The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-17 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY 17, 1867.

central committee, such as that which was formed during
the visitation of the "bolero ; sufficieutly trustworthy to
command the coalldence of the public, while the
machinery of charitable aaseciations would probably be
willingly placed at the service of such an independent
body. Such a system would become euier after esch suc-
cessive triaL After the local committees had been once
formed they would readily be reconstituted from time
to time. It was by this organisation that the
gigantic distress of the cotton famine was effec-
tually encountered. Observing that where the want
of wink is due to their own obstinacy the men have
no claim, the Times says it has reason to believe that
this observation applies to some of the distress now pre.
wailing in Poplar. If it is correctly informed, within the
last week or two firms in the district offered their men
work at wages of between iis. and Ts. a day, and the men
actually refused. To bestow charity upon men who hare
acted thus would be as pernicious as it would be unjust ;
and if they have wilfully brought themselves to the serge
of starvation, they must be left to the mercies of the
workhouse.

HISCELLANEOI'A TOPICS.

Imperial France, exclaims the Dail; New, must indeed
be sick when the Count de Chambord presents himself as
the physician. The elders of the faith remain passively
faithful, but, as they die off, the strong probability of
their King having no lineal successor is beginning to tell
upon the common sense of the younger generation, who
cannot quite escape the deleterious influences of a coarse
and practical epoch. The prospects of the " fusion" are
very slight, and altogether a promissory note such
as this Frohalorf document reads painfully like
one of those accommodation bills which derive
the most ephemeral value from their signatures.
For the consolation of liberal Europe, we have the
assurance of this royal champion of civil and religions
liberty that the cause of the temporal sovereignty of the
Pcpe is not isolated—it is that of all religion, all society,
and liberty. At any cost, therefore, we should prevent his
fall. Such are the ideas of the Count de Chambord, and
the Emperor of the French ought to be very much obliged
to him for publishing them.
The Tones invokes the aid of public opinion against the
abuses of vivisection as practised in France, and gives a
revolting extract from the Veterinarian, describing the
process by which it is carried on in the case of living
horses in the French schools of veterinary surgery. There
are, probably, more professed philanthropists in France
than in any other nation. Let them join in an indignant
remonstrance against these shocking practices, and we
venture to predict that an effectual check will be put on
them by the Emperor.
The Standard learns that one of the earliest proposals
of her Majesty's ministers in the approaching session will
be for the appointment of a committee to inquire into the
working of the Bank Charter Act. The duty of the com-
mittee will be not so much to consider the advisability of
repealing the act of 1844 as to discuss certain
amendments that are deemed necessary for its improve-
ment. Amongst these will be a proposition to relieve the
bank of its present power of issue, and place it in the
hands of the government. Another important question
that will be dealt with *con after the assembling of par-
liament will be the health of the seamen of the mercantile
marine; and the Standard learns with great pleasure that
the President of the Poor-law Board will early in the
session introduce a bill for the improvement of the ad-
ministration of poor relief.
The Herald prepares the opponents of the malt tan for
another disappointment. The impenetrable ironclad/ and
rifles will make heavy inroads upon the Chancellor's con-
templated surplus, yet they must be had even if the
farmers have to groan for another decade under the burden
of a tax which is indefensible in theory and most perni-
cious in its operation. If, on the other hand, Mr. Dis-
raeli can do anything for them, they will do well to be
thankful even for small mercies, and not repeat the
blunder of rejecting a positive boon because it is not so
large a one as they could desire.

the eaurt.

OSBORNE, JAN. 14.

The Queen, accompanied by the Dowager
Duchess of Athole and Miss M'Gregor, drove out yester-
day afternoon, and her Majesty walked and drove this
morning with Princess Christian.
Princess Louise and Prince Arthur skated in the grounds
yesterday afternoon and this morning. Her royal high-
ness was attended by the Hon. Lady Biddulph and the
Hon. Emily Cathcart.
The other members of the royal family walked out.
Lady Waterpsrk has succeeded the Dowager Duchess of
Athole (who remains on a visit) as Lady in Waiting.

Prince Arthur has been examined before the Council of
Military Education, at their aloes in Great George-street,
for admission into the Royal Military Academy, Wool-
wich, and it having been declared that he palmed the ex-
amination most satisfactorily, he will join the Royal
Military Academy as a gentleman cadet on the 11th of
February.

A deputation from the Corpor►tion of the City of
London, consisting of Mr. Bontems (chairman), Mr.
Burk-itt, Mr. Medwie, Mr. F. Con, Mr. Dresser Rogers,
and Mr. Robt. Stapleton, accompanied by Mr. Haywood
(Engineer), and Mr. Corris (Reniembrancer), had an inter-
view with the Right Hon. Sir Stafford Northcote at the
Home-office yesterday, upon the subject of the Metropoli-
tan Gas Act.

A deputation from the committee of Venezuelan
Bondholders, consisting of Mr. Thomas Baring, M.P.,
Mr. George H. White, Mr. J. Gerstenberg, Mr. Albert
Levy, Mr. Frederic Campion, Mr. T. Key, and Mr. H.
Scherges, had an interview with Lord Stanley at the
Foreign-office yesterday.
A deputation from the Pharmaceutical Society of Great
Britain, consisting of Mr. Sandford (president), Mr. Hills
(vice-president), Mr. Moron, Mr. Waugh, Mr. Edwards,
Mr. Orridge, and Mr. Curleigh (members of council), Mr.
Flux (solicitor), and Mr. Brennidge (secretary), had an
interview with the Earl of Delmore at the Home-office
yesterday, in reference to an extension of the Pharmacy
Act.

A deputation from the class A shareholders and the de-
benture holders of the New Brunswick Railway Com-
pany, introduced by Mr. Bailey, M.P., and accompanied
by Mr. Burton and Mr. Radcliffe (solicitors), had an inter-
view with the Earl of Csrnarvon at the Colonial-office,
yesterday, on the subject of an act passed in the last ses-
sion of the New Brunswick parliament.
Despatches were sent yesterday from the Colonial-office
to the Governors of the West India Islands, British Co-
lumbia, and Vancouver's Island.

THE QUEEN AND THE OPENING OF PAELLA-
IIENT.—Her Majesty the Queen is expected to leave
Osborne about the 4th of February for Windsor Castle,
and on the sth will proceed thence to London, in order to
open parliament in person. The Queen's journey from
the south will, it is anticipated, be performed by way of
the London and South Western and Great Western lines.
Her Majesty, it is understood, will return to Windsor
Castle after the ceremony, and remain at the palace for
the night. The royal journeys in each case will be by
special train. She will probably reside at Osborne till
after the 10th or 12th of next month.

Her Majesty the Queen has been graciously
pleased to forward to the Bishop of London the mu of
200 f., to be distributed during this inclement season among
some of the different Refuges for the Homeless Poor in
London. His lordship has thus apportioned her Majesty's
gift: Refuge for Homeless Children, 19, Brawl-street,
Bloomsbury, 50/. ; Field-lane Institution, 501. ; Refuge
Fund of the Reformatory and Refuge Union, 2A, New-
street, 50/. ; Newport-market Night Refuge, Soho, :Al.
THE MOVERS OF THE ADDREsS.—It is stated that
the address in the House of Commons, in answer to the
Queen's speech, will be moved by Lord Holmesdale, the
member for West Kent, and seconded by Mr. S. R. Graves,
the member for Liverpool.

As regards the English and American visitors to
the Paris Exhibition, Mr. Cook has been making an exten-
sive canvass of hotels, lodging and boarding houses, and
has made arrangements for the accommodation of one
thousand persona at a time, at fixed rates varying from Ba.
to 10s. • day, which sum will cover every expense. In
addition to this, Mr. Cook has taken an immense building
in the Quartier of the Champs ElysVes' near the Arc
de l'Etoile, where he purposes providing lodging and break-
fast at the rate of 4s. per day.

A lecture on Abyssinia and the Abyssinians was
delivered last evening at the London Institution, Finsbuty-
circus, by Dr. Bake, who is one of the managers of the
institution.