The Press. — London, England, 1855-11-24 00:00:00

NOVEMBER 24, 1855. THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON'S SPEECH: THE speech of the French Emperor at the close of the Exposition was so important a statement of the views of the French Government upon the present aspect of the war, that we think it our duty to give the speech, verbatim and translated, as delivered. Our report last week was necessarily crude, and in some parts incorrect. We trust that the following will make amends : Mzesracas, L'Exposition qui va finir offre au monde un grand spec- tacle. C'est pendant une guerre serieuse que de toutes les parties de I'univers sont accourus a Paris, pour y exposer leurs travaux, les beelines les plus distingues de la science, des arts et de 'lndustrie. Ce concours dans des circonstances semblables est dfi, j'aime ale croire, cette conviction generale que la guerre entreprise ne menacait que cent qui I'avaient provoquie, qu'elle itait poursuivie dans rintaret de tour, et que l'Europe, loin d'y voir un danger pour reveille, y trouvait platut un gage d'independancs et de sioutite. Neanmoins, b. la vue de tent de merveilles etalees a nos yeuz, la premiere impression est un aisle de Pair. La Pair seule peat davelopper encore ces remarquables produita tie 'lntelligence humaine. irons devez dono tons souhaiter comme moi que cette Pain snit prompte et durable. Mais, pour etre durable, ells dolt resoutlre nettement la question qu► a fait entreprendre la guerre; pour etre prompte, it faut que l'Europe se prononce, car, sans l'ex pression de l'opinion generalP, lea luttes entre grandee puissances menaceut de se prolonger ; tenths qu'au con. traire si l'Europe se decides declarer qui a tort on qui a raison, ce sera tin grand pas vers la solution. A l'Opoque de combats oil nous sommes, les succes des armees, quelque brillans qu'ils soient, ne sont que passe. gen. C'est en definitive I'opinion publique qui remporte toujours la derniere vieteire. Vous toes done qui pensez qua lee progris de l'agriculture, de I'industrie, et du commerce d'une nation contribuent au bien-titre de touter les autres, et que plus les rapports reciproques se multiplient, plus les prejuges uationaux tendent a s' effacer, ditty A vos concitoyens, en retournant dans votre patrie, que la France u' a de haine contra aucun peuple, qu'elle a de la spmpsthie pour tons ceuz qui veulent comma elle le triomphe du druit et de la justice. Dites•leur que, s'ils desirent la pain, it faut qu' °verte• meat ila fassent au moins des vceuz pour ou contre nous, car au milieu d'un grand conflit Europeen, l'indifffirence est un mauvais calcul et le silence une erreur. Quant A nous, peuples allies pour le triomphe d'une grand° cause, forgeons des armes sans ralontir nos mines, sans arreter noa metiers; soyons grands par les arts de la pain comme par les arts de la guerre, soyons forts par la concords et mettons notre confiance en Dieu pour nous faire triompher des difficultes du jour et des chances de ravenir. (Translation.) Messieurs, —The Exhibition which is about to close offers to the world a grand spectacle. It is whilst a serious war is being carried on, that the most distinguished men of art, science, and industry, from every quarter of the universe, have united in Paris, there to exhibit their productions. This union under such circumstances, is due, I am induced to believe, to the gene al conviction that the pre sent war threatened only those who provoked it, that it was pursued in the interest of all, and that Europe, far from Wing in it any danger for the future, would rather find in it an assurance for independence and security. Nevertheless, in sight of so many marvels placed before us, the first impression is a desire for peace—peace alone, in truth, can develop still further these remarkable pro. ducts of human intelligence. Yon should, therefore, each of you desire, as I do, that this peace should te prompt and durable. But to be durable, it should clearly resolve the question from which the war emanated. In brief, Europe must pronounce terself, fur without the pressure of general opinion the 'struggles between the great powers only threaten to be prolonged; whilst, on the contrary, if Europe decide to declare who is right and who is wrong, it will be a great s t e p towards a solution. In the present state of civilisation at which we have arrived, the successes of the armies, however brilliant they may be, are only transitory. It is decidedly public opinion which always carries the last victory. You all, then, who believe that the progress of agricul ture, industry, and the commerce of eno nation contribute to the welfare of every other nation, and that the more reei• procal interchanges are multiplied the more national pre judices will be effaced, say to your brother citizens on returning to your homes, that France basing hatred of any THE PfIESS. people—that she has sympathy for all who desire, like her self, the triumph of right and justice. Tell them that if they wish for peace, they must, at least, make vows openly fur or against, us ; for in the midst of a grave European conflict, indifference is a false calculation, and silence an error. As for us, nations allied for the triumph of a grand cause, let us forge arms without suspending our manufac tures—without paralysing trade ; let us be as great in the arta of peace as in the arts of war. Let us be strong in union, and let us put our trust iu God in order to triumph over the difficulties of the day and the chances of the future. BRITISH LAW IN INDIA. Ir is gratifying to observe the importance which is attached in India to the preservation in the Presidencies of the authority of the supreme courts, which is in fact the preserva tion of the principle of English jurisprudence. The extension of this principle over the whole of India would go far of itself to raise the condition of the people and develop the re sources of the country. We have the more pleasure in extracting the following remarks from the Spectator of Madras, August 29th, as we have reason to believe that they express the sentiments of the most intelligent, wealthy, and influential of the native population. The remarks allude to the intention of Sir Fitzroy Kelly at the ensuing session to bring in a Bill to repeal the Act No. 28, A.D. 1848, of the Legislative Council of India, so far as it takes away the jurisdiction of the courts of law or equity over the administration of the late Nuwab of Surat ; It has always surprised us that the lawyers in Parliament, both lords and commouera, Amid be so indifferent as they have hitherto shown themselves to the encroachments of the Legislative Council, systematic and rapid, on the prerogatives, functions, and jurisdiction of her Majesty's supreme courts in India. If not openly avowed, the manifest object of those invasions has been the weakening and degrada tion of these safeguards of British liberty in the East—ay, and in a great measure of native liberty too—with a view to their ultimate subversion , an d the legal profession at home should have made it, their special business to put the drag on the wheel of the Company's coach—both for their own sake and that of the composite India public. They have a deep class interest in the maintenance of the high tribunals in question, and of the profitable sphere of action which they open to the English bar— on interest which grows stronger as buoinees of the higher and more lucrative order diminishes at home; and it is their bounden duty to watch over the admi nistration of justice and the making of laws, in every quarter of the Queen's dominions. Somehow or another, however, this duty has never yet been per formed, and the consequences of its omission are what we see them. Encouraged by long impunity, the Calcutta legislators, who began with nibbling like timid mice at the outskirts of the Royal Courts' dig nity and jurisdiction, gradually burrowed as bold as rats underneath their foundations, and now carry on a perpetual foray, insatiable as bandicoots, within the hallowed precincts. Perhaps the strange apathy of the home profession, while such mischief was a-doing, arose from their reliance on the watchfulness and integrity of the legal member of the Supreme Council to whom they may have trusted to give tongue on the approach of real danger, but if so they leant upon a shadow and have had a fall accordingly for it so happens that the said member has generally forgotten his antecedents when he entered the Council Chamber, and been foremost in leading the attack on the supreme courts, and the laws which they administer. If a legal Mark Antony were to hold up the grievously -damaged Charters of the Judicatories out here, he might well say— See what a rent the envious Caeca made I when he spoke of the handiwork of our barrister law makers in succession. Right thankful are we to per ceive, however, that one high member of the bar of England seems at last awaking to the necessity of showing the Calcutta Council that they must not expect to pursue their way always uninterrupted. Sir Fitzroy Kelly has put this notice on the records of the House of Commons :—Bill to repeal so much of an Act of the Legislative Council of India (No. 28 of 1848) as takes away the jurisdiction of courts of law or equity over the administration and dis tribution of the estate of the late Nuwab of Surat, and to enable her Majesty's Supreme Court of Bombay to hold jurisdiction of the same." It may be that the above is only a solitary case of interference, arising out of the peculiar circum stances of the Surat affair in question, agitation about which was set on foot in England, but we esteem it hopeful nevertheless. It will give rise to a discussion concerning the lopping of the jurisdic tion of the Queen's Bombay Court in this instance, and we trust that this discussion ins; be incidentally 1113 widened by legal and other friends of India, so as to embrace the general subject ; which it very well may be made to do, without unparliamentary wandering from the point. We can hardly suppose that the lawyers in either liouse will miss the offered oppor tunity of expressing an opinion as to the freedom with which the knife and shears have been used by the Council, although too lazy heretofore (or too indifferent) to make one for themselves. At all events a move will be made iu the right direction, and it is likely to suggest other movements from which good will flow. The sight of his mouse on the floor of Parliament may rouse up the dosing legal cats, sharpen their appetites, and set teem to keeping a sharp watch on the Legislative Council's mouse holes. It will be no mean thing if we gain even so much. A " NIGHTINUALIC FUND" is to be inaugurated at a public meeting to be held at Willis's Booms on Thursday next, when the Duke of Cambridge will take the chair. Of the value of Miss Nightingale's services to the sufferers of our brave army at a most trying time, there can be no dispute. The very heroism and romantic character of her mission raised at one time some fears for its success. But her prudence was as conspicuous as her charity. She was not only a "ministering angel" by tho suffering soldier's bedside, but she restrained the indiscreet zeal which would have made the office of the nurse subsidiary to the teaching of peculiar reli gious doctrines. As the Fund is to be for the pur purpose of manifesting " national admiration and respect" to Miss Nightingale, and at the same time of " greatly enlarging her sphere of usefulness on her return to England," we suppose that it will be directed to some purely philanthropic purpose, and thus have the double effect of honouring Miss Nightingale and of relieving in some way the sum of human misery and distress. Certainly no inure grateful tribute could be rendered to her than the touuding of an institution, having for its express object the extension of those charitable labours to which with unparalleled fortitude and constancy she has devoted herself. We hope that the meeting on Thursday may be of a character to show the high sense which the country entertains of her mission and virtues. THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER, it is related by correspondent from Odessa, iu reply to a Russian merchant of that city observing to his Majesty that the restoration of an honourable peace—but only an honourable " peace—was all that was desired to complete the prosperity of the city, isaid—" NVlio is there that does not desire such peace? I more than any one else." THE BARON DE BUDBERO AND PRINCE GORT SCHAKOFF, Russian Ministers at Berlin and Vienna, are on the eve of departure for St. Petersburg. The Minion of Russian diplomatists expected to occur at Warsaw, it is supposed will be held at SL Peters burg. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ENOLLND AND THE UNITED STATES, according to the Patrie, though not definitively arranged, is in a way of settlement, through the efforts of the American Ambassador in Loudon. THE IMPERIAL GUARD of France are ordered to rendezvous at some distance from Paris, in order to enter the capital together on December 2nd, the anniversary of the coup &kat. Their return will 14 celebrated with much pomp, and banquets it is said will be given in the Patois de l'lndustrie to each of the regiments in succession. `THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT iS said to be negotiat ing, in common with the Austrian, for joint repre sentations to other Governments in reference to poli tical refugees. THE SWEDISH GOVERNMENT has contracted a loan for three quarters of a million sterling with the house of Heine of Berlin. JOSEPH WAGNER, who was convicted in the United States of enlisting men for the British Foreign Legion, has been sentenced to two years imprison went, and a fine of 100 dots. A CONVENTION has been concluded between France and Austria for reciprocally delivering up criminals This is the first arrangement of the kind ever con. eluded between the two countries. A NEW REFORM ASSOCIATION is projected at Leeds, to obtain :-1, Manhood Suffr a g e ; 2, Vote by Ballot; 3, Shortening the Duration of Parliament; 4, A More Equitable Adjustment of Representauvee to Population ; 5, Abolition of the Property Qualifi cation for Members of Parliament; 6, Reform in the Existing Relations of Church and State. BREAD MEETINGS ON SUNDAY have been held in various parts of South Staffordshire to petition the Queen to issue an order prohibiting the exportation of grain, and to estaulish public granaries, and check undue speculation in corn. At a meeting at Kidder minster it was stated that arrangements were being made to have a torchlight meeting. IN