The Press. — London, England, 1856-10-04 00:00:00

940 lortign 6orrtsponbente. BRUSSELS, October 1. Born the " Congres de Bienfaisance" and " Des Re. formes Douanieres " have closed their session. The benefits resulting therefrom will be long acknow leged and brought into play by the proposition to establish a permanent and international association "pour propager l'etude des principes du libre echange, et continuer ainsi l'teuvre du Congres, pour la liberte du commerce." This motion, made by M. Molinari. was carried by acclamation, there being only one dicsentient,—M. Matias Gomer de Villa boa, the representative, not of Spain, but of the Spanish Government. MM. Fiquerola and Colmeiro protested against this dissent as unauthorised by the commercial interests of Spain that they were de puted to represent. In answer to the observation of Mr. Ewalt, that England was the centre and origin ator of the free-trade movement, M. Cateaux Waffel remarked, " Mais la reputation Anglaise du libe ralisme commercial est elle bien pure?' Commercial England, assuming to be the champion of free trade, has high protective duties upon all articles of foreign commerce, and prohibits its colonies from the con sumption of aught that does not come from the mother country ; and this to our damnification. ' MM. les dilegues d'Angleterre ' cannot deny that English commerce, having emancipated itself from the effects of a corn law, persists for its own ends to impose un droit protecteur maritime et industrial: They have made more than one admission of the commercial opposition in England to the principles of free trade being put into operation against the pecuniary interests of the merchants and master manufacturers. For example, the hostility to lower ing the duties on wine proceeds from the brewers of London, who claim and possess a monopoly of Anglican beverage. This is not la liberte commer ciale, nous la voulons sans limites.' Neither can it be called a system of reciprocity, since we do not insist for a reciprocity 'de poche narrowminded and selfish, betwixt merchants and against con sumers. No ; the principles we propound are those founded on equity and justice. Let not those, there fore. who pompously proclaim themselves 'les pro moteurs du systeme abolitioniste,' restrict them selves to simple professions of faith. Do not let the merchants of England give us an example of a Der sonal denial of their own articles of commercial faith, and cause us to base our opposition to free trade upon the practical evidence of their own con duct; but let them set about forthwith A FAIRE APPLIQUER CHEZ ETA, les principes commerciaut qui dominent aujourd'hui chez nous.' " (Long and protracted cheering.) " MM. les deleguis d'Angle terre " did not venture to reply. Considerable sensation has been created in Europe by the manifesto of the Emperor of Russia, issued through his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Gorts chakoff. It is a document of sterling importance— more frank, perhaps, than judicious, more clever than wise. But it has its merits, and therefore challenges investigation. The first paragraph treats of "Pitat normal des relations internationales," and lays down as a guiding rule the principle of non-interference. In basing the political creed of Russia upon the doe • trines propounded at the Congress of Paris by the powers coalesced antagonistically against the Mus covite empire, the manifesto is careful in describing those precepts to be "a respect for the rights of others, and the independence of Governments." Russia accepts them without reservation, remarking, " They have never ceased to be those upon which we have always acted, although we do not wish to raise a sterile discussion on the historical bearing of the question." In conformity to this political axiom the presence of foreign troops in Greece, and the dicta tion by foreign Governments to the King of Naples, are censured as invasions of an admitted principle. The Emperor Alexander says boldly - and says well : Russia is accused of being sullen (la Rassie boucle). Russia does not silently brood in ill•temper—uhe retires within herself to concentrate her energies ; and the solici tude of her Emperor will be directed to the development of the interior resources of the country and the well being of his subjects (au bien etre de ties aujets), which will be secured by measures conducive to the wealth and prosperity of the nation. These are sentiments befitting an upright and en lightened monarch. They are believed and trusted. Agricultural improvements, commercial establish ments, and a s)stem of railroads, each and all in active progress, make good the words and keep the promise in such wise that the people will reap sub stantial benefit— a benefit, be it observed, that cannot fail in its necessary ramifications to extend to other countries. In a circular addressed to the powers of Europe, bearing tho date of July 31st, the Sultan protests THE PRESS: against a union of the Danubian principalities, and resists ally diminution of his sovereign rights over those provinces. The document commences by ad mitting the lull integrity of the rights and privileges acknowledged by former sultans—the fact of their decadence, otherwise their violation by Ottoman force—and of the necessity of a systematic reorga nisation, under European guaranty, in consonance with the social and political progress of the present age. The Imperial Government will consent to the appointment of a governmental executive, national and independent, provided always that such admi nistration will own itself to be a vassal of and tribu tary to the sovereign power of the Porte. Inde pendence thereby becomes an empty sound. This administration shall be subject to national control exercised by representative assemblies, always obe dient to the suzerainty of the Sultan. Thus inde pendence can be nullified and representation vitiated by an act of absolutism. There, however, even the shadow of liberty and reform is to stop. The cir cular does not deny that a strong desire exists for a Moldo-Wallachian union under one prince. Two objections are urged against this popular scheme. First, that the principalities of themselves, and under one government, would not be able to repel foreign aggression ; and secondly, in case of successful de fence they would he equally able to resist the suze rainty of the Porte. With a view of pandering to national and Moham medan prejudice, an act of savage barbarity has been recently and officially perpetrated against a Christian criminal at Beyrout. Two Maronites broke into a house at night for the purpose of rob bery, and were confronted by two women, one of whom was killed and the other ran away. The rob bers were taken and imprisoned. The most guilty, the actual murderer, bribed the gaolers and made his escape, leaving his less guilty and less fortunate companion to be condemned to death. He remained in prison for more than a year. Suddenly, and with out any preparation, ho was called upon to undergo bis sentence. Dragged by force from his place of confinement, he begged for momentary mercy and for a Catholic priest. He was denied this act of grace. Persevering in his refusal to kneel! in a proper position for the convenience of the execu tioner, he shrieked an appeal to the crowd to rescue him or to subscribe the stipulated sum for his libe ration. Then he petitioned for the protection of the French consul, or the interference of the Pacha. At last one of the executioners, after having stabbed him with his yataghan, caught him by the ears ; another held him by the legs, until a third, after re peated blows, and amidst a deluge of blood, severed his head from the body. This barbaric cruelty was permitted and applauded by the Mussulman crowd because the sufferer was a Christian. Some English who were examining the Mosque of Osman, at Con stantinople, were loaded with reproaches as Giaours, and were stoned and nearly massacred by the inha bitants of the neighbourhood. They barely escaped with their lives. Since Pio Nono has taken to read foreign news papers, Cardinal Antonelli has betrayed symptoms of uneasiness. This unquiet position has not been improved by the frequent visits of Cardinal Viale Prela to his Holiness. The influence of the Minis ter will be still further interfered by Monsignor de Reibach, Bishop of Munich, who has lately been made a cardinal, and is now residing at Rome. He has been called upon by the commissioners of Nur temburg to mediate between Stuttgsrd and the Holy See, and his having been for many years the private confessor of the Empress of Austria, when Princess of Bavaria, will greatly augment his power, if that Imperial personage should visit Rome. Unusual scandal has been given to the Ultramontanes, by the announcement of &concordat with the Sultan,upon which the College of Cardinals is to deliberate. This recognition of the Ottoman power and faith by the head of the Roman Catholic Church, greatly prejudices the satisfaction experienced by the Roman Church upon the Austro-Papal Concordat. There has also been a crusade against miraclemongers, at one time, and in the palmier days of Rome, in such high repute. A tailor in Rome had a picture of the Madonna, which visibly perspired in grief for the sins of man kind. Handkerchiefs steeped in this holy fluid were sold to the true believers, and realised an abundant profit. Cardinal Patnzzi, having been made ac quainted with this sudatory manifestation, had the image taken away, and imprisoned the tailor. The miracle ceased. A priest, hitherto of a high station and character, lately turned "contrabandista ;" his frequent journeys to Leghorn, and his pastoral solici tude for two pretty " modistes" in the Corsa, excited suspicion. On his last return from Leghorn, he was stopped at Civita Vecchia, his baggage was opened, and, instead of stoles and rosaries, was found to consist of unclerical silks and feminine tiaras. :Great sympathy has been felt for him in certain quarters. Fresh differences have arisen between Cardinal Antonelli and General Farina, on the subject of mili tary conscription, the general having refused . to resort to such an unpalatable set. A 1314811111 tOll2- SAlittimey, forcements are about to occupy Imola, Forli, and Ancona, and the French army is immediately to be increased. The English Ministry must have been egregiously ignorant of the true state of the Italian peninsula when, at the end of the session, they declared the probable withdrawal of the foreign troops, on account of the tranquillised state of the country. Their claims to prophecy are proportionate to their statesmanship. . _ At Naples the Government trials have again been adjourned. C. A. H. (From a Correspondent.) BURGOS, SPAIN, September 2(t. THE feeling as to the durability of General O'Donnell's Administration in the centre and north of Spain is decidedly adverse to the Minister, and the semi-expulsion of the Finance Minister from the Cabinet is looked on as the result of a well-concealed intrigue between the Premier and the Crown. The proposal for sale of the ecclesiastical property was— if not actually popular—certainly not the reverse; for, in truth, the Spaniards have as little attachment to the monkish order as any Puritan oould desire. Bigoted and blind followers of the Papacy on religious matters, the Spanish people have never been Ultramontanists ; in fact, the character for in dependence so long and so justly celebrated in the past of this people is a bar to the civil despotism of the Romish clergy here, and since the suppression of convents in 1833 throughout the Peninsula there has been no attempt to exempt ecclesiastical property from the taxes, &C., levied on civil domains. Thus the recent Ministerial project would, in fact, have been popular with the mass of the nation, and O'Donnell's conduct in suffering his Finance Minister to be expelled for a measure to which he had himself given his sanction, yet con tinning to hold office after the expulsion of his col league, has, it is said, seriously shaken his Adminis tration ; in fact, it is openly boasted of by his opponents. But, like everything else in this wretched country, it is the result of intrigue and favoritism, and Espartero's warning to the Queen on her refusal to accept O'Donnell's resignation is but too likely to come true ere long, and that " on his (O'Donnell's) head will be all the mischief and bloodshed that may follow from his obstinacy at grasping at the Premiership." Narvaez is looking on meanwhile at the game being played out in which he takes no visible part, but fancies he sees things ripening for his reaccession—infact, a kind of Spanish Lord John—and, like the latter statesman, though usually out of the country when nothing is going on, is quite sure to be found at the scene of action when any mischief is brewing at head-quarters. Montpellier was to him a few weeks since what Vevey is to your own statesman and ex-Premier at the present moment. Some Spaniards will have it that the Emperor Napoleon's prolonged sojourn at Biarritz, and the partial adoption of Spanish customs (hull fights) and costumes (mantillas), by the Im perial Court there, is not purely from a love either of the one or the other, nor yet of the sea breezes which impart a fresh bloom for the coming season in Paris to the fair cheeks of the Court beauties. In fact, they hint that political motives have had no small influence in fixing the imperial residence so near the Spanish frontier. I need hardly say that this must be all set down to the spirit of jealousy and intrigue with which all natives of this country are so richly imbued. To be sure Bayonne, Napoleon, and old Charles IV., are always associated with the infamous Godoy in the minds of Spaniards, so some allowance must be made for them and for their not rightly comprehending the wide distinction between Napoleon I. and Napo leon 111. The railway to Madrid has been put up for public sale ; to whom the concession will be made no one knows, but it is hoped to an English company. Several persons in the railway interest have lately passed through here from London. No country needs a" caminho de hierro " more than this, for roads, diligences, and posadas are alike execrable; but till something like stability is given to the Go vernment here there is little hope of any good being effected. The Queen, it is said, has seen the error of her royal ways, and is about to reform and look after the welfare of her subjects; but the error seems too firmly rooted, and the public welfare too long neglected, to warrant any great faith in the amendment of either. One fact, however, is certain and much talked of at Madrid, that of late (since June last) her Majesty has become a political character, and forms opinions, right or wrong, of her own. To be sure they generally are wrong ; bnt then, considering that the royal life has been hitherto one of mere pleasure—and that by no means of an immaculate character—great must be the surprise of those who surround the throne to find any exer cise whatever of the royal faculties of reason and ..