The Express.
London, England, 1855-08-15 00:00:00

AUSTRIAN REPLY TO SIR GEORGE GREY'S

SPEECH OF AUGUST 3.

The Austrian Government has just published
Glacially a statement materially affecting the his-
tory of the late negotiations, and denouncing
se inaccurate the views of Austria's part in
them presented in air George Grey's speech on Mr.
Laing's motion. The English minishr, as will be
remembered, said, and it was a cardinal point in his
argument, that the government had no rcason to
assume with certainty that if they had agreed to the
Austrian proposal sad it had been rejected by Russia
that rejection would have led to an immediate dude-
' ration of war on the part of Austria. We qaote the
right hon. gentleman's words;

My he. irked (Kr. Laing) has quoted the speech of ray
nobs* triad (Lord J. linesell), is order to show what his
impressioa was with regard to the intention of Austria in
proposing this siltinealum ; but I mast say, sitar searching
them papers through from beginalag to end, that I oaa flad
no explicit assurance in writing on the part of Austria that
if her proposal hid been acceded to by lingiand and
Franca, sad rejected by Russia, Its rejection would name-
Manly hare planed Austria by the side of the beWgereat
powers.
And again :

I wish to be clearly understood upon this point. I am
not contending that it was net the intention of Austria to
act in the manner in which my noble friend (Lori J. Rus-
sell) was led to believe, from conversations which he had
with Count Buol, she intended to act. Neither am I
im-
puting a want of good faith to Austria, but the government
have been charged with rejecting a proposition after being
distinctly informed that if it was accepted by them and
rejected by Russia, the rejection of it by Russia would
have ranked Auxin upon the aide of the allies, and I am
desirous of impressing upon the house that, with regard
to t►e intentions of Austria, we were rot 'tabled to infer
that even if Russia rejected the proposition she would im-
mediately have declared war.

To answer this argument is the object of the sub-
joined article inserted in the Vienna Gavotte (an
exclusively official publication) on the 11th inst.
Parliamentary transactions of all kinde exercise only a
small influence upon public *pinion on the continent of
Europe, and Ivan is Brained, the mother country of par-
liaments, their prestige ham greatly diminished. In the
latter country the break•up of the great parties long
accustomed to office, has brought about a disorganisation
which renders majorities heterogeneous and unreliable,with-
out common principles and acknowledged leaders. Thus it
happens that thy government of England, suffering from
like organic dieorders, Ands itself compelled to follow the
send humour of the day. This state of things explains
many contradictory phenomena; at the same time it em-
barrasses the relations of other states with Great Britain, and
places the minister who has to govern the country with
strangely composed majorities, in a very awkward predi-
cament.

T►e parliamentary machine, since the dioorganisation of
parties referred to, has worked too irregularly to allow its
leaden to keep steady is a settled course. They are to a
large estent the matures of the parliamentary amossities
of the day.
It is thee that we can underetand, for instance, why is
the psrUamentary debate of Augut 3, Sir George Grey,
following the old parliamentary rule, tefused to lay before
the Bosse of Common the French and Nnglieb oorrespon-
dens, en the grouad of its oosedestial character, although
is the Blao•hook laid es the table of the house not long be-
fogs the goverment had included despatches from the Earl
of Westmoreland relating to transactions with Austria, not-
withstanding they were designated " moat confidential," as
is the ease of despatch No. 16, dated Nay 16. Setae of the
dampest' on the other haul have bees published in a very
isseesplete form. We quite approve the sesistesanee of
the good old rule in the cue of Prance, sad are far from
gemplaining of the departure—partial It is true—from the
1 ems is the ease of Assists.

At the same time it is apperaat from these lays, that it
t►e present state of parliamentary affairs, it may sometimes
happen that only those documents will be presented which
are calculated to plan events in the light beet suited to the
purposes of the day. Precedents for such a course are not
wanting. But if Biz George Grey could repeatedly assert
that no guarantees were to be found that Austria would
have made a cams bells of the rejection of her proposal by
Ruda, the honourable Cabinet Minister must have had a
very imperfect acquaintance with the report. and communi-
eations of the Foreign-offfcs.
We have every reason to believe that the plssipota•
desist of the Western Powers had bean able to send, and in
fact ►ad positively Isla, to their respective courts even before
the 10th of May—after which day all is eertainty—satistao-
teary latelligance on this important point. This fact—which
Mr. Gladstone, la the debate already referred to, styled " a
capital point"—is so important to a right judgment of meet
sweats that we Gonna permit it to be placed for parliamen•
teary parpoess in an equivocal light.
The sots seat on the 10th of May by the Austnan eabi
met to its ministers at Paris and London established most
distinctly what the plenipotentiaries of England and France
bad before telegraphed to their governments, namely, that
upon the non•acceptanee of Austria's intended ultimatum
by Russia, the cams bah would immediately arise, acid
Austria would sign a military convention with the Western
Powers. Had England and France been willing, Bir
George would have had no difficulty in finding Austria's
direct engagement to take pert in the war.

MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT NEAR BRECON.—An sod-
dent of a very melancholy character has occurred to a pri-
vate of the llth Regiment, while engaged, under the com-
mend of Captain Itoe, In military practice, at Battle-MIL
near Brecon. On the morning is question a firing party of
about 40 men left the depot at Brecon, under Captain Roe's
command, for Battle-hill, about five miles from the town,
where a target is erected for practising the regiment with
the Minif rifle. Bash man was served with 15 rounds of
ball cartridge, and they were told off into fear parties of
about 10 each. The arrangements of the practice ground us
these :—There are four targets, 2 feet wide and 6 tut dup
each, making altogether 8 test wide, a butt marking 21 yards
from the target, and 30 feet from the line fire, measuring to
the middle of the target, and the butt is 6 lett deep, 12 feet
long, and 1 foot 8 inches depth of trench from the surface
of the earth. The intermediate marker is placed 100 yards
from the firiag party, and 38 yards from the line of flu;
the party firing 160 yards from the target, and so placed
that nose of the men could the the butt. A fatigue party,
under Corporal Moran, were in the butt to watch and see
what shots hit the target If the men had sat down in the
butt eceordieg to their orders, there would have been co
danger to any of them; but one of them, Samuel Cosa,
while the corporal in command was intent on the target,
incautiously leant forward, for the purpose of picking up
spent ball. He had no sooner done so than a rifle was
hired, arid, sulainsing " Oh Ood, I am shot," he fell beck-
wards, and never spoke afterwards. The jury have retuned
a verdict of Accidental Death.
AN INTIERZOTINO RECRUIT.—A sergeant belonging
to the 88th regiment appeared before the Rochester =vie-
testes on Tuesday last, for the purpose of having • lad
sworn is is a drummer. The magistrate. Major Boys,
struck with the boy's spanner* and manner, asked him
his Sams (which for obvious reseals& we forbear mentioning)
and bow old be war? Upon his answering that he was 14,
Major Boys said beamed not swear him in. 16 being the mi-
nimum age. The worthy magistrate was then informed by
the sergeant that the remelt was ordered so be swore in by
special authority, upon hearing which Mar Bays was io-
dated to pat several questions to the lad, which resulted in
his being informed that his father, recently dead, wu a
Brigadier-General, and formerly Colonel ot
Re the 86th Regi-
l.
ment. His uncle, who we. still being, was aar•Admira
The lad also stated that, owing to his being left without
father cc mother, he was induced to obtain perati,sios to
be allowed to @SOW his father's old regiment, in the hope
that, by *ma conduct, (tousled with his father's former ser-
vice la India and dying a brigadier-general, be might be
thought worthy the notice of the authorities, as being the
ass of ea officer who had died is the discharge of his duty.
The serseant stated that the whole of the lad's statement
wee perfectly eorrect. He was that sworn in. The youth,
who le well grows, sad with good manners, is sew with
the depot of the 86th at Chatham barracks. He fa in the
I receipt of fill. a year from the Charitable
Gann*.
Benevolent Fend,
the epeeist grant bet lialsetp—South Baggers

Vat expregigi.

Adrtloomoto latiodei W." 76; -I;y7r-o7sFliortito reestai psper.
onto be at the Oleo, le, loaverlortrost. by Tye Vele* ta the
di of yobbtatloo.

HIGH WATIR jLTLONDON BRIDOI,

T.-617-41.Tvi.i.-81: 1
To.wisarsw—Moribi. a.

lit:Me.
Y. 117 sh.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16.

THE Speech compiled by Lord PALMERSTON loc his
Royal Mistress, and mad yesterday by Vise Ca♦.
missioners, at the closing seem of the &Woo, nay,
without exaggeration, be promumesd !Ise most un-
artimically pot together of all Royal Speeches on
record. It is as tedious as an American President's
Message to Congress, though not toe-twendeth part
so long. It passes from one subject to soother and
bock again, is utter defiance o! arrangement or ordwr.
The opening sentence.. in which her Mourn is
made to express her "warm aelmowledgmestst

to Parliament " far the anal and assiduity
with which they have applied themselves
to the discharge of their public duties dories
a long and laborious session" might be understood
to be ironical, bet that it would have been indetiorous
in the nuns*. to have made his BOVEZZION laugh
outright is the faces of her faithful Lords and Com-
mons. Tie recapitulation of the measures passed
during the session reminds one irresistibly of the
" beggarly see mat of empty boxes" is the shop of the
starved spode:wry in " Romeo and Juliet." And the
anti-climax with which the QESEN is Made to pus
at the close from the great topic of the war to
inform her auditors that "on their return to their
several cooties they will have duties to perform
little less important than those belonging to
their stteodance in Parliament" is ono of
the dullest and most untrue of platitudes.
In • anion of peseta' distress or of public disturb-
ance such a sentence has occasionally been introduced
with effect into the Royal Speech which closed the
session. But, at a time when neither suffering nor
disturbance 'revolts, to address such a monition to
lords and grutlemen who have no thought of return
fug to their counties, bat who are all agog and on the
wing for tte moors, or for soma fashionable watering-
place or smother, is simply ridiculous. In short, SOS
would le disposed to leer, from a weal alba
documort, that, notwithstanding the meannally pew
tracted .career of office through which Leal PALM&
OTOS Ins passed, the present is the first MO011•• of
which he has been allowed to have any Wel in the
composition of a royal speech, and that he has been
able•to thick of no better recipe for his it ISMolmmed
task thin to cull at random from moms dam of
similar compositions an assortment of paragraphs as
little appropriate to the occasion as pourable.
The one redeeming feature of the Speech is the
decided too, in which her MAJESTY is mad, to
declare her resolution to carry on the war with
vigour, end to a termination worthy of the country
and of the cause in which it is engaged. After
an allusion to the failure of the attempts
at Vienna to conclude a pesos "on conditions
consistent with the honour of the Allies and
the kture security of Europe," the Speech pro-
ceeds: "Ne other course is left to her MAJIISTY
but the prosecution of the war with all possible
vigour ; and her Maizary, relying upon the support
of Parliament, upon the manly spirit and patriotism
oilier people, upon the never-failing courage of Wel
army and navy—whose patience under suffering,
and whose power of endurance her lINIMIT hr
witnessed with admiration—upon the stimailot
fidelity of her Allies. and, above all, upon the jootbs
of her cause, humbly puts her trust in the Almighty
Disposer of events for such an issue to the osatist
in which she ia engaged as may secure to Europe the
blessings of a firm and lasting peace." This, to be
sure, is still sufficiently vague; but it has
• smack of cordiality and high-hesrtedoem
about it that is most refreshing after the
puling of ABEEDEENS and GLADSTONES. His
war policy—insufficiently explained though it be—is
_ _

Lord PALMERSTON'S best Areal d. &agate, and he
knows it. So well, indeed, does he know this, that
he not only bestrides it himself, bet sends his new
official recruits a-prancing about the country on it,
"to witch the world with noble horsemanship" Mr.
Lows, at Kidderminster; Mr. Bouvaair, at Kil-
marnock ; and Mr. Cowrza, at Hertford; have all
mounted this high horse--have shouted " Rule
Britannia," and "Down with the Casa," at the
top of their lungs. This is so far well. It shows a
becoming respect for national opinion, in which Lord
Psutzaerroa's late colleagues were so sadly defi-
cient. But words aloe* will not do; the country
will look for action. If our PREMIER show that he
has action in him ;if contrive to carry on the
war to a termination worthy of our national cha-
rmter, and productive of real benefit to Europe; he
will be pardoned, though be continue to write worse
Royal Speeches than the one he put forth yeeter-
day—thoagh that would be difficult

Tin harvest moon has brought harvest weather--
all that was needed to secure as large a crop as,
perhaps, ever stood on the soil of England. Ten days
or a fortnight ago reaping was commenced in a few
localities, but it only became general on Monday.
Then—the first day of the new moon, which began
her reign under the most favourable auspices'—almost
_ _

every firmer of England turned his reapers into his
wbeat.fields, and began the great work of gathering
in the bread of the people. Every person who has
seen the wheat standing on the ground, mad
taken the trouble to examine it, is, we be-
lieve, satisfied that this year's harvest, with •
contineatioe of the weather which has now so
auspiciously wt in, will be very little short of the last
harvest. Even in these places where the corn has
been laid—which constitute only • small part of
the whole wheat lands—a continuation of the
splendid weather of the last few days will enable
the farmers to reap or mow the whole, and save
the produce, though it be dark in colour and
deficient in quality. What the plant may yield of
Boer, when thrashed and ground, even the most expo
neared cannot foretel, but personal observation over •
large tract of country, personal examination of many
fields, and communication with many well-informed
landlords, farmers, and labourers, entitle um to my
that the clavicles in the wheat ear *ever were
larger, and that the crop on the ground has been
rarely, if ever, on the whole, finer. The harvest of
last year was one of the most abundant on record.
This year the harvest in the north has begun almost
as early as the harvest in the south, and, taking the
country throughout, including the increased breadth
of land sown with wheat, and the present probability
of its being all well got in, there Is good reason to
hope that the harvest of 1866 will be on the whop►
as abundant as the harvest of 1
864.

CIMITAL PALACI.4O2I.I.IItO DAV—AVOUI22 14.
713.
—Malabo*
1116-
12,730 &Ms by imam Vim%
TelnA,

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