The Press.
London, England, 1858-09-25 00:00:00

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Pormoar- circles have been somePwAhnartsmTovhendnkiduring
the last few days by a dissension whichhas,:niissteenr
Thursday,
between the Prince Napoleon and the Council of
Ministers. The Prince, in his capacity
roof intro-
of
of Algeria and the Colonies, was
ducing into Algeria the system of " free trade," or,
at least, of making some extensive modifications in
the Customs' regime ; but, when the project was
m
brought before the Cabinet, over which, in the
e,ab•
the
Bence of the Emperor and the Prince Jerome,
Prince presides, it was energetically and essei•
mously condemned as impolitic in itself and as likely
to create profound dissatisfaction, perhaps even dis-
turbances, in the great manufacturing towns. A
note annouucing its condemnation, or, to speak more
correctly, declaring that " it had never been seriously
entertained," was inserted in the Moniteur. The
Prince was, it appears, exceedingly indignant at the
rejection of his scheme, to which he attached great
importance, from its being the first of purelya pub.
tical and commercial character which he has yet
commercial
proposed, and from, also, the conscientious belief
(his Imperial Highness is a "free-trader," or very
nearly so) that it would be really beneficial to the
colony. Still more indignant was he at the some-
what contemptuotet tone in which the Moniker
thought fit to speak of it. So, in a rage, he rushed
off to Biarritz to complain to the Emperor of the
conduct of his Ministers, and also, as some people
assert, to insist that two or three of them should be
dismissed, as a warning to the others to be more
tractable in future. But, I apprehend, the matter
will go no further. The Emperor will find means
to soothe his impetuous cousin ; the Ministers will
vow that their conduct was caused solely by a desire
to do their duty to the Emperor and the nation, and
they will all remain in their places; and the tariffs
of Algeria will continue to repose in peace.
On the situation of Switzerland, a certain degree
of uneasiness is felt by gentlemen who see some-
thing of what is passing behind the political scenes.
The extreme Radical party has, it appears, for some
time past been making strenuous efforts to cause
some of the principal cantons to act more indepen-
dently of the central Federal Government than they
have hitherto done ; and if these efforts succeed,
which from present appearances is not unlikely, it is
feared that the Federal Government would be totally
unable to keep those cantons on a friendly footing
with adjacent States, and that, consequently, the
gravest complications would arise. The French
Cabinet has deemed it politic to make serious repre-
sentations to the Federal Administration on this
state of things, and to require it to take precautions
to prevent mischief. In addition, the French Cabinet
considers that it has serious cause of complaint
against the Swiss Government on account of the
manner in which the arrangement come to in the
early part of the year, relative to political refugees,
has been and is executed. The Swiss Government
professes a desire to please France, but represents
that its power is but limited, and finds that it can
hardly do what is required without grievously offend-
ing its people, and even violating the constitution of
the country. But France seems disposed to be im•
perious.
Some sensation has been caused to-day by the
appearance in the Vienna Gazette, organ of the
Austrian Government, of an article which with great
firmness, though in diplomatic tone, replies to some
attacks on Austria in one of the semi-official journals
of Paris, and in so doing not only vindicates and
explains Austrian policy in Turkey, the Danubian
Principalities, Italy, and Germany, but makes serious
insinuations against France,—such as that it is she
who keeps up the apprehensions of Europe, who
endeavours to be dictatorial in Turkey, who is trying
to detach lie Danubian Principalities from that em-
pire, who intrigues with certain Cabinets, maintein s
an aimed peace, itc. Sac. The article has all the
appearance of a solemn governmental manifesto;
and it is an undoubted proof that the relations be-
tween Austria and France, which for some time have
been the reverse of amical, have become extremely
delicate.
The opinion is general in our political circles
that the English journals which have denounced
Russia for the Villafranca affair, have committe,i
e
great mistake, it being of no political importance
whatever. The same opinion is entertained at Tun ,
at Brussels, and even at Vienna.
The Government
ehasc e n publishedtl y concluded
China, which contains tr.) inteinterestingfirst an announcement that China is to pay ration
recentlyin thet re M
istF ,
Itii‘tve.l
an ariacleh
_r
au indemnity of 600,0001.; the second, a deolliraood
that it was owing to the cordial co-operation and g

feeling of the English and French forces that the
resistance of China was so promptly overcome. The
last is a new proof that the Emperor, in spite of the
bad feeling towards him which is manifested by
certain politicians and journals in England, is
still as firmly bent on maintaining the English
alliance es ever he was. The amount of indemnity
is considered small to the French, and they are
excessively annoyed at the idea that England
is to receive double. To soothe the ruffled vanity of
the lieges on this subject, the Government has
instructed its newspaper organs, home and foreign,
to declare that one half of the English indemnity
is not a war indemnity properly so called, but is
destined to recompense English subjects who have
had property destroyed at Canton, where no French.
men lost anything ; and it is added that that half will
not be enough for the purpose ; so that, in point of
fact, "France actually receives more from China
than England !"
Apropos of China, a most absurd report is current.
It is that the Emperor of that flowery land is forth-
with to be made a Grand Cross of the Legion of
Honour, a Knight of the Bath, and a knight of some
Russian order ! Our grandchildren may, perhaps,
behold such honours conferred on his successor,
just as we have seen the " Paynim Sultan " made a
Knight of the Garter and of other European orders ;
but assuredly his present Celestial Majesty is not
sufficiently within the pale of European courtesies to
obtain, nor even to understand, such dignities.
At last Marshal I'elissier has published his banns
of marriage with Mlle. de la Paniega, and by his so
doing, the public has learned that he bears the
Christian name of "Amiable," which is of good
omen for his bride. As to Marshal Canrobert, to
whom gossip also gave a Spanish lady, it appears
that it is not in Spain but in France that he has
sought a wife, and that the fair one is a wealthy
heiress of Champagne, her fortune, however, coming
not from vineyards, like most in that province, but
from iron-works.
For some years past the vintage in France has
been very indifferent, but, according to all accounts,
that of the present year will be magnificent, both in
quality and quantity. The weather is for it every-
thing that could be desired. The French, however,
have of late, especially in towns, got into the habit of
drinking large quantities of beer, a liquor which, a
quarter of a century back, they scarcely ever touched
—so that a good vintage is not of the vast importance
it used to be.

INAUGURATION OF THE STATUE OF SIR
ISAAC NEWTON AT GRANTHAM.
THE statue of Sir Isaac Newton was inaugu-
rated at Grantham on Tuesday. The memorial
to the illustrious mathematician and philoso-
pher, justly described as " the greatest genius of
the human race," who was born at the manor
house of Woolsthorpe, a hamlet eight miles from
Grantham, on Christmas day, 1642, is of bronze,
after a design by Mr. Theed, and has cost
1,630/ ,of which 600/. was contributed by the in•
habitants of Grantham and the neighbourhood. The
likeness of Sir Isaac is copied from a mask of his
face taken aftbr death, and from the portrait bust by
Roubilliac. It represents him in the costume of the
period, and in the gown of a Master of Arts in the
act of lecturing. The figure is nearly thirteen feet
high, weighing upwards of two tons, and about half
the quantity of the material of which it is composed
was presented, in the shape of old gun metal, by her
Majesty's Government. The statue was cast at the
foundry of Messrs. Robinson and Cottam, of Pimlico,
and, as a specimen of clean casting, with sharp
outline, does them high credit. The figure stands
upon a pedestal of Anglesey marble, designed
by Mr. Theed, and cut out by Mr. Rogers,
of Parkhill. The total height of the pedestal
and figure is twenty-seven feet. The interest which
such a ceremony would have excited under ordinary
circumstances was increased by the announcement
that the inaugural address would be delivered by
Lord Brougham, whose devotion to philosophical
investigations especially qualified him for such an
opportunity. The noble and learned lord, who has
just completed his eightieth year, and upon whose
physical vigour time has made comparatively slight
inroads, while his mental energy, as will be evident
to those who peruse his address, remains unimpaired,
arrived at Grantham early in the morning, and was
received at the Grammar-school by the Mayor (Mr.
J. L. Ostler), the Recorder (Mr. W. H. Roberts), the
Bishop of Lincoln, Mr. M. Milnes, M.P., Sir J.
Tinllope, M.P., Mr. A. Wilson, M.P., the Master of
Trinity College, Cambridge, Professor Owen, Mr. W.
Fairhairn, Dr. Lee, Sir E. Cust, Sir J. Rennie, Sir B.
Brodie, Mr. C. Tumor, Colonel Fane, Major Moore,
Sir J. Tborold, the members of the Corporation, and
other gentlemen. A procession was then formed to
St. Peters-hill, the site of the statue. Lord
nrougham—for whom a chair, formerly belonging to
Sir I. Newton, was placed upon a dais in front of the
tune—was greeted with loud and reiterated