The Express.
London, England, 1860-07-17 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, JULY 17,

IT has been remarked that very dull joking
will pass for wit in • law court. Assuredly, this
emptiest and stalest gossip from the purlieus
of a foreign embassy will pass for "secret informed
Nos "of the most undeniable authenticity is the
House of Commons. General 430=314Ctliss vthc
represents the simple-minded corn dealers and other
innocent burghers of Bridgewater, is au unfathom-
able mine of European mysteries into which the
ingenuous and unsuspecting Member for Lis-
keard peers with confessed astonishment and awe.
The Villafranca interview has for' months past
exercised Ithe sagacity of those industrious chro-
niclers who defy keyholes and laugh at locksmiths,
and the versions of that famous Imperial colloquy
are as various as the inventive powers of the cor-
respondents who were not present. But it was
reserved for Mr. K let LA E, after ten months' artful
reticence, to tell the House, in the solemnest stage
whisper, and with shrugs more eloquent than
words, what really passed in the imaginary conversa-
tion between the youthful CAussa and the long-
headed CHARLILMAGNIL. A secret so important as
this offer of Loris NAPOLZON's to hand back
Milan to FRANcIti demerit as a pledge for Austrian
acquiescence in the invasion of Germany, was
well worth knowing as soon as possible ; FRANCIS
Josarif and Mr. KINOLAILE deserve the greatest
credit for having kept it so long. Following closely
on the celebrated Milan proclamation, it should have
been published in Turin in time for the French
Eartilnit's triumphant reception in the Lombard
capital; or, at any rate, in time to enable the Pelmet
Atom". of Paosna to redeem hie dynastic character
in Germany by marching to the assistance of Austria.
Such is the chivalrous generosity of FRANent
Joszrn, that for nearly a year he has allowed his
conqueror to bear the palm of the Liberator of
Lombardy, and the Panes RroLNT of Prussia to'
remain in ignorance of his deep debt of gratitude
to his brother Sovereign, who had repaid the cold
neutrality of Prussia by refusing to be indemnified
at her expense, or to suffer the Rhine to be seized
in exchange for Lombardy. This is the highly
probable fact Mr. KINOLAILZ asserts on the faith
of some person unknown, whom Mr. BERNAL
(Naos!: z, in the simplicity of his soul, assumes to
be the Emperor of Atirrius himself, since it can
hardly be Mr. Knecures's intimate enemy the
Emperor of the Flt6Nen; and nobody else, as all
the world knows, was present at the interview.
Now Mr. KINGLSKE (of whose book it has been
I said, that not the least of its merits is that it is the
only one he has written) is nothing in Parliament if
not a chiireoyent ; though like other practitioners
of that mysterious art, he is more successful as
a mesmerist. But the gift of clairvoyance,
which enables him to know what passed be-
tween a couple of Emperors, seems less remark-
' able when it is remembered that this astounding
" fact," at which the House of Corutuons gapes, is
nothing more nor less than one of the thousand
fictions which have gone the round of the foreign
press, and have fallen dead months ago of mere
exhaustion. It is no new thing that " informa•
Jim" which no decently conducted journal in
this country would admit into its columns,
except as a ridiculous an din, finds
ready believers in the House of Commons,
when it is mouthed with sufficient pomposity by a
sententiously silly Mscitisvei. it petit pied in search
of a sensation.
The Member for Bridgewater mistakes his vo-
cation when he transfers to the British Legislature
airs of mystery and attitudes of awful import
which are effective enough at dinner-tables and
positively irresistible in drawing-rooms. For an
ambitious member of Parliament the part of
l'ionemr fatal in French melodrama is not the
roost dignified or useful. A commonplace
attention to matters of domestic policy, to
supplies and estimates, to commercial legis-
lation and law reforms, may be less ornamental and
romantic, hut, we should imagine, more satisfac-
tory to the honest householders of Bridgewater.
Besides, is not the author of " Eothen " an autho-
rity on the Eastern question T Is not the amateur
aide-de-camp who "emitted at" the Alma an
authority on military subjects ? Surely he might
do better for his literary and political reputation,
not to speak of his constituent', than to retail the
gossip of royal refugees. Perhaps the misfortune
is, that of the very foreign questions he preatunes to
make his own this wonderful twerrllisk hardly
knows the alphabet. He echoes the unreasoning and
indiscriminate abuse of V 'cum Emit AN17.1., which is
almost a passport to some great houses, as if the
Italian question, in its relation to France, Austria,
and Piedmont, dated from Count Csvot a's visit to
Plombieres. Mr. KINuLACC believes that it is
the perfection of le halite pilitique to speak of
Austria as " our oldest ally"—an expression conve-
nient enough to Austrian statesmen in the early
years of this century, when the British nation was
taxed to death to keep all the totteriug and bank-
rupt tyrannies of Europe on their legs. It is far
less fashionable, no doubt, even for a Liberal
member, to remember that it is to the wisdom of
our Tory negotiators of 1815 that the agony of
Italy, which has avenged itself on the peace and
tranquillity of Europe ever since, is originally due ;
that the blind obstinacy of Austria and her
clients, aided by her incessant military interven-
tions throughout the Italian peninsula, and sup-
ported by Sisrresuica's contemptuous denial of
the existence of an Italian nation, created and
developed this Italian question ; that so long as
Piedmont was the hiusible servitor of Austria and
the Port, the "ambition" of the House of Savor
was a dead letter ; that what legitimist France was
in Spain, France of the Second Empire is in Italy,
though on opposite principles ; and that Orleattist
France occupied Ancona quite as avowedly for the
sake of French influence, as Imperial France now
occupies Rome ; that in 1848, theyearof revolutions,
Piedmont alone, without allies, remained faithful
to the cause of Italy, for which CHARLES Aiamer's
heart was broken and VI.-rox ENNAltell. fought
at his father's side ; that from 1848 to 1859 Pied-
mont alone remained constant to free institutions,
exposed to the double hostility of Austria and the
revolutionary faction ; that in 1855, when
Austria was haggling for a guarantee of

. -
her possessions 111 Italy as the price
of her alliance with the Western Powers,
Count CAvota with masterly boldness unfurled
the standard of Italy in the Crimea, and thus
secured for Italy a seat and a voice at the Con-
gress of Paris ; that when the sufferings of Italy
became intolerable, and the patience of Pied-
mont exhausted, Count Csvoun (not unmindful
of Novara) was fain to take assistance

where he found it, and found it net in England ;
that, while to French arms at least Italy owes the
emancipation of Lombardy and Central Italy,
the cession of Nice and Savoy, no trivial sacrifice
to the heart of a Emu, has at all events set Italy
free from an intolerable debt to the moat
unscrupulous of creditors ; and that having neither
aided nor prevented, it is not for England in her
haughty isolation to calumniate the weak because
else would not arrest the strong. It is character-
istic of Mr. KINGLAIE% chivalrous idea of foreign
Policy to lavish insults on •KING who has on many
a hard-fought geld staked life and crown for the
happiness of the people whose love and loyalty an

his recognised ambition, and his " right divine." It
is charloteristic of Mr. KIM:MAIL% political mega-
city to piesiest against the independence and unity
of Italy leader one strong sceptre and uncles fres
and equel laws, become Italy weak and disunited
must tss ase prey of Austria or the tool of Wawa.

We have authority to state that her Majesty has
been pleased to intimate her intention to hold a
review of volunteer corps at Edinburgh on the 7th
of August. The commanding officers of corps de-
siring to attend must intimate their wish to the
Secretary of State for War, through the lords-
lieutenants of their respective counties, before the
let of August, and they will then be admitted as
far as space and numbers will permit. Immedi-
ately after receiving this application, each corps
will be informed whether it will be possible to
accept the offer.

EU Court.

OSBOBNP, dram 16.

The Prince Consort, attended by Major-General
the Hon. C. Grey, left Osborne this morning for Bucking-
ham Palace, to preside at • meeting of the Statistics]
Congress about to assemble in London.

The Earl of Clarendon and Lady Constance Villiers have
returned to London.

The Prince Consort arrived at Buckingham Palace from
Osborne at half-past two o'clock yesterday afternoon,
attended by Major. General the Hon. C. Grey. The Prince
landed at Southampton from the royal yacht Fairy, and
travelled by a special train on the South Western Railway
to the private station at Vauxhall.
At a quarter to four the prince left the palace, and
opened the International Statistical Congress at Somerset-
house at four o'clock. The Earl Spencer, Lord Waterpark,
Major-General the Hon. C. Grey, Colonel Seymour, C.&,
sad Lieut.-Colonel Ponsonby were in ►ttendance.
The Prince Consort returned to the palace at five o'clock,
and received delegates from foreign countries and from her
Majesty'. colonial possespions, who were severally intro-
duced by the Right Hon. T. Milner Gibson.
The Prince Consort paid a visit in the afternoon to the
Hereditary Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and
afterwards went to the South Kennington Museum, attended
by his Equerry in Waiting.
The Prince Consort honoured the performance at the
Royal Italian Opera, Covent-garden, with his presence in
the evening ; Lord Waterpark and Lieutenant-Colonel Pon-
, nouby were in attendance.

Mr. Ewart, of Liverpool, and Mr. Watson had an inter-
view with the Right Hon. T. Milner Gibson yesterday at
the office of the Board of Trade.

Despatches were sent from the Colonial Offlee yeetenlay
to the Governors of the West India Wanda and Britiph
Columbia.

The Prince and Princeaa Hohenlohe Schillingfura
have arrived at Long's Hotel loan Pane.

The Baronet% firunnow'a ball, which wax to have
taken place to-morrow (Wednesday), at Chesham House,
has been unavoidably postponed until Thursday, the 19th
inst.

The Counters Dowager of Enaex's dance, an-
nounced for Thursday, the 19th inst., is postponed.
The mortal remain,, of the Counteam of Wicklow
were interred to-day in the family mausoleum of the Aber-
corn family at Stenmore.

Sir E. S. Stanhope has arrived at the Queell'a
H .td, Upper Norwood.

The marriage of Mimi Bultoel, niece to Earl
Grey, with Mr. Bingham Mildmay, cousin of Sir B. St.
John Mildmay, Burt., will take place neat week.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.
• •
MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS IN
• DAMASCUS.
The Mendlaw of this morning txmtaine the follow-
ing despatch from the French naval commander in
the Levant :

"BEYROUT, JULY 11.

"The attack of the Drueee ou the Christians
at Damascus commenced on the evening of the Bth,
where many men were killed and women carried
off for the harems.
" It is said that the consulates were burned
down, with the exception of the English consulate.
The French, Russian, and Greek consuls took re-
fuge in the house of Abdel-Kader.

"The attitude of the Turkish authorities was in-
decisive, and rather injurious than useful to the
Christians.

" Three thousand Turkish soldiers arrived to-day.
Thelears of the Christiana are redoubled, and the
Commissioners Vely and Naniick are expected with
impatience."
The Moniteur announces that the project of law
for the purchase of the canals has been adopted.
VIENNA, mownsr.
Government is said to have received the following
intelligence :
A fearful massacre has taken place at Damascus.
Five hundred Christians have been murdered,
amongst whom is the Dutch consul.
The American consul is wounded.

Details are wanting.

The Patrie oontaine the following :
" According to the latest news from Beyront, the
stateof things in Syria continues to be of the gravest
character.

" A French vessel had been sent to Latakia, and
was obliged to take position within firing distance
of the town, in order to restrain the fanatical por-
tion of the inhabitants.
" It was asserted that information had been re-
ceived of atrocious plots having been formed against
the lives of the Christians in many parte of Syria.
" The naval authorities wero taking measures in
order to be in readiness to meet the difiiculties of
the situation."