The Press.
London, England, 1853-07-23 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

INSPECTION OF NUNNERIES.
Befbre resuming the discussion of this topic on
Wednesday some preliminary inquiries were made
regarding the condition in which Mr. Chambers's bill
on the subject (entitled the " Bill for the Recovery
of Personal Liberty in certain Cases") was left by the
last division. It wax then explained by the Speaker
that the defeat of Mr. Bowyer's amendment had left
the word "that" as the sole notice of motion on the
paper, and the adjourned debate must be taken on
the amendment moved by the hon. member for Bath

Mr. Minn).
On this subsidiary motion, which suggested the
appointment of a committee of inquiry, the bill itself
having been negatived, a debate was commenced by
Mr. BALL, who treated the question as practically
decided by the house in their previous votes, but
nevertheless expatiated at much lenvth on the libels
which he declared were systematically circulated
against the Roman Catholic religion and the cha-
racters of its professors.
Mr. E. BALI. remarked that all religion was founded
on charity, and charity forbade our giving needless
offence to members of a different communion, or in-
sulting those who differed on some points of faith from
ourselves, without having had a single fact substan-
tiated to warrant us in interfering by a commission
of inquiry. He detailed the results of a tour of in-
spection over several convents, which had led him to
the conviction that they were most useful establish-
ments, notwithstanding all the slanders and calum-
niations that had been propagated concerning them.
Mr. WHITENIDE argued for the necessity of the
inquiry, and cited decisions in the Irish courts of
law and equity showing that the inmates of these
monastic establishments required protection from
undue influence. The course pursued by the clergy
of the Roman Catholic religion with respect to the
Irish colleges was a proof that Catholicism was not
friendly to the spirit of education. He was disposed,
however, to look at the question as one relating to
property, and iu that view, sooner or later, whatever
might become of this motion, an inquiry must take

Mr H. DRI'MMOND ridiculed the simplicity of Mr.
E. Ball in forming his estimate of conventual estab-
lishments, and announced his determination of
opposing the pretensions of the Church of Rome
and the doctrines of her priests as subversive of
order and incompatible with constitutional govern-
ment.
Mr. P. O'BatEN, Mr. ROCHE, Mr. FITZGERALD, and
Sir J. TYRELL prolonged the discussion until ten
minutes to six, the hour of adjournment, when, upon
the suggestion of Lord PALMERSTON, the debate was
postponed until August 10.
THE EDINBURGH AND CANONGATE ANNUITY-
TAX ABOLITION BILL.
In moving the second reading of this bill, on Tues.
day, the LORD ADVOCATE gave some historical details
respecting the tax which it was designed to modify,
and which had produced much bickering and ill
feeling, in Edinburgh. The tax was first imposed in
1601, to replace the revenue formerly derived from
the bishopric of Orkney as provision for clergymen
in the Old. Town of Edinburgh. It consisted of a
rate of 6 per cent, on house property within the dis-
trict, the College of Justice, judges, barristers, and
attorneys being exempt; and there were eighteen
ministers, who drew incomes of 000/. a year from its
produce. The present proposition, which was
founded on the report of a select committee, and re-
sembled very closely a bill brought in with the same
object by the late Government, comprised the follow.
ing changes :—The exemptions were to be abolished ;
the number of ministers diminished to fifteen, and
their incomes to 5(K)1. per annum ; the amount of
rate reduced to 3 or 4 per cent.; the tax converted
into a regular municipal tax, and any deficiency that
might arise paid out of the Consolidated Fund ; but
this anticipated loss was to be made up hereafter
from the revenues of the deans of the Chapel Royal,
which, on the deaths of the present holders, were
successively to fall into the ministers' fund.
Mr. J. B. SMITH moved the rejection of the bill,
which he denounced as being an attempt to perpe-
tuate, under a modified form, a system whose injus-
tice demanded utter abolition. He advanced a
variety of statistical considerations to prove that the
members of the Established Church in Edinburgh
were too few to justify the continuance of a public
provision on so extravagant a rate to the number of
ministers which the bill contemplated to maintain.
When the tax was first imposed the thirty thousand
inhabitants of the royalty to which it referred were
all of one religion ; but now, although the number
of the ministers and their salaries had been largely
increased, the churches of the Establishment were
empty, there not being more than 5,0(X) out of the
30,0(X) inhabitants attached to it, while the remainder
were either Catholics or Dissenters, or belonged to
the Free Church.
Mr. HADFIELD, who seconded this amendment,
called the bill "detestable." "It was terrible," he
added,
" to think hew the religious discussions in that hoses

influenced the minds and exacerbated the feelings of the
best and kindest members. There eras the honourable

member for Warwickshire (Mr. Spooner), a mau of the
gentlest and kindest sympathies en ordinary subjects, and
yet he would boil Catholics alive it he dared." (Laughter.)
An Hux. Mammas: Oh no! mast! (Laughter.)
Mr. MACAULAY, regarding the truest interests of
his constituents, warmly supported the bill. If not
the best possible measure that could be devised on
the sultject, it was at all events the best practicable
measure. He intended in this case to pursue the
same course which he had adopted, and in which Mr.
O'Connell had concurred, tegardiug the Irish
bishoprics. Though believing that the Irish
Church was too large, and wishing to have its reform
and retrenchment carried much further, they had
nevertheless supported the measure introduced by
the tiovernment on that occasion under a belief that
uo stronger bill could have been carried through
Parliament. So now, therefore, he should vote fur
the present bill, believing it could be passed, while a
more extensive measure would be defeated. Mr.
Macaulay then detailed the peculiar grievances
which his constituents sustained under the existing

system :
" lu the first place, the cost of the Church Establish.
went in Edinburgh is anomalous. It is out of proportion
with the spiritual wants of the people, and with the
general scale of the Church Establishment in Scotland.
The district which is liable to the annuity tax contains
60,000 inhabitants. The other great Scotch towns which
contain about the same number of inhabitants are—
Dundee, Aberdeen, and Paialey. At Dundee the whole
charge of maintaining the clergy dues not exceed 3,00 W. a
year ; at Aberdeen it averages the rams sum ; and at Pais-
ley it averages between 1,0001. and 30001. At Edinburgh
it nuts up to between %MN. and 10,0001. if my hon.
friend the member for Montrose were in his plan, be
would be able to tell us that the annuity tax, though it is
the cause of great discontent in that burgh, does nut there
exceed 4501. a year, paid by 17,001) inhabitants. (Hear,
hear.) In Edinburgh it is 100101. a year, paid by 66,000
inhabitants, being a ithierrnee of one to five rat &lin.
burgh. And in other parts of Scotland the 'proportion
is equally pet oeptible ; for I am told that in the royalty of
lilisgow, where there is a population of 150,000 persons.
the charge of maintaining the clergy does not exceed
4,4501. a year ; so that the Church of Edinburgh costs, in
proportion to the population, more than three times as
much as that of the other great towns of Scotia d. That
feet were in itself rufficient to explain the great discontent
with which the annuity tax is regarded in Edinburgh.
But this is not all ; there is another injustice, and a
most oppressive one, connected with this grievinicie—
namely, that the College of Justice is exempted trots the
operation of the tax. Whom does that exemption include?
In includes all the judges, all the officers of the courts of
justice, the whole faculty of advocates, the writers of the
signet, and all the solicitors of the superior mute.
(Hear, hear, hear.) Edinburgh is not a place of great
trade. It has no great commercial resources. Shine it
has ceased to be the seat of the Court—since Parlia-
ments and Privy Councils have ceased to assemble there, its
aristocracy has chiefly consisted of members of the legal
profession. (Ilear, hear.) In our age, it is in the College
of Justice that you must seek for the aristocracy of Edin-
burgh. But the College of Justice is exempt from the
annuity tax, so that you have a system under which the
moat opulent part of the community is released hem a
vexatious tax, which is rigorously exacted from the poorest.
There is yet another view of the question which renders
urgent the necessity fur remedial legislation. Edinburgh
is one of the few places in Scotland in which the burden
of the ecclesiastical establishment is nut borne to a larger
or greater extent by the ancient revenues formerly belong-
ing to the Roman Catholic Church. A portion of those
revenues, very considerable in value, was granted, in 1641,
to the city of Edinburgh, in the most solemn form, fur the
maintenance of the clergy. That was the time when
Charles the First had been compelled to establish the
Presbyterian form of church govenimeut in Scotland ; and
this grant was made to the city of Edinburgh on account
of the special charges and peculiar expenses to which that
city, as the capital of the kingdom, was liable. But in
latir times, namely, in the reign of Charles the Second,
the grant was taken away, without reward or compensation,
and the lands lapsed to the Crown, and have remained
with the Crown ever since. This resumption by the Crown
of the Church lands, formally assigned to the city of Edin-
burgh, was greatly instrumental in bringing about the
state of things which this bill is designed to remedy.
Edinburgh complains, first, that the State has laid on it
the charge of a too great church establishment ; secondly,
that the State hex exempted from the expense of that fatal).
lishment the people best able to pay ; and, thirdly. that
the State has taken away, and appropriated to its own pur-
wsH es, the ancient Church lauds which ought to have
borne the burden of the clergy."
The right hon. member concluded by imploring the
house to pass the bill for the sake of the honour of
the establishment and the peace of Scotland.
The discussion was prolonged until the hour came
for the adjournment of the morning sitting. Mr.
Boit:rem and Mr. COWAN supported the bill. Col.
Burn and Sir A. CAMPBELL, opposed it., as infringing
the rights and retrenching the numbers of the estab-
lished clergy; Mr. J. M'Oaxoott, Mr. Mui.t., and
Mr. Cowsx because it perpetuated a tax upon the
majority in order to endow the religion of the mi-
nority; and Lord SEYMOUR and Mr. E. Et-tact;
because they objected to pay the clergy out of the
Consolidated Fund. On Thursday Lord ELCHO with.
drew the bill, the advanced period of the session al-
lowing no chance of its being carried.

270

INDIA BILL.
The committal of this bill was resumed on Monday
night. On the clause (22) which adds legislative
councillors to the Council of India, for making laws
and regulations, a prolonged debate ensued, in re-
ference to an amendment moved by Sir H. MAD-
DOCK, providing that three of these councillors should
be European or native subjects of the Crown, but
neither in its or the Company's service.
Mr. Hums moved that it he incumbent on Govern-
ment to appoint a Hindoo and a Mahoraedan to the
Legislative Council.
Sir It. bums resisted this proposal, as not cal-
culated to satisfy the natives, and as wrong in prin-
ciple.
Sir C. Woon opposed both amendments, observing
that for some years at least the government of India
must be a despotism, but adding that he believed
that the employment of natives had progressed as
far as was expedient for their own benefit. He ar-
gued at considerable length in favour of the arrange-
ment proposed by the bill.
Lord STANLEY believed that the bill did not include
sufficient or effectual provision for the employment
of natives, and wished to have it improved in that
respect. He nevertheless could not approve of a
proposal which might place in high office unqualified
men, who had no experience of the civil service.
The debate closed by a division, in which the
original clause was affirmed by a majority of 111 S to
33. The committee was then adjourned until Thurs-
day, when several clauses were carried without, or
in spite of, opposition.
The 31st clause, fixing the salaries of some of the
high functionaries in India, provoked a debate, in
which Mr. Bnionr made some personal charges re-
specting the use made in certain CMOs of the direc-
tors' patronage.
Mr. T. Mats* and Sir J. W. HOOO denounced the
animus evinced by the hon. member in attacking the
members of the Leadenhall-street board, and called
upon him to substantiate his allegation by names
and details. This, however, he refused to do, though
affirming that his charges were founded upon facts
communicated from a respectable and credible source.
Sir C. Wool), referring to the salaries of the direc-
tors themselves, for which the bill makes no pro-
vision, expressed his readiness to raise them to
1,0001., instead of 500 f., if the house should be
favourable to this increase.
At the 33rd clause the progress of the bill was
again suspended.

VACCINATION BILL

On Wednesday the second reading of this bill,
which has already passed the 1 t pper House, was
moved by Sir J. I'AKINOTON. The measure renders
vaccination compulsory under pecuniary penalties, M
and the right hon. baronet accompanied his motion
with many facts showing the unsatisfactory results
►
of the voluntary system. The mortality from small-
pox was greater in England than in almost any other
European country ; and in regard to the public wel-
fare it, was incumbent on the Legislature to devise
more stringent means for enforcing the use of the
appropriate remedy.
Lord PALmniorrox admitted that an ample case
had been made out for some improvement in the law
on this subject, and the Legislature were especially
bound to provide against the spread of a fearful
disease, which proved most fatal to the lower and
ignorant classes, who were the least likely to exercise
foresight and prudence on this account, and there-
fore stood in greatest need of protection. He accord-
ingly consented to adopt the principle of the bill,
although convinced that considerable alterations
were required in its working clauses, particularly
those which related to the enforcement of the con-
templated penalties.
Mr. BRADY and Sir O. STRICKLAND opposed the
bill ; the hon. baronet contending that any introduc-
tion of the compulsory principle war objectionable.
He wished to have vaccination wholly voluntary,
trusting to education to overcome the prejudices now
existing against its use.
Mr. FRSWEN also opposed the bill, which was read
a second time.

ATTORNEYS' CERTIFICATE BILL.

The hill for abolishing the duty on attorneys' cer-
tificates came before the House of Commons on
Wednesday, when Lord K. GIIOSVENOR moved that it.
be read a second time. The noble lord declared that
the modification which Mr. Gladstone had proposed
to effect in the amount was more distasteful than the
original tax itself. The attorneys had suffered from
recent legislation, and deserved a compensation. He
had hoped to find the Chancellor of the Exchequer
dealing with this and other imposts in a compre-
hensive manner, instead of clinging so desperately to
the rags of taxation.
Mr. 31110101r0H characterised the measure as a
" sham," which he inferred that Lord It. Grosvenor
had brought on only that it, might be defeated,
having for that purpose delayed it until the legal
members of the house were absent on circuit.

THE PRESS.

Mr. How, though convinced of the injustice of
the tax, felt bound to retain it as being a part of the
budget, which as a whole he approved.
The CHANCELLoR of the EXCHEQUER resisted the
motion on financial grounds. His surplus, as he
showed from the figures, had almost melted away
under the influence of other reductions. The solici-
tors' duty he considered could not justly be abolished
without also rescinding or reducing the stamp duty
on articles of clerkship, and the loss on both items
would exceed the amount he could prudently afford.
Two imposts now stood before him for selection, both
of which had been marked out for abolition by votes
of the house, but under very different circumstances,
and, as he could not grant both, he thought the
advertisement tax ought to bear the first place :
" There will be a surplus of from WWI. to 100,111101.
left in our hands. What are the demands which are made
upon us? They are two in number It is demanded, in
the first lace, that we shall repeal the advertisement duty,
which will cost tits MAIM.; and it is demanded, in the
second place, that we shall abolish the attorneys certificate
duty, which will volt eta f40,91NW. more. Now, it is plain
that, if both of these duties are to be repealed, we shall
have to catty on the financial operations of the year, not
with a surplus, but with a deficit. (Hear, hear.) We are
asked to give up 11111,1100/. in two sums of 80,000/. each,
with the knowledge that, if we accede to both demands,
we must start with a deficit upon the financial calculations
of the year. At first the opinion of the Government was,
that the most prudent course would be to make neither
of the alterations proposed ; and upon that condition we
submitted our financial plans to the house. You know
how those plans were received. I will not speak now of
chance divisions taken at a late hour in the evening, but, if
I refer to the division taken some three weeks ago with
reference to the advertisement duty, I must admit that it
indicated a strong feeling and desire on the part of the
house that that duty should be repealed. (Cheers.) Our
opinion was that it would have been more prudent not to
have repealed that duty ; our opinion is that we cannot re-
peal both duties, and we are not prepared to accede to such
a proposition ; but 1 have no hesitation in saying, if the
question comes to be between one duty and the other—if
the house is disposed to press for the repeal of the adver-
tisement duty in opposition to our views, and if we are to
exercise a judgment upon the subject—that we cannot
conscientiously secede to the repeal of the certificate duty.
(Hear, hear.) We admit, on the other hand, that the
house has shown a strong desire fur the repeal of the
advertisement duty ; and what we say is, that, if one of
these duties is to be repealed, that one ought not to be the
attorneys' certificate duty. ( Cheers.)"
Colonel SIIITHORP said he had seen many Chan-
cellors of the Exchequer, but never so bail a one as
the present, every one of whose measures he felt
called upon to oppose.
The house divided :
For the second reading
Against it
Majority —34
The bill was consequently lost.
DURHAM ELECTION.
The committee on this eleetion have presented their report.
They rind that the strayer of the petition under consideration was
palpably illusory, and presented the remarkable anomaly of the
opponents of a candidate praying that he might be duly elected.
That Mr. l'oppork, who adopted the responalbility of this forme(
petition, stated it to be. in his opinion, the only means of putting
an end to a petition which he believed to be trivolons and vexa-
tions, and which means he considert4l to he rendered necessary
hi consequence of the enure,. adopted by Mr. Brown. That they
must regard with L disapprobation an attempt made on the
one side to get rid of opposition to a eandidato by the threat of
a petition ; and on the other, the defeat of that petition by pre-
senting another, the prayer of which was avowedly rietitiotts end
illusory, and calculated to interfere with the rights of a consti-
titeney by indueing Parliament to delay the issue of the writ.
The emataittee are of opinion that the state of the law, which
permits the valuable right of petitioning to he perverted from a
remedy for public wrong into a weapon of eleetioneering warfare,
deserves the serious consideration of the house.
BOROUGH OF PETERBOROUGH.
Mr. Ramify on Monday moved for a select committee to In-
quire into the allegations contained in the petitions of certain
electors tuni inhabitants of the city of Peterborough, presented
on the Ist of July, complaining of the interference of Earl Fitz•
williani, as peer of the realm, at the election in December last,
and at previous elections. Mr. Bright read extracts from the
petition, in order to show the extent to which the Fitzwilliam in-
fluence, by means of the Fitzwilliam prtmerty, had been main-
tained in the city. do paramount and erualting was that influence
that the electors, he said, would he content to allow Earl Fitz.
william o retina one representative it' they were permitted to
return the other.
Mr. FITZWILLIAM seconded the motion, believing inquiry to
be necessary for the vindieation of Lout Fitzwilliain's character.
Themotion was agreed to.
THE HUNGARIAN REFUGEES.
In reply to a question (rem Sir J. WALMatiI.Y.Y.
Lord J. Rostothi. said he had heard of the seizure of a Hun-
garian refugee, named Keats. by the captain of an Austrian ship
of war at Smyrna. acid of his being carried on board that vessel,
Mot he had been informed that it was with the e eirrenee of the
Turkish authorities. No information whatever had been re-
ceived as to any demand made by Austtia Mr the expulsion of
Hungarian refugees from Turkey.
ADVERTISEMENT DUTY.
The Citxxcet.Lon of the ExeltEtwEß eti on Than.
tiny that the Goventment had deferred to the wish of the
majority of the house with regard to the advertisement duty.
Mr. 'MOUT inquired when the duty would erase?
The Cuascetason of the Earns-41.En hoped dune was no
reason why the hill should not become law at the end of next
week or the beginning of the following week.
THE LATE PLYMOUTH ELECTION.
Sir J. SHELLEY has placed on the orders of the day a notice
of his intention, on the 2nd of August, to call the serious atten-
tion of the house to the special resolution of the Plymouth elec.
thou
eonunittee, reported on the 10th day of May last ; and to
move, that the Attonwy•General be directed to prosecute Charles
John Mare, Etas.. the late member for the borough of Plymouth,
fur bribery and other corrupt practices.

SATURDAY,

AVINGS BANKS.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUICH OU Thursday withdrew
the Savings Bank Bill on aceount of the late period of the
session, and stated that before the commencement of next
session the bill should have further consideration. He observed
that, if the security of the country should be given to the deposi-
tor, it could be effected only under the most efficient control over
the management and the funds.

CASE OF THE CABMAN PHILLIPS.
On Thursday night Mr. BRIOUT referred to the decision of Mr.
Henry, the Ikew-street magistrate, in sending a cab-driver to
prison for a month because he did not happen to have five
shillings in his pocket to give security for the expense of arm:er-
ten:nig whether a certain distance was more or less than lime
miles. He could not have believed that such a ease was true.
were it nut that the newspapers were generally so accurate in
their reports of police cases. It appeared to bun to a sort of
ease which might very well have happened in Turkey or in
Itussia—Wear, licor)—but which ought not to have happened in
this country. He wished to know whether the attention of the
home Secretary had been directed to the matter.
Lord Miami: from promised to direct an inquiry into the cir-
cumstances; ut present no information had been given him on
the subject. He would, however, entreat the house to suspend
their judgment, because, although the reports were generally
very accurate' yet there had been cases in which very materiale
rrors bad been committed. lie hoped, therefore, that in this
ease the house would suspend their judgment.
Mr. Hun,: wished to know whether the noble lord's de-
partment was preparing a list of distances.' It was the want
et' proper distances from station to etetiou that created the whole
difficulty.
Lord PALMERCTON said there was an officer now employed in
measuring distances.
_ _ _ _

COUNTRY POLICE.
A seleet committee of the House of Commons, in a report just
issued, recommend that legislative measures should be intro-
duced without delay by her Majesty's Government, rendering the
adoption of an efficient police force on a uniform principle
perative throughout Great Britain.

foreign ant( Colonial flitiligentt.

[From our own Correspondent.]
Pen's, July 21.
The Emperor and Empress visited the camp of
Satory on Monday, accompanied by General de
Lourmel and Captain Execlinens, Naval Aide-de-Camp
to his Mtkiesty. The Empress arrived in an open
carriage, having on her left the Princess d'Essling.
The departure of their Imperial Majesties from St.
Cloud on their journey to Pau, which was to have
taken place about this time, is momentarily deferred,
owing to the uncertainty as to the turn diplo-
matic affairs may take with Russia, on the receipt of
the answer (anxiously expected) to the joint propo-
sitions of England and France. The Fite NapoNan
falling on the 15th of August, the Emperor will be
present to receive the customary official compliments.
There are still rumours of ministerial changes. M.
Fould will inaugurate his nomination to the Ministry
of Finance by a projet de loi for the conversion of
the 4i per Cents. to :3 per Cents. This important
financial measure would require the stamp of success
to justify it against the accusation of temerity. It is
affirmed that M. de la Guerroniere is to be named
"Grand Master of the University." This dis-
tinguished writer has this week made a great sensa-
tion by his letter published in Le Pays—journal de
tEmpire, which caused a rise in the funds, from its
extra-pacific tendency. It is generally credited
that M. de la Guerroniere is the chosen depositary of
the thoughts of the Emperor—that is always, of those
he chooses to give to the public. Hence the im-
portance attached to all that falls from the pen of
this gentleman. The Queen Christina has been
receiving visits from all the homrnes marquants of
Paris at Malmaison, the former residence of Jose-
phine. Her Majesty has given two private audiences
to General Narvaez. Her visit to Paris is evidently
of a political nature ; the return of the general to
Spain and to power is said to be among her objects.
There are sad doings at the Court of Madrid; and
the cabals of the palace impede greatly the march
of the Government.
Mrs. Beecher Stowe failed to produce any sensa-
tion here. She is now at Geneva, where subscrip-
tions of 10 cents. are being raised to present her with
a fund for the liberation of black slaves. But the
Russians have made the Parisians quite forgetful of
everything not connected with their "sweet selves,"
and have thrown negro philanthropy into the shade.
Poor Mrs. Beecher Stowe ! I hope she may revisit
Paris when the magnanimity of the Czar may have
permitted peace to Europe, and allowed the
"pouring out" of more enthusiasm on the talented
authoress of Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Arrests still continue to be made in the case of
the conspiracy against the person of the Emperor,
which demonstrated itself at the Hippodrome
and at the Opera Comique. There are many
foreigners and vagabonds no doubt among the
prisoners, but there are others gravely implicated
who are French, and of far different standing in
society. The I'refect of Police,i M. Pietri, keeps a
profound silence among his most intimate friends an
to the names of these latter ; and in this he acts
justly, until the culpability and degree of culpability

JULY 23, 1853

of each is judicially verified by the constituted
authorities.
Huge quarters of Paris are falling under the bat-
tering-rams of the builders and contractors, and a
fair idea may be formed, without travelling farther,
of the ruins of Palmyra. The former tenants are
running about the remaining streets in search of
lodgings, like rats displaced by the fall of an old
German castle. In such a state they must of course
pay handsomely to be taken in. To meet their sad
case rents are nearly doubled.

The Paris press continues to be occupied, and the
Bourse agitated, chiefly by the Turkish idtticulties.
Among the public the impression gains ground that
all the difficulties will find a pacific solution, and the
Government journals arrive at a similar conclusion.
There can be no war, they say, because the question
is now reduced to a point of formality.
More arrests had been made by the police, and it
is said that such a clue to the secret societies has
been obtained through the revelations that have been
obtained, that the authorities can at any time lay
hold of at least two-thirds of their members. They
are very numerous, but the assertion that nearly two
thousand of them have bound themselves to attempt
to take away the life of the Emperor is a gross
exaggeration. The number of persons arrested on
account of the attempt at assassination at the Opera
Comique exceeds 200.
On Wednesday the trial of parties accused of revo-
lutionary designs, under the name of " Commune
Rivolutionaire," headed by the refugees Felix Pyat,
Caussidiere, Boichot, and others, commenced before
the Tribunal of Correctional Police with closed doors.
The magistrates have interdicted the taking of notes
for the purposes of publication.
M. Huguet, the shawl-dealer, in the line Richelieu,
who was condemned to eight days' imprisonment for
illegally wearing decorations, appealed to the Impe-
rial Court against the sentence. His appeal was re-
jected, and the punishment increased to fifteen days'
imprisonment.
It is said that the proposed journey of the Emperor
and Empress to the south of France has been coml.
termanded.
Grand preparations are making at St. Cloud for
fetes to be given in honour of Queen Christina of
Spain.
The great rise in the price of bread, which was
unexpected after the recent more favourable accounts
of the harvest and general fall in the corn markets,
has produced a great sensation among the poorer
classes. The bakers' shops have been besieged by
thrifty housekeepers, anxious to lay in as large a
stock as possible before the new tariff came into
operation.
Wednesday's Moniteur contains the following
decree :
" The prohibitions imposed by the ordounance of the
sth February, 1t416, will cease provisionally as to cony and
flour imported from the possessions of the United King-
doms of tireat Britain in Europe."
The Mats gives as the result of general inquiry
that the crops are in so flourishing a condition as
that nothing short of continued wet for the rest of
the season can prevent a favourable harvest. Some
corn already cut had been found to be of unusual
fulness in the car.
The income from the indirect taxes and revenues
in France (luring the first half-year of 1853 exceeds
by '22,000,000f. the income of the corresponding half-
year in 1852.
The Gazette du Languedoe has just been" warner
for an address to the Count de Chambord, plainly
conveying to that Prince the intention of the Legiti-
mists to regard him as their lawful head.

GERMANY.

Count de Buol Schottenstein, Austrian 31.atister
for Foreign Affairs, addressed a circular, drO*4l 4th
July, to the Austrian agents abroad, anm mincing
to them that, from the commencement of the con-
flict between Russia and Turkey, the Ca binet of
Vienna had taken great pains, both with the con-
tending parties and with the other great r owers, to
effect an amicable solution of the question. , and thus
to prevent complications which might en, langer the
general peace.
Bodies of Austrian troops are still mars hing to the
south. A brigade of 8,000 men was o a the 14th
inst. sent to Great Beczkerek. On the same day a
battalion of foot and a train of ponto ans were di
rested upon Peterwardein. Anoth ar battalion
marched on the 15th, and a squitilroi of hussars
were sent in steamers down the Dam the. A large
force is now concentrated In the neig jibourhood of
that fortress.
Some of the inhabitants of the Di mullion princi-
palities have sought refuge on the Au Arian territory.
They were expelled by the Russian s, who did not
like their presence in their native coy ntry.
The King of Prussia was to pros. *4l on the 19th
to Erfurt. On the following day he intended to visit
the Elector at Cassel, and the nee proceed to

'T'HE PRESS.

Paderborn and other places in Westphalia, and re-
turn to Berlin on the 2:inl.
Mr. Baron, paid attache to her Majesty's lega-
tion, has left Berlin to join the Stuttgardt mission.
In consequence of cholera prevailing at Copen-
hagen, the Danish steamers running between that
place and Stettin are ordered to perform four days'
quarantine at Swinemiiude.

ITALY.