The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-14 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY 14, 1867.

THE LULL AT ROME.

The clandestine paper Roma dei Romani, which
appears at irregular intervals in Rome, has recently
published an article entitled "The Calm of Rome,"
of which the following is a translation :

This calm alter the departure of the French is quite a
problem, with which the PontiAcal government is the
first to be astonished. France attributes it to her mon'
protection; the Pentifical government to its Zouaves and
to Its state of siege system, which has become more severe
than ever upon the little territory it has left. As to the
government, let it suppose or let it say that the
calm is due to force and not to affection. Of the two
errors the former is less false and lees insulting
than the latter. As to France, she is leas in error in
attributing it to herself. It is not absurd to say that her
shadow covers Rome after the execution of the conven-
tion. But DO one ought to be deceived as to the " why "
and the " how long!" France felt that the honour of her
flag was henceforth insulted in Rome, since it did not in-
duce the government to tio any good. It wished to see,
therefore, what the government would do when left to
itself, and placed face to face with the just discontent of
the population. Has that really been the idea of France ?
Well, let her see, and the whole world with her. The
Roman government is now without excuse ; the pressure
of a foreign power no longer wounds its self teem.
Napoleon 111. has cussed to ..‘gyiztlie Pato
• or i-ditektilgreao with his importunate counsels.
The Pope can act for himself, and claim the merit of his
acts. Well, what can ho ay! That he has not hie pro-
vinces, that he is poor! But what is that to the Romans,
and why should they be blamed ? Let him content the
subjects he bas left, and the others will be all the more
allured by the desire of returning under the paternal
regime. For our part, we know what the government
will do, and we are beginning to feel it. We are under
no delusion, but certain catholic+ in foreign countries wish
t ) see it. And in order that opinion may not be falsified
by the lies of the court press, we undertake to give a
faithful account of the situation, and to note the acts of
the government, • course which will he useful on the day
when its course is decided—no matter by whom.
Let us repeat, there should be no mistake. Who can
pretend that such a situation will last for ever! Who
can suppose so! The government itself and its party
only accept it in the hope of • foreign intervention, or of
sone European complication. The Roman question is not
with us an abstract principle. The terrible and deplorable
reality of our situation is superior to all principle. It is
not even • question of annexation to • great kingdom ;
for the national aspiration is not our ink want. We have
need, extreme need, let the world know it, of liberty.
We will no longer be • mortmain of the priest, the sport of
ithirri and foreigners. We will not, and please God we shall
not, be this. And let our words be well weighed. If France
effaced from her device the sacred principles which con-
stitute her glory ;if she repudiated the right of nationali-
ties proclaimed by her ; if Italy ceased to be • nation, and
was divided not into seven, but into a hundred states, that
of the priest could no longer count upon us. If European
civilisation wishes for a government of priests let it seek
another place. Notwithstanding all coalitions and all
restorations the Romans will eternally conspire against the
despotism of • caste which has made • dogma of their
slavery. The obstinate non posninius we will meet with
a non rotemus even more obstinate still. And we shall
see in the end which of the two will prevail.

The Frazee states that the announcement of the
appointment of Count de Palikao as Grand Referendary
of the Senate is incorrect, and that the count will retain
hie military command.
HEAD CENTRE STEPHENS. —The New York
Tribune of January 1 says :—"At • late hour last evening
information was received at the Tribune office that James
Stephens, the Fenian Head Centre, had been boarding at
No. 105, Apt Thirteenth-street, ever since his mysterious
appearance some weeks ago, until within four days, under
the name of William Scott. Two or three of Steithens%
principal adherents were conversing with the Head Centre
on Sunday, the 22nd of December, and, becoming alarmed
about the report in the Tribune, which stated that
Stephens was still in New York, he suddenly decamped
for parts unknown. This I. most startling information for
the eupporters and friends of Mr. Stephens, and hie pre-
sence in New York will no doubt account for the fact that
no insurrection has broken out in Ireland under the
auspices of the Head Centre. It has also been ascertained
that Stephens had been paying the modest sum of 45 dole.
a week for his board and lodging. This news will no
doubt create a terrible revulsion against Stephens. During
the time of Stephens'. concealment in Thirteenth-street,
he bad pickets thrown out continually, watching to pre-
vent intruders ' • but even this precaution did not save the
Head Centre from detection. It will evidently be im-
possible for Mr. Stephens to keep his engagement with the
British government in Ireland this year.

SUNDAY EVENINGS FOR THE PEOPLE.—TiIe
Sunday Evenings for the People, which were commenced
last winter under the auspices of the National Sunday
League, and after a few weeks suddenly brought to a close
under circumstances in the recollection of our readers,
were resumed Let evening at St. Martin's-hall by
the League, but under such arrangements as will,
it is thought, do away with any interference of the
law. The large hall was filled with a most
respect-
able
auditory within • few minutes of thel:w%
being opened. The proceedings commenced at seven
o'clock with the delivery of an address by Mr. Baxter
Langley, President of the Sunday League, in which he
stated the object of the promoters of the evenings to be to
establish a point of union for a class of earnest and con-
scientious persons, daily increasing in number, whose reli-
gious idiom find no suitable exponent in any of the
existing churches, and that they claimed to exercise the
same freedom for communion as other religionists enjoy.
They were • religious and not • theological body, and had
no desire to offend any other class of persons, whatever
religious dogmas they may profess. Mr. John Cranford,
F.R.S., President of the Ethnological Society, then, pro-
ceeded to deliver the opening discourse of the series, On
the Plurality of the Rapes of Man," which was listened to
with much intereth and attention. The object of the lec-
ture was to prove that the various mere of man could not
by possibility have sprung from one family, and that they
had originated from distinct species, as had all the lower
rders of animals existing on the face of the earth. At
the conclusion of the lecture a selection of sacred music
from the Xenia was rendered by • bugs choir, under the
direction of Mr. Jennings, the soloists being Madame
Talbot Chesen, and Messrs. Montem Smith and Aynsley
Cook. The organ, of great power, has been kindly lest
for the series of evenings by Messrs. Bryceson.

- -
A SERVANT BURNT TO DZATIL—A very melan-
choly accident occurred on Saturday last at Sherborne,
in the house of the Rev. F. Beckley, the pastor of the
Congregational Church, the domestic servant, a young
woman, 19 years of age named Louisa Godfrey, being
burnt to death. The deceased, it appeared, rose as usual
to light the fire, and Mr. Beckley found her lying before
it some time afterwards so seriously burnt that she died
on the same day. On Monday an inquest was held on
view of the body before the coroner, Mr. J. Y. Melmoth,
when the Rev. Frederick Beckley said—The deceased
went to bed in good health about half-past 10 on Friday
night. I heard her come down at 6 next morning.
About 20 minutes past 7 I went into the kitchen,
called, but received no answer. The kitchen was in its usual
state, and the fire was burning in the range. I opened the
back kitchen door and found the room so full of smoke that
I could sea nothing. I groped, and found deceased at my
feet. I drew her into the front kitchen and found her
dress smouldering. I rubbed the fire out. From her knees
to her breast she was perfectly bare. I think she groaned
a little, but did not speak., Dr. Williams was sent for,
and her burns dressed. She was then taken upstairs.
and every attention paid to her, but she died about 2
o'clock. I asked her if I should pray with 1-er, and
she said " Yes." She was ached if she knew how the fire
originated, and she said " No." I found a candle burnt
down to the socket by the side of her in the back
kitchen. She had taken the cinders from the fire and put
them in the cinder-box. She had never been subject to
fits. A towel covered with blood had been taken from
the back kitchen door, and evidently wrapped round her.
She had a very nice head of hair, but it was quite burnt
off tehind. Her hands were very blo• dy, and there were
marks of a band grasping the wall as if to find the door.
There were fragments of a burning dress near the water.
tip. Dr. Williams said—l found the deceased lying on
the floor, the front of her clothes all burnt away, and the
body burnt in numbers of places from head to foot—
deeply burnt in parts. The chest was very severely burnt,
and the hips. On the back there were two great patches
right through to the flesh, charred ; her hands were much
burnt, the muscles hanging like the fingers of gloves. I
dressed some of the places, and we took her upstairs to
bed. She died from the shock to the nervous system.
Her sufferings must have been intense. The jury returned
a verdict of " Accidental death."—Scgiaburg Journal.

ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL, GRAY'S-IWN-ROAD.—The
number of patient' relieved et this hcapital during the
week ending Jen. 12 wee 3,680, of which 1,198 were new
IMAM