The Press. — London, England, 1856-11-29 00:00:00

1134 Howden had demanded explanations with regard to the future policy of the Cabinet of Madrid. The recal of the exiled Princes to Spain, the publication of a liberal amnesty for the Carlists, and the convocation of the Cortes, are announced as the probable measures of the Spanish Government. The attempted insurrection in Malaga on the ISth was suppressed with ease. ITALY. A letter from Vienna of the 22nd, in the Bourse Gazette of Berlin, states that liberal meastues of reform are contemplated by the King of Naples: Private letters from Naples, and the official communi cations of our ambassador, General de Martini, agree in announcing the approaching solution of the Neapolitan affair, King Ferdinand having decided on making the necessary concessions. An extensive amnesty is being prepared, and reforms are to be introduced in criminal justice. A decree setting them forth is about to be pro mulgated. Two political prisoners, Pasquale de Rosa and Vin cenzo Farina, are reported to have received the King's pardon. GREECE. The Trieste Gazette publishes a letter from Athens, announcing that the army of occupation will quit Greece on the return of the King to his capital. The Greek Minister of Finance, M. Rangabe, has addressed to the representatives of Greece at foreign Courts a comprehensive report upon the affairs of that kingdom:— It by describing the constitutional system in Greece, and on the whole represents it good; but it admits that there are certain imperfections in the elec toral law, which can and will be removed. The adminis tration of justice, it declares, takes place according to the principles adopted in the most civilised countries in Europe ; but it presents one great defect, and that is, that the judges are, contrary to the enactments of the consti tution, not nominated for life. Public worship is provided for fully, and the clergy by law are not permitted to meddle with public affairs. Public instruction has made great pro gress. Commerce is also in progress, and, as regards local government, it is admitted that the laws respecting communal elections certainly open the door to fraud and intrigue, and produce agitation ; but the Government is, with the cooperation of the Chambers, making serious efforts to remove those evils. The Government has im proved the navigation of rivers, made roads, and executed other public works. As to finances, the report admits that the system of levying taxes is defective, but says the Government is trying to reform it. The revenue of the country is, the report does not deny, not sufficient to meet the expenses. With respect to the loan of 80,000,thaif. made to Greece, and which produced 67,008,000 drachmas, the report shows that not leas than 60,814,267 drachmas were dispersed in requisite expenses, so that a very small sum indeed really reached the hands of the Government ; yet Greece is ready to submit to all sacrifices to pay interest on the whole sum, but at the same time she hopes that the protecting powers will take her embarrassed state into consideration. The report concludes wish another allusion to the Western r wen There is nothing in the public mind of Greece at this time which can give umbrage to the European powers, or prevent them from regarding her with the feelings of good will. which have always been her hope and her strength. Above all private interests, the throne is encompassed by the love and devoted. nese of the whole nation. But to succeed in its supreme mis sion, the throne or Greece should be sustained by the unani mous protection of the great powers, the antagonism of any one of which would paralyse its most persevering exertions. 'What they can most effectually do for the happiness of Greece is to strengthen the royal authority, and enable it to execute what is good without regard to opposing personal interests. TURKEY. A telegraphic despatch from Vienna on Wednesday announced that the Ministerial crisis at Constanti nople, brought about by the resignation last week of Aali Pacha, was now over. Redschid Pacha is Grand Vizier; Etliem Pacha, Foreign Affairs; while Aali Pacha and Fuad Pacha are Ministers without port• folios. AMERICA. Intelligence from New York to the 12th has been received. The election of Mr. Buchanan was certain. Illinois had voted for him. The numbers were— Buchanan, 174; Fremont, 114. The Hon. John M. Clayton, ex-Secretary of State, died at Dover, Delaware, on the 9th inst. The notion that he had been overreached in the famous Clayton- Buiwer treaty is said to have killed him. _ _ _ The re-opening of the African Slave Trade and the extension of the Slave States over Central America is seriously proposed and canvassed by the Southern States journals. The accounts of Walker's victories at Grenada and Massaya had been confirmed, or rather repeated. Walker's position was regarded as more favourable. ____ _ .•___--- -- ------ ---- .........,..ni (.1 ine world' but let any alliance with any viscount RAYNKAII later in the evening delivered a Massey& had been confirmed, or rather repeated. country perish rather than that, as Englishmen, we should speech, in which he acknowledged his unbounded Walker's position was regarded as more favourable. sacrifice anything fundamentally connected with our rights admiration of the foreign policy of Lord Palmerston, INDIA AND CHINA. and liberties. justified the interference of England and France in Sir Robert Peel next touched upon the Neapolitan the affairs of Naples, and expressed his confident Despatches from Trieste have arrived, bringing question : intelligence from Bombay to November 3. Final belief that if the dark shadows now vi s ible on the in course of execution for embark- All knew that rec en tly a very serious step had been po li t i ca l ho r i zon did i nvo l ve us i n another war , arrangements we the expeditio re taken by the Government of this country in ceasing to E ng l an d wou ld b e as w i ll i ng as ever to put her The fleet was ing nary corps fo r the Persian Gulf. hold diplomatic relatio ns w i t h t h e G overnment of Naples. fortunes into the hands of the noble lord the mem- expected to sail on Nov. 10. It was said that now there were some concessions to be ber for Tiverton. --- --- • INDIA AND CHINA. Despatches from Trieste have arrived, bringing intelligenca from Bombay to November 3. Final arrangements were in course of execution for embark ing the expeditionary corps for the Persian Gulf. The feet was expected to sail on Nov. 10. THE PRESS. Cant not Sastion. The Queen and the Royal Family continue in com parative seclusion at Windsor. Prince Frederick William of Prussia leaves Wind sor next week for Paris. _ _ Her Royal Highness the Princess Mary of Cam bridge completed her twenty-third year on the 27th instant. Viscount Palmerston entertained the Cabinet Ministers at dinner on Wednesday. The Countess of Jersey and Lady Clementina Vil liers have arrived in Berkeley-square, from the Bed ford Hotel, Brighton. The countess and her ladyship leave town in a few days for Middleton-park, Oxford shire. Volitual. A CABINET COUNCIL was held on Monday at the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury, in Downing-street. The Ministers present were Viscount Palmerston, the Lord Chancellor, the Mar• quis of Landsdowne, the Earl of Harrowby, Sir George Grey, the Earl of Clarendon, Mr. Secretary Labouchere, Lord Panmure, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir, Charles Wood, the Right Hon. R. Vernon Smith, Lord Stanley of Alderley, and the Right Hon. M. T. Baines. HIS EXCELLENCY M. DE PERSIONY held a long in terview with the Earl of Clarendon, at the Foreign office, on Monday. THE AIARQUIS TOWNSHEND, SIR ROBERT PEEL, AND SIR CHARLES NAPIER. A DINNER was given last week to Mr. Francis Hunter, of Tamworth, in acknowledgment of the manner in which he had discharged the duties of the mayoralty during the municipal year just ended. The Marquis Townshend, Sir Robert Peel, and Vis count Raynham were present. The toast of " The Army and Navy" was acknow ledged by the Marquis Townshend. He observed that so much had been lately said sbout the navy as to compel him to say something in its defence : There was no doubt gentlemen present who were wit nesses of the splendid display of naval strength which took place a short time since. A finer fleet never put to sea But it had been said that, though the ships were all tha could be wished for, the men were inefficient and wanting in those qualities which seamen ought to possess. He regretted to say that this language was used by the com mander-in-chief of that fleet. Though that gentleman was an old friend of his, he could not help saying that he did not believe the statement. He could ocly excuse Sir Charles Napier on the ground that in a time of war he made use of the expression as a ruse de guerre to bring the Russians out fn.rn behind their batteries; but to hear him make use of it when peace was declared could only be the result of the squabble which he had had with the Admi ralty. It was hard, however, that the navy should suffer from any such discussion. It had been said of Sir Charles Napier that he was wanting in discretion. He ( the noble marquis) agreed with that; but no one could say he was wanting in the discretion which was "the better part of valour." There was not a more gallant man in the service; and he regretted to have heard Sir Robert Peel, in a speech at Stafford not long ago, make use of words which were quite uncalled for, and entirely out of place ; con sidering the situation he filled at that time as a member of the Admiralty, he ought to have been the last to say a word against any man who might be said to be at the top of the service. He was the more free to say this because he knew that the hon. baronet,—than whom no man pos. Reseed more kind and generous feelings—could not but regret that he had wounded the feelings of one who had spent his life in serving his country, and whose name was covered with renown, though in latter days he certainly bad disappointed the hopes of his country by not bringing about an action with the Russians. He (the noble mar quis) knew that Sir Charles had felt it deeply as a slur cast upon his character, the more especially as be felt that Sir Robert Peel might be speaking not only his own senti ments, but those of the board to which he belonged. He was in a state of extreme pain at that moment: and he had written to the Grand Duke Constantine, and also to the French admiral, to know whether the statement of Sir Robert Peel was or was not correct. Sir R. PEEL, in reply for the health of the members of the borough, alluded to the question of the French alliance : It had been a question seriously mooted of late whether this alliance was likely to continue. It was his opinion that the alliance with France had been productive of great good, and would yet be productive of great good for the civilisation of the world ; but let any alliance with any country perish rather than that, as Englishmen, we should sacrifice anything fundamentally connected with our rights and liberties. Sir Robert Peel next touched upon the Neapolitan question : All knew that recently a very serious step had been taken by the Government of this country in ceasing to hold diplomatic relations with the Government of Naples. It was said that now there were some concessions to be SATURDAY, made. But, however this might be, he, like the country at large, was in entire ignorance of the causes which had led to that withdrawal. He thought, however, that when we, in conjunction with a Government like that of France made advances for the purpose of mitigating certain evils, and from some cause or other which had not been ex plained retraced our steps—when this country found that the Beet destined for Naples had not proceeded to its destination, though immediately afterwards our diplomatic representatives were withdrawn—every one must feel, as he did, that the causes which led to this ought to be ex plained. He then came to the Sir Charles Napier dispute : Of course he had as much right to express his opinion about any public man as the noble marquis had claimed for himself that night, for he should not be the indepen dent representative of an independent constituency if he were forbidden to give free expression to the sentiments he entertained on any public question. The noble marquis had been pleased to say of him that be had behaved in a most unseemly manner in speaking of the conduct of the gallant admiral of the Baltic fleet. He had said that though that admiral had disappointed the expectations of the service, it was most ungenerous, unfair, and improper on his (the hon. baronet's) part, as representing the Admiralty on the occasion in question, to make use of the observations he did. But he must submit that, as member for that borough, he was not amenable to what might be the sentiments of the noble marquis. The Marquis TOWSSLIEND: You said it at Staf ford; not here. Sir R. PEEL, in resuming, said : There could be no doubt that the noble marquis made allusion to the subject as bearing on the estimati in in which his conduct at Stafford might be viewed by his constituents. (" No," from the marquis.' That was the direct and apparent meaning of the words he used. (" No.") The noble marquis said it was not his inten tion. Well, the words were certainly exceedingly strong, and were such as it was improper for the noble marquis to use before his ,the him. baronet's) constituents, with whom the noble marquis bad nothing to do, and to whom he (Sir Robert Peel) was alone amenable. The noble marquis might feel very strongly, but so did he, and so did every man in that room ; and it would have been base in him, if, knowing this, he had been afraid to say so. More than this, he knew that the sentiments he had uttered were shared in by some of the highest authorities in the country; and, since the tneetirg at Stafford, the very highest authority in the country had written to him a letter approving of what he had said, and stating that the conduct of Admiral Napier was most unwarrantable. But, while on this subject, he begged to utter his most indignant protest against the exertions which were being made by the gallant admiral—whose failing intellect and shattered nerves made the effort even more deplorable—to lower the character of the British sailor by pandering to the power, and endeavouring to lend a helping hand to ad vance the prestige, of our recent enemy. That was con duct unworthy of any man, and especially one who held such a high position in the service of the country as did Sir Charles Napier. He was sure the noble marquis would endorse that sentiment. The hon. barcnet then concluded by thanking his constituents for the support they had given him. The Marquis TOWNSELEND begged to be allowed to say one word : All he had inteneed to say was that he regretted to see a person holding the situation the hon. baronet did giving utterance in a public assembly to things which ought to form the subject of a court-martial, and he certainly did think they came with a very bad grace from the hon. baronet, he being one of the Admiralty. In respect to Sir Charles Napier, he admitted that be had to a great extent disappointed the country, which might have expected too much; but after all that had occurred in the House of Commons it did seem as if a great deal too much had been said, and he (the noble marquis) felt for the painful posi• tionlin which Napier was placed. Being intimate with him, he had told him from the beginning what a scrape he would get into. If he had remained quiet nothing would probably have been said except that the country would have regretted that a man in whom they had confidence had done nothing at all. But it was that unfortunate cacuithes seribendi with which he was afilicted—the eternal love of talking—that perpetual hatred of leaving. anything quiet, which had been Sir Charles's worst enemy. He (the noble marquis) was not defending him. He thought he was to blame in iwt letting the Admiralty know sooner what was to be done. He allowed months to pass by, and then simply said, " If you had sent me out so and so I could have done so and so." He had brought the storm entirely on himself. But let him remain quiet for the rest of his days, and get over the unfortunate mistake he had made. The noble marquis, in conclusion, expressed his. regret that Sir Robert Peel had taken up the matter in the way he had done, as he bad no intention whatever to depreciate him in the estimation of his. constituents, which, indeed, he felt sure it was in no one's power to do. Viscount RAYNRAM later in the evening delivered a speech, in which he acknowledged his unbounded admiration of the foreign policy of Lord Palmerston, justified the interference of England and France in the affairs of Naples, and expressed his confident belief that if the dark shadows now visible on the political horizon did involve us in another war, England would be as willing as ever to put her fortunes into the hands of the noble lord the mem ber for Tiverton.