The Press.
London, England, 1857-05-09 00:00:00

THE WEEK.

THE week has emnprised some important events. The assembling of
the New Parliament for business, the deliveryof the Speech from the
Throne, the Ministerial statement, the Opening of the Manchester
Exhibition, and the intelligence of the capture of Mohammerah by
General OCTRAM, are the leading features of this first week of the
season. The swearing in of the new Members had occupied the
House of Commons a few hours every day in the early part of the
week, and it was pleasant to mark the greetings between combatants
on opposite sides, fresh from " the country." The new Members,
losing themselves iu the various passages, and asking their way at
every turn, were recognisable at a glance. Experience will
soon teach ; them - to navigate that dangerous passage " the
lobby," where so much of the hktory of our age is really transacted.
The first business-night of the new session passed off without much
excitement. The Speech from the Throne, as vague in meaning as
inelegant in
.style, was followed by an explanation of policy by the
Premier, as meagre and obscure.
In the Lords a short discussion arose, in which the Earl of
MALMESBL'RY in the happiest terms exposed the hollowness of the
Ministerial programme, and, passing on to the China war, warmly
defended. the Conservative party from, the deliberate aspersions of
Lord PALMERSTON both in his Mansion-house speech and his Tiverton
address. Before the close of the discussion, Lord CL.tNRICARDE
called attention to the disparaging imputations cast upon the profes-
sional reputation and the personal courage of General ASHBURNHAM.
The question of anonymous writing Was to some extent opened, and
the observation of the Earl of HanowicKE last night, when the
subject was resumed by Lord CARDIGAN, WHS most to the point, and
such as might be expected from the Noble Lord's manly, straightforward
nature.- •" .When such charges were made, it was disgraceful," said
the Noble Lord; •" that the writers did not append their names."
It may be added, that it is quite a matter for consideration
bow far it is judicious for a journal, without pretensions to scurrility,
to accept and publish such communications, thus affording them a
moral support and circulation they could never otherwise obtain.
The further proceedings of Parliament may be briefly summed up.
Lord LAMPBELL has obtained a Select Committee to inquire into the
Law of Libel as regards the publication of the reports of the Courts of
Law, and Sir GEORGE GREY has introduced his Transportation Bill.
The opening of the Manchester Exhibition will long be remem•
bered as one of the memorable events of May, 1857. His Royal High-
ness Prince - ALBERT -was enthusiastically received, and up to the
present time we believe that the Exhibition promises to meet with
the hearty support of all classes. The visit of her Majesty late in the
season is now decided on.

The attack upon, and capture of, Mohammerah, so long after the
arrangement of terms of peace, is much to be regretted, and we even
doubt if the situation will prove more healthy than Bushire. It may to
some extent be a more advantageous position. Has this consideration
in any way delayed General OCTRANI'S instructions? The statement
of Lord GRANVILLE on Thursday, that General OCTRAM had received
intelligence of the conclusion. of peace, will be generally acceptable.
The Paris papers express a doubt of the ratification of the treaty by
the Government of Teheran.)

The last despatch of the Secretary of State for the Colonies to
Governor DARLING of Newfoundland, upon the subject of the recent
Convention entere,l into with France, has to some extent relieved the
apprehensions of the colonists. Mr. LABOCCHERE announces that, in
consequence of the refusal of the Newfoundland Legislature to assent
to the Convention, the proposals " fall to the ground." Sir JOHN
PAKINGTON, we rejoice to hear, will on Monday next present a petition
front the Newfoundlanders, and question the Colonial Secretary with
'respect to this remarkable Convention. In connection with the subject,
we may observe that the Times last week, in discussing and approving
of this Convention (which gave the French the enormous advantages,
without equivalent, of the sole and entire use of five harbours on the
island, with the concurrent right of fishing upon nearly a hundred
miles of our most valuable ground on the Labrador coast and in the
Straits of Belleisle, besides other important privileges), based its right
and justice upon the 13th Article of the Treaty of Utrecht, which the
writer summarised as follows :
The fisheries of Newfoundland have been, from the first discovery of the island
mainly in the hands of the French. Before ellq English colony had settled in the place,
a French establislian-nt at Placentia was already working the Newfoundland coast, and,
on the principle ut the right of the first corner, was already in riAtful possession of the
Fisheries of Newfoundland. The two great wars between this country and France,
which terminated in the Peace of Utrecht, deprived the French of all right to the
territory of the island, hut they still clung to their Fisheries, and that peace guaranteed
them the exclusive privilege over the larger part of the coast. The Peace of 1703
continued the same privilege. Ity the Peace of 176:1 the French exclusive right of
fishing on the coast of Newfoundland was to commence on the east coast at Cape S.
John, and thence to extend round the Strait of Itelleisle, including all the western shore
as far as Cane Kay. That is to say, the exclusive fishing over more than one•
half of the Newfoundland coast was secured to them. The revolutionary war, of
course, deprived them for the time of the privilege, but it was regained at the Peace
to* PAL

It is instructive to finil, upon reference to this Treaty, how much
faith we may put in the 7 imes version. The original is written :--
Tht, island called Nivfoundloinil, with the adjacent islands, shall from this tin's
forward belcng of right wholly to Britain ; and to that end the town and fortress of Pli-
eentis, an 4 whatever other places in the said island are in the possession of the FreLe,,