The Express.
London, England, 1866-12-06 00:00:00

OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

(THIS DAY.)

MR. BRIGHT'S ILAgT RPRECH.
The Times returns to a subject which is now
very frequently discussed in its columns, namely, the po-
litical action which Mr. Bright is desirous to encourage
amongst the trades' union societies. Knowing, it says,
what these trades' unions ars, fullyawareof their excesses,

and justifying them by the most notorious, most repro-
bated, and now obsolete examples, he proposes to place not
only capital and the employer, but the constitution and
the whole country, under their capricious laws and iron
rule. It is the one consummation which he would wish
to see before he dies. What next he heeds not.
The ireeting at St. James' hall, not differing outwardly
from the average political gatherings, was marked, never-
theless, the Daily IV, ws observes,by some curious features.
It must have been strange to Mr. Bright to be welcamed as
a leader by societies whose views on the subjects which
engage their ordinary action are diametrically opposed to
his ; and if it is honor-able in a political leader to
contend for the concession to others of rights and

liberties which he knows will be used, in some oases,
against his own class and opinions, this praise be-
longs to Mr. Bright, and may fairly qualify
much of the censure not always unfairly bestowed
upon him. Notwithstanding his eagerness for
the support of the working classes in his agitation
for reform, be has never courted their good-will by any
concession to what he deems their economical fallacies, or

by any avoidance of plain-speaking thereon. Whatever
else this may be, at least it is not demagog/. As to the
political action of trades' unions great emergencies may THE QUEEN'S REPLY TO THE WOLVERHAMPTON
properly suspend regulations made for the ordinary con- AtinaEss.—Yesterday Sir John Morris, the mayor of \Vol.
duct of affairs, and the question of fact whether such a verhampton, received through the Home Secretary the
justifying crisis has arisen must be left to the die- following reply of the Queen to the address which,
crctiou of those who are called to act or abstain. drawn up by the recorder of the borough (Mr. J. J.
The Daily News then proceeds to urge that there is Powell, Q.C.), was read to her Majesty by that gentleman
danger alike in suppressing the manifestations of opinion, at the base of the statue of the Prince Consort, previously
and in making light of them, but expresses its regret that to its being unveiled on Friday last :—" Whitehall, 4th
Mr. Bright's language does not always make the distinction December, 18(.4.—Sir,—I have it in command from her
between pointing out the consequences of resistance and Majesty to express to you her entire satisfaction with all
threatening the obstructors. An impatient temperament the arrangements made for her reception at Wolverhamp-
and a habit of curt and unqualified speech give occasion ton on Friday last, and for the inauguration of the statue
to watchful adversaries for interpretations injurious both of the Prince Consort. Her Majesty could not but be deeply
to himself and to the cause which he plsa.ls. With Mr. touched by the devoted loyalty manifested to herself by
Bright's remarks on the tendency of an imperfect repre- all classes of her subjects on that interesting occasion, but
sentation to strengthen the legislature for harm and she felt yet more deeply the appreciation shown in your
weaken it for good, the Daily News fully concurs. Many address of the character of those services which were
important and necessary measures which a government rendered to his adopted country by him whose loss she
deriving its powers from but a sixth part of the nation can never cease to deplore, and of the motives of Christian
dares not hint at, a government resting on a wider basis duty under which :he services were rendered, and by
might safely and usefully undertake, which he stimulated others to follow in the path which he
The Herald thinks the public are almost weary of Mr. had traced out. I have much pleasure in conveying to
Bright's monotonous strain of objurgation, and that he is you, as the representative of that large and industrious
not half so popular in town as he is in the provinces, while population who were gathered together to do honour to
the Standard is persuaded that the public opinion of the his memory, the feelings with which her Majesty has re-
country will fix the stigma of its reprobation upon him for , ceived your loyal and dutiful address.—l am, air, your
the consequences of his baneful and anarchical policy, with obedient servant, S. H. WALPOLE.—TheMayor of Wolver-
an emphasis not to be mistaken, and will proclaim with , hampton."
Nathan, when he convicted David of his sin, "Thou art j THE PRINCE OF WALES ON HIS HOMEWARD
the man." JotRNET.—We learn from Paris that during the Prince of
Mr. Ayrton's irrelevant and unseemly introduction of Wales's journey from St. Petersburg to Berlin the special
the Queen's name, says the Poet, gave Mr. Bright an oppor- railway carriage assigned him caught fire, so that his royal
tunity which he could hardly miss, and it is only to be re- highness was compelled to travel from Bromberg in one of
gretted that, in using it well, he should have forgotten, the ordinary earriagea.—port,
not for the first time, a high constitutional axiom. The His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh
ministers of the crown are, it need not be said, responsible will pass the remainder of this week with Lord and Lady
for the ',perches from the throne, and it is both incon- Alfred Paget at Melford-hell, Suffolk. His royal highness,
venieut and disrespectful to assume that her Majesty's who is accompanied by his equerry, Lieutenant Haig, will
political opinions on the question of reform were inter- shoot through Lord Alfred's well-stocked preserves.
preted by the late administration, or are about to be Among the guests invited to Melford-hall are Lord and
ignored by the present government. It is note subject on Lady Itendlesham, Lord and Lady Suffield, Viscountess
which conjecture may be legitimately exercised. Sydney. the Hon. Bliss Macdonald, General Grey, Mr.
Oliver Montague, &e.
THE np-lines urn THE RITUALISM The Duke of Northumberland and Lady Louisa
It is regarded by the Times as a fortunate coincidence Percy intend to leave Portman-square in a day or two for
that just at this moment, in their periodical charges, the Torquay, for the winter.
Bishops of Gloucester, of St. David's, of London, and of Lady Emily Peel arrived in town last eve • fling
Oxford should have characterised the ritualistic movement
from Geneva, on her way to Drayton Manor, Staffordshire.
in language of decided disapprobation. The words of the
The death of the Princess Sophia Leichtenstein
Bishop of Oxford most carry the more weight because no
is announced as having taken place at Pesth on the 20th
one would suppose him to possess any undue bias against
ult. The daughter of an actor named Lcewe, she was born
the party. So long as it is clear that the bishops do not
in 1815, and in 1840 had great success in London and
waver in this disposition, the public will be content to
Paris as a singer. In 1848 she married Prince Frederick
leave them • considerable degree of 'discretion. The
Bishop of Oxford sees very (dearly that if the English Leichtenstein.
nation were once provoked to legislative interference, The inauguration of a protestant church at
the measures of repression adopted would probably be Niemen took place a few days since. The prefect of the
far more violent than is in the least degree oonteui. department (du Gard), the mayor, and his deputies took
' plated at the present tints. After all, however, it will Part is the ceremonial.