The Express.
London, England, 1859-04-28 00:00:00

oome European.

bignedST

wink.

weeks since, but the Act was' not eonflrmet until
the Court of Vienna had atitionnotertothe repriessa-
Wives of the Great Powers that she had threatened
Sardinia with instant war. That the alliance between
Rorie and France existed at the time of Lord
Ctrwtar's mission to Vienna is now ascertained ;
bat that the proposal of a Congress, by which Russia
set amide that project, was dictated by friendship
for France was never doubtful, and need not be
now discovered and denounced as a treacherous
surprise. It was treated both by the French and
English press as • means, and a fair mane, of taking I
the settlement of what was truly a European ques-
lion out of the hands of • set of men notoriously
devoted to Austria, end bringing it fairly before the
collective Powers. The only astonishing thing is
that our Ministers should have overlooked the ex-
treme probability of inch a union, and that no later
than Friday lut a leading contemporary should.
bawl included Russia among the Powers which had
" observed an attitude already pueively hostile, and
" were tending towards a state of active coercion"
against Loris NAPOLION.
Never was it more important that the British
nation should resolutely express its opinion and will.
Appeals will be made to its susceptibilities and to its
prejudices, in tarsier to tempt it from that path of
strict neutrality which it must approve as long as it
remains in possession of a cool judgment. By all
means let as vigilantly watch events—let us require
of the Government that it shall place the two see.
vices in a position to sustain the interests of the
country at home end abroad t but let as keep deer
of these foreign wars. We shall be told that in
consequence of this alliance things have changed,
and that the junction of two great Powers at once
continental end maritime will make our neutrality
unwise. The friend, of Austria will endeavour to
penaade us that the maintenance of her despotism
in its integrity is essential to the safety of Europe.
Our answer should be that Europe must save itself,
as ws have done, and as we left the Sicilians to do in

1821, the Hungarians in 1849, and the Pic dmonteee in
1859. by looking strictly to our own affairs, refusing
to become the dupes of traditional jealousies, warm-
eaten theories, and crafty cries, we may preserve a
strong position, without enmities and without
alliances, and when in time these wars have pro-
duced their natural effect upon our neighbours, we
shall the. be able to exercise our inflators disin-
terestedly for the permanent good of mankind.

To-D►T the battle of the hastisgs 0011111111110111, or
rather the series of struggle', •pes whose general
issue depends the immediate fats of Ministers, and
the prospect of good or evil imasaree for mute rims
to c •me. O all hands the courciousnese is but too

obviously betrayed of the importance of the result
which now bangs in the escalating scales. The
partisans of Government are actively and eagerly
employed in defending the poste they have hitherto
held, and in attempts to sees upon others. Foiled
in their designs as the City, they have essayed by oar-
prise to win a seat in Mary lebone, Lord STMILIT'S
name being made vas of in both instances se
the only available ono to trade upon. Elsewhere
they have been in some respects more judicious is
their tactic*. An enterprisieg Tory shipowner has
undertaken by slow sap and mine to take the Ill-
defended borough of Newport. Advantage has bees
taken of the schism amongst Liberals regarding the
Conspiracy Bill and other questions to bring for-
ward again the Tory candidate at Bath, who was
(01y defeated last time by a majority of three. At
Norwich and Yarmouth local influence and ono-
neaions are sought to be turned to elms-
tioneering account; while at Kiddermioster the
intense unpopularity of the late Whig mem-
ber has been employed to render the re-
, turn of the Carlton Clubiat tolerably secure.

In the absence of General WINDHAM in India, East
Norfolk has been persuaded to comment to a com-
promise, whereby a seat has been lost to the friends
of moderate reform, and some thousand. saved to the
ailment purse of Lord Leicesrea ; while the Duke
of CzavittAnD hoe summarily cashiered his liberal
brother, who for many years has sat for South
Durham, in order to gratify his party by the re-intro-
duties of Mr. Faze= The West Riding and
South Lancashire will, it is said, be stoutly con-
tested, as will Dover, Portsmouth, Weymouth, and
other towns on the sea-board of more or leis import-
ance. And, finally, there are about a score of small
boroughs which it is hoped may be carried by sheer
weight of subscription money. kali there are some
ave-and-thirty seats which the Derbyitos more or less
onfidently hope that they may win, although they
hardly Teuton to realise to themselves the golden
dream. For the most part their emissaries have
been warned off the large towns, Birmingham,
Leeds, and Nottingham being the only serious ex-
ceptions in addition to those alluded to above : for
we cannot suppose that what is going on at South-
ampton, Bristol, Northampton, or Derby, can be
looked upon as anything more than a part of the
policy of creating diversion.. In several places the
application of this system has been stoutly resisted,
sometimes by the united force of the Liberal., and
sometimes by easy-going Tories, who having already
part possession were not to be induced to hazard
their own safety in a random effort to obtain an
exclusive predominance. Such is said to have been
the case in Oxfordahire, where Mr. HAJILZT made
a decisive stand against the "agly rash" at the
entire county contemplated by his friend,.
On the other band, the different sections of the
Opposition are sot idle. The Whig organisation,
Le the purposes of election, Is still under the same

radixes sa it wee is 1881 ; sad, la far as it can
venture to exercise the power of selection, a prefer-

mica is necessarily given to the personal favourites or
sappeeed adherents of Cambridge Home. Lord
JOHN Huesem. and Mr. COBDEN are this time, how-
ever, permitted to have a walk over, though Mr.
Smut. is, we understand, again to be hammed
with an attempt to exclude him from the House
of Commons. Oa hie part, the indomitable
assailant of Palmentonism seems fully alive to the
importance of securing, if possible, the presence in
Ms sew Parliament of a great number of men enter-
taining his views of public policy. At Blackburn
Me seat vacated by the persuadable Mr. PILKING-
TON is likely to be filled by Mr. VAUGHAN, while
t►at nested at Wakefield is sought by Mr.
LIATRAN I both the new candidates being nearly

11011SWARA With the boo. member for Binliogliam
that WM SSA tbot will be. Mr. HARRY ASHWORTH,

a will-known and mach-respected member of the
Anti-Cora-Law League, contests Salford with Mr.
MASICT Whale Mr. GILPIN retains his hold of
Northampton, and Mr. Mtursa GIBSON is =dis-
turbed at Asbtoa-ander•Lyoe. Beyond the spacial

sphere of Mr. Bewit;'s ialieenee ue:many

siviusised Reformers, about whose return to the am;
Howe of Commons there would seem to be bat little
doubt. Mr. Roust:at, Mr. EWART, Mr. CLAY,
Mr. Fox, Mr. HINRY Biiiii.ay, aid Mr.
Duscowar, emu all secure of re-eleotioo. On the
whole, the advanced Liberal party is likely to be
decidedly stronger in the new Parliament than is
the old I and the re appearasoe of Mr. COBDiN after i
hi two years of ostracism. will in itself significantly
sma the change that has taken pioe in public

re do not disguise

',DAY

that Derby Ism is likely to gain aim few adherents
at Bei expense chiefly of the Whigs ; and that,
owing to the exclueiveness of the system of manage-
ment pursued, few if any of the new aristocratic
11 Liberals likely to find their way into the Halls
of Westminster can be ranked under the
distinctive fag of advanced opinion on the
subject of Reform. But we believe the cause
will be more effectually saved by the compact array
at a body of men untrammelled by oligarchic ties,
and bent on the promotion of comprehensive mea-
sures of improvement, than it could ever have been
if left in other hands.

We greatly fear, from what we learn from all
quarters, that a reckless system of expenditure is
going on under the direction of the Carlton Club,
which It likely to give rise to similar exposures to
those which followed the general election of 1862.
Details have been furnished to us of wholesale pro-
jects of corruption that imply a total disregard
to all ordinary considerations of prudence, and
indicate plainly en intention on the part of
Lord Dlitrt and his friends to retain the
power they have held during the last twelve months
as long as it is possible, cost what it may. When
last, however, they tried this game it fared but ill
with them ; and if by their proceedings on the pre-
sent occasion they should establish a Case of prevalent
venality against the small boroughs, they will do
more to hasten their destruction than all the invec-
tives written or spoken which have hitherto been
launched against them.

Cbc Court.

WINDSOR, Aran 27.

The Queen and Prince Consort, accompanied by
Prisms. Alice, the Doke of Oporto, and the Duke of Sam
Coburg, rode out on horseback yesterday afternoon. In
attaadanco were the Hon. Horatio Stopford, Colonel the Hon.
A. N. Hood, end Captain du Plat.
Her Majetty's dinner party in the evening included the
Dachau of Kent, Prince's Alice, the Duke of Oporto, end
the Duke of Sue Coburg; Lady Swan Leslie Melville, Lady
Katy Hood, the Hon. Lady Hotham, Mi.. Vic'oria Wortley,
Lkmtenaat•Ocoeral Vicomte da Camps:the, Captain Sergio,
Le Capitaina de Heater, A.D.C., and Colonel F. Seymour,
C.B.

The band of the 1W We Chards was in ettendsnee, end
pasted dining dinner the _
__

.... :::: ::::

. ......• worn
.......

D■AW.
Il lifels•fs privets bar( attemods performed t the
drawbridge".
The QOM mad Prism Cement, accompanied by Princess
Alice eel dr Deka of Baxe Coburg, walked In the Home-
park Ms waft
The Deane el Zest visited bar Majesty.

Dispatches were received at the Colonial-of
Flom the governors of Ceylon sad Hung Kong.

The Earl and Counties Howe are expected at
Cana Hoses, early mat wok, from Gocaill Hall, Lei-
omMenkilm.

The Earl and Countess of Shaftesbury will Lave
sews to-morrow, on a visit to the Countess Cowper, et Pear
hanger, Herta.

The Earl sad Grantees of Biwa are entertaining
Ids Entabssey tits Lord Lieutenant of 11111110i1 and the Coon-
teen of letatoun and a distinguished party at Cashiobary,
mar Watford.