The Express.
London, England, 1860-07-26 00:00:00

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LONDON, THURSDAY, JULY 26.

CON,MILVATIB3I, naturally enough, is in delight
with the prospect of a huge scheme of fortification.
It is instinctively fond of expenditure on a grand
scale. Public money cannot be lavishly laid out
without the extension of Government influence in
various ways; and every contract and job is deemed
by Toryism an earthwork thrown up for its de-
fence pro gusto. Were there only enough of these
defensive works " Church and State " would once
more be occupying an entrenched camp in the
midst of a distrusted population. Loris Pulliam
thought he had made the master-stroke of policy

when he succeeded in getting up such a panic about
an invasion of France as rendered it not only pee-
Bible but momentarily popular to undertake the
expenditure of 13,000,0001. on the fortifications
of Paris, by which he sanguinely hoped to be able
to resist, not foreign invasion, about which he
talked so much, but popular discontent, about
which he said so little. The French people were
hocussed into believing that the huge moats and bee.
Gins and forts tistathis in the environs of their capital
made an essential difference in their national
safety ; and they consequently submitted with
scarcely a murmur to the imposition of the vast
addition thus made to their national debt. A few
years have rolled by, and changes have taken place
in the art of war which render very questionable
the value of the thirteen millions' wort► of mili-
tary masonry with which Paris is encircled ; but
no invasion of French territory has been pro-
jected, far lees attempted, by any of the Great
Power► of Europe. London, from its enormous
size, is happily incapable of being caged or
casemated ; and therefore we are not likely
to be pillaged by those true invaders of our
properties and rifler of our purses who live at
home and do us the honour of ruling us for
their own profit and pleasure, in the pre-
cise manner in which our French neighbours
used to be domestically plundered. For the pre-
sent, at least., the pretexts forGovernrnent jobbing
in the way of fortifications are sought for in the
supposed need of rendering our arsenals impreg-
nable, and nothing at present is proposed with the
view of fortifying London. Once let us get into
the way, however, of spending the resources of
the future on redoubts and lines of cireumvallation,
and there is no saying to what pitch of folly we
may eventually come. We do not object to the
wasteful expenditure it is proposed to commence
during the present year from any morbid idea that
fortresses may one day or other make the hands of
power too strong against the people. The political
objections fairly adducible are of a wholly different
nature, and are equally cogent whether the money
is thrown away within eyeshot of the seat of
Government or upon unconnected spots along the
coast. Those objections are mainly twofold : first,
the indefinite increase of Government taxation and
expenditure, already far too large ; and secondly,
the inevitable augmentation to an immense extent
of the standing army within the kingdom.
Parliament is called upon in the first instance
to authorise an immediate outlay of 2,000,000/. ;
but it is plainly told that this is but a beginning
in strategic brick and mortar : and lest there
should be any possible mistake about the matter,
Lord PALMEB2TON and Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT ex-
plain that care shall be taken to have no one
specific work completed for this sum, but on the
contrary that the expenditure is to be distributed
over all the points named in the Report of the
Commission. So that when next year an account
must be given of the progress made towards
defending the realm in this fashion, wo are pre-
pared beforehand for an announcement that the
first foundations have in different places been laid,
but that it will take two or three years more of
continuous labour, and many millions more of tax-
paid money, to render what has been spent in the
first instance of the slightest use. It is idle, there-
fore, to pretend that we are only trying an experi-
ment, which, if it fails, need not be repeated, and
that the limit of that experiment is two millions
of money. Ministers, in reality, make a demand
of Nine Millions and upwards, and to this demand
as a whole Parliament will have to say
aye or no, although the inducement is
held out that time will be given for the payment,
and that 4a. Gd. in the pound will be taken as an
instalment. There cannot, and there must not,
be any mystification about the matter. The
question for the country to consider is, whether it
ought to sink Nine Millions of capital within
the next four years in ramparts, trenches, and
recall," with the strong probability that by the
time they are finished it will be discovered
that to make them of ally use as ranch more
must be spent upon them. But this is the
least part of the pecuniary question. From the
hour they are completed the necessity wm
arise of filling them with garrisons of regular
troops. liVhatever may be thought of the peril of
leaving certain points of the coast tinfortifled,
there can be no second opinion as to the danger of
leaving strong places unmanned, to tempt surprise
on the part of an enemy. Once consent to so
many strongholds on the seaboard being erected,
and so are fairly in fur the cod of an additional

standing array is mask iacttlortm. Instead of
15,000,0001. a year for Amy Estimates, our
spendthrift rulers would fails beguile us into a
state of things in which 20,000,0001. a year
would not suffice for the pay and keep of the
regular army even in times of, peace. Is the
country prepared for this?
Quite distinct from such considerations are
time which suggest themselves to the least reflect-
ing as to the political consequences of the scheme.
A large augmentation of the regular army to be
permanently maintained within the kingdom would
be confessedly a large augmentation of the power
of the Crown and aristocracy as opposed to that
of the industry and intelligence of the people.
Not only would the influence arising from pa-
tronage be obviously increased, but the mind of
the country would by so much be turned away
from useful and productive pursuits to those of
an opposite character. Nor is it possible to over-
estimate the effect likely to ensue upon the ex-
ternal policy of the nation. Let England once
assume the character of military rivalry with the
absolute monarchies of the Continent, and we
shall not have long to wait for opportunities of
trying issue with them on the battle-fields of
Europe. Lord PaLmraffro:4 said truly in his
recent speech that the permanent possession of a
vast disciplined force was for any Government
only too strong a temptation to use it. Why,
then, would he have us imitate a bad example t
Why not, instead of additional myriads of regular
troops costing millions upon millions of additional
taxes—why not adopt frankly and fear-
lessly the two expedient' which would at
once appeal to the nation's heart, and without
oppressively weighing upon its resources render the
country invincible t Why not add to the Navy,
and organise a Local Militia? We do not mean
by the one a mere building of ships to be laid up
in ordinary, but to be manned by a liberal and
considerate system as regards the crews ; and by
the other we mean, not the miserable and costly
embodiment of regiments such as we have had
during the last seven years under the blundering
Act of 1852, but a universal enrolment throughout
the realm of the vigorous youth of all classes, with
local drill, and local officers, and a spirit rather
resembling that which animates our Volunteer
Corps, than any which can be hoped for from re-
giments enlisted by the mere persuasive' of brandy
and bounty, and held in discipline by incessant
appeals to the lash.

A cons! DIE& ILE number of the principal trades-
men of the West•end have met and agreed to close
their establishments early on Saturday afternoon,
so as to give the young persons in their employ
the benefit of a fair evening's holiday. This is a
gracious and considerate resolution, and one that
the public, which has helped on the Early Closing
Movement by its warm approval, will not failto sanc-
tion and support. It is proposed to close the shops
on Saturdays at four in the winter and at five in the
summer months. These hours are not too early,
if the young people are to get out for a breath of
air in the fields, or for a couple of hours' Vo-
lunteer drill. A great deal might be said in
favour of two o'clock all the year round ; but the
measure is an innovation in the retail trade of
London, and it is wise not to attempt too much.
Of course, it would be hopeless to attempt to carry
out a measure of this kind against the wishes of
the fair patrons of trade. But there is the less
reason to suppose that this will be withheld, inas-
much as the proposed arrangement is to some
extent an act of deference to their wishes. The
Rifle corps of the metropolis, as we all know,
are to a large extent constituted of young
men employed in houses of business, and everyone
must wish that they may have in weekly drill
opportunities of healthful active exercise while
they qualify themselves to become, in case of
need, defenders of their country. If, then, the
ladies generally will kindly countenance a change
which has been actively 'promoted by some who
are the ornaments of their sex, the transition to
new and better arrangements will be easily
accomplished, and here, as so often happens with
seeming difficulties, ii n'y a qne to premier poi qui
caste.

Vbe Court.

OSBORNE, Jinx 25.

The Queen, Prince Consort, and Princess Alice,
rode on horseback yesterday, attended by Colonel the Hon.
A. Hardinp.
Her Majesty has received a tele Traphic rummage dated
this morning at Potsdam, announcing that the Princess
Royal'. condition is moat satiafactory, and that the infant
Princess is perfectly well.

A Cabinet Council was held yesterday afternoon
at the official residence of the First Lord of the
Treasury, in Downing-street. The Ministers pre-
sent were Viscount Palmerston, the Lord
Chancellor, Earl Granville, the Duke of Argyll,
Sir G. Cornwall Lewis, Lord John Russell, the
Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, Sir Charles Wood,
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Duke of
Somerset, the Right Hon. T. -Milner Gibson, Sir
George Grey, the Right Hon. C. P. Villiers,
and the Right Hon. Edward Cardwell.

A deputation had an interview with Viscount Palmerston
yestenlay to present a memorial respecting the appant•
ment of Mr. W. B. Turnbull to the office of Calen&rer at
the Foreign Papers in the State Paper-office. The deputa-
tion consisted of the Earl of Shaftesbury, Lord Calthorpe,
the Hon. A. Ainnaird, M.P., Sir W. Verner, Bart., M.P.,
the Rev. Sir N. Chinnery, Bart., Sir Thomas Philipps,
Bart., Admiral V. Harcourt, Major Giberne, Rev. Thomas
Alexander, Dr. Cross, Dr. Street, Rev. W. Scott Moncrieff,
Mr. PeterCirtor, and Mr. Chas. Bird. The memorial was

signed by 2,sol:liiersons, of whom ten were poem, eighteen
members of pari mance., ten baronets, $5 nutgistrates, 518
clergymen, 553 dissenting ministers, besides several
generals, admirals, and other °dicers in the army and
navy, heads of colleges, literary and other gentlemen.
Mr. Kinnairil at the same time presented a !similar me-
morial from Boatload, signed by 3,500 persons.
A deputation of residents and ratepayers occupying
houses in the vicinity of Kensington.gardena, against the
new ride, had as interview with the First Commissioner of
Works and Public Buildings yesterday, at his office in
Whitehall-place. The deputation consisted of Mr. F. W.
Russell, M. P., the Rev. Canon Boyd, Lieutenant-Colonel
Lothian K Dielmon, Mr. R. M. Stapvlb.n, Mr. B. Wool-
sey, Mr. Evans, Mr. Appach, Captain Pigeon, Mr. J. IL
Vance, M.P., Mr. Campbell, Mr. W. Litter, Mr. William
Taprell, and Mr. Brett.
liespitches were received at the Colonial-office yesterday
from the Governor of Canada.

Him Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, his
Serene Highness the Sovereign Prince of Lichtenstein, the
Marquis of Exeter. and Major Greville, joined the circle
partaking of the hospitality of the Duke and Dada= of
Richmond, at Goodwood, on Tuesday evening

Ilia Royal flighneax the Duke of Cambridge has
ceaseated to lay the foundation atom of a sew church at
Kiagatoo•ralii, near Robin Hoodiate, oa Nowdaa meat.

Lori John Ronal], her Majesty's Setzetary of
State for Foreign Affairs, has nominated the Rev. Richard
Merrick Rowe, M.A., Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford,
and theological tutor of Queen's College, Birmingham, to
the Ilritssh chaplaincy at Alexandria.

Mrs. Sidney Herbert bad an amernbly hat even-
ing the family mansion in Bel4;raveeqoare. Previously
to the assembly, the Right Hon. Sidney and Mrs. Herbert
entertained at dinner his Excellency the Ambassador of
Prance, the Duke sod Duchies of Argyll,MariaMarchioness
,4 Ade...bury, the Marquis of Isinsilowas, the Bishop of
Oxfor‘l, the Earl and Countess de Grey. the Earl sod
Counters of Strafford, the Count fitreeleckl. Viscount and
ibel.lbielli Palmerston, Lady Moletworth, Viammtese de
%•4 Le.