The Express.
London, England, 1856-05-21 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21.

IT in encouraging to observe that there is every
symptom of her MAJESTY'S Ministers resisting the
pressers that is put upon them from various influen-
tial quarters, but especially by Irish Lords and Re-
presentatives, and by the Press, to indulge in an
unnem s ',nip large military expenditure, and that,
in this their wire determination, they are supported
by the statesmarship of the country.
In the deb.ate on the Address .o the CROWS oa the
Treaty of Peace, Lord JOHN RUSSELL expressed his
earnest hope that the Government of England would
never aim at making it a great military nation.
Load GREY took the same occasion in the Lords to
repeat and enforce his consistent and vigorous
opinion in favour of a wise economy of the publics
resources during peace, as one of the very best means
of being prepared, by an increase and accumulation
of private wealth, to carry on a great war whenever
it should again become unavoidable. Some of Lord
DERBY'S choicest oratorical flourishes in the
Upper House were also directed towards a moderate
military eatablishment ; in the Commons on Monday
evening Mr. DISRAELI wee from mere verbiage in the
same direction, and formularised a policy of economy
for the adoption of all governments; that eminent
public censor, Mr. GLADSTONE, severely rebuked the
ignorant and impatient spirit which at present
stimulated the Government to continue a lugs mili-
tary expenditure; and the CHANCELLOR of the Ex-
CHEQUER. although he had been specially appealed
to by a powerful contemporary in the morning against
what it was pleased to call hurried " reductions,
made no response to the entreaty, but opened, in his
budget, war estim►tes reduced with conscientious
and commendable sternness. There Is, then, a con-
sensus of leading opinion in Parliament in favour
of that policy which we have ventured (alone, we
fear, in the Press) to recommend as the rule
of national conduct in this important matter.

We respectfully beg leave to refresh the memory
of Lord PALM
lERSTON on some points connected with
the relations of the British Government to the Sici-
lians in 1849. With reference to this subject, his
lordship is undtr.tood to have said, in the Mouse of
COMMON!, on Monday :

We endeavritred to metliafis betweem tba Sicilians and
the King of Naples, with the cosmic of the King of Na-
ples, and at the Teeple. tof the Kieg of Naples. Will, we
had neatly brought that mediation to a point. The ques.
tion woe not what institutions they should have; because he
was willing to girls them institutions very nearly similar to
those which, at a lo.mer period, they bed mewed. The
question woe 111 ether the mown of Naples was to be united
with that of B.cily or his head. Well, that would have been
concluded too; and e eon thing would have been effected in
a manner satieiactory to the Sicilians, and consistent with
the uaii of that doable eutp4.. But then came the news
Of the French Revolution, end that kindled a Same amino
the 8 tritons, and they refused to have the King of Naples
far their Foyers gn ; arid it was subsequent to th►t refusal
that Lord !ditto, acting on his anatrecions, said be would
so longer carry on communications with those who had
refired to be any ',over rubjees of the King of Naples,
after cif:is had been made to ttem which ought to have
satsfied te em as to the inetitutiona under which they
were to liver There was no ►bandmment of any pasties
we were bound to esprit ; we were wilting to give
them, and did give them, our good °feces to
the King of Nails., up to that point; but when, eneoa
raged and elicited by the evens is Francs, they declared
trey could co longer e3ntinue on any terms to have the
crown of Sicily united to that of the King of Moles, we
sal that good faith t that Sovatign, with whom we wove
to alliance, and with whwe c toesnt our agent bad entered
into that mediation, prevented us trans carrying it on any
farther, end Lord Minto ntirrei ; and there wee an sod e f
our part in the matter.

Oar part in the matter did not end where Lord
PALMERSTON mays it did. The whole story of the
negotiations was told in the House of Lords, by
Lord MOTO, on the 20th of July, 1849. His lord-
ship awed that he had from the begianing advised
the Neapolitan Government to recognise the absolute
independence of the Sidling, subject only to the
union of the two crowns; 'het he told the Neapoli-
tan Minirers he could not regard the outbreak se an
act of unlawful insurrection, and refused to treat
with or for the Sicilians in the character of rebels;
that be proceeded to Smily to negoti►te for the so-
ceptanco of certain modifications of the constitution
of 1848. Hue lordahip then, after adverting to some
difficulties thrown in his way by "an act of unpa-
ralleled treachery and bed faith on the part of the
Neapolitan Government," went on to my :

It L ao• true that the S:clisos latterly relented the terse
offered t` ens t•y the Kin,;. la the great., put they sub-
stantially at ea•el, LEI/ aiding wine farther goaditioas
which were at ore t r,lected by the Neapolitan, miaketenn
who then broke off the negotiation. And he should sot
do ja.t es to the able sad eminent men with whom
he had trra•ed at P.l,roso, woes he not to add that,
thrushes* the whole of their interourse, M wu always
nut oa their put with the utmost frankness, fei►aess,
and psin-dealing. All hope of sconamodation with the
King of Naples being thus at en end, there was the deem
that the impu;to of the Fetich lievolution might teed te the
adopti's is Btc•ly of a repobi can form of gorareamat,
offer it g &danger us 'sample to the rest of Italy ; sad ft be
same important that every teeter• gamest sheeld be giant
to the e•tebliehcent of a monarchical foam of severe-
moot in that island. The Sicilians ours, Men-
fore, Oforsied of oar readasess to ►wrywise asq met.
wps Owes Owe should pion, eta as Maw. (lad
Ms Dohs of Genoa was indiesled for ask eheiat.
Lad sow a. to our part is thus, aid the meemdlag tmesac-
tioaa, he (Lori Nieto) ctrtaialy egged with his noble
friend who spoke second in the debate, that it mat mach
esti., to defend th• I'M.% of our isterfereace, this to ja-
tify our stopping short where we did; sad he would oily
add, that letup our iaterpositioa ia the sefstre of Sicily wu
d d by the King of Naples, we were bound to bear is
Died our foi UP/ relations, and those old obligation with
that island, which, though ant guaranteed by the atipala-
ties, of any written treaty, Cal beets acknowledged by the
noble lord opt, Ete (tluleshoe)), by Lord Castlereagh, by
Lord Liverpool, and by serums vs governotanta of this
chasm.
It may be alleged that Lord Muevcr overstepped
the instructions of hie own Government; but had
that httn the ease, his promise to recognise any
sovereign whom the Sieiliana should place Oa
the throne would not have been sanctioned by the
blioisters of the day. Wis find, however, that in the
debate of the 20th of July, 1849, Lord CARLISLE de-
fended the step taken by Loyd Id Hero, on the
name grounds as Lord MiteTo himself did. Nay
sore, a majority of the Hoses of Lords--aesuredly
no nitn•Liberal amembly--esnetioced those pro-
ceedings. l'he debate to which we have been advert-
ing was raised upon three resolutions submitted

'to the Home by Lord BROCGUAH. The second
of these resolutions was couched in these words:
—" It is inconsistent with the general in-
terests and duty of this country to interfere

in the concerns of foreign nations, as between their
sovereign. and their subjects." This, along with the
other two resolulone, was after a protracted debate
negatived by a majority of 12 ; there having voted
against it 108 peers (in person or by proxy),and for it
96. It may also be mentioned that there were 27
pairs on the occasion.

The English Government, in 1848, recognised the
right of the Sicilian people to depose the King of
NAPLES for having violated their constitution. The
English Government went so far as to indicate
to the Sicilians the prince whom they ought
to elect to the vacant throne. And after
thus encouraging the Sicilian. in their re-
sistance to the King of NAPLES, the English Go-
vernment stood tamely by, and allowed that Monarch
to re-instate himself on the throne he had forfeited
by force of arms. The English Government aban-
doned the constitutional patriots of Sicily to the mer-
ciless vengeance of the tyrant they had been en-
couraged to brave by prospects of English counte-
nance. and support. The hinginge held by Lord
CLARENDON in the Conferences at Paris was calcu-
lated to inspire hopes in the bosoms of the oppressed
Sicilians that England was at last about to
repair, however tartily, the wrong she had done
them by her instigations and subsequent desertion.
But the language used by Lord PALMERSTON on
Monday evening will tend to blight lied dispel these
re awakening hopes. We would fain persuade oar-
selves that Loru PALMERSTON spoke in the heat of
debate, and without refircting on the full import of
the words he used; for assuredly if we are to attach
to them their natural and obvious meaning, they
amount to a declaration that the Sicilians have no
claim to any int tion on their behalf with their
tyrant by the English Government. Such • decla-
ration Gould not tail to re.plunge them into despair
and drive them to extremities. It is to be hoped that
Lord PALMERSTON will embrace an early opportunity
of effacing thu painful impression his words have
produced.

ART EXHIBITION, 1867.

Yesterday afternoon a meeting of gentlemen
whew same ap, e r :n a list of aob•uibers to a g aaaaa tee
fend for an imbibition of tie art truant's of the United
Kingdom, per puled to be held is Manchester in 1857, took
plies in the Mayor's parlour, at the Manchester Town hall.
Mr. Jame. Watts, the mayor, presided ; sad among those
present were Mr. "(oohs, mayor of Salford; Mr. R. N.
Phillips, high-rher.ff Lsaembire ; Sir Elkanah Armitage,
and Mesas. Th,mu Bosley, W. R Wood, Edmond
Potter, Hem Houldswortb, W. R. Callender, 0. Haywood,
W. Pairbsirn, J C Hub r, J. E. Taylor, Joseph Whit-
worth, Benj.= a Nicholls, W. Ratwisle,
_ _

The MATO& briefly opesee the proceeding, exproosing his
Elmore at the very numerous attendants, on this occasion.
Mr. Magog, the tows e Mr. read the minute of s peeling-
, nary meeting hell os the 28th March, sad very numerously
sitinded. At that mating a length/tied omvenation took
place with rehrecoe to :he probsiolity of the art treasures
which it was desired to exhibit being obtainsble for the
purpose; end site as to the probable coat of the necessary
building, end the return, that might be anticipated.
Messrs. Houldsworth, Fairbure, arid o.iver Heywood,
whilst fully coneorriag in the 'doorsteps of the scheme
under digicussion, were spprehensiv• that it would seriously
interfere with the sue :OM of en exhibition of works of art,
which hod been in wot•mplotion f. r some months pair, to
isaugurets the opening of the new building of the Man-
chester Mectisoice listitution—of course oa s small scale—
and from which it was confident' expleted that 6,0001 would
be realised towards toe liquidstion of the debt oa that
institution.

It wee ol.imetely moved by Mr. H , seconded by
Mr. HOULDSWORTH, and unanimousty reto ved, that it was
deeirsbie, d practnah'e, to Carry oat toe proposal for an ex
bibition of the art tree.ores of the United Kiugdont in 1857;
and that in MO the dire,tois of the Mechsoice' Inst button
determined to forego their reopened exhibition' their claim
to participate to tne surplus land arising from the art eabi•
bitrrn shonld be distinctly recioncind.
Mr. Tnotem Fatosalltre tbeo read a report of the steps
t.kea ran the preliminary meeting. It stated that sppli-
eatioos bad been made fcr subecriptlens to the reguiette
enarantw load, with the understanding that, when fully in
peesess,on of infoimition as to the extent of entwine
that might be expected from her Majesty the Queen and
Prince Albert, and as to the probable cart of the ne
ornery bedding, the sub.crth, re should decide whether the
i• proposal eheold be earned out; and further, that they
I should, hi the 'Owl, n of the retentive committee, have the
beet security that the estimate of expenditure should not be
exceeded. The estidattory result of three syliestions wa•
that the list of subs:fibers to the guaranteed rued contained
the names of 32 gentle suss for 1.0001. each, and 60 gentle-
r*" for 6001. each, making the total au3l.u.noteed
62,0001. In order W ascertain how far the patrousge and
eupp rt of tee Queen and Prince Albert might be counted
upon, spoilt:otos was made by tl e mayor to Colonel Phiops,
toe an interview with Pei. c • Albert, is order that the too-
pontos might be imbed ted to his royal highness. That
interview .as granted on the 7th May, and the Moyne, Mr.
R. N. Phillip', Sir Jilin Poise, Mr. Risley. the Mayne of
Saitord, the Won clerk, and Mr. Thomas Fair.-
bairn, attended on that day at Buckingham Pa-
-1 oe, and I.ld the proposals before the Prince,
stating that 60,0001. was g ied, and that it
wee only 000k1011,7 to nht.io the same Flom."
as bad been exwided to the Exhibitioo at Dahlia, t
at Maneheet,r ire molt complete ounces.. His royal
ht./hoses espreared ea opinion teat it wee matter of regret
that the previous exhibitions hid cot resulted in any per-
matron benefit to the dietricts in which they had been
held ; and t:.e dr patatien %awed hie royal birhreis that
the sentiments he 'sprained were MON r.-1, entertained by
many c f the gentlemen who wt re iour,sted in the present
scheme, who ha I strong hopes that if the proposed exhibi-
tion wee finarcially successful, there might be second, as
the permanent result, a motion museum of works of art
and iodiseiry within, and for the city of Mancheet r. At
the close of the interview, the P,ioce expreeno hi. readiness
to do all in his power fur the success of the per-
posed exhibition, and a note had inc. been re-
ceived from Colonel Phipp-, stating that he was
mended by her lastest, to state that the Queen wil-
lingly grated her patronage to the scheme. Mr. Thomas
Feirbairn had made inquiries of eootr ron supposed to be
well informed in to the precticability of erecting the neces-
sary buddir g for 25,0001., in six swaths; and eurgestioes
and estimative" had been forwarded by Messrs. Fox and
Henderson, and Meson. Tlingit and Co., of London and
Leith. Thew ohne were not t r in.erfer• wito the judg-
ment of the etimennt.., who would have finally to deter-
mine the gnistirn hut would show that the tire estimates
were amply sudeierit. Mr. Worthingttn farther stated
that a ►tan fin rotator bad come down frem 111,01,0.
Young" and ,to erect a fise•proef building, 'spittle of
exeserien, eel of holding 20,000 persons at on time, for a
fixed sec of 22 5001.; and he believed the estimate given
at the former me ding, of the incidental imposes of ma-
nagement, was gaits ample. It was believed that
tae total nrenotture of 40,0001. need r o', under
drinmetencts, be exceeded. Ti.e i:ifileolty felt
M first, la referent* to the Mechanics' lestitotion,
Ind been removed by the direitors of that institution
having deeded to boll tit.* own exhibition in September,
• sotwit-ntecteing the aneroid art exhibition; sal it was
hoped that the smaller exhibition would be as succiadal as
Ina memo. re could dais.
. Mr. T. Bomar moved the fist moist:on That this
, enmities of aabeeribere t r the guaranteed rued, being satis-
fied by the ststemeet now submitted of the practicability of
worths aa exhibition of art treasures in Manchester in
I 18.57; and her most endow Mog sty, and his Royal Highness
Prince Albert having been pleased to extend to such 'Ott-
.. bitioo their rind patronage and support, hereby determine
that an ezhibitrn, to be entitled no Exhibition of the Art
Ter stares of the United Kingdom, shall be held in Man-
Owner in 1857."

Mr. H. HOULDSWORTY seeondei the r.selneoe, which
was carded anaeirawasly.
eolations were a:so agreed to, eoestilltieg the sub-
seeihens to the coareate• hand a stemmal clans 1, with the
of Elleasto re so president, and es questing the f. Howieg
noblemen to give their ratroosee :—The Earls of Derby,
Sewall/if, &Von, Ellesmere, Wilton, Dacie, Harliortor,
Ba?terres, and the Hiss op of Msnehestar. An esecutive
committee of seven condenses—she Mayor, Messrs. T. Ash-
ton, Zotwiste, T. Pairbsirs, Heron, E. Potter, and S.
Sterne—was appointed, and the meeting tualastod.