The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-23 00:00:00

confirm the principles of commercial liberty, and
facilitate the study of the proper means to diminish
local sufferings and to realise new progress. The
course of our international transactions is not
checked, and the general commerce, which last year
was more than seven milliards, has increased by
seven hundred millions. Amid this ever increasing
prosperity a number of restless spirits, under the
pretext of hastening the liberal progress of the
government, attempt to hinder that progress by
taking from the government all power and all initia-
tive. They seize upon a phrase borrowed by myself
from Napoleon L, and confound instability with pro.
grass. The Emperor, declaring the necessity for
tie successive perfection of human institutions,
meant that the only durable changes are those
which operate with time for the amelioration of
public morals. These ameliorations will result from
the appeasement of passions, and not from untimely
modifications in our fundamental laws. What ad-
vantage can there be, in fact, in reverting to-day
to what was rejected yesterday ? The con-
stitution of 1852, submitted to the accep-
tance of the people, undertook to establish a wise
and rational system balanced upon the just equi-
librium between the different powers of the
State. It holds itself equally distant from two
extreme positions. With a chamber deciding the
fate of the ministers the executive is without
authority and without spirit. It is without con-
trol, too, if the elective chamber is not independent
and in the possession of legitimate prerogatives.
Our constitutional forme, which have a certain
analogy with those of the United States, are not
defective because they differ from those of England.
Each people must have institutions conformable to
its genius and traditions. Each government, in
truth, has its defects, but in turning my regards on
the peat I congratulate myself upon seeing at the
end of fourteen years, France respected abroad,
tranquil at home, without a political prisoner
in its gaols, and with no exiles beyond
its frontiers. The nation has during eighty
years sufficiently discussed governmental
theories. Is it not .more useful now to seek
the practical means of improving the moral and
material condition of the people ? Let us employ
ourselves in everywhere disseminating with the
light of sound economic doctrines the love of what
is good, and religious principles. Let us seek to
resolve by freedom of operations the difficult pro-
blem of the just distribution of productive forces,
and try to ameliorate the conditions of labour in
the fields as well as in the workshops. When
all Frenchmen, now invested with political
rights, have been enlightened by education,
they will discern the truth without difficulty
and not suffer themselves to be seduced by
deceitful theories. When all those who live from
day to day have seen the benefits resulting from
assiduous labour they will be the firm supports of a
society which guarantees their welfare and their
dignity. In short, when all have received from
childhood those principles of faith and morality
which elevate a man in his own eyes, they will
know that above human intelligence, above the
effort!, of science and reason, there exists a Supreme
Will which regulates the destinies of individuals as
well as of nations."

ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIEPE.—Iest night the
members of this society held one of their usual periodical
meetings at Burlington-house. Viacosuit Strangford, who in
the absence of:the president, Sir R. Kurebisos, presided,
stated that an expedition for the search of Dr. Leichardt,
who obtained the gold medal of the society, in which the
president took the greatest interest, was abut to start, if
it bed not already started, under the direction of Mr.
M'lntyre, who was himself en experienced explorer of the
Australian continent. AU the colonies of Australia likewise
took a deep interest in the expedition, and contributed
liberally towards the expense. The Royal Geographical
Society gave 9001. for the same purpose, and a subscription
would be opened at the society's rooms, to which the mem-
bers sod the public at large would be invited to contribute.
Mr. higntyre, from what he had beard, was not without
hope of obtaieing some tidings either of Dr. Leicbardt or of his
ex pedition—a hope io which hewn sure they allpartiolpated.
There were two papers read by the secretary, one contri-
buted birjat• :. John Jardine, giving an interesting descrip-
tion of York district ha the north-sect of Australia ;
the other Mr. James Martin, givind an account of an
expedition -made by him end three others in 1863 to the
district of the Glenelg river in the north-west of Australis.
Both papers formed the subject of a discussion in which
MR Crawford, Sir C. Nicholson and others took part. Mr.
Martin in his paper intimated that the district of Camden
Bay, into which the Gleuelg falls, was favourable for the
production of wool, a proposition which was denied by
Mr. Crawford, who held that tropical countries generally
were not fitted for the depasturing of sheep, and were there-
fore unsuitable for the production of wool. lie toned fault
with the attempt to settle a colony in the district
of Camden Bay and in the more northern district of Adams
Bay. Sir C. Nicholson contradicted Mr. Crawford's theory
with regard to the unsuitableness of tropical countries for
the depasturing of sheep, and stated u a matter of feat
that there were at that moment from four to five millions
of sheep in the tropical zone of Australia. He quite
agreed with Mr. Crawford that the Camden Bay district,
which possessed only 1,000,000 of acres suitable for
pasture, was not a proper locality for the foundation of a
settlement. The chairman mid that Admiral Stokes, who
was acquainted with the district. had written a few obser-
vations to the president, in which he stated his opinion that
the country was nut adapted for depasturing sheep. After
some further discussion the thanks of the society were
voted to the authors of the papers, and the mediae
separated.
THE ANTI.MA.LT-TAX AGITATION. —The Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer has fixed Wednesday, the 7th
February, for receiving &deputation from the Central Anti-
Malt-tax Association.—South Eastern Gazette.
METROPOLITAN RAILWAY SCHEMES. —The re-
port of Mr. Basalgette, the (odour of the Metropolitans
Board of Works, states that parliament had within the
last two years auctioned 34 railway bills, proposing to
conduct 165 miles of railway, at an expeaditure of
about 15,500,00 X, with borrowing powers for an re
d-
sum of 5,750,000/. It might have been supposed
that the ground was pretty well filled up, and the Me-
tropolitan railway requiremeirts satisfied for the present.
They were hardly prepared for an addition of 40 new
bills this session, contemplating the formation of an
additional length of 104 miles of railway within the metro•
polite area, at a further expenditure of 19,000,0001. more.
The effect of all metropolitan railways and street improve-
ments was the destruction of large masses of houses, the
occupants of which were driven towards the suburbs, and
the area of London we. thereby extended. Much tempo-
rary inconvenience was ceased by this Focus, bat its
ultimate effect would be beneficial if a free communica-
tion between all parts of London was provided for all
classes of the population. The railway bills of the
years 1865.6 include withia their limits of deviation
about 15,000 houses. Assuming that one-half of that
number of houses be destroyed, this would amount to one-
sixteenth part of all the house in London, and the occu-
pants of these must find homes nearer to the suburbs, and
would require ready means of access to the centre. Many
of this year's projects are competing lineß several having
the same objects in view, from among which parliament
would select the best, and the others would probably be
rejected. As usual, the metropolitan sewers most be cut
into pieces by the underground railways and pneumatic
tubes, and public roads and streets were to be
raised or depressed somewhat abruptly. The schemes
proposed might be enumerated as follows :—A tunnel
under the river Thames for carriage and foot puma-
gers was proposed from Deptford to the Isle of Dogs,
and a railway tunnel just below London-bridge for connect-
ing the city and southern railways. Two railway bridges
over the Aimee just below Putney-bridge, and one just
above it, and close to the Chelsea Waterworks aqueduct ;
also two others between Putney and Barnes, making fiovve
new bridges, in addition to the two existing bridges, er
the Thames within a distance of a mile and a half. Four
lines of railway were projected to Barnet, three to Alex-
andra Park, three to Richmond, font to Croydon, and two
to Clapham. Three lines were to traverse London from east
to west ; one on the north, one through tbe centre, taking
the line of Oxfordotrest from Notting-hill to Smithfield,
and one on the eolith.
BOILER EXPLOSION AT DEPTFORD. --Yesterday
considerable alarm was occasioned among the residents in
the neighbourhood of Deptford Creek, owing to an explo-
sion of • tabular boiler at the tar works of Mr. Parker. It
appears that the boiler bad not been in use since Saturday,
and the man in charge, previous to lighting the furnace fire,
went to ascertain the quantity of water required to fill it.
For this purpose be used a light, which coming in con-
tact with the fool air that had collected, caused an instant
explosion. The man was knocked backwards and rendered
insensible, but fortunately escaped serious Wary. The
boiler was burled a considerable distance, the roof of the
building bete&gt blows off by the force of the explosion, and
uwindows .oining houses shattered. Fortunately none of
the other workmen were on the premises at the time, other-
wise Ines of life might have been occasiseoned.