken no part in the rebellion, while the moat considerable of the native princes have acted in the most friendly manner, and have rendered im portant services. I have given directions that papers relating to these matters shall be laid before you. The affairs of my East Indian dominions will require your serious consideration, and I recommend them to your earnest attention. The nations of Europe are in the enjoyment of the blessings of peace, which nothing seems likely to disturb. The stipulations of the treaty which I concluded with the Shah of Persia have been faithfully carried into execu tion : and the Persian forces have evacuated the territory of Herat.. There has been a change in the Greek Ministry. MM. Balgares and Sealister have retire,]. Miaonlis, the Minister of the Marine, is now Presi dent of the Council, M. Privilegios Minister of the Interior, and M. Mattis Minister of Justice. I conGdently commit to your wisdom the great interests of my empire; awl I fervently pray that the blessing of Almighty tiod may attend your counsels, and may guide your deliberations to those ends which are dearest to my heart—the happiness and prosperity of my loyal and faith ful people. Her Majesty and the Court then returned to Buckingham Palace, and the sitting of the house was suspended until five p.m. Their lordships then reassembled, when Baron MACAULAY, introduced by Lord Campbell and Lord Helper, advanced and took the oaths. The LORD CHANCELLOR then read from the wool sack the Queen's Speech, which was again read by the clerk at the table. THE ADDRESS. Lord PORTMAN moved the Address in reply to the Speech from the Throne, recapitulating at length the various subjects referred to, and briefly touched npcn the gratifying announcement in the Royal Speech with regard to the peaceful relations which existed between this Government and other countries, and concluded by moving the Address. Lord CAREW seconded the Address, and adverted at length to the principal topics mentioned in the Speech from the Throne. He congratulated the country on the fact that the commerce and in dustry of the sister island had not been incon venienced at all to the same degree by the commer cial distress which had prevailed on this side of the Channel. The Earl of DERBY said that, after a parliamentary experience of thirty-six years, he had never known a session commenced under such a complication of anxieties and misfortunes as those which now called Parliament together. Almost the sole paragraph in the Royal Speech from which any satisfactioo could Le gained was that in which allusion was made to the peace which prevailed throughout Europe, though, unfortunately, even that was so worded as to convey almost a tone of disappointment, as if Lord Palmerston, following out the remark he made some time ago, was almost sorry that nothing should dis turb that peace : It is calamitous to the noble lord at the head of the Govern• went that there is no quarrel amongst the nations of Europe--(laughter)—and that nothing seems likely to disturb the blessings a peace. ( Laughter.) I Lelie%e that if the noble lord at the bead of the Government cannot disturb the peace of Europe nobody can. (Laughter.) flat if tbe Government are very desirous to maintain those great blessings of peace which we now in Europe enjoy—if they are desirous of keeping upon good terms with other nations of Europe, they should not rise in their seats on public occa sions and make use of taunting expressions in regard to the position of other military nations Stich expres sions were unworthy of tbe Prime Minister of this country, and would have no other effect than that of giving personal otlence ; besides, such unnecessary bluster provcked tbe idea that the speaker laboured uuder the sense of weakness. ( Hear, hear.) Then there was no mention in the Royal Speech of China : - - - There is not a sellable about Sir J. Bowring and his admission to Canton ; not a hint about the signal chastise ment to be visited upon the unhappy barbarians who from that time to this have been laughing at the impotence of England. No reparation has been taken for the insult offered to the British flag ; and all that we have done in this urgent c,ntest that would not bear a moment's delay, but for which we had not made the slightest preparation, is to blockade the Canton river, and to pat a formidable impediment in the way of our own commerce in those seas. ( Hear, hear.) The house was told that the immediate cause of Parliament being called together was the recent suspension of the Bank Charter Act. He was not prepared to say that Ministers were not justified in the step which they had taken, and in asking Parlia ment for au Act of Indemnity, but, at least, they must he prepared to show that the act was necessary and required by the leading banks and commercial men of London; whether, in point of fact, Govern ment took the step of suspension on their own re sponsibility, or only upon application. He was not surprised that Government should require an indem nity for violating an Act of Parliament, but he was ____ surprised that after violating it twice in ten years Gentlemen of Me House of Commons, they should ask for another Bill of Indemnity with- I have given directions that the estimates for the next out attempting to amend the provisions of the act. year shall be prepared forthe"purpose of being laid before But the Government, he thought , migh t have g one further and told us the causes of all this commercial yon. They will be framed with a careful regard to the distress : exigencies of the public service. For years past we have beard continual laudations of the My Lords and Gentlenew, enormous extension of our commercial transactions. We Your attention will be called to the laws which regulate have been told that if we only ceased to clip the wings of the representation of the people in Parliament, with a view commerce and to leave it free as the winds of Heaven there would be no limit to our prosperity. I remember seeing an to consider what amendments may be safely and bene- article in an impo rtant newspaper—the Tistea—nc longer ficililly made therein. ago than last A pril or Mar, in which it was said that to Measures will be submitted fur your consideration for I speak of the commerce of Englan d was nrily , to repeat the simplifying and amending the laws relating to real ppel ty, and also for consolidating and amending several important e b r e Y r it of w ' as ' P s r a o i s d P in ri t " h . a l t p p r a as pe Pe r rity d . in pros other ri p t lac l es l over rem e' end nI ro over again that the magnitude of our exports was the surest branches of the criminal law. of all possible tests of our commercial prosperity. I have 1173