The Express.
London, England, 1865-11-04 00:00:00

OUR CONTEMPORARIES•

Tin official returns of the number of cattle
which have either died or been slaughtered in con-
sequence of the outbreak of Rinderpest will have
a wonderful effect in calming our apprehensions of
the probable results of the pestilence on the food
of the country. It appears that the total cases re-
ported amount to 17,673. There may of course
beve been some unreported, but on the other hand
we may reasonably assume that some in this
number were ill of those disperse which tie apt to be
confounded with the new plague. Of this num-
ber eight hundred have recovered, two thousand
are still under treatment, eight thousand have
died, and nearly seven thousand have been killed.
These figures are certainly large enough, but when
they come to be compared with the number of '
animals at present in the country they are abso-
lutely insignificant. Unhappily, the jealousy of
the agricultural mind still refuses to give us in this
country statistics of the amount of produce or
stock in each year, but we have such information
for Ireland, and we know that in that country
there are a million and a half of milch cows,
and an equal number of oxen above the
age of one year. Considering the relative
area, and the development of turnip husbandry in
this country, we must estimate the quantity of
stock in the United Kingdom at greatly more than
these figures. Yet if we took it at nothing more,
and thus leave a very wide margin for unreported
deaths, we should find our whole loss not exceed-
ing one-half per cent. of the total number. It is
clear that such a proportion is incapable of having
any appreciable effect on markets or prices. And
this fact is confirmed by the reflection that in
many of the places where the ravages of the disease
have been most fatal it has chiefly affected cows,
operating therefore very sensibly on the local
supply of milk, but trenching very little on the
general supply of animal food in the country. For
the future, there are some indications of an abate-
ment in the virulence of the outbreak. But we
may derive most comfort from the reflection that,
even if it were to prevail as seriously as it has
yet done, the end of January would have arrived
before we had lost a half per cent. more, even
of the stock within the United Kingdom, while we
have still the resources of Ireland untouched, and
the foreign trade more active than ever. There
is obviously in these circumstances no ground for
apprehension of any material rise in prices originat-
ing in the prevalence of the Rinderpest.
To what cause, then, are we to attribute the rise in
prices of which many personshave lately complained ?
The market returns show that there is, on the
average, no such rise in the wholesale transactions.
Taking cattle and sheep overhead, V. is stated that
there is no material difference between the rates
at present and a year ago. There wee, however,
undoubtedly a rise last summer(before the Rinder-
pest was heard of), due, as we have before pointed
out, to the steady increase of consumption, and to
the exceptional failure of turnips in the preceding
autumn. And when a rise has been established in
any trade we all know how tardily the retaildealers
consent to recognise the propriety of a fall. But
it is very probable that the panic caused by the
new disease may have contributed very much to
maintain an extraordinary rate of price in certain
quarters. For this panic it is easy to account.
The plague appeared first in the metropolis, and it
has raged most virulently among the dairy cows in
our large towns. Where it attacked a herd, it at
first often swept the whole away. We heard of
such cases as Miss BUSDITT Covrrs'e and Lord
SYDNSY'S, and we naturally all rushed to the con-
elusion that a pestilence was among us which no
art could check, and which would cut off at a
moderate computation the half of our supplies of
meat. We now find that as the slaughter in a great
battle does not exceed the rate of mortality in •
year in • moderate-sired town, and as the most
terrible ravages of cholera, which strike consterna-
tion into • people, are lees destructire than
the unnoticed fever which is ever at work in neg-
lected places, so we have been startled by the
sudden incursion of the Rinderpest into crediting
it w ith consequences which as yet at least are
wholly beyond its range. When our panic, is
thus shown to be groundless, we may expect that
butchers will be found who will reduce their rates
to those which are consistent with the state of the
wholesale and country markets, and that when
competition has thus commenced to operate, it
will speedily compel a universal accord.
But although the effects of temporary apprehen-
sion, or any other exceptional circumstance, may
be thus speedily obviated, there appears reason to
expect that the gradual rise in the price of stock
which has been in progress for some years peat
will not yet be checked. That rise has its origin
in the growth of the population in numbers and
wealth, while the land which supplies their food
remains restricted in extent. Nor in this case can
we expect the same compensating inflames to
operate which have succeeded in keeping down

(THIS DAY.)

TIM Kern= OF POLITICAL raffia&
Two faults in Mr. Gladstone's Glasgow speeohes
complained of by the Tines are, his tieneosseary exaltation
overate tweeds policy, which now dates beck twenty gm,
sad his ladieeriminate laudation of ourselves, of everything
belong* to us, "Wet everything that we have done. But a
paver objection is his sheathing from pointing oat to the
Glasgow working men the tillasise in their radial address,
and his one of lineage which led them to wry away the
impression that they have truly represented hie opinions.
If it be the intention of the government to intro-
duoe a reform bill the language of Mr. (Madame is very
proper, and might even have goo* much further ; but if, es
is very likely, the government lave nob made up their
naiads ea the subject, or if they determine sot to intratene
a reform bill, the Tim must regard inch @Pomba Bo those
as extremely objectioaahle. It in not right for a person,
whom it is scam an exaggeration to call the virtual head
of the government, to work upon the psysicies end excite
the hopes of the menfrecithied eleasse, unties that go-
verment has the mod distisot intention to fulfil these
boom and satisfy those passions.
The Post seem only adroithessead .nation In the Maser
is which Mr. Gideon* replied to the address. His
speech simply commits him to • heats tolooriol of • re'
form bill whenever a practicable Ass shall be prodmied,
and when public opinion sad the slate of parties shall
allow of Its being passed; bat not a word seems to intimate
that any mob hill will be brought forward by government
in the caning session. Rather he seems to imply • se-1
meaty of waiting until it it seen whether the necessary sup
ditions to which he vaguely points are fulfilled.
The Herold says that Lord Charles liamtit, in giving
the watchwords of the government as " Rest sod be thank-
ful—pogrom and Worm,* has blundered into the tanth.
A patios will lake the former, and a potties the latter ; •
portion desires to rest, sad a patios to go on—or, at bed, l,
professes • Mire to go on—and the buiness of the Wiest II
mem& which are about to ociounsece will be to ealenlate
which of the two policies is the more likely to keep the
composite oabialat in was, sled then ono-half the motto
will be dropped.
The Star contimies to open its alums to cornspoodents
who demand that Mr. Bright Meld be invited to ester
the cabinet. Aa "Irish M.P." writes :—" leduoe Mr.
Bright to Wow a member of the government, sad you
may discontinue veer may prosecutions in Dahlia, sod
allow Feeds:am to die out amid the quiet contempt if a
people who will at lath begin to have madame in the
justice of an Iteglielt ministry." And mother writer re-
marks :—" It is impossible that we could feel any coal-
donee in • mialeter professing liberal views who
he. not given an earnest of his seas* by in-
viting the otroperatioa of Mr. Bright. I have
always understood that Earl Russell felt anxious at
the feensetion of the late goverameat to seam Mr. Bright's
services, and that the didiettity raised gee altogether from
soother quarter—not, however, that whit* was indecently
and milady alluded to by Lord Derby. Earl Email has
now an opportunity of at we proving hie owe aocerity
and eseurag the seeded support of every true liberal in
England. That Mr. Bright would sant oaks I owe
far one, doubt. That the office should at best be teedered
foe his magma I think every sue who really Masse well
to the saw government mast acknowledge." The Star up
up to the present time has not iatervened In the dismission,
bat leaves the snidest to the earrespondests.
The Telegraph, °lithe savior; of Mr. Gladstone that the
ems of Earl Itimall was in itself • pledge and a promise
to the people, reviews the pointed weer of the noble earl.
The petty, guying criticisms which represent him u an us-
fortunate necessity, are exposed in their trim folly end
idleness by simply remembering how ling has been Lord
Rowing weer, how unflinching his attachment to prin-
ciples, how excellent his moomplithed work, end how toady
ha service whenever his wintry called for it.
Mr. Adderley end Mr. Bromley talked the other day
about reform as " a pill which has to be swallowed." Do
they quite forget, sib the Telegraph, that a few years ego,
it was a pill presceibed by themselves? If the conserve-
tires were sincere in thinking reform defirable then, why
do they oppose it now! If they are MMus in opposing it
sow, why did they propose it thee?
The Saturday Review thinks every impartial judge will
allow that in his Glasgow speeches Mr. Gladstone
wild not have dine bettor, or have striven more Inc-
cesrfully to amemplish what might now to be the two
peat obieet• of his endeavour—the retention of his
hold on the great body of his fellow-countrymen,
sad the acquisition of a reputation for caution. As to
the cabinet the Saturdpy Review tells us that, on the whole,
moderate politicians are inclined to admit that, although
the recoostituted cabinet is pithsps not the best possible
ministry, it may be the beet possible ministry at
the present moment. Fresh ability may probably
display itself in the now whammed, and • few rising
reputations may be lammed and established. Unluckily,
there is in the meantime no considerable supply of eligible
madidates for cabinet offices.
The Epedator says no strong liberal government can be
towed without • wider base than the gamut goverommt
peewee& The people want to see their representatives in
the government with real influence on it, and Sir George
Grey and Sir Charles Wood, Mr. Cardwell sod Mr. Cowper
and Sir Robert Feel are not those representatives The
Opiate of exclusiveness comet last, and the cabinet as it
stands is attn.-exclusive. The Spectator treats it as abso-
lutely certain that the immanent will bring in • reform