The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-19 00:00:00

BRITANNIA.

Teas Evraerso, THE DAUGHTER. Mean.
Reynolds, Crauford, and Biavintal ; Min Clara 8L Mrs &
Lane, and Mrs. E. Yarnold.—The &llama Family.—To conclude
arta THE HURON CHIEF. Sir. James Anderson..

HIGH-WATER AT LONDON-BRIDGE.

Tao DAY —Morning, sh. 16in Afternoon, oh. 40m.
To-Moititow—Moruing, 6h. (m Afternoon, eh. 32m.

LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 19.

~;

'Rion on the part of Austria and,: Itskr. 4o clique'
to an understanding on this ihibjeet, nor '4,,
the readiness of the neutral Powers to telt
it vigorously in hand. This may be
owing to his prudence and circumspection ; but it
may also be owing to his having nothing to say.
Austria is not wholly indisposed to treat for
the cession of Venetia to Italy ; but hither*
in diplomatic interoourse with the neutral
Powers, she has attached conditions to the sur-
render which, from the nature of the case, it is
not.in the power of Italy to fulfil. Italy could
pay a pecuniary indemnity, and it would be worth
her while, now, before any more lives have been
lost, to pay a handsome one. But Austria wants
a territorial compensation, and has lately been
suggesting that it might be found in Silesia, which
is really making Prussia a party to the question.
It is no wonder that progress is not made under
such circumstances, and that Lord CLARENDON can
give so little encouragement to those who desire
the preservation of peace. If, however, diploma-
tists, who are so deeply responsible for a state of
Europe which is constantly breeding war, can sug-
gest any way of reforming it so as to give satis-
faction to legitimate aspirations, they are bound to
do so.

OUR CONTEMPORARIES.
(THIS DAY.)

Tee Femme SECRETARY was invited last night
by Lord STRATFORD DE REDCLIFTE to give the
public any information in his power of a nature
to calm the apprehensions that have been excited
by the warlike preparations of some of the great
continental monarchies. Lord CLARENDON'S re-
ply was brief and exceedingly guarded. As was
to be expected of a statesman of his experience,
he was most careful to avoid anything that might
create expectations not likely to be fulfilled, and
the very limited nature of tho announcement he
made shows how narrow is the ground on which
hopes of the preservation of peace can be built.
Lord CLAREN DON said nothing about the " bases
"of a Congress" as having been either found
or accepted, or of preliminary engagements
asked and given. All he feels at liberty
to say is that "confidential communications
" are at this moment in progress," and he "hopes
" that they may terminate in the meeting to-
" gether of all the Powers concerned, as well
" those which are neutral as those which
" are armed ;" and he trusts that a meet-
ing of all the Powers may give some hope of an
amicable issue. Her MAJ E.STY'S Government will
spare no effort to preserve peace, and Lord
CLARRNDON believes that that is also the wish of
the Emperor of the Fermin ; and that is all he
finds it advisable to say.
We are not of opinion that Lord CLartseooe'e
language will disappoint anyone who has seriously
considered the causes which have brought about
the present danger to the peace of Europe.
Judged by these, the prospect of preserving
peace is very small indeed. Aa we all know,
the present crisis has gTOR-II out of the war
which the two great German Powers agreed to
wage against Denmark more than two years ago.
Prussia, in attempting to appropriate to herself the
material gains of that war, disclosed projects
inimical to the independence of her neighbours,
and her design to seize the supremacy in Ger-
many. The quarrel which resulted from the
natural resistance of Austria and the smaller
German States to these designs might have been
composed if it could have been kept from com-
plication with the affairs of countries beyond the
Confederation ; for the case of Germany at the
beginning of the present year was not like that of
Italy in 1859, when the ambition of a royal
House concurred with the enthusiasm of a nation
to put an end to a state of things which had
become intolerable. The aggressive policy of the
King of PRUSSIA has been traced by all Germany
to a spirit of dynastic ambition which is con-
demned as strongly in Prussia as anywhere. A few
months ago the neutral Powers would have found it
perfectly easy in concert with Austria to compel the
Ring of PRUSSIA to keep the peace. But they did
not deem it wise to do so; and perhaps it was not
possible at that time for them to come to an un-
derstanding. The Prussian Government, thus
encouraged, persevered in its policy, and soon after
the difficulties of the situation were enormously
increased. The Italians, weighed down with debt
and taxes which have yearly increased, and con-
demned to keep up a military expenditure which
exhausts the resources of the country, solely in
order to be ready one day to take Venetia, made
their calculations, and having satisfied them-
selves that Austria would soon be at war, deter-
mined to prepare for the long-expected struggle,
and from that moment the probabilities of peace
or war have been subjected to an entirely new
order of considerations. The prospect of a virtual
alliance with Italy has apparently strengthened the
determination of the Prussian Government. Occa-
sionally, indeed, we hear of intervals of irresolu-
tion at Berlin, and it is to these that the rumours
of peace for the moat part attach. What, however,
it is important to remember is that we hear of no
similar irresolution in Italy, and as far as it
possible to judge, Italy will attack Austria whether
war breaks out in Germany or not. It is not to
the purpose now to discuss the wisdom of this
resolution. Anyone who reads letters from Italy
must perceive that the Italians speak and act as men
who are borne onwards by an irresistible destiny.
It is useless to speak to them of the probable issue
of a struggle with Austria single-handed, for they
immediately reply that it would be better to perish
in the attempt to deliver Venetia than to prolong
their present agony, and that, in fact, their situa-
tion is absolutely unendurable.
This is the state of things with which diplomacy
has to deal, and which it must recognise if it
would either act with effect or abstain with dignity.
There can be no peace in Italy without a settle-
ment of the Venetian question, and if that were
settled there is little probability that Prussia
would persist in forcing war upon Germany. Lord
CLARINDON, however, says nothing of any diapo-

• TBi EXMSS,: S4FURVAY IITIPINDTG, MA

gamete Ow* engaged alialreaddenwsphe whaled •
ilte aombataniaare patent %the w wort, the danger
dike dodgem visible te Ili least ifleileaked. the rush
unknown quantity in the Mention of *Otte Aire-
leen, and he can make this known by an , a pam-
phlet, a few lines in the Mosiieur, just as way as he can
sitting in formal Congress. The project seems to us un-
real, and if it is real, it is none the lees objectionable,
alike for England and the world. For England, because
she is not ready to fight for an arrangement in which she
' is *cutely interested, and will therefore enter Congress
only to be powerless ; for the world, because the half-
settlement a Congress would produce would not remove
any of the ancient heartburnings, but would leave Europe,
armed and watchful, weighed down with the burden of
troops, nervous with the sense of insecurity, unable to
move lest motion should once more bring down the badly
constructed building, A sharp campaign, which must be
short, would be preferable to the insecurity now prevail-
ing, and a Congress could only help to protract that
insecurity.
The Examiner opposes Mr. Gladtione's theory and
scheme as to the supply of coal and payment of the na-
tional debt. Not wishing to be considered crazy, the
Examiner does not believe one word as to the statement
that by 1961 the quantity of coal consumed in making pig-
iron at anything like the recent rate of expansion will be
472,000,000 tons, which would produce twenty-four
times the present make of pig iron. But if it
be true, or half true, then in the name of common
sense and fair dealing let us adjourn the paying off of the
national debt until we shall have got into this promised
land of unbounded production and unlimited profit, where
the nursery fable will at length be realised of the pigs
lying about in all directions, seeming to say—Who'll have
us! A trifle of 800 million pounds sterling will be
nothing to our lucky grandchildren, whose garden of gold
will be entered by such iron gates. What will signify to
them the weight of coals from Pennsylvania or Hongkong,
or the satellites of Jupiter if that should become news-
wry I Can we make no more of our money than 3 per
ceat. If not, let Mr. Gladstone put on aloor 20 per
cent. income tax by all means, and with the produce buy
up Consols. But if that amount left in the pockets of
enterprise, invention, and trade would realise six, eight,
or ten per cent., and if it be a notorious fact that the
capital of the country is increasing enormously faster than
the population, then it is clear that everyday the
national security for the debt is growing greater, and
the ultimate facility for its liquidation whenever needful
is becoming more obvious. Another broad and fundamental
principle of all our wisest and beet economists has ever been
not to borrow money with one hand to pay off debt with
the other. The Exchequer owes 24,000,0001. to the
working-classes who have put their money into savings
banks, and without borrowing these 24,000,0001. the
proposed plan of redemption by creating new terminable
annuities cannot be tried. The proposal is to saddle our-
selves irredeemably for twenty years with upwards of
1,000,0001. a year more than we need otherwise raise in
taxation, in order that in 1866 we may have the satisfac-
tion of thinking we have nibbled an inappreciable corner
off the pile of our national obligations.
The Ecenomiat believes and hopes, now that the panic
of 184;0, which it describes as a credit, not a capital or a
bullion panic, is allayed, our improvement from this time
will be gradual ; but still it must be interrupted by pain-
ful events, and cannot be healthy if it is too rapid.
" Finance" paper too often means bad investments, and
while so much of it is held about the market credit must
be tender, uncertain, and liable to vicissitudes and shocks.
Of course this applies rather to money-lending credit than
to mercantile credit. A merchant is a borrower, not a
lender ; he will not have taken finance paper ; if his busi-
ness is good, and except in particular branches of specula-
tive trade (as cotton, or pig iron, or the ship-dealing and
owning fostered by Barueds.) English commerce was
hardly ever sounder. The foreign exchanges show
that there has been considerable distrust and alarm
abroad at the state of English credit. And when
Overende fail, and Peto fails, and an act is
done which foreigners confound with a suspension
of cash payments, no one can wonder that there is
anxiety. But the appearances of the last two (lays indi-
cate that this fear is mitigating ; there are new orders for
long-dated English bills from abroad, and on the whole
there is every appearance that though the immediate
future must he chequered and painful, the worst bitter-
ness of the panic is alraady spent and past.

The Press learns with satisfaction that the executive
committee of the Church Institution, at a meeting spe-
cially summoned on Thursday to consider the question,
decided by a majority of 14 to 2 to take immediate steps
to compass the rejection of Mr. Gladstone's Church-rate
Bill, on the ground that, regarded as a " compromise," it
would, from a church point of view, operate u a mis-
chievous sham. In thus opposing the bill it was generally
admitted that, so far from deciding to adhere to a policy
of indiscriminate non-surrender, it would be the duty of
churchmen towelcotne any well-digested scheme for settle_
went. Whether that settlement should take the form of
an exemption of dissenters or not, it was felt that the
payment, however adjusted, must be protected by com-
pulsory enforcing powers.

SELLING AND HAWKING GOODS ON

SUNDAY BILL.

DIVISION IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS LAST
NIGHT.

Moved that the Bill be now read the third time—(The
Chairman of Committees): Objected to ; and an
Amendment moved to leave out (" now ") and insert
("this day six months")—(The Lord Taunton):—On
Question that (" now ") stand part of the motion ?
Contents 59, not-contents 49.

CONTENTS.
LD.CTIVICELLOR. MILLS. vißontrrs. LOMA.
Crananrth. Dude Clamarty Caatlenmine
A RCIIBIMOP. F'ortepcue De Veacl. Feveraham
Armagh. Uraham BISHorI. Heyteabury
PUKES. Grey Ely Kinn:dna
Richmond llarroaby olmamate? and Portman
Rutland. _ teller . Bristol
_. Raventworth

eile

€uurt.

mai:et:lSM Huntingdon 'Lincoln itrileiilido-
Abercont Lucan Oxford (teller)
DridAd Ilauvers Peterborough Sherburne
Lansdowne. Morton Ripon Skebnersdale
Ea LS. Nelson St. Amnia. Somerhill
Dar.'oot Russell Lou p& Stewart of Go,
liebnore Stradbroke Demers lies
eadogan Strange Blantyre Stratheden
Doncaster Verulam. Etolton Tredegar.

r
i

WINDSOR CIABTLIe lin IL .1
The Queen, with Princess Helens, (rove out
in a carriage-and-four yesterday afternoon, attended by the'
Dowager Duchess of Athol% Oolong' the Hon. A. Her-
dings was in attendance on horseback.
Her Majesty walked and drove in the grounds this morn-
ing, attended by the Dowager Duchess of Athole.
Princess Louise and Princess Beatrice also walked and
drove.

--- -.
Princess Helens, attended by the Hon. Mn. Wellisslv,
went to the White Lodge, and honoured the Hon. Indy
Phipps with a visit.

The Queen will hold • council at Windsor Castle at one
o'clock to-day (Saturday).
The Princess of Wales took • carriage drive, attended by
the Hon. Mrs. A. Hardinge, yesterday afternoon.
Prince Alfred, attended by the Hon. E. Yorke, left
Marlborough-house for Edinburgh in the evening.
The Prince and Princess of Wales had • dinner party.
The company included the Duchess of Cambridge, the
Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelit: and Princess
Mary, the Prince of Teck, the Duke and Duchess of Rich-
mond, the Duke of Rutland, the Marquis of Hartington,
Earl Delawarr, Earl and Countess de Grey, Major-General
Lord Henry Pertly, Viscount Hinchinbroke, Viscount and
Viscountess Royston, Lord and Luly Wodehouse, Lord
Harris, Colonel and Lady Emily Kingsoote, lastly Geraldine
Somerset (in attendance on the Duchess of Cambridge),
Hon. Mrs. A. Hardinge, Lieutenant-General Knollys, and
Major Teesdale.
The band of the Grenadier Guards, under the direction
of Mr. D. Godfrey, was in attendance, and played a selec-
tion of music during dinner. . .

Their Royal Highnesses gave an evening party afterwards,
at which a selection of music was performed.
The following were present : Prince Edward of Saxe
Weimar and the Countess Dornburg, Count and Countess
Gleichen, the Duke of St. Albans, the Duke of Sutherland,
the Duke and Duchess of Manchester, the Duchess of
St. Albany Viscount Falkland and Lady Diana Beau-
clerk, the Earl of Shrewsbury and the Ladies Talbot, Earl
and Countess Spencer, the Earl and Countess of Dunmore,
the Countess (Dowager) of Dunmore and Lady A. V.
Murray, the Countess of Hardwicke, and Lady Agneta
Yorke, the Countess of Sefton and Lady Cecilia Molyneux,
Viscount and Viscountess Sydney, Lord and Lady Elphin-
stone, Hon. Victor Yorke, and Hon. Oliver Montagu,
Hon. C. R. Carington, Mrs. and the Misses Knollys, Mr,
and Mrs. Fisher, Dr. Quin, Sir. Holzman, and Mr. F.
Knollys.

A committee of the Lords of her Majesty's Most Honour-
able Privy Council sat yesterday in the Council Chamber,
Whitehall, on the subject of the cattle plague. The Lords
present were :—The Lord President, the Duke of Somerset,
rd Stanley of Alderley, the Right Hon. Sir George Grey,
the Right Hon. T. Milner Gibson, the Right Hon. Chi-
chester Fortescue, and the Right Hon. H. A. Bruce.
Colonel Harness attended the committee. _ _

A deputation from the borough of Wolverhampton had
an interview with Earl Granville, at the Privy Council-
office yesterday, on the subject of the cattle plague.
The deputation was introduced by the Right Hou. C. P.
Villiers, M.P., Mr. Weguelin, M.P., and Mr. Foley, M.P.

THE MARRIAGE OF HER ROYAL HIGH-
NESS THE PRINCESS HELENA.

We have authority to state that the marriage of
her Royal Highness the Princess Helena is de-
finitively settled to take place on the sth of July,
in the private chapel at Windsor Castle.

Her Majesty the Queen is expected to leave
Windsor Castle, for Cliefden-house, on or about Friday
next, and will keep her birthday, and remain at the
Duchess of Sutherland's seat during the Ascot Race week.

His Excellency the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland,
the Right Hon. Lord Wodehouse, has this week paid a
short visit to his Norfolk seat. Kimberley Park. He arrived
from London on Monday evening, and left again on Wed-
nesday forenoon.

Lady Moleaworth entertained at dinner last
evening Viscount and Viscountess Torrington, Viscount
Duncan, Lord and Lady Carew, Lord and Lady Naaa, the
Hon. George Vaughan and Mrs. Vaughan, Lord and Lady
Lyveden, the Right Hon. Sir Hamilton Seymour and the
Hon. Lady Seymour, Baron Meyer de Rothschild, the
Right Hon. Colonel and Lady Louisa Tighe, Sir Stafford
and Lady Northcote, Mr. Moffatt, M.P., and Mrs. Moffatt,
and Mrs. Ford.

A levee was held at the Admiralty yesterday
afternoon. There were present Admiral Purcell, Rear-
Admiral Ommanney ; Captains H. C. Alsjendie, W. Gra-
ham, R. Purvis, T. F. Birch, S. Saumares, C. R. F. Boxer,
N. Salmon, W. J. S. Pullen, F. A. B. Spratt, Robert Jen-
kins, C. 8.; Commanders W. J. F. Jackson, W. L Stain-
forth, G. Parsons, J. A. Poland, C. B. Theobald, E. A. T.
Stubbs, A. Dlorrell ; Lieutenants J. A. Forbes, N. Bowden
Smith, A. T. Freese.

The friends of Mr. Alderman Copeland, says the
Staffordshire Adrertiser, are about to present that gentle-
man with a costly testimonial in acknowledgment of his
attention to his parliamentary duties, and to the interests
of the Staffordshire Potteries in particular, daring the
many years he was one of its representatives. The pre-
sentation will be made st a dinner to be given to the alder-
man and to Mr. Beresford Hope on Wednesday next.

The degree of LLD. is to be conferred by Cam
bridge upon Professor De Candolle, the President of the
Botanical Congress, and upon Dr. Hooker.

With great regret we (Gardeners' Chronicle) have
to record the death of Dr. William If. Harvey, F.H.B. and
L. 8., &c., Professor of Botany in Trinity College,
Dublin, and Keeper of the University Herbarium, a highly
distinguished botanist, and a most amiable and accom_
plished man. Dr. Harvey, who had long been ill, died of
phthisis on the kith inst.: at Torquay.

The singers engaged for the Worcester Festival
are said to be Mdllo. Tietjens, Mesdames Lemmens Sher-
rington and Sainton-Dolby, Miss Whytock, Messrs. Sims
Reeves, Cummings, Bentley, and Lewis Thomas.

The Royal Medals for the encouragement of
Geographical Science and Discovery, intrusted annually
for award to tho Geographical Society, will this year
be given to Dr. T. Thomson, Himalayan traveller and
botanist, and to Mr. Chandlers, who, as a private gentle-
man, performed the exploration of the Pants river, in
South America, mapping it in detail for a length of 1,900
miles. The anniversary meeting takes place on the 28th
inst.

Should we be destined to see the terrible spec-
tacle of a continental war, says the At/em-rum, there
will be no end of the flight of singing•birds resorting to our
perfidious island for food and shelter.
A largo portion of the property of the late
Thomas Bradley, the well-known bill discounter at Dublin,
who died about two years ago, was brought to the hammer
on Thursday by direction of the Court of Chancery. It was
set up in 23 lots, comprising the same number of houses in
the most fashionable parts of the city, and in Konkstown,
held for the average term of 120 years. The sale realised
16,030/.

Mr. Walter Montgomery has accepted an en-
gagement to visit Australis for two years, and has taken
his berth on board the Great Britain, sailing in September.
We (Army and Nary Gazette) understand that
Captain Cowper P. Coles has placed himself in communi-
cation with Maim. Laird Brothers, of Birkenhead, with
a view of preparing the drawings for the armour-plated
sea-going cupola ship, which the Lords of the Admiralty
have directed him to construct for the public service.
ROYAL AORICULTURAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION.
—The Earl Cowper, KG., in consequence of the severe in-
disposition of Sir Edward Rerrison, has kindly consented
to preside at the dinner of this society, on Wednesday, the
23rd inst.
THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION.—At a meeting of
the Nottingham town council yesterday, it was unani-
mously resolved, on the motion of Dr. Tindal Robertson,
to invite their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess
of Wales "to honour the town with their presence on
the ocension of the visit of the British Association." A
deputation, consisting of the mayor, town clerk, and Dr.
Robertson, were appointed to wait upon their royal high-
, messes.
--

LITERARY AND SCIENTIPIC MEETINGS TOR THE
itiatlitto WEEK.—Monday, Architects, 8. Tuesday, Eth-
no:ogical, 4 anniversary ; Zoological. Bi, " New Species
of Berycioid Fishes from Madeira," Mr. Johnson. Wed-
nesday, Society of Arta, 8, Granite Working," Mr.
G. W. Muir ; Geological, 8, " Geology of Sinai," Rev. F.
W. Holland ; " New Phyhopodous Crustacean from the
Moffat Shales, Dumfriesshire ;" " New Brachynrous Crus-
tacean from the Forest Marble, Wilts ;" " Genus Eryon
of the Lilts and Oolites," Mr. Woodward ; " Primordial
Fossils in Lingnla Flags, Tyddyngwladis," Mr. Plant ;
Arclueological Association, Bi. Saturday, Botanic, 3i.
Atheneum.