The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-10 00:00:00

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LON DOA', PRI jA Y, MAY
--41 -

'111:: Conference of London, as we ventured
yeeterdey to anticipate, has, at a second sitting,
app.oached the term of its labours. Al, rive
o'eheili last evening, in the House of Lords, Lord
Damn- stated, in reply to Lord Ruesete, tle.t the
Owif aerie°, which had only met at half-past
time, had already " virtually come to a cunclii-
" aeon, and that although the signiaures
" ere not attached to a treaty, yet practi-
" cosily the peace of Europe is secured."
In Cm House of Counnons, which has the advan-
tage of the presence of the FOREIGN SECRETARY,
Lord STANLEY'R reply to a not untimely question
from Mr. LAROVONERE as to the nature of the
ehigations her HA.' Efrnos Government was dis-
puted to undertake with regard to the neutrality
or the future political position of the Grand
Duchy of Luxemburg,was more comprehensive and
MOM, precise. " Substantially," he said, "an
" agreenvett has been come to as to all the points
" et issue ; little beyond formal business remains
" to he transacted, and the hope I ventured to
" express tun days ago in this House that the
" Luxemburg question which was then disturbing
" Europe was in a fair way to be promptly and
" amicably settled—that hope, I am not too san-
" 'rine in saying, is perfectly realised at the pro
• meet moment." Lord STANLEY does full justice
to the good sense and moderation of the Powers
primarily interested in this question, and as to
the conspicuous part which our Government has
token in the transactions of the Conference, he
divelftees that neither he nor his colleagues are in
soy eay disposed to shrink from the vindication
of the course they have pursued in the exercise
of their constitutional responsibility. Some-
what superfluously, perhaps, he justifies the
avoidance of delay in calling the Conference
together when protracted negotiations might have
made a peaceful settlement impossible. On the
question of " guarantee" of the neutralized ter-
ritory, the point which more particularly touches
the " susceptibilities" of this country, the F'o-
name Ftsentresne is quite as outspoken and ex-
plicit as " usage and propriety " permit before
the actual close of the Conference. He is
neither surprised nor sorry at the reluctance
which the British public instinctively feels to
incur now or extended responsibilities on the Con-
tinent. He " fully shares" this natural reluctance,
and with this frank avowal he prefaces
all intimation that the British Government has
.simply adapted to the altered circumstances
of the present time the existing guarantee
(to which, with the other signataries of the 'I testy
of April, 1839, it is already bound) securing
the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg to the King of
HOLLAND. This guarantee was "full, absolute,
" and unconditional ;" and Lord STANLEY will
be prepared to show that in the Conference of
)(ay, 1867, the British Government has " not
" increased, has not extended, but rather
" lintitod and defined the responsibility,
" whatever that responsibility may be,
" under which this country previously laboured."
This statement is at least not wanting in precision,
and, on the face of it, seems harmless and satis-
factory enough--almost, if not quite, as harmless
as the itecondexecution of any legal instrument with
a " dry pen." It may possibly occur to some un-
initiated inquirers to ask why, if the Grand Duchy
of Luxemburg is to remain in the possession of
the King of HOLLAND, who was proposing, of his
own mere motion,to part with it the other day for
the moderate sum of 200,0001. paid into his pocket
by the EmpemrNerotEorr, any new guarantee should
be required for thatpurpose. Lord STANLEY appears
to anticipate this innocent question when he state?,
that it is to the altered position of the Grand Duchy
" by the diasolutionof the Germanic Confederation"
that the necessity for a new guarantee of main-
tenance tinder the sovereignty of the King of
HOLLAND is due. In other words, the military
Eights of Prussia, as representative of the defunct
Germanic Confederation, are held to have lapsed,
so, in deference to the susceptibilities of the King
of Hoi.easne and of France, the Prussian garrison is
to be withdrawn, in deference to Prussia the
fortress is to be razed, and in deference to the
susceptibilities of Prussia the territory of the
Grand Duchy is once more formally committal to
the Kitty of HOLLAND, under the collective gu min •
tee of the signataries of the treaty of 1830, with
the addition of Belgium and Italy. Whether,
however, the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg
is to be held by the King of Hoe -
te:.n as Grand Duke, or as part and panel of
his kingdom, does not yet appear ; if the latter,
the need of a new treaty would require some fur-
ther explanation. But, leaving details for furtie:r
consideration, the plain truth is that the prinnry
object of the Conference was to keep the lieaca
between France and Prussia, and Lon! STA NI. Zl, is
justified iu congratulating the House ale' Oa
country that this result has been so speedili