The Press.
London, England, 1855-05-19 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

the real state of the army. We were in ignorance longer
than we ought to have been of the state of the army in the
East.
The CHAIRMAN.—Did you not obtain complete informa-
tion through the newspapers ?--We obtained a good deal
from them, certainly.
In answer to Lord Szyxoua the noble earl said, he re-
garded the separation of the departments of the War and
the Colonies as a sufficient measure for the time, but only
as initiatory of other changes.
Lord SEYMOUR referred to the evidenoe of the Duke of
Newcastle, who said he was dissatisfied with the system of
all the great departments under him.—The noble earl said
the Duke of Newcastle might have expressed such dissatis-
faction to him in general terms, but he made no repre-
sentation upon any particular subject. The Duke of New-
castle might have said the Board of Ordnance wanted re-
organisation, and there was a general opinion to that effect.
The Minister of War conducted his business at his (Lord
Aberdeen's) official residence, and declined to assume the
responsibility of the Commissariat Department until the
business of that department could be conducted under the
same roof which covered his own office.

Was the want of houseroom the only reason why the

Commissariat Department was not transferred to him until
the 22nd of December ?—Yes ; the only reason; but, al-
though the details were not referred to him, he gave direc-
tions before that, whenever he thought fit to do so.

Do you think it desirable to keep the Secretary-at• War
as a Cabinet Minister ?—I do not think it is indispensable,
but on the whole, upon the present occasion, I thought it
very desirable.
Do you think it advisable to retain the office to main-
tain a control over the expenditure of the army ?—Un-
doubtedly.
You would keep it a separate office, and not merge it in
the Secretary of War?—Yes.
The committee have met more than once since
for the purpose of considering and preparing their
report to Parliament.

A MEETING OF PROTESTANTS VMS held on Tuesday
at the Amphitheatre, Liverpool, Dr. M'Neill in the
chair, to discuss the propriety of continuing the en-
dowment of the College of Maynooth. The chair-
man earnestly opposed the grant, quoted the opi-
nions of several bishops against it, and denied the
statement recently made by Mr. Horsman in the
House of Commons, that it was understood that one
of the objects of the Act of Union was the establish-
ment and support of an endowment of Maynooth.
The Rev. Hugh Stowell, after denouncing the insi-
dious efforts made in behalf of Popery, moved a re
solution to the effect :

That, as a matter of history, the pecuniary assistance origin-
ally rendered by Great Britain to the College of Maynooth was
not au annual grant, but merely a donation in aid of the funds of
an institute established by Roman Catholics themselves; and
that as a question of policy the continued and increased support
to the College of Maynooth has proved at, utter failure.
The resolution was carried, and another to the fol-
lowing effect was also adopted:—

That, as matter of principle, the national endowment of the
College of Maynooth is at variance with the spirit of the British
Constitution and opposed to the laws of Almighty God, and
therefore dangerous to the best interests of the State.
A petition to both Houses, founded on the resolu-
tions, was then agreed to.
THE drawings contributed by the royal children to
the Patriotic Fund were sold on Monday according
to announcement. The Princess Royal's drawing
was purchased for the sum of 250 guineas. The
Prince of Wales' brought 55 guineas, and the remain-
ing drawings by the Princess Alice, Princess Helena,
and Prince Alfred, 30 guineas each. These interest-
ing works have become the property of persons who
attach a genuine value to them, so that they will
not be made objects of speculation ; and the owners
have considerately allowed them to remain at Bur.
lington-house, where they will be exhibited during
the season. Many very interesting drawings have
been added to the collection since the exhibition has
been opened in Burlington house.
THE officers engaged in organising anew regiment
of militia, to be called the 6th Lancashire, have
sworn in 1,253 volunteers for this service, but of the
summonses issued to these men for drill 758 have
been returned from the Post-office marked "Not
found." Some of these men, it is hoped, may yet
turn up ; but there is reason to believe that the
greater portion have given false names and addresses,
and that they have thus taken the first instalment
of the bounty without intending to fulfil their con-
tracts
MERCANTILE LETTERS from St. Petersburg men-
tion that since the breaking up of the Vienna Con-
ferences fresh life has been given to the overland
trede in Russian produce, and that the Government
are taking active steps, by the repair of roads, &T.,
to organise it as thoroughly as possible. At the
latest date several thousand casks of tallow were
being despatched.
A PETITION is in course of signature amongst the
members of the Stock Exchange praying that the
committee will abbreviate the period of business on
Saturdays by., one hour—that is to say, advocating
the official termination of business at two o'clock,
and the closing of the house at three o'clock on Sa-
turdays. As a further step towards the adoption of
the Satin day half-holiday system this movement de•
serves encouragement.

SATURDAY,

prtign Curtsy,Ottrt.

FRANKForrr, May 14.
THERE is no longer any middle course pursued by
the representatives of the Diet. Germany is openly
and not covertly Russian, and falls back upon the
spirit of the Congress of Vienna in its reliance upon
Muscovite protection. In other respects, the worthies
whom M. de Benkendorf had formerly purchased for
the Prussian market have received orders from
Prince Peter of Oldenburg, and a " marionette"
spirit of pseudo-independence has been hatched to
act against Prussia and Austria in case of need.
For the present the seeds of disaffection have been
sown and are growing with luxuriance. With the
ghost of the kingdom of Poland in phantasmal
mockery, and with a substantial domination over the
German princes, the Emperor of Russia can and
will bid defiance to Europe. The folly of the
Crimean expedition, without adequate means, has
long been felt here ; and when even Sebastopol may
fall, the only effect would be to secure the Black
Sea, which is already controlled by the allies. Upon
this point the Ambassadors of France and England
did not sufficiently insist.
The diplomatists of Frankfort ridicule the humble
position of the allies at the Conferences, in being
compelled to take the initiative whilst actual masters
of the Euxine. Lord John Russell and Lord West-
morland were outwitted. By placing Austria in the
presidental chair, she became freed in effect from
the compulsory clause of the December treaty to
act offensively against Russia; and the adjournment
of the conferences sine die does not displace her
from the continuous office of a presiding umpire.
This is the more especially evident, tad demoa-
strated by the motion of Earl Grey in the House of
Lords, and by that of Mr. Gibson in the Commons.
The Whig movement is a plot and intrigue to
embarrass the Conservatives, and is well constrved
in Germany, with the further avowal and private
declaration of M. de Bismarck, M. de Prokersch-
Osten, and the members of the Diet, that Austria,
by the acts of the Plenipotentiaries and the English
Parliament, is released from the obligation of offen-
sive operation against Russia. The Whigs in
England affirm that means have bee' neglected by
the allies to secure peace, and that Russia offered
fair terms for negotiation. Lord John Russell was
aware of the nature of the something about to be
proposed by the Russian Plenipotentiaries, and
quitted M. Drouyn de Lhuys upon a precise under-
standing thereon. And this he made known to
M. de Bnol. M. de Bnol, as a matter of precon-
certed course, coincided with M. Drouyn de Lhuys
in the propriety and acceptability of the Russian
propositions, having previously ascertained," peraria,"
the dispositions of the English Plenipotentiary.
After these two movements, the first at Vienna, and
the second in England—but consequent the one ou
the other—how can England demand the armed inter-
ference of Austria against Russia ? The answer is
simple and unadorned. She will properly say, "We
agree to the propositions for peace which the Whig
Earl Grey and his bosom friends, Mr. Bright, Mr.
Cobden, and Mr. Milner Gibson, and Lord Sohn
Russell, pardessous main, and M. Drouyn de Lhuys
openly consider to be fair and equitable. We
have fulfilled our mission honourably, and without
reservation, and we will not be entrapped into an
act of injustice against our old ally of Russia, which
is disapproved by the Whigs in the English Parlia-
ment." The Coburg policy is triumphant. It is
" vue et approuvee" at the Diet of Frankfort.
But the Emperoz Napoleon refuses to be cajoled,
and is greatly displeased with Lord John Russell.
In fact, the motion of the Whigs, his inveterate
opponents—always excepting Lord Palmerston, who
is of a doubtful gender in politics only—is directed,
point blank, against the warlike spirit of France and
the Conservatives in tho English Parliament. So

far the Whig proceeding has been unsatisfactory to
Germany, by demonstrating to France that the
" entente cordiale" with England depends upon the
Conservatives and the people, as against the Whigs
singly, minus Lord Palmerston. The strength of
the Conservatives, would they but act, is well known
at the Diet; and they judge rightly that the Protes-
tant feeling is not likely to permit Lord John to bow
the knee to Buol, and suck holy water from his
fingers' ends without some political result; and all
this, together with the hearty reception given to the
Emperor in England, makes the Germans feel
insecure in their Muscovite position. Still, as the
probability of the " volonte de fer" being excited
increases, so in proportion do they incline to fall
back upon Russian legions. 'there can be no
mistake that the failure of the conferences in pacific
result, the incapacity and glaring insincerity of Lord

MAY 19, 1855.

John Russell, and the significant resignation of
M. de Drouyn de Lhnys, have acted in a sense
sinister to the allies in Germany. The utter in-
efficiency and want of governmental assurance of
the English Ministry, and the attempted assassina-
tion of the Emperor, Russianises them still more.
It must not be supposed that this emanates from a
high political feeling, but from the most grovelling
motives of selfishness and dependence ; a selfish-
ness that would sanction the sale of father, mother,
wife, and mistress for a mess of pottage, and a
dependence generated by the long practices of the
helot. J. E. L.

pap anti Colonial 3nttiligutte.

FRANCE.

The Emperor and the Empress will again spend a
part of the summer at Biarritz. The health of her
Majesty was so much benefited by her residence
there last year that sea bathing has been again con-
sidered advisable. The works at the Villa Eugenie
have been urged on so rapidly that in the month of
July the building will be ready to receive its illus
thous occupants.

Owing to the great number of English now in
Paris, a new Evangelical chapel is to be opened to-
morrow in the Cour des Coches, No. 30, Rue du
Faubourg St. Honore. Divine service is to com-
mence at twelve o'clock.

The rumours which have lately been in circula-
tion in Paris that an appeal would be made for
250,000 more men, and a new loan, are formally con-
tradicted.

Workmen are at present employed in Netting out
the orange trees in the garden of the Tuileries. They
are about two hundred in number, and were planted
in the reign of Louis XIV.

GERMANY.

Count Coronini, Commander-in-Chief of the Aus-
trian army of occupation in the Danubian Principali-
ties, has proclaimed martial law.