The Express.
London, England, 1866-02-24 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVOlnge --
. FEBRUARY 24, 1860.
• 11

have studiously consulted Parliament in every
contingency. Lest session Sir Game Intaav de-
clared the principles upon which the Government
were prepared to act ; and even now the Govern-
ment continue to insist that to these principles I
they still adhere. They have practically admitted
the right of Parliament to control the Executive
in this matter ; and all that we have urged on be-
half of the public is this—teat the Government
shall explain their proposals in Parliament in
order that they may be considered with reference
to the permanent interests of the country. We
ase glad to Snd that so reasonable a demand is not
to be refused.

OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

(rills DAY.)

BRITISH AID AIIIMICAN 111ZUTILLLITY.

The Times does not believe that the destruction
of merchant mewls by cruisers which have escaped from
neutral ports, or have been fitted up in them, can over be
wholly prevented. Not only the United States and Spain,
but England and France, if ever they go to war,
must to a certain extent suffer from such evasions
of the law. The only complete remedy would be to
make the property of merchants at sea inviolable, a measure
which is little likely to be assented to either by the 'nation'
which possess large navies or those which can equip swift
privateers. Our own law I room for improvement,
but the Times thinks the American government must by
this time be convinced that the accusations so freely
brought against this country with respect to the
Confederate cruisers during the war are without
foundation. Moreover, what damage dome by the
escape of a single steamer can be compared with the
miseries which mialit be inflicted on the United Kingdom
by a treasonable conspiracy openly serried on in every chief
town of the Union? The law of the United States is
powerless to prevent such measures, and the Times approve.
the dbioretion of our government in refraining from protests
against them ; but it is too much to claim for American
law a superiority to our own, when it is unable to prevent
proceedings so manifestly contrary to the comity of friendly
nations.

The Daily News observes that the speech of Mr. Wat-
kin last night wls at little mischievous in spirit al any
speech could be which was directed to the practical end
which he contemplated, but the legal grounds do not
exist for each representations es Mr. Welkin urged ber
Majesty's ministers make to the cabinet at Washington ;
and, as Mr. Gladstone featly alleged, it would be unworthy
in England to address to the United States demands =eh
as those which we have often remivod, and have always
refused to listen ta, from continental powers. The govern-
meat of the 17eited States may be excused if their vision
is not yet sufficiently pureed t 3 actable them to see the
moral difference betwee3 the replan Brotherhood and the
Southern Independence Association—between the bonds of
the (so called) Confederate States and the bonds of the (so-
called) Irish republic. They may possibly regard the threat
of sending Irish-Amadeu' privateers to sea in order to prey
upon British commerce as a smaller outrage than the actual
equipment in Great Britain of Anglo-Confederate cruisers,
and their honourable reception in British ports in the
intervals of their ruinous mission against American merchant
vessels. The destination of these ships was as math matter
of notoriety as the purposes of the Faction in New York.
Nay, for yt- ars the designs of the Fenian, in Ire-
land have Ire a notorious; but it is only within
the lest six months that the Irish executive has been
able to get the positive evidence which made it rfe
to act. The criminal intentions of hundrejs of persons
now in Ireland is I:01 ter of common fame; bat the go-
verment cannot gets ven such presumptive proof of guilt
as would justify a ra,gi,t. ate in sending them men t 3 trial ;
and it cuts the kept by suspending the Habeas Corpus Act.
We can scarcely ask the American Prclideat and Congress
to do this for us, seeing that we were bitterly offended
when they ventured to d) it for themselves. Our appeal,
if °coulee arisen for it, must be rude not ti the frieadly
feeling of the Ames:can executive, but to the equal justice
of the Amerkan omits of law.

All the speakers *greed last evanin7„ the Post says, that
it was highly expedient Pont the creation of a fleet by a
belligerent in a lima .ral port shoal 1, if possible, be rendered
impranticable, and it was also confuse 1 that the Foreign
Enlistment Aot, however interpreted, failed to secure that
sad. Nor is tea Actinic in s.stute any mote satisfactory.
The matter Is ose exclusively of an international nature,
and is better snits! far the i.. insideratioa of • congress of
the representatives of several sista than of the legislate-e
of only one. Paella meat cm of coarse alone frame what
would be • municipal law, but its getter .1 principles ought
to be determined by international consent.
The Herald can see no end to the Fenian movement.
We may continue the suspension of Habeas Corpus, fill
and refill oar convict art sbl'-huse al in Ireland and Eng-
land with politimd psi -onus ; but, as Mr. Welkin said
last night, so long as the fortis are supplied with the
cognisance and sanction of the Unite 1 States government
there can be no vane in Ire,end. President Johnson and
Kr. Seward know th;s. They know, tie, the government
they have to deal w.th in this country. They are making
us pay fi r rur " neutrality " already. Ws shall not 13
surprised if, in the wards of Prince Sihwarzenberg, they
astonish us with their ingratitude.
The most important object in the estimation of the Star
is to appreciate the real teachings of the past. The Attor-
ney-General says we shall be better able now than before
the war to devise an effective law is concert with the
United States. Doubtless we shall ; bat we shall never
make the law as effective as it can be made unless we
give it an elasticity corresponding with the general
and moral character of the international obligation
lying upon ns. The Americus government insists that
in order to woke the neutrality laws effectual there
should have been a readiness on our part as there was on
theirs early is the century to modify them and strengthen
them on their proving notoriously inefficacious. These are
coneideratioes Irbil demand the most serious attention ;
and it is gratifying to judte from the noble speech of Mr.
Gladstone last n4ht cm the Fenian impact of our American
relations that a new era of mutual confidence has been
establ'shed under the happiest auspices.

land, u important, and, to make the matter clam, recap'.
Ilsilstes the prinnipal facts in the hbtory sI the Queen's
°alkyls, and In the foundation in,1850 ef the Queen's
Ineiversity—givieg a sketills also of the Oaths& UniveseßY.
It then leaves the topic with the remark that, owlbg to Ifr.
Gladstone's timely concession last night, the house will
bays an opportunity of expressing its opinion on the ex-
pediency of a obange before any irrevocable step is taken,
and consequently the dissuasion which seemed likely to
ensue on a point of form is adjourned to a future day on •
, more substanti►l issue. _ _

The Star says that the answers previowily given were
nnsatisfactoey and seemed equivocal. Half-a-dosen
plain, straightforward words in the first inatanoe would
have prevented mienode rstanding and removed appre-
hension. Nobody mks for more than a full dimuesion
of the proposed changes by parliament end a deliberate de-
cision upon them. _ . .

The Daily News can hardly believe that the negotia-
tions for a re•ewal a the reciprocity treaty will not be
resumed, with a view to the preservation of the Canadian
trade which has been so benetioiel to the United States.
In any cue, however, the intelligent people of (Made
must be taught by this experiesoe the neosesity of doing
something to inspire their neighbours with more respect for
their political positiou than they at present feel; and if
one result of this temporary failure should be to stimulate
them to exertions having this aim, and excite them to
demean themselves as becomes • community larger than
was that of the United States when they achieved their
independence, this rebuff will not be a matter for perma-
nent regret. .

The ;oat regards the Prussian constitution as now vir-
tually got rid of. When, in this country, such an issue
was raised between the nation and the government, his.
tory tells no how the controversy wen wrought out. It
would seem that in Prassia the people will have to exercise
the virtue of patience until the advent of a more consti-
tutional ruler or a less perverse minister. -

While the elephantine gait of the political progress of
the Prussian people sets the world laughing, the cue, in
the opinion of the Telegraph, is marvellonaly like that of
1830-40 in England. Whoever has studied and understood
Thorau Wentworth, Earl of Strafford, as a burns type,
can comprehend Bismarck. To note the similarities—the
same abilities, the same eloquence, courage, cruelty,
con-
tempt, end sinister breadth of view--almost suffices to
make trauemigration a likely theory. Strafford's game was
lost by one false lead at • time when Bismack's great-
great-grandfather was not born ; and there are many cards to
play yet before divine right end the junking same the rub.

LAVEST INTELLIGENVE.

(small mizawis.)
AMERICA.
(Per the Virenis, viA Rooho's Point.)

NEW YORK, rm. 11, Houma.

Eight members of the Virginian Legislature
waited yesterday upon President Johnson, and pre-
sented a resolution from the Virginian Assembly
proclaiming the loyalty of the State and en-
dorsing the course pursued by Mr. Johnson.
The delegates addressed the President, saying
that Virginia will abide by the results of the war,
including the abolition of slavery and the recogni-
tion of the necessity for the perpetuation of the
Union. Towards freedmen the people of Virginia
felt only kindness and sympathy. The President
stood between the South and danger by defending
the constitution from violation or innovation.

The President responded that mutual confi-
dence and forbearance must be exercised, and that
the people of the South are entitled to repre-
sentation whenever they send loyal repreeenta-
. tives—only loyal men should exercise political
power. He believed that the right of the South to
representation would soon be acknowledged. There
were some foreign difficulties which would be
settled when the Union was again complete and re-
sumed its course of prosperity, for then no power
on earth would wish to have a rupture with the
United States.

In the House of Representatives Mr. Williams,

the radical member for Pennsylvania, alluded, in
severe terms, to President Johnson, and declared
that Congress should consider the question of re-
coustruction without reference to the President's
theory on the subject.

RUSSIA AND THE PAPACY.

PARIS, Fn. 24.

The Monifeur of to-day publishes a letter from
Rome, stating that Baron Meyendorff will shortly
leave that city for Lithuania, iu order to take pos-
session of the lands which the Czar has bestowed
upon him as a recompense for his diplomatic
services.

The same journal announces that Cardinal An-
tonelli has issued a circular announcing that the
Pontifical army is complete, and ordering all re-
cruiting for volunteers to be stopped.

THE DANUBIAN PRINCIPALITIES.
BUCHAREST, Fla 23.
A change in the ministry has taken place. The
Following is the formation of the new cabinet :
Foreign Affairs John Wake.
Interior Demetrius Ghika.
Justice
Public
War

THE LONDON, CHATHAM, AND DOVICB
RAILWAY,

The directors' report of the above railway for the
half-year ending 31st December, 1865, states that the
vans receipts for tee half-year upon ell the
lithe owned and worked by the company haul
been 271,1331. 19s. Id. For the corresponding period of '
1864 they were 237,2241. Rh. 9d. The increase is therefore
33,9091. 81. 4d., which ls equal to 14.3 per cent. The gross
lwlord.kstgdelx2P.".B4,lF4l.taglOst.belldsam. reerpite perilv4splErpeoTrtiliTater2Noteased.
uBa: ;
expenditure has been 19,701.
penditure to receipts in the half year has been 53 per cent
The receipts of the general undertaking foe the half-year
have amounted to 2C3.1151. 18e. 9d., being an icerease of
F 3,8671. 51. 4d., or 13.10 per cent upon the reoeipte of the
corresponding half of 1864. The length of railway opened
io both periods was 72/1 miles ; and the average receipts per :
mile in the half-year have been 2,8421. 19s. Ifel. as against
2.5131. 15s. 61. in the corresponding half of hat year.
The receipts of the Metropolitan Extension for the
half year have amounted to 62,8761. 4s. tid., which
is an increase of 14,9511. 16a. 73., or 31.20 per cent
upon those of the coaresponding period of 1864. The
length of railway open during the ball year was twelve ;
miles, being half a mile more than in 1864, and the .
ave. ge reedit!' per mile in the two polio& have bees
5,2391. 13e. Bd. in 1865, and 4,1671. lle. 9d. in 1864.
The receipts of the steam-hosts for the half-year have been
36,6451. 16s. ld., and the expenditure 24,3851. 19s. sd. This
includes a slime 2,5001. carried to the reserve and insurance
feud, which lye now embed the sum of 15.5621. in. sd.
The balance of the revenue account of the general leader-I
t-.king amounts to 91,0241. 7s. 6d. The balance of the ear-
responding period of 1864 was 80,5431. 14s. ld., showing
an increased profit of 10,4801. 13s. sd. in the last half-year.
The balsam of the revenue account of the Metropolitan i
Extension amounts te 31,4381. 2s. 3d. The balsam for the ;
corresponding period of 1864 was 23,962/. 3s. 11d. The is-
creased profit realised in the past half-year hie;
therefore been 7,475'. 18s. 43. In the past half-
year 5,123,038 were carried, being 759,374 more
than in the corresponding peeled of 1864. Of
tels increased number of travellers 626,632 were carded on
the metropolitan extension, and 132,742 on the other lines
of the company: In their last report the directors pointed
out to the proprieties the injurious effects upon the traffic
of the line arising from the difficulty attend rag the woes
to the London stations, and I
especially to Victoria'. To the
continued existence of this state of tbingn the direeton
are able to attribute a very serious loss of traffic during
the whole of the half-year, and especially duds(
the months of July, August, and September.
Great exertions have been made by all concerned to obtaie
the completion of the works in progress at the earliest
possible moment. On the City sermon the two additional
lines between Loughborough Junction and the Elephant
and Castle, a dl.tasce of 1 mile 63 chains, are now com-
pleted, and are awaiting ionisation by the officer of the
Board of Trade. There are already four lines between
Charlotte-street and Bitaeldriars, a distance of 25 chains.
The portion immediately between theElephantaideastle and
Charlotte-street, a distance of 60 chiles, and involving
some very heavy work in bridges over wide streets, is also
well advanced and will, it is believed, be ready to be open by
the Ist May next. The possession of four lice. betweea
Loughborough and Ludgate will enable the directors
to extend to she important districts of Clapham,
Brixton, Camberwell, and Walwanth, a large in-
creme hi the facilities of travelling to and from the City.
On the west-end section the construction of the additional
lines is also Neuf actively pushed forward. The bridge
over the Thames is the measure of this part of the work,
and there is every probability that two of the four lines
of way over this bridge and into Victoria will be ready
to open by the Ist of June. This will afford immediate
relief to the traffic of the whole system, for the
directors will than, for the first time, have control over the
arrangement of their trains cunning to and from Victoria,
and will be freed from the double di ivantage attending the
access to sod egress from their most important terminal
station being utterly insufficient, and at the same tens
in-the bands of another company who, not unnaturally,
consult their own interest and the convenience of their
own traffic before that of other people. Arrangements
have been made under which the Borough goods traffic of
the Great Northern Company will be carried on at the
Blackfriars station, and goods and opal trains will com-
mence to run through between the systems on the Ist of
March. A few of the main line trains of this company
now also run to and from King's-cross, and as soon as the
cireumatanose attending the opening of the Metro-
politan Railway to Finsbury, and the removal of
the traffic of the Great Western and Great Northern
Companies from the old to the new statics at
Farringdonatreet will admit, a considerable number of the
Metropolitan Extension trains will in like manner be run
to sad from King'seross. The Metropolitan Company have
adopted a wise and liberal policy in their relations with
this company, and an understanding has been ar-
rived at under which not only will the public enjoy
the advantage of through tickets between all the
stations on that line and the metropolitan extensions, bus
as soon as the necessary plant can be provided, a suffideut
number of through trains will run between Paddington and
Herne Hill in the first instance, and later, in all probabi-
lity, to the Crystal Palace and Victoria. The South-
Western Company have given notice of their intention to
run trains via Clapham Junction to Ludgate on Aped L
The continental traffic, already very valuable, and which is
susceptible of immense extension, will alone, and within
the next three or four years, secure a handsome
increase of revenue to the general undertakine,
whilst there is no doubt that the friendly feeliegs
now existing between the London, Chatham, and Dover
and South Eastern Companies', and which, it is hoped, op-
pertunity will cement and extend, will make it possible to
effect large reductions in the working amputees of both coin-
pales without In any way impairing the efficiency of the
services or abridgiag the reasonable facilities to which the
public are entitled. The directors noticing the bills
'in parliament connected directly with the metro-
politan extensions or general undertaking remark
that the application for the line to Brighton is not
a new eon It was first made by independent parties in
1863, and in consequence of the strenuous opposition of the
Brighton Company, was defeated. This matter has been
subsequently &seated, sad the directors were willing to
enter into negotiations with the Brighton and
the South Eastern Companies, which, with due
regard to the interest of the public, would have
settled the question of railway accommodation in the
intermediate country abutting on the Chatham and Dover
system, and situated between the Brighton sad South
Eastern main hoes, without the constant renters/toe of oar-
wintery imatessa. The position which the Brighton Core-
' pang assumed rendered all attempts at an amicable settle-
ment of the question hopeless. Meanwhile the great demand
which exists fir access to eligible and attractive residential
districts near London has been urged aeon the attention of
the directors. No more eligible and beautifully situated
district for this purpose ran be found then that lying be-
tween Beckenham and Emit Grinstes 1. A very valuable
traffic both to the metropolitan exteesions and the
main line has sprung up between London and Bickley and
Bromley, as well as between London and Sevenoeks ; and the
directors feel that they ere bound to support a project which
will provide another such outlet from, and Is calculated to
bring a considerable increase of traffic to, their costly
metropolitan termini. This consideration, together with
the necessity for r eommodatiog so large and extending a
traffic as that between Loudon and Bricbton by means of
another railway, has, the directors consider, fully justified
. them in joining with the South-Eastern Oompanyin the open
and avowed prosecution of the new lien The district to be
traversed is greatly in need of additional railway seem-
modation and the lines constructed through it will not
only have a considerable local traffic, and create a large re-
sidential traffic for some miles out of London. but must from
the enormous superiority which the combined metropolitan
stations of the South hatter a and London, Chatham, end
Dover Companies present over those of the existing rail-
way, ensure to the companies concerned a very large pre-
Portion of the valuable traffic between London and
Brighton. The intention is to construct the lines re
separate undertaking., to be worked by the South-Easters
and London, Chatham and Dover Companies kingly, the risk
which they run being limited in any case to the lees of
same proportion of the working it:prises, a possibility
which is exceedingly remote, and which mast be very
considerably outweighed by the certainty of the great be-
nefit accruing to those poetic)°, of the parent line oeer
which the trail* of the new lines will bays to pus on its
way to and from London. Lord Harris, Sir R. W. Cardee,
Sir Cusack P. Hooey, and J. Lake, Esq., directors, and
Mr. Coleman, auditor, retire by rotation, sad, being eli-
gible, offer themselves for reedeation.

The Right Hon. Chichester Fortesene and the
Connie's Frances Waldegrave eatertaised the following
company at &Meer on Wednesday last at the Chief
Secretary's Lodge, Mena Park, Dublin :—the Earl end
Countess of Obarlemoet, the Lord Chasesllor and Mrs.
Brady, Lady Fanny Cole, the Muter of the Rolls and Mre.
C. Smith, Sir Hugh Rut" the Bight Boa. J. Whiteside,
Judge Berwick, Sir Percy Basest, Captain the Hon. Z.
Boyle, Major Byrne, Mr. Corry Cosnellan, Mr. Rnstehbull-
Hugesses, M.P., Dr. and Mrs. Bank', Dr. Hughes, Miss
Mosey, Mr. Chichester lismiltos. Colonel and Mrs. Vail,
Ise.

In consequence of the death of Colonel Charles
Wyndham, brother of Loed Lisooldleld, the marriage of the
Marquis of Qum:witry and Wm Sibyl Montgomery. which
WWI to have tams plies at Bt. Cleorge's Haisoverequare,
London, on Thursday, will. says Yorkshire Gazette, be
poetpowed aat,l Yoeday. the 26th.

We (Sunderland Herald) are glad to be able to
state that Mr. Fermi& is gradually resoserieg from hie
Moms, though of mune he will be unable to bike soy
further part is the eleetioe. His place, dada, the pro-
medley, will be supplied se far as possible by kb brother,
Mr. George John ramie, a partner in the beating firm of
Nam Immielen mid 00.

EASTIR BUNDA7.—Eillter Sunday falls this year
on the Lt of ApriL This sireseateses ►se sot occurred
since 1804, sod will only oecor split twice is the peseent
watery. is 1877 sad 1888.