The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-02-29 00:00:00

THE DAY'S NEWS.

In the House of Lords, last night, after some
merely formal business, a conversation followed,
it still be seen, upon a question put as to. the
conteniplated autliorisation of l4rench emigration

agents at seaport towns in India, and the cessa-
tion of the Coolie emigration from the coast of

Africa.

In the House of Commons last night Mr. J. P.
Hennessy was reported guilty of neglect of
committee duty, to the serious loss of parties,
and a summons was issued for his attendance in
the House forthwith. The Carlisle, Weymouth,
and Dundalk election petitions were finally dis-
posed of. On Mr. Kinglake's motion, seconded by
Sir R. Peel 4 it was agreed to produce copies of the
correspondence which had taken place between
the Government and the Governments of
France and Sardinia, in respect to the proposal

for annexing Savoy and Nice to France,

In committee on the customs acts in the course o:

a desultory discussion on the fourth resolution,
which relates to the reduction of customs duties
on minor articles, and several of these having been
agfeed to; Mr: Duncombe;moved an amendment,
to the effect that the day On cork should only
be abolished with respect to the production of
countries which did not levy any export duty upon
that article, which was'defeated by a majority of
191 to 118. The Chancellor of • the EXchequer

then made a motion, which was at once
carried, limiting the resolution to the engage-
ments of the French treaty, and expressing his
intention to raise the general questiOn SOSe-
qiietitly.
The English proposals to Anstria for the settle-
ment of the Italian question, insist tipon a sub-
mission to. the popular will, as expressed 'in the
revolts of the Duchies, and certain of the States
of the Church; and M. Thouvenel, the French
Minister, all4es the obstinate refusal of the
Central Italians to receive back their exiled
Princes as the ground for adopting- those
proposals, declaring, however, that even yet,
" France would consent to a less radical combina-
tion than that proposing the dismemberment of
those States;'? Russia does not, it seems, abso-
lutely reject . the proposals, but repudiates the
principle of deference to -the popular will which
they involve. The Russian Cabinet has repeated
its wish, however, for the convocation of a Con-
gress of the Great Powers, as the best means of
assuring a durable peace in • Europe,—only, it
requires that this. Congress shall not be fettered .
by any previous stipulations respecting the bases
of negotiation; : While the English Government
refuses to take part in it unless the bases and
limits of its deliberations are first formally settled
and defined. Prussia, .it is understood, coincides
with the Russian Cabinet. Austria, Russia, and
Prussia are tints combined • against France and
England.
English interests, as pitted against French, in
the discussion on .the wine duties, in the House
of Commons on Monday night, had no chance of
being heeded as they deserve. -Mr: Ball.demanded-
the reduction of the English malt-tax in pre-
ference to that., on French wines,—iti :fact. he
demanded. free-trade for the British farmer,. who
was not allowed to have the privilege of putting
his own produce to the best advantage. But the
House, by a considerable majority, as our ;report
of the proceedings showed; iiegatiVed his proposal.
The honourable' member did not hesitate to
declare, that he " hold the whole of this subject
to he an abomination, and he would be much mis-
taken if it did not inflict injury. on the people
of this country, Who would for the first time find
out what free-trade at the hands of the, Liberals

really meant." •• . • •
By the overland mail, which was received in
London yesterday, we learn that the Budget of
the Chancellor of India—Mr. James Wilson—
was beginning to be anticipated with much
interest. Mr. Wilson had been taking pains to
make himself acquainted with the circumstances
of the country,- and had •put himself •in communi-
cation with the leading merchants and manufac-
turers, in. order, no doubt, to ascertain what fiscal
regulations it will be the • most expedient to fix
upon. His reception, it is stated, bas everywhere
been most favourable. . .
Mr. Gladstone would-Seem to' expect that our.
middle classes, and the better part of our vorkin
classes, now that they will be able to get French.
via ordinaire as cheap as the French themselver
—since our import duty will not exceed their
oetroi,—will
,bcconte. considerable „consumers of
that article. But this is'inore'than,.doubtful,
Our English ale and porter Are infinitely superior
as refreshing and re-invigorating. beverages ; and
Englishmen, of the clasS.referred.to, will scarcely
. be persuaded to the contrary, by any reduction in
price of the thin, and often sour, common wines
of France. "The Frenchman," says the Times,
"likes his via ordinaire because he drank it from
his childhood; and, as he drinks it with water,
he does not care if it is rather acid. It remains
to be seen Whether our moist -climate will give as
great a zest for this class of wine as the dry air
of France." • Yes—" it remains to he seen." But
there will be more than " the dry air of France"
required, or we are much, mistaken, to give
Englishmen a greater zest for such poor wine
than for their more generous native malt.
The Times asks, with reference to the French
Emperor's new designs regarding, Italy, if his
Imperial Majesty, as the liberator of that country,
can really now forbid the consummation of his
own work ; and argues, that "if there .is to he no
great Italian kingdom, there can be no pretence
fur strengthening the frontier line. of France,t,,r
maintaining that " to seize upon the ter,!Liz of
be
Piedmont under such circumstances.n Conscience
undissembled robbery ; and the coin
in;ut, questions
of Europe would not endure
It
timps he intends to
our astute contemporary, •
"
powers of the Church,
forego all thoughts of that near French province,
.-
°NNAcustria ? Perhaps
and to speak softly g
a-aill to
difficulty in order that
to bow before the hostile p
he may be only raising a
have no very
iniceayas. the price of
lri:momv;itnyg ask Sy Sapveoi-sh-
aapsnahe'N
determinate resolution about the matter ? The.,
wind bloweth where it listeth, but who shall tell
whence it cometh or whither it' goeth ?" Who,
indeed,--especially when it is the will of one so
sub
We give a report to-day of the Board of Trade