The Press.
London, England, 1856-04-19 00:00:00

THE WEEK.

Tux Congress has at length concluded its sittings, and terminated
its important labours. Its discussions have not been without interest,
from the peculiar circumstances under which it was convoked at Paris.
From first to last it held twenty-three primary and five inferior sittings,
from the 25th of February to the 16th of April. Although grave
questions were debated in its presence, it cannot bo affirmed that its
results have that character of decisive finality which imparts so much
historical dignity to preceding congregations of diplomatists. The
question of the Danubian Principalities is still unsettled. and
the affairs of Italy are assuming a threatening aspect. Austria
has pushed forward its troops to the Piedmontese frontier, and
the Emperor NAPOLEON has ordered the formation of a powerful
camp in the department of the Var. Lord CLARENDON arrives in
London to-day, and Count CAVOUR is expected. Count Bum. and
Baron MANTEUFFEL return to Berlin and Vienna. Am PACHA and
Count ORLOFF remain at Paris. The text of the Treaty is eagerly
anticipated ; ratifications will be exchanged before the end of the
month. The Times correspondent at Vienna announces that the forts
on the Circassian frontier will not be reconstructed ; but if that be true
(and it is doubted in some quarters), it may follow that a similar re-
s alt is intended to affect the Turkish frontier. The policy of denuding
the Turkish territory of its solo defensive outposts may be justly
questioned.

There has been more " progress" than is quite -flpparent in the
course of the last few days. The breach in the Liberal party con-
tinues to widen, and the discomfiture of Lord JOHN RUSSELL upon his
" Education Bill" has been seized upon by many of his old sup-
porters as an opportunity for assailing the " Bedford Whigs." It is
most evident that the " Liberals " are not certain what leader's
flag they should follow. On Monday, a former Private Secretary of
Lord JOHN RUSSELL, the Earl of ALBEMARLE, brought the question of
torture in India before the House of Lords. How much there still
remains to be done by the practical philanthropist and
statesman upon our Oriental possessions, may be seen in
the confession of the Earl of ELLENBOROUGH, that " though
he had been a member of the Indian Government at home,
" and in India for five years, during the whole of that time
he had never heard that such a system existed, and before he read
" the present Report he would have denied its existence."
The Crimean inquiry continues, but the general interest
in its proceedings has considerably flagged, though in military
circles its evidence is keenly discussed. Mavnooth has had its re-
gular turn on Tuesday, and on a division Mr. SPOONER carried his
motion for a Committee of examination of the acts in the endowment
of the College, by a majority of 159 to 133. A vehement Roman
Catholic speech from Mr. DEASY, a newly-chosen Member of the
House, was the only novel feature in the debate. The subject of
Ministers Money (Ireland) was under consideration on Wednesday,
and Mr. HORSMAN (Chief Secretary for Ircland)'drew down upon himself
an attack from Lori JOHN RUSSELL on the untoward course he had
pursued, proposing no measure of his own, and leaving the question
to be " agitated." On Thursday there was `• no House " to hearken
to the eloquence of Sir JOSHUA WALMSLEY, seeking to enforce the
necessity for England getting up a revolution on the model of 1848.

A paragraph has been circulated by several journals, stating that
Sir JAMES GRAHAM and Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT were about to juin the
present Ministry in the course of a few•days. The rumour is entirely
without foundation. Sir JAMES GRAHAM is far too clever a man to
commit himself so egregiously ; and though Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT is a
most benevolent character, it would be carrying sentimentalism too
far if he were to embark in a sinking vessel.

The wrath of Sir JOSHUA WALMBLET and his friends at the House
of Commons thinking that there was no particular use in wasting
Thursday evening on his ridiculous Reform Bill, is something awful•
Among their small revenges they have printed names of those who
attended in their place, in admiration of the great JOSHUA. This is,
perhaps, the most suicidal thing they could have done. We will
extract the bright, if not particular, stars of the Radical list, and then
ask the people of England whether such a gathering were not enough
to settle the character of the movement :

Mr. Apsley Pellatt !!
Mr. George Hadfield ! !
Captain Scobell ! Mr. J. F. Maguire!
Mr. William Williams!! Mr. William Ewart!
Mr James Kershaw! Mr. J. Brotherton !
Mr. Thomas Meagher!
M r. Henry Berkeley ! !
Mr. W. A. Wilkinson!! Sir Joshua Walmsley !! !
Here are a choice dozen. who came down to remodel the British
Constitution. Imagine the merits of a bill that could please that