The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-30 00:00:00

M MELIA:4EOI.7s TOPICS.

The Times replies to Mr. Baines, who, in his letter to
Mr. Crawford, desires some measure that shall restore
Mr. Gladstone to the post of leadership, that the vital
preliminary is some process by which Mr. Gladstone can
be restored to a good position as a parliamentary reformer.
At the commencement of this session Mr. Gladstone
assumed this position by promising to do his best to
make this a good bill. Mr. Baines says he did this con-
trary to his own opinion, and simply because his party
left him no choice but to do so. But the promise, once
made, had to be fulfilled. Mr. Baines thinks the promise
unwise, because, indeed, impossible of execution, the bill
being, in his opinion, utterly and incurably bad. But
upon this point h 2 is at issue with a decided majority of
the house, and, as the Times fully believes, with the public
opinion of the country. If " some measure" can be is
vented for the restoration of Mr. Gladstone and his party,
it must be one which carries out the original undertaking
of this session—viz., the construction of a reform bill more
of lesson the lines of the bill before the house.

The Post invites attention to an important judgment
which was pronounced in the Court of Queen's Bench a
day or two ago. The question raised was whether a per-
son convicted of several offences at one and the same time
could be sentenced by the magistrates to several consecu-
tive terms of imprisonment, or whether such terms ought
to be deemed in law as being concurrent and expiring
together. The decision of the court was to affirm the
sentence of consecutive penalties ; but it must be con-
fessed that the statute in the case is so worded that it is
only by some degree of technical and professional straining
that the law is prevented from being reduced to a nullity
and absurdity.
The Herald looks upon the disclosures in the London
and Brighton case as among the most damaging that have
ever been published with reference to railway matters.
The directors began the course which has brought them to
their present .trait when there was nothing at all to excuse
their reticence. The fact that the board may have 'meant
well " will neither meet contractors' bills nor provide for
the permanent way, nor keep the rolling stock in order.
They may have improvidently contracted personally, but
that cars impose no obligation on the shareholders to adopt
obligations incurred ultra rires. The course of the share-
holders, if they really desire to save their property, is per-
fectly plain. They ought at once and decisively to refuse
their sanction to any scheme for making them the owners
of the Surrey and Sussex, the Chichester and Alidharst,
and the West Sussex Junction lines.

The Day, commenting upon the proposed Pan-Anglican
synod, asks, on the supposition that 100 bishops are as-
sembled under the mild presidency of Dr. Longley, how
many will be able to advise us as to the peculiar wants of
our own community? The African bishops may tell us
what is good for the Cape, or for Natal—although they
seem to be by no means agreed upon that. The American
bishops may have strong views on slavery and the right of
negro voting, but how can they advise us as to the diffi-
culties of our overgrown parishes ? How, in short, can •
body—the majority of which is placed under circum-
Signas widely different from our own—advise us for their
credit and our own benefit? The Day heartily endorses
Dr. Lee's expression—" We hope that the Synod will not
attempt to do more than deliberate ;" and would be
quite as well pleased if it did not do that.

the Court.

WINDSOR CASTLE, Area, 29

. - -
The Queen and Princess Louise rode on ponies
in the grounds this corning. Prince Leopold went out
walking, attended by Mr. Legg, and Princess Beatrice rode
in the Home-park.
The Prince of Leiningen visited the Queen and Prince
and Princess Christian this morning, and remained to
luncheon.

The Duke of Buckingham has left the Castle for Lou-
don. Miss Helps has also left the Castle.
Sir James Clark arrived at the Castle this morning.

The Prince of Wales, accompanied by the Duke of Edin-
burgh, and attended by Captain Ellis, rode out yesterday.

A Committee of the Lords of her Majesty's Moat
Honourable Privy Cuuacil sat yesterday at the Privy
Council-office, Whitehall, on the subject of the cattle
plague. The Lords present were Lord Robert Montagu
and the Right Hon. Stephen Cave. Mr. Harrison and Dr.
Alexander Williams attended the committee.
A deputation from the paper manufacturers of Great
Britain, consisting of Mews. James Wiegley and Son,
Grosvenor, Chater, and Co., John Dickinson and Co., Hol-
lingsworth, Hook, Tallia, and Co., W. Tod and Son, the
Kennet Paper Making Company, Simpson, McMurray,
Joynaon, Thomas Stephens, Monckton, Smith, Hayes,
Macey and Rives, Ibbetson, J. B. Green, Richd. Batt, H.
G. Richardson, Thos. Tait and Son, Evans and Adlard,
Henry Wheeler, and Henry Annan, had an interview with
the Right lion. Spencer H. Walpole, at the Home-office,
yesterday.

A deputation from the iron and tin plata trade of
England, introduced by the Right Hon. C. P. Villiers,
M.P., and consisting of the Right Hon. C. B. Adderley,
M.P., the Right Hon. T. E. Headlam, M.P., Mr. W. 0.
Foster, M.P., Mr. H. W. Foley. M.P., Mr. J. Cowen,
M.P., the Hon. E. F. Leveson Gower, M.P., Mr. H. R.
Grenfell, M.P., Mr. L L. Dillwyn, M.P., Mr. G. S.
Beecroft, M.P.. Mr. H. F. Beaumont, M.P., Colonel Bun-
combe, M.P., Mr. C. F. Surtees, M.P., Mr. F. A.
Milbank, M.P., Mr. W. S. Allen, M.P., Mr. T. M. Wc-
guelin, M.P., Messrs. W. Barrows (Chairman South Staf-
fordshire Iron Masters' Association), W. Williams, Jun.
(Hon. Secretary South Staffordshire Iron Muter.' Asso-
ciation), Bragge (Chairman North Staffordshire Iron
Muter.' Association), W. Hopkins (Chairman North of
England Iron Muter.' Association), Woodruffe (Chair-
man Tin Plate Trade), Conway, W. Matthews, F. Smith,
Udall, R. Heath, I. S. N. Alleyne, F. Kitson, Butler, W.
Sparrow, J. P. Hunt, John Hartley, F. E. Horton, Geo.
Barker, and Flower, had an interview with the Hight
Hon. Spencer H. Walpole, at the Home-office, yesterday,
on the subject of the F►ctories Act Extension Bill.

Tho Duke of Bedford has forwarded to Mrs.
Gladstone a donation of 500 f. towards the fund for the
Convalescent Homes.

Last night Mr. Labouchere took tho oath and
his seat for the county of Middlesex, in the room of Mr.
C. Banbury, deceased. The hon. member was introduced
by Mr. C. Foster and Mr. G. G. Glyn.
Mr. Beadlam has given notice of his intention
to ask on Thursday whether the attention of government
has been direred to the presentment of the grand jury in
the cases of Colonel Nelson and Lieutenant Brand.
_ _

Mr. Maguire, on Friday next, on going into
supply, will call the attention of the Secretary for Ireland
to the statements which bad been published in the news-
papers respecting the harsh treatment inflicted on persons
who were undergoing punishment for political offences in
Ireland ; and ask him whether any inquiry bad been made,
or whether he bad given instructions for inquiring into
such allegations.
_ _

Mr. Laing intends, in the committee on the Re-
distribution of Seats Bill, to move as an amendment that
no borough containing less than 10,000 population by the
last census should return more than one member to par-
liament, but that instead there should be given a third
member to boroughs, other than metropolitan, which bad
a population of over ro,ono. He proposes also to give a
second member to boroughs whose population exceeds
50,000.

Leave of absence will be asked in the House of
Commons this afternoon to Mr. Edwanl Craufurd, a fort-
night, on account of domestic affliction ; to Mr. Buxton,
one week, on acoount of illness ; and to Viscount Cran.
borne, one week, on account of domestic affliction.
PATENT O►►IUE MUREUII, SOUTH KENNINGTON.—
Number of visitors for the week ending April 27, 5,004.1;
total number since the opening of the Museum, free daily
(May 12, 1858), 1,134,693.

tr.