The Express.
London, England, 1860-03-23 00:00:00

ILION WATS/11d' IDNDON mamas.

Ts Ilii--Neffabe Ansineson,Ra
To.neellew—Menaka Sa. Usa. Allavess.

LONDON, FRIDAY; MARC!! 23.

Boa Joue Pannone°, Whom, that the Go-
vernment Reform Bill consists of a single
principle—the reduction of the borough fran-
chise. This is ita fatal characteristic, thin
is the one source whence all the evils he so
pathetically described—the destruction of the con-
stitution and the ruin of the country—inevitably

flow. But, as Sir Grouses Glair reminded the
Member for Droitwich, this terrible result of the
proposed reduction is a very recent discovery of
himself and his friends. In bidding for power
lastyear they themselves promised to adopt this
ruinous alternative. They were ready, in
obedience to the strongly expressed will
of Parliament and the country, to accept
the principle on which the Government measure is
founded. They considered it safe and expedient
then, and it is of course equally sale and expedient
now. This infects the whole Tory opposition to
the Reform Bill with a character of dishonesty
that not only impairs its influence, but goes far to
deprive it even of respect.
There is another and still deeper taint of in-
sincenty running through the Opposition speeches
on the BilL All the leading speakers assert,
as Kir J.OllOl PAKIN.:Ttnt and Mr. ADDZILLEY
asserted last night, that they had no fear of
the working classes, and no objection to extend
the franchise to them. The latter gentleman,
indeed, allowed his assumed zeal for the work-
ing classes so far to get the better of his discretion
that it ran into downright paradox, so that he
flatly contradicted himself in the course of his
speech. After asserting at the outset that the
proposed admission of the better portion of the
working class to the franchise would be fatal to the
institutions of the country, as the new element
was wholly democratic, he affirmed towards
the end of his speech that the more prosperous of
these classes were as a body decidedly conservative
in their views and sympathies ; that they respected
and were anxious to preserve in their integrity the
laws and constitution of the land. This statement
he made in temporary support of his avowed
interest in the working classes, and as a
proof of his readiness to help ill their
political enfranchisement. But how T If these
gentlemen WV really in earnest, let them say how
they propose to effect this object. It can only
be done by lowering the borough franchise, and
this is the very proposal which they designate as
revolutionary and dangerous in the extreme. In
other words, they are quite willing to adopt any
expedient that may be devised for the "name-
" rind " extension of the suffrage, so long as that
extension is confined to the classes who now en-
joy it. They are not opposed to an extension of
the suffrage, but they resist to the very utmost of
their power any, even the smallest, measure of
real enfranchisement for the working classes.

WHEN one of the most luminous writers in
Europe, employing the language which above all
others is favourable to clear and exact expression,
indite* a confused and embarrassed composition
like either of M. Twot•veMJL's despatches which
were printed in yesterday's Moniteirr, the
impression made on the reader can only
be disagreeable. In truth, these two des-
patches furnish the moat unpleasant reading
we have met with for some time, not so much
because they defend a vicious project, as oft ac-
count of their determined obliqueness and in-
sincerity. Pacific dispositions, honourable inten-
tions, liberal principles, are all excellent in their
way, but above all things give us good faith.
Because we cannot find this, we shall Dot
discuss their pretended reasoning. We have on
several occssioits fully exhibited the facts belong-
ing to this question, the nature of the rights of
Piedmont in Savoy, and the character of neutra-
lity attributed to the territory of the latter
in common with that of the Swiss Confederation,
amid whoever will be at the trouble to pick out of
the verbiage of M. THouvicam. the few substan-
tial allegations which it contains, will be well able
to judge of their truth or falsehood.

A man need not be an ambassador or a dip•
lomatist in order to qualify !ulnae( to decide
whether it is true that, as M. Titot-vemiL says,
facto have established in the must irrefragalde
" manner that we (France) had nut any territoria
" aggrandisement uI view when, compelled by
" circumstances, we took part in the war in Italy."
If M. Twouva.ein. 111111 forgotten, the public re-
member, that on the 4th of February last
he read to Lord COWLEV iii official paper
in reply to the inquiries of this Govern-

tnent, in which it was said : "It was true
" that among the possible arrangements discussed
" between the French andelardinian Ourernments,
" when they found themselves likely le he en-
" gaged side by aide in a wet with Anita.* wail.
" the cession to France, weltsain aningenciea,
" of Savoy and the county of Nice.":
Anybody with • 'map it hie hang elsk judge
whether the annexation of Northern Savoy, com-
posed of the districts of ChablaM, Faucigny, and
Genevois—a district which juts out between
Switzerland and Piedmont--ought to be described

as rectifying the frontier of France or ruining
that of Switzerland. Anybody can determine foe
himself the tendencies and expectations of a policy
in prosecuting which a great military power with
• population of 36,000,000 attaches the territory of
its neighbour on the plea of protecting itself from a
State of 11,000,000 souls. Anybody can tell what
justice to the interests of Switzerland requires in
any territorial changes that may be made ; but if
on this point any uncertainty is felt, the language
of the statesmen of France, spoken when the
counsels of the EMPEROR were not closed to reason
and justice, is decisive. We quoted the other
day the opinion expressed by M. Twit,-
vezzi. to Lord COWLRY on the sth ult.,
Ito the effect that the French Government thought
that Chablais and Faucigny ought to be united to
ISwitzerland. But a month before, M. BAROCM;
acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, had declared
Ito the Swiss Minister, that "should any change
" occur hereafter, he thought it but just that it
"should only be made after a complete under-
" standing between France and Switzerland, and
" with due regard to those provisions of the treaty
"of 1815, which stipulated that in case of the
"cession of Savoy to France, a portion of it, &IA-
" cient to ensure a good line of defence, should
"at the same time be ceded to Switzerland." It
is not, therefore, in ignorance, or without meaning,
that France seeks to place herself on the open
dank of Switzerland, to compress Geneva, and to
diminish the bulwark of Northern Italy. Any-
body can te►l whether it is true, as alleged, that
Nsrozzox has consulted, or has desired to consult,
the populations around which he extends his
power—the 10,317 persons, for example, in
Upper Savoy who signed the petition which was
printed yesterday.
If there is one part of M. Tuorvezr.i's de-
spatches which tempts animadversion more than
another, it is the long argument by which, in the
communication addressed to M. TILLOR, he seeks
to demonstrate that the neutrality of Savoy was an
onerous burden imposed as a charge on Switzer-
land in the interest of Piedmont, in return foe
cessions of territory. But even here we are anti-
cipated. There is no room for counter-argu-
ment ; the words of a European treaty are them-
selves the answer to M. Tnoovziraz.; foe in the
Act of Congress, signed 20th Nov., 1816, by
which the neutrality of Switzerland and Savoy is
guaranteed, it is expressly said that the neutrality
is "dada lea int4rets de l'Europe entibre." Our
task then is an easy one. The facts are so patent,
and the issue so simple, so completely within
the scope of the common pense and the common
conscience of mankind. We have not to reason, but
set truth and error aide by side. Still less have
we to employ the language of denunciation, for
who knows that the rapacious spoiler of to-day
may not become to-morrow once more the guardian
of the weak, and that M. Tnouvaism, who now
demonstrates to Swiss Republicans the inherent
right of a Sovereign to cede or sell his subjesis,
may not soon be called to vindicate, as he has
done before, the principles of universal suffrage,
oft which the throne of his master is founded 1

ebt Court.

ME EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, MARCH 23, 1860.

The Duke de Moutpeusiar visited bho
tisy Aluakinghain Pat" Her MAO, at=
IZetarehioalis of Ely end 140 Alfred len.A. honoured
the of githerbai saki emit at Iftninrd.holiee in
moon. • •
lbe PrinnalMilett, by Prinseabed, rode ea
bareeback in Hieforenoon. Hlijlloyal Highness, attended
by Colonel the Hon. A. Harding*, Tent is the afternoon to
the South Bennington Marcum. . .

Her Majesty's (linner party in the evening iarlnded the
/Mao= Alice sad Prises Alfred, the Lord ChaosDor, the
Earl sad Countess of Darby, the Earl sad Camden' De La
Warr, Lady Alfred Pea* Lady Cremorne, Lord Pawners,
the Right Hon. Sir Hamilton and Lady Seymour,
Colonel the Hon. Sir Charles B. Phipps, and Major
Correll, R. E. The bend of the Soots Fusilier Guard' was in
iieteadesce, and played during dinner.

A dspatation from the West Riding of Yorkahire to the
or of the Exchequer on wine and boar banana had
an interview with the right hon. gentlansan yarterday at
hie °Seal residence in Dawnligalaset. Tardapatation
comisted of Mr. Charter Hardy, ID. Wheatley Mr. W. E.
Fonder, Rev. Edward Jackman, sad Mr. John Jowitt, jun.
The deputation war introduced by BirJohn Ras:Wen, Bart,
][.P., Mr. Wickham, ILP., sad Kr. Beerrott, ILP.

and rewards, are invested with
i away their country.

To 11l net have failed to observe the following
pang., of the Emperor's speech, which applies
quite alkatroully to Lord John Russell and Lord
Palmeenenslilo Mr. Kinglake—"All in Europe
theS does.** give way to a spirit of antagonism of
another period looks on this adjunction of territory
as natural and equitable."
The Bourse, at which the news of the occupa-
tion of Chablais and Faucigny by Swiss troops
was not known, was very firm. There was a re-
port that the reduction in the interest on Treasury
Bonds would be followed by a reduction in the
Bank of France of discounts from 3k to 3 per
cent. The Rente rose 15c. and 10c., closing at
68fr. and 67fr. 90c. ; Mobilier rose 2fr. 50c.
Railways were about 2fr. 50c. higher.