The Express.
London, England, 1867-07-24 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS.

The result of the debate on the Tornado case is to con-
firm the conviction of the Tints that Lord Stanley has ex-
ercised throughout a wise discretion, not only in drawing
a broad distinction between the capture of the ship and
the protracted detention of her crew, but also in confining
his representations upon the former subject to delays and
irregularities of procedure. If he has erred at all, it has
certainly not been on the side of indifference to the rights
and interests of his countrymen.

The elections yesterday at Birmingham and Coventry
are made the subject of congratulatory comment by the
liberal press, but the conservative journals which were
very hopeful yesterday are silent on the results. The elec-
tions are considered as constituting an excellent beginning
of a general campaign.
The Standard is exceedingly solicitous that the conser-
vative party should make op their minds as speedily as
possible to the fact that, now that the reform question no
longer lends a handle to their political opponents, that of
the Irish church is sure to be forced, in season and out of
season, upon the public attention. Whilst hesitating as
yet to declare, in a most arduous and perplexing matter,
what is best to be done. it has no hesitation whatever in
saying at once what ought not to be done. Unreasoning
opposition to any proposed modification or compromise
would be as stupid as it would be criminal. The Strtrulard
proceeds to censure the Irish conservatives, especially
in their late Orange demonstration. It begs them not to
make victory impossible.

The Telegraph enlarges on the unskilful construction of
the Royal Parks Bill. It contains the two worst faults
which can be found in a penal law : in the first place, it
does not intelligibly define the offence to be punished ; in
the second, it leaves the interpretation of the law to the
class which for centuries England has uniformly shut out
from the exercise of judicial functions—the police and the
administrative government. What is to constitute a meeting
of a public character? The fact that meetings may be
freely held in roy►l parks with permission of the crown
means, of course, with the permission of the ministers of
the day. When Lord Russell is Premier we are to have
one rule ; when Lord Derby reigns we are to have another.
The public ought to have at least a year to reflect on so
astounding a change in our constitutional practice ; and
the present session, when we are still discussing the Re-
form Bill, is not the time to debate a question which pro-
duced so much ill-feeling during the agitation which led to
that measure. If we are to have a Royal Parks Bill, let
us get it from a reformed parliament.

FRENCH PLAYA. —Her Royal Highness the
Princess Mary Adelaide and his Serene Highness Prince
de Teck honoured the performance of Le Fits de OiLoyer
with their presence last evening.

The funeral of the late Madame Dfusurus is to
take place to-morrow. After the funeral rites, according
to the Greek church, have been performed, the body
will be temporarily deposited in Kensal-green Cemetery
until arrangements are made to convey it to Constan-
tinople.

The Howse of Lords will go into committee on
the Beam Bill on Monday next.