The Press.
London, England, 1857-08-15 00:00:00

EUPHRATES VALLEY RAILWAY.

On resuming in the evening,
Mr. ESTCOURT, having put himself in order by
moving that the house on rising should adjourn until
Monday, called attention to the expediency of facili•
tating railway communication between England and
India by the route of the Euphrates Valley. An
enterprise having that object in view was now pro-
moted by a private company, but the work was one
of great national benefit. Among other results, the
hon. member observed that if such a railway was
now in existence many thousand troops could he
despatched from England into the very heart of
India within a period of thirty days. The proposed
railway was estimated to cost 1400,0001., hut not
more than 100,0001. would be required from the
Government to encourage the undertaking.
The motion was seconded by Mr. CRAWFORD.

THE PRESS, AUGUST 15, 1857.

THE PRINCIPALITIES QUESTION.

Mr. GLADSTONE, in reference to the Euphrates
Valley Railway, deprecated any appropriation of
public money to support a commercial enterprise,
and noticed some of the political difficulties in which
any adoption by the Government of the proposed
railway, passing as it did through foreign territories,
might entangle the country. Mr. Gladstone then
adverted to the question of the Danubian principali-
ties, and invited the Premier to afford full official
information, which excited much interest, and
respecting which a multitude of informal statements
were in circulation. He thought that much unne-
cessary delay had occurred in carrying into execution
the provisions of the Treaty of Paris with regard to
the permanent organisation of the Government in
the Principalities. The best safeguard to Turkey
against the aggressions of Russia would be the
interposition of a free and independent nation. The
right hon. member then proceeded to cite various
incidents showing the corrupt influences, violence,
and intimidation employed by the antiunion party
during the late elections in Moldavia.

THE KING OF OUDE.
Sir F. KELLY inquired on what pretext the King of
Oude had been arrested, and whether he was still in
prison.
Mr. V. SMITH explained that the ex-King of Oude
had been arrested on a charge of complicity with the
sepoy mutiny. At the date of the last advises he
was still imprisoned, but treated with every possible
respect.

EXPLANATIONS.

Lord PALMERSTON explained on various points
raised during the debate. He detailed the reasons
which induced the Government to refuse encourage-
ment to the Euphrates Valley ;Railway and the Suez
Canal schemes, but stated that a liberal contribution
would be readily paid for the transmission of public
despatches by electric telegraph to India. Re-
specting the Principalities, the noble lord reiterated
the explanation previously offered by the Foreign
Secretary in the Peers, and by himself in reply to
Mr. Disraeli in that house, annouhcing the further
circumstance that Austria had intimated her full
assent to the annulment of the Moldavian elections.

HOSPITAL AT NETLEY.
Mr. STAFFORD repeated and enlarged his criticism
upon the site, the plan, and construction of the new
military hospital at Netley, near Southampton.
Mr. TITE, having an extensive acquaintance with
foreign hospitals, fully corroborated the conclusions
presented by the member for Northamptonshire.
DIPLOMACY AT CONSTANTINOPLE.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL, reverting to the Principalities
question, commented upon some of the diplomatic
difficulties which were said to have arisen at Con-
stantinople on the subject. He went on to remark
upon other points connected with the foreign rela-
tionships of the country.

DIVORCE.
The house having gone into committee, resumed
the consideration of the Divorce and Matrimonial
Causes Bill, which occupied the remainder of the
night's sitting.
The house resumed, and adjourned at half-past
oue o'clock until noon to-day (Saturday).

LIEUTENANT SHAFTO, of the Royal Horse Guards,
was drowned on Wednesday morning while bathing
just below Windeor•bridge, at Eton We ir. Captain
Billington, who was bathing with the deceased at the
time, in the course of his evidence at the ccroner's
inquest said :

Deceased could swim, but was not a good swimmer.
went out with him at half•past eight o'clock this morning,
with the intention of bathing. He plunged into the water
first, and I followed almost immediately afterwards. We
had not been in the water more than a minute when I saw
deceased, who had swam out about ten or fifteen yards,
throw up his arms. At first I thought he intended to
turn himself upon his back and float, but immediately I
saw his head go down. I swam to him as fast as I could,
and succeeded in catching hold of one of his hands, and
called for help as loud as I could. Suddenly he wrenched
himself away from me, and sank immediately; he did not
struggle at all.

Samuel Quelch, Eton waterman, deposed to his
doing everything in his power to save the. de-
ceased :
Had heard Captain Killington call out for help. Saw
the deceased iu the water after he bad let go of Captain
Billington, who was partly under the water. Captain Kil-
lington afterwards swain on shore, and cried out, " For
God's sake what can be done ?" Had hold of the deceased
with the " hitcher" once, but could not retain him ;
could have recovered the body if another person had been
with him. The body was found within two yards of where
it sunk, after it had been in the water about forty minutes.
The jury returned a verdict of " Accidental death."
The deceased, who was nephew of the member for
Cambridge, was in his twenty-eighth year.
THE ASHTON COLLIERY EXPLOSION INQUEST on the
thirty-nine men killed was concluded on Saturday.
As every soul in the workings had been killed there
could be no evidence to throw a satisfactory light on
the cause, and the jury found a verdict to that
effect.