The Press.
London, England, 1856-09-13 00:00:00

THE WEEK.

WE can note from week to woek some progress in the drama of
European politics, though the ultimate tendency of events is obscure.
Spain seems, for the Governments of France and England, a pivot of
divergence. The energetic action of Marshal O'DONNELL, naturally re-
garded with much disfavour by Lord PALMERSTON, has been rewarded
by the Emperor of the FRENCH with the Grand Cordon of the Legion of
Honour. This is a sufficient proof that, as regards that country at
least, there is no sympathy or understanding between the Cabinets of
London and Paris. British influence is completely overthrown in
Madrid, while that of France is in the ascendant.

The demonstration of the English fleet in the Black Sea appears
likely to be attended with more serious consequences than was at first
imagined. We can judge only from the tone of our Ministerial
journals. The invasion of Serpents' Isle by eight Russians, with oil
for the lighthouse, was not, one would have thought, an act to call fur
hasty action. The Morning Post, however, is anxious to inform the
public that Lord PALMERSTON determined, without even the form of
consultation with the allied Governments, on sending a British
squadron into the Black Sea. This act seems to have given offence,
not only to Russia but to France, and hence, perhaps, the hints of the
Post, that England must be prepared to stand alone in her policy to-
wards Turkey, should occasion require her to do so.
On the close of the war there were many reasons, one would have
supposed, why England should have cultivated cordial relations with
Russia. The commercial interests of the two countries aro identical,
and the commencement of a new reign afforded a favorable oppor-
tunity for establishing a solid alliance. This policy, for some reason,
was not relished by our Government: occasions were seized for mani-
festing► hostility to Russia in a most offensive manner, and, as the
natural result, the Court of St. Petersburg has thrown itself into the
arms of France. The coronation of the young Emperor has been
seized to impress on the minds of representatives from every part of
his vast empire, that the material power and splendour of Russia have
not been impaired by the war.
The difference between Sardinia and Austria makes progress.
The former continues the armament of her frontier, and holds out to
the Italian peninsula the flag of nationality, while Austria observes
her every movement with suspicion, and is said to be preparing
protests against it. The Ost Deutsche Post proclaims Sardinia to be in
an open state of war against Austria. " War," says that journal, " does
"not consist only in a violation of territory. The rights of the people
" demand that a state of continued menace, iatolerable to good Govern-
" ment, should be forcibly arrested by diplomatic means, if possible."
The relations of England with the two Governments are not clear.
Her alliance with Austria must prevent her from affording Sardinia
say effectual support.

- From Naples no authentic intelligence has been received. Lord
CLARENDON'S declaration that the kingdom of the Two Sicilies was in
so exceptional a state as to justify a departure from the general rule
of non-intervention, remains without effect. It is beginning to be
recognised that the French Cabinet will be no party to any interference
with the independent action of the Neapolitan Court. It is reported
in the continental journals that such a modification of the original
note has been presented as the King will have no difficulty in accept-
ing—a questionable effort of Lord CLARENDON'S to make things
pleasant.
The question of the form of government to be established for the
Danubian Principalities remains completely open. The people them-
selves ardently desire the union of the two provinces. The project is
supported by Russia, and opposed by Austria and Turkey. France
and England have not yet declared themselves.

The impracticable character of the United States' Government
has strangely developed itself of late. The extra session of Congress
has produced no result. The House of Representatives on the one
side, and the Senate on the other, refuse to give way. All attempts at
a compromise have failed, and each new division only confirms the ob-
stinacy of the contending parties. Meanwhile the service of the State
is neglected. The artificers in the military establishments of the Go-
vernment are discharged through want of funds to pay them. The
first step has been taken towards the dissolution of the power of the
Executive. While its force is thus weakened, the hostile parties in
Arkansas are preparing for war on a large scale. Governor REF.DER
has harangued the citizens of New York, calling on them to furnish a
contingent of 3,000 men, equipped midi provisioned for a year's cam-
paigning. The slavery quarrel continues to grow in intensity, and to
present serious peril to the stability of the Union.

A work illustrative of the Treaty of Paris, has been published in
Paris by M. DE BRAUX, a gentleman officially connected with the
Austrian Cabinet. From the summary of its contents given in (la/iy.
nani, the most important part of this essay appears to relate to the
discussion on the affairs of Piedmont. " The logic of M. DE Busex,"
it is said, "is but too clear and convincing when ho demolishes the

(SATURDAY,

" hopes which the Liberal party may have founded upon the ' notes
" presented by the Piedmontese Plenipotentiaries to France and
" England." Events stronger than mere surmises have shown that no
serious action was ever intended to be taken on these notes. The Tri-
partite Treaty of the 15th April isolated Sardinia, and placed her
Court in that embarrassing and perilous position in which she now
stands.

Shirt collars have undergone many changes of late, but we appre-
hend they are yet destined to a more remarkable mutation. The fact
is, there is a fortune to be made just now in shirt collars, and the way
is open for any man with taste and ingenuity. We want an " anti-
ga.rotte " collar. The modern " dogs," we admit, are stout enough and
stiff enough to strangle you, but something is wanted to prevent your
being strangled. No time is to be lost ; the long evenings and dark
nights are close at hand, and garotting on the increase. This week
the police authorities have stated that—

From information received it appears that garotting offences are on the increase ; that
there is a gang of the worst characters, whose location is in the neighbourhood of
Duck•lane and Pye-street, Westminster, and who may be seen nightly arranging themselves
into bands of four or six, and then spreading themselves over different parts of the
metropolis.

We beg inventors to ponder this extract, and to set their faculties to
work at once.

Mrs. STOWE'S new story of " Dred" has been a godsend to tho
critics in this dull time. Opposite opinions have been expressed of
the merits of the title, and the authoress has been attacked for making
an unfair use of individual cases of cruelty and oppression. It is said
that the cases of wife-beating, which figure in our police courts, might
be urged against our institutions with as much justice, as particular
instances of cruelty to slaves against the institution of slavery. The ana-
logy would hold good, if we upheld alaw that no man could be punished
for the beating of his wife, though such beating should be cruel, malicious,
and excessive. We do what we can to protect women from brutal
husbands. In the slave States nothing is done to protect slaves front
brutal owners Judge BULLER made his name famous by "putting a
case " that a man might beat his wife with a stick no bigger than his
thumb. The suppositious illustration was caught up as a legal dictum,
and still lingers iu the vulgar mind. Unfortunately for the black
population, there is no " thumb BULLER" in the States to define limits
within which chastisement shall be confined The law allows any
number of stripes, and any form of punishment which the owner
thinks fit to administer. It does not seem possible to attack with too
much energy this iniquitous principle of law, with its resulting
practices.

The exact reduction of the army, upon which the Government
have now determined, has this week been made public. It will
leave us still a very considerable force on foot, and in a much
better state of organisation than the British army has ever been in
before in time of peace. The troops kept in camp will be practised
in every species of movement real warfare could require. Let
us hope we shall now run but little danger from the inexperience
of military exigencies, which was evinced both by officers and meu
during the last war. The system of hutting both men and horses will
now, we trust, be fully acquired, and we suggest that the myste-
ries of cooking be added to them. This also may not be a bad oppor-
tunity of bringing forward some scheme for the amelioration of the
condition of the soldier. We know that a vast deal has been done for
him of late years ; that he is already a much more intellectual and re-
fined animal than he once was ; but the grand improvement of all still
remains untried—the increase of his pay. As soon as " soldiering "
in this country becomes a scientific profession instead of what it
hitherto has been—a service in which the dregs of the population who
could do nothing else were officered by the wealthy classes who had
nothing else to do—so soon, we say, must a considerable rise take place
in the pay both of officers and men. When an officer was the idlest
man in the community, he had no right to grumble. But he calm°
be expected with hard work to put up with low pay.

The acedunt 4iven by a police officer of two juvenile delinquents
who were last Tuesday brought before Mr. D'EYNCOURT for robbing
orchards at Hackney, is as full of instruction as amusement. These
two young Crusoes had constructed a large cave for themselves under-
neath a brickfield, where they appear to have lived with comfort, if
not indeed with some luxury. A frying-pan and gridiron were found
among their household goods—utensils, we should say, of ominous
import to the eggs and poultry of the neighbourhood. Grilled fowl
and apple fritters were probably the order of the day. The ingenuity
and independence of these young scoundrels is most remarkable.
But then these arJ not the sort of boys to bo sent to hard labour for
three months. Why, after they had been out again a week they
would have a whole colony in the brickfield, or half the brickfields
round London would in time be honeyco►nbed with eaves, like so many
rabbit warrens. No, no ; these are exactly the style of fellows to make
their way capitally in Canada or Australia. Orchard robbing is not a
very deadly offence—at least, we hope not—and we rather respect the
young heroes of the frying-pan and gridiron. We should like to see
them confided for a month or two to the care of our friend Mr.
DRIVRR, and then launched across the Atlantic to rough it in the
backwoods. It was eminently a case for a reformatory, not a jail.

An eloquent essay on employments for women has been issued
by Mrs. JAmEsoN. It contains some startling facts. An instance is
mentioned of fifty per cent. of the girls sent into the world from work-
houses, returning in a ruined state ; while of boys nut above two or

I •

SEPT. 13, 1856.

three per cent. return, through inability to gain a decent livelihood.
Mrs. JAMESON supposes that girls are driven to prostitution through
the failure of honest occupation; and it is a principal object of her
essay to point out employments which might be exercised by women
with great advantage to themselves and tho community. The essay
is as remarkable for good sense as for pure sentiment. Any sugges-
tions deserve attention which are calculated to diminish the monster
vice of our day.

WANTED A MINISTER.
What ! nobody found for Naples yet ?
Have the Government not contrived to get
For the post some promising Liberal pet,
Some acme of Whig perfection,
To go to the land of volcanoes and soap,
Fitted with Austrian wiles to cope,
To bully the King and to worry the Pope,
And give the rebels sufficient hope
To send them by scores to the jail and the rope
Through relying on Pam's protection?

Strange that they can't yet fix on one,
With languages few and scruples none,
And not with modesty overdone,
Jaunty and not judicious!
Strange that their papers still insist
On putting forth such an awill list
Of qualifications that no one w•ist
Were required for that land delicious !

He must show (and he'll want both talent and luck)
That Clarendon's full of genius and pluck,
_ __.

And Pam a second Rienzi.
As for the King, he'll consider him mad
(And tell him so, too) ; when he's very bad
He'll see if a good shower-bath's to be had
To settle his Majesty's frenzy.

He must take 'gainst the " Amorites " each complaint,
In the style of Baxter (that restive saint) ;
He must coax the mob, and the King he must paint

A. few shades blacker than Nero.
No doubt 'twill he au amusing affair—
But unluckily Europe begins to declare
That our Propagandists go everywhere,
And our influence down to zero.

It appears to us that in the case of the unfortunate man, DAvis
Sotomoris, who was found in the river at Hampton-court, the jury
exhibited, in their verdict of last Tuesday, a sounder judgment than
the Coroner. The latter appeared most anxious that they should
bring in a verdict of suicide and temporary insanity. But against
this view of the case are to be set—first, the disappearance of his
property; secondly, the difficulty of accounting for his being found in
the river with a fatal gunshot wound on his person at the same time;
and thirdly, the curious fact that the shot which had entered his body
had not passed through his clothes. No one of these facts, as the
Coroner observed, is irreconcileable with the supposition of suicide,
yet all three together may surely be considered to have
afforded the jury fair ground for the open verdict which they
agreed to. We have also to take into account the revenge-
ful expressions uttered by the man GRAY, and his father's confused
behaviour on the original inquiry. These of course do not amount to
any evidence of guilt, but still we think that, in addition to the other
suspicious circumstances in the ease, they are enough to make a man
hesitate before finding that the deceased died by his own hand.