The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-27 00:00:00

1.11 EFOKII CLUB.—NOTICE IS HEREBY TELEGBAndiI INTELLIGuark
.1.11,0 GIVEN, that the ANNUAL (WIRRAL MEITLNO Of
the Members will he held on THURSDAY, the bid day of May
nett. Chair to be taken at 1 ceolecit, p.m.,pred order, lasersa's rareassirs.)
entanotte V.. RA Secretary.
Reform Club, April It. THE LUXEMBURG QUESTION.
-
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ROOMS, 218, High BREMEN, Aemsa.26.
Holborn.—This lerycesilant and specious eetabliehment The Weser Gazette of to-day publishes a tele-
having been entirely red OPEN EVERY EVENING pie gram from Berlin which says : " In consequence of
grand band conducted by Mr. W. Packer, will perform nigil2
a choice selection of opera& and dance mimic. Open at a change Which has taken place in the attitude of
past a. close at 11. Adadeden.
France relative to the Luxemburg question, the
PAINLESS SYNTEX OT DMITISTRY. !situation is considered in political circles here to be
PretlJust published, price ad., or post free foes swans, ileas disqu:eting. Prussian diplomatists do not
AL ABOLITION of PAIN in DENTISTRY.
y Meson GABRIEL the old established DENTISTS, look upon the maintenance of the status quo as in-
-54. LUDOATS.MILL, CITY,!
643, HARLEY-STREET, f''""' dispensable, and Prussia will not reject such a solu-
IM DUKE-STREET. LIVERPOOL lioll of the question as would replace her right of
Litest and greatest Inywnvement In dental surgery."—Herald.
garrisoning Luxemburg by a guarantee under the
protection of the European powers for the com-
bined security of Germany, and of the nation-
ality of Luxemburg."
The North-West Peninsida of Ireland ' • being the VIENNA, Amu. 26.
Journal of a TAter in Iceland in the Spring and It is affirmed that the following are the bases
Snianser of 1862. By C. W. Smintsan, M.A., which have been submitted by the mediating
F.Z.S. London : LOngmans and Co.
powers to Prussia and France for the settlement of
Mr. Shepherd's little volume contains the parrs the Luxemburg question :—The neutralisation of
tive of a voyage of exploration to the north-western
Luxemburg, its continuance under the sovereignty
parts of Iceland, made during the spring and
summer of 1862 by the author and his two friends— of the King of Holland, the evacuation of the
Mr. Upcher, of Sherijigham-hall, Norfolk, and Mr. fortress by the Prussian garrison, and the die-
Fowler, of Gunton-hall StiSolli. • portion el the mantling of the fortifications.
same district had already been trytersed by Mr.! PARIS; Area. .
Shepherd and another gentleman in 1861, but the I The Legislative Body wiij hold its oast mitt.
region to which the present work makes more to-morrow,
.believed
that 1111. le r aTre 11.1
particular reference was never previously explored
traveller. mach of thie dreary demand for leave to question the government en
by any European
island is still altogether unknown, especially the the Luxemburg queldion'will not:be allowed. ,
mountainous parts, as no mountain of any , The Memorial Diplonsatire of to-day says :
eminence has hitherto been &Branded to "It is believed in diplomatic circles ice YMnsa
the summit, excepting Heels and EYcica that the Duke de Grammont has brought from
JUkull. Nevertheless, Iceland, according to Mr.
arm the . .
intimate understandin be-
Shepherd, is an interesting country, and one de-of an g
tween France and Austria in view of eventualities serving more attention than it has hitherto re-
ceived. Mr. Shepherd a-id his friends started should war become inevitable."
from England on the 20th of April, and landed at The same journal states that yesterday the re-
Reykja-vik, the Icelandic capital, on the 27th of presentative, of England, Russia, and Austria at
the same month, after a pleasant run, with a stiff
presented simultaneously to the Prussianbreeze, of seven days. Another week having
elapsed after their arrival, during which they were Government communications in pressing terms,
chiefly occupied in making preparations for their with the object of bringing about a friendly soh:-
inland journey to the north-western peninsula, Lion of the Luxemburg question.
they started for the interior early in May. Their, The Eir„danf of this evening says :—" The news
excursions were performed partly on foot and
of a letter having been addressed by Queen Vic-
partly on the backs of ponies, of which animalsferias to the King of Prussia is authentic. Her
the party had a rather considerable number, some
carrying luggage, some poles and other materials Majesty energetically insists that King William
for the erection of travelling tents. Their route should spare Europe the calamity of a war, in
lay for the most part through a wild and sterile , which England would preserve absolute neutrality,
tract of country, the character of which was ex- .as she disapproves of the excessive claims main-
tremely monotonous, exhibiting a wearisome ex- . . „
pause of bogs, wastes, fenny moors, and sandy plains, Wined by .Prneala•
only varied by straggling masses of rocks or snow- The Temps announces that a large number of
covered mountains. The roads were so deep in , Germans living in Paris are signing an address to
mire as to be scarcely passable, while large frozen their fellow-countrymen, asking them to join them
lakes, or inlets of the sea, added to the difficulties in a manifesto in favour of peace published by the
of progression. Sometimes in the course of their
Temps. That journal adds that public opinion in
toilsome journey the travellers passed over deep ,
fesr„ Germany can only respond efficaciously to this
hollows or ravines, bordered on either side by
ful overhanging precipices, and thickly sprinkled I appeal by pronouncing in favour of the evacuation
with ashes and lava from the crater of Mount ,of Luxemburg.
Heels, or some of the other volcanic mountains
with which this island abounds. At other times
they would cross extensive marsh lands, abound-
ing in a damp, warm, clayey mud, from which
issued a thick smoke and steamy mist—arising,
probably, from the vapours of the numerous
geysers, or hot sulphurous springs of the country—
causing a muggy warmth in the atmosphere, in
strange contrast with the naturally intense cold
of the climate. The dismal aspect of this bleak
and barren territory is partially relieved by small
towns and villages, at a great distance from one
another, or by a few lonsly farms, dotted hers and
there over the face of the interior, and sometimes
pitched on the side of steep bare hills, or preci-
pitous mountains. Solitary churches likewise
occasionally diversify the scene, and these edifices
are more rudely constructed, and of simpler
materials, than perhaps the oldest and most un-
pretending rural church in England, being, in the
word,' of our author, " long, low, barn-like "
structures, built of wood, flanked on each side by
walls of turf, of the thickness of many feet, and
usually roofed with felt. Notwithstanding the
general barrenness of the Icelandic soil, there are
several bright patches of verdure and pasture-
land in the country, and wide grassy plains, or long
strips of earth, covered with vegetation of various
kinds, appearing like oases in the desert. Mr.
Shepherd says that in some of the more sheltered
spots attempts have been made to grow
a few common European vegetables, but
with no great success. All the corn re-
quired by the people is imported, and the
trees are but few and stunted. The inhabitants of
the interior of Iceland seem in many respects as
simple and primitive in their manners and modes
of life as in their buildings. They are often cf a
diffident and retiring nature, but very friendly and
hospitable to strangers. The women employed at
the farms occupy themselves in making stockings.
gloves' and other articles of apparel, while the men
attend to the cattle. Many of the higher classes
and of the better educated Icelanders are very in-
telligent. There are but few men of any rank who
cannot read, and books are found in most houses.
Many of the clergy are so fluent in the use of Latin
that it was not unfrequently made a means of com-
munication between them and our travellers. At
one of the farmhouses where they halted the host
was a shrewd, clever man, who had travelled a good
deal in Europe, having been employed as surveyor
of timber in the Danish dockyards, and, his busi-
ness having often taken him to England, he could
speak English pretty well. From this individual
our author learnt that, during the heavy snow-
storms, farms in exposed places are sometimes
completely covered in, so that the inhabitants are
obliged to cut steps in the snow to the roofs of
their houses, and plant large flagstones on the top
as landmarks. The same is done with the sheep!
and cattle-houses, and the Icelander digs through !
the snowdrift to the roof, and lets himself down to
the flock below. On the 29th of July Mr. Shep-
herd and his friends returned to Reykja-vik, with-
out having been able, owing to stress of weather
and other drawbacks, to accomplish the one great
object of their expedition into the interior, viz.,
the ascent of the Online Jokull mountain. Never-
theless, their trouble was not wholly unrewarded,
for they saw much that was interesting, and Mr.
Shepherd's little volume contains a good deal of
curious matter relative to Icelandic life and habits,
and to a part of the island that had never hitherto
been described, or even fully explored. The worki
is embellished with two admirable tinted illustra-1
tiona, taken from drawings made on the spot by
Mr. Fowler, which give a vivid idea of the dark
and savage grandeur, the remoteness, and gloom of
Icelandic scenery.

tittrature.

DENMARK.
COPENHAGEN, Arita 26.

It is most positively asserted that in the event
of a war between Prance and Prussia, Denmark
will observe the strictest neutrality.

HOLLAND.
THE HAGUE, APRIL 26.
In to-day's sitting of the First Chamber, during
the debate on the budget, the Minister of Foreign
Affairs made a speech, in which, referring to the
difficulties with Belgium on the subject of the
Scheldt, he said that the South Beveland Canal
fully answers all the maritime exigencies of Bel-
gian commerce. Ho also touched upon the Luxem-
burg question, and declared that it was not Holland
that had given the first impulse to the negotiations
on that subject. The budgets for the departments
of foreign affairs and justice were adopted by the
Chamber.

TURKEY.

CONSTANTINOPLE, APRIL 23.

It is expected that a Turkish Representative
Assembly will shortly be established, composed of
sixty members, and having committees for the
several administrative departments.

It is stated that a new measure is under the
consideration of the Minister of Marine, proposing
that in future all the vessels of war belonging to
the Turkish navy shall be officered only by French-
men and Englishmen.

MADRID, APRIL 28.

REFORM MEETING AT NORTRAMPTOL—A meeting
of the United liberal Association was held in this town
on Wednesday, at which a large number were present.
The chair was taken by the Viee.president of the Associa-
tion, Mr. J. M. Vernon. Some capital speeches were deli-
vered by Messrs. Frederick Parker, T. Ager, S. Pickering,
J. Gurney, T. Purser, G. Bare, W. Swindell, and W. Shoo-
smith, and the following resolutions were unanimously
passed :—" That the Reform Bill now before the House of
Commons is utterly unacceptable to the people of Eng-
land, and that unless the ratepaying clauses, the clause
providing for voting by voting papers, the fancy franchise
clauses be struck out, the term of residence lowered from
two years to one, the county qualification reduced to at
least 101., the clause of redistribution of seats very much''
extended and improved, and a lodger franchise introduced i
in committee, our borough members be requested to use all
their influence to prevent the third reading of the bill."
" That the members of the United Liberal Association'
desire to express their admiration of and entire confidence
in the Right Hon. William Ewart Gladstone, andexpress a I
hope that he will continue the leadership of the liberal
PAY."