The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-13 00:00:00

THE WEEKLY PRESS.

The division Alon Mr.Glachstone's amendment
took place, of, course, at too late an hour to admit of
criticism in the weekly journals. The Saturday Rerior,
however, anticipating the successor the ministry, observes
that even then the bill could not possibly pass. It is
quite evident that, rather than have the bill as it is, the
liberal party would have household suffrage pure

and simple. That the ministry would carry the
checks on household suffrage against the liberal
party is totally impossible. If they did, the
agitation of last autumn would recommence with
double fury. It is quite childish to think that a reform
bill entirely opposed to the wishes of all those who lead
the party of reform; can satisfy reformers. There is no

practical choice possible, after the hue winch Mr. Disraeli
has thought fit to take, except between household suf-
frage with no other check than that of residence, and Mr.
Gladstone's proposal. Before the end of the session the
government will have to accept one of the two or go out,
unless it (consents to do what Mr. Disraeli a short time
ago seemed ready to do, and greatly alter the bill in com-
mittee.

The Examiner looks upon the question of personal rating
and payment of rates as a secondary, not a primary ele-
ment in the main question—how shall we obtain • settle-
ment this session of the great controversy that disturbs
the nation? The anchors are lifted, and we are drifting
slowly but steadily with the tide of time. It becomes
more than ever desiir►ble and necessary, if parties are to
be reconstituted, that they should be so on broad and
comprehensive bases. Politically old things are passing
away and all things are becoming new. The magic of
mere names and the prestige of cliques are gone ; and both
conservatism and liberalism will have to be recast in
moulds more suited to the age we live in.
The Spectator says the true issue between the govern-
ment and the opposition is the issue between plain dealing
and finesse. We should be sorry to think that " the
sneaks" hold the balance. Mr. Disraeli thinks so, bat he
h►bitually, perhaps, attributes a larger influence to " the
sneaks" than they really possess. This is the one weak-
ness of his able, but cynical political cunning.
The government principle. according to the Chronicle,
promises enfranchisement to every subject who is not
physically or legally incapacitated ; and then for perform-
ance comes out the proposal that the man who pays poor
rates for his house shall have the franchise. Did ever the
mountains in labour give bit th to a more ridiculous mouse?
But the absurdity of the proposal is drama by its immo-
rality. The crime of murder is not mitigated by its being
committed in order to rob the victim of twopence. And a
proposal that tampers with national morals, and exhibits
an unexampled callousness to the evil of bribery and elec-
toral corruption is none the less hateful because its de-
tails are dishonestly imagined, and contrived with a poli-
tical shallowness and administrative incapacity which
defy, because they are beneath, criticism.

If the pending quarrel between France and Germany
were to be decided, remarks the Saturday Retina, by war,
the inconvenience to neutral states would be measured by
the interruption of cwinnerce ; but a contest between two
powers of the first order has always a tendency to spread.
France will not conquer Germany, nor will Germany dis-
member France ; but the independence of Holland or of
Belgium might be sacrified in the gigantic conflict. The
delicate and undeveloped liberties of Germany would be
temporarily crushed by the necessities of war, and it is
not the interest of France to injure a rival power by con-
verting a partially constitutional government into a mili-
tary monarchy. The consequences which might result
from a great European war are too complicated and un-
certain to be distinctly foreseen. It is enough to know
that the belligerents could by no possibility do good to
themselves or to others, except in the accelerated consoli-
dation of German unity.

The Spectator sees but two distinctly conservative ele-
ments in the situation—the desperate magnitude of the
stake for which the Emperor must play, and his own grow-
ing irresolution on great questions. Apart altogether from
changes of frontier, of possible territorial losses by treaty
after war, all of which would fall on France, as well as her
Sovereign, Napoleon if he goes to war must, by the condi-
tions of his position, stake his throne. The Empire would
not survive defeat by Germany six days. The Emperor is
not, like his uncle, necessarily Commander-in-Chief of the
Army of Defence, and would either be compelled to give
place to the man who was, or by appealing to the repre-
sentatives of the people for aid and counsel to terminate
his own regime.

THE. JAMAICA PROSECUTIONS.—We are informed
that the Jamaica Committee have resolved to pro-
secute Mr. El re for misdemeanour, under the pro-
visions of the Colonial Governors Act.
THE PRINCESS or WALES.—During last week
there bad been little or no progress in the state of the
knee-joint of her Royal Highness the Princess of \Vales,
and on Thursday • relapse occurred which continued during
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, when a good deal of re-
newed inflammation existed. The splint was shifted in
ord"r to ease the limb ; and, to prevent the pain which
must have been caused otherwise by the necessary move-
ments in handling the exquisitely tender joint, chlorofonu
was administered by Mr. Clover with the apparatus which
he has invented for the Purpose. On Saturday Mr. Cesar
Hawkins and Mr. George Pollock were called in consults-
thin at the request of Mr. Paget. They found, however,
that the condition and treatment of the joint were such
as not to call for any further suggestion or any kind
of change. Since Sunday the intiammatory condition
of the joint has relaxed, and is still subsiding, although
It has not yet passed away. Her royal highness's
rest has been tolerably good this week, except on Wednes-
day night, when it was much disturbed. The persistence
of the inflammation and this tendency to relapse are
naturally sources of anxiety, and the most careful watch
is kept upon all the symptoms ; nothing has, however,
occurred to indicate any change in the nature of the in-
flammation, or to lead to unfavourable auguries of the
final result. The Princess has not lost flesh, and she has
no permanent sense of suffering or expression of anxiety
on the contrary, she retains all her happy and genial
characteristics, and is ready to be amused and as kindly
and vivacious as when in her beet state of health. There
is, of course, no foundation for the rumour that her royal
highness is about to take a journey to Denmark for the
benefit of her native air. The Princess is not in a condi-
tion to be moved, and the question has not been enter-
tained.—Britiel Medical Journal.
BOARD OF TRADE, WHITEHALL, APRIL 9.
The Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of
l'rivy Council for Trade have received, from the Secretary
of State for Foreign Affairs, • copy of • despatcb from
her Majesty's ambassador at Constantinople, inclosing •
copy of • note from the Turkish government, announcing
that the importation of revolvers into Turkey has been
prohibited, the Turkish government considering them to
be "ammunition of war," the importation of which is
prohibited in accordance with • decision of the Sublime
Porte, dated 7th January, 1563.—Gaunt.