The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-18 00:00:00

DIIIIItY LANE

VHS Smug°, TWAT rAWAL JACK. Messrs. Rouse and
IfevOle; Mesdames Alleyne and Thompson. —To conclude nun
THZ OKRA? CITY. Mews Warner, Morton, YR:James. Rouse,
Irk. etc. ; Mesdames Robertson, Le nitre, and Thompson.

HAYMARKIT.

TEM EYZIiiG, DEATPA9 A NW. Mean. Compton and
Ferree, te. ; Mrs. TltswilLans, tc.—A WILD GOODY esassre.
&ahem Buckitone, Howe, stoner% Gordon, lc. ; Malawi:we
WAN. LlMppendale, HAL Laws, ika.--And DIALLY JABS.

rAplewirm

TRI EVIWING. ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. Antony, Mr. 11.
Loraine: Knoberbaa, Mr. C. Yang. Charmlas, law Page: and
Cleopatra, MIN Glyn.

LYCERIt.

Tnl9 EVIVITNO. 8A111160.7171Z Mr. Price and M
'ate lilsbn . DUBS'S MOTTO. Mr. Fecbter. Maus.
Emery. Wlddloomb, Jordan, Price. &a.: Mimes 'Windily, Bea-
rade, Grattan, and Caddis Leaman.

Tins Itvignga, WAITINOIOR THS tuatriozoturro.—THlß
tints BAVAGZ.—PYONALION , O& TEI STATUE TAIL
Moira Thong, hawk ie.. Mesdames awsabormigh, Barnhaes.
Ilguiaad,Johnstmee,& Holt—And THE VII24CH

qoLs mut..

TN Imam MT TURN MIT. Mr. San: MINS
Desk sad lasnoi.—And PLYING SCUD. Novak,
is,
Bel-
ow% Make, ToUshy, et .. • Itesdasoes F. JC. Sasstk
Sods loots, Mdse. Laws. Upson as.essie%

IWIT4NNIA._

Evawrigo, THE OLD RAID IN THI WINDINGANNET.
NIL NoMolds. to. Itirese. Mat & Oommoy.—CßßlßY AND
?Alit STAB. Rsssn, Bigwood, UGH*, & Elton: Mra E. lam&
Wawa Ydwla, Bootb, sod Ilacarthy.—And BLUIt

NIGH WATIZ AT LONDON BRIDGE.
tall DAT —Morning. M. 54,ra......Aitinioce. 11%. ltd.
SA-Yoll3oD—Mornini. th. iliAn......Attersooa. 121. 4;14

LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 18.

IN the discussions that have taken place in
Spain and England concerning the character of
the steamer Tornado, seized by the authorities of the
former country, great importance has been attached
to a mysterious hole which the Spaniards found
had been cut in one of the ship's berths. When—
by whom—why was this unusual perforation made f
To the eye of Spanish justice the hole told the
whole story of the ship's character. It had
been cut by the officers of the Tornado, sub-
sequently to the seizure, obviously for no other
purpose than to get at and destroy docu-
ments or other proofs which would compromise
the vessel. This view was taken at once, and it
was confirmed by the evidence of three Spanish
" experts," who declared after inspection that the
hole had been made within a fortnight of their
visit to the Tornado. Lord STANLEY appears to
have felt that the hole created a strong assump-
tion against the vessel, and it certainly was de-
sirable that its origin should be explained.
Captain CoLitza and some of the crew stated to
the Prize Court that the hole existed long
before the seizure, but their allegations
were scouted as inventions designed to
save the ship from condemnation. Fortunately,
the great interest which this seizure had
excited throughout the maritime community
brought the details of the case to the knowledge
of those who could clear up all uncertainty, and
the history of the hole is now plainly made out
by the evidence of three unimpeachable witnesses.
Captain SELLARS, who commanded the Tornado on
her voyage from Glasgow to Hamburg last
June, declares that on the 16th of that month
the door of one of the state-rooms on the port
side, containing the bonded stores, got blocked
up by a cask falling at its back, so that the door
could not be opened, whereupon he gave orders
to cut a hole in the partition, in order to give acmes
to the stores. DANIEL WDOCOALL, who was
steward of the Tornado at the same time, confirms
the statement ; and ARCHIBALD BROWN, the car-
penter of the vessel on the Hainbiugh voyage, de-
clares that he cut the hole at the time, and for the
purpose stated. These deponents live in various
parts of Scotland, and their affidavits, duly
sworn and attested, agree in all essential parti-
culars. After an explanation so decisive, the
Spanish Government must perceive that this hole
has " nothing in it," and must rest the vindi-
cation of the Tornado's seizure on some other and
better evidence of the ship's character.

WE learn from the Engli It Independent that
the participation of several Independents in the
corrupt . practices ascertained by the Bribery Com-
mission at Totnes has not gone unnoticed or
unchaatised by their brethren in that town.
The proceedings appear to have been of the most
formal character, and, as far as an opinion can be
formed at a distance, to have been conducted with
firmness and lodgment. According to our con-
temporary, a meeting of the Church to which the
offenders belonged was called, when, after due
deliberation, the following resolutions were unani-
mously passed :
1. This Church resolves to record its utter aversion to
the ontrupt practices which have prevailed in this borough
la conducting its municipal and parliamentary elections,
and which were brought to light by the Royal Coin.
mission last year.
2. That the members of this Church feel deeply grieved
to find that some of their number were party to these cor-
rupt practices, either by receiving or giving bribes, thereby
bnnging disgrace upon this Church and the cause of re-
ligion in general.

That they feel booed to maintain the purity of their

communion, and consequently they most severely censure
the conduct of those of their number who were in any way
implicated in such proceedings.
4. That these members having been waited upon by the
pastor and deacons, and conversed with on the character
and consequences of their sin, and having expressed their
sincere sorrow for having been induced, under the influ-
ence of temptation, to do what they know and fed to be
op; used to the will of God, the interests of His Church,
and the well-being of society, and having declared that
theybumbly and heartily determine, in the strength of God,
to be free from such sin for the future, the Church accepts
their expression of sorrow, believing that God has dono
so; and under the circumstances is content with severely
censuring their conduct, without suspending or dismissing
them from church fellowship, trusting that this painful
matter may be sanctified to the increase of their spiritual
life and that of the Church.

5. That a copy of the foregoing resolutions be sent to
those of the brethren implicated, that they may know
the decision of the Church in the matter.

We presume that the " painful matter " men-
tioned in the fourth resolution is, not the trans-
gression, but the terrible wigging which the pec-
cant members have received. The copies of the
resolutions will be much valued by those who are
entitled to them, and preserved, no doubt, along
with the Blue-book. If the Reform Bill panes in
its present shape, these penitentpeople will not have
an opportunity of manifesting the genuineness of
their sorrow. Apart, however, from disfran-
chising clauses, it would probably be safe to
predict that none of the reprehended members
would again take part in bribery, at all events
not before removing their names from the Church
books. If all societies would bring their corporate
sentiment to bear upon their members as these
Totnes Independents have done, more would be
accomplished for the suppression of bribery than is
likely to be effected by any number of legislative
enactments.

THE Times has thought it worth while to vindi-
cate its connexion with the portentous scheme for
publishing a " Universal Art Catalogue of Printed
" Books, relating to the Literature of the Fine
" Arta of All Countries." We do not think that
any vindication was necessary. Our contemporary
has not distinctly perceived the tendency and aim
of such curiosity as the public felt in the subject.
The manager of the Times, invited by Mr. COLE to
state upon what terms ho would print the catalogue,
replied in a strictly business-like manner, named
his price, and secured his customer. We fancy that
the manager of any other paper would havedone pre-
cisely the same. If there is any newspaper in London
the business manager of which, on receiving a
similar proposal, would have replied, " Coca,
" C. 8., you are an enchanted blockhead, and not
" fit to be trusted with the spending of the public
" money ; and I shall instantly write to the Duke
" of MAHLBONOUGH and tell him so "—we should
like to know which it is. That which the public
was at a lona to conjecture was—not why the Times
accepted this extraordinary advertisement, but—
why a Government department should wish to pub-
lish it at all. In the first place, why is such a cata-
logue proposed 1 The principle of all art is selec-
tion, and the best books on all subjects are few.
Nothing is to be gained for art by laboriously com-
piling the titles of all the worthless writings the:,
have at any time been published in its name. Mr.
COLE, however, is nothing if not "universal" or "in-
" ternational," or something equally magniloquent.
But if the thing was wanted, the method of publi-
cation by driblets in the supplement of a news-
paper was about as absurd as can be imagined.
People are too apt when they see an extraordinary
piece of administration like this to inquire fer a
motive. They do not sufficiently consider that
there are some heads which nature has made to be
the birthplaces of wild and incredible inventions.
The only inference which can be drawn from this
scheme for muddling away 6,000/. is that the
House of Commons is too free in placing money
at the disposal of the South Kensington autho-
rities, and that Mr. COLT wants sharper looking
after.

OUR CONTEMPORARIES.
(THIS DAY.)

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 18,

Mood with its execrable inequalities deliberately concerted
to reconcile the more obstinate of the tories to the laming
of a reform bill at all, no liberal could hesitate.

THE WEEKLY PRESS.

Writing on the progress of reform, the Saturday
Iteriew accuses reformers of injustice to the government,
who are really doing away with the old order of things
and establishing democracy. Thanks to the conservatives,
everything gees on as smoothly towards a vast alteration
in our system es if we were under a despotism, and not in
a land of free debate and of great tory landowners. The
House of Lords is practically extinguished. No one thinks
of it or cares for its opinions or decisions, because the bill
is the bill of Lord Derby, and the Upper House is sup-
posed to be ready to do exactly what Lord Derby wishes.
The detuocratical effect of the mode in which the Reform
Bill is passed will probably be even greater than that of
the bill itself.

The Examiner sees in Lord Derby's treatment of the
ritualists the same policy as that which he adopted
towards the radical reformers who insisted on meeting in
Hyde-park. The law in each case being obscure, he puts
off as long as he can the task of deciding what it should be
and declaring it. The Archbishop of Canterbury's amend-
ment has caused the debate to be adjourned for a period of
two months, on the plea that the commission, not yet ap-
pointed, may by that time have made its report. No one of
course believes in the plea; and everyone knows that in the
middle of July it would be utterly useless to proceed any
further with the bill. In 2,000 churches in Great Britain
the malpractices denounced are said to be now carrying on.
Yet Lord Dee by and his colleagues, having failed to take
any steps to check them, are not ashamed to get rid by a
side wind of the only attempt which has been made at re-
medial legislation ; and are content to leave things as they
are for, at least, another year.
To our present government, the Cowlick says, polities
is financing. Tempel ing with our laws of finance, erect-
ing accidental anomalies of rating and ratepaying into
eternal principles which are henceforth to serve as the
main distinction between parties, they strive to divert the
political capacity of our statesmen from the questions
that should occupy their minds, and to make it serve
tables, and interest itself with arithmetical questions,
which are for the future to be made the issue upon which
the equality or inequality of our franchise is to depend.
Discussing the suppressed Irish informations, the
Chronicle rya it cannot be doubted that the disclosures
made touching the extent of the conspiracy, and the sym-
pathy felt for it nearer home, even among those on whom
it was thought reliance might be placed to repel its pro.
greet', have had quite as much to do with the suppression
of Masseys informations as the fear of embroiling the
country with foreign governments.
The Spectator tells us there is a strong rumour afloat
that all the redistribution clauses in the Reform Bill will

be dropped, on the ground of want of time. The bill will
then pass u a franchise bill only, Mr. Disraeli promising
to bring in a separate measure next ye►r. The Chancellor
of the Exchequer has proved himself a matchless strate-
gist, and he may have • new scheme in his bead for the
furtherance of tory democracy. From the day the bill
passes members must attend to the householders' will,
and they are very likely indeed to have somewhat wide
views on redistribution—views which would lead inevit-
ably, or at once, to equal electoral districts. That system
would in England send up a tory parliament.

flit !Court.

08BORNE, MAT ]T.

The Queen and Princess Louise drove out yes-
terday afternoon, attended by the Hon. Mrs. Gordon ; and
her Majesty and her royal highness rode on ponies in the
grounds this morning, attended by the Hon. Emily
Cathcart.

Prince Leopold and Princess Beatrice walked out.
The Queen held keouncil at Osborne at 1 o'clock to-day,
at which were present the Duke of Marlborough, the Earl
of ?dalmesbury, the Right Hon. spencer Walpole, and the
Right Hon. Gathorne Hardy.
The Duke of Marlborough had an audience of her
Majesty.

Previous to the Council the Right Hon. Spencer Wal•
pole, Secretary of State for the Home Department, had
WI audience of the Queen, and delivered up to her Majesty
the seals of his offioe, which her Majesty conferred upon
the Right Hon. Gathorne Hardy, at the Council.
Mr. Arthur Helps was clerk of the Council.
Mr. Helps arrived at Osborne yesterday, and had the
honour of dining with the Queen and the royal family.

At the Privy Council-office yesterday the Duke of Beau-
fort, K.G., took the oath as lord-lieutenant of the county
of Monmouth in the presence of a committee of the Lords
of her Majesty's Most Hon. Privy Council, consisting
of the Duke of Richmond, the Earl of Devon, and the
Right Hon. H. T. L. Corry. Mr. Harrison attended the
committee.

ACommittee of the Lords of her M►jesty's Most Hon.
Privy Council sat yesterday, at the Privy Council-office,
Whitehall, on the subject of the cattle plague. The lords
present were the Duke of Richmond, the Earl of Devon,
Lord Robert Montagu, Lord Naas, the Right Hon. H.
T. L. Corm, and the Right Hon. Stephen Cave. Mr.
Harrison and Dr. Alexander Williams attended the oom.
mittee.

LAtEST INTELLIGENCE.
MAGNIFICENT BALL AT THICBRItISH
EMBASSY.

(►EOY OUR OWX CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, SATURDAY MORNING._

A deputation conoisting of Major Walker, M.P., Mr.
Dunlop, M.P., Mr. Evart, M.P., the Earl of Da'bath,
M.P., the Provost of Dumfries, the Provost of Kirkcud-
bright, Mr. M. J. Stewart, Mr. Williamson, Mr. Sprout,
and Mr. W. H. Maxwell (Convener of the Stewartry of
Kirkcudbright), had an interview with the Right Hon.
Stephen Cave, at the office of the Board of Trade, White-
hall, yesterday, to all the attention of the board to the
Mobility of the Nith Navigation Commissioners to main-
tain the Solway Lighthouse.
The Right Hoe. Gathorne Hardy has appointed Mr. E.
A. Percival to be his private secretary at the Home-office.

The Duke and Duchess of Argyll arrived at
Inverary Castle on Tuesday last fors abort stay. His
grace bad been suffering from severe influenza, but is now
better.

Viscount and Viscountess Falmouth had a
dinner party last evening at their residence in St. James's-
square. There were present—The Earl of Abingdon and
Lady Evelyn Bertie, Lord Cremorne, Lady Moleeworth,
Baron M. de Rothschild, the Right Hon. W. E. and Kn.
Gladstone, General Sir William and Lady Gomm, Mr. A.
and Lady Mildred Beresford-Hope and Miss Hope, Major-
General Francis Seymour, Captain and Mrs. Vivian, ice.
Lord and Lady Egerton of Tatton had a dinner
party last evening at their mansion in St. James's-square.
The guests included the Marquis of Sligo, the Earl and
Countess Mans-era, the Earl and Countess of Dartmouth,
the Countess Amherst and Lady Margaret Amherst, Lady
Rolle, Lady Sondes and Hon. Miss Milks, Sir Hugh and
Lady Campbell, Sir Thomas and Lady Cochrane, &c.
Lord and Lady Cairns have left their residence
in Cromwell Houses for Paris.

An enormous extra room was constructed in the
Embassy garden for the occasion of the grand ball
which took place last night. The crowd was very
great. The Prince of Wales, the Empress, and
the Duke of Edinburgh danced a great deal.
Twenty-four illustrious personages were at
the Prince of Wales's supper-table. The Em-
press sat between the Prince of Wales and the
Duke of Edinburgh, On the left of the Prince
were the Princess Mathilde, the King of the Bel-
gians, and the Duchess de Mouchy. The Emperor
was seated between the Queen of the Belgians and
the Grand Duchess Marie. The Prince Oscar, the
Princess Metternich, and Djemil Pacha were at the
table.

Sir Roundel' Palmer, M.P., and Lady Laura
Palmer bad a dinner party last evening at their residence
in Portland.place, and among the guests were—The Arch-
bishop of Dublin. the Earl of &Aland, the Countess
(Frances) Waldegrave and the Right Hon. Chichester
Fortescue, M.P., the Right Hon. Sir George and Lady
Grey, the Right Hon. Edward and Mrs. Cardwell, the
Right Hon. Henry and Mrs. Brand, Re.

The Queen of Portugal and the Princess Clo-
thilde were not present.
During the supper the company were greatly
amused by the Duke of Edinburgh's Highland
piper, marching round the table playing a number
of Scotch tunes.

Tho Chancellorship of the Duchy of Lancaster,
which was offered to Mr. Selwyn, has, it is said, been de-
clined by that gentleman. There remains some doubt as
to the mode in which the vacancy will be filled up ; but
there is a report that Sir Robert Peel may accept it.
The Marquis of Bath is about to diminish the
breeding of game on his property ►t Longleat.
Mr. Carpenter, one of the great bee masters of
Hampshire, died a few days ago. He had 200 stocks. He
and his family have resided at Goifrey's Farm at Beau-
lieu, in the New Forest, for upwards of a century.

The conservators of the River Frome, in Sumer-
setsbire, have employed a person permanently to protect
the means adopted for the cultivation of salmon in that
river.

(Inns's TILBORAIM)
HUNGARY.
PESTH, MAT 18.
The Emperor left here for Vienna yesterday to
open the Reicharath in that capital.
The bills brought in yesterday were referred to
the committees for consideration.

At Warminster, in Wiltshire, the fat cattle
market, by permission of the government, was to be re-
opened to-day for the first time since the breaking out of
the cattle plague.

Land-slip; are continually taking place in the
neighbourhood of Lyme Regis, in Dorsetahire, owing to
the encroachments of the sea.