The Press.
London, England, 1856-09-20 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

of which are made in England; for adulteration neces-
sarily results from high duty.
M. CHEVALIER, who was present, in proposing
the health of her Majesty Queen Victoria, said :
The friendship of France and England was, in the words
of the plet, " a present front the Gods," not' only to each
nation, but also to the world, for it was the most solid
guarantee for the repose of the universe, and the best
pledge of general peace. It was also a pledge of general
progress, for two peoples so great could not be associated
and united but for the accomplishment of great designs,
and the maintenance of justice upon the earth. The
Eastern war had written the proof of this in characters of
iron and fire. Queen Victoria had pursued this accord
(luring many years with an unflinching constancy which
deserved all gratitude. lint, whatever may have been said
or thought to the contrary, it was impossible that the
alliance could be consummated and become truly cordial
before the present day. It was praiseworthy in statesmen
to wish for the alliance, but in France the national sym-
pathy could not till now respond to the call of political
men. We felt that we were the vanquished of Waterloo,
and that by the treaties of 1815 we had been stripped of the
rank which we had held for centuries in Eu►ope. Under
these circumstances, the English alliance, whatever good-
will there might have been on the part of the two Govern•
ments, could never have been an alliance t.n a footing of
equality. This the public conscience knew and felt, and yet
it would never have accepted the alliance on any other
terms. Now all was changed. We were no longer the
vanquished of Europe. We had recovered ourselves, and
we had a right to hold our heads so high that no nation in
the world could consider herself above us. The Emperor,
to whom the national will freely confided our destinies,
belonged to that family which the treaties of 1815 deposed
and prescribed with multiplied threats and precautions to
maintain their work. As to the disaster of Waterloo, we
had effaced the recollection of it by the fraternity of arms.
He would say more, we had taken in the valley of Inker•
mann a brilliant revenge—a revenge such as became a
chivalrous and Christian nation. For if in France the
people were delighted to bear witness that our brave allies
were heroic on that glorious day by their intrepidity and
solidity, England proclaims that but for French im-
petuosity the valiant English Guards had nothing for it
but to wrap themselves iu their colours and die, like the
Old Guard at Mont St. Jean.

THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS NAPOLEON witnessed a
bull fight at Bayonne on Sunday last. The first bull
crept out, as it were, stealthily, and, when least ex-
pected, made a rush at Aguirre, the torero of the blue
cloak, who by a slight but skilful movement evaded
the dangerous horns, but yet remained still, and
allowed the disappointed animal to rush blindly on
until he perceived that his enemy had disappeared.
A crowd of ehulos then began to distract his atten
tion. They roused him to fury by shaking their
cloaks in his face, and the espada Egana, profiting
by thefavorable opportunity, for which he had remained
quietly on the watch, advanced under his very horns,
and executed an admirable suerte is la Navarra.
Banderillas, or darts, were planted in the animals
neck with much dexterity by Aguirre and Condoya;
and in less than half an hour Egana killed his beast
at one stroke, without causing him to shed a drop of
blood. The second bull, on his first rush from the
den, went bounding round the ring in great fury and
leaped the barriers; but he soon got tired, and showed
no great desire to fight. Egana planted in his neck
a couple of darts with gunpowder at the points, and
the heated weapons soon produced their effect; his
apathy disappeared, and be was quickly roused to
fury. He pawed the earth, and made desperate but
useless efforts to fling off his torturing appendages.
Hceret lethalis arundo. In a few minutes two French
bull fighters and two Spaniards were sprawling on
the ground. A fresh pair of fire banderillas were
planted by Baquez, and a third by Condoya. When
the moment for despatching him came he was killed
by Egana at the second blow ; and the public were
so pleased that the carcase was given to him as a
perquisite. Three more bulls were killed, but Egana
was much mauled with the second, and carried out.
The Emperor and Empress remained to the last.
BARON HUBNER, says a letter from Naples, declared
on his arrival to the Chevalier Carafa that he had
no mission of any kind, but that, if the King would
deign to speak to him on political affairs, he would
most willingly reply to any questions his Majesty
might think proper to address to him. The audience
was appointed for Tuesday, the oth, and, punctual to
the hour named, Baron Hubner presented himself at
the palace, en franc and white neckcloth, as if ex-
pecting a private audience. To his surprise and
mortification he found himself ushered into the
State reception-room, where were assembled the
King and Queen, the Royal Family, the Ministers of
State, and the Ministers of Spain and Portugal, all
in Court dress :

What could an unfortunate diplomatist do under such
adverse circumstances, having left his uniform in his trunk?
The audience proved to be merely one of etiquette, and no
confidences were either made to, or asked from, Baron
Hubner; and to show that his Majesty had no intention
of takiiig counsel with the Austrian olive-bearer, he had
decided to start that very evening for Gaeta, and was only
Prevented from doing so by the tempestuous state of
the sea.

6eart so Bastian.

895

Her Majesty the Queen and Royal Family remain
at Balmoral.

Their Royal Hignesses the Prince of Orange and
Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar are at present on a
visit to the Queen.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester is
daily improving in health.

Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston have
returned to town from St. Leonards.

The Marquis of Westminster is at present on a
visit to his son-in-law, Lord Muncaster, of Muncaster
Castle.

Sir Fitzroy Kelly, who is on a visit to Lord
Brougham, in Westmoreland, is confined to his room
by indisposition.
Lord Pan alure has arrived at Invermark-lodge, his
seat in Scotland, and his lordship's tenantry and
feuers are about to entertain him at a public dinner.
The Marquis of Lansdowne has arrived at the seat
of the Count and Countess Flahault.

The Right Hon. R. Vernon Smith, M.P., and Mrs.
Smith, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Wodehouse
Currie, leave Scotland this week for the south.
The Right Hon. Henry Labouchere and Lady
Mary Labouchere are making a tour of visits in
Scotland.

Lord Stanley of Alderley is making a series of
visits iu Scotland.

plittral.

COLONEL NORTH, M.P., AND MR. GRANVILLE
HARCOURT, M.l'., AT BANBURY.
AT the Banbury Agricultural Society's annual dinner,
on Tuesday evening,
Colonel Nattra, M.P., in reply to the health of
" The County Members," observed that in this
country every man was at liberty to entertain
his peculiar opinions upon political matters, and,
more than that, to express them as freely as he
liked. It was impossible for a member of Parlia-
ment to please everybody, but he was certain that as
long as he conscientiously performed his duty in a
straightforward, manly manner, he would always
receive that consideration and marked kindness
from his constituents which they had hitherto
shown him.

Mr. G. HARCOURT, M.P., after thanking the meet-
ing for the manner in which they had responded to
the toast, remarked that the agricultural class of the
community was never more prosperous than it was at
the present moment, a fact he thought would be ad-
mitted by all the farmers present. As regarded the
peace, he considered that the war had been gloriously
concluded, and that we had obtained all that we
could desire or reasonably hope for; he trusted,
therefore, that the terms upon which the peace had
been made would be satisfactory to the whole nation.
There was a popular belief that the prosperity of
agriculture was promoted much more in time of war
than in time of peace. He was persuaded that this
statement was erroneous, and proceeded to show
that the condition of the country after the peace of
1815 was sufficient to prove that if war temporarily
increased prices, its inevitable result was permanently
to check the prosperity of the country. The vast
debt left by the French war and the increased taxa-
tion incurred by the late Russian war was a proof
that war, so far from being an advantage to agricul-
turists, was a great evil. With respect to his views
upon commercial policy :
They were, perhaps, not such as would very much en-
dear him to an agricultural constituency ; but he had rather
more confidence at the present time, because for a few
months after the general election of 18:4 he happened to
vote with Lord Derby, or rather with Mt. Disraeli and his
party, in the House of Commons, upon some question
with respect to which he agreed with them. He thought
it a pity that the commercial policy adopted by the late
Sir Robert Peel was not persevered in, because he be-
l•.eved if it had been, it would have set at rest the question
of free trade. But it was somewhat amusing as well as
instructive to contrast the state of things now with those
of former years. He recollected perfectly well that in
1822 a gentleman well known to them was examined
before a committee of the House of Commons on the
question of agricultural distress, foreign wheat not being
then admitted until the price was k2s. a quarter. and he
complained bitterly that he was selling his wheat at 4s. ed.
a bushel. Well, since then they had had what was consi-
dered a ruinous change in the commercial policy of the
country, and notwithstanding that wheat was selling
at a good deal more now than 4s. 61. a bushel.

Colonel Harcourt concluded by asserting that, on
the whole, he thought the course of events of late
years had been favorable to the agricultural interest,
for it was agreed very generally on all hands that the
change in the commercial policy of the country had
stimulated the Agricultural interests, roused the
energies of the farmers, and led to vast improve-
ments in the cultivation of land.

806

Mr. MOWBRAY, M.P., addressed his constituents
last week in the Town-ball, Durham. The hon.
member, alluding to the change in European affairs
since last year, observed, with respect to the peace,
that although it was perhaps not so satisfactory as
the country desired, yet he believed that it the
Government were satisfied, it was the duty of the
House, without criticising the terms of peace too
narrowly, to give their support to the Crown. The
lose of Kars, however, was a serious alloy to the
blessings of peace. He thought Lord Stratford
answerable for the circumstances which led to the
fall, and her Majesty's Ministers answerable for the
fall of that fortress :

The question was brought forward in a speech of dis-
tinguished ability—a speech which remains to this moment
unanswered, and, I believe, unanswerable ; but so reluc-
tant was I on that occasion to give what niight be construed
into a factious or party vote, that I joined some seventy -
three members in the louse of Commons in saying that
we were anxious no resolution of that house should be
taken on the fall of Kars till we had an opportunity of
considering the papers relative to the treaty of peace. The
Ministry refused to accept that mode of getting rid of the
question, and they called for the opinion of the house. I
was not anxious to express my opinion ; yet when I found
the Ministry insisted, I felt 'bound to record that opinion,
which I believed was the opinion of the people of Eng-
land, and which, I believe, will be the opinion of most in
this room—that whatever energy they may have thrown
into the ear in other pans—whatever zeal they may have
shown at Sebastopol—in Asia Minor the Government had
neglected the war, and had, through their own neglect,
or the neglect on the part of the ambassador, caused the
enemy to gain possession of that part of the Sultan's do-
minions to which they ought to have given their greatest
and most anxious attention.

Upon the American enlistment question he voted for
the Government; and he did so, not because he
thought the Government were free from blame—

But because I thought under circumstances, consi•
dering the danger that threatened the country, it would
not be a fair occasion on which to call them to account.
Looking at affairs at home, seeing the Government were
the responsible advisers of the Crown, seeing that differ-
ences had grown up between Great Britain and the United
States, and not knowing how far it was possible such
differences might lead to hostilities, I thought that it was
the duty of Englishmen to sink all minor opinions which
they might entertain, and assure the Crown of Great
Britain that in any struggle with a foreign power they
would speak with one vob.:e and support the Government.
Mr. Mowbray then alluded to questions of domestic
legislation, supporting agricultural statistics, ex
pressing an earnest hope that Mr. Spooner may
ultimately succeed in repealing the Maynooth grant,
and anticipating that the Government would next
session bring in a bill to settle the question of
Chun•h rates. The future of Europe Mr. Mowbray
thought so doubtful that we should be prepared for
eventualities :

We know not how long France may remain in her pre•
sent state; Italy we may be sure is ready to rise; we
don't know the eondition of Spain, we don't know the
future of Hungary, but we know this, that a great nation
must be prepared for any contingencies that may arise ;
we most not again allow ourselves to be in the unprepared
state we were in the year 18.54.

THE HON. F. H. F. BERKELEY, M.P. FOR BRISTOL,
is about to be presented by his constituents with a
handsome casket containing 1,000 sovereigns, as
a testimonial for his exertions to obtain the repeal of
the Sunday Beer Bill.

Stu Ozonou Ciasy relieves the Earl of Clarendon
as Secretary of State in attendance upon her
Majesty.

Vttrouplitan.

MR. JOHN FROST, upon the occasion of his
visiting London, on Monday, was given a public
reception by the London Chartists. The programme
for the day's proceedings fixed Finsbury F quare as
the rendezvous of the democrats. Some thousands
of persons assembled, and shortly after twelve
o'clock an open carriage, containing Mr. Frost, Mr.
Ernest Jones, Mr. James Finlen, Mr. J. Cooper, of
Bristol, and two others, and drawn by four greys,
with outriders, entered the square. A round of
cheering from the people waiting to fall into the
procession ensued, and as Mr. Frost became recog-
nised, was agaiu and again renewed, while many of
them ran by the side of the vehicle and grasped him
cordially by the hand. Mr. Frost is a man rather
above the middle height, slightly corpulent, with
grey hair and a pale face, marked a little with the
smallpox, and a person young looking and straight. A
short interval was spent in marshalling the procession.
The cortege was composed, first of three equestrians
wearing party-coloured silk scarfs ; then came the
carnage and four, followed by a long line of
pedestrians, including a considerable number of
women, who walked generally four abreast, with
banners floating overhead, some surmounted with a
cap of liberty, and bearing characteristic inscrip-