The Express.
London, England, 1847-12-24 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 24, 1847.

porations, the eatered-for of sewer commissioners, the
sacrificed-to at select vestries, the pampered of poor-
law guardians, than followed front cholera, in the
year of its worst visitation. There is at this moment
in London a form of typhus as malignant and
fatal as the plague of Cairo or Alexandria.
But the grim guest has been housed among
us so long, that we are broken in to his
presence, and tolerant of his ravages. We have
grown familiar with his ghastliness, as the Egyptians
with the skeleton at their banquetting tables. But
few of as ever see fever at work. The parish doctor
tracks him hardily, but use has deadened him to
suffering. Here and there one, at once more sensitive
and more energetic than hie fellows, astonishes the
every-day world of newspaper readers with a sample
of his experienoes. The clergyman sees the pestilence
busy among his poorer flock, but he has not the'
science which discovers at what point, and how far, the
mischief is preventible. But the mass of men, even
if they do cast a careless eye over the registrar's re-
pert, or perforce have obtruded on them some of the
increasing flock of sanitary publications, pass the
documents by with a shake of the head and a trite re-
mark on the unhealthiness of the season, and go their
way to business or pleasure without ever dreaming
that the figures they have just read concern, in the
remotest degree, their own health or their own
pockets. It is true that what is everybody's business
is nobody's business, in sanitary matters as in all
others. There must be a special machinery to do the
work necessary for preserving the public health, as
there is one for attending to individuals when they
are sick, or supplying them with food when they are
well. Agitation is wanted, not to take the place of
such a machinery, but to enforce its establishment on
a willing government, and 'to neutralise the efforts of
a set of mischievously obstructive local bodies. And,
until every town possesses its board of health, and its
compact local board of sanitary administration, su-
perintended and aided by central authority, it
bewmes every man who understand' the po-
, pular wisdom of such phrases, as "Prevention
is better than cure," " A stitch in time saves
nine," and " penny-wise is pound-foolish," to lend
the weight of his wits, and his means, to the forward-
ing of all sanitary improvements and the establishment
of permanent sanitary boards. Now that a bishop has
taken up the subject, it must be voted a " great fact."
The gig of respectability is an ignoble vehicle in com-
parison with the sober episcopal chariot, with the
mitre on its panels. Now that CHARLES JAMES
LONDON has spoken from Fulham, let us hope that
Lambeth at least will no longer remain an epprobrium
for filth and unhealthiness, even among metropolitan
parishes. Why should not the clergy of London
and the suburbs form flush special sanitary board, to
communicate and co-operate with the Health of
Towns Association?

The topics of the bishop's letter, though they may
be novel in a pastoral charge, would be stale in our
columns. They are well put, however, u they are
indisputable. The text of the letter is the report of
the Metropolitan Sanitary Commission. It mists,
at length, on the connexion of cholera with filth and
intemperance, and its non-contagious character.
Much more important than the letter itself is the
source from which it emanates.
The episcopal blessing henceforth rests on the sani-
tary movement. So sanctioned, it must go on with
redoubled vigour and an increased army of agents.

Our Paris letters of Wednesday say that a consi-
derable agitation was manifested on the Bourse on that
day, in consequence of a report generally circulated,
and credited, that the King was very seriously indis-
paired. The Threes, which closed on Tuesday at
75.80, fell at the opening, on Wednesday, to 75.20,
and even at the closing did not exceed 75.25. In the
course of the day they fell to 74.70. Our corre-
spondent assures us that he has ascertained, on
authority ou which he places implicit reliance,
that the rumour which produced this decline
was altogether destitute of foundation. The King is
iu perfect health. lie transacted business as usual
with M. Ouizot in the forenoon. The Queen, and
most of the younger members of the royal family,
were at the Italian Opera on Tuesday evening to see
Alboni in " La Cenerentola," a fact which proved that
no serious indisposition could have affected the King
on that evening. In a word, we have the strongest
assurance that his Majesty Louie Philippe enjoyed on
Wednesday afternoon his usual good health. The
report had its origin, no doubt, in the fact that a
concert which was to have been given at court by the
company of the Comic Opera, was suddenly and an-
expectedly, and for no known reason, postponed.
Count Mole had an audience of the King at the
Tuileries on Tuesday.
The merchants of Bordeaux, by the organ of a
special commission chosen from amongst its members,
recently addressed to the President of the Council a
letter, setting forth the present situation of the sugar
trade, and calling on the government to take some
step to settle the question definitively. The following
is the reply of M. Ouizot, dated Dec. 13 :
Cientlemen,—l have read with all the attention that it
merits the statement which you have drawn up relative to
the sugar question. The government is fully aware of the
importance of that question, as well as of its difficulties. I
am happy to find that you reader justice to the efforts which
it has hitherto made, unfortunately without effect, to settle
the matter in a manner favourable to thegeneral interests of
the country. Although the proposition, which it has already
laid before the chambers have not been favourably received,
it will not the less persevere in eeekiug out such practical
means as may be calculated to put an end, or at !cast to
afford some relief, to a situation which very justly occupies
your solicitude. I shall, in consequence, be most happy to
learn from you what conclueions you may in the end arrive
at; and, although the question belongs more especially to
the attributions of the Ministers of Commerce and Finance,
the advantages of a prompt solution are too evident to my
eyes for my department not to eagerly co-operate in any in-
vestigations which may facilitate that object.
The Union Monarchique contains the following:—
" The Minister of Marine, we are informed, has just
countermanded in two of the great naval ports, the
preparations of departure commenced for several sail-
tog vessels, previously designated to reinforce the
blockade of Buenos Ayres."

The regular Madrid mail of the litk did not
arrive in Paris on Wednesday, but despatches of that
date were received by extraordinary express. Nothing
of importance had occurred in the Chambers. The
Furs announced the nomination of four ladies of
honour to the Queen—the Princess d'Anglona, the
Duchess &Alba, the Countess of Pino Hermosa, and
the Countess of Revillajijedo. Adviors hal been re-
ceived from Lisbon to the 11th. The government
had issued a royal order to suspend the forced circu-
Ilation of the notes of the Bank of Lisbon.

The journals and despatches from Rome, with the
letter of our own correspondent, which we give below,
to the 14th, have arrived. It is stated that very
general discontent prevails in consequence of the pre-
dominant influence of the retrograde party in the fro-
vernment. Cardinal Ferretti, who is about to retire,
will, it is reported, be replaced by Cardinal Bertini,
who was formerly secretary of state under the late
Pope Gregory XVI. Count Pietro Ferretti had left
Rome for Naples, and was not expected to return.
The evacuation of Ferrara, like the cup of Tantalus,
continually ritreats before the hopes of the public.
It is always about to take place, but still postponed.
In our last despatches we ]carted that all was ar-
ranged, and that nothing remained but an interchange
of some diplomatic formalities between the Austrian
ambassador and the Pope. \%e now, however, learn
that the convention signed by M. Fiquelmont on the
part of Austria, and Count Bailly Ferretti on the
part of Rome, has not been ratified by General Ra-
detski, the commander-in-chief of the Austrian army
in Italy, and that in consequence of this the Austrian
ambassador at Rome had expedited a courier to
Vienna for instructions, until whose return all pro-
ceedings towards tile evacuation must be suspended.

A letter from Malaga, published by the Constitu-
tionnel, and dated Dec. 13, gives more definite intel-
ligence as to the position of Abd-el-Kader. " The
Spanish war-steamer Pile entered Malaga on the 12th,
coming from Melilla, which she left on the Bth. She
brought the news that the troops of Abderrhaman,
which had, as has been stated, marched in three divi-
sions, had approached the camp of Abd-el-Kader,
situated at six leagues distance from Melilla, and that
an engagement would probably take place on the 13th.
The Moorish troops number, it is said, 30,000
cavalry (P) and 6poo infantry (?) Abd-el-Kader
has scarcely more than 3,000 men, and is under
the disadvantage of being without his lieutenant, Boa
Hamedt, whom he sent on a minion to the emperor.
It is generally believed that the Emir will be routed,
and that, being unwilling to tall into the hands of
several Lamoricierc, who awaits him at the frontiers
of Algeria, he will come into Melilla. The quct.tion

then will be : What will the Spaniards do with him?
They will probably, says the Constitutioosnel, give up
the famous African chief to the French authorities."

ROME, DEC. 14.
After a long and stormy debate in the Vatican par-
liament, yesterday, the hall came to a most important
vote, aod, by a majority of 20 to 4, decided that all
its deliberations, speeches, acts, and individual votes,
should be published, and nothing kept unknown save
on the occurrence of " most urgent motives." This is
hailed by our Roman brethren of the press as an im-
mense step in representative government, and a dozen
journals are making their arrangements for a corps of I
reporters for the Vatican " gallery." The assembly I
had on Saturday come to a decision that no written
harangues would be listened to, and that all members i
should speak their minds and transact business in the
order of usual occurrence. Much applause is given
to this and other " rules of the house," as indicating
that the reign of mystification and political humbug
is utterly passed away, and no more masks, daggers,
or darklanthorns are to be used in Rome.
With the exception of the Roman Adnerliser and
the stupid old Mario, all the Roman newspapers re•
juice in the downfall of the Swiss Sonderbund, and
vindicate the measures of the new cantonal govern-
men'. It is well known here that all religious orders
have not bees sent out of Friburg ; we happening to
know that in that town there are at this moment Fran-
ciscan and Augustinian friars, monks of St. Bernard,
Carthusian", sister Capuecines, Visitandines, Ursu-
lines, and hospital nuns, all in full popularity.
Rome is becoming full. We have but few celebri-
ties here as yet. In literature we have only Mrs.
Trollop! and Lady Charlotte Bury ; whereas Flo-
rence rejoices in Harry Lorrequer, Colley Grattan
(" High-ways and By-way."), Robert browning
(" Bells and Pomegranates") and his gifted wife,
Elizabeth Barret, the first living poetess of England.
The lovers of eccentricity are glad to know that Dyee
Sombre is to be among us to-morrow, and the sculp-
tor Tadolini, who has been 20,000 dollars out of
pocket in erecting a monster mausoleum to his grand-
mother (?), the Begum of Sumroo, hopes he may get
repaid.
This mausoleum is, by Dyce Sombre's directions,
adorned with over twenty marble statues of various
personages, the Begum herself, smoking her hookah
in grand state on the top of the cenotaph, and Dyce
(aforesaid) in full uniform standing sword in hand
before her. There are angels performing various i
operations, also a platoon of sepoys in black marble
and a few elephants, the lout ensemble (re var) being
the drollest monumental conglomeration in Europe.
Where it is to be put is undecided.
You are already aware that the gigantic catafalque
which originally served for the funeral service per-
formed
here in her honour, and which was paid for
by Dyce Sombre, contrived "a double debt to pay,"
being used this year for the obsequies of Mr. O'Connell.