The Express.
London, England, 1851-07-03 00:00:00

JULY 3, 1851.

e titae when their charatters, and
affections may be moulded and formed.
- is is, of course, the value of youthful
G all probability, that inducement to
early might be greatly checked and abated
of industrial day schools, where the learner
fitted for turning his future labour to
better account, without prescribing definitively his
sphere in life. It is, therefore, with great
satisfaction we rcad the announcement that
My Lords are very desirous of encouraging
this branch of industry ;" and are willing to sane-
;lion the hire of land by village schools—to pay
one-half its rent—and to defray one-third of the coat
of tools.

With better masters the inducement to remain
longer at school may, it is to be hoped, increase ; and
in this point of view the importance of the great ex-
periment now making by the committee of Pupil
Teachers and Queen's Scholars, is most important.
For in education the first thing to secure are masters
who have something to teach ; and next, who can
teach. And with teachers attractive to scholars,
under whose tuition children make visible and obvious
progress, the attendance at school will be prolonged.
At all events the education of a whole nation is a
great and mighty undertaking, which temporary
disappointments and small progress at first must not
arrest. It is itself a science yet in its infancy. The
privy council, the inspectors, the clergy, the ma-
nagers, are themselves at school ; and it is only
when experience shall have taught them the best
methods that the work will go bravely on. That
at last lewd' do so, let uo one doubt

WHEN, in 1848, Prussia, sailing with the popular
tide, abolished much that was old and superan-
nuated ; when she declared herself favourable to
German unity and a national representation ; when
she not only consented to change her old diet for
representative chambers, her despotic monarchy for
a constitutional one, and her provincial and muni•
cipal diets for more modern and responsible forms;
she did so to the joy of all German hearts,
and with the sympathy of liberal nations. Now
that Prussia, in 1831, sailing against the popular
tide strives to undo that which waa so quickly
executed, or restore that which was so easily
destroyed, difficulties arise which astonish by their
magnitude and obstinacy, so stubbornly do they im-
pede the progress of ministerial or governmental
agency. To restore provincial diets and municipal
assemblies, with their eeignorial rights and all the
exigencies of an aristocratic party, seemed easy when
the possible interference of a legislature was set
aside by indefinite adjournment. Yet see how
quickly an apology was made for a measure against
which public feeling was at once excited and
expressed. It is, perhaps, comparatively easy to re-
move the odious form which has been set up in place
of the old idol ; but to set up the idol itself again,
defies all the efforts of those who make the attempt.
These are not, however, the only difficulties which
beset the path of the Prussian government in its
endeavour to restore old institutions at home. In
its struggles to resume those relations which it had
with other German states, Prussia has found many
stumbling blocks impede her progress.
When l'russia thought that the Frankfort diet
had been abolished for ever, she naturally considered
all the barriers set up by that superannuated assem-
bly destroyed and swept away. In this old diet
Prussia had no more right than Bavaria or Saxony
to make war or peace without the consent of all the
states of the confederation. That right which was
withheld from her by virtue of her adherence to the
confederation, was, however, always attainable
through the non-German states, such as Po-
merania and Posen, which had not been incorporated.
Austria too, through the possession of Hungary,
Lombardy, and her numerous non-German states,
virtually possessed the right of peace or war,
which for Austria proper was dependent on the
will of tho diet at Frankfort. Thus Prussia and
Austria had an advantage in common, which to the
remaining states of Germany was entirely denied.
When, however, after 1848, Prussia foremost led
the movement for German union, and enthusiasm
was at its height for that which was never to be
realised, Prussia's non-German states were incor-
porated with Germany, and became part of that
great scheme which, after much struggling, has re-
mained unfinished.

Great is the change that has come over the dream
of Pnissian policy since the days when this incorpo-
ration took place. The old reign of pemiques and
protocols is sought to be revived. Prussia has re-
joined the diet which Austria brought back to life ;
but she does so at an evident disadvantage. The incor-
poration of her non-German provinces in April 1848
gave her votes in the national parliament; it deprives
her of an important right in the revived diet.

The conferences of Dresden came on meanwhile,
and Austria claimed the right to have her provinces
incorporated. The result would indeed have been to
deprive Austria of the right to make peace or war,
but the natural force of things would have given her
so much
.preponderance, that the loss of the right
was quite immaterial. What need was there of a right
out of the confederation which could be wielded
within it? The result was too obvious. It would
have been suicidal for Prussia to have permitted the
diet to be swamped by Lombardy, Hungary, and all
the Selavonian provinces annexed to the crown of
the Hapsburgs. To avoid giving a pretext for such a'
step, she now demands of the Frankfort protoeolisers
that her non-German states should again be sepa-
rated, and resume their ancient position, and Austria
loses her most plausible argument in support of
a measure, the passing of which has been
the unceasing eflOrt of her diplomacy for
months past. It is evident from this step of the
Prussian government, that there is no foundation for
the oft repeated figment, that Prussia was ready to
consent to Austrian incorporation, if English and
French protests were withdrawn. Prussia never
gave any such consent, and this is conclusively
proved, if indeed proof is necessary, by the step just
taken at Frankfort.

It remains to be seen how the demand of Prussia
will be received, and whether Austria will relinquish
without a straggle an advantage which it so adroitly
gained by reviving the diet of Frankfort. Austria has
been vainly endeavouring to pass a pea through the
eye of a needle. Prussia has been holding up the
needle, and looking on while Austria made the vain
attempt. She now withdraws her assistance. It
remains to be seen whether she may not again be
compelled to give it, and hold the needle while
Austria continues her experiment. Indeed, it is
already whispered that Austria requires that the
same unanimity which presided at the incorporation
should exist to permit the disincorporation. This
looks like a challenge, not consent.

IT is a good sign of the intelligence and self-de-
pendence
of any class, when its members begin to
meet and take council for the maintenance and pro-
motion of their common interests. Entertaining
this opinion we have always been friendly to the
conferences of the labouring classes, though not un-
frequently mortified with the crude notions and rash
turbulent spirit which has from time to time cha-
racterised their deliberations. It is with something
of the same mixed feeling of admiration and pity, or
blame, that we have contemplated certain recent
movements among our literary workmen, and in par-
ticular, the great meeting of authors, publishers, and
others, in the Hanover-square Rooms, on Tuesday
last.

There cannot be a more just and worthy object to
struggle for than the establishment of an interna-
tional copyright. If there be one commodity, the
production of which is more a valid title to entire
ownership than another, it is a valuable work in art,
science, or literature. Works of these classes so
immeasurably transcend all others in value, that
every possible encouragement ought to be held out
to their production ; and they are so entirely the cre-
ations of the respective authors, that their right of
property in them is more complete and unquestionable
than can be the case with any others. Had the meet-
ing of Tuesday, therefore, been really and solely, con-
vened to promote the recognition of the author's ex-
clusive right of ownership in his own works in all
countries, its proceedings would have been entitled to
universal sympathy.
And such was, doubtless, the aim of the distin-
guished and accomplished author who presided, and
of many others who attended the meeting. But in
this shuffling and equivocating world of ours men
are often hoodwinked into promoting objects very
different from what they imagine themselves to be
labouring for. On the present occaaion it must be

levident to every one who coolly and dispassionately
'reviews the proceedings of Tuesday, that the ingeni-
ous authors who countenanced them by their coun-
tenance and co-operation were little better titan un-
conscious tools in the hands of parties seeking
.to
raise the wind to defray the legal expenses in-
, eurred and to be incurred in defending pira-
tical encroachments on American copyrights. With
the exception of the speeches of the chairman
and one or two others, the argumentation turned
upon the amount of money that had been paid
by Mr. :MAMAS for American copyrights, and of
the expense to which Mr. Born had been put to de-
fend himself for haling printed the works of Ameri-
can authors without giving them any remuneration.
The business of the meeting was wound up by a re-
solution to commence a subscription to defray the ex-
pense of an appeal to the House of Lords to reverse
the decision which declared foreign authors resident
abroad entitled to British copyright. This resolution
is tantamount to a declaration that the purses of
English authors ought to be taxed to support English
publishers in pirating the works of foreign authors.
We shall be told, no doubt, that this is merely an
act of retaliation, and that it will accelerate the
recognition of international copyright by the Ameri-
cans. With regard to the former of these allega-
tions, we would remark that the retaliatory inflic-
tion does not fall upon the real culprits. The Ame-
rican publishers have (many of them) acted most un-
justly towards English authors, but is that any rea-
son for punishing American authors? The American
authors have suffered by the piracies of their pub-
lishing countrymen, who prefer reprinting English
works, for which they pay nothing, to printing
American works for which they would have to pay
something. And American authors will suffer by
the retaliation, which will infallibly diminish the
money value of their works. As for the allegation that
the proceedings of Tuesday will have a tendency to
accelerate the recognition of international copyright
by the Americans, it betrays great ignorance of the
state of American society and the character of Ame-
rican citizens. The authors of the United States have
no political influence, but the printers and publishers
of the United States are au influential body. Again,
the general public throughout the Union is more
anxious to have its reading cheap titan to have it of
national growth. Lastly, the Americans might be
induced by this country "s recognition of their authors'
right of property in their own works to rival us in
generosity ; but such proceedings as those of Tuesday
will only irritate and render them more obstinate in
ill doing.
_ _

View; similar to these were ably stated to the
meeting by Mr. ERNEST JONE'4, Mr. NIATIIEW, and
others. But a majority of those who voted resolved
to encourage a system of book piracy in Great
Britain, by way of reprisal for American book pi-
racies. t'agc resolution! The piratical publishers
on both sides of the Atlantic must laugh in their
sleeves to see the simple authors playing their game.
Our trade unions have made many lamentable blun-
ders, but none of them can exceed this of the new
trade union of authors.

Luckily the egregious resolutions of the meeting
are not likely to have much eftbet. Sir LYTTON
Iit:LAVER, we have no doubt, is by this time quite
aware of the trap into which he has been beguiled.
The most distin6nushed members of his own guild"
absented themselves, or opposed him. And among
his most prominent supporters were the greatest
English book pirate of the day and his solicitor.
Even had more of our English hernia. been beguiled,
we cannot conceive that any English tribunal could
be induced to set aside the just and generous deci-
sion of Lord CAMPBELL. Let other nations act as
they will, English authors can atrord to act honestly,
on the maxim of doing to others as they would be
done by; and English judges will maintain the
authors and artists' right of property in their own
creations.

We have intimated that it would give us pleasure
to see the rights of authors recognised and enforced
by all nations. We fear, however, that that ever-
sanguine race rather over-estimate the benefit they
would derive from an international copyright. It is
only the imaginative class of authors, those in whose
works the artistical form is everything, who would
derive any advantage from it. Men of science are
not plundered by reprints of their works, but by
vulgarised epitomes of their results. And even
among our poets, novelists, and dramatists—those
whose emoluments are likely to be much enhanced
by a universal law of copyright are a small minority.
The SCOTTS, 11 VUONS, and WORDSWORT lIS hall ACK -
ERAYS, DICK ENSES, JERBOL DS, and ItutwEns—who
are worth plundering, bear but a small proportion to
the luckless venturers whose productions must, under
all circumstances, bring in returns of fame and
money very inadequate to the labour expended on
tkem. It is, however, no palliation of injustice and
robbery that there are comparatively few whom it is
worth while to rob.

FRANCE.
THE PRESIDENT AT POITIERS.

PARIS, WEDNEIIDAY EVENING.
The journey of the President to Poitiers has not
been attended with the Mot of the trip to Dijon,
either in a good or bad sense. The reception of
Louis Napoleon by the population on his route was
cold and silent ; and his speech, although remark-
ably sensible, is tamer and less expressive than those
which arc generally delivered from what the l'resi-
dent has called his tribune. The text is
reconciliation, which sounds well when the preacher
is prepared to sacrifice to his doctrine; but,
although there is no reason to doubt the sincerity of
the President, his sincerity is put in a false position,
when he recommends indirectly the prolongation of
his own powers, while exhorting to the highest civic
virtues and invoking mutual peace and good-will
among all parties. Lxamining the speech in detail,
the first striking expression is the allusion to the
popular will freely expressed, as being the means of
saving the country. Some will see in this a protest
against the law of May. He then invokes revision
as a final settlement, which is to reconcile all rival
interests. Under the words " passions," " exigen-
cies," and "elements of disorder, he strikes at the
parliament, the dynastic pretensions, and socialism.
The next paragraph announces a truth pretty well
known to most people, that France would attain a
much higher state of prosperity without her intes-
tine disunions. The President then draws a just
distinction between the fruits of the monarchy and
those of the revolution; but in both he dwells on the
unity of France, clearly pointing at the concentration
of sovereignty in the hands of the executive
power. He then takes the opportunity of
paying a round of compliments to the people,
the clergy, the magistracy, the army, and
the notabilities in art and science, and even the As-
sembly. Ilis quotation from the Emperor is pointed
and expressive. The speech winds up with a grace-
ful allusion to the historical reminiscenses of the lo-
' cality, where the victorious Prince of Wales won his
noble device of "Ich dien," by waiting upon the cap-
tive King of France at his incaL
The grand halt in the journey was made at Tours,
where a breakfast was prepared by the railway com-
pany. Over the head of the President was niched
a striking resemblance in marble, by our talented
countryman, Mr. E. Jones, who gave the President
an opportunity of showing him a civility by losing
his railway ticket, and being consequently invited to
join the President's train. The President paid some
; high compliments to another Englishman, Mr.
Mackenzie, the contractor for the line, and
offered him the Legion of Honour. Soon after
leaving Tours, the train made a halt, to enable
the President to view a magnificent work of art, con-
sisting of a viaduct of 69 arches across a valley. At
the approach to Poitiers, pieces of artillery were
placed on the heights on either side, and commenced
firing a salute, The President was received at the
terminus by the mayor and other municipal authori-
ties, the superior officers of the garrison, the Bishop
of Poitiers, and a large number of the clergy. The
bishop, after a religious ceremony and the usual be-
nediction of the engine, delivered an address, in the
• left tots own
course of which he compared society ' its
,unbridled passions to the headlong course of a steam
I engine running wild on the line without the control
of its driver. After the religious ceremony
had been concluded, the President mounted
on horseback and proceeded to the Hotel de Ville.
; The feeling displayed by the people of Poitiers was
certainly rather more enthusiastic than on the other
part of the route ; but, on the whole, although the
President was treated with the greatest respect, his
reception seas not so warm as at Dijon. lie after-
wards received the military, civil, and judicial autho-
rities. RV banquet had been fixed for half-past six,

but it was near half-past seven before the company
sat down, and nearly half-past eight before the speech
was delivered. The banquet had been prepared
at the large hall of the Pulais de Justice, formerly
the Palace of the Comtes de l'oitou, which was
fitted up with great splendour for the occasion.
The walls were hung with blue and white drapery,
intermixed with groups of tri-colour flags. Covers
were laid for about 400. At the right hand of the
President was the Mayor of Poitiers, and on his left
the Vice-President of the Republic, followed on either
side by the ministers and civil and military digni-
taries. Military bands were stationed at the end of
the hall, who kept playing during dinner. At the
dessert, the Mayor of Poitiers gave the following
toast :—To the President of the Republic—to tho
glory and to the prosperity of the Republic !"
The President replied in the following words:

Monsieur le ?faire,—Be my interpreter with your tAlow-
citizens for their reception, so attentive and cordial. Like
yourself, I regard the future of the country without fear,
for its salvation will come always from the will of the
people, freely expressed, religiously accepted. (Cheers.)
Accordingly I invoke with all my wishes the solemn
moment when the powerful voice of the nation will prevail
over all opposition and reconcile all rivalities. (Cheers.) For
it is deplorable to behold revolutions shake society,accumulato
heaps of ruins, and still leave standing the same passions, the
same exigencies, the same elements of disturbance. (Cheers.)
When one passes through France, and when one beholds the
varied richt, of In -r coil, the marvellous products of her
industry; when one admires her rivers, her roads, her
canals, her railways, her ports, washed by two seas,
one asks what degree of prosperity she might not attain if
a durable tranquillity permitted her inhabitant♦ to concur
with all their means in the general good, instead of giving
themselves up tointestine dissensions. When, under another
point of view, one contemplates that territorial unity which
has been bequeathed to us by the persevering efforts of
royalty, that political, judicial, administrative, and com-
mercial union which has been bequeathed to us by the re-
volution; when one contemplates that intelligent and
laborious population, animated nearly wholly by the
same belief, speaking the same language ; that
venerable clergy, which teaches morality and virtue ;
that upright magistracy, which makes justice res-
pected; that valiant and discipliaed army, that anow•s only
honour and duty—(clieert.)—tinally, when one conies to
appreciate that crowd of eminent men capable of guiding
the government, of illustrating the assemblies, as well as
the sciences and arts, one asks with anxiety what are
the causes which prevent this nation already so great,
from becoming still greater ; and one is astonished that a
society which contains so many elements of power and
prosperity should expose itself so often to ruin. Is it, then,
true, as the Emperor said, that the old world is come to an
end, and the new one not yet firmly settled. Without knowing
the future, let us do our duty to-illy in preparing for it
solid foundations. (Cheers.) It is gratifying to me to ad-
dress these words to you in a p•uvince renowned at all
epochs for its patriotism. Let us not forget that your city
was, under Charles VII., the focus of an heroic resistance ;
that it was during fourteen years the refuge of the nation-
ality in France when invaded. (Cheers.) Let us hope that it
will be once more one of the first to set the example of de-
votion to civilisation and to the country. I give a toast, "To
the city of Poitiers."

The proceedings in the Assembly to-day were in-
teresting, and the result quite unexpected. M. Cha-
pot's bill for regulating the right of petition was tho
subject of debate. An amendment proposed by M.
Selneicher allowing women to petition was, to the
universal astonishment, adopted. In conse-
quence of this disfigurement the bill was thrown
out in the vote on the etisesib/e. The Elyseans
were disgusted with it because M. Base had
caused a clause to be introduced, obliging
functionaries to designate their employments.
On the other hand, the Mountain objected
to it because the whole bill tended to restrict liberty
of petition. Finally, the majority, considering that
the admission of female signatures opened a door to
endless abuse, and entirely vitiated the principle of
the bill, threw it out.

The affair of I.emulier against M. Curlier has
been called on this afternoon at the l'alais de Jus-
tice. M. Curlier's counsel contend that as M.
Eugene Forcade was employed by him us his
"subordinate," and was to receive 500 francs for
his report, M. earlier, as prefect of police, is not by
law responsible. Great importance is attached to
the use of the word "sti&ardonis," by M. earlier in
this matter, and it is supposed that much will turn
upon it.
The report of M. Reacher (du Calvados) on potable
liquors was distributed yesterday. This important
document, which has been preceded by two volumes
of documents, takes a view of all the legislation now
existing on the subject, not only in France, but in the
other states of Europe. The report also shows the
progress of consumption, both in France and else-
where, and then examines the question of the duty
and the various changes which it has undergone.
Last of all, the report mentions what resolutions the
committee has come to on the subject. The most
important of these are the reduction of one-half the
entrance and octroi duties, and in the augmentation
of the license duty. The reporter declares that in
all probability the resolutions of the committee will
not go as far as many persons would wish, but he
expresses his firm opinion that the decision of the
committee is in conformity with the general interests
of the country-.
The Committee on the Lyons to Avignon Railway
examined yesterday a new proposition, presented by
one of its members, relative to a system for farming
out the line, designed to furnish funds sufficient to
continue the works. In the end this proposition was
set aside. The committee appears inclined to persist
in the system of M. Dufaure, on which M. Dutournel
has proposed a modification aiming at a mixed sys-
tem of farming out the line.
The improvement which has taken place at the
Bourse to-day is attributed to the calming tone of
the President's speech. The Fives closed at 94.2:4
with a rise of 50 cents. The Threes rose 30 cents.,
and closed at 56.84.