The Express.
London, England, 1848-09-01 00:00:00

judges of the Zillah Courts? If the presences of
an European-society at Madras could not restrain
the Budder judges, what are we to apprehend from the
Zillah judges over whom there is no such restraining
influence ? These are very serious considerations, for
the due administration ofjnstioe is one of the ends for
which government is established ; and. if we fail in
giving the natives of India cheap, speedy, and digni-
fied justice, we can have no apology for oontinuin; our
dominion over them. We rule them despotically ; we
deprive them of any share in the administration of
their own affairs; we have failed to give vitality to the
intentions of oar own legislature on the subject of
native empinyment in the government of India ; we
have placed on aa oriental country, and a poor people,
the high presa.re of European taxation ; and if, in
return, we do not give them justice properly ad-
miniatered, we omit the simplest duty of the many
which, se conquerors, we have assumed.
The facts stated, we repeat, require the fullest- in-
vestigation. We will add, as we may hereafter show,
that the time has come when the revision of our eutire
judicial system in India cannot be safely delayed.

Ir is with unalloyed pleasure, and with hopeful an-
.ticiputions of t'.e progress of sanitary reform such as
we have rarely experienced, that we have perused the
statement authorised yesterday by a meeting of t-e
Metropolitan Commission of Sewers, and published in
our paper of this day. The consolidated commission
of so vers has begun its work in a right spirit, end
already the results of its labours are visible. Already
103 miles of the wont conditioned sewers of the me-
tropolis have been flushed, and upwards of 139,000
cubic yard., or atout 200,300 tons, or refuse have
been removed. This has been effected at a great
saving of expense, as compared with former
charges. And, as was stated by Mr. CHAU-
'WTCK, the effects of flushing on the water of the
river have been quite imperceptible. Whether the
proportion of the matter flushed into the river is,
after all, too inconsiderable to affect its comparative
purity ; or whether the increased flow of the river, oc-
casioned by the removal of old London-bridge, has
carried off the impure matter more rapidly ; or
whether the constant plying of steam-boats has pre-
vented its lodging; or whether all of these causes have
co-operated, so it as that the land and air have been ma-
terially purified, arid the water made no worse. Within
the few months that the newcommis,ion of sewers has
existed it hu experimentally demonstrated the fa-
cility with which the metropolis may be effectually
dra'ned and miasma reduced to a minimum to an ex-
tent far exceeding all that their predecessors have
done in the course of centuries.

Equally gratifying is the energy with which the
commission has pushed on the survey of the metro-
polis on a uniform plae. More than a year ago we
urged the commencement of a survey of the metro-
polis, es the only basis of economy and efficiency in
the construction of the milks required to improve its
sanitary condition. Still adliedi‘g to that opinion, it
is with sincere pleasure we learn that although the
commissioners were prevented from oommencilr their
survey effectively before the beginning of June they
have now two hundred acd filly men engaged upon
it, and look confidently forward to be soon in a
condition to turn the survey to account. Concur-
rently with this survey of the surface of the streets
and open places of the metropolis they have
instituted a subterranean exploration of the various
sewers and old subterranean drainage works, to ascer-
tain their extent, and how far they may be available
for future operations. The systematic foundation
which the commissioners are laying fm their labours,
and the promptitude with which they have already
commenced practical ameliorations, entitle us to augur
the best resul-s from their efforts.

The statistical inquiries set on foot by the commis-
sioners lead them to believe that by systematising
their drainage m orations throughout the metropolis,
and organising the drainage service more thoroughly,
and on a better principle, they will be able to have
laid down an entire system of new drains at half the
annual expense incurred in one district for repairing
a bad system of old drains.
That it was high time this more efficient agency
should be substituted for the old jobbing system of
district commissioners is apparent, from the state of
matters in those worst-conditioned localities which
the commissioners have made the scene of their first
efforts. After enumerating the 163 miles of sewers
that have been flushed, and the 200,500 tons of refuse
that have been removed, they rtmirk in their state-
ment : "This, however, could only affect the sewers,
which comprise one-fourth only of the noxious evapo-
rating surface of a district, one-fourth being consti-
tuted by cesspools, and two-fourths, or one-half, being
the surface of ill-constructed house-drains."

It the commissioners proceed as they have begun—
and while Dr. SOUTHWOOD SMITH, Mr. CHADWICK,
and (in jurtice let us add) Lord MORPETH are of
their number, we have no doubt they will continue
to do so—the results of their labours will do more to
strengthen the cause of sanitary reform than any
arguments.

FRANC.!:.

PARIS, THURSDAY, ii A M.
A crisis is manifestly approaching on the question
of the state of the press. Announcements are made
from day to day of an astounding character, and the
Paris public, so long accustomed to a freedom of dis-
cussion in the journals, to which there has been
hitherto no practical limit, rubs its eyes to be
sure that it is awake when it hears of the
sudden and arbi•rary suppression of some of the
longest established, most widely circulating, and
most respectable organs of the public press.
To-day, the Constitutionnel, in its leading co-
lumn, announces the probability of its imme-
diate suppresssion. This announcement is only
in accordance with what has been expected
for several dap. That journal has for some time
discontinued its leading articles in consequence, it
appears, of a menace of suppression from the govern-
ment. Its actual suppression had been decided on by
Gen. Cavaignac ; but M. Marie, the Minister of Jus-
tice, having declined his share of the responsibility of
such a measure, it was postponed bat not abandoned.
To-day the Constientionnet publishes an article an-
nouncing its intention to wnte and criticise public
events as heretofore.

Several of the journals continued to abstain from all
comment whatever on domestic politics, the principle
being now distinctly understood as announced. that
no opposition to the government will be tolerated.
The Spectalcur Republicain, which is known to be
the personal organ of General Cavaignac, has the fol-
lowing, which may be considered as official :
We have said that the protest addressed by a certain num-
ber of journalizes to General Cavaignac was a useless act.
This step, however, has at lent had the effect of distinctly
defining the policy of the cabinet. The chief of the Executive
Government is said on this occasion to have declared with
energy his recilution not to give way to any retrograde influ-
ence, and to proceed towards all and against all, to the reenta-
bliabm-nt of order and of respect for the laws and authori-
ties. We applaud this firmness, adding, nevertheless, that
it is not enough for a government, and partioularlv a repub-
lican government, to repress disorder whenever It may make
its appearance ; but its first duty is to prevent it. If we are
well niforsuctl, the general said, in presence of the
deputation from the journalists, "By the prosecn.
Lions ordered against MM. Louis Blanc and Cans-
sididre I have Biwa pledges of my firm will to servo
only the interests of an honest and moderate republic ;
' but reaction must not deceive iteef, and imagine that it can
ever induce ma to go beyond the limits I have fixed. Let
the reaetionists, then, be cautions in their language and
their movements, for I am watching them narrewly, and
will repress them severely. I know that the ,action is
agitating in certain legions of the national guard ; but I am
acquainted with these manouvres, and, at the first demon-
stration, I will crush them

The circumstances attending the question of inter-
vention in Italy, which I mentioned in my despatches
of last evening, are the subject of serious attention to-
day. It is now understood that Austria has intimated
to the ministers of France and England at Vienna
that having already, through the intervention of the
central power at Frankfort, opened negotiations with
the King of Sardinia, which are expected to lead to a
satisfactory conclusion, she declines the
,proffered in-
tervention until the ism of such negotiations shall
be known. That if the issue, as is expected, be satis-
factory, the intervention will be needless; if other
1 wise, such measures can be adopted as circumstances

may rugged.
This is regard, d as an evasion by all parties here,
and the organs of the press which speak the senti-
ments of government, take no pains to dissemble the
immediate intentionof intervening by armed foroe,and
the more independent and respectable journals, such
u the Journal des Debate, agree in declaring
that in the present state of public opinion
such a course would be become inevitable. The
struggle, it is contended, is not terminated. Venice is
atilt tto theatre of conflict, and has announced its