The Express.
London, England, 1849-11-22 00:00:00

'LIE

"N.

T:

lONIAN ISLANDS.

SIR IL G. WARD'S FROCLAMATION OF AN
AMNESTY.

have allowed a week to elapse
tines lay Mt proclamation, in the expectation that some one
'et the large Lumber amass you who are intestinal to the
!Wine trilotanlity of the Wand, would have co-operated
with the government in its endeavours to dis over the source
et the conspiracy which has dhquisted the country. Many
ponces have required it of are, but aces have offend to
moist ate : this might, perhaps, compel se either
to try by court martial an of year felloweitisens
fee the crime of high treason, upon the ineufacient
deanamations of individuals who, themselves ea:misted of
the same crime, easy have previosily concerted their eel-
dense, in the hope of saving their own lives • or to eater
upon a long series of new inquiries, new soeLations, and
new arrests. with the idea of ultimately obtaining a com-
plete proof of the crime, Bet I cannot adopt this coarse.
Until now I have dons what I considered to he my duty to-
wards my sovereign and towards youtseiv-s in endeavour-
ing to prevent the repetition of any attempts such as signal
teed the commencement of the last revolt ; but this security

Yak nand to exis*.
There has been enough punishment : I must use the
greatest circumspection is thkemployment of my power, the
more particularly as I Seal my some is mixed up with the
accusations against those whose fate depends on my decision.
I therefore proclaim a full and entire amnesty in favour of
all persons implicated in the events of the months of August
and September I.st, and I promise in the name of the go-
vernment that nee more investigations shall be made, and
that, a eve all, no accusations shall be admitted spinet
those who have been in any way connected with the 'rants
in question.
Every individual who is in prison shall at once from to-day
be set at liberty. Time, their future conduct, and the
opinion of their fellow-citizens will decide upon their inns
cones or guilt. If any one accuses the government of hav-
ing permitted itself to be biassed by former recoliectionsor by
personal feelings, I am ready to lay before the parliament,
as soon as it shall have assembled, a full statement of the
reasons for all my acts, and to leave it to the legislature to
decide whether my justification is complete.
It bee been suggested .o me how very painful it would be
to see men of education and of independent fortune incul-
pated by the denunciations of malefactors and murderers.
It is very rare, iodated, that conspiracies pretested by secret
oaths are discovered without the treachery of au accom-
plice, for these accomplices only become assassins, or bri-
gands, after having been initiated into the conspiracy by the
inducements of individuals more elevated in society, perhaps,
but lets enterprising.
The general amnesty will have but one exception. Judg-
ment on G. Pierate Cutwevi and on Nicolas Metexas, son
of Denys Metaxam, will be pronounced to morrow, by the
court at Lixonri ; the former being proved too hardened a
criminal to be set at liberty, and the latter, unhappily,
caving acted most inexcusably towards a respectable and
weldbtern individual, for which several other persons have
been punished. Immediately after this judgment, the
court-martial well teeminate.
Count Geruisnos Sitio, who was convicted en the most
unexceptionable testimony of having appeared fully armed
in the midst of the insurgen's at the village of Marcopoulos,
has been condemned to twenty-one years' imprisonment;
Cat having been informed by witnesses who did not
appear before the court, that he is a man of weak
mind and quite incapable, both by habit and cha-
racter, of taking an active part in matters of this
kind, and that ne may have teen led to Marcopoulos either
by want of occupation or by intimidation, I shall commute
b s punishment to two years' detention.
The qu. onion of indemnities for the losses experienced by
parties whine houses were burnt and properties devasta.ed
In the months of August and September, in the districts of
Scala L-o and Catoleo, will be submitted to the senate on
my return to Corti/ • but it is not to be questioned elan
the island of Cephalonia ought not to be responsible,
and that it cannot pumas any claim aslant this
treasury of the seven Wants en the subject of these indem-
nities any more than fir every whey extraordinary charge
incurred by the governor for the quelling of the revolt.
As malevolect passions, together with attempts at pro-
cm dings contrary to the law, may be exhibited during the
winter in the districts recently expostd to disorder, I believe
it it my duty to Unseen the forces at the police and military
stazonr, and to invite the public agent and primates of those
districts to lend their assistance and zealous concurrence to
theses force., for if this had not been disgracefully neglected
at Scala, Marcopoulos, Vetter, and divers other vintages, the
dinsters which occurred there might have been at once
suppressed.
I shall recommend to the Senate the establishment of
sanitary commissions at Pomades and Portoterra as advan-
tageous to the commerce of the island, and facilitating the
wwchiig of the smuggling trade, that fruitul source of ille-
galities and of loss to the treasury, at the same time that it
deprives the toed government of the proper resources by
which it might contribute to the genera benefit, above all
to the m..lntenance and extension of the roads which are so
itidispeneehle to your internal traffic. Sinn my first visit
Parades has been pointed out to me as a port particularly
adapted U. develop the communication between Aegootod and
Zente, and to become still more important whenever
the negotiations which have been commenced with the
Austriao Lloyd's shall result in the establishment of a direct
communication from Trieste and Constantinople to Cephalo-
uta and Eliot.. The society has not the means of including
Argostoli in the treaty for the whole of the six months; but
the government will facilitate the transport of despatches
and passengers between Pessadn and Z tote, by seneliag to
meet the steam,n unt,l the direct communication shall be
opened.
I cannot leave Argostoli without thanking yea foe 'the
assistance which you have rendered ins in the rigorous
duties I have had to fulfil. I have received the bent
Inderee of the support given to my political conduct
and its results from the legislature of this island, from the
&geed, from the Municipal Council, from the Archbishop,
trout the must noted of the citizens as well as from the exten-
sive di.tricte into which the spirit of lawlessness has never
penetrated. I believe, from my heart and soul, that it is this
conduct alone which has averted fr.= the Wand the most
terrible calamities; but the amnesty which I now proclaim
proves that I am not actuated by the desire of prolonging a
power which ooly the direst necessity can impose upon a
government; which I have exercised with regret, end with
a feeling of reaponsibli-y which few will believe, and which
1 tervently hope, under any circamstances of my public life,
I shall never be called upon to re-assume.
(Signed) H. G. WARD,
Lord High Commissioner.
Argostoli, Cephalonia, Oct. 24,1849.

RAILWAY MEETINGS.

EAST ANOLIAN.

Yesterday a meeting of the bondholders in this company
was held at the London Tavern, to consider their position,
and the pees •nt state of the untiertaking.
Mr. D. BRUCE took the chair, and after pointing out the
necessity of the bondholders agreeing. together, so that no
portion of them might take an unfair advantage over the
rest, which was the intention of the legal proceedings on the
part of certain creditors, he stated that the directors bad
agreed let the line to be worked by two gentlemen in
wnom they had the greatest confidence, the result of which
would be that the bondholders would get their 5 per cent.
interest, and any surplus over the expenses and cost of
menegement would go towards the payment of the principal.
A long discus-Aeon took place amongst the bondholders as
to the best means of staying legal proceedings, the appoint-
ment of a receiver, and on other matters of a private nature,
when

The CHAIRMAN submitted a proposal on the part of the
board to the effect, that the period for the payment of the
bonds shtuld be extended to Devon years on consideration of
the interest being regularly paid. the interest payable oa the
311 t of December, 1849, belog postponed in consideration of
a yell's intereat being pai4 on the 30th June, 1850 ; t►at the
mount of traffic to be received between the 4th November,
when the contract for the line commenced, and the 31st of
December, 1849, be appropriated to the payment of trades-
men's accounts as well as wages in amar on the 4th of
' November; that the amounts not exceeding 1001, or those
receiving 1001. in full of all demands be paid on the 30th
June, 1850, without interest, and that a receiver should be
forthwith appointed, to whom all tolls should be paid, after
deducting the expenses and cost of management, in behalf
of the bondholders. - - -

Mr. RUSSELL moved that a committee should be ap-
pointed, consisting of those of the bondholders whose bonds
were due, and those whose bonds were not due, to take in
cousideration the proposition of the directors, and the best
course to he adopted for the benefit of all the bondholders,
and that thfy report to a future meeting.
Mr. EVERARD seconded the motion.
Messrs. Noble, Hall, Scott, Seppings, Evenrd, and Simp-
son, were then sppointed the committee.
Mr. WILLIAMS, the solicitor, said the committee repre-
sented cohectively 27,0001. of the funds of the company.
A vote of thanks was then passed to the chairman and
directors, and the meeting separated.

KILL/Axes JvNctrox.—Toeeday was the day for the
haltyeol7 meeting of this company, but none took place.
. .

EXIT3II, AND CANDlTON.—Negotiations an understood
to bo going oa between the London end South Western and
Bristol and Ruler Railways for the working on mutual
terms of this line, the opening of which, bat for dimpling u
to page, would haw, taken place two years ago.

- -
811111111111UAT AND CHASMS AND CHAIM= AND
Biainutzen —The disputes between them two companies
have bean brought before the magistrates at Chester, and the
terms agreed upon me that the omnibus, are to run with-
out interrapti..n, and that the booking clerk of the Chester
and Shrewsbury Railway is to have moommodation at the
station for tea days. In the meanwhile an injunction is to
be applied for to bring the legal points in dispute to a mttle-
ment, and to decide the question whether the omnibuses
driving in the direction of the Birkenhead Railway are not
entity, by bringing them into the railway yard, of " wilfuliy
impeding and ointments( the business of the station," within
the meaning of the act oi parliament. The sitalr hie created
eeneiderable excitement both at Cheater and Birkenhead.
On the occasion of barricading the station against the entry
of the omnibuses a crowd wee present cheering and shout-
intended
to and bat
take the station by Dien& for the interieresee el the magistrates, it was

GRAY'S Iww, Nov. 21.—William Harrison, Esq.,
and Richard Reader Harris, Esq., were this day called to the
degree of Barrioter-st-law, by the Honourable Society of
Gray's Inn.