The Express.
London, England, 1853-04-25 00:00:00

TO Tlll IDITOS 07 TR! 112811111.

BlB,—M:ioesutilie:eeAlclreseedic7iie a letter,
fall of startling facts and puzzling questions. As an Eng-
lishmen I confess, with shame, that I can neither contradict
the former nor reply satisfactorily to the latter. As both
are of deep interest—not to me alone, but to you, air, and
to every man in England—l make use of the privilege
granted me, and send you this letter for publication. I
shall make no comments upon it. Let England answer for
herself. But this I will dare to affirm—that, if the state-
ments of Mr. Danford be facts, and Englishmen submit
tamely to a knowledge of them, then indeed have we
reached a crisis of shame ; and the further downhill of dia.
grace will be short, rapid, and facile.
Political espionage is cuneiform. Give the vile system
but the smallest insertion, and, wedge-like, It will help
itself, until it has cleft the columns of our glory and sapped
the foundations of our dear liberty. If our own sense of
national honour move us not now, there is but little hope
that we will be aroused from our ;lethargy by the scornful
cheer that will soon greet us from the other side of the
Atlantic.

Them gem may be lightly treated by the over-wise and
the too secure. To you, sir, they will be thoughts of pain
and sorrow , as they are to
Your obedient servant,

MAYNE REID.
14, Alpha-road, Regent's-park, April 24, 1863.
(Copy.)
21, Alpha-road, Regent's-perk, April 23.
My dear Sir,—Recent occurrences have thrown such an
uncertainty upon the legal position of political refugees re-
siding in England that our honour as well as the instinct of
self-preservation make it indispensable that the exact na-
ture of the right of asylum should be cleared up, which
we have been induced to believe the organic institutions of
England afford to political exiles in equal degree, be they
dethroned kings or inconspicuous martyrs of the cause of
liberty. We are told, in and out of parliament, that we
live under the protection of the common laws of England.
Now, sir, I apprehend it is no easy matter, even for Eng-
lishmen, to know exactly what is English law. Long for-
gotten statutes, exhanated for some special occurrence from
under the rubbish of by-gone times, render the access to
the sanctuary of your common laws extremely sinuous.
Foreigners cannot be reproached for being unable to know
the way of their duties and their rights in that labyrinth.
You having been always amongst the foremost to defend
us spontaneously when we have been wronged, you will
excuse me, I hope, for venturing to bring some facts to
your notice, and for asking you some questions resulting
therefrom.

Sir, I sincerely believe that Englishmen mean to be hos-
pitable to political exiles, but few o ou know what sort of
hospitality England affords to u. Hospitality, in my view,
means the admitting a guest to be, at least, on the same
terms as the members of the family ; but, forgive my say-
ing, I feel that I for one am not thus treated.
Englishmen are punishable if they break the law, but
they are not dogged by spies, surrounded by political
espionage, and the names of all who visit them kept in a
black-book. They axe not always: trembling for the safety
of their letters and the lives of their correspondents, or of
the innocent men whose amine may be mentioned in their
prints memorandums.
I avow my responsibility to the laws of Englishmen, and
have not dreamed to ask more than English freedom while
on your shores. But under the pretence of prevention On
especially despotic plea) it appears 1 am beset by agencies,
which all true-heart ed Beglishreen hate, and which, if
applied to any of you, would, I believe, rouse your indig-
nation.

Of coarse I correspond with my friends, many of whom
are suffering under lawless oppression, haunch correspond-
ence is no breach of your laws. Nevertheless, I hire in
daily terror, lest on waking some morning I find that my
writing-desk has been torn open, and my private memoran-
dams rifled by virtue of • search warren% obtained by
I know not what one-aided deposition, from • secret
irresponsible tribunal, like that of the Inquisition, obtained
by snonymous accumtion—the charge and the judp being
unknown to me. I say I live in daily terror lest by sack
seizure of my private papers innocent friends be betrayed to
Austrian vengeance. Englishmen would not endure such a
state of law as applicable to themselves, but it seems you
have exceptional laws spinet foreigners, which turn your
hospitality to exiles (possibly) into a cruel trap.
Du you say " Not possibly ?" Do you mare me that
this power, though committed to your ministry, certainly
will not be'used F Excuse some anxiety in one who has
road how the brothers Hindi= were betrayed, and has
recently seen in the ease of an Englishman, bow, without
any process of law where accuser and accused meet face to
face, any piss of searching for gunpowder may be used
in *skim to rifle my desk, and carry off my trunks and
papers. What is to hinder some masked accuser from
whispering something which by virtue of " reasons of
state," justifies a burglary in my house, and puts the lives
of ray correspondents into hazard, for no imaginable breach
of your laws—men who have never come within the
sphere of English law at all ?
These fears are not unfounded in fact. Listen yet a
little, sir. Mr. Danford, printer and stationer, residing at
Notting-hill, gives to me the following information :
While Lord Derby was still Prime Minister, men from
the detective police, in plain clothes, were appointed to
watch my house at Notting-hill, and take the number of
every cab which came to the door. The late ministry hav-
ing left office, they were withdrawn. But a short time after
the debates in the House of Lords about the refugees
previous to which your Home Secretary declared in the
House of Commons, with loud applause, that " It is no
part of the duty of an English government to provide for
the safety of foreign governments." According to Mr.
Duaford's positive knowledge, the detective polies not only
made their appearance again about my house, but he has
full reason to believe that there was slaw one policeman
for every person who visited my house, and he assorts to
know that they had orders to mark every such person, and
even to take a cabriolet, if necessary, to follow the visitor
wherever he went.

Farther, Mr. Danford informs me that, upon the occa-
sion of my removing from my late residence at Notting-hill
to that which I at present occupy in Alpha-road, Regent's-
park, one of the detective police in the disguise of a
labourer, and upon the plea that he was oat of work, in-
sinuated himself into the service of the person employed to
remove my furniture, and in this character assisted at its
I removal, thus having free access to my house, and adopting
what I—and I am certain you, dr—would pronounce •
base means of becoming acquainted with my private affairs.
The honest carman himself, having too late learnt the
matter, has felt so ashamed and revolted in his plain honest
English heart, at being made • tool in so base • plot, that
he never called for payment of his bill; so that having
waited for a considerable time in vain, I was under the ne-
cessity of sending to search him oat and pay him his money.
The people's moral sense is an honourable test of institations.
Mr. Danford, I have reason to believe, is a respectable
and honourable man. Ilia letter lies before me, of which he
gave me permission to make public use, and authorised me
to say that he is ready to come forward and make oath to
the facts here stated.
So much of political espionage for the present. But you
will say—what of intercepted letters ? I indeed can only

answer you that one most important letter I have never re-
ceived, which was directed,to me under inclosure to a friend.
It never reached my friend, and all knowledge of it is
denied at St. Martin's-le-(hand.
Judge, then, whether 1 am unreasonable or uncharitable
in feeling frequent alarm, for good and brave men, whose
names are found in my private letters. When I metiew the
past, and compare the most recent and still pending transac-
tions of your extra-judicial activity, truly I have little
ground for congratulating myself on security from proceed-
ings which I used to think Austrian, but not English.
Pass laws, if you please, which forbid exiles on English
soli to use pen and paper, or to talk face to face, we 'hall
then know on what terms we accept your proffered refuge.
But if you induce us to believe that England is a free coun-
try, you mut excuse re for believing that political esp
age is incompatible with liberty. If you like to boast of
the proud personal security of Englishmen, do not blame us
for thinking that preventive political police measures can
hale is legal footing in England ; and if, in that belief, I
take it for granted that I am allowed to correspond with my
friends, and to enjoy their company, will you then give me
11 no security that in using this common privilege I shall not
become the means of betraying my beloved compatriots to
the Austrian hangman?
I used to read that an Englishman's house was his
castle, and, according to my Hungarian notions, the
stranger who is received among you should have equally
sacred rights ; but perhaps lam wrong. Those are old-
fashioned principles of common law, exploded by many a
petty coup d'etat. Englishmen are contented to be liable to
search warrants themselves upon " information ;" and
therefore I must be contented. Is it Bo ?or are refugees
placed under exceptional law in order to please foreign
tyrants ? These are questions which agitate my mind. I
hope you will help me to have them answered ; and I have
the honour to remain,
Dear, sir, yours faithfully,

To Captain Mayne Reid,
14, Alpha-road, Regent's-park.

L. KOSSUTH.

'EDE Court.

The Duchess of Kent and the Duchess de Ne-
mours visited the Queen on Saturday afternoon at Buck-
ingham Palace.
Prince Albert rode out on horseback on Saturday morn-
ing attended by Lieut.-Col. F. H. Seymour.
Prince Arthur and the Princesses Helena and Louisa
took a drive on Saturday forenoon in an oven carriage and
four.

Prince Albert, with the Prince of Wales, the Princess
Royal, and the Princess Alice, and the Duchess of Kent
and the Princess Adelaide of Hohenlohe, attended divine
service yesterday morning in the private chapel of Buck-
ingham palace. The ladies and gentlemen in waiting and
the domestic household also attended the service. The Hon.
and Rev. Gerald Wellesley officiated.
The Ducheu of Ken; accompanied by the Princess
Adelaide of Hobenlobe, and attended by Lady Anna Maria
Dawson and Sir George Couper, honoured the performance
of the French Plays on Saturday evening with her
presence.
The Duke and Duchess de Nemours visited the Duchess
of Kent on Saturday at Clarence House, St. James's.
The Duchess of Kent visited the Duchess of Gloucester
yesterday at Gloucester House, Piccadilly.
The deputation from the Atlantic and Pacific Junction
Company had an interview with the Earl of Clarendon on
Saturday at the Foreign Office. The deputation consisted
of Lord IVharncliffe (chairman), Mr. J. Pemberton Hey-
wood, Mr. T. Crampton, Mr. Wm. John Hamilton, Mr.
H. T. Hope, Mr. L. H. Halewood, Mr. Alex Wilson, Mr.
George (lowan, Sir Charles Fox, Capt. Mackinnon, Mr.
Charles Freshfield, Mr. Lionel Gisborne, Dr. Black, and
Dr. Cullen.

A deputation on the subject of the Royal Albert Park,
for the City and the borough of Finsbury, had an interview
with the Earl of Aberdeen and the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, at the official residence of the First Lord of the
Treasury in Downing-street, on Saturday. The deputation
consisted of Lord Robert Groevenor, M.P., the Lord Mayor,
M.P, Mr. T. S. Duncombe, M.P., Mr. Joseph Hume, M.P.,
Mr. Josiah Wilson, J.P., Mr. Charles Pearson, Mr. G. W.
Alexander, Mr. Jacob Vincent, Mr. Frederick Sandoz, Mr.
Thos. Di:, Mr. Wm. Tyler, Mr. John Barnett, and Mr.
James Lloyd.
A deputation of the chairman and directors of the London
and Limerick Steam Ship Company, consisting of Mr. F.
W. Russell, M.P., Alderman M'Donnell, and Mr. Henry
O'Shea, had an interview with the Right Hon. E. Card-
well, on Saturday, at the Board of Trade.
A deputation on the subject of the repeal of the attorneys'
certificate duty bad an interview with the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, on Saturday, at his official residence in Down-
ing-street. The deputation consisted of Lord Robert Gros-
venor, M.P., Sir Wm. Verner, M.P., Mr. Fitzgerald, M.P.,
and Mr. Hinderley (vice president), Messrs. Keith Barnes,
Cookson, Dr. Leman (members of the council), and Mr.
Maugham, secretary of the Incorporated Law Society.
Despatches were received at the Colonial., film on Satur-
day from the Governors of the West India Islands.

A Cabinet Council was held at the Foreign-office,
Downing-street, on Saturday. The ministers present
were—the Earl of Aberdeen Lord John Russell, the
Lord Chancellor, Earl. Granville, the Duke of Argyll,
the Marquis of Lansdowne, Viscount Palmerston,
the Earl of Clarendon, the Duke of Newcastle, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir James Graham,
Sir Charles Wood, the Right Hon. Sidney Herbert,
and Sir William Molesworth. The council sat three
hours and a half.

A Commission is about to be issued to proceed on a
complimentary visit to the American Exhibition of
Industry at New York. It is to be headed by the
Earl of Ellesmere and Sir Henry De la Bache.

EXTENSIVE ROBBERY OF PLATE, WATCHES,
AND JEWELLERY.

On Saturday morning a very daring burglary was
effected on the premises of Mr. Calmere, silversmith,
watchmaker, and jeweller, of No. 6, St. Ann's-lane, St.
Martin's-le-Grand, when property to the amount of several
hundred pounds was carried off. The premises of Mr. Cut-
more are adjoining the burial ground of St. Ann's Church,
which encompasses it on two sides. In the back wall of the
house opening to the churchyard is a small recipe, four feet
square, in which Goddard, the grave-digger, keeps his
shovels, spades, end mattocks ; the thieves contrived to con-
ceal themselves in this recess, and having closed the door,
with great perseverance *acceded in cutting • bole through
a nine-inch wall that separates it from the parlour
behind the shop; the aperture was made about
fifteen inches by sixteen inches, of sufficient size
to admit • stout-built man with facility. After entering
they packed up every articld of value, including above 120
gold and silver watches, about 1,000 ounces of plate, and a
large quantity of valuable jewellery, with which they de-
camped by the same aperture Si they entered. Mr. Cut-
more, who does not sleep on the premises, on arriving in
the morning to superintend the opening of his shop, found
the fastenings safe, but on entering discovered he had no-
thing but bare walls to look at. Information was given to
the police, and a large reward is offered fir the apprehen-
sion of the thieves. It is supposed that the robbery was
effected by the same gam which broke into Mr. Sinderby's,
watchmaker, of Bull and Mouth-street, a few weeks ago,
carried off property te a large amount.