The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-26 00:00:00

MI9CELLANTOUR TOPIC&

Mr. Caird's plan for obtaining indirectly an Irish tenant
right is described by the Times. The sort of operation
that he advises the state to assist is an arrangement between
the holder of ten or twenty acres and his landlord that the
latter shall make the Aquisite permanent improvements—
such as buildings, drainage, fences, and roads, by aid of a
public grant, for the repayment of which the farmer shall
be charged five per cent, for ;td years. During that period
the tenant is to have a lease of the land, subject, of course,
to the payment of this five per cent. in addition to his pre-
sent rent. The improvements are to be previously sanctioned
by competent government officers, who will also have to
see that they have been properly executed, and for the
whole of the thirty-four years a certain amount of work,
as well as risk, would have to be thrown on a public office
by every arrangement thus made. It is anticipated that
there are landlords under such circumstances that they
could and would part with the entire possession and free
use of their land for thirty-four years—that is, for a period
that only the most healthy and sanguine can hope to sur-
vive. They would henceforth have to give up all thought
of comprehensive improvements, of larger farms, of new
systems, or of applying the land to other purposes. Their
rent. it is presumed, will be more secure, and perhaps more
punctually paid ; the landlord will see further improve-
ments growing up spontaneously under the protection
of the lease, and will have contented and prosperous
tenantry.

Just at this point, while a parliamentary franchise will
be a new thing to so many, they should be taught, the
Daily News says, its value and importance, and the
acceptance of a bribe should be considered by the legisla-
ture to endanger the possession of the franchise ac much
as personal liberty is endangered by theft. A legal stigma
should be fixed on electoral venality before corruption has
beoome a habit. A prosecution in the usual way and a
trial in the common form, associating it with other crimes,
would meet with general acquiescence. Did it result on
conviction only in perpetual disfranchisement, the most
appropriate penalty, the moral effect of a trial before
judge and jury at assizes, would be very great.
The Herald has a curious method of drawing to its side
the meetings which have been beld to denounce the go-
vernment Reform Rill. The assemblages, it says, are not
formidable in point of numbers, and they are so insignifi-
cant in respect of influence and character as to show plainly
that the true feeling of the country is against them. The
liberal party in parliament we told that if they remain
under the suspicion of complicity in the projected demon-
strations in London they can hardly expect that the con-
sideration due to loyal parliamentaii opposition will be
conceded to them.

The Star predicts that Lord Naas's Land Bill is still-
born. While it seems so illusory to liberals, It looks too
much like meddling with the sacrosanct principles of pro-
perty to be very pleasing to the tones.

alit &curt.

WINDSOR CASTLE, APRIL 25.

The Queen went yesterday afternoon to Bushey
Park, and visited the Duke of Nemours and Princess Mar-
guerite.

The Duke and Dnehes of Aumale and Prinee and
Princes Philip of Wurtemburg met her Majesty there.
The Queen drove in a carriage and four, and was ac-
companied by Princess Louise and Princess Beatrice.
Lady Churchill and Lord Alfred Paget were in atten-
dance.

Prince Arthur, attended by Major Elphinstone, left the
Castle yesterday, for Greenwich-park.
Her Majesty and Princess Louise walked and rode on
ponies this morning.
Princess Beatrice went out walking.
The Duchess of Cambridge and the Grand Duchess of
Meeklenbtulpfitrelitt, attended by Colonel Home•Purves,
visited the Queen this morning, and remained to luncheon.
Their Royal Highnesses also visited Prinoea'i Christian.
To-day is the birthday of Princess Louis of Hesse.

A Committee of the Lords of her Majesty's Most
Honourable Privy Council 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. E. Hammond. Mr. Harrison and Dr.
Alexander Williams attended the committee.

Cams= Coy/fem.—Last evening summonses
were issued for a cabinet council to-morrow (Rs-
turday) afternoon, at the First Lord of the Trea-
sury's official residence in Downing-street.
Viscount and Viscountess Oranborne have sus-
tained a bereavement by the death of their youngest
child, which occurred on Wednesday last at the family
residence in Mansfield-street.

Lord and Lady Otho Fitzgerald intend to leave
Cowes for town on Monday next, for the season.

_ .
Lord Elcho, M.P., who has been staying with
Lily Bich° and family at Cannes during the recess, is
expected to return home on Monday or Tuesday next.
We (Post) are requested to state that there is no
foundation whatever for the statement as to the intended
marriage between Lord Brownlow and Lady Adelaide
Talbot.

On Thursday Mr. Henry Morley, Professor of
English Literature in King's College. London, delivered
the first afternoon lecture for the MIAMI in the Lecture
Theatre of the Museum of Irish Industry, Dublin. The
subject was, "The Influence of the Celt upon English
Literature." There was very numerous attendance.

On Thursday last the Rev. Charles Thomas Jex
Blake, clerk, M.A., was instituted to the rectory of Lingo-
eura-Whitwell, in Norfolk, on the presentation of the Rev.
Henry Lombe, of Bylaugh Park, Bylaugh, in Norfolk
aforesaid, clerk.

Hans Christian Andersen says :—" I generally
found the jovial Alexander Dumas in bed, even long after
mid-day. Here he lay with paper, pen and ink, and wrote
his new drama. I found him thus one day—he nodded
kindly to me and said ' Sit down a minute, I have just
now a visit from my muse, she will be going directly.'
He wrote on, spoke aloud, shouted • rira, sprang out of
bed and said The third act is finished.' "

ROYAL ITALIAN OPRBA.—Auber's Mitsanietto was
announced for but night, with Madame Leinmens-Sher-
rington for the first time as Elvira; but, owing to the sudden
indisposition of Signor Nandin, the opera was changed for
Verdi's Un Rano in Mosehera, with the same cast as on
Tuesday last, as noticed in Wednesday's Daily Neva.
The promised performance of Hawaiian is postponed to
Tuesday next.

THE LIVERroot. PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY,—We
understand that the committee of this society yesterday
elected M. Jules Benedict to the poet of conductor, vacant
by the death of Mr. Alfred Mellon. The choice lay finally,
we believe, between Messrs. Benedict, C. Halle, and Otto
Goldschmidt (husband of the famous Jenny Lind) ; but
amongst the candidates were Messrs. H. Manns, C. J.
Harytt, E. Silas, Arditi A. Sullivan, J. L. Hatton, J.
Hullah, and other well-known musicians. hf. Benedict,
we believe, was not a formal candidate, but he has been so
intimately connected with the society for many years past,
that his being selected for the much-coveted post will occa-
sion no surprise.

CONARRVATIVE DINNER AT NORWICH.-A con-
servative dinner took place at Norwich yesterday evening.
The leading announced guests compnaed Sir W. Blume
Bart., M.P., Mr. K Howes, M.P., Mr. C. S. Read, M.P.,
,
the Hon. T. De Grey, M.P., and Sir E. Lamm, M.P. Lord
Stanley had been invited to attend, but was unable to
leave town,

THE LIVERPOOL LIBLRALS AND MR. GLADSTONE.
—A public meeting of the oonstituents of Mr. Gladstone
has been summoned by the South Lancashire Liberal As-
sociation for Tuesday evening next, at Heugler's Circus,
Liverpool, on which occasion a vote of confidence in Mr.
Gladstone " as the true leader of the liberal party," will
be proposed. Mr. W. Rathbone, jun., is to preside.