The Express.
London, England, 1860-08-29 00:00:00

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RATILUIESE
TO Emma. THE OVYJI.LAND SWUM. Maas. Marts
dale, Oneeptni. Lactated*. and C. Xstbsys: Mrs. C. Mathews.
Awl PAUL PET. Mews. C. Mathew, Ctlplren.Lde, Edema.
sad YlWra : We. C. Matthews rod tin. Porot..r.

PHINCHISIL
TA WIMP. MACRITIL Mars. James R. Antler nn. War.
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B. laclerv.:, and Was R. Issacia—Asid THE I,IILiT NIGHT.
Yr. A. Harris: MI. IL /larrts.—ClmarEceat i.

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29.

Tile Qutex's prorogation Speech poseesses the
unusual merit of making the most of a little.
Colourless and formal as must royal addresses are,
the closing speech of a session is usually more cold
and formal than the opening one. The difference be-
tween them is in the main that between the ideal
and the real, between promises and performance.
At the outset of the parliamentary campaign a san-
guine ministry seises the opportunity of sketching
in the speech from the throne the large
outline of what it proposes to do. At the close
it gives in leas ambitious phrase the brief record
of what it has actually done. The contrast is
often extreme, and would be humiliating were it
leas familiar. Like the retrospect of life, the re-
view of the session generally presents little more
than broken vows and disappointed hopes. But
if this is true of parliamentary sessions in general,
it is pre-eminently true of the one just closed.
After having protracted its sitting to an almost
unprecedented period, it is notorious that Parlia-
ment has accomplished far lea than lima' in the
way of useful and effective legislation. While
the promises of the Covirument were remarkably
bold and comprehensive, the measures they have
really carried are sinmlarly few and small.
Indeed, not cno of the important legal and coo-
sititutional ref,'rms specially referred to in the
Royal Speech of January has been carried into
effect. But the Qt EEN'S Message read by the
Loan CBANCIILLOR yesterday betrays no Coltlciolls-
TWAS of this. It is inure genial and spirited, in
some reepecte even more direct "and satisfactory,
than wed. The critical reader will, indeed, miss
references to important domestic topics which arc
conspicuous by their absence. But so far as it
goes, and in rAition to the subjects specially
touched upon, the Speech is seasonable, and to
the point. The failures of the session are lightly
pase:d over, and there being but little ground to
congratulate Parliament on its legislative ackieve-
me:its, the omission is supplied by a frank and
hearty recagnitiou of the loyalty and patriotism of
the p,op!.

Fortunately for the Government, "her Me-
" Jrereit relations with foreign powers" come
lest in order in the Speech from the throne ; and
foreign policy being the strong point of the Cabi-
net, the statements on this head are explicit and
satiefactory. The customary phrase, that our re-
lations with continental powers are "friendly,"
simply means, of course, that we are at
war with none of our neighbours. But her
M ware hastens to refer to the spot on which the
eyes of Europa are now fixed, and to those critical
moments that ',renew to decide the fate of its
fairest peninsula. This reference embodies and
reaffirms the consistent policy not only of the
Ooeernment but of the English nation on this
abeorbing question of European politics. Her
MAJE,TY expose's her "twat that there is no
" dan;er of any interruption of the general peace
" of Europe." lint the hails of this trust is the hope
and belief that the English policy of non-intervention
will be faithfully pursued by the other Powers of
Europe. " Events of considerable importance
" are, indeed, taking place in Italy ; but if no
" fun 711 Powers interfere therein, ion, if the
" itniissee an Ifft to settle their owe affairs, the
" trmeiniUity of other eatri wilt mouth' midi,-
" bodied." The time is rapidly approaching when
the fidelity of the European Powers to this great
principle will probably be tested in the most direct
and practical form, and it is the more import:tilt,
therefore, that it should be formally reaffirmed
before Europe by the liberal and constitutional
Ocivernment that has been mainly instrumental
in securing its general reetrznition. The
reference to Switeerlaad is equally deci-
sive and satisfactory :—" The proposed Con-
" remotes on the subject of the cession of Savoy
and of Nice to France have not yet been held.
" But her MAJ VITT confidently trusts that, in any
" negotiations which may take place, full and
" adequate arrangements will be made for incur-
" in;, in accordance with the spirit and letter of
" the Treaty of Vienna of 1815, the nentrality
" and independence of the Swiss Confederation,
I: That neutrality and independence were an object
" to which all the Powers who were parties to the
" Treaties of Vienna attached great importance,
" and they are en hem important now than then
" fur the general iLtertsts of Europe."
The next pa.-nraph of the Speech deals with
what is at this moment the most delicate and diffi-
cult as welt me the moat important question in
foreign policy—that of the East. The Syrian
massacre has affected her Mee-TT, as it has
affected all Christian Europe, "with the deepest
" grief and :::dignation." But it hai not prompted
the Cur erun.cnt to any sudden or i ; tasted erased*
to avenge a load outrage which, if not efficiently

perished by thu TurkishCovernnieirt; appeals
equally to all the Powers Ad. 'Europe. lifer
M urrrY has, therefore, "...cheerfully colicyired
" with the Emperor of Mirka, the of
" the Fessien, the Aim,. Reient trwittrisi t,
" and the Emperor of R emu, in entering into an
" engagement with the SovreN, by which tempo-
" rary military assistamis has been afforded to the
" SULTAY, for the purpoio of re-establishing order
"in that part of his dominions." The allusion
to the China Expedition, though inevitable, is the
least satisfactory part of the Royal Speech.
Turning to home affairs, the meagre references
of the Royal Speech to domestic legislation suffi-
ciently reveals the poverty and barrenness of this
wearisome seven mouths' session. In this depart-
ment not one of the expectations raised in January
last have been fulfilled. The opening Speech from
the Throne announced that important measures of
constitutional and legal refonn would be intro-
duced, and Parliament was " earnestly recom-
" mended " to consider them. We need
not now refer again to the extraordinary
combination of professed friends and open
foes which destroyed the Reform Bill. But
four important measures of legal reform were
specified in the QUEEN'S opening Speech—Bank-
ruptcy, the Transfer of Land, the Consolidation
of the Statutes, and a further Fusion of Law and
Equity. We look in vain, however, for a refer-
ence to any one of these in the Speech of yester-
day. The first—and therefore, it must be
presumed, most important—act referred to
in the Royal Message is one for " Re-
" gulating the Relations of Landlord and
" Tenant in Ireland ;" while the only impor-
' tent act of • general kind referred to as passed—
that for amalgamating the Indian forces—was not
introduced till towards the close of the session,
and then hurried through with most injurious
levity and haste.
But if the doings of Parliament afford little
scope for congratulation, the prompt defensive ac-
tion of the nation affords a just subject of pride
and thankfulness to its Sovereign Lady. This is
acknowledged in no reserved or grudging spirit :
—" Her MAJEATY commands us to express to you
" the gratification and pride with which she has
" witnessed the rapid progress in military effici-
" ency which her volunteer forces have already
" made, and which is highly honourable to their
" spirit and patriotism." The references to the
general loyalty and patriotism of the people, and
especially to the enthusiastic reception of
the Prince of WALES in Canada, are equally
graceful and appropriate " Her Marzsry
" has observed, with deep satisfaction, the
" spirit of loyalty, of order, and of obeli-
" once to the law which prevails among her
" subjects, both in the United Kingdom and in
" her dominions beyond sea ; and her MAJESTY
" has witnessed with heartfelt pleasure the warm
" and affectionate reception gives to his Royal
" Highness the Prince of WALES by her North
" American subjects."
This acknowledgment will be fully appreciated
by thu colonists, and such mutual expressions of
good feeling will do far more to attach them
to the mother country than any mere legislative
or administrative interference in their affairs, how-
ever wisely designed or honestly intended to
promote their welfare.