The Express.
London, England, 1858-12-31 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 31, 1858.

ble as it ought to have been, but decisive enough to
enable him to be graced by the sheen of the whale
House. When he shook hands with the Speaker,
after taking the oath in his own way, the long
opprobrium under w his race had bitterly
suffered, wee exting %doled : and the chews might well
be hearty. The national conscience and reputation
have gained at least as much u the Jews.
We see our way to various benefits through the pro-
gress made by many questions not yet carried. We
are to have a Reform Bill ; and military and naval
improvements, securing a better quality of army
officers at the outset, and more care of the soldier, at
home and abroad. There are to be Reformatory Schools
in Ireland; and the encumbered estates of that
country are still to be sold as under the expired ooart.
The Property Qualification of members of Parliament
is abolished, though at a sacrifioe, which must be
retrieved in regard to license about election expenses.
The Thames is to be purified, if the promise to that
effect holds good. Ws are to be relieved of Church
Rates. Lord Derby's tone varies about this ; but the
public will does not, except by growing more rem-
late ; and the large majorities in favour of the aboli-
tion of Church Rates on several occasions daring the
amnion show that the question is only one of time.
The progress made in applying the principle
of Competitive Examination in departments of
siva and military earrioe, and in various
stages of edeastion, is one of the encouraging
phenomena of the year. The national will is certainly
aroused about the defence of the country ; and a free
opening into the Line for the militia, a more apt use
of the militia, the institution of a coast artillery, the
fortification of various points of the shore, the im-
provement of harbours—all good in their way—are

yet ler interesting to us then the truth that to woe
nomise our army by keeping it in a condition of
high health and efficiency, and by restoring its sick
in the best and speediest way, is of more cou-
sequenoe than any other provision for &-
I fano*. When car soldiers are thoroughly well
and wisely fed and clothed, lodged and nursed,
instructed and amused, we shall have secured one of
the two indomitable defenoes which will enable us
to defy the world, and to hold our position in Europe
and Asia alike. The other essential defence is that
which never failaand which has been in particularly
brilliant force this year—the old English heart—
beating as high in our commercial towns and agri-
cultural meetings as in our supreme navy itself.
We have seen other new phases of antique
establishments. University Reform he gone on,—
now smoothly, and now roughly. The Cambridge
Canmissicarre and University authorities do not get
en so well as their Oxford prototypes; but the dis-
putes will sense and the reforms remain, if we have
a little patience. One of the most important events
of 1858 is the oonaexion between the Universities
and the youth of the nation, which is re-opened by
the Middle-Class Examinations of this year. There
ate be little doubt that a regeneration of our middle-
elan schools will date from the experiment. In
ballad there is still a charm between the National
Scheele and the Queen's Colleges, which must be
bridged over if the middle clan is to grow up to be
the heart and strength of a renovated nation. The
report of the Endowed Schools Complain shows
what is wanted, and what may be done; and another
year ought to accomplish the work, and to extinguish
the danger, now very threatening, et an abandon-
ment of neutral education, and a fierce fight for the
old endowments and new grants on the part of
theological leaders who have victimised Ireland ten
Asa before. Other recent painnd events en-
gage our attention there. In the midst of
profiand popular satisfaction, and in spite of
a general condition of unexampled prosperity and
somfort, murders, threatening notices, meet com-
binations, and, It is declared, midnight drilling, have
re-appeared in Ireland. The oldness generally cannot
understand it; the priests an evidently annoyed and
heartily displeased at it; and the widest observers,
while pointing out ameliontices in Irish law and
practice which are yet needed to equalise the rights
of Protestant and Catholic', still avow their surprise
at the recent crimp Meanwhile it is incon-
ceivable that this can be Ron than a pass-
im illustration se the are and patience still
needed hi dealing with the Irfahe—full as well as
hungry. Whether the evil thoughts of rebellion
and murder are inspired from demi, or bred at
home, remains to be discovered; but there is no
doubt whatever of the loyalty and advancing welfare
of Ireland on the whole.

In other parts of the kingdom a substantial pros-
perity has characterised the year, from the time
when trade began to recover from the adversity of
the preceding autos& The trying winter came over,
employmeat revived, and peeper's= began to dimi-
nish. Latterly, a pod harvest, cheaper food, busier
manafactiues, and a vast =mount of wealth in the
Bank of England, have cheered an with the pro-
spect of a favourable winter. There have been two
or three foolish and perverse strikes; and the Ship-
owners have made vigorous dinsonstrstions of what
they desire and expect, to the great scandal of
political economy and common sense in this
couohy ; but they will learn their lesson, as
others have done, and become prosperous again
when they have paid the penalty of rash ipsealatioa.
The Cotton Crop of all the eeennise which produce
it is so vast this autumn, that the prospect of the
manufacturing districts is good. Oar !oral popu-
lation is rapidly rising in the social scale, as the
mese& of our agricultural meetings clearly show.
The increased eekorp.beildiag it sera sign d it:
the improved cektestioa @thinnest-home in 'radon;
connties le anther t ad the stmeily 01111•0111411111 d
tillage into a shined art is smother.. Mitre is a pro-

'pent of oar clodhopper becoming, in course of time,
as gromegme an antique aa oar beefeater or 1167.

Oa; &gime, in regard to the lowest claim of our
population, en, we treet.lesseming. The opprobrium
will be greater than ever if, after all the Social
Science discussions, and the benevolent speechifying
of this autumn, some result does not appear. We do
not regard the starring in the provinces, under-
taken by benevolent noblemen so actively during
the last year, am necessarily indicative of mach
good : bat some permanent result may be
Soma remaining, sr may grow on occasion out of
the Social Seigmes Amiseiation. Meantime, these
things are a fasters of society is Ragland in 1868.
The Noe may be said of the extraordinary
velem, given to Lord Brougham's elaborate state-
ment of Newton's distinctive merits and discoveries,
as egession of the Grantham& statue humgaration,
whoa a net crowd appeared mindeed by a lofty
Mad& exposition which no one mid have ex-
pelled is be papal; and, again, the uproar against
the Ceallmelemel which his grim all over the
country; sad, again, the thronging to the evening
semis= at St. Pears and other cathedrals. It
will be interesting to observer, of many kinds
to see whether the movement eantinges, sad
whether the poor aed ignorant, for whom
the melees are mainly designed. can really be
Magid to bear them. They have net yet presented
thighselves is great members ; bet the good Bishop
of Loan. whom seal is certainly one of the pro-
maim pliMenlenn at the year, has been into their
semi will sestradly not lose sight of
them aged& Anelber year may brisg oat mate
pigs treallSl4 so addition soak on mediums is