The Express.
London, England, 1849-11-17 00:00:00

replace the soothers.
difficulty is app
Durieg the lilt
largely told in ha
theta for reveal 'ea
tan of ieerearig

fifis:may under .
oontrest. If the.
tie Three Kings' Leanne, it is that they loam.
es a merit adjunct to the 91d Zoliverein, and a
eansequent augmentation In the pries of every
article of censmaption. Prussia therefore can
only win the north-west by the full adoption of
bee-bade mesamus. • Sae is bound, indeed, to the
,present Zallversin and its tariff up to 1851. But at
that epoch all parties are free to choose. And we
have little doubt that a sew commercial union, with
a path more moderate tariff, excluding Bavaria and
Wurtemberg, but including the rest of Germany, will
be the result.
Stich a we:summation on the part of Prussia would
be a disruption and defeat of all the schemes of
Austria. kor Ruch a Zollverein would not only at ones
absorb the entire north of Germany, but would la
time compel even the recalcitrant eta es of Bavaria
and Wurtemberg to join. They could not remain alone.
If they joined Anent' commercially, they would
have to compete with Austrian manufactures, sad
pay. on all articles of consumption the high Austrian
tanff, by which the revenues of those state', as well
as the private comfort of tie great mass of the
inhabitants, would suffer. Prussia is well award of
this, and has no objection to see Bavaria, War-
temberg, and Saxony exclude themselves from
the northern commercial union for a time, sod make
trial of the Austrian, in order that they may fatly
feel the difference.
To combat the completion of any each plan,
Austria has entered tt.e field with the pets of some
rather clever economists, and the Vienna journals are
filled each day wi h their proposals, and ergs-
runts, and proofs. Through this medium of the
press, Austria offers to the Germans. that if
they, constituting the states of the Zollvereis,
will but hold firm, not listen to any free-trade
.argo-
moots, or adopt any diminution of costoms,Austna
will
in time modify its tariff, so as to come nearer to the
present Zollverein level. In four yews, they near
we will
demand so much, in four years more, so much more,
and so on. Thus in lime half ac re years, the level of
the Austrian tariff being lowered, and that of
the Kellverein augmented somewhat, Germany
will make one with Anstalt in the principle
of prohibition or protection. Over-burdened with
debt as Austria is, and necessitated to keep up
numerous armies, it cannot abate any of its heavy
duties even for the sake of public amelioration, not
being able to pay in the meantime for the experi-
ment. Prussia has at List the advantage of being
I financially well off, and ab.e to make final sacrifices
lee its political ascendancy or to the principle of free
trade.
Such being the cause, the standard, and the aim of
oath belligerent, we stall merely for the present
mark the position of their respective force*, and the
line of their reign ctive frontier. Austria has matured
Bavaria and Wurtemburg, forming with Bohemia a
formidable and compact region on the southeast.
Pruasia has, howei.er, secured Baden, at d with it a
continuance of states Ours _the Rhine, Naseau, and
the two Hewes, with Brunswick, Mecklenburg, and
all the smaller states. Ihe Kings alone object, aLd
it is singular that whilst Austria marshals all the
crowned beads, Prussia has rallied all the ducal
bonnets.
The lists are open, the war has b gun, and we
watch the struggle with very great interest. We
are not in love with either party. But we must con-
fess that we Igoe to the free-trading, commercial, and
protestant regime and intoner, rather than to the
peotectiouist, the:bailed, sad the jesuitic.

Tan feeling which appears to have been excited in
London on the subject of improved dwellings fur the
poor has found en echo in Peas. La Press* of Tues-
day phblithes what it justly styles a novel list of
shareholder,. This list contains the names of up-
wards of eleven hundred persons of every rank and con-
dition of life who have tank shares of frum 25 to 1,000
francs eacn in a society celled " La &Mete des Cites
Onvrieree," which has for its object to build improved
lodging-houses far the poor not only in Paris but
apparently in every large city of the republic. Toe
capital of this society is to be six millions of francs,
or 240,00 W. sterling. It is under the patronage of
the President, who is said to take a lively interest
in its success. Its aim, says La Prase, is to pro-
vide fur the residents of our cities wholesome, well-
sired lodgings, at pekes Iseeow thoe which they now
pay for a single chamber in unwholesome hoses.
The lodging. will consist of a small kitchen and two
bed-chambers, ar.d also of a single room, to be heated
by calovifieres, which in summer willowy. the purpose
of ventiotors. The buildings will be of three stories,
with emits end garden,. The ground floors will be
arrenge i as wareroomr, shops, and work-meta Each
building will be constructed to contain 40 or 50 fami-
lies, a lavatory, an establishment of baths, and an
asylum hall to receive the children during the Deese-
eery absences of their mothers at their avocations. The
iterwebed rooms will be let at 6,8, and 10fr. a month
is the wolktnen and sorkwomen who may not
have the means of purchasing furniture. Of
this payment a portion will be appropriated
to the rent of Vs apartment and a portion to pay-
ment for the furniture, which will, however, belong
to tie occupant after a amain amount has been paid
op. Toms will be a great ball in each budding,
which will be used am a general warming place. It
will a'so be used as a piece fn. holding meetings inthe
district in *deli it is situated, if it be hired for that
=Lt counexion ni h these edifice 11, it is also
to 'stab:led rEistries of servants and work-
pee*, so that those who want labourers may find
item, end those who dome to be hired may inscribe
*dr names. Already one of these lodging houses is
In enure of construction in the second arrondissement,
sad its exterior, though without luxu.y, is not want-
ing in a certain degree of elegance.
It will be seen from th a account that the lodging
house scheme of Paris surpasses in many particulars
anything of the kind shell has been proposed in
bland. The arrangem ter for work-rooms, and
falba care of young c. ildren ; the plan of pro-
widfreg .decent and suitabo furniture, which each
eileslamet may purehase in small weekly iustalments;
thterrangemeet of a tall, or meeting-room, whereby
goats and candles are raved to the tenant ; and the
proposed registration of working men and servants;
all these sae elements which have never entered into
the plans of those who have started the lodging-
bums of our metropolis and manufacturing towns.
It at first be thought that such arrangements
rather apply to a higher class of Torking
people than those whose merlon is contemplated in
eve model lodgin g-h mese. Bluth, proposed rents of the
en.. would appear to accedes this supproPioa.
Igeight, and ten frt.; es a mouth is surely low
Zltnr the accommodation proposed to be pro.
,h and scarcely too high fur any workman in tole-
' rebly constant employment.
Ii The grewest difference, however, in the Paris pro-
f, from that which is is operation upon this side
the Cnannel, consists in tne mode of its organimation.
In Paris the scheme is entered upon sea speculative
investment • in England, what we are doing is being
done mainly by the &infirm' of the charit-
able. Tine difference in the titles of the institu-
tions indimee very forcibly the difference
in the design. The " model lodging-house" met
tainly sounds very humble by the side of " la Cite
Ouvr.ere." The French, in truth, have gone a stop
beyond us, even as regards the principle bf the pilli-
which we projected. The " model lodging-hew,
of England wee designed to be what its name saW
Mende imports—a model" to future builders sr
dwellings toe the poor. It was designed to show
those who ,onstrected hoses for the labouring men
that it,waa quite visible to supply them with dwell-
ing* of a superior character and accommodation at
rent. sot higher than they at present pay far
unwholesome rooms, and with returns quite as great
in proportion to the capital investe 1. It was said,
and we b. lie., with jasnue, that no man was lodged
more eapens vely than the poor man. Measuring the
accommodaiim afforded by cubic feet it was found
laud the inhabitant of the Rookery paid a far higher
proportion ite prim for his miserable room in Bt.
Giles, than the peer paid for, his magnificent palace
in Belgravii. It woe dy ermined to show that the poor
could be lodged not merely ate cheaper rate, but in a
better way, for the money which they paid. But it
was not, we believe, contemplated to do more than
demonstrate this poeincei. Tne task' of working it
out might, it was thought, be left to the natural
public competition.

working people who reside anthoat its walls. Adding
to these 100,000 fee their children, and 5,000 for the
unclaimed population, we have a total of nearly
270,000 mods who mug bp_plassed as the poor of the
metropolis of Franc*. It cannot but be that, uut of
such a population as this, well situated lodging
bonus, armor d as La Presso proposes, must find
Ossants.
Probably, however, it will be found in Paris, as it
,bas to some extent been found in London, that the
liessediate eau of the erection of these lodging
beano is to raise the standard of accommodatwa
is their immediate vicinity. It is a natural eons,-
quake of offering a better article for the same price
that thou who have been selling inferio: qualities;
should raise the standard of their commodities. We
could p .int to one or two instances in which the lodg-
ing-house keepers is the ceighbourhood of new model
llodging-hooses have improved upon the accommoda-
don they provided very soon after one
model lodging-
houses were opened. And in this, we think, the great
advantage of model lodging-houses, in this ocuntry at
least, will consist. To provide lodgings for all
the working people of a metropolis would be impossi-
ble, bat by placing a lodging-house on the pew
principle' in any quarter in which it may be possible
and aivantageous so to do, en example will be set
and an improved standard created, which, in the
course of time, tenants will insist upon their landlords
looking to.
We may, therefore, take pis opportunity of ex-
pressing oar gratification at hearing that in such
parishes as Paddington and Lambeth model
lodeng-honsea are to be ererreci mainly from
the resources of the localities, and under the
superintendence of gentlemen who take active
parts in the charitable concerns 'of their
respective districts. We are persuaded that the
Bishop of LoPrioN could not ;have done a wiser
nor a better thing the, to have suggested tho appro-
priation of the thank-offerings of last Thursday to
this purpose, in oases where such offerings were not
otherwise required. To raise the standard of the
poor min's ftel.ngs, the very first thing to be accom-
plished is to provide him with a better habitation.
You may elevate his testis by presiding him with
means of ineruction and amusement out of doers ; but
no permsnent good effect ran be expected to be pro-
duced if you send him bsek fromow-door improvement
to a dirty and a miserable Dome. The public ba'hs and
washouses, by removing one great source of discom-
fort to the working man, are doubtless doing infinite
service. But we may carry measures of amelioration
still further; and one of the first means of practical
improvement that presents itself is certainly to better
the condition of the labourer in the abode in which he
seeks repose alter his long day's toil is done.

• - '-THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY B.
----:-----, -- '''- *I, -, -4. -0 - .- •
thorn. and in which theiVetoold. lit '1 • .1.A,'%- • • ' is, luadooototsior
agresiog aeon mtrarketierats that, "V •,,, of fac m 1 1 ing-homill Ms
lit year,
tutikfrio, esperie - seemed '. • iary ti f a come to
favour 0 lvies, carry . •to op, non eatvemely extensive
el can H. 'igen i pie- acale:t erbilieverillMtdrenmetiolesh of Pads MIT
pe. merit! sad wealth, whilst warmest this. We have not at handl° tbb home Mad
tangthe Zillverran has shown a marked notice of that great city, but we %ow that them
be lraloveilans at present object to are domiciled in it no less than 76,000 work-
ed Learn.. it is that they looked on it moo and 60,000 warkweram, besides 30,000
___,_:__ ........1- ...k......t.e.. wittinet its loin._ adding