The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-24 00:00:00

II IBCELLANEOCB TOPICS.

The account which the Tunes has published of the fraud
and forgery practised upon it last Friday evening reminds
the Daily News that experiments on the vigilance of the
press have greatly increased during the last four or five
years. Most of the impositions are to be attributable
to a propensity to practical joking, occasionally reinforced
by jealousy of the press or of particular journals. Persons
with motives of this kind only should remember how
serious may be the inconvenience and injury done to
innocent persona ; but from the point of the view of the
public the matter has a graver aspect. If the sending of
such a letter as that received at the Times office on Friday
is not at present a crime punishable by law, it may be ex-
pedient to set the point at rest by a brief statute, and
this is suggested, not that it would lighten the
arduousness of the duty of discriminating doubtful facts—
a function of more importance than skill in the recom-
mendationof opinions—but that it would be chiefly useful
as expressing the opinion of the public and the legislature
respecting the nature of a grave social offence, which at
present, it is to be feared, is through mere thoughtless-
ness regarded as venial. We can give no better security
to the public than this, that we cannot mislead it by false
information without being ourselves wounded in profes-
sional pride and in our most positive interests. We are
supposed to know everybody's handwriting, everybody's
seal, everybody's style, and to recognise or miss the signs
of genuineness in a hundred communications at once, at
all hours of the night, or oftener of the morning.. Let it
be so ; it is our burden, and we willingly bear it. An en-
actment would not lighten our load, but it might prevent
the sending of a forged letter to a newspaper by the fear of
the penalty it inspired.
The TdegrapA learns with sincere satisfaction that an
English journal of good repute has not been guilty of any
graver offence than incapacity to distinguish between an
authentic document and a clumsy forgery.
After referring to the ease with which the most scrupulous
of candidates may find himself the victim of a system of
election which he detests, the Times proceeds to show the
depraved standard of political duty through which there is
so entire an absence of shame in some boroughs with respect
to the practice of corruption. So long as this is the case it
is a simple mockery of language to speak of representation
as if it were a reality. No legislation can put down these
practices, and few men have the courage to insist on rigor-
ous economy for the sake of a principle. It seems to be
expected at Maidstone, for instance, that doles of Christ-
mas beef should be distributed to all sound liberals who
may apply for it, and who would care to risk his popularity
by discontinuing it ? It would, no doubt, be a bold expe-
riment to disfranchise a town like Lancaster, where the
committee has reported that corrupt practices extensively
prevailed at the last election, but one such example would
be of more service than many prosecutions of individuals.

Cite Court.

OSBORNE, APRIL 23.

The Very Rev. the Dean of Westminster performed the
service yesterday morning at Osborne, before her Majesty
and their Royal Highnesses Princess Louise and Prince
Leopold.
The Ladies and Gentlemen in Waiting were also present.
Earl and Countess Granville left Osborne for London
this morning.

Despatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-
office from the Governors of the North American Pro
vinoes, Bermuda, Gibraltar, and Malta. Despatches were
sent to the Governors of the Settlements on the West
Coast of Africa.

Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess
of Wales have graciously signified their intention of being
present at the anniversary festival of the Merchant Sea-
men's Orphan Asylum, to be held at the institution,
Snareabrook, on Thursday, the 28th June. His royal
highness will on the occasion lay the first atone of an ad-
dition to the present building, the erection of which, it
will be remembered, was inaugurated by the late Prince
Consort on the same day in the year 1861.

The Duke of Buocleuch and family are expected
to arrive at their mansion in Whitehall early in the ensuing
month, when they will receive a succession of visitors.
The Earl and Countess of Haddington and Lady
Franoes Hamilton have arrived at Penance's Hotel from
Scotland for the season.

Should the present government reform measure
not pass, it is the intention of the executive of the National
Reform onion to take early steps for holding a great
national exhibition of works of arts and science, produced
by working men who are not enfranchised. The exhibi-
tion will be on a great scale, and will partake somewhat of
the character of the grand bazaar held by the Anti-Corn
Law League in London, at the time of the struggle for the
repeal of the corn laws.
_ _

Mr. H. Martin, the head gamekeeper to the late
Lord Palmerston, died last week at the age of eighty. He
had been forty years in the service of his lordship, and
was much esteemed by him.

DEATH OF AN 12.18 H JI7DOE.—DUBLIN, MONDAY.
—(FRON 01:11 OWN CORRIAPONDENT.—By KLEMM TELE-
oNAPH.)--Judg.2 Ffargreave, of the Landed Estates Court,
died to-day, at his residence at Bray, after a protracted
illness.

INSTALLATION OF LORD WARDEN OF TRY CINQUE
Porra.—Whit Tuesday has been decided upon KB the day
for the installation of Earl Granville, K.G„ as Lord War.
den of the Cinque Porta and Constable of Dover Castle.