The Express.
London, England, 1867-10-08 00:00:00

INDIAN CBMCIMIN ON r. SCLISH POLICY.

The impatience manifested in India fur the Abyssinian
enterprise leads the Trivia to refer to the ordinary strain
of Indian criticism on English policy. The English com-
munity in India are always advocating two crotchet,,
the first being that we must go to war to keep up
our prestige with the natives, and the second that it is
our duty to put a atop to " Russian aggression." The
persistent attempt to make the Russian advance in Central
Asia a ground of national hostilities is worse than an
error of judgment. We are assured that if the
public opinion of India were polled, the verdict would
be, " Use Cabal and hold Herat "—that is, carry
out fresh annexations at • desperate cost. There would
be no justification whatever for such • dishonest scheme.
It will be time enough to protest when Russia shows • dis-
position to encroach upon our possessions, and till then if
she chooemi to civilise or annex remote provinces she is
welcome to do ea. The vast tract over which Russian
armies most be marched to reach our borders affords one
strong security against the apprehended aggression, and
the Russians must be more ignorant of the ways of Eastern
princes than we suppose if they attach any importance to
alliances with them. The community in India invite us
at this moment to no fewer than four wars, for they urge
us to embroil ourselves with Russia, Persia, Affghanistan,
and Abyssinia. Their fantastic humours are a heavy tax
upon our patience. When there is a danger to meet,
England will not be unprepared, but she will not seek for
dangers where there are none, or be led into a war with a
great European power by an Oriental illusion.

ICS TOPICS.

The Times, the Herald, the Telegraph, the Star, and the
Standard dilate upon the public career of the late M.
Fould, and dwell upon the gravity of the loss to the
French empire which is occasioned by his death. Under M.
Fould's administration, the Times remarks, the empire at
all times was peace. Had he come in at this juncture, or
bad even the thought of calling him in, not only crossed
the Emperor's mind, but also taken a firm hold of it, there
was an end of the Army Reorganisation Bill, an end of
France's interference in the affairs of Italy or Germany,
an end not only of the distant prospects of war, but also
of the more pressing horrors of an armed peace. Had the
Emperor's mind taken that turn, the death of Fould could
not have been more inopportune.
The Star says M. Fould was far from being advanced to
the level of English statesmen in the question of free
trade. But as a prudent, firm, and economical adminis-
trator, as a man of unstained integrity and fearless
honesty in council, he had won the respect, confidence,
and admiration of the world. as well as of the country
which he so faithfully served.
While observing that it is not for distant observers to
dictate, or even to suggest, to a constituency so well coin.
petent to make a wise choice as the men who have sent
Mr. W. E. Forster to the House of Commons, whom they
shall select as his colleague, the Daily News nevertheless
mentions Mr. Edward Mien as the candidate who trans-
cends the others in personal and public claims: there are
few men in England whose presence in the new House of
Commons would be more advantageous. Whether he shall
be there by the choice of the electors of Bradford it is for
the electors of Bradford to determine; but that he ought
to be there no sound liberal can question. Mr. Miall's po-
Mica are essentially the politics of a now not distant future.
The churchmen of Bradford have no ground of quarrel
with Mr. Miall because of his views of ecclesiastical
policy. The " loud, long, and enthusiastic cheering,"
which greeted Mr. Beresford Hope's disparagement at
the Church Congress the other day, of endowments, date
aid, national pretension, and acts of parliament shows that
the opposition to the political establishment of religion
does not necessarily spring from rancour and venomous
fanaticism. Mr. Beresford Hope and he may be right or
wrong, but their coincidence removes the brand of sec-
tarianism from the opinions which they hold in common.
On other points, on the land question, on the education
question—a subject which he has wisely reconsidered an
old mistake—and on the supplementary measures which
are necessary to the good working of the Reform Bill, Mr.
Miall avows opinions which are in harmony with all that
is progressive and healthy in the liberal party.

-
EARL RUSSELL.—There seems to have been no
foundation for the rumoured indisposition of Earl Russell.
The Dubfirt Express of yesterday says that shortly after 9
o'clock on Saturday morning the Earl and Countess and
Lady Agatha Russell and suite arrived from Clandeboye,
the residence of the Right Hon. Lord Duffer in, and took
their departure on board the Stranraer boat for Scotland.

THE BISHOP OF OXFORD.—The Bishop of Oxford
was unable to be present at the public meeting held at the
Town-ball, Htmgerford, yesterday afternoon, on behalf of
the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign
Parts. The bishop has remained at Sandleford Priory,
the residence of Mr. Chatters,, attended by Mr. Helmeted,
a surgeon of the neighbourhood, and the account given of
his lordship's state lost evening was much more favour-
able. It was confidently hoped last night that be would
have so far recovered by to-day so to be able to preach at
the reopening service' at Newbury pariah church.