The Press.
London, England, 1858-08-21 00:00:00

THE PRESS, AUGUST 21, 1858

of her subjects, is a striking testimony of the value which
the heads of the British Government attach to friendly
relations with France. As to the French Government,
the language of the Emperor Napoleon 111. on such a
solemn occasion needs no comment, It barrack politicians
had already " greased their boots " for the passage across
the Channel, ther over-zeal has been decidedly disap-
pointed. The intelligent and enlightened declarations of
the Emperor have completely blotted out what is called in
England " the addresses of the colonels."

The Revue then proceeds to discuss the practical
merits of the Cherbourg fortifications •
We shall not presume to offer en opinion on the value
of Cherbourg as a naval fortress. We arrived there under
the impression of the well-known words of the Emperor
Napoleon, comparing the works of Cherbourg to the
Pyramids of Egypt to l to Lake Mceris, and of the cla-
mours of some English journals, which represented that
port us a position of attack against England. An itispec-
,tion of the place, and the judgments we have heard ex-
pressed by military and naval men, have, we must avow,
singularly modified that impression. Cherbourg is a won-
derful and admirable work, but as a military position it
evidently bears the mark of its artificial origin. When
Louis XVI., after the war of American independence, which
was so glorious fur the French navy, was present at the
sinking of the first cones employed in the construction of
the breakwater, the site of that erection was chosen in cor-
respondence with the means of attack and defence em-
ployed at that period. Neither the gunboats now con-
structed, nor the lono.range guns such as are now adopted,
were then known. Experience had made but little progress
in such matters when the works were resumed and con-
tinued by Napoleon. The result of this is that whatever
may be the strength of the batteries and of the fortifications
of Cherbourg, the breakwater, if the present means of
attack he taken into account, is at too short a distance
from the port and from the dockyard. This circumstance
unfortunately deprives Cherhonig of agreat part of its force.
It is evident, in the hypothesis of a naval war, that the
struggle for the rule of the sea will be conducted on very
different terms than in the past. In case that the domi-
nion of the seas should not be possessed by France, it
would be a serious imprudence on her part to concentrate
her principal naval resources at Cherbourg. Her squadrons
would be in sett). only at Toulon or at Brest. The same
reason deprives Cherbourg of that power of aggression
against England which has been so loudly denounced by the
English press. Before assemhliug at Cherbourg the fleet
necessary for embarking an expedition against England, it
would be necessary at least to risk an irreparable disaster
by solving in the Channel, against the English squadrons,
the question of the empire of the seas. Cherbourg is un-
doubtedly a great defence for France, and no English
squadron would attempt to insult it; but there would be so
much rashness in collecting there the means for effecting
a landing in England, that it can never have the offensive
character which has been attributed to it. Such are the
conclusions which are left in the minds of those who have
seen the place, and it is this opinion which has been car
vied back to England by the visitors from that country-
We there( ire hope that the alarm recently excited by a
portion of the press in England will be soon dispelled.

The came reviewer also comments on Mr. Roe-
buck's speech at Tynemouth, and somewhat ungal-
lantly endorses the opinion he expressed on the ab-
sence of personal attractions in the women of Cher-
bons g

Mr. Roebuck did not find the women on the coast of
Cherbourg ti his taste; and he, perhaps, was in the right,
for it is difficult to meet with a pupulatism less picturesque,
or whose features are less attractive than those of the iu-
habitants of Cotentin.

We conclude our extracts from the Revue des
Deux Mondes with the following strong reflections
on the tribe of pamphleteers which has sprung up
lately in Paris. These remarks are especially ap-
plicable to the latest pamplet published, in which the
conquest of England is discussed :
We cannot express sufficient contempt for those pam-
phleteers who speculate on old prejudices, and who choose
the very moment when the two Governments so solemnly
protest in favour of the alliance to deceive public opinion
in the two countries, to excite reciprocal mistrust, and to
inspire doubts in the sincerity of the great acts of which
we have just been witnesses. The proceedings of the
authors of the pamphlets to which we allude aro as re-
volting as their calculations are disgraceful. They trans-
form pretended conversatons at St. Helena into a sort of
political Koran ; they profane the memory of their pro-
phet by attributing to him all kinds of absurd and apocry-
phal divagations, on the faith of domestics who passed
themselves off to the world as his posthumous secretaries.
They seek to stupify France by an absurd glorification of
herself, which would load us, if we were to tolerate it, to
the infatuation which has led the Turks and the Chinese
to persuade themselves that they are the first people in the
world. Under favour of these gasconadea, they preach to
France a sort of Islamism against England. The Govern-
ment has many singular and compromising friends. For
want of sufficient liherty of the press, men of business, so
prompt to take alarm, foreigners who are ignorant of the
origin of these warlike inspirations, regard these shameful
pamphlets in a serious :ight. The latter would not issue
from their obscurity, and would not even give the Govern-
ment the trouble of a disavowal, were the currents of
serious opinion left with open confidence to their natural
movement.

The Journal des Actionnaires contains the fol-
lowing :
We entertain the firm hope that under the influence of
the Cherbourg meeting the movement of commercial and
manufacturing infairs, which were for a moment paralyzed
by fear, and by the hostile passions to which the Emperor

alluded, will soon be actively developed. We ham slrekt, escaped from the depression to. which our public fonds
seemed to be fatally contletnneu. The Three per emus
have risen to Ifl f. A reactionary movement has, it is true.
caused them to decline, but the circumstancesin themidtt of which we live, the absence or abstention of speculator,
and the situation of the market, explain this movement:
which, moreover, was the inevitable consequence of a rapid
rise. But the signal has been given ; the clouds coiketed
on the political horizon have been dissipated by thebrilliast
consecration which the alliance o f the two great Western
nations has just received, and we may anticipate that ics.
nufactures, commerce, and all great and serious eater.prizes, will know hew to profit by the impulsion.

CIVIL SERVICE OF INDIA.
The following are the selectal candidates out of
sixty-seven competitor, at the recent examination
for appointments in the civil service of India, held
under the superintendence of the Civil Service Coto.
missioners

J. Geoghegan Trinity College, Dublin.
T. F. W. Sniith
W. Tyrrell
H. L. P. Wynne. Oriel College, Oxford.
Hugh Morris Edinburgh University.
D. Fitzpatrick Trinity College, Dublin.
C. W. P. Watts University College. Oxford.
C. G. Sperling Merton College, Oxford.
D. M. Gardner Brasenose College, Oxford.
C. J. Powlett
E. H. Whinfield
W. C. Eadea Trinity College, Dublin,
J. Ward Caius College, Cambridge.
A. Brown Queen's College, Oxford.
J. S. Armstrong Trinit College, Dublin.
H. J. Macdonald Corpus Christi College, WTI
H. M. Birilwood
A. M. Macregor Trinity Hall, Cambridge.
F. Jones . King's College, London.
J. F. K. Hewitt Christ Church, Oxford.
Civil Service Commission, Aug. 19.

SECOND EDITION.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

THE PARIS CONFERENCES.
The Moniteur of yesterday publishes the follow-
ing :
The Plenipotentiaries of France, Austria, Great Britain,
Prussia, Russia, Sardinia, and Turkey met on Thursday at
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to sign the Convention
relative to the organization of the Principalities of Moldavia
and Wallachia.
The exchange of the ratifications of the said Convention
will take place at Paris within five weeks, or earlier, if
possible.
I t is only after the accomplishment of this formality that
the text of the Convention can be made public.

THE IMPERIAL PROGRESS IN FRANCE.
HENNES, Aug. V.

This morning took place the grand Breton enter-
tainment, given to their Majes•ies by all the Maims
of the Department of Ille et Vilaine. There were
340 persons present.
The Emperor delivered a speech, which was re-
ceived with the warmest acclamations. He promised
his best assistance in developing all the resources of
Brittany.
His Majesty is at this moment passing in revies
the whole of the troops in garrison at Rennes.
To-morrow, at ten o'clock, their 'Majesties will set
out for Pails, where they will arrive at six in the
atternoon.

The report of the Metropolitan Board of Works
for the year ended June 30, 1838, appeared yesterday
in print. The board refer to their former proceedings
in connection with the main drainage of London.
They say it is obvious, from the wide range and re-
condite character of the inquiries connected with the
main drainage question, that a large share of the time
and attention of the board and their officers must have
been devoted to the subject, and that the conduct of
the elaborate investigations incident to the successive
plans which the hoard have been required to prepare
must have occasioned a very considerable expen-
diture. The surveys, plans, awl estimates connected
with improvements in the thoroughfares and commu-
nications of the metropolis have also been attended
with great labour and expense. From the unsettled
state of the main drainage question, and the uncer-
tainty which has hitherto prevailed as to the lines of
sewers which might eventually be approved by that
departmeilt of the Uovernment charged by the statute
with the ultimate determination of the plan, the
board have been obliged to defer the execution of
extensive sewerave works until the question shall
have been finally decided, and proper outlets provided.

At the Hammersmith police-court, yesterday,
Lieut. Clavering was placed at the bar,
having sat'
rendered in discharge of his bail, charged, on his
own confession, with having caused the death Of
John (iate!.., »ear Acton ; aud, after a repetition )f
the evidence already given, was disabarged•