The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-21 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY MAY 21.

Ir it were risible to believe the journals which
have hitherto in England advocated the views of
Russia, we might throw up our hands, and cry Alas,
poor Turkey ! But those journals, happily, are not
to be relied upon. They have: spoken with a
prejudice, and have then striven to bend the news
to the shape best suited to their purposes. Ignoring
the relations of Turkey to the rest of Europe,
they de:lared that tho Ottoman Empiro was in
a state of commercial, social, and political decay
so complete, that to desire its continuance was
mere folly—and that the interference of Russia
was a necessity of the hour. Met at once on this
point by those who objected to the spread of
northern despotism, it was shown that the trade of
England with Turkey amounted, in round numbers,
to twice as much as our trade with Russia, and
thrice as much as our trade with Austria. These fees,
shown in a parliamentary paper obtained by Lord
DUDLEY STUART, were at once an answer to the im-
pudent allegation, that our commercial relations with
the Ottoman Porte were less valuable than those
with the Cz.ta. Driven from this point, the
advocates of the extension of Russian power
to the Dardanelles fell back on the equally shame-
less excuse, that both Christian and commercial
freedom required the expulsion of the SULTAN'S
rule from Europe. The contradiction to this was
amply supplied by a few facts of late thrown
broadcast over the world. Turkey is tolerant in
religion—Austria and Russia are intolerant; Tur-
key has a liberal tariff—Austria and Russia
are protectionists • Austria and Russia sought to
strangle constitutional: liberty in Hungary as they had
before strangled it in Poland, whilst Turkey sympa-
thised with it by sheltering its champions. No sophistry
could upset, no falsehoods could ignore these facts.
When compared with Russia and Austria, Turkey was
seen to be an eminently liberal and free nation. Com-
pared with St. Petersburg or Vienna, Constantinople
was a very centre of free-trade policy. Beaten on
these false statements, the friends of the Autocrat
fell back on the assertion that all which the Court of
Bt. Petersburg asked of Turkey was a settlement of
the question of the Holy Places—or, in other words
equal treatment of the representatives of the Pops
of Rome and of St. Petersburg at Jerusalem.
The men of the true Greek Church question the
right of the Czna to claim the headship of their
communion to the exclusion of the Patriarch of
CONSTANTINOPLE; but, putting this aside, a doubt
arose as to the truth of this last BRUNNOW plea.
It seemed clear that much more was meant by
MENCLUKOTT than a squabble about which set of
pugnacious priests should first make their obeisants
at the shrine of the Holy Sepulchre. Every traveller
in Syria has told how mean and wretched
are the squabbles—how truly disgraceful the frays—
which characterise the meeting of adverse sects out
the spot sanctified by the very presence on earth
of the founder .of Christianity, and to suppose
that an arbitrary and aggressive court would put In
notion its ambassadors and its forces, merely to
settle the squabbles of the Greek and Latin churches
in Syria, was to estimate far too lowly the aims of
the Russian court. To say that the question of the
Holy Places was the sole anxiety of the CZAR was
too clearly a blind. No man was deceived by it ;
even though an English journal of large circula-
tion condescended to do the work of the northers
t. It was evident that the plea about the
Sepulchre was a slum. It was equally clear
de ode object of the Czaa was to extend kb
bade towards the East. It was pleb that the
'tar down by PETER TILE Gain wee ha seem
d "eked oat by his modem sapemealedeas
dife sesquiriniglutriedi shr•l
mu latent inly. 1111 =kb, his own
pukka a stalluarheree far planting
vides lb. dominions of the SULTAN a is-
beim lamest which should in effect divide
low, and =de beeeetter, the power of ABDUL
Henna. &lei denied, now seems to be
avowed, Imam Met, which in this country under-
took to 'nine do sliateatents of Turkish ruin and
of Russian didebuseledness, now on both points di..

'Mite itsel4 sieeowe ilia in its columns a state-
meat that the Cult had really claimed what we
have all aloog seem he aimed at, and that the Turk,
under the pressure of M zscn !ROWS audacious impor-
tunities, has given way to Russian demands. H
is ap-
pily, there more than a likelihood that the
affirmation of the Times is again a mere prelude
to the explosion of a falsity. Of course the
Ci had been exacting, but by no means does it
follow that the SULTAN has been intimidated. At
least we may affirm that no official news has arrived
in England which justifies the assertioss of our
contemPerary, and should even the worst aspect of
politics in the East be presented, it must yet be
remembered that the settlement of the national re-
lations of Europe is a thing not to be decided by
any two countries to the injury of all the rest. If
Basis, like some huge bully, should be even able
to extort, under terror, from Turkey any mischievous
promise, the rest :of Europe cannot stand idly by
to see the intended evil fully consummated. The
Govarnments of England and of France—to name no
others—have at least a word to say on the upsetting
of a national compact to which they have both tees
Parties Even if the SULTAN has been weak—which
a not yet proved—he is not with all his power
ale to do more than injure his personal pad-

tion. He cannot individually break all the vital
cords of European national arrangements. The in- •
tegrity of Turkey has been guaranteed—that inte-
grity has the effect of keeping an avowedly ambitious
and warlike naval power beyond the Dardanelles—it is
desirable for the peaceful arrangements of Europe that
no violent changes should be permitted, and hence,
if ABDUL MEDJUI has been bullied into any impro-
per concession, it remains yet to be area whether the
rest of Europe will patiently endorse the folly. Foe
ourselves we cannot believe in the weakness of the
SULTAN, and have every faith in the honour, cou-
rage, and loyalty of the pawers that have guaran-
teed the integrity of the Turkish Empire.

Taorca standing on the Orders of the Day for
yesterday, the House of Commons did not find
time last night for the discussion in committee of
tie Government measure on Pilotage. This
" Pilotage Amendment Act" is, it seems, not to
be considered as an act for the direct and immediate
amendment of pilotage, but rather as a sort of bill
of discovery. In spite of numerous parliamentary
committees, the Trinity-house and the Cinque Ports
have contrived to keep certain accounts and secrets
of their Corporation to themselves; and the real in-
tent of Mr. CARDWELL is to bring these bodies into
direct connexion with the Board of Trade, and imme-
diate responsibility to Parliament, with the view
of discovering the several abuses from which their
income is derived, its extent, and the manner in
which it is collected. It seems that at present no
one can tell how much the Cinque Ports and Trinity
Pilots really receive. The act compelling them to
render an annual account, through the Board of
Trade, to Parliament, will solve the mystery.
Mr. CARDWELL admits that our system of pilotage
is at present imperfect. He does not deny that the
right of piloting ships through the Downs and the
river is a close monopoly. He admits the absurdity
of compelling vessels in the short foreign voyage
trade to take pilots by the south channel, whilst they
are exempt from them by the north. Ho does not
deny that vessels bound for Rotterdam or Hamburg
are compelled to take pilots outwards, though they
carry but ballast, whilst inward, with a valuable cargo,
the captain is allowed to pilot the ship himself. tie
admits that Rotterdam and 'Lemberg are the only
northern ports of Europe to which vessels are re-
quired to sail with pllots. He does not deny the
absurdity of compelling a coasting vessel, be-
cause she has been on a foreign trip, to
take a pilot to show her the way through
the river and the Downs to her native port,
nor the absurdity of forcing a regular collier, bound
for Newcastle, to have a pilot because at Newcastle
she is about to ship coals for France. Neither does
he pretend that the masters and mates of those
short voyage vessels are not perfectly qualified, from
their own practical and incessant experience, to take
care of their ships without pilots. Nor does he
contend that a vessel towed by a steamer needs a
pilot to keep her in the wake of the tug. It is ad-
mitted that in his hundred voyages the captain may
have acquired knowledge enough to do that of him-
self even without answering a thousand questions as
to the angles of the buoys, beacons, and land-
marks on the way. It is admitted, too,
that it would be much more to the advantage
of shipowners to employ tugs than pilots, and that
the steamer, which would save valuable time, and
might save damage besides, would not cost more
than the pilot. Neither is it denied that the pilotage
of the port of London is greatly in excess of every
other port in the kingdom, and operates to the disad-
vantage of the port. But the Pilotage Amendment
Act leaves all these abuses unamended, because it is
understood at the Board of Trade that the Trinity-
house and the Cinque Ports are themselves about to
abolish the abuses.

It is true the shipowners are very doubtful of any
real reform coming from those bodies, and urge that
the most direct course would be to let the Pilotage
Amendment Act amend the pilotage, and leave the
authorities of the Trinity-house and the Cinque Ports
to work out the amended law. Mr. CARDWELL, how-
ever assures the shipowners, that if the pilotage
anomalies of the port of London are not removed,
and the rates reduced, another amendment act will
be brought forward, and that the Board of Trade
will then take upon itself those powers that are
for the present left, by way of experiment, a little
longer to the hands of the Brethren of the
Trinity-house, and the Master Warden and Lies-
tenants of the Cinque Ports. To say the least of it,
this is a rather curious, and a very circuitous mode of
reforming proved abuses. It may be quite true that
we do not know everything about the pilots of the
Trinity-house, and the Cinque Ports, but we do know
that the Cinque Ports pilots levy a tax upon shipping
frequenting the port of London, amounting to some-
where about 36,0001. a year, and that the Trinity
Pilots receive, probably, not less than 23,0001. or
30,0001. a year more, making an annual tax upon
the shipping of this port alone of not less than
60,0001., full two-thirds of which is taken from ves-
sels engaged in the " short foreign" voyage trade, and
upon which the tax of these united pilots amounts at
present to not less than 301. per cent. upon their net
earnings. It may be that the Trinity-house and
the Cinque Ports will reduce the pilot charges by
some 201. per cent. If so, the tax will be re-
duced to 70/. per cent., or thereabouts but still the
question will remain in full force—Why are these
ships to pay at all for a service which they never
want? Their own captains are more competent to
pilot the ships than the pilots who are permitted to
levy this exorbitant tax ; and why is this proved in-
justice to be allowed to remain over a year or two,
whilst the Trinity-house and Cinque Ports are set-
tling their accounts and their relations with the
Board of Trade ?
There is no doubt much to be learned about the
Trinity-house and tho Cinque Ports. The returns
to Parliament under the new bill may possibly make
known what the income- or emoluments of the
Master Warden and Lieutenants may be, and what
the shipping interest and the public receive in re-
turn. They may disclose something, too, of the old
gatherings, surplus funds, purchased light-house debts,
and feasts and comfortable charities of the Trinity-
house. But itisdifficult to understand why, meanwhile,
the river watermen, the fishermen of the Downs, and
the masters, mates, and seamen of our coasters should
be refused the privilege of proving their fitness to act
as pilots. It is no unusual thing for an Indianian,
proceeding to a northern port for coals for India, to
take the master of a collier as • pilot the entire way
to the coal port and back to London. The man
probably receives 101. for his trouble, and is glad to
have it. No sea-going man—no elder brother of the
Trinity-house—no Master Warden, or Lieutenant of
the Cinque Port denies the capacity of them
men to act as pilots of the waters upon which
they have been bred and born, but unless they have
interest to push them before the Trinity-house they
have no chance of being passed as river pilots ; and
able as they undoubtedly are, but few of them
would be able to cram for such a book examination
as the candidates for a pilot's license are obliged to
stand. Take them at any moment of wind or tide,
night or day, foul weather or fair, they will never
Gil--their courage and presence of mind will never
leave them ; they will bring the ship safe, if she
can be brought. In their own calling as masters of
colliers and other coasters, they earn perhaps 801.
a year; as pilots they might make 1001. It would
be a distinction and condition of comparative ease
sod comfort for them to rise to, but they are shut out
from it. The pilotage is a monopoly and matter of
patronage; the way to it is not that of intricate and
difficult navigation, bat through the mud of elections
and political subserviency. The Trinity-house and
Cinque Ports may have some light let in upon them
by their connexion with the Board of Trade, the
audit of accounts, and their responsibility to
Parliament, but we do not see why the act
to bring them into this improved condition should
meantime continue the pilot monopoly and the gross
injustice of a tax upon ships for services which
their customary hands can perform without that
help. No doubt the Trinity-house has power to
change tho mode of examination of masters in the
short-voyage trade, and to substitute a practical
testing of capacityby, railing with the captain, for
the present wordy and useless book examination;
but it would surely be the simpler plan that
the bill should at once define what kind of
examination is to be passed, and so set the matter
upon a sound footing at once, than leave it to be made
an obstruction to men of proved capacity for the next
year or two. Nor would there be any difficulty as
to the
simple than that the shipowner or agent, as