The Express.
London, England, 1847-06-26 00:00:00

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yes, Van Dieatea's Lad. sad New
treatng of the SOW June.
British Ninth America, kie.. will be
lune, for trammisaioa by the steamer
. Letters and papers meat be specially

ine those for Mexico, Rondonia, and
cm the monting of the itrul July.
&menu. Remade, and the United
renlag of the 3rd July.
sr, Malts, Greece, the lonian islands,
c.Kong, and Mine, eis Southampton,
of the Irl July.
&NTT Plate, Monte Video, remain.
has Ayres, will be made np cm the
its Mmaieilles, to the Mediterranean,
ig Kong, Be., will be made up on the

trpnies, Lend= seeable mem mot be
oak ea tie Ow ee pebbea2

T LOIDON.BRI DOE.
AMU; AftvnessOP saw pan IL
Misroaas. afar.. I.

URDAY, JUNE 26.

s yesterday the royal assent,
ma to various bills. Lord
accusation he had made on
st the directors of the Bit,
unction Railway Company,
sg that the petitions in refe-
rferred back to the standing
eport as to whether or no
this case had been complied
ion the house divided, when
d by a majority of B—the
—Lord REDESDALE moved a
ry by the railway commis-
°dation afforded by the seve-
to Birmingham, with a view
a question of the gauges.
us met at 12 o'clock, and pro-
ays Bill in committee, Mr.
I executive authority to be
ill should be vested in the
. not in commissioners. Ths
I by a majority of 2, the
18, upon which Sir G. GREY
Thames Conservancy Bill,
ARD, it being met by a coati-
, was, on a division, ordered
a majority of 68.—Lord IN-
.vt committee to consider the
ars appointed to investigate
ntion, but which invention
speeches of Lord J. ItcssELL
at the noble mover withdrew
ND brought forward a case
eisonment of a female at
e; but, in consequence of a
tatements made by the hon.
on the authority of an
nir by his motion, it being
Iluate moved for
ches and papers relative to
ih of Sattara, which led to
with an intimation from Mr.
ing the subject forward, in a
ea occasion.

ingenious man. Ile proposes
kourt, with a judge, of great
in this court there is to be an
poor, who shall undertake to
wrnse, all the appeals that the
ist boards of guardians and
plan is one, according to Mr.
avoid litigation and expense.
eek, or how many cases a day,
It his plan would give rise to,
lucted by his attorney-general,
at least a score of very active
to be supposed, that each
t have its lawyer, so that the
expense is quite evident
no more poor-law commission
iperior authority to make deci-
r cases. The law is to stand as
rardians are to interpret the
I there be an appeid from them
ind he is to be the fountain of
splease parliament, and then
re in order to control, rectify,
Link it more expeditious and
kg of litigation and expense
on to superintend the exeeu-
aids, to interpret it and make
rcting it, subject to the imrne.
trol of parliament. The poor
ent. l'arliament itself is not
nformed enough to frame a
man to whom the country
If, therefore, the present
he defects, or rather the ira-
Ir. WAKLEY would substitute
re striking.
rretted that ministers did not
amendment forbidding aged
crated on entering the work-
re of the objection was not
he expense of a separate room
light certainly prove a serious
cnditure. A separation into
t, with life in common during
punishment than total sepa-
lead to such expense or de-
file rooms in a workhouse.
been so reprobated of late
sure, and giving up their
to conciliate opposition,
it, on this account, in-
themselves yielding in so
Dor-law, and the consequence
;h one of trifling moment. It
have stood out for a clause,
he principle contrary to it
and that few aged couples
houses, and that in no case
:ed to such compulsion. 'l'o the
sw poor-law the house, how-
vably attached, as was evident
'GONER'S amendment.

astime to be examined by a
e. The very act and office of
ncy to excite arrogance in the ,
tave a case to make out, or a
may often forget that he is
oublic, over whom he has no
e are not now alluding to the
Lich from the loss of temper
a criminal trial, and ought
have been public. These
ed by the evidence of
given before a committee of
y must have put the patience
a severe trial. In the report
published, the names of the
en, which is a mercy to them,
in every second question the
teens partisan.
he prelate, that the system of
red a greater and more horrid
as ever brought forth by any
lity. He supported this with
to prove it. Moreover,
unjust to any colony,
that its free and un-
meld be outnumbered by
berated and reformed. The
doe that the probation system
are in the colonies; that to
superintend them or reform
more difficult matter than to

Igntors pot the prelat e thrtmgb
Toss-examination, in order
le respects. He was asked and
) whether the experiment of
Ilea could not be as efficiently
t home. The Bishop gave an
rood why it could not

effect, when he contrasted the of a juvenile'
offenders' school at home with that of a similar
school in the colonies. In the colony the boys' faces
wore a badanddesperateexpression,at home quite the
reverse, and "the countenance was an intimation of
what passed in the mind." The fact is, that the minds
of the condemned are more easily subdued at home.
The going out to the colony, the sea-voyage, the
change, the new objects, the consciousness of being in
a new hemisphere, and one, too, in which a man's
arm and industry can make him the equal of his fel-
lows,—these circumstances act as a strong excitement
on the convict's mind, and disturb it for a long period
from that frame of resignation and penitence, which
is so soon brought about by seclusion at home.
We cannot but think, that the very worst com-
mencement of a period of punishment for a convict
is that of a four-months voyage to another clime. It
is four months lost to penitence and reform. The first
or seclusionary period should decidedly be peaced in I
prisons at home. Then comes the probationary
system, the labour in common,which has so completely
and horribly failed in the colonies. Can it be tried
with effect at home ? The Lords' committee seems to
think not. That committee strongly recommends an
effort to reform convicts, but sets its face against every
mode that has been devised. Yet if anything like
reform is to be hoped for, patient experiments must
be made, and the first system which calls for some
trial is that of Capt. MICONOCIITE, carried into effect
either by himself, or by one favourable to his views,
and under the superintendence of the home authori-
ties. That system has never been tried fairly on
probation gangs. Let scope and time be allowed for
I so great and philanthropic an experiment.
The Lords' committee, indeed, seem s to think that,
although a probationary system might be better tried
at home than abroad, still, as a terror to evil doers,
those sentenced to be transported ought to be trans-
ported. The judges are all in favour of transporta-
tion, founded ou no reason, but on the popular preju-
dice against it. We cannot but think this prejudice is
founded on mistake, and, therefore, likely to disap-
pear. We have been in the habit of transporting for
grave offences, imprisoning for small. Short terms
of condemnation were always undergone at home.
With respect to what acts, or may be made to act, as
intimidation on this class of offenders, it is to be
feared that we arc very partially and insufficiently
informed.

Mr. MERRY, for instance, tells us, that what thieves
stand most in dread of is education, that next to the
executioner the schoolmaster is most dreaded by
them, and that they decidedly prefer being put on
the treadmill than to their grammar. This is some-
what startling. Yet Rftding gaol is managed upon
this new and strange principle, and the comparative
statistics of it and neighbouring gaols would show
there must be some truth in it. Mr. MERRY no doubt
exaggerates, and at times even borders on the ludi-
crous. For instance, a clerk having abstracted some
money, was condemned to imprisonment. He went
to Reading gaol a fair arithmetician, and he was turned
out an accomplished surveyor. This was his punish-'
meat, which Mr. MERRY says would deter him from
ever returning. We should very much fear, that a
desire to advance and master other branches of
science might tempt such a man of science to commit
a fraud, and thus sacrifice to MERCURY, the god of
thieving, in order to propitiate MINERVA, the goddess
of wisdom.
We have been some months preaching up educa-
tion as the great preventive of crime; Mr. MERRY
assures us, that it is also the best punishment!

A STEP from which much good may be anticipated
has been taken by the Belgian Association for Pro-
moting Free Trade. They have invited the statistical
and economical inquirers of Europe to assemble in
congress at Brussels on the 16th of September next.
The time and place for ouch a movement have been
well chosen. The great problem of the comparative
advantages of a free and an artificially- regulated na-
tional commerce is at present the subject which pro-
vokes meet frequent discussions in the legislative assem-
blies of France and England, Belgium, Holland, and
Prussia, and the United States of North America.
The political writers not only in these countries but
in all countries of the European civilisation discuss
this question more frequently than any other three that
can be named. The progress of railway and steam
communication, by making near neighbours of
places formerly remote from each other, is causing
the annoyance of custom-house cordons to be felt by far
greater numbers than formerly. The unprecedentedly
extensive dearth—not yet quite passed away—has
renewed the practical importance of the question,
whether prohibitions to export provisions are really
of use in times of scarcity. That question, which
was decided in the negative as between province and
province before the French revolution, is now raised as
between nation and nation, and the blunderers whom
Providence has inflicted on the minor states of Ger-
many as rulers, seem destined to illustrate the inex-
pediency of the precaution. One way and another,
free-trade is the problem of the day. Mr. COBDEN,
after finishing his labours in England, has engaged
in a missionary tour of Europe, to spread the faith in
free-trad?. It is time that the converts should
hold their economical council, as the converts
to the church held of old their cecumeni-
cal councils. And for such a purpose no
place can be more favourably situated than Brussels.
By steam-boats and railways, it is of easy access from
England, France, Germany, and Holland; and in
respect of the outer circle of civilised nations whisk
surrounds these—Spain, Italy, Resell, the Baltic
States, and America,—there is no more eentrical
po-
sition. Brussels may be the Augsburg of reformed
commercial faith.

The programme of the Belgian Free-trade Associa-
tion is remarkable for the catholic spirit in which it
is compiled. Men of all classes who earnestly devote
themselves to economical and statistical inquiries are
invited to attend. They proceed upon the principle
that the discussions will gain immensely in interest
and instructiveness, if representatives of all shades
of opinion, and even of all class interests
appear at the congress. The most clear-
sighted and judicious economists may gain
information by hearing even erroneous views ex-
pounded by ingenious men who have adopted them
is sincerity : they may thus often be enabled to de-
tect inaccuracies in the prevailing modes of stating
fundamental truths, which, having proved stumbling-
blocks to minds peculiarly constituted, ought to be
corrected. The conflux of men of business living
under varied social and political arrangements will
greatly assist practical statesmen in appreciating
the impediments which oppose the emancipation of
commerce, and in devising the least painful and unac-
ceptable modes ofrmoving them.
fho comprehensive views of the Belgian Associa-
tion are evinced in the direction which they intend
the debates shall take, quite as much as in the gene-
rality of their invitation to thinkers of all modes of
=. They propose for discussion : The fun-
lel principles of political economy and of the
doe:lines of the partisans of free-trade ; the local and
ciao interests which predispose each country to
favour or oppose the emancipation of commerce ; the
effect which free-trade is likely to have upon the con-
dition of the labouring
.classes ; its probable Apnea
on science and art, on civilisation in general, aid on
the mutual relations of independent states; and,
finally, its effects upon the financial and general
administration of governments.
The result of these deliberations, however numer-
ously and brilliantly attended, will not, of course, be
felt in action. But no person can attend them with-
out receiving new ideas, or modifications of those
previously entertained. The local colouring which
pervades the notions of most men will impart a
freshness and novelty to them in the eyes of all
who are not their countrymen. Five minutes'
conversation will suffice to convince any one
that the same abstract formula of words may
represent conceptions materially different in the
minds of a merchant of Glasgow and one of Konigs-
berg. On the other hand, it will still more fre-
quently be found that incompatibilities of opinion or
interest between the inhabitants of remote localities
are greater in appearance than in reality. While the
earnest sectaries of increased facilities of national