The Express.
London, England, 1849-04-09 00:00:00

glee Orprefso•

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To4issavw-AbisAiig.4l MA pest Ili Ansmlol. le SIA Pus a.

LONDON, MONDAY, APRIL 9.
Tire first set of the parliamentary drama of 1849
is over. A brief paws is allowed by custom to those
who figure on the le4islative scene, a breathing time,
—mayhap a thinking time—wherein they may
collect their flurried 111* warn one another of some
flagrant errors, ant prepare to put a better face on
what is next to come. 'The interval affords the on-
lookers, too, au opportunity he considering what they
bare witnessed, and to form their surmises as to what
is to follow.
Upwards of two months have elapsed since Par-
liament assembled.. The ministefisl prologue recited
by royalty promised little that was either agreeable
or atinnatiag. Bat meagre as the queenly prognosti-
cations were, the perfermsn-e hitherto bee even fallen
short of them. Nine weeks have permed, and with
the exception of certain routine votes of money for
current expenses, nothing that we can look beck upon
as hlte'y to prove either permanently useful or credit-
able has been done. There have been so many quo-
datable, temporising, and mischievous projects afoot,
that there has litf rally been no time to diecues any
others. The Parliamentary Oaths Bill was intro-
duced indeed, and read a first time, during the first
fortnight; but, incomplete and inadequate as it is it
has never since been heard of, nor does there
seem any possibility of its being brought seder die
cumion ui detail for many weeks to come. When it
is, we trust that a resolute attempt will be made to
render it a general and final measure on the subject.
The reservations and exceptions, the higgling and
half heatedness wherewith the present proposition is
deformed, are nrst unworthy. It is ,time to have
done with diversity of parliamentary tests, and to
throw open the gate of the constitution to all men
alike se equally. We had once hoped that Lord
lonic Rosner. would have signalised his adminis-1
tration by this great work for the complete eman-
cipation of conecrence. We shall be slow and re-
luctant wholly to abandon the hope that he yet may
do so.

The repeal of the navigation laws has been again
proposed by ministers; and two or three nights have
been devoted to the disinesion of the merits of their
Plan. Yet even this vitally important bill has in vain
awaited a third reading in the Commons, altlx
night after night the Lords have met, chattedmgh , lin-
gered, and adjourned, without having found anything
to do. If it had not been for the ebullient captious-
ness of Lord STANLEY on colonial matters, and of
Lord ABERDEEN on foreign affairs, the Copse Nam
must have incurred the suspicion of being nilieled
with legislative catalepsy; for with open eyesailddi
fed look it would have otherwise appeared
of sense or motion—the feeble twingeeValt
Baouoitax nerve no longer iadicating anything...
than a very slight sympathetic spawn, resembling
rather galvanic action than the appreciable result of
any conerent impulse of self-direoting mind.
Then there has bean—literally there bus been—no-
thiog else even to much as attempted in which the
people of Great Britain can be properly said to take
either interest or concern. Attempts have, it is true,
been made by Mr. COBDEN, Mr. MUNE, and others,
to fix attention on the need of speedo changes and
timely reforms. But challenging as them have dose
the united prejudices of the three aristocratic sectims—
the left centre, the right centre, and the extreme right,
as our French friends would designate them—it wee
not wonderful that none of these should for the premes
have produced any other fruit than that of wetting
men's minds to think more deeply and earnestly than
before upon the natural ovens:um that exists between
political freedom and political economy—between so-
tension of popular rights and diminution of
burdens. For the rest, the two months' session httt
truly described by Mr. BLIGHT as having been wan
long adjourned debate on the condition of Ireland.
Three miserable measures—miserable in coseep-

tion, aim, and confessed inefficacy for any
great or lasting good, have formed the staple
of this lamentable waste of time: the renewal of the
Habeas Corpus Suspension Bill, the additional grant
of 50,0001., and the ill-starred rate in aid, which none
think less of as a legislative expedient than many of
those who support it, for want of a better alternative.
Never, assuredly, were three such prescriptions re-
commended by a set of state physicians for such a
Serial carp of chronic malady aggravated by acute
Owe. Two of them have been already earned, and
the ether, we presume, will likewise be dragged
throat unless the MONTEAOLES and the 811008
of whir side of the peers, and the
BTANLEYB and Dow:mins of the tory aide
should combine to reject it. In that case
what will be the responsibility of those who thus, as
far as in them lies, decree death by starvation to tens
of thousands of helpless and onoffending beings P
There will hardly then be time to frame new expe-
dients, and, there will no longer remain either public
temper or public patience to endure their legislative
elaboration. Yet it is impossible that, in the face of
the civilised world, such a holocaust as this should be
offered on the shrine of lanolordisin ; for this—dis-
guise it as they may—is the fearful question at issue
Rates are obviously and undeniably a deduction of se
math from Nat. If those who live upon Nat
lived at home and allowed the occupiers of
land a secure living out of the fruits at
the land, there would be high recta and low
poor rates. But the landlords of Ireland, who are
identified in feeling, interest, and destiny, with their
kindred class, the landlords of this country, but who,
in many respects, exaggerate their vices and
forget
their redeeming virtues—the majority of the
landlords have for generations chosen to desert their
properties, or to convert them into mere crimping-
pens for pauperised tenants ; and now, whet the Ws
of their human prey can no longer be preserved by
the old supply of roots and weeds, they come to the
imperial treasury and cry—if you don't feed these
creatures they must starve.
But while it la the duty of government to tell these
West Ireland gloaters that gorsedial servitude has
passed away arm more to be tolerated by British
laws gals, and list se the plenitude mast be fed out
of the fralbret the ea% hitherto monopolised by the
few, it were teller that the produce itself should be
expeested /re the hen* of all—we are willing to
oaths that the preplehey have a fair right to ask
for plemery powers to deal with what is legitimately
their ova, nansiy, their interest in the lau. Worth-
less sad_ pryers@ as they may be, they are
still entitled to justice and to Asir play. But
them is neither fsir plaraerPol!lee kaT the
oboists wenn of emus, Innen renders four--Mu
d the woes of landed property utterly helpless,
miler editing oirearestances, and yet insisting on
their tinting -annoy to • in wages, or to de-
fray the 'NIS of rats& , however, sewn
wholfiy dimeinle et say plan or pupae on this sub-
ject. Ile a.Wswe Mood alone last year in bre-
telling the of tie -Awn Inesubered $1416111
Bill. We like to know who gaiesays ear
opinion West matter slow!
On OW by week the leghlatere meets again. The
pidel between Beater and Whitatatide is generally
the most simated portion of the seam. Cabinets
have diem boa wrecked daring that stormy ttme of
the prided peer than during any other. In the pre-
NoNow
new
Bther who oan diwern what is ahead P
ut plain it is thatthey if the besalleid
whip are ever to pull up he-, mut llpsii
new sell sad set all bands toway week forthwith. The
world is weary of seeing them merely Boat down the
current if events, deirtng no-whitier, and to all ap-
without chart or heireasen. Much kept
rtaisPaerpable that that elate of things cannot lest. '

Tem evade! the committee appointed to mart
ea medimmiao of nil shame made to the Yerh,
Nolced=limßerwhigandsoy Zoksiegaryleketb7f

•tbe
otinutty, sera
..at portion of it which deals piluc pa In and en
The report alluded to leaves some points sill in
obscurity, on which it were desirable that light
could be thrown. It is not, however, likely that
much more light will ever be obtained. The records
and accounts of the York, Newcastle, and Berwick
Railway have been kept and audited in a rather,
slovenly manner ; and the notion. entertained by
solicitors and sharebrokers of the dn'y of weeny in
so far as clients and principals are concerned, are of
such more than chivalric hstidiousnees, that no fur-
ther revelations can be reasonably anticipated. We
must make the most of what we have got.
In June, 1846, the York, Newcastle, and Berwick
Railway Company agreed to purchase the Great
North of England Railway; in July, 1848, the act
of parliament for carrying out the agreement was
passed. By this act prices teethe several classes of shares
in the Great Pi orth of England Rail way Were fixed, pay-
GO on the lit of July, 1830, with certain amounts
411 interest payable during the interim. At a special
Msmeeting of the York, Newcastle, end Berwick
way Company, held on the 28th of October, 1846,.
1 was agreed to create a stock, on which pee cent.
teedwas till the Ist of July, 1850, in order to
de
fur "the w&ase of the Great North of Eog-
Railway and works." Tne object of this moa-
ners was to spread the payment othe 3) millions,.
Which the shares of that company would cost, over
a epees of three years and a half instead of snaking it
▪ 4N' one day.
A meeting of directors of the York; Newcastle, and
Berwick Railway was held on the 26th of October,
1.48 immediately after the close of the special gene.
ad meeting of proprietors by ihich this measure was
emetiontel. At this meeting, to use the language of-
two directors examined by the committee, " Mere was
a general understanding that Great North of England
shires should be purchased, and that as discreetly as
possible,. and that Mr. HUDSON alone had the
sanction 'of the board to purchase them." This
understanding does not appear to have been put into
the form of a definite resolution; no express autho-
rity appears to have been given to Mr. HUDSON, the
chairman, to act fur the directors or company in the
matter; and no record of the "understanding" is to be
found in the minutes of the directors' proceedings.
Mr. HUDSON, however, forthwith set &bent has task
of purchasing, " as discreetly as possible," North 'of
England shares. Properly speaking, he bad already
cosanisOced helm the " understanding " was come to.
It hem " The Great North of England
shasi~ournal kept by the secretary of the York,
Noweastle and Berwick Company, that Mr. HUDSON
said in all 3,458 Meth of England shares to the corn-
y. The date at which this alleged transaction
.sce is not stated in the journal ; bat it appears
that Mr. HUDSON received for his shares (including
beaker's commission and transfer stamps) the sum of
131,8871.95. 3d., paid by two cheques on the York
Union Banking Company, one of which is dated the
17th of October, and the other the 27th of November.
the purchases by which Mr. HUDSON acquired 3,363
ethos* 3,468: shares have been trao:d; they were
smile at various times ; pomp of them as early as the
Sdi ef October, twenty-one days previous to the
understanding being come to; some of them u late as
the 18th of November, nineteen days later than the
date of the first cheque. With regard to this proceed-
ing the committee of inquiry remark :
At the period when Mr. Hudson received the cheque for
81,0001. (27th October, 4846), he himself eoald not have paid
more than about 26,0001. on account of the purchase of these
shares, although he might be called upon to make a farther
payment el about 70,0001. on the 30th of October. The West
of this would be, that the shares bought by Mr. Madam oa
his owe assent, sad sold afterwards at an enhaaoed prim
to the company, were to a considerable extent paid for in the
first issues with themoney he had received from the cow
patty..
was of itself pretty sharp practice on the part
of the chairman of a company acting upon en " under-
standing" that he was to "purchase as discreetly as
pomible" for the bent.fit of hie constituents. But this
is the least questionable part of the transaction. Mr.
Httosoi's purchases were made at the market price of
the day; he sold to the company, as the committee
remark, at " enhanced prices. The total excess of the
prices charged by him over the market prices of the
day amounted to 8,4181. In defence of this over-
charge, Mr. Close alleges that Mr. HUDSON adopted
the estimate made by Mr. Prawn of the value of
North of England shares to the York, Newcastle., and
Berwick Railway Company. What is culled by Mr.
Mom a valuation of North of England shares, was,
in point of fact, an estimate made by Mr. PLews of
the eemparative value of the various chases of North
el Reiland sharer. Its object appears to have been
to sieve the company as a guide in deciding what
kind if shares it might be advisable to Furtherer at
any particular moment. It stated the value to the
company in October, 1848, of shams foe which the com-
pany mast pay a fixed price in July, 1850. It was the
duty of Mr. Honsom, entrusted to " purchase, as die-
erectly as posnible," North of England shares for the
company, to acquire them as much below this, their
full value, as possible. And having acquired them at
a lower price—at the current price of the day—he
was not entitled to charge them at their full value to
the company, for that was, in effect, to charge the
difference between the values as a commiesion for
effecting the purchase. The company were entitled
to have the shares purchased by Mr. HUDSON at the
price he gave for them. Mr. Honsiow did not, how-
ever, adhere closely to Me. Prawn' valuation ; that
gentfeman estimated the 151. North of England shares
at 211. each, and Mr. HUDSON asked and had 231.105.
And, moreover, M. HUDSON charged commission on
the shares he sold to the compaiy: although the rule
is that the seller pays the commission.
Mr. Henson still usedts that be regards this
bansestisa as perfectly regular. His conduct has
marady been in accordance with this assertion. "Mr.
HSU= came to me," says Mr. Cross, in his exami-
autism "some time in the month of January last, and
sided to me that as times were so materially changed,
seakteg up the accounts of the Great North of
Enema purchase, I must deduct any profit he made
ea that transaction." Mr. HUDSON subsequently
his mind, intimating that any prat be might
have that transaction might be written off against
the he had incurred 17 making a large patchier'
of " West Durham shares, without the sanction of
the proprietors. As the periodical meeting of the
proprietors drew nigh, Mr. littiosoe's tremors re-
turned; the day before that meeting he desired the
secretary to debit his account with 2,8741.-11 per
share uncalled on the 151. shares he had sold the
company, adding that after the meeting he would go
into the account. Bat at the meeting he moved the
adeplien eta report sanctioning the penises of his
141. shim, although he had previously declared he
ems Iliallided there wee something wrong" about
ft. It is difficult to imagine that Mr. HUDSON
mould *bly believe such a transaction, as we have
to be correct ; but had he been satisfied is
bie own mind of its propriety, he would not have
lime emanated between desire to retain, and fears that
WI unit resign, the profit he bad made..
Thee was a peculiarity about Mr. Hunecon's pod-
the, as chairman of the York, Newcastle and Berwick
Railway, that (met to have made him more chary of
any rgain entered into on behalf of his
mostiterate. Mr. HUDSON was blessed, it has
akeedy been awn, with a board of directors who al-
helsiUn to adult= " understandings " not entered
as their minutes. Two eddies* gentlenten appear to
live been in the habit of riving chequess• in favour of
Mr. HUDSON without troubling themselves to inquire
oboes the " vale, received." He was moreover so
lucky se to have auditors who passed kis meounts
without examining or so mush as asking -for • single
washer. And, lastly, Mr. Cuss, the secretary et
the is a gentleman who, aocurdiog to No
meows -e,
idasks,bat "notPartiallaii: Inmelissu Mr.mr. H-Ruersootps
" gels manejler shirt,
of the affairs of
Ihs Yorks
_Newcastle, eau Berwick Company were
and unexamined. No perm presumed
no Amnon med even to inquire
' tn.
man
e and ager of his pnvate
to dispose of the company's funds
as 4113 been
rdzimpel
inenshe implicit madame
more generous int.
*UM say that the peoprietors who have aowed
mil=mode of conducting their affairs to be
in for years have mainly themselves to

deeirrink
men to throw &malt Mutate whole system of effect
iog important tions by the combina-
tion of many small with transferable rights
and limited liabilitism It shakes the credit and
owers the moral tone at the trading community. It Is
an abase which calls for farthercomment and morns,
and shall hare them.

FRANCE.
PARIS, SATVID&T, 6 rat.
I send you an extract of the principal parte of the
declaration of the party of the Mountain to which I
alluded in my despatch of this morning:
We shall not form an electoral committee; we sleet not
send oat lists or impale names. Pull of respect for the
initiative of the eleetow and the freedom of vote!, we, leave
to those who possess the right the task of electing the men.
Bet we emuider it as a duty of own /seisms and party, as a
sacred duty, indispensable teen to the safety of the republic,
to recall with the experience and authority which facts afford
the prineiples which have sere as a rule in the past, and
which about& so serve for the future. The Constituent
Asieithly is nearly at an end; henceforth its policy and Its
great work belong to history._ Its work, the Constitution,
which admits the penalty of death and. redeem the right of
labour we accept in judging it. We accept it in spite of its
inconsistencies and imperfections—first, because it is the pro-
duction of universal suffrage ,• next, because it carries with It'
its own remedy is the first of its articles, that which allows
the revision. It. policy has been illogical, like its work,
violent in the interior, week at the exterior, retrograde every-
where.* In short, the woustituent assembly lux done what it
meld ; has been whet was to have been expeeted. Bee-
cubd by a people which hat just thrown off royalty, but who
were still under the yoke of misery and ignorance—two great
tyrannise—dt was naturally influenced by Its origin, aid pro-
domed impulse* nemenres. Ia February the people beloved
the words of those who same to them under the disguise of
shepherds, They took these royalists, these liberals, these
remnants of all reigns, these men always on the surface ; and
they deceived themselves with a confidence, a clemency
which honours them, and which is explained by the intoxi.
cation of enceme,eheir political noviciate, and especially the
generosity of their hearts. But now the apprenticeship has
been gene through, the lemon received, and the danger is
flagrant. It is for the people to see to the legislature; and
it is time to do so. They can now choose with the necessary
inforreation--they know now with whom they have
to deal—they see who are their friends and their enemies.
They know those who royalty voted the laws of the state of
siege, of transportation, of caution money, of ottramensen!,
of clubs, of memo, of the eleven hours' labour, of the six
hundred thousand francs —er.d they know the republicans
who voted the reduction of the salt-tex, of the postage, of the
budget, and who voted also the preamble of the constitution.
The people an, therefore, judge the old men by their votes,
and the new men by the programme which has been pub-
lished. _

As regards foreign policy, in principle every nation is free
and sovereign. Ely'lty is a power which exists—the republic
a gov, lament of right. Every nation which may have need
of us, which may demand from us assistance in recovering its
natisnality, should be able to count, in the limit of our re-
sources, on our material and moral support, on our diplo-
macy and our army ; for the reason of France is the reason
of liberty, and the army of France the army of liberty.
Liberty to not a privilege for as,it is a right for all, and right
his no frontier. In virtue of the principle of the unity of
right and the unity of mankind, all nations are jointly re-
sponsible, ;attune of the great human republics, and at snob,
free, equal, sad brethren, like the citizens of the French re-
public. Frame thee, can hsnoefcgth neither conquer
r enslave; neither can she be a tranquil spectator, with
arms in her hands, of the sad spectacle of slaves still strug-
gling under the treaties of 1816. Her principle', her pro-
mises, her part, her future, her safety, her honour, engage
her towards Poland, Italy, Germany, and Hungary, towards
el those who resolve like her to break their chains. The
Kings besiege, bombard, and put to roman Paris, at Peeth,l
at Win, Vienna, Warsaw; the republic cannot be the ac-
complice of kings against the people. It is a crime to do that
when it can be prevented. The monarchy said, chacwspoisr
soi, and it is deed; the republic, which is the contrary of the
monarchy must live, saying, chasm poser Pau!
On the question of the demote policy we find the
following :
In the interior, the same logic. The people should be
free and sovereign. At this moment the people are not, it is
true, 'abject' of a king, but they are still the subjects of ig-
norance and misery, those two last royalties, which are not
unlikely to bring back the other. The man who is hungry
is the slave of want; the man of ignorance is the slave of
error. He is consequently neither free nor sovereign. What
is a Sovereignty which cannot write its vote 1 what a liberty
which depends on its bread ? Men then must be freed from
these two servitudes ; they must be wrested from these two
imperative tyrannies which have already twins caused them
to turn naivetes' suffrage against themselves—on the*. 10th
December, and 23rd April ; they must be enfranchised
materially and morally, in mind and body ; they must
henceforth only depend on their reason and their will ; their
double want of comfort and enlightenment must be satisfied
—the double nourishment (men does not live by bread alone)
must be given them—in a word they must be improves~ and
enlightened. How ? By labour and instruction. AU the
republic is therein.

An evening journal of yesterlay says: "It is an-
nounced that M. Proudhon has decidedly fled from
the consequences of his condemnation. He left Paris
on Sunday lest, and it is presumed that he is gone to
London, where he will tied his friends Caussidiere
and Louie Blanc." We do not know what truth
there is in the above :statement, but we see by the
signatures affixed to the declaration of the Mountain,
in the socialist journals of this day, that the name of
M. Proudhon isnot amongst them.
Au official return is published by the Moniker of
the amount of Customs duties received in January
and February of the present year. It is 20,938,938 f.
In 1848, the returns for the corresponding months
were 17,483,906 f.; and in 1847, 18,940,839 E
M. Deese, the father-in-law of M. Thiers, died this
morning of cholera, after a few boars' illness. I have
reason to believe that the epidemic is more prevalent
in Par:s than the authorities are disposed to admit.
Every effort is made, both by the government and the
press, to conceal extension.

ITALY.

SARDINIA.—The Nazioneof Turin, of the 2nd,
states that Major-General Dabormids and Count
Revel have left Turin for the Austrian head-quarters
as 'plenipotentiaries.
By a royal decree of the 2nd, Eugene, Prince of
Savoy Carignan, is named Colonel Commandant-
General of the whole National Guard of Piedmont.
_ _

The Concordia of Turin, of the god, states that a
popular movement has broken out at Albertville.
Asti, Cunco, Alessandria, Vercelli, and Castle, have
openly avowed their opposition to the terms of the
ermistioe.
LOMBARDY.—The Pensiero Italian° of the 31st
gives some additional information concerning the in-
surrection at Brescia. The citadel, according to this
account, continued to firs upon the town during the
24th and 23th, but on the 26th it was taken by storm,
and the garrison put to the sword. The valleys of
Trompia Babble had binned at the same time, and
Borygsmo the Austrians had been driven away.
ROMAN Bl'ATEB.—In the sitting of the Roman
Constituent Assembly of the 27th ult., the Minister of
War informed that body of the several military mea-
sures that had been adopted by government. Every
citizen of from 18 to 38 years of age is declared a
soldier. Whoever wishes to exempt himself from
military service must pay a fine to facilitate his being
replaced by a substitute; 30,000 muskets were daily
expected from France, and 9,600 from other parts. A
manufacture of arms has been established, and three
large military magazines are to be organised at Rome,
Bologna, and Ancona. All horses that could be found
have been pat in requisition. Troops, it is said, were
on their way to the Po. The natienal guards of the
provinces have undertaken the service of the cars-
biniers, that the latter may join the army. In a few
days•the union between Rome and Tuscan y would be
effected. The news of the reverses of Charles Albert
had not been received at Rine.

THE FXPRESS, MONDA% :EVENING, APRIL' 1849
—_._._...- v
y Ilyis,%: lc_ ,iitio fa e°2_, -
. ' /11"11111t - i 'lit 'PI i 0 27 ir:Th% ' MI UMW 011 LOFUO 0111 the
vi
--
'' - ' to alit ss'
ite- Ss Railws,,7 o : alit the *ladders of
/tlian
'''' ''',i.," :, atriel of the slisr Aqt, are r the So Serwiek, 0111414 olio let logitarY
'° 4 .-... '' . . PClrMait MA olio "1::: I:stogies in the railway of kelt Mho* cre-
q - "'""°, • i• Bot; apart beet theeeteeilers. ailitt -or of it, ostersl sideseawfgesziaris.encts.
a gene interefl attaches to the aerating in the eau. Wen the effects of this irtlittiwnay of carry tog co
mallow of all who are alive _ta She imgorleges of bailees limited to the • g parties them-
a high tape of hopper in 'the eTe tjja selves, the matter might rest there. Bat it
oor Is ocustry,-A- sal Dade, eePecnally ' afford, scope for improper prattlcee, and inevitably
.. . _.• _ ..-• la _l, -1--a- _._ • • a