The Express.
London, England, 1859-04-12 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAT. APRIL 12.

Stitt 111711.1 have in their wisdom reserved for th•
latest aysilable opportunity the rand Dissolvin g
view of Foreign Attain which hu been so long in
preparatio•, and it is not until Fri* evening next
that Mr. DISIALLI will display to the derelict sue.
vicars of an expiring Parliament the grand allegory
of Mace and War, and the brilliant Laocoontie
tableau of NIALIIIIIIIOIT writhing in the serpentine
embraces of Austria sad Prance.

For the not seresty hours or so the British public
mast be esistent with the shreds and patches of
contemporary history that come to it through "the
" usual chamois of information." It was ever the
legitimate province of our rulers to acquaint
us very solemnly with what we all know
before, to call failures fetalities, and to pro-
tend that the irreparable could never have Lee■
avoided or foreseen. It is only newspapers fiat
pretend to look forward ; statessea, who hays
a time to be silent and a time to speak, are rouoa-
ably silent when everybody else is speaking, and
open their lips ally when there is nothing left to
soy. We may confiieotly anticipate a st►tement
from the mouth of the CIIASCELLot of the Excite.
civil on Friday about as impsrtant in its bearings
upon actual events as Archbishop WMATIVeII
kestoont foe believing that NAPOLEON Bova►aala
never existed. It is only too probable that the
Ministerial announcement will be somewhat i• the
nature of a retrospective review ; not so novel sad
aotoelous as tie anomancement of the evacuation

of the states of the Caurch by the occupying
teem., bet more like the immortal truths
wit► which the Duke of MALAKOIT wee taken by
storm on the Terrace of Windsor. In truth, events
an begtnuug to speak for theuesedves, and who
alien say that before many days the staling bow may
ant hare snapped, and the challenge have fallen
like an arrow of fire between the gathering hosts ?
It is high time that the English public should
be prepared for a contingency which, as we
write, is only not a eertainty. We cannot, at all
serum arouse eareelvee of having indulged false
hopes, or submitted to be the dupes of diplomatic
legerdemaie. We an as fair as possible from desir-
ing to treat with disrespect negotiations, however
tardy and protracted, which are inspired by a sincere
sazirty to restore barmosy between two great mili-
tary Power., without prejodice to the security of
treaty rights, sod ea a basis of mutual conciliation
and concession. Hot the tact and temper, the die-
cretion and sagacity with which these negotiations
are conducted is a fur subject for searching criticism
sad fur our own part we willingly cc pit any Go-
vernment of England, without reference to per....
or parties, of being guided by lower motives:than •
profound solicitude for the priceless blessings of
pouf, and a religious sense of the awful reeposei-
bilitses of 1117.

So much foe the moral aspects of the situation en
which Mr. Ittsairtt has sadertaken to throw a
good of darkness on Friday. Bet its politisal as-
pect. are **Ober so simple nor so impenonaL
When Lord MALIIIIISCRT invited Count Civotti
so hold a brief for Italy, he was pro-
voking, however anwittiegly or unwillingly.
the violent aad•streme deeivima to whioh anger sad
deepair are hurrying the raters sod the arsaiee of
Austria. " Nothing." writes M. Guitar, in referents
to the Italian question of BM. " is more imprudent
or more redact's* of eniluirrsasenent in great
" affairs than se's not sincerely meant, and the
" success of which the originators neither desire bee
expect. Good appearances without effect are fatal
to sound policy, mod futile remedies aggravate the
disease they appear intended to este." It wee se
false Si it was latile so the part of the Zeglish
Plosipotentiaries at the Cooper of Paris is 1866 to
invite Count Ctroca to represent the wrongs of
Italy in the Council of the Great Powers, sad to
orient emphatically to his ansislosious, when the
invitation was &banes sereplineat, and the meat as
idle and empty protest. Bat what shall we think
of MALNIVIIIVIIT if, three yews liter, whom the
fruits of dumppoiotarest are ripening to deepwation,
he 'gain areu.es bops be daze not appear, and
awakens sympathies he seven meant to satisfy ?

It i. not improbable, however, that Austria her
may r. here us of responsibilities wantonly and
weakly sasumv. Emperors and Kaiaers are mortal
men. as we ye often reminded; and perhaps the
world may have canoe to wish they were nothing
more but they are soldiers also, and when their
blood is up. why, then pleciauther ArAiei. Big bat-
talions
are a fearful luxury ; and the enthusiasm of ,
poor dying cattle who are ready to tear their
fellow-men to pieces out of dumb loyalty to an
Imperial and Apostolical Drover, is a chronic fever
in the blood of Europe which my any hour be
wrought into a devouring pestilence. Yet this is an
appreciable and, so to speak, an acceptable risk. The
imminent and even instant danger to the peace
of Eirrope just now is one which ►as at least the
interest of novelty. It is probably the Bret and
more probably the last occasion in history of a great
Power trying to raise money in the markets of
Europe and, failing in the attempt, rush-
ing into war instead. At this moment,

war u being serenely dies:auto& atVlsous Si a great
financial operation. The popular notion of war
holds It to be • ruinous and westehd recreation ;
sod the soundest economists haws favoured this im-
pression ; but the new doctrine, which oven an ea-
lightened tioancier such as M. de Bartle
is disposed to adopt, is, that war first sad
bankruptcy afterwards is preferable to bank-
ruptcy without• blood or glory. No doubt
with • currency of whitey-brown paper, with no
metal in circulation save lead and steel, and extra
armaments to the tune of 9.1,0001. a-day, de
Bieck may be excused for entering into endows
calculations of bow many gallant Croats must be
slaughtered for the relief of the "system," and
bow long Imperial and Apostolical insolvency can be
Waved off by immolating one-half of an enormous
army to encourage the other. Besides, aa M. de
Marrensicu neatly expressed it many years ago,
"Better to be devoured by • lion than mangled by
"rats." M. de B•cck is perfectly justified in con-
'kitting • Coerces, without a preliminary disarms-
nest, se no better than a Bankruptcy Court. Un-
less, therefore, the Powers agree to disarm together,
be may deem it eater for Austria, even at the cost of
her reputation for gentleness and humanity, to take
her principal creditor by the throat, and to draw
blood from her own happy family pretty freely into
the bargain.

Tug true thirsty wildernesses of England are
oar large tower, and London above all. Most of us
know what the summer thirst of Loudon streets is
like, though we do not carry a porter's knot, nor
fey ear water, nor do commission business from

street to street from ten till four. We can ask for
a glass of water at two or three places in the tour..
of • hot morning; yet we know enough of thirst to
rejoice that the spirit of larva Score is abroad in oar
streets, and that poor Canto's" devil" is likely to
be deprived of a good deal of prey by the events of
this day. The meeting at Willis'. Rooms, at three
o'clock this afternoon, is one that every sort of person
may wish well to, and ought to help.
The setting up of Drinking Fountains at Liver-
pool, by Mr. CHARLES P. MELLY, in 1858, wu the
beginning of a series of such acts in the large towns
of the kingdom. Those who attend the meeting to-
day will doubtless hear from the chairman, Lord
CARL!CLC, or from Lord SHAFTESBURY, or Mr.
MZLLY, how many there are, or, at legit, how far
the movement has extended. An Association has
been formed which is to be inaugurated to-day.
It has already erected, and completed for crea-
tion, several of these fountains ; and it seems pro-
bable that their efforts will be met half way by
the vestries, as in the cue of St. Mary's, Islington,
where the vestry have taken on themselves the ply -
meet of the water-rate of four fountains, and •
portion of the cost of erection, on condition of the
rest being done by the Association. A week or two
age a congregation of Independent Nonconformists
mosestding not far from Kennington-gate were ooa-
gr•lulatiog themselves upon the confirmation of
their relations with au able and amiable pastor,
whose sepsration from them had for a time seemed
not improbable. The question was asked whether
the grateful feelings which had been awakened
might not be connected with some act of "goodwill
"to men." It was suggested that a drinking-foun-
tain would be of great service to the many persons
who attend the public vehicles in the neighbourhood
of the Gate, and instantly 401. were subscribed. The
Lambeth Board of Works has linos granted a site
and undertaken to provide the water, the congregation
undertaking to establish the fountain. More of such
spirit as this, and a continuance of the individual
beneficence of such men as Mr. GURNEY and Mr. C.
P. MILLY will go • long way in checking interims-
IWO incur street', cooling fevered tongues, quieting
Neel infants, comforting the harassed labourer, and
(It ahowld be remembered) lessening the danger from
dsge; but a wide-spread movement is required to
most the general want. any one remember the
demand for water in an infant school, and pity the
children is Loodon-streett Let any ono who has

lived within the sound of a pump-handle in a pe-
rilous yard tell how raneh respite the iron arm has
in the twenty-four hour,. Let any ore count the en-
trances and exits to a public-house daring any
four or five hour. in the dogdays—particularly ob-
serving the countenances of the heated customers
who tarn in, and the flush on the facets that come
out, and he will gain some idea of the factitious in-
temperance induced by the mere want of the "cup
of cold water" which it is a shame that any one
in this country should ever pine in vain for.
Of course, there are some objectors. There is
orating good that may not be abased and there
will be, as long as boys are bop, mime who will
throw the water about, and lark with it, and render
the pavement slippery in frost, and lose time at the
fountains. Such troubles have occurred in some
Wwns, but such abuse most be controlled by the
police in Leaden r and they are a mere trifle, at
wont, is comparison with the benefit obtained.