The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-20 00:00:00

NE. GLADSTONE AND TEN NATIONAL DEBT.

The Telegraph maintains that the first duty of the nation
is to foram a surplus from year to year with a view to pay
off as much as possible annually of the National Debt, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer not only at once extinguishing
whatever amount he cao, but also bringing forward a scheme
for facilitating the commutation of permanent into termin-
able annuities. To many people such a measure may be of
essential service ; and whatever additioaal amount of inter-
est might be required from year to year, the sum would be
well bestowed if it diminished, so far, prospectively
the total of the national liability. It will not do,
however, to be dogmatic, as to the precise means. We are ,
anxions to establish, in the first instance, that it is the
paramount duty of the state, at this particular time, to
apply itself to the payment of the debt, and we wish it to
be understood that, by reducing the amount of the debt,
the country would, more effectually than by any other
means, contract the aggregate of its annual taxation. The
time has come when such a public example must be of the
greatest benefit to our own and to all other countries. Mr.
Gladstone is pre-emineatly distinguished for the enuncia-
tion of noble maxims in ethic. Let him, then, boldly
undertake this glorious task of accomplishing what Pitt and
many financiers and moralists of days gone by in vain at.
tempted, and be will deserve the gratitude of the whole
nation ; while generations yet unix ra will learn to venerate
his name.

JS TOPICS.

The Times attributes the destroctioe of the 11th Regi-
ment at Hoog-Kong to bad quarters, a bad seesoo, and a
locality always more or lees insalubrious, to injudicious or
ontlioting orders, to the neglect end abeeooe of the local
officials, and to the want of a comprehensive policy for
supplying the numerous and distant outposts of this
empire in a way to economise British blood by utilising the
many millions under our sway or our iofluenoe. There is
no mincing the matter. We cannot find British soldiers
for all the duty to be dove. If we choose to have depen-
dencies all over the world we must ask one race to waist
us in controlliog another. There is 'redoubt th►t we can obtain
any number of soldiers from India who would be quite
equal to the defence of our positions on the coasts of
China and Japan. The British soldier was precious many
years ago, when the great Sikh chieftain said that had he
such soldiers he would have every one carried by natives,
and only placed on the ground to do the fighting work. He
is far more precious now, far more costly, and more scarce ;
that is, mare difficult to be obtained on any terms. So we
must save him if we cao, and we must even be prepared
to run risks in doing so.
The Times is glad to learn that four regiments are to
return home at once from New Zealand, and sincerely
hopes that in a few months the entire force will be with•
drawn. Our duty now cenobite solely is defending New
Zealand from foreign invuion if any such be threatened
through an English quarrel, and in leaving the oolonista,
who are now three or tour times as numerous es the hostile
Maoriea, and who are perfectly ready to accept the respon-
sibility, to deal with the Marries as they think proper.
The public, the Daily Needs says, have been accustomed

to expect the first step towards the adjustment of great
European questions from the Emperor Napoleoa, and,
If its information is correct, that sovereign is at
the present time occupied with the consideration of
the best manner of constituting fileswigNolstein
au independent state, with a prince acceptable to the
Duchies at its head. The principal governments of Europe
may possibly be consulted before long as to the desirable-
nem of diersunieg the matter in a conference ; and if this
be so, it is not easy to see, unless we have made ap our
minds wholly to abstain from the common affairs of Europe,
ea what grounds we could decline to be repropeoted.
The Herald dwells en the suggestions that the Logsdon
was too flimsy for the terrific forces she might any day
encounter; that though " magnificent," she was of an
unsafe shape and construction ; that her boats of any
capacity were too few, nearly all secured by insufficient
teals, not easy to launch, and when launched useless—
's,' .de that the public will begin to feel UM and less
sonfidasee in steamers which in fair weather maks
extraordinary passages.
The Tat:prank has no doubt, and it gives various reasons
for its opinion, that the ooatingency of having to cede
Venetia is cue seriously ooatemplated at Visalia, though
we cannot expect that such a step will be takes till