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

CLOSE OF THE CONFERENCE.

THE Plenipotentiaries held their final sitting on
Wednesday, and have at length concluded their
sptcial labours. On Monday a sitting was held, at
which the Plenipotentiaries, informed by telegraph
of the ratification of the treaty by their respective
Governments, proceeded to sign the protocol. On
Wednesday a second sitting; was held, and the
Moniteur officilaly announced the close of the Con-
gress:—

The closing meeting took place on Wednesday at the
hotel of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. After the signa-
ture of the treaty the plenipotentiaries had to occupy
themselves with different questions, calculated to consult.
date and complete the work of peace.
The ratifications will be exchanged at the end of the
month.

Immediately after the publication of the treaty, the pro•
toc .1s will be published, and will show in detail the labours
of the Congress.

Lord Clarendon, Count Buol, Count Cavour, and
M. Manteuffel leave Paris at once. Count Orloff
remains, In order, as soon as the ratifications of
Peace are exchanged, to announce to the French Em
peror the accession to the throne of Alexander 11.
Aali Paella it is believed will also remain in Paris
fur some time longer.
" The different questions " mentioned by the
Moniteur in it, official announcement of Wednesday,
are be ieved to relate to :

I. The free navigation of the Danube. 2. The interior
re.iime of the principalities, and the arrangement of the
f--ntiArs; and 3. The situation of the Christians in
Turkey.
For these purposes three Commissions are said to be
appointed :

1. A Commission named by all the powers represented
at the Congress, on the subject of the Danube. 2. A
Commission, named by all the powers. except Piedmont,
on the frontier quo-lion S. A Commission, named by
all the powers, with the addition of de'egates from the
Divan, to consider the position of the Christians.

The Italian question, it has been authoritatively
stated by the Drbats, was discussed before the Con •
Kress, but non-officially ; and that although the
plenipotentiaries were almost unanimous upon the
leading points, that the revolutionary fire beyond
the Alps could not be quenched by sanguinary exe-
cutions and a cruel system of oppression—that an
urgent necessity for Europe to investigate the State
of Italy, and apply a remedy with sincerity—that
great reforms are indispensable, as the ready sub
missiveness of peoples can no longer be de-
pended on, yet it was held that the present
organisation of Italy was fixed by the Congress of
Vienna, and there were no motives for proceeding to
the redistribution of the Italian territory, so that
any practical interference in tbo affairs of Italy may
not be considered imminent.

The evacuation of the principalities is said to have
been fixed to take place forty days after the exchange
of ratifications. The Oat Deutchae Post, in dis-
cussing this question, is of opinion that the presence
of the Austrian troops is the sole guarantee for the
peace and safety of the principalities, and anticipates
nothing but anarchy and barbarism upon their
retirement of General Coronini.
The Resident Ambassadors will be left to attend
to the formality of the exchange of the Ratifications
and to execute the decisions of the Congress in
detail.

A LETTER FROM PARMA gives the following
sketch of the conduct of the Austrians in that
duchy :

During the last few days dozens of persons, arrested for
supposed political opinions, have been sent off to Mantua.
Military law is applied with the utmost severity. The
Austrians say there will be no long trials—" The guilty
will be shot, and the innocent set at liberty." The whole
male population wearing beards have been shaved by
authority! It is almost impossible either to receive com-
munications or to send letters out of the town. If, there-
fore, this reaches you, you may probably receive no further
communications. It seems to be the object of the Austrian
soldiery to create terror, as the arrests are accompanied
with great brutality. Several applications have been made
by wives, vho have ventured to demand what offences
their husliarols have committed, but they get no reply.
The authorities of the Government are even looked upon
with suspicion, and I think it will end by every responsible
office being held by an Austrian.

THE ABDICATION OF KING LEOPOLD is a prominent
rumour just now in Belgium. The Duke de Bra
bent, heir apparent, is as zealous a Roman Catholic
as his father is Protestant.

SATURDAY,

MEETING OF CONVOCATION.

THE prelates and clergy of the province of Canter
bury met on Tuesday morning for the despatch of
business. There was a full attendance at the
Upper House, under the presidency of the Arch-
bishop, held in Queen Anne's Bounty Office, Dean's-
yard ; and a large attendance of members of the
Lower House, under the Presidency of the Dean of
Ely, were assembled in Jerusalem Chamber. The
report of the committee of the Lower House on
the state of the law affecting the discipline of the
clergy was brought up before the Upper House,
and ordered back to be reconsidered. A petition
from the clergy and laity in favour of the removal
of the existing difficulties between the Established
f'in'ch and the Wesleyans was presented by the
Bishop of Lichfield, and after some opposition, and
some warm remarks from the Bishops of St. David's
and Exeter, ordered to lie on the table. A simil, r
petition to the Lower House was presented by the
Rev. Dr. M'Caul, and ordered to lie on the
table. A schedule of gravamina upon the con
Lion of the Welch clergy, and recommending
steps for their relief and efficient maintenance, was
read by Dr. Wordsworth. Both houses met age n
on Wednesday and Thursday. The proceedings in
the Upper House were mostly formal, and in-
cluded the reception of a report by the Committee
of Gravamina upon Church rates, the committee
recommending that nothing be done till the Bill now
before the Legislature be decided on. In the
Lower House the report on Church discipline was
reconsidered, and notice given by Dean Milman of
a motion to consider the propriety of presenting an
address to her Majesty for the discontinuance of the
order requiring the use of the occasional services
For the sth of November, the 30th of January, and
the 20th of May ; and by the Bishop of Norwich for
a petition to the Queen to appoint a commission to
revise the Rubric.

A discussion of some length then followed upon
final appeals in matters of doctrine and on the trial
of offences against doctrine. For the settlement of
the latter point it was decided that a court, presided
over by the district bishop, assisted by inferior clerical
Pfficers, shout(' he instituted; while the former ques-
ti,n remains still undecided, the proposition of the
Archdeacon of Berkshire to bring the case before
the Privy Council being rejected by Convocation.

THE GOVERNOR OF ODESSA learned the conclusion
of peace on the 30th ult. The next day two English
steamers, cruising off the coast, hoisted a flag of
truce and stood in towards the port for fresh provi-
sions. A Russian boat was sent off without delay,
and returned with the messaio that, as peace was
conclude', 'he British captains were willing to salute
the Russian flag. Genets! Adjutant Suchozanett
replied that he should be happy to return the com-
pliment, and on the 2nd the ceremoily took place.
The two steamers anchored within 500 yards
from the shore, and each fired twenty-one guns. The
Russian batteries answered gun for gun. The ships
hoisted the Russian as well as the English flag, and
the red flag of England floated ever the strand bat-
teries, near the white one of Russia.
A FRENCH OPINION OF ENGLISH SOIDIERS is
worth hearing. A Paris correspondent of a contem-
porary says the French solders wear their Victoria
medal with great pride. On being spoken to on the
subject, one man said, " Oh, Monsieur, les Anglais
sont nos freres a present. II faut oublier le passe.
Et, voyez vous, c'est hien distinuee cette Victoria?"
As to our army, a Crimean officer, a general in the
French service, said, "Believe me, that your army Is
the finest in the world. You have little to learn
from us. Imitate us as little as possible. All you
have to do is to give your officers a better educa-
tion militaire,' and to teach your men in peace time
to study the shifts and expedients of war. Assurez
vous' you have done wonders with your small army.
Alma, Inkermann, and the repulse of sorties speak
for you."
THE DITC DE BROGUE was received by the Em
peror Napoleon on Monday. After the Due's bitter
sarcasms upon the existing state of things in France,
in his late address to the Academy, the audience
was looked forward to with some curiosity.
The interview was short, and after the usual com-
pliments were over the Emperor observed :
M. le Due, J have read with much interest and pleasure
your address to the Academy on your reception. Permit
me to thank you for the very flattering manner in which
yin have alluded to my uncle the Emperor Nopoleon t.
Allow me also to express the hope that your grandson will
find reason to speak as favoialde of the ...nd of December
as you, M. le Due, have spoken of the 18th Brumaire.

The Duke and his friends bowed, and soon after took
their leave.

7Z!

APRIL 19, 1856.

Vrort6ings in Varliaincnt.

MAYNOOTH.
Mr. SPooran, on Tuesday, moved—

That the house do resolve itself into a committee for the
purpose of considering the acts for the endowment of the
College of Maynooth with a view to the withdrawal of any
ondownient out of the Consolidated Fund, due regard
being had to vested rights or interesa.
The hon. member said the question had been so
completely exhausted in previous debates that he
was willing to go to a division at once. Adverting to
what he considered to be established facts—namely,
the tampering with the report of the commissioners,
and the ascription therein of illegal tides to Roman
Cadiolic bishops—he asserted that the books used at
Maynooth contained doe rives justifying evil for the
sake of good, and pretensions of the Papal See
inimical to the British Constitution and to her
Majesty's title to the Crown :

The house might rest assured that there was at the pre-
sent moment an earliest intention on the part f the Roman
Catholics to claim the ri_dit of succession of it Roman Ca•
tholic king. and for which they meant to make a struggle ;
and that they would never cease in their exertions unlit
they nad placed themselves in all respects on a level with
the I.llruestont Church Establishment. This design was
at work, and the Government and Parliament were lending
themselves, unconsciously perhaps, to the miming out of
this object.
To the argument that the house was bound by what
took place in 1845, in good faith, not to disturb the
arrangement, lie opposed the express declaration of
the late Sir Robert Peel, "that it was not the suoject
of stipdlation or contract, but a free grant, in the
hope of obtai.ling for• Ireland a higher class of
priesthood." Lunt John Russell on the same occa-
sion had said that if the priests ever became the
leaders of rebellion the house would be justified in
stopping the allowance. Now he ( Mr. Spooner)
defied any one to say that the Roman Catholic
priests were not the leaders of rebellion, ana had not
been doin; ever) thing they could to subvert society
in Ireland.

Mr. M'Citai maintained the loyalty of the
Roman Catholics of Ireland taught by the priests at
Maynooth.
Mr. BLACK moved, as an amendment to Mr.
Spooner's motion, the addition of the following
words :

And at the same time to take into consideration the
other parliamentary grants made to religions denominations
in Ireland.

The proportionate amount per family received by the
Roman Catholics from the grant of 26,3001. was just
81.1. per annum, against 0/. Bs. to each family of the
Established Church, and Os. lid. to each Presbyte•
rian family, received from the 70,0001. revenue of the
Established Church, and a grant of 38,0-14/. given to
the Presbyterians, and he asked, independent of
the religious question and of every other considera-
tion, whether, on the essential principle of justice,
this was a lair proportion given from a general
fund. He regarded the claim to the Maynooth
grant as strung upon the ground of contract, or
supposed contract, and that the main objection to
the grant—namely, that the Roman Catholic religion
was heretical—was not consonant to that right of
Ovate judgment, in religious belief insisted on by
Protestants, and was founded on a principle of
persecution, to which be would not be a party.
Iza-d CASTLEROSSE defended the giant on the
ground of counsel. He denied Mr. Spooner's right
to constitute himself a judge between religious truth
and religious error.
Lord BERNARD denied that there was any contract,
and remarked upon the injustice of compelling Pro-
testants to support Maynooth, while they were them-
selves unable to obtain State assistance for the
education of their own ehildren.
Mr. FAOAN, Mr. WILKINSON, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr.
DE VERE, and Mr. MEAGHER opposed the motion.
Mr. Motown) had nothing to say in favour of
Maynooth. If the grant were stopped, and the
Roman Catholic clergy were still educated, we should
not have to pay for it. Still he thought if MELi nooth
were pulled down, the Established Church in Ireland
would come down soon after.
Mr. BEAsY appealed to the conduct of the priest
hood in '9B and in '4B to prove that the teaching ot
Maynuoth was not disloyal. If Maynooth were shut
up trJrn want of English support, ample funds would
be found in France for the support and preparation
or the Irish priesthood.
Mr. NEWDEGATE, in supporting the original mo-
tion, contended that the experiment of the college
had failed altogether, especially in preventing the
Roman Catholic priesthood of Ireland from being
imbued with foreign and ultramontane principles.
_ Mr. ROEBUCK was ot opinion that the grant 10
Maynooth ought to be maintained, in order to pre•
vela the Roman Catholic priesthood from being
educated abroad.
Mr. KIRK took an objection to the terms of the
amendment, which were so large as to comprehend,