The Express.
London, England, 1864-01-06 00:00:00

PRtNCFSS'!

. ..
Tio9 EVENING. THE II El'MoON.—And HARLEQUIN
LI ['TEE TOM TUCKER. Messrs. Seyton, Caths•art. A. and C.
Led, rob Hahne and Son, 31115 n.,, Naylor, rod Chapin°.
sdAwes Barnett. Adams. aad Howard

LYCEUM.

THIS EVIIING, THE if:WC ; ill LD. 3Lr. Widdlcomb and
Mae P. Leek TIN —BEL MEMO, a Love Story. 51 mare.
Teenter, Brougham, Emery, Oule% and Jordan ; Anew
Terry, Lavenne, and Elmorthy, sod Mr,. Lee.

BRITANNIA.

TEM EVENING. the New Pantomime HICKORY, HICKORY,
Sin Lsue and drat rate Litton mists—The Marvels
of Peru. - TII I.: C GMAT OM Ix 1' 1.11,14.Cr.-4rthurrinti Bertrand.
Fount:dn.—Awl lIIL GuRILLA

HIGH WATER AT YONDON BRIDOII.

MUM DAT ijorlihot .llh chn Afternoon. 11h. 44m.
Z.-noinow Morning, vh. 0m... .Ariorsoolo. oh. iSm.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY G.

ORDERS have been given for the return of the
Channel Fleet to a port in the United Kingdom.

THE present condition and prospects of Sweden
form a subject to which one naturally turns on :
seeing the peril which besets the other chief mem-
bers of the Scandinavian nation. Undoubtedly
the most desirable and natural mode of safe-
guarding the Scandinavians would be • close
alliance between them. Denmark has a popu-
lation of two millions, with 600,000 more in
those provinces south of the Eyder which are
now occupied and menaced by the Germanic
Confederation. There arc nearly four millions of
Swedes, with a million and a half of sturdy Norse-
men. A population of eight millions of the Scan-
dinavian race, a great portion of whom are as
much at home on sea as on land, might defy, and
ought to be enabled to defy, German or Russian
encroachment. The best and fairest distribution
of these people existed in 1813. Norway was then
joined to Denmark, which thus had a population
of four millions, leaving the same number to
Sweden. The wise men of the Congress of Vienna
thought this arrangement might be improved.
To please BEENADOTTE, Norway was given to
Sweden ; and it was fondly imagined that by
including Holstein in the Germanic Confederation,
Denmark would be strengthened and firmly united
to Germany against France. We see the result.
However politically separated, it is manifest
that at the present moment all the Scandinavians
are anxious to march to the defence of Denmark.
The Swedes had offered and concluded a Treaty for
the purpose. But unfortunately Sweden is the
declared foe of Russia, whilst Denmark used
to be befriended by the Court of St. Petersburg.
Sweden, therefore, probably at Denmark's request,
has held back, and left it to be soon proved how
much sincerity and zeal there was in the pretended
friendship of Russia for Denmark. Su great,
indeed, at present is the necessity in which Russia
stands of Prussian support in the military and
diplomatic questions which arise out of the insur-
rection iu Poland, that the Court of St. Petersburg
cannot pursue any policy highly distasteful to
that of Berlin. But if Russia thus shows itself
completely obsequious to Germany, there can no
longer be a reason why the Danes should reject
the help of their Scandinavian brethren.
Last month the King of SWEDEN closed the
triennial session of the National Parliament in a
remarkable speech. At the close of it he stated
his policy with respect to Denmark, which was to
refrain from flinging his sword into the scale as
long as there was any chance or hope of Scandi-
navian rights being safeguarded in Denmark by
peaceful means.
The great concern of Swedish statesmen is the
reform of the constitution—a difficult task, towards
which the best political intellect of the country
has been devotei. for a number of years. It
is well known that the Parliament of that country

has still its medimval organization, and consists
of States divided into four orders—the clergy, no-
blesse, burgesses, andipeasants. The result of this
division has been that each class was so powerful
in its own circle and attributes, that no measure
of improvement could be carried. The nobles
monopolised place and army, the clergy perte-
cuted all dissidents, the burgesses in their corpora-
tions fettered trade, and the peasants were as
paramount in the rural districts as they are in
Switzerland. Still burgess and peasant were en-
lightened enough to petition for a reform in 1860.
It was proposed to have two Chambers, the lower
of which should be elezted without reference to
class. In short, it was desired to assimilate the
Swedish constitution to those which prevailed
in the other countries of Europe. We virceive
that is the Diet of 1863, just closed, the KIN.:
has applauded the Assembly for having, after
the discussion of the new• constitution, de-
ferred tival decision on the subject till the
next Diet. This will be in 1866. In the mean-
time, other landed proprietors than pea-
sants will bo allowed to vote for the
deputies of the peasants—one important infringe-
ment of the law of class. A greater modifica-
tion of the old system had been previously passed
in a law of municipal and proviucial assemblies,
which allowed citizens and rustics to discuss and
vote together, instead of being each parked off,
the one in towns, the other in the fields. A law

on Synods had weakened or destroyed the hitherto

close identification between Church and State.
The KING complained of the resistance which the
Diet in its classes offered to the Government
plans for lowering tariffs and freeing trade.
Class interests were for raising instead of lowering