The Express.
London, England, 1859-05-06 00:00:00

IMNDON. la DAY. MAY O.

Tits wee telegrams we publish this morning
some of which, it win bs observed, are ►rom the
Sardinian headquarters, and one from the Chief el
the French Staff, pemege a welcome engagement is
I'iedmost at an early date. Our last detailed accounts
Nee Terie, dated the end, showed that that part of
the Austrian form which was advancing north alibi
Po, had issued from the Lomellia& and the district
of the Lower Novara, when it had halted some-
what Me:placably after the passage of the Ticino,
one dim columns crowing the Bede and occupying
Vercelli, while another column, which had entered
Piedmont at Vigevano, was at Modem. At thesauri
time a eorps much stronger than there was reported
to he moving from Straddle ►nd Voghera. Yeats/
the letter lean Turin agree is stating that the op"-
aim prevailing there wee that the enemy medi-
tated an attack on Novi, on important military
point commanding the communication between
Pence, which has now become the chief be.. of
operations for the Freon', and Alemandris. The
telegrams of the last twenty-four hours favour the,
speculations of our correspondents. The enemy has
occupied the Sardinians with real or feigned at-
tempts to MOO the Po at sewn' points, from Trine
on the west to Cambia on the east. The malt el
their advance on Trim,. 'which is about 10 mdse
west of the fortress of Casale, is unknown.
Below Fressinetto, about midway between
Candia and Valens; the Po is stalled
with islands, and here the Austrians made an
attempt to pass over, but wire repulsed by the Sar-
dinian, at a low to the latter of twenty men killed
and wounded. This is the first authentic account
we lurched of actual bloodshed in the present war.
Lower down, at Vslenza, a cannonade woe com-
menced by the enemy on Tuesday night, but up to
Wedneeday evening it had been ineffectual. At
Cambia, about thirteen miles north-east of Ales-
sandria, however, the Austrians effected a passage
on Monday or Tuesday, descending, as appears
probable, from Mortara, ea the form at Moo bad
done from Vercelli.

The column which has jolt effected this operation
will cones upon a rued leading directly to Tartans.
It will probably endeavour to gain this town,
and there effect • junction with the corps ad-
vancing by Btrodella and Foghorn. If they want to
fight, an easy road conducts to the field of Marengo,
only ten miles distant on their right, and they would
not probably be required to wait for the 14th of
June ; or, if Novi is their aim, the road is equally
direct. It is at Tartona, however, that the choice of
the Austrians will have to be made, or rather dis-
closed. lied the invaders made a sudden dash at
Novi a week age, they might have inflicted infinite
inconvenience on the Piedmoutese. Now, however,
the French have had time to arrive in large num-
ber., so that there can be fewer than from
eighty to ninety thousand of them on this Plethora-
tese eoi,,and every day diminishes the advantages to
be gained by an attack on Novi. We are, however,
simply calling attention to the probability of an Im-
portant action to be fought not far from Tattoos, and
shall not affect to anticipate the judgment of the
Austrian General.

White the " Liberator and Friend" of the Sar-
dinian people, a OrDCRI OTCLAI oddly styles
himself in hie proclamation, is levying heavy
contributions on the defenceless inhabitants of
Novara and I. unellins, and with a forgetfulness
of monarchical principles which is strange is •
servant of the HArsnuans, is vilifying their
Sovereign, King VICTOR Z ratan. is with the
army, having pitched his tent and raised the
standard of the House of SArcie on the eastern
declivil of one of the Monthrrat hill., opposite
Valecaii. His head-qaarters are just behind
the centre of the line on which the Austrians
have hitherto acted, and midway between Ciliate
and Alessandria, the two principal fortresses of his
kingdom. Vtcro* EltntNt ri is not one of those
princes who engross the rank and absorb the cowls- ,
meats of an army, and hays no other connexion with
it except es they strive to find it employment by
their Intrigues. His army remembers how valiantly
be fought at Novara, sad the wounds he received at
Goats. Like our own "warlike OAIL/T," he is •
most royal captais, enjoying as well as sharing the
late at the camp. whisk be quickens by his presence
sail cheerful caaate•anee.

Per* he sass led Mite al his best;
bide Mem mod memoir with • mist mat.
Led MIN riot
Meek ad esestryines.
The Emperor of AUSTRIA MS exhibited the other
day to the Engludi public se aa honest MR" whom
his neighbours wee* coo federating to pleader. That
holiest wan has three capitals, every one of which
he by banbarded. Berman, Hungarian, Maw-
mum, and Italuo sehjerve—he has cannonaded them
all, shot their moo. Mine their nobles, II egged their
proseen, and even had tee meassions to torture hie
pi Masses is wablernmesa amens. Turn sow to
Peitheoet, and see • King the Met-Loved MLR in
hie dmaisiem, faithful to Me word, no palterer
with eoestitstiesei so wasted. that the people,
with • esallesees that is tooching, commit
tie ReflaiSlS et their most priorities prier-10w,
,- gest. into his heals, hammy Chat nowhere -
else will tb. be so ash. And. sot only the Pied-
seeteee, bet all 1,•.?- "ft km. Al Imif ae NIP
wee le be hoped 1.7 II"' the "MN.
unseen whisk it seemed probithl• at tat; dal. et the
Itemise war Preece and England would exert to
mere the everwhelniag pressure of Austria from
the smaller Italian Stater, they waited patiently,
"viegeeerytbiog t 9 the XMO am his
rat ~lY+efeT j 60 smokes teen(.., we vain

demoostrat loos, we:c K.ea ; therit;
sosspieseitv, cre t societies; hat ti
spec, stesightfarwartl action as an Its

VICROI il3ll•Nt EL beeSirle, liStralkaieby the
gas.oteircumatances and opinion, the ...fall
It sly. The fortresses, tribunals, and treasuries may
be In the hands of this Grand Duke, and that Go-
vensor, and the other Pope ; bat the role over men.
heart, sad minds belongs to the King of SARDINIA.
In the weeds of a oornereadeat writing from Rome,
" the will of the Piedmonts.. Government bolds all
" Italy in the strictest moral subordination." This
is indeed to be a King.

The Government la already seized with the die-
terbing conviction that Reform is, after all, the rock
&head on which it is destined to be wrecked.
Almost every conceivable effort has bees mode to
change the eine, but in vain. Ministers have, in-
deed, been peculiarly anfortunate in the *mane
06116 they have attempted to set up. First, these
was the cry of " Lord Deans and efficient legal*-
" don." The Derbyites were represented as the only
party who could carry on the business of the snotty
with •igoar, sagacity, and deipatob ; and the nation
was invited to consider the number of important
Bills that hail been brought in by the preeent
Ministry. Lord Jolla Itttaiiett, being gifted
with as inconveniently tenacious memory, accepted
this invitation rather too literally. it. reviewed
with remorseless accuracy the more serious attempts
(tithe Government at the business of legislation, and
showed that they had proved conspicuous and even
ludicrous " failures." Then there was the cry of
" Lord MILNE/MUST and the Peace of Rurope;" but
the course of events has swiftly brought to light the
anquisits irony of that luckless appeal. Finally,
there was the cry of " Lord Denny and the 'Happy
oFamily ' party." The last link of union aeroapt
1111611111111•11 Conservatives wits boldly fixed on as the
tallying watchword of the party. They had se
priaeiplse, es these were thrown to the winds when
they hat took office in 1862. They had no policy,
hr this was abandoned when, contrary to their nee
vinous, they became reformers last year. But they
were still held together by the commas link et
sitting on the same bench, and following the same
leader. They were a party, and a united party.
Tree, Mr. =ELLE and Mr. WALPOLE had left the
minieterialraaks, and Lord STANLEY voted for the
ballot. True, almost every *peeler on the Govern,
sant side of the House objected to the Government
Bill. But the Derbyites claim to be a united lowly
through a common obedience to their chief, tad
their claim may be allowed, as they faithfully fol-
lowed their leader into the right lobby,
Thln " happy family" union is the founded."'
and seem» of the appeal to the caary. It
weelliesght prominently forward by Lord Drain in
theneweeetLeede. It ran through Mr. Diezentit
aedesieseedirees to the electors of Bucks ; awl bee
been repelled on the hustings by Ministeriallek
throeglseet the country. The Conservatives dist
timely claim to govern the country not benne they
two a principle or a policy, but became they sit in
theism benches, and have the enviable runty of
walking into the same lobby at the right moment.
Fee the rest, if only the Government is allowed to
remain in office, they are willing to sit meekly on the
Ministerial benches, " waiting for orders," ready
to do the bidding of any party, and cheer-
fully execute whatever Piolisment may demand.
No doubt this is a touching proof of humility
and devotion to the tational interests. But the
country is deaf to the appeal, sod rejects with base
ingratitude the conciliatory offer. It demands a
sting government, faithfully reflecting the marina
will. And on one point, at all events, the limit: sal
will has been decidedly expressed during the ales.
dope. The country is assolved to have a geed
Deform Bill without delay.
That Ministers already feel this fatal truth is
slay from the last speeches delivered by mem.
ben of the Government. The busting.' addressee
of the ATTORNEY-GINIZAL and the Earl of
MARCE, last Wednesday, are almost wholly
devoted to the question of Reform. In the
present excited auto of the public mind it
would, perhaps, have been natural to dwell at some
length on our foreign relations and the foreign
policy of the Government, but we can easily Imagism
this is not a very tempting theme to it. 'appertain.
They are, in fact, at this moment in a very awkweel
dilemma. They must speak, and speak if possible,
, so as to pin popular re.nort; but what in the world
' are they to talk about? There is no subject, no
single point in home or foreign affairs that is at
once safe and suitable. At best it is a choice of
evil*, and of the two evils, Austria and a
redacted franchise, they choose the latter se
the least. While sympathising with the creel
asesentry that obliged them to discuss the subject,
we cannot congratulate either the learned gentle.
man or the noble Earl as the news of their efforts.
As they were companions in diens* so by a singu-
lar coincidence in both speeches the conclusion con-
tradicts the premises. Sir Invent Kette selected
es the theme of his discourse the rather inconsistent
proposition, " Lord DELT, the friend of the work-
" ing man, and the he of a reduced franchise." In
the Brat part of hie speech he dwelt with emphasis
on the fact that the Government Reform Bill would
have folly enfranchised " the middle classes." He
bed advocated this two years ago, long before
the subject was taken up by the present Go-
vernment, urging his friends to agitate
" the question of Reform with a view to
" ea extension of the elective franchise to the great
" body of the middle classes of the people." And in
dealing with the subject the " Government ended-
" soured by their Bill to equalise the qualifications
" for the exercise of the elective franchise, and they
would thus have at once enfranchised the Win
middle classes of the people." On the strength,
epprently,of them generous efforts the learned pm-
deem proceeded to sasert rather warmly that the
Onwevatives are the special friends of the working-
elasser, and had for years past devoted themselves to
the good work of securing their rights and forward-
ing their interests. Ile waxed exceedingly indignant
Indeed against those Liberals who ventured to taunt
the Vries with being the enemies of the working
slay s. The crowd assembled round the hustings
did sot feel the force of this singular argument, in-
quang with the rude directness which characterises
the popular English mind, " What Lord DERBY had
"ever don fur them ?" and intimating plainly
*sough their opinion that he never onset to do any.
thing for them.

lae Earl of Lang was etereelysere fortunate
than the Arronair-Ocenat. in lie refireeote lo

the question of Reform. He took a weak and
melancholy view of the subject, and treated it is
a very tedious way, gouts painfully ever the well-
worn ground of the Resolution, the wanes open I.
the Governmeet, the Dismintion, Sc. He saws
Lowerrr to a practical conclusion of same
impor:eate when ha intimated that so emend
Reform Bill could be expected frets the mend
The iesolution carried by LCIld JOHN
R L b.:4 an tOrt takenthe question of
Reform
out
of t::. Suds of the Government. The
" lisfono swim proposed h? Lord Dian had
" beta coodinonal by a sots of the }[oars of Cow