The Express.
London, England, 1861-02-07 00:00:00

KITCHEN AND REFRiSHMENT ROOMS.

On the motion of Colonel FRENCH the following were
appointoil the standing committee to oontrul the arrange-
Inenti of the kitchen and refreshment rooms of the house :

--Colonel trench, the Lord Mavor, Mr. Hume, Mr. Dal-
Aids, Mr. Slonekton Milne., Mr. Mama, Mr. Houpell,
Colonel Dunne, and Mr. Onalow—tbree to be the quorum.

QUALIFICATION FOR OFFICES.
The house having gone into committee el the whole
house,

_
Mr. HADFIELD moved for leave to bring in a hal to
render it unnecessary to make and subscribe certain decla-
rations as a omalitication for offices and employment.. It
was the same bill as had missal the house last session ; as
he understood that no opposition would be given to its
introduction, he should reserve any observations he might
mike till a future occasion.

The bill wa:tl;;n read a first time and ordered to be
rend a second time that day fortnight.
The house adjourned at a quarter put three.
The house meets at five o'clock to-day.

LEICESTER ELECTION.

The pulling commenced at eight o'clock yesterday
morning. At the of of the poll Mr. Harris bad the
advantage, which be maintained for the two Gest hours. At 10
u'oinek mime nos hundred liberabtadto had agreed to with.
hoot their votes till twelve remind to record them m favour
of Hr. Burin, at being the t of the two liberal
candidates. Just as those unpl as " ones had taken
this step, Mr. Taylor's friends came up with increased
strewth, and not only neutralised the votes
reed
by this
hint o elector., but reduced the liberal ma 'ty
hint to 30. After this Xr. Harris again • mad
retained the advantage to the close of the poll. While at-
tention was directed to the progressof the liberal candidates,
the conservative, Mr. Heygate, whose votes were recorded
at gent but slowly, gradually increased in force until they
took the lead over Mr. Harris, and maintained a majority
of upwards of 300, and at the close he had a majontyof
583 over Mr. Harris. The numbers at the close of the
poll were :
Taylor . 974
The deciaratith of tite. poll will hike place this
(Thereday). Some acme throwing occurred at the7.lZeisoi
the poll, and the mayor read the riot act ; but order is again

REPRESENTATION OP BRADFORD.
Ow Tueaday evening a large meeting of liberal
electors was held in fit. Gere's Hall, at Bradford, to make
choice of a candidate to supply the plain rendered vacant
by the mignation of Mr. '. Salt. There were 2,000 per-
eons present. Mr. Mutt's name was withdrawn, in arose-
(penes of a letter having been read from that gentleman, the
substance of which appeared in our impterion of yester-
day. General Thonimion was proposed but withdrawn
subsequently. Mr. Forster bad an overwhelming majority
over Mr. Prieatman, and was thee unanimously invited to
offer himself as a candidate, which invitation he accepted.
No other candidate has appeared on the conservative side,
and there is no likelihood now of such an event. Yesterday
Mr. Forster named au address, in which be sacs:
" Yon have long known me as an ardent friend of parlia-
mentary reform. I still firmly believe that it would be to
the interest of all classes to give without delay to the wage.
receiving elan a much larger participation in the franchise.
I believe also that it would tend not to destroy but to pe-
ewee our institutions to give to the voter the protection of
the ballot, nod to remove the present glaring inequality in
the apportionment of representation. I trust, however,
that When a reform bill is next brought forward it will be
diwunied by parliament in • manner more likely to lead to
the settlement of the question than was the case with the
bill of last year. If you do 1110 the honour to elect me, I
shall do my utmost to ensure that the question of church
rates be finally setUed this year by their abolition.
Our preset &teatime is so enormous that I think the
expeaditure of the revenue requires revision, with
• view not only to economy but to retrenchment.
Notwithstanding the present critical state of oostinental
affain, I believe that by persistence in the policy of non-
intervention our government will be able to preserve this
country from being engaged in a !forepaws war, if it should
uahappily break out, and in some measure to relax our
costly preparations for defence. I rest my hopes shofar
the preservation of peace on a oouvietioa that the trade
which will result from the commercial treaty of this country
with Fiance will ally, m the bonds of mutual interest, opt
show
the governments but the people of both nations. I
h earuestly support every measure calculated to cement
our connection with our colonial fencer-subjects, believing,
as I do, that this connection tends greatly both to the wel-
[meet our common oountrrand to the programa( civilisation;
and with regard to our vast Indian empire, I should do my
utmost to ensure to it a wise, just, and economical govern-
ment, so that, by fulfilling our duties to its numerous popu-
lation, we may promote their prosperity, upon which our
own now so much depends."

Tea Rag zirratlow or CORR. —The Cork
Herold says :—"lt iscoadently reportedthat Mr. Mlliarthy
Downing, Mr. W. Wise, of Dundanion amide, and Mr.
Henry Harding*, J.P., Finale. are about to become candi-
dates for the county." The Examiner says :—" The name
of Major O'Reilly has bees more than once put forward in
these ashrams as a eandMate who would be likely to unite
thesußrages of the majority of the constituency of this
county. We need scarcely say that the candida-
ture of Major O'Reilly 'mull have our warmest
sympathy. From motives of delicacy, and from •
denre to avoid the appearance of dictation, we
nifrained from even suggerting the name of this distin-
guished Irishman; but we have no Imitation in saying
that there is scarcely any man whom we should prefer
seeing sent to parliament on the present oceanic*. The
national honour has been foully assailed through Major
O'Reilly and the body of Irishmen under his command.
The reception given to the brigade was regarded by the
country at large as one mode of expressing scorn and dis-
gust at the calumnies uttered against O'Reilly and his
soldier*. But one more practical still may be adopted
with the consent of the constituency now left free to the
act by the elevation of Mr. Dean—rat ie, by returning
him for the greatest county is
ABERDIRNAHIRI ELICTION.—AS reported in a
wood edition of the Aberdeen Herold, an influmitial meet-
ing of electors was held at Elks on Monday leek to hear
explanations relative to the two candidates brought forward
for the representation of the county. Resolutions were
unanimous) adopted expressing "disapprobation of the
course which has been pursued by the supporters of Mr.
Leslie to induce the electors of Aberdeenshire, and more
particularly the immediate connexions of the Aberdeen
family, to give Mr. Leslie their support ;" and pledging the
meeting "to support the Hon. Arthur Gordon, and to do
everything in their power to effect his return. In some
remarks on the contest the Herald my* :—" The sup-
C= of the Hon. Arthur Gordon have eve reason to
every
fied with the progress they are making. Not only
are the liberals standing fast to their colours, but the in-
dependent conservatives are discovering every day ad.
ditioual reasons for withholding their support from the
nominee of the secret °oedema of Wrylairds."
ANTI-CH VRCH-HATE :oN PER TISCH AT NORWICH.—
An influentiallyattended conference of Nonconformists was
held at Norwich yesterday afternoon to consider the present
pceition of the church-rate question. Mr. J. J. Colman was
called to the chair. The chairman said it was thought
desirable to cease sending petitions ou the subject to the
House of Commons, and to bring instead individual influ-
ence to bear on individual members of parliament. Mr. W.
C. Hardy, one of the magistrates of Norfolk, moved the
fast resolution, to the effect that the conference desired
emphatically to record its protest against church
rates, on the ground that they were unjust to the dissenter,
injurious to the church of England, and irreconcileable with
the acknowledged principle that in matters of religion all
men are equally and absolutely free. Mr. Hardy said he
had long been an advocate for the total abolition of dumb
rates, but be had hitherto not taken much public interest
in the matter, and if the parochial clergy had remained quiet,
in all probability he should have remained quiet also • but
now whoa every clergyman was instructed from headquarters,
through the bishops aid archdeacons, to get up an agitation
on the question throughout the length and breadth of
the land, and thereby to make an impression both
in and out of the House of Commons in favour I
of the existing system, he could no longer remain quiet.
Mr. Disraeli bad recently told the clergy that it was in
their power to close the controversy for ever, not by feeble
concessions, but by • broad aseertion of public right. He
(Mr. Hardy) thought, however, that if the clergy believed
that by sending some eve thousand petitions to the House
of Commons they could settle the question, they would find
themselves egregiously mistaken. The Rev. J. Alexander
seconded the resolution, and expressed his opinion that the
church of England would never spiritually prosper until the
:lain which boned her to the state was broken—until she
ceased to be under compulsion, and until she acted on the
voluntary principle. The resolution was carried unani-
mously. Mr. 0. Springfield moved that a memorial be
presented to Lord Palmerston, se the chief of the liberal
party, and the premier of the present administration, embo-
dying the substance of the above resolution.
The railway between Riga and Dunaburg is so
far deuced that an experimental train went over it • few
dayeago, socemplishing the distance between the two towns
Is eight hours. When the line shall be quite completed it
is believed that the journey will only occupy from five to
eix bows.

The Moniteur of yesterday publishes, by the aid
of a supplement, the exposition of the internal
condition and foreign relations of the French
emire which was laid on the table by K Baroche
in Tuesday's sitting of the Corps Legialatif. As
this document extends to about twenty-five closely-
printed columns, it is of course impossible as yet
to do more than glance at some of its principal
features, and for the resent we confine ourselves to
the parerelating to foreign affairs. Amon 'these
the condition of Italy naturally occupies. ail, first
place. After an historical summary of the. part
that the French government had taken in Italian
affairs since the peace of Villafranca, we are told
that the annexation of Central Italy, and the
formation of a strong power, master' of the two
slopes of the Alps, impoied on France duties
towards herself."

In carrying aid to Piedmont the Emperor was led by the
' thought alone of securing the independencid of Italy, and of
thus closing the Peninsula spinet the secular rivalries be-
tween France and Austria. But in calculating Use chances
of the war, his Majesty was naturally led tollor•••04h• pees.
sibility of important aggrandisement.' to Piedatant gad
when the French cabinet was questioned on this ambient, it
did not at all allow its intention@ to be ignored. In every
circumstance, according as the eventualities appeared more
or lees to to the wishes of Sardinia, he raaintaieed
or abaedopq AS idea 411 seatifyiig tia•ge Or
.w*.• in the sontkvrithout conceaTing his any tray.
The treaty of Zurich stipulated no ad for France,
and the loyalty with which we have followed up
the entire execution of this treaty, with the risk
even of alienating from us the sympathies of the
peoples liberated at the price of such great sacrifices,
amply attested how far we were from desiring or favouring
• solution that enabled us to demand front the King of
Sardinia the cession of Savoy and of the county of Nice. '
The disinterestedness of theEmprror's government miscarried
therefore, as far as its duties to the country permitted, and
when the annexations were being curried out, coutriuy to his
advice, he could no longer hesitate to demand the guarantees
required by our strategical situation on the side of the Alps,
and to require the court of Sardinia to extend to popu4-
ileum already French by the community of interests, origin,
and language, the same principle of which it was making so
large an application to its own profit. The treaty conclWad
en the 25th of March at Turin served to rectify our frontier
and give us frontiers that nature has done all she can to con-
nect with France,

^Mean
w e the situation of Italy continued to be
• subject of serious anxiety. The Pope rejected
one after another the Emperor's plans of a compro-
mise until he was in danger of losing the provinces
which France offered to guarantee to him.
The amilest wee approaching, in fad, when it would be
too late to aim any longer at keeping Unibria and the
Mamba in the bands of the Holy Father, and when it be-
calms necessary to think of the safety of the capital itself.
To provide for this situation, his Majesty's government did
not hesitate to undertake fresh sacrifices. After a decla-
ration of the Papal government, which hoped that its own
feeds would for the maintenance of tranquillity in
its territories, it had been at first agreed, in April, It6o,
' that the French troops should quit Rome. Soon the
events in Sicily and the agitation which they caused
on the frontiers of the Roman States, determined us to pro-
pod to the Holy See to suspend the execution of the
arrangemente adopted for the evacuation. In the last place
the triumph of the insurrection et ;Sapid, and the entry of
the Sardinian army into Umbria and the Marches, decided
his Majesty's government to increase the corps of occupa-
tion, sod to be able to defend, in any ease, the safety of
the Holy Father and hia government, es well as the Uni-
tary comprised under the denomination of the domain of
St. Peter.

However, the Emperor's government did not 11
charge itself with the duty of reconquering pro-
vinces which the Pope had lost by neglecting its
advice. The French ambassador was withdrawn
from Turin, bat France could not go any further
than this without departing from the principle of
non-intervention. The same considerations, pre-
cisely, had guided the Emperor's conduct with
regard to Naples. It gave all possible aid to the
Neapolitan negotiators sent to the court of Turin,
and event thought fit to place obstacles to the pas-
sage of the insurrectionary soldiers through the
Papal States ; bat finding this of no avail, and that
the insurrection triumphed, and the Two Siciliea
voted for annexation to Piedmont—

In this extremity the French government could only
testify to the King of Naples the interest it felt in
that young sovereign as the victim of • political system,
which he had not consented to modify in time, but of which
he was not the author. His Majesty gave him a striking
mark of it be according him the protection of the French
flag before Gaeta, as long as he was able to do so without
departing from the fundamental principle of his policy with
Vto Italy.
e following relates to the interview at Warsaw :
The government of the Emperor has hail frequent °ma--
trinities of conversing with the great powers on the affairs
of the peninsula, and it has always done so with a frankness
that the integrity of its conduct rendered easy for it. The
iaterview between the Emperors of Austria and Russia and
the Prince Regent, now King of Prussia, enabled France to
repeat her explanations. The events of Southern Italy bad
moved the cabinet* of the continent, paiufully affected by
the attacks made on the rights of the princes; and the
threat, of an approaching attack on Venetia hail yet
more particularly engaged their attention. In this
conjuncture it was needful for the court of Aus-
tria to ascertain the sentiments of the powers,
and it was with this ides that it invited the meeting of the
sovereigns at Warsaw. Prussia having informed us that
her desire wu to be able to propose at this conference •
general understanding between the great courts, rejecting in
advance all idea of a private understanding without France,
his Majesty's government did not hesitate to explain its idea
fully and entirely. Its principles on the subject of non-in-
tervention remained unchangeable, and the eventuality of
an aggresaioe by Piedmont on Venetia appeared to it the
only hypothesis in which reasoning might be of use ; but in
ceder to facilitate the efforts of Russia to dissipate distrust,
it was ready to make known the conduct it proposed to ob-
serve, in case such hypothesis should happen to be realised.
This declaration, stated in a note sent to the cabinet of
St. Petersburg, is entirely iu conformity with the policy
followed by the Imperial government since the annexation
of central Maly to Piedmont. France, again become entirely
free, has repudiated all complicity with the invasions by the
Sardinian government. It is at her own risk and peril that
Piedmont has engaged in this series of enterprises that have
extended her sovereignty as far as Naples and Palermo ; and
If, yielding to the passions that endeavour to drag her thither
notwithstanding the counsels of all Europe, abe were to
take the initiative of an aggression against Austria, energe-
tically disapproved by France, she could no longer hope
for our support. We Amid take no part in the hostilities
between Austria and Italy, and we should limit ourselves to
preserving the advantages that the Emperor and France
may consider to be their work, and which our army paid
for with its blood—that is to say, the results of the peace
of Villabaima.

The decimation of the Emperor's government., communi-
cated to the two other sovereigus who repaired to Warsaw,
formed the subjectof theirdeliberations. The moderatiooof our
views, in the event of a war provoked by Piedmont, as
well as the evidence of the considerations we submitted re-
specting the dangers of for
have wished, it is true, that
the ideas expressed in the declaration of France could be
taken as the bases of an understanding which they would
I have presently endeavoured to establish ; but at the end of
the explanations we gave, the powers admitted that we
could Dot place ourselves in presence of an hypothesis dif-
ferent from the one we have contemplated.
In fact, after the events of Southern Italy and
the interview at Warsaw the respective situations
of the great cabinets remained the same. Even
Austria has declared her intention of not departing
from "an expectant attitude," unless provoked by
an attack on her territory.
The following passage relates to the Schleswig-
Holstein difficulty :
These duchies (Holstein and Leuenbourg) forming part of
the federal territory, the Emperor's government, in accord-
ance with Great Britain and Russia, has thought that it
ought to regard this question as a purely German one,
without mixing itself up at all with the discussions which
have taken place between the Frankfort Diet and the ca-
binet of Copenhagen. Using at the same time our influence
in behalf of conciliation, we have not ceased to hold every,
where the language which we judged likely to facilitate it.
We continue to counsel the Danish government to avert
the danger of • federal execution by satisfying the demands
of Germany in as far as they are legitimate, and by taking
account of the wishes of the populations in proportion to
their equity.
After a notice of the events that led to the
Trench occupation of Syria, we are told :
But the occupation of Syria is limited by the convention,
signed on Sept. 5, to six months. That term approaches,
sad the government of the Emperor is asked if the depic-
tors of the French troops can he effected, at the expiration
ef this period, without endangering the safety of the Chris-
tians. Desiring above all things to execute faithfully the
stipulations that have been agreed on but, on the other
hand, before entirely freeing himself from has respousibi•
lily, he has thought fit to place the powers in a position to
examine this question in concert with Lim, and be proposes
to assemble the conference to bring about au agreement on

this point. He is disposod to continue with the so"p dun-,
terestedness the sacriiwes which the Syrian expedition be.
imposed upon him. Nevertheless, in one the powers should
think that it is desirable to name one or more among them
to take part in it, we should be ready to accept *dr 8/14.
sistance ; for France is pursuing no politicid object in Syria J..'
she is solely obeying a sentiment of humanity: ' 't
The rest of this lengthy and somewhat "ague • '
" exposition " of the foreign relations of France ifl
occupied principally by congratulations cia tha
termination of the Chinese war, on the Treaty of
Commerce with Great Britain, and on the good
underitaucling exiating between France and various
`amain States in different parts of the globe.

HARMONIUMS-N 1W 111101)11..-
CRAMER. SULK is 10•„ Dl. Illegsse-dgest.