The Express.
London, England, 1851-11-26 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY

never base known &Whittier t s luollness tallboy sr
appointed. . .
Some of those gentleness mut ltative
lady k :'
'
versity i.—Fron the retorts, I see
have been appointed very shortly they . ed
their university career. . 44 4 ..-., '<There *ll on.
Stephen Edward Spring ,
21 'd( age 'et' .Idmi• . e st 6
he was appointed; he is n w 36 ?ears of llge. Then then
is Stephen George Lushington, ; he was 26 years of
age at the time he was appoin ;he is now 52. Then
there is Frederick Goulburn, Esq. ; who was 27 yam-at
sge.st the time be was appointed ; be is now 33. And 'Be
designation appended to each of the names shows that dot
one of the previous vermin of those gentlemen was nett
as to make them conversant with the business of the
Customs.
Will yon reed what the previous pursuits of those gentle-
men were ?—Mr. Luabingtoo was " Private Secretary to
owe of the Secretaries of the Treasury." Mr. Spring
was " Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer -' " and Mr. Goulburn wu " A Barrister at Law."
Do you not believe that those gentlemen no designated
were the private meant:arise of their own fathers who hap-
pened at that time to be the Secretaries of the Treasury, or
Chancellors of the Eichequer ?—Yes.

~,

Such is the class of persons who preside over the
collection of twenty millions sterling a year from
commerce. No wonder that commerce is in arms
against a board so composed.
What the City must tell Lord Jour RUSSELL, is
that this system shall cease and a substitute of
rational, sober, experienced men of business be found
for the Customs, instead of silly fops and briefless
barristers.

DECIDEDLY one of the most satisfactory meetings
that it has been our lot to chronicle of late, was that
of the friends and members of the Freehold Union
just held in London, and reported in our paper yes-
terday. There was a frank sincerity, an avoidance
of exaggerated statements, and, even at the general
evening meeting, an abstinence from inflated decla-
mation, that stamped the meeting as part of u roil
business movement. The proceedings in the fore-
noon conference called to recollection some of the
earlier meetings of the Anti-corn Law delegates—
before the name of League had been heard of—in
the same locality.
The statements disseminated by such an earnest,
plain, working-day-world body claim entire con-
fidence. They are very different from the bubble-
blowing of a Snigg's had affair. And it appears
'from them that there are actually at this moment in
England and Wales 100 freehold land societies;
Southampton being the scat of the most southern,
and Carlisle of the most northern among them. We
are not going to inflict upon our readers all the
statistical details over again reported so fully in our
yesterday's impression. One set of facts is
enough. Two millions have been subscribed by
the members of these societies for the purchase
of freeholds; 400,0001. has been actually paid up,
150 estates purchased, and 12,000 allotments made.
The influence of these freehold land societies is
not simply of future importance. They are at this
moment a real power in some counties, and will forth-
with be made so in others. They have already in-
creased the numbers of more than one constituency,
and altered its composition, to an extent that has en-
tirely deranged the calculations of jobbers in elec-
tions, and will baffle the utmost endeavours of such
pests to re-spin their corrupt webs.
It was with greater satisfaction than we well
know how to express that we have witnessed the
manly stand made by Mr. COBDEN and Mr. Taviani
against the well-meant but dangerous proposal to
institute a central registration society in connexion
with the freehold union. The objection to this pro-
posal, that the union invites men of all shades of
politics to avail themselves of its services to acquire
the franchise, and that a registration society must
inevitably partake more or less of a partisan cha-
racter, is a strong objection ; but there is a stronger
still. A central registration society, watching oser and
promoting the registration of liberal voters in all the
constituencies of the kingdom would be merely a re-
suscitation of an old central metropolitan failure.
With our present imperfect electoral system, regis-
tration associations are necessary; but they are
necessary evils. They necessarily generate elec-
tioneering agents, with all their peculiar practices.
A central one, with filial branches ramifying allover
the kingdom, would be an unspeakable nuisance.
C.Estie (the figure is somewhat stale, but is ex-
pressive) maintained that his wife ought to be above
suspicion; the friends of a practical extension of the
suffrage ought to demand the same unquestionable
purity in their helpmate, the Freehold Union.
One novel feature in this most recent meeting of
the Freehold Union we hail with peculiar pleasure,
and that was the appearance of Mr. SADLEIR among
them. Most true was the remark made by that
gentleman that Irish politicians cannot but 'derive
benefit from being brought into frequent contact with
the English middle classes; and not lens true was
the useful lesson which the cheer elicited by that
remark provoked from him—that English politi-
cians, and Englishmen in general, would derive
equal advantage from being brought more frequently
into contact with Irishmen. We accept the presence
of Mr. SADLEIR at Monday's conference as auguring
the commencement of a real incorporating union of
England and Ireland.
An invaluable suggestion of Mr. Santeta's—by
far the most important made at the Conference—re-
lated to the possibility of so applying or extending
the principle of the brechold mon as to make it
available for facilitating the purchase of Irish in-
cambered estates, with a view to their division among
a number of small proprietors. We are no friends to
an excessive sub-division of landed property ; but in
the present condition of Ireland we see no prospect
of a bona fide, unincumbered proprietary, except by
the means of considerable sub-division. Any tem-
porary excess in this direction will soon be remedied
by leaving land free to the operations of commerce,
and the unfettered dispositions of testators. The
natural laws of societywill bring about a due admix-
ture of more and less expensive properties in land.
Societies organised on the model of the English
Freehold Land Societies would enable the owners of
small savings in Ireland to acquireland at a moderate
cost. Such societies would be a most legitimate
application of the principle of their English proto-
types, for these have always contemplated the
development of habits of prudent forecast among the
less wealthy classes, along with the attainment of the
elective franchise for them.
Much more might be said about a meeting so
pregnant with hope for, the future political condition
of Ragland as that of •the Freehold Union. These
desultory remarks may, however, serve to indicate
i the many-sided importance of the Freehold Land
Societies. Their progress has indeed been rapid
beyond what the roost sanguine of their original
promoters could have anticipated; and their influ-
ence for good promises to be as lasting as it has been
speedily attained.

EXHIBITION OP 1851.—The question of firms be-
ing permitted to have, at their own ton, a second impres-
sion of the madalawarded to them, km been brought before
the Executive Committee by the French Commission, and
it appears, from the following letter, that they have re-
ceived the permission to obtain such :—" Office of the Exe-
cutive Committee, Exhibition Building, Kensington-road,
November 2.s.—Sir : I am instructed by the Executive
Committee to is that they have received through you the
letter of Morn. Boom in which that firm request permis-
sion to marcher, from the Royal Mint a second medal of the
i hind awarded to them, as there see two p inners in their
Inn, who both wish to possess eopies—this permission be-
ing eastomaril
.granted to firms at the French Exhibitions.
1 am Imam by the Executive Committee to say,
that they an no reason for refusing such a request on this
! occasion, and on this prainetion, as proposed, of the certifi-
cate of the Minister of Commerce of France, that the
' Messrs. Bacot are a firm of two partners, they will be pre-
pared to sanction a duplicate hem": furnished to them by
Mr. Wyon, at the eon of Messrs. Bacot.—l am, Sir, your
obedient servant, 0. Faisecie Du:mouse (for M. D. Wyatt,
Bee.)-11. Ballandrosixe de 144610/111iZ, 12 A, George-street,
Hanover-sruwe."
1 THE FIMIND OF lie CLERGT. —Yesterday the
half-yearly iesetine of the promoters of this society was
heed at Skala of the Royal General Annuity Society,
Dmiesimm.serset, far the purpose et sleeting sin peusionere
,on the fuels, The Mee. J. B. Cur aseepied the chair,
and, in *plebe the beeinsues eheerred that the objects of
the society were Is =eke sees memeset provision for the
widows and mama memoir/ daughters of clergymen of
the establislast eiterek, and M mated relief by loan or
otherwise to vie ewe liabeiliond by tempo-
: vary difficulties. egoention as to the Usefulness of this
institution had lees been lidded by the large number of
i candidates at each Medina, and be was limn to find that
there wee every peewee of inereelid and permanent suer
new He had meth *mere is eanamling that the society
bad received • deselion of MIL Dein ebe vinaler and Mem
of Ili John's 01111.1 k Ovid ; end see an tome' Omer
less ef 10 gainer ban the wedded and Mires at Map
' cdtler= Osilind; and 10 miens from the • Dean of
TM then mauledelection
of sin peeliselie Malivoteting
• list of II eandideems, aad, to the et
sit-
I
salt baring bees declared, the Intimate tenniesied.

Al(tilfl2.,n, vute-56?:11:o.
ce 'oue.rneledvimieTheiliel3/4 miornn4llByLontiLleillittliiis towing decorations
in e circus at the Champs El 3 .. The President,
A
upon conferring the order of tlitLegion of Honour
toillie
.40 - sesweal - ibitess,--peosouuced the following
speech: '',-,f()',-- -,. ,''' I
~. !.$
..-!'
• Gentlemen,—There weirsiaimies,t *which' by' fee feel:-
togs they inspire, and the reflections which they create, are
not a vain *bow. I cant refrain from a certain collation,
and a certain pride as a Frenchman, in beholding rimund
me the honourable men who at the cost of so: many
efforts' and sacrifices have maintained with dis-
tinction misread the reputation of our industry, of '
our arts, of our sciences. I have already raeisred
homage to the great idea which presided at the nelleeeell
Exhibition of London ; but at the moment of crown's,
your successes by • national reward, can I forget that se
many marvels of industry were commenced amid the maim
of insurrection, and finished in the midst of a loci,
tated incessantly by the fear of the present, as well es the
menaces of the future? And in reflecting upon the oielledes
which it was necessary for you to overcome, I said to my-
self, " How great would be this nation if it were may per-
mitted to breathe at ease, and live with its life." (Applause.)
In fact, it was when credit scarcely began to revive ; it was
when an infernal idea was incessantly urging workmen to
stop the very source of work; it was when frenzy, clothing'
itself in the cloak of philanthropy, came to turn away minds
from their regular occupations, in order to throw them into
Utopian speculations; it was at such a time that yogi
exhibited to the world works of which a durable
calm alone seemed to permit the execution. (Applause.)
In presence, then, of these unhoped-for results, I ought to
repeat how great the French republic might be if it were
permitted to pursue at leisure its real business instead of
being incessantly disturbed on one side by demagogic ideas,
and on the other by monarchic hallucinations. (Thunders
of applause.) Do demagogic ideas proclaim a truth ? No.
They spread on all hands error and falsehood. Disquiet
goes before them, deception follows after, and the resources
employed to repress them are so many losses for the men
urgent ameliorations fur the relief of misery. With regsed
to monarchial hallucinations, without producing the Mlle
dangers, they equally trammel all progress, al sanallaillia•
dertakings. People struggle instead of going sewer&
We see men, formerly ardent promoters of the pre.
rogatives of royal authority, making themselves
members of a convention (ronventionnele) in order to
discover a power proceeding from popular suffrage.
(Great applause., We see those who have most suffered
from and most complained of revolutions, provoke a new
revolution, and that with the sole view to evade the na-
tional wish, and to hinder the movement which transforms
societies from following its peaceable course. (Long-conti-
nued applause.) These efforts will be vain. Everything ,
that is iii the necessity of the time will be accomplished.
That which is useless alone cannut be revived. This cere-
mony is yet another proof that if certain institutions full
without the possibility of return, those, on the contrary,
which are conformable to the manners, the ideas, and the
necessities of the epoch, brave the attacks of envy or of
Puritanism. You all, sons of this regenerated so-
ciety, that has destroyed the old privileges, and
proclaimed civil and political equality as a fun-
damental principle—you, nevertheless, feel a just pride
at being named Chevaliers of the Order of the Legion of
Honour. The reason is that that institution, like all others
created at the same epoch, is in harmony with the spirit of
the age and with the ideas of the country. Far from serv-
ing, like other distinctions, to render demarcations more
distinct, it effaces them by placing all merit, to whatever
profession and to whatever rank in society it may belong,
upon the same line. (Applause.) Receive, then, these
crosses of the Legion of Honour, which, after the great idea
of the founder, are intended to honour labour equally with
bravery, and bravery equally with science. Before we se-
parate, gentlemen, permit me to encourage you to new
labours. Undertake them without fear ; they will prevent
men from being thrown out of work this winter. Have no
fears for the future. Tranquillity will he maintained, what.
ever may happen. (Bravo! bravo!) A government which
rests upon the entire mass of the nation, which has no other
spring of action but the public good, and which is animated
by that ardent faith which is a certain guide even across a
space where there is no beaten track, this government, I
say, will know how to fulfil its mission, for it has in itself
both the right which comes from the people and the strength
which comes from God. (Thunders of applause.)

This speech has produced an immense sensation.
Not only is it the first time in which the President
has used the word republic, but he oustrips even
Cassagnac in his denunciations of the royalist
conspiracy, whom he accuses of wishing to turn
themselves into members of a convention.

At the beginning of the sitting to-day the
Assembly was greatly agitated in consequence of
the above speech Vs hen M. Haze proceeded to the
tribune it was thought that ho was going to
make some allusion to the significant phraseology of
Louis Napoleon. But he only complained of come
alterations which had been made by the Minister of
the Interior in his (M. de Thorigny's) speech yester-
day in the proofs of the Mopiiteur. Ho would not
advert to the "cheers" which the minister had mo-
destly interpolated at the end of his speech. The
importance of the alteration consisted in the version
of the Muniteur alleging that prosecution had not
been instituted because the proofs of the conspiracy
were wanting, whereas what M. de Thorigny said
was, that if he had thought the plot existed
he would have prosecuted the conspirators.
The latter statement implied that he did not be-
lieve in the existence of a conspiracy. M. Lacrosse,
Minister of Public Works, complained that the inci-
dent was brought forward during the absence of the
Minister of the Interior. The President of the As-
sembly announced that an erratum would appear in
the Moniteur of to-morrow, to restore the original
words of the Minister of the Interior. Thus the dbl•
avowal of the Constitutionnel by the irovern men t would
be maintained. After the close of this incident on
the minutes, the debate on the Lyons Railway was
resumed. M. Dufaure opposed the concession to a
company, and answered M. Base. M. Grainier de
Cassagnac sent this morning M. l'enguelly-Laridoux.
a naval gentleman, and friend of M. Veron, and M.
Berard, representative, and late secretary of the As-
sembly, to call out M. Creton for the insulting epi-
thets which he applied in his speech yesterday to the
writer in the Cunatitittionnet. M. Creton called
Ca' ssagnac " a miserable pamphleteer, a slanderer,
whom he permitted to shield himself under the dis-
dain which he inspired, and to take refuge in the
ignominy of his whole peat life." M. Creton said
that he could not fight with such a man. It may be
mentioned here that M. Lacrosse, the present
Minister of Public Works, still limps somewhat from
a wound received in a duel with M. Grimier de
Cassagnac.
The amendment of Pinny, proposing the grant of
ten millions for the provisional continuation by the
state of the Lyons Railway, was adopted.
The state of the Lyons railway question, upon
which the ministry, and M. Dufaure, the reporter of
the committee, take opposite views, is shortly this.
Ministers propose a lease to a company for 99 years,
with a state guarantee for interest upon their capital
for 50 years. The company undertake to complete
the line from Chalons to Macon in two years ; from
Micon to Valle in three rears ; and from Vaise to
Perrache in four years. the company undertakes
to reimburse the state the cost of the works already
executed between Paris and Chilons within the limit
of 100 millions of francs. Of this sum the company
are to may 10 millions down before the lease is
granted; 10 millions more upon entering into pos-
session of the line; 20 millions at the end of 1852 ;
and 60 millions in 10 years, by annual payments,
commencing at the end of 1852, with interest at 4
per cent. 11. Dufaure's committee propose to reject
this scheme altogether, and to enact that the line to
Lyons shall
_be carried on provisionally at the
expense of the state. To this end a credit of
fifty millions is to be given to the Mi-
nister of Public Works, of which fifteen
are proposed to be added to the budget of 1851, and
35 to that of 1852. The additional funds required to
I be provided for by an issue of 5 per cent. rentes.
Thus, after two years' controversy, the great question
of principle between a state execution and private
enterprise remains precisely where it was. M. 31agne,
Ithe late Minister of Public Works, in the debate of
yesterday, supported the government scheme of con-
esesion to a company, in a speech which produced a
,reffest, ix spite of the excited state of the Assem-
. He attacked the figures of N. Dufaure's report,
gowned that he had immensely exaggerated the
probable profits of the line. Ile particularly insisted
that M. Dufaure had not taken into account the effect
of the opposition of the central railway, and the low-

rG, NOVEMBER 26„

siiidgiorfareelo which the Lyons eompany Ica
probably be netopelled to submit. M: Magne in-
sisted partienkrly upon the respectability and solidity
of the company to which the ministry propose to
make the lease. This was in answer to one of the
principal arguments of M. Dufaure, who asserted that
there was no security that the company would really I
complete the line. -1
The financial scheme of the government hinging.
entirely arta the aoacession of the Lyons Railway
to reirepOlit, the debate now going going on is of
the highest importance. The speech of M. Magne,
ex-Minister of Public Works, who advocated the
proposal of the government for conceding the line to
the company of 11IM. Locke, Seillieres, and others,
was considered a highly creditable performance, and
listened to with as much attention as could be ex-
pected daring the pre-occupation of minds by the
political question of the day. The twenty millions
in hard cash and the eighty millions in bills would
furnish the government with the means of dispensing
with a loan. The law will allow the bills to be de-
posited in the Bank of France.
M. Lacrosse is about to bring in a bill for finish-
ing the Louvre according to the plans of M. Duban.
This scheme has already received the approval of the
Council of Civil Buildings.
Out of twelve millions of Exchequer bills fallen
due this month, nine millions have not been renewed
and demand payment. Three times the same value
falls due in the month of December, and if payment
is demanded in the same propnrtion,that is, for three
quarters, it is not easy to see whence the money is to
come. M. d'Argout, the governor of the bank, hav-
ing been consulted on this emergency, replied that
the account of the state with the bank was in such
a state that it could reckon upon very little assist-
ance of the latter establishment. Meanwhile it is
not impossible that the new Minister of Finance may
repeal the measure of M. Fould, which lowered con-
siderably the rate of interest upon the Treasury
Bills. If the interest were restored to its former
level, shy capital might be tempted back.
It appears by a letter of the board of the Electoral
Union, that in the preparatory ballot for the candi-
date to represent the Seine, only 15,000 electors
took part. The board announces that M. Devinck,
having obtained the majority, becomes the definitive
candidate of the party of order.
MM. Monet, de Larochejaquelein, and Victor Le-
franc have presented an amendment on the Communal
Electoral Bill, proposing to reduce to one year the
length of residence required for. all Frenchmen not
born in the commune.

MM. Eliot, Richardet, Greppo, and Laboulaye,
members of the Mountain, have presented a proposi-
tion having for object to replace M. Pradie's propo-
sition, on the responsibility of the President of the
Republic and his ministers. It runs thus :

All persons who shall have conspired or abetted a con-
spiracy tending to a royalist or imperial restoration shall be
tried with the least possible delay belore the High Court of
JuAice. When convicted of the crime of conspiracy, they
shall be immediately placed hors la loi. In addition,
they shall be condemned to a fine, the minimum and max-
mum of which shall ho the one-half and three-fourths of
their fortune. Prescription against such punishment shall
not be available until after a period of 25 years, dating from
the day on which the crime shall have been committed.
The execution of the present Law is confided to the pa-
triotism of all Frenchmen.

Several members of the Lett, including MM. Jules
Fevre, Michel (de Bourges), Pascal, Duprat, :Mathieu
(Drome), and Colonel Charras,met to-day in a bureau
of the Assembly, to consider the course to be taken
on the question of urgency upon the bill upon the
President's responsibility. They adjourned to Le-
mardelay's rooms this evening.
In the Assembly yesterday, towards the close of the
sitting, M Croton interpellated the ministers on the
article of the Constitationnel. In the course of a vio-
lent speech he heaped insulting epithets upon M. Gra-
pier do Cassagnac, who signifies this morning in a short
paragraph that such epithets must be answered else-
where than in the columns of a journal. M. Croton
quoted only the portion of the article averring us a
pure truth known to all political men the immi-
nent eruption of a parliamentarian plot on the
evening of the 17th. He wanted to know if
the government had any knowledge of such a
plot?—M. Daviel replied indirectly, by reading
attacks out of the Messager upon the members who
voted the Questors' Bill. The government was
neither responsible for the language of journals nor
for the rumours which circulated in the Assembly.
M. Berrycr said that ho had attempted in vain to
dissuade M. Croton from putting his interpellution.
An occasion would occur in the debate on the Council
of State's Bill fur explaining themselves fully with
regard to the political. Meanwhile, M. Daviel had
misunderstood the question, which was simply if the
government had received any intimation of such a
plot as was affirmed in their confidential organ. If
so, they ought to demand from the house an
authorisation to prosecute the conspirators who
were representatives. M. de Thorigny said
that, if the government had discovered any
certain indications of such a conspiracy, they would
not have shrunk from doing their duty. This having
been accepted as a disavowal of M. Granier de Cas-
sagnac's article, the incident dropped, and the house
dispersed.
It is needless to say that the article of the Consti-
tutante, is vehemently assailed by the parliamenta-
rian journals. The Dant, still counsels the adjourn-
ment of the Council of State's Bill.

At the Bourse, the Fires rose 20c., and closed at
901 i. 95c.; the Threes closed without change, at 56.

SPAIN.

MADRID, Nov. 20.
General Narvaez gave a grand reception on the
evening of the 20th. On the same evening he was
received at a private audience by the Queen.

ITALY.

PIEDMONT.

In the sitting of the 20th of the Chamber of De-
puties, at Turin, Signor Brofferio, the chief orator of
Ithe extreme Left, addressed the questions to the mi-
nisters which he had given notice of the day before.
But, in order to save time, it wag agreed that each
question should be separately discussed. Signor
Brofferio first attacked the
.government on the
nomination of Signor Feria' to the portfolio of
public instruction, on the ground that he was not
a riechnontese, and on the late papal brief against
the writings of Professor Nuytz. As to the first
objection, Count Cavour took the defence of his
colleague, who had occupied the post of Under-
Secretary of State at Rome, under the constitutional
regime introduced by the Pope in 1848, and had
moreover been sent as envoy extraordinary to the
camp of Charles Albert. Count Cavour spoke hihly
of the literary productions of his colleague and
vindicated the conduct of the government in making
such a choice. Signor Arun then ascended the
tribune, and spoke with great moderation in defence,
of certain measures he had taken with respect
to the universities, and which had been attacked
by Brofferio. As to the matter of the Papal brief,'
Signor Deforests, Minister of Justice, declared
that the government would oppose any discus-1
sion on the brief, that being a document officially un-
known
to the government, and having no legal
existence in the kingdom so long as it was not
declared executory is the kingdom. The remaining
questions were adjourned in the following sitting.
The Chevalier d'Azeglio, President of the Council
of Ministers at Turin, is, if we may credit the
Opisione, seriously indisposed, the wound he received
in 1848, at Vicenza, havtgbgasened again. It is
feared that ho will be o to withdraw from
public business in consequence.

TURIN, Nor. 22.
The Chamber adopted the pure and simple order
of the day on the interpellations of itf. Brofferio.

ROMAN STATES.
ROME, Nov. 17.
The Count Avo Grado de Colombian, Sardinian
Ambassador, has arrived. The General of the French
Army has concentrated at Rome all the garrisons of
the neighbourhood, and harangued the troops, de-
claring that whatever happens it will always be the
duty of the French troops to protect the person of
the Pope.

MADRID AND VALENCIA RAILWAY.—The terms of
compromise approved of by the Master in Chancery, and
threatened to be appealed from, have, it is understood, at 1
length been assented to, and the money been paid by the
several parties thereto, out of which, and the 17,000/. in the
hands of the official manager, a dividend will be declared
among the shareholders.