The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-25 00:00:00

gPTEMIVER 25, 1864

LAT

1* 'INTELLIGENO*

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THE ICATION OF THE DOSE
SAXE-MEININGEN.

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The following is the proolaanation by whioh the
Duke of Saxe-Meiningen has announced his abdica-
tion to his subjects :
The iron destiny lof our epoch has struck ns.
I to-day give up power, after having governed the
country during forty-five • years with affection and
loyalty. I do so with sentiments of painful
emotion. I had hoped to be able to remain your duke to
the end of my days, and I should not resign but to pre.
serve yen from heavy sacrifices which I have not been
able to divert in any other manner from you and the
country. The government passes to my son, the hereditary
!rinse, who may God watch over and assist in the painful
road which opens before him. He enters in full vigour on the
new era to which he will know how to conform himself
. better than I should have done. Give to him your swill-
' denoe and your affection ; he will respond by the same
sentiments. May God protect my dose country.
BIHNHAED Sawn Mont.

lifeiningen, Sept. 20.
In the evening 8,000 Prussians occupied the
capital of the Duchy to force the Duke to publish
his abdication, which had been notified at Berlin
on the 7th. The new Duke has addressed his
subjects in the following proclamation :
Dear Inhabitants of Meiningen.—l enter on my high
'functions deeply pained that the inexorable events
of this year should have determined my dear
father to take the generous resolution to renounce a
government which has given to the wants"' nearly 50 years
of prosperity. I implore God that He may give me the
strength and enlightenment neoeesary for me to be able to
wield the sceptre with the fidelity and the devotion which
have made my dear father a brilliant model for all princes.
I oome to you with affection sad confidence. Sustain
me in my difficult vocation by your confidence.
Meiningen, Sept. 21. Glossms.

Eteiperor but the Elf paid visits to his dying
Habefl. H Mal t% day after her visit, con-
ferred upon favour said to be altogether
without precedent. She sent, with • desire that
ti might be hung at the heaket his,bed-as long as
he was ill, a rdiquaire described a. " the most
precious jewel in the crown of France." This is a
rich casket manufactured by Froment Minnie.;
and containing a piece of Jesus Christ's lines, a
piece of a veil belonging to the Virgin Mary, a
remnant of John the Baptist's grave clothes, the
talisman of Charlemagne, which the magistrates of
Aix-la-Chapelle gave to Napoleon 1., and a &fig-
ment of Charlemagne's right arm. The tallsdien
contains two pieces of the true cross. The
value of these relics is enormously int-
hanced- by the fact that they were all in the
Empress's bedroom when the Prince Imperial
was born. Count Baciocchi has been in bad health
for many years. He had a nervous disease, which
kept him from sleeping at nights. Often he walked
about for thirty hours together, and he was wont
to compare himself to the Wandering Jew. The
Emperiir had a corridor softly carpeted on purposli
for him to walk upon at night. So long ago as
1860 Di. Marchal de Calvi told him that he musk
never expect to be cured, but that with care and
attention to diet he might live twenty years. He
instanced Marshal Sebastiani as a man who had the
same sort of malady, and yet lived a longtime. But
Count Baciocchi, beings bad patient, and refusing
to follow prescriptions, Dr. Marched de Calvi threw
np the case. He remained a friend, and in the
count's last sickness was one of the seven physi-
cians who held a consultation round the death bed.
The nearest relation of the deceased who was with
him when he died is M. John Stephanopoli, who
claims to be a descendant of Comnenus. Although
Count Itaciocchi is said to have possessed so many
state secrets, it is to be presumed that his discre-
tion preventing him from committing any of them
to writing, for the Emperor has dispensed
the right, generally exercised with regard to
ministers and courtiers, of putting seals upon his
papers.
The Patrie has a cock-and-bull article insinuating
that England and the interests opposed to the for-
mation of the Isthmus of Suez Canal are at the
bottom of the disturbance in Crete and Sicily, and
suggesting a coalition of France, Italy, Austria, and
Spain to protect their interests in the Mediter-
ranean. I look on this as mere nonsense.
The Bourse was dull. Rente closed with no
other change than a fall of lc. for account.
Italian fell 16c., Mobilier lir. 25c., and Credit
Foncier 2fr. 50c.

THE EMPERORENCH AND
BE PRESS OF THE
FR AT .

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The Emperor, almost immediately on his arrival
at Biarritz, took a walk on the terraos overhanging the sea,
accompanied by the Prince Imperial and General Fleury.
At night the whole town was illuminated ; and about
9 o'clock his Majesty and the Empress walked for some
time in the midst of the crowd, and were everywhere re-
ceived with the greatest cordiality and respect. The day
after the Empror paid a visit to the prorks in progress for
forming a port of refuge.
A letter from Biarritz gives some details !of the Em-
press's excursion to the grotto of flare
" Her Majesty, the Prince Imperial, and a suite of about
30 persons, arrived at Sere at 1 o'olock. The journey was
made in breakidrown by horses from the imperial stables.
The travellers alighted at the house of ald. Michel Dihur-
subehere, where they stopped about two hours, waiting
till the weather, which had become rainy, should clear
up, as they intended to go on, after seeing the grotto of
Sere, to that of Zugarromurdy,in Spain. The Empress, the
Prince, and many of the suite mounted on horsebacks
while moat of the ladies and General Fleury's children
took their places in pack-saddles on the backs of mules,
thus reviving that ancient mode of travelling formerly so
well known in the Pyrenees, and now almost forgotten.
Nothing could be more curious than this caravan, which
was guided by a troop of young men of the neighbourhood,
who, by their height and the elasticity of their frames, es
well as their bold free bearing, brought to mind that
proud nation of Cantabrian from whom they are de-
scended. The party, furnished with torches, went through
the grotto of Bare, and afterwards visited that of Zugar-
ramurdy, which is open at both ends, and in which flows
• large rivulet, which all the party forded. Here the tra-
vellers requested the guides to sing some of their country
songs, and instantly a number of fine voices aroused the
echoes of the spot. The Empress and the Prince Imperial,
on their return, again rested at the house of M. Dihun
subehere, so well known to the imperial court under the
simple name of M. MicheL The imperial party arrived at
Villa Eugenie at about 10 at night."
The Empress, three days back, visited the hospital of
Saint Leon, at Tors, near Biondi:. Her Majesty was as.
compaaied by M. d'Auribean, Prefect of the Department,
and remained about an hour conversing with the superior
and committee of management on subjects connected with
the institution.
Another letter from Biarritz states that Count de Bis•
mark has engaged for the end of the present month an
apartment in one el the principal hotels of that watering-
due.

WEATHER REPORT.-(THIS DAY.)

TIMID" BIifISIIBMIZ ts, 8 A.X.

W. lislvema Ms.l2 T. W. no ..1 '.
D. 9. N W. R. Ito
11
-.--- -..
Na 8.W.-,
Nairn ...... UK 66
W. 3 4 8.8. W. Do 1
Aberdeen ..29.74152 8. 1 4 8. e— 4
Leith
Ardroesan
Greesoutie .60155 & 4 6 8.8. W. Me —I 3
e
Yalontia
.. -
Ilveryool NI 50 8.8. E. 3 8.8.1. — 2
Holyhead
Penzance .87158 &&W. 0 N.W. c 4
Brat .. 29.9
.66 &W. 6 11.8. W. e 6
Lorleut 10.00601 R. 2 W. b 3
Rochefort..
Plymouth 29.9158 8.8.1. 6 W. b 0.03 2
Weymouth
Portsmouth 30.02 631, 8.2 W. 4 B.W. re 0.03 3
London -
Yarmouth 30.08 611 W. 1 1 8.8.1. cb —, 1
' Scarborough 29.06 48 &W. 2 , &W. I a 0.17 2
Shields .... . 2910 41' B.W. 2 . N.W. re 0.62 2

1=43.1[8.
A considerable increase of barometric pressure has occurred
to the southward et this ommiry, while barometers on oar west-
ern coasts are again felling, with a daddy sky and apparently
increasing southerly sad .oath-weeterly winds. The relent
oscillations of barometric pressure. and the return of the winds
to the south-west render a coatirmace of the fine weather of to-
day improbable.

FRIENDLY Eiocrmiss.—This morning was issued
the report for the year 1866 of Mr. John Tidd Pratt, the
registrar of friendly societies in England. During the year
the registry bee examined and certified the rules of 1,076
friendly societies, and also the alteration of the rules of
1,248 societies, making • total of 2,324 oeititioates.
44 friendly societies have deposited their rules with the
registrar, under the 18th and Loth Vie., c. 63. Notices of
dissolution have been received from 143 friendly societies,
of which number 88 were advertised in the London Gazette.
The sum of 2,2381. in the Bank of England has been trans-
tarred by the registrar into the names of trustees appointed
by friendly societies in the places of often rsenoved,
absent, to la an appendix to the report Mr. Tidd Pratt
offers valuable suggestions for the establishment of friendly
societies on sound principles. In his opinion the only
paid officers should be the secretary and auditors .
where the meetings are held at public-houses, there should
be a stipulation that no beer, &c., should be brought into
the room until all business is concluded, and attend-
ance at annual feasts should be strictly voluntary. Re
says that in a society formed on the principles had down
in the document "every member will have topay only such
oontributions as may be required by the rules and tables
for the benefit he wishes to receive, and there will be no
compulsory charges for beer, feasts, melees paraphernalia,
ee other extras."
A railway is projected between Newport and
Ityde, in the Isle of Wight. It will be about five miles
long. It will connect by rail Cowes sad the shied tern
with the back of the Isle of Wight.