The Express.
London, England, 1855-06-06 00:00:00

NEW AUSTRIAN PROPOSALS.

It will be seen by our Lords' report that at the
Anal meeting of the Vienna Conference on Monday
a new Austrian proposition was made ; that Prince

Gortchakoff asked if he might send it to St. Peters-
burg, but that the French and English ministers
replied that they were not authorised to agree to
such a step. The exact nature of the proposal was
unknown to Lord Clarendon.—Daily News.

LAST NIGHT'S DEBATE.

THE second night of the adjourned debate on
the result of the negotiations at Vienna was, if
possible, more dull and disappointing than the first.
Mr. COBDEN made merry, in his somewhat peculiar

style of mirth, with the alleged inconsistencies of
his old friend and ally, Sir WILLIAM MOLESWORTII.
The House laughed, and nobody was much the worse
or the wiser. Upon the whole, it would be wrong to say
that the speech of Mr. COBDEN was not successful.
It we. obviously intended for the Opposition, whose,
attention throughout and occasional applause it woo.
The design, hardly palpable at the outset, grew clear
as the advocate of peace at any price developed his
views ; and towards the close all disguise was laid

aside, and the Derbyites found themselves zealously
cheering the once hated and feared tribune of demo-
cratic interests, now become an apologist for the
superior moderation of aristocratic opinion on the
subject of the war. To their Conservative
sympathies and apprehensions, Mr. COBDIEN did not
scruple to address more than one appeal; and his
example was followed, later in the evening, by a
more accomplished practitioner in the art of political
versatility.
We omit the numerous minor speeches which
occupied some tedious hours in unimpressive and un-
instructive chopping of well-worn phrases, and come
at once to that of Sir JAMES GRAMM. Much, in a
certain sense, was expected from him on the occasion
—perhaps most by those who knew him least. His
friends—or at least, those about him whom his
habitual oscillations and fluctuations keep in a per-
petual fret and fear—having heard him accept the
taunting challenge of Lord PALMERSTON before the
holidays, knew well that long before the recess
was over Sir JAMES would, be seized with the

shivering fit; and that nothing wu so unlikely u
that he would resume the tone of denunciation and

reproach of his former colleagues in which he had
taken leave of them ten days before. The result in
every respect verified such anticipations. Nothing
could be lower than the quicksilver lut night in this
remarkable political barometer. The manner and
the matter of the lengthy statement of the right
honourable baronet were in perfect keeping,—for
under every change of part and scene, Sir haus
never ceases to be an artful, and, in many points,
an admirable actor. But manner and matter were

both in the deprecatory style of the sick Cardinal.
He had a clean breast to make of it; his past sins
and shortcomings were all present before him; in-
terest in the future he could have none; but a so-
lemn admonition it was his duty to pronounce to the
nation and the Legislature. Words to this effect our
readers will not find, indeed, in the sinuous windings
of hip speech, which reads like something between an
historical lecture and a court chaplain's sermon on
the wickedness of unwarrantable war. But all
this and a good deal more questionable is in sub-
stance to be found in the strange and dismal
harangue.
Both the advocates for the resumption of negotia-
tions cast aside all reserve and delicacy regarding
France. By both, Ministers were called on to break
the seals of diplomatic confidence, and to declare
whether they had not overruled the Cabinet of the
Tuileries on the question of the limitation of Russia's
naval forces in the Black Sea ; and Sir JAMES did
not hesitate to endorse the rumour that the retire-
ment of M. DROUIN DE LUDES was attributable to no
other cause.
At the conclusion of his harangue the member for
Carlisle addressed himself particularly to the philo-
Austrian views enunciated on the preceding night
by Bic BULWEa LITTON, in all of which it is untie-
emery to say that he cordially concurred. The pc.
licy of the Court of Vienna ought, according to
these new confederates, to be the touchstone
wholes the edge of our national honour and courage
would be set. The improbability of our ever get-
ting active aid from Germany is rather noticed in a
toss of triumph than of regret ; and the sagacity and
Them of thus forfeiting all the boasted pledges and
premises of the last twelve months is eulogised with-
out reservation. "The paramount policy of England
mad of Austria," said Sir iAllgB Clasuau, "is the
suss, and that policy is pesos." Why was not this
knew held while the orator was a member of the
cabinet that began the war, and which, up to the
latest hour of its existence, assured the country that
Austria was committed to an alliance with France
and England against Russia, in the eventualities
whisk bare now occurred ?—Daily News.

THE AGE OF CHIVALRY IS GONE.
LABE night it pleased Mr. COBDEN to attempt the
facetious. Warned by the experience of Mr. L4TABD,
he did not venture to discharge his sarcasms against
men. He chose the safer line of calumniating wo-
men. The sainted NICHOLAS had a taste for flogging
females, and his admirers amongst us imitate him as
of English law will allow. Mr,