The Express.
London, England, 1866-08-29 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 29, 1866.

which the country, if it be wine in time, will not fail to
appreciate.
In deference to the " sober liberals," a Wll. the modera-
tion of which was in reality immoderate, was brought in
by a reforming administration. They defeated it, not be-
cause it was too small, but because it was in their view too
sweeping and absolutely unsafe. Yet they now look
earnest reformers in the face and ask why they are to be
blamed so severely for throwing out a bill which was so
insignificant in its character. The best answer to such
disingenuous quibbles, remarks the Star, is to tell them
they will never have such another opportunity of escap-
ing that which they so dread. " Honesty " was the
sole recommendation of the last bill, and these writers
laugh at reformers for accepting it on so alight a ground.
" Honesty" will not be the sole virtue of the next Reform
Bill.

course such an attempt wps promptly resented,
and in their virtuous endeavours to keep out the
enemy the Liberals have suffered themselves to
be betrayed into some slightly corrupt practices. Ac-
cording to the other account, Totnes writhes under
the uncongenial grasp of the Duke of
Solmaxr, and if the voters were not
tampered with, there would be little doubt
that they would quickly enough make
ample proof of this feeling. But the law of
political necessity is too rigid to be resisted.
Money is the only influence that can be pitted
with any chance of success against land and title,
and therefore it is to money that they have re-
course. "If there was no money," says one wit-
ness, " no one would come to the poll," and the
first intimation given to a candidate is that he must
bring plenty of money. Totnes is the very reverse
of Reigate, where the member promises, but does
not pay. Devonshire men have a nicer feeling of
honour about them than this, and the slightest
hint of what is wanted is enough to ensure its
being attended to. The evidence of one witness
in particular is very conclusive on this point. He
has never met with any instance of direct bribery,
but on one occasion he was requested to ask for a
vote on behalf of the Conservative candidate. The
voter—evidently a blunt and unrefined person—
said nothing about his vote, but did say some-
thing about money. Upon this Mr. BASTARD pru-
dently retired, but then there came a curious coin-
cidence. Mr. BASTARD had been selected to under-
take this particular bit of canvassing because he had
a mortgage on the voter's property. Nothing, of
oourse, was said of this fact during the interview,
but some time afterwards there came a stranger
from Exeter, and paid off the mortgage. Pos-
sibly this had no connection with the contest that
had previously been going on ; indeed, the witness
tells us so himself, and of course he must have
the best means of knowing. But it is curious
that the witness should have no recollection what-
ever of the man who paid him 3501., and we are
rather inclined to suspect the agency of some
astute person who has had a good deal of practice
in the art of not being found out.

There arrives a time, says the Telegraph, in the career
even of the most patient nation when the enemies of pro-
gress become aware that their " lease is up." It came in
1832—it is coming again, and by no means slowly ; the
meeting at Birmingham has brought is much nearer than
before ; and it depends upon the working classes them-
selves whether any " commission of inquiry" or " Patent
Lateral Reform Bill" shall put it off so much as twelve
months longer. Step by step the various preliminaries
have been completed which seem part of the historic
essence of Reform Bills. We have had the features of
1832 renewed, down to the interposition of the Binning-
ham men. Reform, and no compromise like the bill
thrown out—no sham, like that which Mr. Disraeli is
hatching—but a measure of reform which will give labour
a clear and potent voice in the land it enriches and sus-
tains, will be obtained as surely as the new year will
follow she present.

who for two years " assisted " professionally at other members of the royal family, as
the mysteries of. the fair defendant's toilette, which I may mention that public subs •
sent in a bill of 1,012 fr. (421. Os. 5d.) for corn now being collected at Hanover for the
vatting, nail paring, scissors, files, and rose coloured presenting the Queen with a splendid
pomatum for the tips of the fingers. Mdlle. that the signatures already published ijiZai
Leonide Leblanc paid 445 fr. into court and the journals number several thousands 1°4,1
Pekes e
question was whether this was a sufficient re- ell spheres of life.
mtuteration for the peculiar services rendered.
After hearing humorous speeches from M. Rivolet,
counsel for the plaintiff, and M. Langlois for the
defendant, the court decided that though the bill
must be cut down the amount paid into court was
not enough, and the lady was decreed to pay a
further sum of 155 fr. and costa.
The Bourse, after s strong upward movement,
closed with a reaction. Rente quoted for account
at one moment as high as 69fr. 90c., closed at yes-
terday's price, 69fr. 62ic. for cash ; for cash there
was a rise of 15c. Italian rose 50c. ; and Mobilier,
6fr. 25c. Credit Foncier fell 7fr. 50c.

ITALY.

The Opinione of Florence relates the Woe*
Three Austrian officers haring complakted tkai Austin
were made prisoners some Hann soldiers teek fens las 4
money and other objects amounting to 241 lama Gem,
Pettinengo caused a reply to be nut, to tm 4114
that although there was no possibility of temeetim
during a combat all reprehensible ecte of isolated isi
victuals, and although he was obliged to &mad eah,
the personal allegation of the Austrian oaken, yet *a
word should be accepted as would that at Italia.
similar position, and the property taken from them iho
be reimbursed.

We find the subjoined in a communiesii. I
addressed from Paris to the Journal de Roses:
It appears that the clerical reactionary Tarty tithe*
ing at Some ; the fact is proved by the mime in
against the Ouervatare Romano. For some meth
put that journal has been not altogether Menu,
moderate, snd at the moment of the Mika
Venetia it published an article saying that *
independence of Italy was dear to it, beam h
temporal power of the Pope would not be doe
thereby. This language has displeased the cletioalpstmt
ill•inanrey plittlilrwithah"mbues4l:idigadtriesaty.edWilata the
(Itladna."l"the tent
party do They wrote anonymous letters to in ho
against the journal in question, saying that it hue
revolutionary. The Pope, always weak and chime,
solid political principle, his yielded, and ordered aens
in the direction and in the censorship over the Onent‘
entrusting the one to a fugitive lawyer from Bohm,
the other to a prelate quite disposed to crate a nanny
serve his master.