The Express.
London, England, 1867-10-28 00:00:00

PROROGATION OF THE NORTH GERMAN

SPEECH OF KING WILLIAM.

BERLIN, Ocr. 26, Evimmu.

The sittings of the North German Parliament
were closed to-day by King William in person.
His Majesty delivered the following speech from
the throne :

Illustrious, Noble, and Honoured Gentlemen of the Par-
liament of the North German Confederation,—The hopes
with which I bade you welcome at the commencement of
your labours have, to the fullest extent, been fulfilled.
The same patriotic earnestness with which, with clear re-
cognition of our common aims, the Federal constitution
was founded, has guided yOur deliberations, not only
during the first steps, but also in the completion of that work.
. In a short but eventful session you have in the most varied
domain of legislation established institutions which not
only possess great importance in themselves, but dis-
tinctly indicate the leading features of the institutions
Iwhich will have to be created in the future. For the
trying exertions which have been required of you in
! attaining these results, I thank you both in my name
I and in the name of my illustrious allies. The laws which
!you have had under deliberation respecting the Federal
!budget, the liability to military service, freedom of
settlement, the postal system, the postal tariff, the
passport system, the salt tax, the nationality of merchant
vessels, the Improvement of the navy and of the coast
defences, the legal rate of interest, and the Federal con-
sulates, have met with the approval of the Federal Coun-
cil in the form in which they were moulded by your reso-
lutions. In the fact that all these important
laws, even though some of their provisions may have
occasioned an animated conflict of opinion, have never-
theless always commanded a large majority of your votes,
I perceive with lively satisfaction a proof of the reciprocal
understanding with which the representatives, hand in
band with the Federargovernments, endeavour to attain
their common aims. The treaty you have adopted relative
to the continuation of the Zollverein is, as far ss the
Southern States are concerned, not yet assured. The
Federal governments, as well as yourselves, would be
sorry if an institution, the beneficial working of which has
redounded to the advantage of the States which partici-
pated in it, should no longer continue to extend to
all the countries which have hitherto reaped its
benefits. They are, however, together with your-
selves, conscious that the indi.per.rable reform of the
constitution of the Zollverein must not be sacrificed to
temporary difficulties, and that in accordance with the
Zollverein treaties the community of economical interests
presupposes before all as a national obligation their united
protection. The treaty of navigation with Italy to which
you have given your sanction will aid in strengthening our
relations with a country with which we are connected by
great common interests. Therefore return, honoured
gentlemen, to your homes with the consciousness of having
energetically furthered the national work. I hope before
long to see you again assembled here, and then, indeed, in
company with deputies from South Germany to the
Customs parliament.

THE PARIS EXHIBITION.

peon oria arscw, ociaasseesmorr.)
The Exhibition is to be closed, and not to be
closed. On the 31st inst. the Emperor shuts it, and
Mr. Commissioner Leplay opens it again. The func-
tions
of the army of officials close with the month,
and this is the meaning of thegovernment note. This
punctuality in the cessation of the Exhibition's
official life has been brought about by the urgent
remonstrances of the foreign commissioners, who
are tired of the Champ de Mars, and pine for fresh
fields and pastures new. The determination to
open the building to the people for a fortnight, and
during part of that time to print " gratis" over
Ithe turnstile., is a popular one. All parties have
been satisfied, and, I apprehend for the first time
since the Ist of April. Our English Excursion
Society has not been slow in taking advantage of
the announcement that there will be a workman's
fortnight. The period of their oppeesrations has been
extended, and the London, and Dover
Company have maintained their low fares for
artisan excursions. The visitors after the 31st inst.
will however not see a complete exhibition.
Exhibitors have been formally invited to begin the
work of removal and demolition on the Ist of
November, and the International Club is on the
eve of transformation into an auction mart.

The numbers of the visitors have improved of
late with the return of pleasure-hunters from
watering-places, gambling-places, and chateaux.
Last Sunday, 31,246 visitors were registered, and
only 125 at poor Billancourt. In the omnibus
restaurant, 9,235 repasts were served. I should
not be surprised to learn, after the close, that MM.
Pouthier, the proprietors of this popular establish-
ment, have been the most fortunate of the caterers
for the stomachs of all nations. The Sunday visitors
included 3,400 workmen from the gigantic esta-
blishment of M. Godillot. Among the frequent
visitors have been the Emperor and the Empress.
You will have heard of the meeting of the Austrian
Emperor and the Empress Eugenie in the Austrian
department. The visits of the Emperor Napoleon
are said to be so many made orportunities for con-
templating the advantages and disadvantages of
the building as a permanent structure ; but I sus-
pect Napoleon has quite made up his mind, and
that he has no more idea of preserving the Champ
de Mars building than he has of pulling down his
uncle's tomb behind the Invalides. The idea of
retaining the building and making the park a
permanent promenade is unpopular every-
where, save among the restaurateurs of
the Avenues de Labourdonnaye and Suffren.
The Parisians enjoy splendid gardens in every
part of Paris. No city in the world is so
handsomely provided with greenery, nor grati-
fied with flower-beds. Moreover, the Field of
Mars is wanted by Mars. The good citizens of
Paris have been wont to be regaled with the glit-
tering spectacle of forty thousand troops under
arms on this noble field. The Military School
claims its open place—where deeds of glory may
be rehearsed. The arts of peace may trudge back
to the Conservatoire and to the Faubourg St.
Antoine. The fruiterers (who received their
medals last week) must root up their apple trees,
and retire beyond the fortifications—and leave the
Guides to play—not amid parterres and grassy
slopes, but upon the hard level ground and at the
head of the regiment.
M. Eugene Hatin—the historian of French
journalism— in the course of an article on the
newspapers in the Exhibition, proposes that a col-
lection of the newspapers of all nations and all
times should be made ; and he infers, in a subse-
quent paragraph, that he has already given con-
siderable labour to the realisation of the idea. He
notes some curious results of his research. After
much inquiry and calculation he has reached the
opinion that in the whole world there are actually
12,500 newspapers in existence. Of these 7,000
are published in Europe, 5,000 in America, and
500 in Asia, Australia, &c. Proceeding with his
speculation, he says, supposing that each journal
appears every fanr days—three thousand news-
papers are issued daily ; and estimating the sale of
each at 2,000 copies, something like twelve million
sheets of informing paper are sprinkled daily
among the sons of Adam.

CHANDLER OF .AGRICULTURE. —A meeting was
held at Chelmsford on Friday to promote the establish-
ment of a Chamber of Agriculture for Essex. Mr. J. W.
Perry W►tlington, presided, and stated that the chamber,
while excluding party politics, would deed with all ques-
nos' in which the agricultural community were interested.
A provisional committee was appointed to draw up rules
and regulatioas, to be submitted to a future meeting, at
which members will be enrolled ; the annual subscription
to be be. Mr. Bronwhite stated that there were at pre-
sent between 60 and 70 chambers in connexion with the
Central Clamber. The local chambers were entitled to
send one representative each the Central Chamber upon
payment of a subscription of 31. :is. per annum, and every
additional 2/. 2s. paid entitled the chamber paying it to
another representative.
THE ROYAL BANE OF LIVIRPOOL.—OR Satur-
day Mr. Field, of the firm of Field and Co., solicitors, ap-
plied to Mr. Buckley, chief clerk of Vice-Chancellor
Maline, at Chancery Chambers, Lincoln's-inn, for the ap-
pointment of Mr. Harmood Banner, accountant, of Liver-
pool, as provisional liquidator of the Royal Beek. He
said he applied on behalf of three of the creditors of the
bank, who, in their petition, expressed their belief that
Mr. Banner was in every respect well qualified to act as
provisional liquidator. They were anxious to pplace the
bank under the protection of the Court of —first, with the view of effecting, if possible, a voluntary
liquidation, end, failing in that, then of arranging for the
shortest and cheapest method of liquidating. The object
of the application, which was simply made is pursuance
of a resolution passed at an influential meeting of the
shareholders held at Liverpool on Wednesday lent, was to
protect the assets, and to give time for the bank to be
resuscitated ; and be was happy to say that its recuscita-
tion was highly probable in the judgment of the merchants
of Liverpool. After some discussion Mr. Banner was
appointed provisional liquidator, without security.
SINGULAR ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT EARTERN
RAILWAT.—An accident of a singular nature occurred
en the Great Eastern Railw►y on Meturday afternoon last.
Between Cambridge and Hy, in the immediate vicinity of
Waterbeach, there is about six miles of as straight and
level running as can be found in the whole system. In the
course of it there are several farm crossings, and amongst '
these one to accommodate Mr. John Medlow, of Denny

Abbey Farm. On Hatturday aftstuoca • labourer in Mr.
Medlow's employ, named Gimp Cranfield, aged about 21
years led four horns through one of the farm gates on to
theline,year,
with the view al proceeding to the land on the
opposite side ; and horse! and man were on the line when
the 4.Z3 passenger train from Ely, due in Cam-
bridge at 4.50, came up at great speed. The man sad
horses were all knocked over, and three of the latter lite-
rally cut to pieces. Cranfield was taken up insensible,
and conveyed in a ily to Addenbrooke's Hospital, at Cam-
bridge, but on arrival was able to walk through the
anti once court, and it was ultimately found that all the
injuries be had received were a broken lower rib and severe
shock from fright. He im unable to state whence the
blow came that broke his rib, or explain how he could
venture upon the line when the train must have been
visible. The only conclusion to be come to is, that he
miscalculated or was no judge of its distance and speed.
The train had a full complement of passenger., but these
all fortunately escaped without injury, and after a short
ratemitit4ghee.train proceeded on its way, and arrived safely
A GUARD SHOT ON THE HARTLEPOOL RAILWAY.
—On Thursday afternoon, a guard named Thomas T'homp-
eon, residing in Everard-street, Hartlepool, who was con-
nected with a coal train, was shot on the Hartlepool branch
of the North Eastern Itiiilway, at • place called Crundon
Cat, about midway between Hartlepool and Castle Eden.
It appears the train of Ingres of which Thompson was in
charge had to be shunted into a siding at Crinidon, in
order to allow another train to pass. As there was • little
time to spare, Thompson had got out of hi. van and had
ascended the embankment or " battery," as it is called, for
the purpose of getting a few brambles. Whilst in this ele-
vated position he was suddenly struck by the contents
of a gun, which had evidently been tired from the opposite
side of the railway. He was much alarmed, sod called out
lustily when he felt the effect of the shot-corns, which
brought forward the author of the accident. It then
transpired that Mr. Miller, of Crimdon House Farm, had
been shooting rabbits in a field facing the embankment,
and having approached nearer to the railway than be was
aware of, the contents of his gun had accidentally reached
Thompson. The injuries he received were not of • very
serious nature, although some shot-corns that entered the
back of his head caused • deal of pain shortly after the
accident. Dr. Moore extracted several of them, and ,
Thompson is progressing favourably.