The Express.
London, England, 1867-02-15 00:00:00

THE PHOCEEDINGH Or THE FENIAMS.

The Times tells the journals which have failed to see
anything very serious in the proceedings at Cheater that
they will find an excellent commentary in the intelligence
from Ireland. Whatever may have been the purpose of
the men who assembled from various points at Chester on
Monday, it is difficult, our contemporary thinks, to believe
that their proceedings had not some connexion with the
outbreak of which we receive the news from the south.
west of Ireland. The Times trusts the government will
not relax its vigilance. What has been done in this ex•
treme district of Ireland may possibly be attempted else-
where. Prompt measures will disconcert the schemes of
the conspirators, who can only reckon on the negligence
and false security of the Queen's government.
To set against his most extraordinary story from Ches•
ter—of a conspiracy and invasion which has not been at-
tended with any breach of the peace, or occasioned a single
arrest—Mr. Walpole has now, says the Daily News, news of
a real Fenian rising in Kerry, a much more likely scene for
such an adventure than a horsier English town. Mr. Warner
was mistaken last night in supposing the Daily Noes to
have suggested that Fenianism wads only s pecuniary
speculation of its leaden. It has always regarded Irish
Fenianism as a very real and exceedingly serious fact, and
written of it accordingly. At the same time, the genuine.
ness of the hostility which the poor deluded people who
find the money, and are ready to expose their lives for the
movement, feel to England, is quite consistent with any
amount of imposture and charlatanry on the part of its
leaders.

The Pod assumes that there can be no doubt now the
Fenian chiefs in Liverpool meditated the seizure of
Chester Castle and its contents, and chat the events
which have now taken place in Ireland are merely the
sequel of a preconcerted plan. Once more England will
have to confess to the world that Ireland can only be
ruled with an iron hand.

The Herald suggests that an example be made of these
malefactors by condemning them to the extreme sentence.
All those who were concerned in an outbreak which bee
led to the shedding of blood may be tried for murder.

WES TOPICS.

The Times deduces from the extensive correspondence
in the Tornado case the conclusion that our countrymen
have been subjected to great oppression with the approval
of the Spanish government, and that friendly remora•
'trances from our government have been met in a spirit of
gross discourtesy, if not defiance. That we have a right to
demand an indemnity for the fonner, and an apology fur
the latter, is an inevitable consequence, and that it is a
duty to insist upon that right will probably be the verdict
of the nation.

The Daily News remarks that it follows from Mr. Dis-
raeli's views of the duties of government expressed last
night in stating the intention of the government to defend
Colonel Nelson and Lieutenant Brand that if he had been
in power a year ago, no royal oommission would have been
appointed to inquire into the acts of naval and military
officers, at the risk of bringing them into question. Ac-
cording to Mr. Disraeli's statement of the doctrine of mar-
tied law, it was impossible for Lieutenant Brand and CoL
Nelson to commit a crime, even if they did, as the Royal
Commissioners say, hang men unnecessarily and without
evidence, for there was no law at the time in the island.

The Post and the Star condemn in strong terms the
extraordinary treatment by Mr. Seward of Mr. Motley,
the late American minister at Vienna, who is described by
the Post as one of the best representatives America has
ever sent to Europe.
Summarising the proceedings in parliament last night
concerning the alteration in our import duties on sugar,
the Times observes that the principle of taxing raw sugars
in proportion to the refined sugars they will yield has been
established, as Mr. Gladstone said, " after an investigation
carried on with all the resources which science and national
funds could supply, and has received so high a sanction
that it may be doubted whether it will ever again be
assailed." This is, perhaps, too sanguine a view, especially
as Mr. Crawford declared himself yesterday still uncon-
vinced ; but we may hope that the importer of refined
sugar has for a season gone to rest.
The Herald accuses Lord Robert Montagu of offensive
conduct towards the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and re•
presents him as saying in effect to Mr. Disraeli, " Are you
playing a farce or not! Do you wish to settle this ques-
tion, and consequently intend to bring in a bill which will
conciliate the support of a majority in parliament ? Or
are you merely trying to gain time, intending, after all
the palaver over the resolution■, to bring in a bill which,
not regarding the wishes and opinions of the house, will
inevitably be rejected r

The Star contends that the great straggle ought to come
at once, instead of being postponed. If the liberal party
do not challenge the course proposed by government before
the 25th, upon them rather than upon the conservatives
will rest the loss of another year, and the confusion worse
confounded of the question in which, more than in any
other, is bound up the future political felicity of English-
men.

The first meeting of the Neutrality Law Com.
missioners was held on Wednesday, the 13th, in one of
the committee rooms of the House of Lords. Present—
Lord Cranworth (chairman), Lord Houghton, Sir Hugh
Cairns, Dr. Lushington, Sir W. Erle, Baron Bramwell,
Sir R. J. Phillimore, Sir Roundell Palmer, Dr. Twin, Mr.
Vernon Harcourt, Q.C., Mr. Baring, M.P., Mr. Gregory,
M.P., and Mr. Foster, M.P. Mr. Abbott and Mr. Onalow,
the Secretary, were also in attendance.