The Express.
London, England, 1859-12-02 00:00:00

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4,(PNI,()N. FRIDAY, DEC. 2.

Tea difficulties which for a time obstructed the
convocation of a European Conroe' have been so far
removed that the French Government has proceeded
to invite the Powers to send plenipotentiaries to

Paris to deliberate on the affairs of Italy. It is well
understood that our Government will not decline the
Invitation, and we take their remolution ass sign that
they ere a fair prospect of being able to contri-
bute by their counsel and by the influence at
their coastry to the canes el heed= and good go-
vernment in Italy. Os me ether 60pp:olden could
their acceptance be reesselied with their avowed
principles, or jumbled beim the nation. This is
see of these highly settled enseenrai of statesmanship
which will ►ave to he jedged wording to its SUCCISS.
And whatever may be said or written amid the ex-
citement of ev.hts, in the long calm period that
succeeds we shall estimate that success by the firmness
with which we have adhered to a simple intelligible
policy, cunformable to oar nonscieuriness of duty and

to the freedom which is of the essence of our national
character. Them are some who warn us against
troubling our heads about other people—who bid us
thank Gnu we live in as island, and devote our
neighbours to perdition. It boss thing to learn from
dear experience the evils ota meddlesome policy, and
wither to profess the doctrine of Cats as a principle,
'Alike to men and nations, voluntary, selfish isolation
brings its own swift curse. A tendency to moral
issiatien, however, is not the besotting temptation of
Englishmen, as the unnvalled foreign correspondence
of our newspapers and our missionary societies,
among a hundred other signs, show. We did not
Isolate ourselves in the three months which preceded
the late war. If we abstained from this Congress it
would rot be from insular feeling, bat from a doubt
whether, on the whole, our presence there would do
more harm or good. It is for the English Govern-
ment, which it. this Italian question unquestionably
has the intelligence and heart of the nation with it,
to choose, on its responsibility, the ground on
which it will make a stand on behalf of
its known principles. No overpowering antecedent
obligation forces it into cooperation with despotic
Governments. England is strong enough, by her
character and resources, to stand aloof from their
counsels without Imo of influence, a political pro-
testant. But the dignity of such a position would
depend mainly on the strength and obviousness of
the reasons which had rendered it necessary. The
resolution at which our Ministers have arrived in-
dicates that in their judgment no such necessity
exists. If this is so, and if by joining in a Congress
we can help to consolidate Italian freedom, while we
at the same time give to other Powers new proofs of
good neighbourh‘oti, we believe the nation will
approve the generous policy of its Government.

WHAT are the shareholders is the Great Ship
doing ? To what point of depression are they pre.
period to see their undertaking descend before they
will pat their shoulders to the wheel? Their mag-
nificent design has been regarded as a national glory;
unless great changes ere soon made, it may almost
becomes national disgrace. The record of this enter-
prise, from tiro to last, is, in truth, one of disaster.
First the Eastern Steam Navigation Company
appeared on the scene with its capital of 700,0001.
Subsequent phinne of the affair were extreme depre-
ciation in the shares, and the failure of the contractor.
Next, the Great Ship Company was erected upon the
ruins of the Eastern Steam, the shares in which
were merged into the new project at the
disastrous rate of 21. 10e. for every 201.
The shares in the Great Ship Company are now
rated in the market at only 10s. per 11. In other
words, according to the market valuation, this
maritime wonder of the world, upon which nearly
one nisilass sterling has been expended by the
spirited, but particularly unfortunate, proprietors,
is now worth only about 160,0004 There is a grow-
ing want of confidence in the mopeds of Om
undertaking under the present management. Gild-
cultim--esprcially financial difficulties—are daily
multiplied. From the very iaoeption of the pro.
ject, the popular faith in the purity of the condi-
tions' surrounding the contracts has been weak. The
misignmeet of the contemn for the completion of the
vessel ►y the Directors of the sew Company to
Mt. SCOTT Kortszxx, the old contractor, provoked

nisch discussion amongst the shareholders. Tat blest
Ow is the publication at this 'dra•eed period of
•joint Report, dated es long back meth* lab Out bur,
hem Wears. Oso•os Benet, Witusit PAT I•.
1101. And Joan JORDAN, who had been prohosiosislly
=gaged to examine be Great Ship for the purpose
of solortaining whether the eontract to fit her for sea
kid been honestly carried out. Pending the pre-
potation of a detailed report, which has not yet beet
allowed to be the light, these gentlemen submitted
• hw preliminary remarks, which may of course be
mkopted se forming the substance of the deoa-
t•ett. As the moult of • "complete surrey,"
they liking that the hull of the ship is
out completed, either as to the " general scope;
or the " details of the contract," as a first-class
passenger ship, and that "in her present state it
" would be imprudent to send her to sea on i
" a lengthened voyage." Without venturing upon
• definite estimate of the out requisite to complete',
the ship, the surveyors remark that " the amount
must be very large." As regards the passenger I
ormommodation afforded, they oisament upon the
barbarity of the materials, workmanship, and ble-
aker.. " The decks are not tight, and a great deal
" cif inferior material and workmanship has been
" used in them." Besides the expense, a "consider-
, " able time" will be required to do what is &boo-
' lately ',Tibial to be done, " and, even with this
" done, the ship would not be what the contract
"requires her to be; and deficiencies in other
" respects would be &constant source of expense and
" annoyance, to the Campany."

This report only einefirma lean which have bag
been entertained in many quartisea The Com-
pany is in great financial straits. It is esti-
mated that, at the very heat, an additional
60,0001. will be required to equip the vessel in any
Omaha fit for sm. This sum is irrespective of en-
gagements for which the Company in said to be even
new responsible, to the extent of between 20,0001.
and 30,0001. The latter liability was believed to
Lave been covered by the issue, at pa►, some
' time ago, of 30,000 reserved shares of 11.
each, which the Directors gave the public to
understand had been placed, but of which, It
tarns out inexplicably enough only about
6,000 were really taken. Toattempt to sell thebalanes,
arise existing circumstances, would be folly, kr the
premeds would be utterly inadequate, and the pol-
tics of the undertaking in the market would be still
MOM ly damaged. The question—how ma
we rake the 70,0001. or 80,0001. required as a rola-
saes ?—is weighing heavily upon the minds of the
shareholders. Apart from the lawsuits which are
looming in the distance, it is perfectly clear that the
Board, as at present constituted, does not command
that degree of confidence indispensable to
the resuscitation of the Mouldering undertaking.
It is, doubtless, a fine thing for the Directors
to have so magnificent a yaoht, and to be
brought prominently into acentiot with the
notabilities of the land. Bat the satishation which
they probably experience is by as mane shared by
the proprietors, who have not been at all mollified
by the private accounts of messes occasionally enacted
on board the vessel. Time presses. What may be
remedied with comparative saes now, may become
an evil of aggravated dimensions, if neglected. The
longer the Company le allowed to lie in its embarraes-
manta, the heavier they must become. An intelli-
gent shareholder, whoa/ letter was published in oar
impression of the 24th November, sees no way out of
the present difficulty, save by the extreme measure
of ones more transferring the vessel to the
beads of a new company. Thus, the 201. shares
la the Great &eters Company, merged at the rate
of 21. 10e. into the Great Ship Company, may, per-
haps, be converted at the further reduced rate of
about 10s. per 11. into the New Great Ship Com-
pany. It is really high time for the proprietors to
be up and stirring. As every one seems to agree
that the present Directors command neither confi-
dence nor money, and as more money is indispensa-
ble, the first step should unquestionably be to
replace them by men who will be regarded more
favourably. The proprietary is a mattered one, the
shares being widely diffused. This may reader the
organisation of a combined action difficult. Never-
, theless, the attempt ought to be made at once. Upon
a proper requisition, the Directors are bound to eon-
vene a general meeting; and the shareholders' fate
' will then be in their own hands. No one can help
them, if they won't help themselves.

The members for Totoes, Thomas Mills, BK., and
the Berl of Gifford, will rim the borough the ant week la
December.

On Tuesday Mr. R. P. Lang, M.P., will deliver
lecture before the lumbers end fries& of the Literary Is.
safeties, Chlprishey t►e subject Wag "Recollections of
• Tour is the Holy Lead."

We (Stamford Mercury) aedentand that the
tenantry of U. F. Renew, Esq., M.P. for Lincoln, as
Minton and Si:hills, ooeteroplate mists; a subscription for
the purpose of preseating their worthy landlord with a full-
length portrait of himself, to be painted by one of the first
artists of the day. It will be • graceful tribute of reaper' to
one who is acknowledged on all heads to be one of the beet
landlords in the county.

The Bishop of Peterborough is going on es
favourably as can be expected, considering the tevaity of
the sccidect—the fracture of two rib, and the left arm
is the elbow joint. At present, his lordship is unable to
shied to begins=; communicatiuna respecting ordinations
ttw mililesseei to his Examining Chaplain, the Ray. Canon
Antes, Bermack Rectory.

It is in contemplation by some gentlemen of Ply-
mouth to erect a clubhouse as a impel x scale.

TM Court of Directors of the Bank of England
Iwo appointed Yr. Robert Ru,hvan Byrn to fill the post of
agent at their Wee►end branch, Burlington-gardena, vacant
by the death af the hoe agent, Mr. Charles Tindal.

Ruling:ewes Much Ado about Nothing, with Mr.
Marks Kean as Benedia, and Mn. Kean el Beatrice, pro-
duced at Dublin on Wednesday night " by command" of the
law4L4utermat, wbo west in Mate, brought together one
of the moat brilliant endemism that ever filled Hawkins-
thee theatre. The house was actually pecked from the
cahalf to the pit, and numbers awe rhut out from the is-
poesibility of being acoomoridatad even with ateoding room.
Tice viceroy's reception by the anthems was quite enema-
' Mastic, end the delineation of the leading port• In the comedy
by Mr. and Mrs. Kean wee not the least of their brilliant
triumphs daring their Dublin engagement. Daring the
pirforessace they wen repeatedly called in front of the cur-
taia, sad were applauded until the house rang again with
the echoes of the cheering.

Mr. Alfred Wigan-and Mre. Wigan are still per-
forming ea eageeeterat at the Theatre Royal Oladayoer.
The Princess Royal, 91 screw, Captain Thomas
!Millie, at Portsmouth, will pay off on the conclusion of the
court martial now being bald cc board her Majesty's ablp
Victory.

Letters from Partlaud state that great dissatisfac-
tion is kk smog the of of the Alpe lbws, in rouse-
quar• of SR order which has been lewd by the admiral
etimossoiliog, turbidding uy °Most gam on shore ander
say eireamtsasse, mhos in uniform.

The @awesome et in the Fr—ernsano 'a Journal, to
the West that • most important letter bed jut bees received
ham the Pepe, Is than dimmed of by the is paper al
yeteurtley :—" We regret to bore bees led late ea error no-
Mae so the prod rentlpt of an amagraph letter from We
Rearm the Pop. We sre mooned to mate that the
denim* es whielk w esemiesed did sot emanate from hi
Helier, se Ere= eliobil menu bet am a conimanks-
km hem • petty reekhnt Is Roo" conveying hi. *ekes
• the premed preture of drain. We thought the gentle-
men an wham Inermation we WWI wee moursie fa Ws
ebalemest, bat ft appears be was mistakes."

irDt Court.

WlllllllOll CASTLI. Dso. 1.

no Queen, accompanied by Primal§ Frederick
of Persia (Prism« Royal), the Primer Alia% mil
Princess Hasa, walked in the Itom-parit tide aromas,
sad visited the Nedra of Heat, at Frogman. Prime
Lespold, aid tba Pilasseirs Locks sad Beattie% she paid •
visit le bee Royal IlleiddieL
_ _

The PriaasComOrt with Prince Frederick William of
Praia west to Leaden, attended by Caked the Hoe. Air
Marin B. Phipps, Coketel th• Ho& A. Hardinge, ssd
Captain ma Schwainita. The Priem Comewt presided at
• santleg at the o®ce of tbe Dusky of Carswell. The
royal party adarwarda rearmed to Wisest Cambs.

-TM D;chers ci Last vidisoll Mr MO N, in the after-
mom.

TM Dale sad Dualisms of Mush liR Wladaor this fora-
awn for Teilkasian. The Sabato( visitors mho took their
dapartaro:—Tle Dub sod Duero of Argyll, the Duke
sad Dubin of Ikamaraik the Earl and Countess of Elea,
sad Liaakmat-Ocanal Kaollys.
_ _

The Hee. Lamar Stanley end the Hoe. Emily &opined
lei esceeedsd the Hon. Caroline Cavendish end the Han.
Floes Mankaeld an Maids of Honour In Waiting to her

ilnitie-Geseeel tho Eon. C. Grey AM Ce pteis Da Plat
lave eneensied Lard Alfred Peet and Colonel the Hos.
A. aintlyre ea erperthe in vregung to Um Q4Bllll sad Prison
Comeort.

TM Pros Censer resided yeerday at a mars( of the
Cooed of the Darby of Cerra, Bseidagliargatio, at.
Jerre-park. There wens also reser the Chearslics•
Lord !Meador ; the Yaps of the Privy Seel, Mr Wil-
liam Dauber ; the Tremor, Carel the Rea. Sir Cherie.
Beasmont Phipps ; the Doke of Rewards, Lord Portmaa,
sad re deanery, Kr. J. R. Gardener.
Mr. breeds bed r Interview with the Dar of New-
ark reorder in re Colostal-odirs.
Sir Therm P,. .ad., chairman of the Croon, had ea
taterview reterday with the Chancellor of die Lachreer.
Mr. Prig's', chairman of the Board of laird R weans, sr
bad en reerview with the right hon. radar at Ids
cartel riders, in Downing-street.

. _
Despatches mere seat from Me Cokidal-ofilos yesterday to
the Governors of the West India laleads, sad us. Governor
of Britt& Cohuatea.