The Express.
London, England, 1862-12-17 00:00:00

TELEGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE.

(ungles nzamAxs.)
THE GREEK QUESTION.

LISBON, Die. 16.
Don Ferdinand° has refaced to become a candi-
date fot the throne of Greece.

The English squadron, consisting of the Warrior,
Black triune, and other vessels, will leave here for
Madeira on Saturday.
BERNS, Doc. 16.
The Federal Council has received a circular note
of the French Minister for Foreign Affairs, which
has also been forwarded to the other governments
of Europe.
Iu this communication M. Dronyn de Lbuys
declares that as the protecting powers of Greece
have come to a common understanding, they will
not delay the recommendation of a candidate to the
Greek lotion.

PARIS, Deo. 18.
The Paris papers of this evening state that the
English government is making great efforts to
inducer fing Perdinand"OrPortugal to" accept the
throne of Greece.
PRUSSIA.
•
i BERLIN, Dec. 18.
Sir Andrew Buchanan, the newly-appointed
EnglishriAmbassador, had an audience of his Ma-
jesty thO Matto-day, to present his credentials.
Theident of the Council of Ministers was
presented the Queen joined his Majesty in the
coursee audience.
The "embers of the embassy were conveyed to
the casthe in three of the royal state carriages.
RUSSIA.
Sr. PETERSBURG, Dec. 16.
eti Gen Mieravieff, the Minister of the Imperial
Dom ' . has been dismissed. His successor has
not yet n appointed.
On ay last the Bank of Russia paid two
millionii and a quarter of roubles in specie in ex-
change for notes.
I
1 TILE BOMBAY MAIL.
The following telegram has been received at
Mr. Router's office from the Peninsular and
Oriental Steam Navigation Company :
" almisznxxs, Dec. 16.
" The Euxine, with the Bombay mail of Nov. 27,
arrived here this day at 8 a.m.
"The snail leaves for London at 11.30 a.m."

MR., COBDEN, M.P., AT MIDBURST.

MIDEURST, TIJESDAY.

This afternoon Mr. Cobden, M.P., addressed a
public roosting of the inhabitants of Ididharst, on a requiid-
tion made by them, with reference to the distanos in the
manufactaring district&

The meeting, which was densely crowded, was held at the
Assemblyitooms in that town, Mr. T. A. DAVIES presid-
ing, and Mr. /dittoed, M.P. for the borough, being also
present.
lir. 0011DM entered into a description of some of the
peculiarities of the cotton trade, its vicissitude., and the
industry which is displayed in it. He proceeded to show
that slavery was the mum of the American war, and toftix-
press • hope that whatever may be the temporary
aufferingeme may have to go through, we may never return
to the time when the vast fabric of this industry shall have
for its basis and foundation that odious system of
slavery which exists in America. Mr. Cobden continued : ,
I came from Scotland sot long ago, through Carlisle I
Preston, Chorley, and Bolton to Manchester, and I
passed through• oontinued forest of smokeless chimneys. Not 1
one of those vast mills was producing one farthing—not one i
of the cottages was paying rent, and yet all the buildings and ;
cottages were still paying poor-rates. I say then that I think
it would be • wise thing if this property could be exempted
so as to save the most precious possession we have in Lan-
1 cubits to the men who are at the head of these establish.
ments, whose ingenuity and skill are necessary for con. 1
ducting them. It is their capital alone which can give the
employment so long afforded. Let the capital be destroyed :
and the mills must be dismembered and the machinery wad I
es old iron, in order to pay the rates ; or another process
may_ go on, the mills may be dismembered because they
&LB so longer be liable to pay the poor-rate, inasmuch as
it is only while they have machinery in them that they are
liable to pay it. (Hear, hear.) I speak this only in re.
ferenoe to the future. It may be said that
we shall not see things go so bad as that.
Sanguine men have told us that next year
there will be cotton enough from other sources than
America to supply the mills and machinery of Lancashire
with half work—that is, that three days' work a week may
be had out of Indian and other cotton. But my experience
of that business does not lead me to expect that it would
be of much service to the capitalist classes to have only half
the cotton they have machinery to spin. They would
simply become the sport
.rof the people who hold that cot-
ton. (Hear.) Their exigencies would always render it
impossible that they could work it to a profit, and I see
scarcely any difference in having no cotton at all and hav-
ing three days' supply • week of Sand cotton, which is so
difficult to work and so unproductive. I think the people
of this country have made • most noble response to the
appeal that has been made to them. (Cheers.) Some are
proud of being Englishmen because we have a great army and
• great navy, others because we have a vast manufacturing
community, others because we are good farmers, and others
because we have a great and magnificent metropolis, out-
rivalling all the capitals of the known world. But lam
proud when I think of what the English nation has done in
consequence of the appeal which has been made to them.
It baa been an outguahing of generosity such as Ido net
believe the whole world could have equalled. (Hear.)
But when I speak in such lavish terms of admiration of
what has been done, it is dreadful to think how incommen-
surate what has been done, or is likely to be done, will be
to the necessities of the case. I stated that at the present
moment the falling-off in wages is at the rate of 9,000,0001.
a year. I said at Manchester that we should raise a mil-
lion of money by voluntary contribatioes. That million
will be raised, but it is lamentable to think that it is only
six weeks' wages for those out of employment. It seems as
of the emergency is so gigantic that it prevails over all pos-
sible means of dealing with it. It is a very serious question,
I assure you, to have hundreds and thousands of people
suddenly thrown out of employment and cast into • state
of idleness. The millowners of Lancashire have not only
had to find the means of obtaining food for the people, but
immediately this calamity fall upon them they had to con-
sider how they could find occupation, and amusement, and
excitement, in order to prevent them from becoming a prey
to that depression of spirits which leads to fever, or to that
idleness which might lead to vice and abandonment. (Hear,
hear.) I was greatly interested when I was hut in Lanca-
shire in seeing the mesas which had been taken toaccomplish
that object. The salf-devotion of the ladies in encouraging
a system of sewing schools, and the energy, amid ability, and
untiring industry shown by the manufacturers io forming
schools for young men, were beyond all praise. (Cheers.) In
some of these schools which I have recently visited not only
have I seen youth engaged in study, but men bald and grey,
who, for the first time probably in their lives, were occupied
with their hooks and their slates, and who, when, it is to
be hoped, at some future day, when prosperity return., will
remember the Lancashire steam of distress as the first moo-
nient at which they were taught to read, and to obtain
that means of knowledge and recrodiou which are so useful
to mankind. Not only are they worthy of every help, but
every person who is able by his sympathy, or by going
among these people encouraging them to support the dis-
tress they are suffering with patience, will confer a real
good ; and I have no hesitation in saying that probably
that expression of sympathy on the part of the
highest classes has done more to keep the people
of Lancashire content, and quiet, and pacified
during that ordeal than anything else. (Hear, hear.)
I have no hesitation in stating that it is that more than asp
thing besides which ha kept the people in Lancashire coo-
tent, and quiet, and pacified during all the ordeal through
which they have passed.

b. ed.

Os. Id.

06 64.

Mr. Mrrrozw, M. P., subsequently addressed the meeting,
soda resolution was agreed to i pp riot* a committee to
receive subscriptions for the relict °Ube didresa. A °enlist
rote of thanks was also pawed to Mr. Cobden.

EARnoatrAms IN Autism—The shock of in
earthquake was felt in several parts of Algeria et midnight
on the 29th of November. All the clocl.e stopped which
fond north and south. Those which faced east and
west kept going. It is inferred, therefore, that the shook
passed from north to south.