The Express.
London, England, 1848-04-08 00:00:00

SPECIAL CONSTABLES AND MEASURES

Vie erpreAYS.

MAILS.
The mails for British North America, and the United Beate*,
will be mite op en the evening of the 15th April.
The West India Mails, excluding Bermuda, Nassau, Havanna,
Honduras, New Orleans, Vera Crux, Tampico, and Porto Rico, and
including those for Madeira Jecmel, Carthago., Banta Martha,
Chagres, Panama, West Coat of South America, and St. Juan-de-
N'caragua, will he made up on the evening of the 17th April.
The malls for Vigo, Oporto Lisbon, Madeira, Cad., aid Gibraltar
will be made up on the morning of the 17th April.
The overland mails for Gibraltar, Malta, Greece, the lonian islands,
Egypt, Aden, Ceylon, India, liong-Kong, and China, via Southamp-
ton, will be made up on the morning of the Roth April.
The overland Owed Ellaik% Ma Marseilles, to the Mediterranean,
Egypt, Aden, Ceylon, India, Hong-Kong, Esc., will he made up on the
evening of the 24th April.
The malls foe New South Wales, Van Diemen's Lead, and New
Zealand will be made up on the evening of the 30th April.
The mails for the Weal Corot of Africa and Madeira will be wok
up on the evening of the 30th April.
The maths for the Broils, the River Plate, Monte Video, Pernani-
I Soya. EshMadeira, and Buenos Ayres, will be made up on the
evening o the 4th May.

NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS.
The number of STAMPS issued by the authorities of the
Stamp.oftice, during 1847, to the
DAILY NEWS was 3,447,009
This, we believe, is within eight per cent. of the number
issued to the Morning Iterate, Morning rhronick, and
Morning Post, ALL PUT toocriteu.
In addition to the above, issued to the DAILY NEWS,
Morning Paper, there were issued for the Evening Edition,
THE EXPRESS 778,714
Which was more, we believe, than were issued either to
the (Ache or standard, Evening Papers.

TO CORKFAPONDENTS.
*.• Advertlaments Intended Coe " The Itzpec.s." Lando. cycolos paper, mum
be SA Ike calm 10, Br/came-wren, by Two o'c lock ea the Jay of pnbitcation

111011 WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
T.. D.,—Rotaina, b 9 min plat 4. A/1/460..V mln. inn b.
To.soaso4l—Moetung, et146p1.64 4: AR69.404. 10 ma past 6.

LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 8.

WE should cordially approve of any measure, not
flagrantly infringing the liberty of the subject, which
appeared to us calculated at the present time to stop
the movement and the agitation amongst the labour-
ing classes. What they demand is a political remedy
for a social and economic evil ; and that remedy—
universal suffrage—gained, the entire party is
utterly at a loss to show how it would affect or
remedy the admitted evil. We are therefore no
believers in chartist fanaticism. There is nothing
practical or promising, or inspiriting in their cause.
It has nothing in it for which men risk life, or be-
come martyrs. Chartism has not one of the ele-
ments of political religion.
We are glad, indeed, that the turbulent classes of
this country have found no better standard. It is
not the first time their standard has been raised, has
presided over meetings, and has marched in procession
to parliament. How was it met; and how, by the
manner M its being met, were the standard and the
agitation laid for years? It was by government
showing no fear, and by treating it as one of the
usual freaks and manifestations of English freedom.
We regret that government did not pursue the
same course on the present occasion. If such a pro-
clamation as that issued were possessed of the ma-
gical power of preventing any assemblage, and could
not only decree, but effect that there should be no
crowd and no riot in or near the metropolis on that
day, we should approve of it. But we doubt much,
timed as the proclamation was, and men's
minds having been wrought up to the meet-
ing, if the proclamation be well calculated
to produce even the immediate effect intended. As
to its more remote effects on the country in general,
and on the chartist and popular agitation, we cannot
but regard its effects as likely to be very injurious.
Some of the immediate results of the proclamation
are already visible. The chartists persist in disobey-
ing it. Their leader, however mild in temper, de-
clares in the House of Commons that he cannot help
heading it. A member asks the Home SECRETARY
whether the mere meeting is illegal with
out the procession, and he receives the hesitating
, and dubious answer of " according to circumstances."
There is in all this a confusion of law, a tardiness of
act, and a hesitation of purpose much to be regretted.
Meantime,
the citizens of this metropolis are left in a
, very uncomfortable predicament. All feel the nececeity
of taking the same precautions which they might have
done, had the chartist demonstration been suffered to
pass off unforbidden and uninterrupted. And the
middle classes are perfectly right. They are right
to nrm themselves with the legal and defensive
truncheons of which, we trust, there will arise no neces-
sity for use, but as a mode of showing their zeal
and numbers in the cause of order and of securing pro-
perty. If the best way of getting rid of the turbulent
chartists were to allow them to come and go without
more than ordinary attention and precaution, the
next best way is to show the unanimity of a still
larger class of the population in preserving order, and
supporting the authorities inthe maintenance of peace.
With respect to the bill introduced last night by
Sir GEORGE GREY for the consolidation and amend-
ment of the acts relating to treason in the two coun-
tries, it has our full approbation. If an individual
like Mr. Minns:Li. can set himself opposite to go-
vernment, or the Qumee's representative, and pour
forth a shower of words every one of which is a pro-
vocative of treason and assassination, there is an end
of all government whatsoever. Indeed, the whole of
Dublin is no longer that of a society of persons sub-
ject to authority. It is a field of battle and a seat of
war, in which one side are deliberately brandishing
their arms and taking aim, whilst the other are con-
demned to await till the enemy may choose to fire a
fatal volley.
The abolition of capital punishment for all except
the highest kind of treason is a necessary tribute to
the sentiments of the age. It is one of the misfor-
tunes as it is one of the necessities of the times, that
any very deterring punishment is impossible for poli-
tical crimes. Indeed, this might be said of crimes non-
political, short of murder. Our means of repression
by punishment are, in fact, escaping from our hands ;
and all that is left is to prevent when one cannot
punish, and diminish temptation to all kinds of crime,
since the old means of deterring men from them are

Tenth

THE Times assured us yesterday, in its most em-
phatic style of wisdom, that were the penny stamp
duty taken off newspapers, " the three kingdoms
would soon be under the sway of a provisional go-
vernment." This is certainly the most awful an-
nouncement of these panie-stricken times! There is
but one pennyworth of conservatism between us and
perdition. The British empire and constitution are
evidently set up for auction, that inch of candle auc-
tion in which the lowest bidder carries away the
prize. The Mites undertakes to conduct the govern-
ment and the haute administration for one penny. Bat
its alarm at being underbid is very great. Let any one
undertake to instruct and enlighten the public at a
cheaper figure than the Times fivepence, and straight
the empire is destroyed, and the three kingdoms under
a provisional government !
This is really a very serious admission on the part
of the government organ. Hitherto we have heard
only of its cont. mpt for cheap journals, their utter in-
efficiency and incapability of being early with news,
or of employing agents not susceptible to bribes, or of
at all rendering themselves worthy of the public. But
now, it seems, the contempt is changed into fear.
Cheap papers, in lieu. of being contemptible, have be-
come formidable. They are instruments capable of
revolutionising the unrevolutionised world, and of
placing 'a provisional government on the throne of
Queen Vic-coat A.
Will the Times run over the series of revolutions
achieved during the last month, and point out one
which a cheap press has had any influence in pro-
, ducing, or a dear press any power in preventing?
The great dangers and difficulties of these revolutions
have arisen undoubtedly from the people being
imbued with communist principles. From whence
did it get them ? Certainly not from the
, press, but from modes of affiliation and
instruction quite apart from the press. We feel emi-
t , fldent, thatthe influence of a free and cheap and active
press in those countries and in ours would have
• tended not to root deeper those nominally social and
really anti-social and anarchical principles, but would
have brought upon them the light of day and of dis-
: cussion, and would have prevented their attaining
that rank growth and baneful size which plants do
reach when grown in the dark. In this metropolis
the only journal which advocates communism is the
"turning Chronicle, and only since it has relapsed to
dearness.

OF SAFETY.

We hare received accounts from almost every . me-
tropolitan plice-ottice and parish of the swearin g iu of
special constaobles. At the Mansion-house upwards of 5.000
were sworn in, including 800 belonging to the Batik of Eng.
land, and 1,300 to the Post-office. The authorities of Scot-
land-yard have issued white belts, to be worn round the hat
and arm, to distinguish special constables while on duty.
All the turners in the dockyards at Sheerness and Chat-
ham are engaged, by an Admiralty order, making constables'
staffs; they are working extra hours, from daylight to dark.
The staffs are made from the English oak treenail', and are
formidable weapons, each slung by a hand beckett of ham-
herline. It is repotted that 40,000 are to be sent to London
to-day, for the use of the constabulary force, to be sworn in
ready for Monday next, to act as necessity may require.
Military preparations on an extensive scale have also beta
made by the government. Orders have been received at
Woolwich for two field batteries and a tr op of the Royal
Horse Artillery, to hold themselves in readiness to march to
London, on Sunday night, or early on Monday morning.
Stabling has, we understand, been engaged in the metropolis
for the horses attached to the batteries and troop, so as to
enable the melt to hold themselves in readiness to act in case
of emergency. Arrangements have been made with the
Waterman's Steam-packet Company to convey the Enrolled
Pensioners to London at a very early hour on Monday morn-
ing. Detachments of Foot Guards are to arrive from Wind-
sor, and those on duty in London will be placed under arms
early on Monday.
It is determined to erect a barricade in New Palace-yard,
to protect the entrance to the house by Westminster-hall and
the committee-rooms on Monday. A strong police force will
be also in attendance, to prevent the approach of any inroces-
'ion which is likely to impede the approach of peers and
members to the Lords and Commons.

The great merit by which oar large newspapers
recommend themselves to the public is their news—
their varied, wisely-sought, and well-selected news.
A journal that does this provides the best antidote for

any poisonous theory, even if it indulges in such. in the Hungarian Diet, desire the removal of Arch-
Moreover, the writers of a newspaper, which is the duke Louis, which now, however, is less likely than
centre of varied intelligence, are never infected by ever to take place. The If Zeitung of the Ist pub-
those theories or hallucinations so powerful over the lished the new law on the press in 88 articles. It is
lone philosopher in his closet. The newspaper never founded on the law of Baden, which it goes beyond
spreads such theories without ventilating them. It on some points. But the fatal interference of the
is the flying sheet. in which the stamp duty forbids commit of state, which is still allowed to prevail, is
sows, though it allows every species of moral poison: like sowing tares:smongst the good seed. The come-
it is the socialist missionary, the political and itinerant quence has been that the new patent on the press was
preacher : these are the means by which socialism and no sooner publishedthan six copies of it were publicly
chartism have been got up and fostered. It is this burnt in the University of Vienne.. To add to this
spirit and these men who have pushedto extreme revo- unpleasant state of things, the directors of the bank
lotion in Paris, and to social subversion. Nine-tenths held a meeting on the let, in which it was decided
of the Paris press are against it, and are fast killing to forbid the exportation of geld and surer.
it. And cheap newspapers here—that is, newspapers The news from Italy, Hungary, Croatia, Gallicia, 80.
cheaper in price—would, far from producing rovolu- hernia, in short from all parts of the empire, put
tionary convulsion, prove the very best pre- Austrian statesmen in despair. We learn from Pres-
ventivo and antidote. As it is, the Eng- burg that on the 29th the Archduke Palatine arrived
lish operative never reads a daily newspaper. there with a royal resolution, in which, instead of the
It is too expensive for him, and for the hoped-for royal sanction of the law on the independ-
houses he frequents. The weekly dose of extravagant ence of the Hungarian ministry, several of the
theories which fill the Northern Star form his poli- points of the law had been entirely rejected. No
tical nourishment, as the lucubrations of CORBETT sooner was this made known than the whole town
were that of his sire. Put the real newspaper within was in an uproar. The national guard assembled be-
his reach instead of these, and you will do something fore the house where the Chambers meet, the shutters
to enlighten him. The policy of making newspapers of which were closed, and, he military were ordered
dear in order to make theta loyal and respectable is to remain in their barracks. When the royal resolu-
absurd, since it confines them to loyal and re- tion was read in the Chambers of the magnates and
spectable hands, who do not want newspapers to of the States, Count Bathyanyi rose, and in the name
make them what they are. Enlarge the circle of of himself and his colleagues, declared that the
newspapers. Let them be concocted not merely for nation could not receive this resolution, and that
the critics of clubs, toe mansion of the squire, nor for they resigned their posts. The archduke begged
the reading-room of the mercantile town, but let them of them not to resign : and gave them his
fall into the hands of the artisan and of the word that he would do all he could with the Emperor,
labouring classes. And then will these have and that should he not succeed he would himself re-
some intellectual food, some ideas and sym- sign. The ministers and the assembly were contented
pathies in common with the classes above them, with this, and the archduke returned immediately to
instead of being, as at present, parked off to them- Vienna with an address from the states to the King,
selves intellectually and educationally, as well as in which he was not begged, but required, strongly to
socially ; which segregation is, after all, we verily be- keep his pledged word, and give his immediate sane-
lieve, a greater cause of discontent, disaffection, and tion to the law rendering the Hungarian ministry in-
danger, than even their material sufferings and dependent. The archduke was expected back in
privations. l'resburg on the 30th. The Breslau Gazette gives
We say, then, take off the penny stamp from the important intelligence that by telegraphic despatch
newspapers, if you would give better ideas to the the news has been sent to the chamber at Presburg
lower classes, and would give them something else to that the royal resolution had been retracted.
think of, than the nonsensical theories of' their The intelligence from Pesth assumes a very threat-
orators and their generals. Or take off, at least, ening aspect. Great apprehensions arc entertained
that penny, fixed by the monopolists to suit their own respecting assistance from Russia, and intrigues
size. Let it be a halfpenny a sheet of four pages ; against Itogsuth. The excitement is very alarming.
and this, of trifling difference to the revenue, as well Nothing was yet known of the fatal royal resolution.
as answering all tte non-revenue reason/0)r the stamp The Wiener Zettang of the 2nd of April contains
duty, will enable cheaper newspapers to be furnished a statement respecting the position just assumed
by
for the instruction of the lower claws. the King of Sardinia in reference to recent events
which have taken place in the kingdom of Lombardy-
Venice. It appears, from an official note which
the Sardinian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
addressed, on the Bth of February last year, to the
imperial ambassador at Turin, to which he in-
formed him that the King intended to
give his states a constitution, that his Ma-
jesty reiterated his assurances to the Emperor
of Austria that his policy would in future, as hither-
to, be based upon the solemn maintenance of treaties,
and that he cherished the lively hope that the co-
operation of his subjects in the difficult task
of domestic administration, far from endanger-
ing the amicable relations with foreign powers,
would contribute to consolidate the bonds of
friendship which had hitherto subsisted between the
two states, and which the King fondly flattered him-
self would, from this moment, be more closely
cemented.
We give the following concluding paragraph from
the evasive and unsatisfactory answer which the Sar-
dinian Secretary of State, Marchese Parets, gave to
the note of Count Buol :
While the undersigned deemed it his duty to give these ex-
planation, in reply to the note of Count Buol, he hastens to
add the assurance of his wishes to promote everything which
may secure the amicable relations subsisting between the
two states.
FRANKFORT.—On the 4th, a number of the
members of the preparatory assembly held a short
sitting at the Church of St. Paul, to ascertain the
result of the elections of the fifty representatives.
The scrutiny was terminated at half-past one in
the morning. Of the members elected, the highest on
the poll had 437 votes, and the lowest 190.
BADEN.—Tbe government of the grand duchy of
Baden have made it officially known at Strasbourg
that it will give lodging, food, and means of transport
to German workmen coming from France ; but that
it has taken measures to repulse vigorously the de-
tachment of the republican legion which might come
armed. A battalion of infantry arrived on the 3rd at
Kehl, and another, with artillery, at Appenweyer.
5,000 men were assembled at Rostadt.

GERMANY.
THE PRUSSIAN DIET.
PRUSSIA.—Our correspondent writing from Ber-
lin on April 4, says :—Long before the time ap-
pointed for the opt fling of the diet this morning the
gallery reserved for the public, and even the members
places, were well filled. The marshal announced
that he was about to read the project of a royal ordon-

°duce.
We, Frederick William, &c.—To our faithful states as-
sembied in united diet, greeting ; the German assembly of
the confederacy has in its sitting of the 30th, determined to
invite the governments of the confederacy to proceed to the
elections for the national representatives, who are to as-
semble in as short a time as possible at Frankfort in order to
accomplish the work of a German constitution. At the
some time the German Confederated Assemidy has fixed
upon • preparatory scale of representation, according to
which Prussia will have to send to the national representa-
tive body 113 representatives from those of our provinces
forming part of the German confederacy. As it is indispensa-
ble that, on ac cunt of the determination to assemble the
sonstituent assembly as soon as possible, the meeting should
not take place without the participation of the Prussian re-
presentatives, and besides, as the agreement has been made
with several German states that the members sent to the
German national representative body should be elected by
the existing chambers, we now invite our faithful members
of the equestrian order, assembled in the united Diet, to elect
' 113 representatives from the several towns and parishes of
our provinces. The following, according to the population
of the several provinces, will be the number of represents-
tives sent by each :—Brandenburg, 10; Pomerania, 11 • Si.
lesia, 28; Saxony, 16; Westphalia, 14; and the !Chins
province, 25. In case the provinces of Prussia (Proper) and
Posen, in consequence of our patent of the 18th ult., should
express the wish to be incorporated in the confederacy, we all
upon the members of the equestrian orders of our states as- I
sembled in the United Diet to elect for the several I
; towns and parishes of these two provinces a number of
deputies, which for Prussia (Proper) will he 23, and for
Posen, 12. These elections will be decided in each province
by an absolate majority of sates, and only by inhabitants of
those provinces. Should the assembly of representatives of
our people to be formed in accordance with the new law of
election, take place previous to that of the German national
representatives, we propose to come to an understanding as
to what will be the amount of the representation of oar
people at the German constituent assembly. When by the
formation of a new German constitution the creation of an
I upper house, to be chosen from the members of the first
chambers of states, shall have become possible, we will spe-
cially assemble oar chamber of the order of the nobles tor
the purpose of proceeding to the election for forming another 1
first Prus,ian chamber—Given at l'otsdam, April 3.
The Diet then commenced the discussion of the pro-
jects of law presented on Sunday last, and of which,
on that day, I forwarded a translation in full.
The minister of the interior announced that govern-
ment would present to-morrow some bills having in
view the restoration of public confidence and creffit.
Count von Arnim, in an able speech, set forth the
necessity of acting in the spirit of the present times,
and the danger of systematically opposing it. The
noble count (who during ten days was president of 11
the late cabinet) was greatly cheered.
Perhaps the most important question raised during
the sitting was the foreign relations of this kingdom,
and particularly with reference to Denmark. Some
remarks on the part of one of the members brought
up the minister of foreign affairs, who observed
that the present was not the most suitable
time to speak of foreign affairs in general. Some ex-
planation, however, respecting Sleswig and Holstein
was necessary. In the first place, Prussia had not (as
' was asserted) declared war against Denmark; it had
merely forwarded troops in certain directions in order
Ito protect the Prussian frontiers. Some time ago, the
question of Sleswig and Holstein was discussed in the
Germanic Diet, and it was resolved to take measures—
as soon as any necessity for them existed—to preserve
the integrity of the German territory. By sending
troops to the frontier, Prussia had merely acted in the
spirit and anticipated the conduct of the Germanic
Diet. There was no reason to fear that Denmark
would make a descent on the Prussian coasts. That
nation was not a nation of pirates; and, moreover, he
(the minister) was happy to state that a friendly
power had offered its mediation for the pacific settle-
ment of the question. (Great cheering.)
The report of the committee appointed to examine
the bill respecting the future basis of the new consti-
tution was then read. In the report the committee
are favourable on the whole to the abolition of the
article in the recent law relating to the press, which
requires money for new journal's ; to the aboli-
tion of all special tribunals for certain offences ; and
to the independence of the judges. Subsequently,
the report was (with certain modifications) voted by
the Diet,
The following project of law was subsequently laid
before the Diet :
Although in convoking our trusty states, our chief desire
and object was to submit to it the electoral law for the
future convocation of the representatives of the people, such
pressing events have meantime occurred, that we feel bound
to submit to you a project of law for procuring the sums of
money required for the external safety of the state, for the
speedy support of commerce and industry, now deeplythreat-
ened, and for securing the means of subsistence for the most
numerous classes of citizens. Those sums, it is proposed,
will be raised in case the required amount cannot be pro-
cured from the existing imoosts er from the treasury • •
Under the responsibiity of our ministers to the future re-
presentatives of the people, and for the protection of the
monarchy, as well as for the restoration of credit and coin-
same, we propose that the required sums shall be raised,
either by means of new taxes or by the increase of old ones,
or through a valid loan.—Signed, !FILEDELLICIL-WILLIAM.
Given at Potsdam, April 4.
The bill was referred to a committee. It will be,
probably, voted the day after to-morrow. During
the proceedings the minister of justice announced
that a law for the establishment of the jury system
would be submitted to the new Diet. The house ad-
journed till to-morrow.
A rather numerous Prussian force is now stationed
between Thorn and Grundenz, in order to protect the
Posen frontiers. It is positively stated in the Ber-
&ladle Zeitung that Danish ships of war are cruising
off Pillau, and that the fortroas of that place is placed
Ma state of blockade. Troops have been sent from
Konigsberg in order to reinforce it.
ALSTRIA.—Our latest news from Vienna is to
the 2nd instant, and the state of the capital, what
with news from Italy and Hungary, and the equally
exciting intelligence of the return to the family
council of Archduke Louis one of the old Metternich
camarilla, seemed somewhat gloomy. Thepen
whose eyes have been opened by Kowanh's speeches

DENMARK AND THE DUCHIES.

COPENHAGEN, APRIL I.—His Majesty the King
has issued the following proclamation : " We, Frederick
VII., King of Denmark, &c. &c., having understood with
royal and just displeasure that some of our subjecs in the
Duchies' of Sleswig and Holstein have presumed, under
the title of ' Provisional Government,' and under the false
pretext of acting in our name, to enter upon transaction'
which appertain solely to us and to the organs of adminis-
tration, appointed by us, have commanded these, our re-
bellious subjects, to relinquish the positions which they
have illegally assumed, and at the same time call upon them
to answer for the traitorous proceedings and actions which
have emanated from them. While by these presents we
make these things publicly known, we express our confident
expectation that our faithful and loving subjects in the
duchies of Sleswig and Holstein in accordance with their
duties as subjects will maintain their just allegiance to us.
Those, however, who, by the false representations of evil-
minded men, shall have been betrayed into acts of rebellion
towards us, and have joined the insurrectional movement,
we hereby call upon to return instantly to their duty, and
each individual, under threat of our royal displeasure and
of judicial punishment, is hereby made responsible for one
and all the acts whereby he may aid or abet the Provisional
Government. This is our royal order and decree, in accord-
ance with which each and all are hound submissively to re-
gulate their conduct.
Our correspondent, at Copenhagen, writing from thence
on the 31st, says : The troops have been forwarded by the
yeomanry to Corsiier, and thus will they doubtless be for-
warded through Fuen, and thus in half the time allowed
them reach Kolding—the point of concentration for the
troops of the first division of the army. The regiments des-
tined for the second division are to be embarked at Coraiser
for some point on the west coast of Sleswig, near Flensborg.
The following reaches vs by the Electric Telegraph Com-
pany's express, from Hull :
By the Tweed, Capt. Moyle, arrived at Hull yesterday,
we have received the subjoined communication :
ReNnsnuiso, Arno. 3.—The General Assembly, in addi-
tion to its resolves of this morning, has ulso decreed:-1. The
abolition of the poll tax. 2. The substitution of the German
for the Danish language in the University of Hadersleben.
3. The recognition of Prussian dollars is the current coin, to
the exclusion of notes of the National Bank of Denmark. 4.
The establishment of a rural police. 5. The abolition of the
game laws.
The Danish force, 1,500 strong, his advanced upon
.tabenraae, in the neighbourhood of which town it has tem.
porarily encamped.
A private letter, dated Haliburg, April 4, says that the
Danish government has declared that trade is not to be mo-
lested, and that all private property shall be respected, even
that of the Sleswig and lielstein in^rchauts. Prussian
troops passed through Hamburg into Holstein on this 4tb.
Kitt., APRIL 2.—People in this neighbourhood state that
' they heard cannon shots yesterday. Between our coast, how-
ever, and the Danish Wands no Danish ship is in sight.
L Hamburg papers of the 2nd state that the Prince of Beam
has gone to England on a special mission. It appears that
Denmark places its last hopes on England.