The Press. — London, England, 1856-11-15 00:00:00

1086 THE OCCUPATION AND STATE OF GREECE. M. MANZAvINo, of Manchester, has this week ad• dressed a letter to the Times denying the constant statements from " Foreign Correspondents " that the continued occupation of Greece by the allies is ac ceptable to the Greeks or to the benefit of the country. M. Manzavino admits the policy of the occupation upon the breaking out of the war ; but, be writes-- The Russian war is at an end ; the allies know very well that Greece cannot, even if she had the inclination, attempt to overthrow the Turkish empire, supported, as it is, by the treaty of Paris. The continuance, therefore, of the occupation of Greece is not consonant with its original object. If, however, the allies have any secret motive or intention for its continuance, let the people of Europe at least know that we do not acquiesce in it, that we consider it as an insult to our independence and as an act of op• pression by the strong upon the weak. Let the public know that every Greek in and out of their kingdom, with the exception of about a score who would sacrifice the in dependence of their conntry to obtain the reins of govern ment—l say, let the public know that all of us regard the continuance of the occupation with sorrow and bitterness —that we are attached to our King and Queen, and are satisfied with the present Government. Why, if the con trary were the fact, the nation, with such an amount of exterior pressure against its King, would have sent him out of the kingdom long ago. But what do we see? During all this period not one city nor one village has made a show of resistance to the Govern • ment. The taxes are paid with more regularity than ever before; tne robbers who alarmed end devastated the country are all exterminated ; the greatest tranquillity prevails in all parts of the kingdom ; the King both rides and walks in the streets of Athens and its environs unattended ; the nation prospers, for '20,000,000 drachms are calculated to enter Greece this year from its raisins and silks alone, and above all, 6,010,000 drachms have been sent by Greeks residing in foreign parts as donations, and for establishing a commercial steam navy. I ask any politician if lie calls these signs of dissatisfaction on the part of the people to wards their Government. Where are all those tyrannical acts of the Government, and upon whom inflicted ? Where the fettering of the public press? Where the unjust imprisonment, the bastinado, the barisnment of a subject, the seizure of one's property, or the assault of one's person or honour ? Give us an example ; publish any fact, and then compile all the bile of the Athenian correspondence. It is not my business to speak of what the allies think proper to impose upon the King of Naples for humanity's sake, bat the difference in the state of the two kingdoms is vast. Yet the publica tion of a letter by Louis Blanc on the sufferings in Cayenne brought forth an article from the Times well worthy the attention of those it concerned. I wish the Times would favour us with another leader on the continuance of the occupation of Greece, and en lighten us as to the cause of it. M. Manzavino then alludes to our administrative system in the lonian Isles : Does the Times know that in the lonian Islands the high secret police, the worst class of officials in any country, are still employed? Are yin aware that often citizens are seized and imprisoned or banished to the rocks of a small island without being convicted before any tribunal, and solely because .:heir political opinions are not acceptable to the High Commissioner? Are you aware that more than six years have elapsed since M. Helias Zervos and Joseph Manforato were banished to a small island distant from their homes, and not allowed to he visited by their families, and all because, as independent members of the House of Representatives, they dared to express their liberal opinions; and because they do not condescend to beg for freedom, and thereby renounce their principles, liberty is withheld from them? This statement I read in a newspaper with the greatest amazement. I feel confi• dent that if these poor men could have communication with the land ( but they are well guarded) they might possibly tell tales that would put the revelations of M. Louis Blanc into the shade, and would startle the English public. Our present system of foreign policy, he declares, is winning for us the hatred and contempt of every nation in Europe : It does not belong to me to say in what estimation an Englishman is now held in the East—in fact, on the whole cantinent of Europe ; hut 1 can any that when I was young and capable of receiving moral impressions with enthusiasm, I was taught to look upon an Englishman with admiration, gratitude, and love, because the same feelings were nourished by all our fathers. What is it now? In Russia he is considered as an open enemy, in Germany as a meddler, among the Turks as impotent, and I shall explain why; among the Christians of Turkey as a friend of the barbarians and an enemy to their liberties, in Italy as a revolutionist who leads you to rebel and leaves you to the mercy of the tyrant, and in Greece as arrogant and an oppressor of the weak. This is what the present policy of England has gained the last few years. To myself and other foreigners who reside in England is, however, well known the character of the country and its people. We well know the liberties you enjoy, and we envy your constitution. What, then, is the cause of this. vast difference in the character of an Englishman at home and ahroa I—that he is to he admired at home and disliked abroad ? The principal cause, in my opinion, is that to the internal affairs of his country every Englishman pays the deepest interest, but to foreign affairs he is as negligent and careless as 1 am of the affairs of China—per haps more so. _ THE PRESS. He concludes : I must say that if the affairs of Greece are to be dis- cussed in a council of the protective powers, it must be known that the occupation of Greece is considered by the whole nation an insult to its independence; that its King is beloved; that the present Government, under existing circumstances, is the best that could be expected ; and that if the protective powers are willing to do something for the real prosperity of Greece, the best would he to ex tend its confines to some proper limits, that she may pro tect herself from the robbers who enter the kingdom from the adjacent Turkish territory. By so doing you would not only save Turkey from further revolutionary move ments and acquire the gratitude of the Christian popula tion, but you would save Greece the enormous expense n: keeping an army of 8,000 soldiers to protect her extended frontiers from the depredations of robbers. THE LORD MAYOR'S DAY. ALDERMAN FINNIS inaugurated his mayoralty on Monday with a show of more than usual " glory and magnificence." Ancient customs were revived, — knights and banners, watermen and warders, wor shipful companies, emblematic. figures, trumpeters and sheriffs, and troops of dragoons and horse artil lery, abounded; while gaudy liveries, big bouquets, pink silk stockings, and pretty pages surrounded the City's Anointed : but the feature of the show was the agricul tural portion. Mr. Boydell's immense traction engine and endless railway looked an unwieldy affair, and its merits not being sell apparent at a harried glance the magnificent grey plough-horses harnessed to it engrossed the largest share of attention. The apparatus appeared to be in motion, and was worked by three or four attendants who looked unmistake able Cockneys. The endless railway was succeeded by a gigantic car, drawn by four splendid horses, tower ing high over even the heads of the mounted police, and decorated with agricultural produce from the celebrated Tiptree-hall farm. This produce con sisted of sheaves of rich-looking wheat, trusses of hay, huge turnips, carrots, potatoes, and mangold wurzal. The approach of this remarkable combina tion of nature's products and man's ingenuity was hailed with shouts of applause and expressions of wonder. The car contained also one of Burgess and Key's patent reaping machines ; but the ingenuity and utility displayed in this meritorious object were lost in the general admiration of the turnips and mangold-wurzel. The steam plough of Mr. Fowler, drawn by two horses, completed the part allotted to agriculture in the proceedings of the day. _ _ The streets were crowded. The route from Guild hall was up Cornhill, along Leadenhall - street, Aldgate, Minories, Postern sow, and thence by Tower hill into the Lord Mayor's own ward, where he was loudly cheered from nearly every house. The pro cession then moved along Eastcheap to London bridge, and thence by water to Westminster. On arriving at Westminster-bridge a salute was fired, and the Lord Mayor and the civic dignitaries having landed, proceeded to the Court of Exchequer, where they were received by the Chief Baron and other learned judges. The Recorder, upon presenting the new Lord Mayor, then addressed the court : It was the pride of Alderman Finnis that he was one of the first to lead the way to establish commerce on the banks of the Euphrates and the Tigris: and there now existed in the city of Bagdad a commercial house of which Alderman Finnis was at once the founder and the head. Thus be had given encouragement not only to commerce but to science, for he had been mainly instrumental in advancing those great discoveries which were associated with the name of Nineveh. As regarded the descent of Alderman ' , lnnis, he might remind his lordship that he was descended from those who held a respevtable but modest station amongst the gentry of the county of Kent, and that amongst his ancestors he reckoned the names of those who had filled the office of chief magistrates of the Cinque Ports. Early in life he had been anxious to devote himself to the navy, but two of his elder brothers having died —one, who was in the navy, having fallen during the war, and the other, who was in the army, having died in India—his friends were induced to select for him the more peaceful pursuits of commeroe. For forty-two or forty. three years Alderman Finnis had pursued his business on the same premises which were now identified with the name of the firm of which he was the head. It was not likely that such a man should not attract the notice of his fellow•citizens, anti accordingly he was elected a councillor of the Tower War.]. In the course of a few years, during which he gave many proofs of signal usefulness, he, on the death of Alderman Limas, the alderman of the same ward, succeeded to the magistracy and the gown. lie (the Recorder) could state from his own experience that a more able, a more intelligent, or a more impartial magistrate did not exist in this metropolis. He felt that when the time came when they would have to look back to Alderman Finnis's career as Lord Mayor, it would be seen that he had fulfilled all the expectations so justly entertained of him by his fellow-citizens. He believed Alderman Finnis was. besides, a man of a liberal mind and expanded under standing, which would assist all corporate measures fur amelioration and improvement on which that body was earnestly bent. After a few words in praise of Aldarman Salomons, the Lord Chief Baron replied in the usual oongratu- SATURDAY, latory speech, the oaths were administered, the in vitation to dinner given, and the ceremony concluded. The procession then re-formed, returned to the barges, and was rowed back to Blacktliars-bridge, where a disembarkation took place, and the proces sion, augmented by the ambassadors, her Majesty's Ministers of State, the nobility, judges, members of Parliament, and other persons of distinction invited to the banquet. passed through New Bridge-street, Ludgate-hill, Ludgate-street, St. Paul's-churchyard, Cheapside, and King street, to Guildhall. The streets leading in and out of the City were throughout the morning the scene of great bustle and excitement. Scarcely a thoroughfare was with out its band of music, or of strolling " Nigger " minstrels and acrobats. But greatest of all were the indefatigable " patterers," who are never at a loss to attune music and poetry to the events of the day. The songs found not only an audience, but ready purchasers. In one of them was the fol lowing lament . Away they go, the high and low, Such gtor►ous sights was neverseen, But still the London Lord Mayor's Show Is not as it has former been ; When old I)ick Whittington was Mayor, And our forefathers used to go, They had not got no peelers there, To guard great London Lord Mayor's show. In another verse a description is given of the night's banquet, and we are told of the talk, and the feast, and the fashion : They will talk of Russia, France, and that, And mention how the money goes ; Each man will eat a peck of sprats, That's the fashion at the Lord Mayor's shows. THE BANQUET. The usual banquet was given in the evening. The Guildhall presented a very brilliant and beautiful appearance. The decorations were this year Entirely peaceful—figures of plenty, and paintings and transparencies of peace and the arts and sciences. The brilliant illuminations of the hall, the elegantly dressed ladies who participated in the banquet, the military, naval, and diplomatic costumes which gave variety to the scene, the scarlet robes of the judges, sergeants-et-law, and aldermen, the flowers and ever greens liberally distributed upon the walls, and the numerous large mirrors, made up together a coup d'cail of remarkable beauty and splendour. Among the earlier arrivals was his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, who was loudly cheered on entering the hall. Lord Palmerston also met with a warm reception. The diplomatic corps was repre sented by the Minister of Brazil and the Minister of the King of Hayti. The company were received in the Council Chamber, and upwards of 1,300 sat down to dinner. After the usual loyal toasts, the LORD MAYOR pro posed the health of his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge : His Royal Highness had nobly fought the battles of bia country in the late war, and he now held the high and re sponsible post of commander•in•chief of the army. He had great pleasure in welcoming his Royal Highness to the City of London, and proposing the toast of his health. The Duke of CAMBRIDGE, who was very warmly received, in the course of his reply, said This is the first time that I have had the honour of addressing my fellow-citizens since my appointment to a higher and more important public position than that which I have hitherto held. lam aware, in having under taken the discharge of those duties, much is naturally and fully expected of me; but I hope you will believe in my sincerity when I assure you that it is at all times my earnest and anxious endeavour to perform my duty by my country ; and 1 trust when at some subsequent period it may be my lot to resign or to retire from the office which I now hold, I may be able to do so with the consciousness that I have performed my duty. If in an doing I base obtained the good opinion and won the kindly feelings of my fellow-countrymen, I shall have gained that which is the proudest and most satisfactory recompense to which a public man can aspire. I had expected that probably the Lord Mayor would have honoured me by coupling my name with that of the toast of the at my. He has done me, no doubt, a great honour by proposing it alone; hut perhaps you will allow me to say that which 1 would have done had the opportunity been afforded m--namely, to express, on behalf of the army, their sense of the distin guished et- ention which has been paid to th urn since their return from the seat of war. Perh Tit yo-i vill allow me to say that nothing can be more gratifyln to the army than to meet with the grateful wi 'come old reception which it has experienied in every cc toniuniti , in which it has mixed since the restoration of lifter. 0I no occasion has that kindness been more cordially exhibited than in this great city, and to none more is it indebted than to my excellent friend the late Lord Mayor, who presided at the banquet given to the Guards on a recent occasion. I thank my friend the late Lord Mayor and the city of London for that handsome compliment paid to the army, and I am sure that, whether in the capital city of the United Kingdom, or in Edinburgh, they were equally gratified by the cordial and handsome welcome given to them by those great communities. The best reward which the soldier hopes to gain is the esteem and approba tion of his fellow-countrymen. Englishmen have ever shown that feeling for their army, and I, as the representa tive of the army, feel deeply grateful for the compliment which you have paid them in my person. (Loud cheers.)