The Express.
London, England, 1866-02-28 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, VEDIESDAX

in spite of this unanimous utiafaction of inspectors
we fancy the public would have been MAIM bill-
fled if the inspectors had been lees. Indeed, Mr.
Wfilioa, a retired shipbuilder of Liverpool, ex-
pressed not only the well-considered opinion of
his own long experience, but the instinctive com-
mon-sense of the public, when he stated very
forcibly his objection to "the class of ship to
" which the London belonged "—a class familiarly
designated by the best seamen as " coffins." The
Court of Inquiry observes with satisfaction that
the London was never put before the wind till the
forenoon of the day when she went down, and re-
cords this fact in answer to certain " severe re-
" Elections which have been made upon the sup-
" Posed imprudent act of the Muter." We know
not to what severe reflections the Court alludes,
but we utterly fail to understand the satisfaction
of the nautical assessors at the ship not having been
put before the wind—that is, eased away under fore
and aft canvas only—until long after it had been
found that she could not lay to with her long lean
bow plunging into the sea like an axe, and until she
had become unmanageable by dint of steaming head
to wind, and knocking herself to pieces with her
own spars. In the opinion of the Court, the im-
mediate cause of her loss was "the sea getting into
" the engine-room and extinguishing the fires ; "
which is a little too like saying that the immediate
cause of a man's death was because he could not
breathe. But they do not venture upon any positive
conclusions ea to whether the action of the sea car-
ried away the skylight over the engine hatchway, or
whether the skylight was properly secured. It
does not appear in evidence that the fastenings of
I the skylight were not properly secured, while it is
distinctly stated that the hatchway was perfectly
battened down. It is difficult, as the Court
suggests, to imagine how such an enormous
body of water—five feet depth in the engine-room
—could have been shipped through the hatchway
within three minutes. But we may hope that the
fact of the flooding of the engine-room through the
hatchway having undoubtedly been one of the im-
mediate causes of the disaster, will be sufficient to
draw the closer attention of builders and of in-
spectors to this vital part of a steamship.
Altogether, this Report cannot, we think, be
considered a production of much value ; but it is
only just to remember that the absence of the
lamented commander and the principal officers of
the London left the Court entirely in the dark on
several of the most important points of inves-
tigation.

the ascii important before them. In the espinioil of the LATEST _
rano the problem as to whom*, fends fit imetrepolitan .
Improvements are to be found will never be solvedsntil the
whole metropolis has an administrative unity underred THE EASTERN QUESTION.
upon it after the fashion of Paris. If we ones obtain The Vienna journals of the 24th contain 00Tree•
a good general government for London ender s re- pondenoe from Zara, in Dalmatia, which states
'penale head, it will be possible to lay out • regular plan
that several Serbs and Roumain emissaries
in •dis-
of metropolitan improvements, instead of the petty street- I
guise are exciting the people of Bosnia and Herne-
making to which we have beau accustomed. All, then .
that the goverment would have to do would be to all
private saterprim to Its aid. goyim% through the agency of the Greek clergy, to
rise against the Turks. The Turkish garrisons of
The Post says the only uniformity of action the London Banjuluka, Mostar, and Trebigne have been
parishes have ever shown has been in the consistent rejec. strengthened in consequence by the addition of
tion of all reform either in street mending, cleansing, wooed battalions.
orprivil"agenatructi°ol disregardingn'ftlt" themai ntnanvec.nieonfce,thlirati=d,
or safety of that long-suffering body—the British public. The Jounced des Debate says that a telegram from
Brody, dated the 25th, announces that the greatest
this George Grey evidently wishes to threw upon Mr. activity exists amongst the Russian corps of obeer-
Ayeton's proposed committee the labour and odium of nation on the banks of the Prath. The troops are
preparing • bill to deal with the subject, but it is hardly
fair upon the metropolis to defer its emancipation for such ready to march, and General Kotzebue, the com-
mander-in-chief, is every moment expected from
• reason when there is no longer any dispute as to the
Odessa. This news is confirmed by the latest
facts; and although the circumstances hardly seem to
demand the appointment of • minister for L011(1011 as journals from Vienna, whichcontain reports from
required by Lord Robert Montagu, the public has a right Bessarabia of the hostile attitude of the Russian
to ask that something shall be done to emancipate the troops along the Pruth. Officers of the staff are
metropolis from the embrace of the old men the sea engaged in ascertaining the points at which the
who have so long ridden upon he neck. river can be passed with most facility, and pontoons
Though the Telegraph does not regret that Nerthumber- have been prepared for this purpose. No order,
land House is to be spared, it regards the wild rush of tories
the other eight to defend it, as a melancholy proof that however, has been given to advance. "It is not
the sympathies of the party are more readily excited on neoseeary," adds the Debats, "to point out the
behalf of • duke than on behalf of 100,000 workmen. Mr. importance of this news, which, however, we
Beresford Hope in particular sounded • sort of publish with all reservation."
srolueological clarion, and summoned his fades to
the battle. " Northumberland Houle must be
struck out of the bill at once, peremptorily,
and for ever, or a little more would be heard of
It!' No wonder that at this dim, mysterious threat—
made still more impressive, perchance, by angular got-
tiodetions—no wonder that the boldest iceman quailed.
Whether • Mr. Beresford Hope meant civil war—in
which case the pupils of St. Augustine's College, Can-
terbury, might be expected to march upon the House of
Common and meault the metropolitan police—or whether
he only meant en article in a weekly periodical, the Tele-
graph cannot preenme to determine.
The Star thinks that even if the blood of the proud Percy§
flowed in the veins of the present Duke of Northumberland,
"whose family name is Smithson," he would have no
reason to be dissatisfied with the deference shown to him by
the Metropolitan Board of Works. The appalling threat
of Mr. Hope in particular excites the amusement of the
Star, which, without offering any opinion upon the merits
of the scheme involving the destruction of the building,
entirely objects to the principle which consents to abandon
it, not because it is defective or unneceessry, bat because
it inconveniences or vexes some noble personage.

TELLIGENCE.

(mTura's Tumum:s4
AMERICA.

ARRIVAL OF THE CITY OF WASHINGTON.

(Via Bodies Poiot.)

The Royal Mail Company's steamship City of
Washington, from New York on the 17th inst.,
arrived at Queenstown at 6.30 a.m. to-day with the
mails, 123 passengers, 130,080 dole. in specie, and
3,1421. sterling. She landed the mails and 17
passengers and proceeded for Liverpool at 6.45 a.m.
NEW YORK, FEL 17, Moans°.

- - .
The reconstruction committee have decided to
report in favour of the admission of Tennessee, on
the ground that having applied for admission
into the Union, and her constitution being repub-
lican, she shall be admitted on the same terms and
for the same reason as territories are. _ _

The Tennessee delegation, however, ask admis-
sion to Congress, and deny that the state waa ever
out of the Union, or that Congress can legislate for
Tennessee as for a territory.
Mr. Banoroft's remarks upon foreign governments
in his oration upon the late Mr. Lincoln's birth-
day have caused much indignation among the
diplomatic corps.
The Austrian minister has protested officially to
Mr. Seward against Mr. Bancroft's statement that
the Emperor Maximilian was an Austrian ad-
venturer.

Mr. Seward ref used to accept the protest on the
ground that Austria had declared she would remain
foreign to all Mexican matters. This theory the
Austrian minister refused to accept since it con-

founded the person of a member of the Austrian
imperial family with his political position, and his
ezoelleney persisted in protesting against the im-
propriety of Mr. Bancroft's remarks.

Sir Frederick Bruce refused an invitation to a
dinner at which Mr. Bancroft was to be present.

The Spanish frigates Carmen and Isabel Catolioa
have arrived at New York, and will be thoroughly
overhauled before their departure. _

The City of London and the Bremen have
arrived out.

EMIL INTELLIGENCE.
NEW YORK, Fm 17, Moalma.

Money easy. Gold, 137} ; exchange on London,
148 i. Stocks firm and active. New York Centrals,
901; Illinois, 1141; Erie, 81; 5-20 Bonds, 1031.
Cotton steady. Middling Upland, 45. Flour de-
clining. Wheat limited demand. Corn active.
Provisions steady. Coffee held firmly. Sugar
buoyant. Molasses limited demand. Petroleum
inactive ; crude, 30 ; refined, 48.

NEW ORLEANS, Yen. 16.
Cotton dull, 45. Stook, 190,000 bales.
MOBILE, F 143. 16.

Cotton quiet, 43. Week's sales, 19,000 bales.
Receipts, 10,000 bales. Exports, 12,000 bales.
Stock, 70,000.

MEXICO.

Advioes from Vera ems to the let inst. an-
nounce that considerable military activity pre-
vailed at that port. Troops were leaving for
the interior and the frontier, and ammunition
continued to arrive from France.

The republicans recently oaptured an imperial
train near Tampico, valued at 650,000 dollars.
New Orleans despatches state that the republi-
cans had been defeated and routed near Tampico,
with the loss of 850 men. General Medese and
all the officers of his staff were killed.

IMPORTANT DECLARATION OF THE
AUSTRIAN GOVERNOR OF HOLSTEIN.
KIEL, rim 28.

General Gablenz, the Austrian commander in
Holstein, has addressed an order to the provincial
government of that Duchy sanctioning the extraor-
dinary convocation of the committee on the budget.
General Gsblenz in this document alludes as fol-
lowa to the recognition of the constitution of 1854 :
—"I do not hesitate to express myself in favour of
the constitution of 1854, as the proper basis for the
future political organisation of Holstein, and I re-
cognise in their full extent the obligations thereby
imposed upon the government of the Emperor of
Austria."

POLAND.

WARSAW, Fn. 28,

An Imperial Ukase has been issued permitting
Jews who have received a diploma at a Russian or
Polish university to enter the public service in
Poland with the enjoyment of the rights and pri-
vileges connected with the office of public func-
tionaries.