The Express.
London, England, 1862-11-12 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 12, 1862.

" cases to prevent these offences, to apprehend •
" those who commit them. It should also be I
" known that the offenders are liable to penal ser-
" vitude for life. It is true that transportation
" has been discontinued, but it exists under another
" name. Government has power to transport con-
" victa under sentence of penal servitude."
Such authoritative warnings are useful as far as
they go, and will no doubt do good. The an-
nouncetnent that heavy legal penalties are at-
tached to this class of crimes, and that the vigi-
lance of the authorities is aroused to secure and
bring to justice those who commit them, is pecu-
liarly welcome at the present moment. But this
is by no means enough to reassure the public mind,
or to provide effectually for the security of life
and property. The heavy penalties affixed to
these crimes mnat not only be threatened, but in-
flicted, and if possible some means should
be devised for acting at once and directly on
the class mainly concerned in their commission.
The prevalent conviction and belief is that these
daring burglaries and desperate assaults, in a
word, the violent crimes thathave increased so
much of late, are to a large extent perpetrated by
ticket-of-leave men. In several recent convictions
this is proved to have been the case, the culprits
being old offenders liberated on leave long
before their legal term of imprisonment
had expired. But bow far the wholesale
charges brought against this class are true it is at
present impossible to say. How many of these
crimes are actually committed by these men we
cannot tell. Yet, singularly enough, this is a
point on which the public and the Government
might easily obtain the fullest and most accurate
information. The very clan to which these
violent crimes are traced is precisely the one that
is still within the reach and under the control
of the authorities. The officers of justice could
easily ascertain the actual truth about these men,
by reducing to practice the theory of oversight and
control on which their licenses are granted. This
is in effect the plan which Mr. D. W. HARVEY
proposes. From his high official position and ex-
perience Mr. HARVEY is pre-eminently entitled to
speak with authority on this subject, and the plan
he suggests appears to ns not only simple and
rational, but one likely to prove really effectual
and successfuL He allows that many of the out-
rages recently perpetrated are justly attributable
to convicts on tickets of leave, and thinks, there-
fore, that immediate attention should be
given to this great and growing evil.
" In aid of this object (he says) I venture to sug-
gest that all persons to whom tickets of leave
" have been granted and are still in force should
"be ordered forthwith, by competent authority,
" to report themselves at a given quarter, with
" their names and residences, and, if need be, to
" present themselves ; and that those persons who
" do not comply with such order within seven days
" should lose the privilege of the tickets, to be
" dealt with for disobedience ; and, further, that
" those who comply with this order, and give
" satisfactory accounts of themselves, should be
" placed in communication with the head of police
" in the district in which they reside, who should
" receive instructions to afford them the
" countenance which their conduct may deserve."
Such a plan, if adopted, must inevitably act as a
direct and powerful check on the evil-disposed
amongst this class, and rapidly diminish the crimes
traceable to this source. On the other hand, it
would, as Mr. HARVEY points out, be a welcome
and salutary protection, not only to the public,
but to the well-disposed amongst the ticket-of-leave
men who are really seeking to gain an honest
livelihood. We can only express our hope that 1
suggestion so wise and seasonable will be promptly
acted on.

• Is v u TATTUIN..
THE INTERNA.Twg.s.L. .

The sound of the hammer was as prevalent in all
corners of the Exhibition yesterday as it had been
during the firat month, when only ticket-holders
and persons who could afford fire shillings each
were admitted. Packing-vises were to be seen
everywhere, and trucks rattled through the nave,
which, nevertheless, was well filled with loungers,
who listened to Mr. Godfrey's excellent music, and
eager purchasers of the various articles exhibited.
Trade was, in fact, very brisk everywhere, and
would no doubt have been much more so
had it not been for the exorbitant prices
demanded by the foreign exhibitors for articles the
value of which is always easily ascertainable in
Burlington or the Lowther Arcades. The French
court received yesterday a beautiful addition to its
varied contents, iu the shape of an enamelled table
of great beauty, and which had been intended to
be one of the earliest otnaments of the Exhibition.
Having, however, cracked in the fire, the work hail
all to be done over again, and it is now only able
to nye its distance by making its appearance in
the empleuemtal week, It it offered
for 8001., and is considered (by the 6E-
bibitor) to be a great bargain. Mr. Bensm's
ease looked rather empty, and many visitors were
annoyed at missing from it the collection of antique
watches. These had been lent for the soiree of the
Cambrian Society, held in honour of the Prince of
Wales's birthday, but will to-day be restored to
their old positions.
The visitors during the remaining few days
would take it as a very great favour of the external
police, if the latter would do something to prevent
the "Arabs" from seizing on every cab that draws
up in front of the building. At present they levy
toll on every person who wants a cab, and besides
have a fight amongst themselves every quarter of
an hour touching the appropriation of the victim
and the distribution of the booty.
The number of visitors yesterday was about
17)000-

(FROM LAST NIGHT'S GAZETTE.)
WHITEHALL, Nov. 11.—The Queen has been
pleased to grant the office of her Majesty's Solicitor-General
for Scotland to George Young. Esq., Advocate, in the room
of Edward Francis Maitland, Esq., appointed one of the
Lords of Session to Scotland.—Garettn
WHITEHALL, Nov. 10.—The Queen has been
pleased to grant the place of one of the Lords of Session
in Scotland, to Edward Francis Maitland, Esq., her Ma-
jesty's Solicitor-General for Scotland, in the room of
James Ivory, Esq., resigtied.—Gazetts.
FOREIGN-0E71(T., Nov. 10.—The Queen has been
pleased to approve of M. Georges Livia as Consul at Dublin,
and of M. Amaod Honore Leoglet as Consul at Liverpool,
for his Majesty the Emperor of the French.

CAVTAT EMPTOR. —The Tribunal of Correctional
Police, the day before yesterday. tried two brother' named
Balme for several acts of swindling, which cocsieted in sel-
ling worthless plants at high prices. under the pretence that
they were ram exotics. It appeared from the evidence
that the two accused. who are florists residing
at Venom. near Grenoble, last winter opened a shop
on the Boulevard dee Caprioles., for the sale of
exotic 'brae and plants, which they warranted to
produce beautiful flowers, highly finished drawings of
which were shown to intending purchaser.. To these pre-
, tended rarities they gave the moat high -reading names,
as Pelpedinm elepbantissimum, Paconia variegate nova
superb., Andromeda variegate, he Attracted by these fine
names and the beautiful drawings of the flowers, the gar-
dener of the Printer Mathilde made purchases to the
amount of 800 fr. ; M. Molinet, • gentleman residing at
Ponteinebleau, for 2,400 fr. ; and many other persons for
smaller sums, but all were bitterly disappointed, for the
plant,' proved to be utterly worthless. Complaints were
accordingly made to the police. and an Investigation was
instituted, which resulted in the discovery that the two
accused bad practised the same fraud two years before as
, Cadiz, and that their campaign in Paris last winter resulted
in profits amounting to above 20,000 fr. The offences having
been fully proved by sevend witnesses, the tribunal de-
clared the accused guar. and sentenced each of them to •
year's imprisonment and 50fr. floe.

be Court.

OSBORNE. Nov. 11,
The Queen walked and drove in the grounds this
morning.
The Countess of Elgin arrived at Osborne yesterday.

A Cabinet Council was held yesterday at the
official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury
in Downing-street. The ministers present were
Viscount Palmerston, the Lord Chancellor, Earl
Granville, the Duke of Argyll, Sir George Grey,
Earl Russell, the Duke of Newcastle, Sir G. C.
Lewis, Sir Charles Wood, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, the Duke of Somerset, the Right
Hon. T. Milner Gibson, the Right Hon. Edward
Cardwell, Lord Stanley of Alderley, and the Right
Hon. C. P. Villiers.

The Right Hon. Sir George Grey arrived in town on
Monday night from his seat, Fallodon, Northumberland.
Despatches were remised yesterday at the Colonial Offioe
from the Governors of the North American provinces, the
Mauritius, and from the Lord High Commissioner of the
lonian Islands. Despatches were sent to the Governors of
Gibraltar, Malta, and to the Lord High Commissioner of
the lonian Islands.

SPAIN.

MADRID, Nov. 11.

The King has had a fall from his horse, and
dislocated his arm. His Majesty is proceeding
favourably.

The American Minister at Madrid bas been
instructed by his government to state that the
conduct of the captain of the Montgomery was
unpardonable; to offer to punish him ; and to give
satisfaction to the Spanish government.