The Express.
London, England, 1867-11-19 00:00:00

VIE ABYSSINIALY EIPIDMON.

The government, the Times continues to urge, has I
still to establish the fact that Mr. Cameron and
those who following in his footsteps have shared his fate,
have not forfeited their title to assistance and relief ; and
to convince the house that all possible modes of peaceful
intervention have been exhausted, and that the particular
campaign which has at length been planned is so conceived
as to afford the best hope of securing the liberation of the
captives. No one suspected on the eve of the prorogation
that the royal speech would contain an announcement that
we were about to embark in a war with the half-civilised
ruler of a more than half-savage country. It will rein
upon Lord Stanley to justify the course thus pursued, and
to appease the jealousy the House of Commons feel at an
apparent attempt to withdraw the conduct of our national
policy from its control If we are to persevere—if we
must acquiesce in the conclusion that the time for action
can no longer be deferred, let us make up our minds to face
the gloomy and uncertain future with this single consola-
tion, that we shall in any case be able to test the efficiency
of our military organisation without being exposed to the
overwhelming issues of a war for existence.
According to the Standard the real fault of the govern-
ment in the eyes of the critics is that it has taken such
precautions as to render the attainment of the object of
the expedition almost certain. They would have liked to
be able to promise themselves plenty of occasion for
denouncing the insufficiency of the measures taken by the
ministry, and determined to find fault, and baulked
of this prospect, they now cry out that more men
and a larger quantity of stores have been sent to
Abyssinia than were necessary. The outlay for
this expedition will save us ten times as large
a sum. And what is this expenditure of which some
people talk with so much horror? Why if it should be re-
solved to clear it all off at once, to pay for the war out of
current revenue, and even if there should be no surplus
upon the ordinary balance-sheet available to discharge a
portion of it, an addition of threepence to the income-tax
for a twelvemonth would pay it all And very few English-
men, the Standard is confident, will grudge the trifle they
are ogled upon to pay.

The estimates for the ensuing year are in the course of
preparation, and will in due time be laid before you. They
will be framed with a view to economy and to the necessary
requirements of the public service.
MY LORDS AND GF.NTLEMEN,

As a neoewary sequel to the legislation of the last
session, bills will be laid before you for amending the
representation of the people in Scotland and Ireland.

I have reason to believe that the commissioners
appointed to inquire into and report upon the boundaries
of existing boroughs, as well as of the proposed divisions
of counties and newly-enfranchised boroughs, have
made considerable progress in their inquiries, and
no time will be lost after the receipt of their report in
laying before you their recommendations for your consider-
ation and decision.

A bill will also be presented to you for the more effectual
prevention of bribery and corruption at elections.
The Public Schools Bill, which has already been more
than once submitted to parliament, will again be laid be-
fore you.
The general question of the education of the people re-
quires your most serious attention, and I have no doubt
you will approach the subject with a full appreciation both
of its vital importance and its acknowledged difficulty.
Measures will be submitted to you during the present
session for amending and consolidating the various acts
relating to the mercantile marine.
The exemption which the country has now for some tune
enjoyed from the cattle plague affords a favourable oppor-
tunity for considering such permanent enactments as
may relieve the home trade from vexatious restrictions
and facilitate the introduction, under due regulation, of
foreign cattle for home consumption.
Measures for the amendment of she law, which havebeen
deferred under the pressure of more urgent business, will
be submitted for your consideration.
Other questions apparently calling for legislative action
have been referred to commissioners, whose reports, as they
shall be received, shall without delay, be laid before par-
liament.

It is my earnest prayer that all your deliberations may
be so guided as to conduce to the general contentment and
happiness of my people.

THE HEALTH OF Mag. DISRAELI.--(THIS DAY.)
We regret to state that the report of the health of Mrs.
Disraeli is not so favourable to-day. The following was
issued by Drs. Cull and Cowell early this morning :
Mrs. Disraeli has bad a bad night and
contMues very ill. At 1 o'clock there was
no change, sod the medical gentlemen were expected to
I meet again at 2. Her Majesty graciously repeated her in.
quiry this morning, as did many of the nobility and
gentry. The Chancellor of the Exchequer had not left
his residence at half-past 1.
The Right Hon. Robert Lowe, M.P., and Mrs.
Lowe arrived in town a few days ago from Scotland. Mrs.
I Lowe has for the last few days been confined to her bod by
a severe cold.

The Prussian House of Representatives consists
of 432 members, including 1 prince, 16 counts, 25 barons,
110 noblemen, and 262 commoners. Classifying them as
cording to professions and callings, we have 4 ministen,
6 ex-ministers, 57 rural prefects, 41 other administrative
officers, GO judges, 8 public prosecutors, 8 lawyers, 31 re-
tired civil officials, 4 military officers on half-pay, 10 clergy-
men, 6 professors, 20 doctors of philosophy, 20 municipal
officers, 125 landed proprietors, 24 merchants and manu-
facturers, sad 5 " gentlemen."

—W:Wolowaki, member of the Academy of Moral
and Political Sciences, opened his course of lectures on
Friday evening at the Conservatoire des Arta et Metiers,
Rue St. Martin, Paris, in presence of* numerous auditory,
among whom were several persona of note in the scientific
world. In this preliminary lecture the learned professor
dwelt on the utility—in fact, the necessity, of all countries
acquiring sound notions of political economy ; and he
pointed to the English and American people as taking
the lead in that line. His course for the year will be
occupied with the productive power of nations, the con-
ditions of labour in the different States, the employment
of children in factories, coalitions, associations, and
institutions of credit.

Early in January will al , .._
dale of publlcatlon—Debretts Illustrated Poway and Baron -
outgo, with Kulghtage, In 2 vol,. at Ba. 6d. each, or In I rot.
half-bound, 17s 6.1. Also will he published at the subs thus De-
bretta Illustrated and Biographical House of Commons, and
Judidal Bench. Oakes,66, LaapiaWU, Z. C. —lAdvellisearfont.l

to the

CROOKHAVEN, Nov. 19, 7.30. A.Y.

The Inman steamship City of Antwerp, from
New York, is now passing Browhead signal station,
eu route for Queenstown.
(sr ATLANTIC TTLEGILLPTI.)
NEW YORE, Nov. IS, 6 P.N.
_ _

The steamers Bremen, City of Baltimore, Iberia,
and Nova Scotian arrived out yesterday, and the
Cuba to-day.

Closing prices:—Gold, 1391. Sterling exchange
on London 109 i. 5-20 United States Bonds,
108}. Illinois, 130 i. Erie, 72k. Cotton—Mid-
dling Upland, 18c.

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 18.
Petroleum, standard white, Zia.

Mr. Straight conducted the prosecution.
Braman was • policeman, and was walking along the
mall in St. James's-park at twenty minutes to 12 o'clock on
the night of Saturday,l9th October, dressed in plain clothes.
The female prisoner accosted him, and he told her that
he did not want to have anything to do with her, but she
followed him, and finally under the light of a lamp,
snatched his scarf and scarf pin, from his neck. He tried
to take her into custody, and then the other prisoners
came forward and violently &recited him. The prosecutor
positivelylawore to the identity of the male prisoners, who
were not apprehended until nine days after the occurrence,
and stated that Dixon wore • alight moustache, of about
three days' growth.
Two witnesses were called in behalf of Dixon, who as.
serted that he wore a large moustache of four years stand-
ing, which was not shaved off till the :25th October, the
day on which he was apprehended.
The jury, after retiring for • short time, found the
prisoner. Guilty, and the Recorder said he would take the
case into consideration before passing sentence.
(Before the Common Serjeant.)
TRIAL OF THE LADY SO INDLER.

Geraldine Meuri,e, 38, alias the lion. Mrs. Maurice,
alias Lad,i Meurice, esa., was placed at the bar to take her
trial upon several charges of stealing and obtaining goods
by false pretences from tradesmen at the west end of the
town. There were also other indictments against the
prisoner which charged her with conspiring with another
person to commit the same offence.
Mr. Poland prosecuted, and the prisoner was defended
by Mr. Itibton and Mr. Houston.
At the commencement of the proceedings Mr. Ribten
made an application to the court to quash the indictments
fur conspiracy, as they had been prepared since the pri-
eoner's committal without the requirements of the Vera-
tMus Indictments Act being complied with. The Com-
mon Serjeant, however, refused to comply with the
application.
The case that was proceeded with was one in which the
prisoner was charged with stealing a seal-skin cloak, value
18 guineas, from Messrs. Nicholay, furriers, Oxford-street.
It appeared that in the month of September, 180, •
letter was received by the prosecutors, dated from No. 17,
St. Petersburg-terrace. Bayswater, and which purported to
be written by a Mrs. Somerset, and which requested that
some loose sealskin jackets might be sent on choice, and
that Mrs. Somerset was prevented from driving to
the shop of the prosecutors to select for herself
on account of illness. In consequence of this letter a young
lady was sent to the address indicated with several jackets
of the kind mentioned, and a oerson, who represented her-
self to be the servant of Mrs. Somerset, stated that her
mistress was ill in bed, and she must take the
cloaks to her for her to select one. No sus-
picion being entertained, she was allowed to
take the property, and she returned and stated
that Mrs. Somerset would keep one of the cloaks
valued at 18 guineas, but she wished a hood to be made
for it. The cloak was accordingly left, and when the hood
was sent the house was found to be closed, and the parties
bad decamped., and nothing was beard of the prisoner
until she was in custody upon several other charges of a
similar character.

"--Evidence was adduced to show that the handwriting of
the letter was that of the prisoner, and that she had for-
merly been known by the name of Maurice or Morris, and
that she had never been known as Mrs. Somerset. It was

stated in

that at one period the. prioiner

had lived in great splendour, and wan supposed to b a
person of property.
Mr. Ribton submitted to the court at the close of the
awe for the prosecution that the charge of larceny could
not be supported, and that if the prisoner was guilty of
any offence at all it was that of obtaining property by falso
pretences.
The Common Serjeant overruled the objection, and said
it was a question for the jury whether the prisoner had
not obtained possession of the property by a mere trick and
stratagem, and that her original intention was to steal it.
Mr. Ribton contended on behalf of the prboner that
there had bees a complete sale and parting with the pro-
perty, and th►t her only offence, if any, was that of oh.
bAnmg the property by false pretences.
The jury retired to deliberate upon their verdict.
The jury found the prisoner Godly.
Another indictment against her was then opened, and
was proceeding when our report left.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.
(THIS DAY.)