The Express.
London, England, 1868-07-31 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, JULY 31, 1868.

The chief of French critics created kWh°. Eeoms In
(IMMIX; Mr. MATTHEW ARNOLD reproduced her
in England. Another eminent Fronoh critio
writes an admirable essay on MARCUS Aeasuus ;
Mr. MATTHEW ARNOLD followed with sweet
gravity on the same theme. Without for a mo-
nu nt depreciating his own rare and fine literary
qualities and attainments, we may be permitted to
render unto the French originals a part st least
of the merit of these brilliant copies. Let us try
to discover what he gives us of his own.
" Anarchy and authority " to begin with, are
cant terms of French reactionary politics, con-
tinually on the lips of the whole hierarchy of
functionaries of the Second Empire ; authority,
of course, being synonymous with imporalism,
and anarchy with all the old liberal parties.
Anarchy and authority are also familiar terms in
the political vocabulary of the Roman Church ;
anarchy, of course, being synonymous with every
form of moral and intellectual freedom, and
authority with the infallible oracles of the Vatican
and the. Sacred College. But what does Mr.
MATIIIEW ARNOLD mean by anarchy and autho-
rity when ho is writing about England ? Se far
as wo can understand from a perusal of these
papers, he regards "Anarchy" as the normal
condition of public affairs, and of all the active
political parties in this country. But as to
" authority," unless he moans a Minister of
Public Instruction after his own heart, teaching
every little boy in the oonntry the same lesson at
the same hour, and organising the primary and
the secondary, the culture of the youthful British
Philistine by decree, we are at a loss to divine
the meaning of his message. It is easy to per
that he has a general contempt for " the
" policy of free trade," for the " growth of in-
" telligenoe," and for the " practioal operations "
of " our liberal friends " in general ; and that ho
calls the British aristocracy the " barbarians," to
distinguish them from the middle-class Philistines.
But here, again, we note a want of originality in
Mr. MATTHEW ARNOLD'S humour. His " Philis-
tine " is partly borrowed from the German and
partly from the French. His picture of the
British Philistine is painted after HEINE and
HENRI Muneee. It is a clever mixture of the
German student's idea of everybody who is not
at the University, and of the French Bohemian's
portrait of a bourgeois. Such as it is, however, it
is impossible not to feel the vivid truth of the
presentation of this type of the prevailing vul-
garity of the age, of the sordid, dreary, respect-
able existence of thousands of our well-to-do
fellow-countrymen and their congeners in other
countries. Mr. MATTHEW ARNOLD has really made
the indigenous Philistine of England his own, by
some masterly strokes of caricature, such as
when he insists on " the attempt to enable
" a man to marry his deceased wife's sister,"
as a " very interesting operation of our
" liberal friends." Ho is really funny on this
enticing topic, as he is on the " great sexual
" insurrection of our Anglo-Teutonic race," which
some gushing reviewer of Mr. HEPWORTH DIXON
has discovered to be the moral of "Spiritual Wives;"
and on the cognate topic of " the indefinite
" multiplication of poor people." Nor would it
be just to deny that, while he gives us no idea of
his own on these difficult questions of social
economy, he criticises with a clear and pene-
trating scorn the formulas with which other quacks
are continually regaling the public credulity, or
hypocrisy. Mr. MATTHEW ARNOLD, however,
is himaelf an inventor of formulas. In-
stead of dividing the world, as Voi.-
TAIRE did, into an innumerable army of
fools and a platoon of men of sense, he
divides it into Hebraizers and Hellenists. His
Hebraizers are the vast majority of " our Liberal
" friends," who waste their energies in empirical
attempts at practical legislation. His Hellenists are
the calm and cool philosophical thinkers, who sit
like the sailor's parrot all day long, each with " a
" possible SOCRATES in his breast, trying to clear
" and educate themselves," and sighing for the
spiritual transformation of the race, or rather,
as in the last stage of a Turkish bath, " detaching
" themselves from stock notions and habits," and
" letting a free play of consciousness, a desire for
" sweetness and light," cool and calm their too
impatient aspirations. All this, and a great deal
more of the same sort, is very pretty talk. But
we should be glad to know the sense of
it, unless it be to justify Mr. Disasztz's
after-dinner sneer at " over-refinement and
" affectation of philosophy." This work-a-day
world will not be bettered by any number of
sailor's parrots, be their plumage ever so beauti-
ful, or their thinking ever so profound. Mr.
MATTHEW ARNOLD has a knack of being grave and
almost in earnest every now and then, though he
sedulously shuns the mire and noise of the market-
place. But what is his social or political philo-
sophy ? Apparently, the philosophy of an
Epicurean disguised as a Stoic. Ono might as
well dream of healing the maladies of mankind by
sitting through the summer weather under a cedar
tree and sipping cool drinks, as of reaching " the
" firm intelligible law of things" by railing lan-
guidly at every man who puts his hand to the
plough. - _

stained to trust a stranger with his goods.
It was not till after the horse and
brougham had been supplied, that their vendor
thought it necessary to apply for informa-
tion to one of the oornmittetnen of the new
Society. Then he learnt that Mr. Bittowat,t. had
not that gentleman's confidence, for he thought
" the beet course would be to prosecute." The
brushes obtained from the other tradesman are
raid to have been pawned on the day of their pur-
chase, and Mr. Burrott, who prosecuted the case
at the Marylebone Police-court, said "inquiries
" had been made as to the parties whose names
" were down " (as committee-men) " but
" nothing advantageous bad been gathered,
" and some were not known at the ad-
" dresses given." The found committee-man
said there had never been a oommittee-meeting,
and that ho bad felt anxious directly he saw his
name in print. In short, it is implied, on what it
must be remembered is an ex park statement,
though Mr. MANSFIELD refused to take bail for
the charge, that the " Lady Superioress," "' the
Home," the committee, and the society have been
so many figments of Mr. BEDwELL'S (also known
se TOMLINSON, a name dropped out of deference
to pecuniary difficulties) fertile brain. The
brougham and brushes are but two cases out of
many; and "goods of all descriptions" are said
to have been obtained on similar grounds from
that most tenderly confiding of all human crea-
tures, the British tradesman.

PLIOROUATRAN OF PARLIAMENT.
(THIS DAY.)

TH'R ROYAL SPEECH.

Their lordships met at 2 o'clock• for the proroxistion.
Them wore not s down peers present, and the oeremonial
was of the most simple and formal description. Toe
Boys, Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor, the Duke
of Beaufort, the Duke of Buckingham, the Karl of
lialincebury, and Earl Devon.
The royal assent was given to a number of

The Howie of Commons met this afternoon at half-
past one o'clock. The prorogation by commission is
the Upper House, however, did not take place until a later
hour.

The Srarsics took the chair at half-past one o'clock.
There were very few members present. Amongst them
were Mr. Diarseli, Lord Stanley, Mr. Hardy, and Lord
John Manners.
In reply to Mr. °TWAY,

. _
Lord SUM= said he had received no information of
any combination between France, Belgium, and Holland
for purposes hostile to Prussia and Germany.
The royal speech was as follows:
MT Loans &ND Orcirmanalr,

I am happy to be enabled to release you from year
labours, and to offer you my acknowledgments for the
diligence with which you have applied yourselves to your
parliamentary duties.
My relations with foreign power remain friendly and
satisfactory. I have no reason to apprehend that Europe
will be exposed to the calamity of war, and my policy will
continue to be directed to secure the blessings of peace.
I announced to you at the beginning of this minion that
I bad directed an expedition to be sent to Abyssinia to
liberate my envoy, and others of my subjects, detained by
the ruler of that country in an unjust captivity.
I feel sure that you will share in my satisfaction at
the complete success which has attended that expedi-
tion. After a march of 400 miles through a
difficult and unexplored country, my troops took
the strong place of Magdala, freed the captives,
and vindicated the honour of my crown; and by their
immediate return, without one act of oppression or need-
less violence, proved that the expedition had been under-
taken only in obedience to the claims of humanity, and
in fulfilment of the highest duties of my sovereignty.
The cessation of the long-continued efforts to promote
rebellion in Ireland has for some time rendered unneces-
sary the exercise by the executive of exceptional powers.
I rejoice to learn that no person is now detained under
the provisions of the act for the suspension of the habeas
corpus, and that no prisoner awaits trial in Ireland for an
offence connected with the Fenian conspiracy.
010+7r EXEN 07 TIM HOME or Commas,
I have to thank you for the liberal supplies which you
have voted for the public service.
Mr Loans AND Gmrnmirmr,

I have had much satisfaction in giving my assent to a
series of measures completing the great work of the
amendment of the representation of the people in Par-
liament, which has engaged your attention for two
sessions.

I have seen with satisfaction that the time necessarily
occupied by this comprehensive subject has not prevented
you dealing with other questions of great public interest,
and I have gladly given my sanction to bills for the better
government of public schools, the regulation of railways,
the amendment of the law relating to British sea fisheries,
and for the acquisition and maintenance of electric tele-
graphs by the Postmaster-General ; and to several im-
portant measure. having for their object the improve-
ment of the law, and of the civil and criminal proce-
dures in Scotland.

By the appointment of a Comptroller-in-Chief in the
War-office a considerable reform in army administration
has been commenced, which, by combining at home and
abroad the various departments of military supply under
one authority, will conduce to pester economy and effi-
ciency both in peace and war.
It is my intention to dissolve the present parliament at
the earliest day that will enable my people to reap the
benefit of the extended system of representation which the
wisdom of parliament has provided for them. I look with
entire confidence to their proving themselves worthy of
the high privilege with which they have thus been invested;
and I trust that, under the blessing of Divine Providence,
the expression of their opinion on those great questions
of public policy which have occupied the attention of
parliament and remain undecided, may tend to main-
tain unimpaired that civil and religious freedom which
has been secured to all my subjects by the institutions
and settlement of my realm.
The SPEAM, on his return to the House of Commons,
notified what had been done, after which the members
present took leave of the right hon. gentleman, Thua
ended the last session of the last parliament under the
Reform Act of 1831.

We (herald) have been requested to correct the
paragraph which appeared in our impression of yesterday
respecting the health of the Bishop of Winchester. His
lordship had on Tuesday morning an attack, not of the
nature of paralysis, but caused by the extreme heat of the
weather. The illness, which was for a time of an alarm-
ing character, speedily passed off, and the bishop is now
again in a state of convalescence.

At the Victoria Graving Dock on Wednesday
there was an official inspection by Sir Stafford Northcote
and other members of the India Council of a pontoon of
unusual dimensions, manufactured by Messrs. Bmmerson
and Murgatroyd, engineers of Stockport, for the Bombay
government. This pontoon, which forms a portion of an
hydraulic graving dock, now being constructed by Mr.
Edwin Clark for the Bombay Government, is 380 feet in
length, 85 feet in width, and 9 feet 6 inches in depth, and
is especially designed for docking the large transport ships
lately constructed for that station. The lift itself is ►
machine of unprecedented dimensions, consisting of a
group of 72 hydraulic presses of 36 feet stroke, each press
having power to raise 200 tons, and the whole group,
therefore, being able to lift 14,400 tons through ► space of
36 feet in about 30 minutes. It is accordingly capable of
lifting the largest vessel extant, and the calculation is that
with a sufficient number of pontoons ► fleet of 12 or 15
vessels might be docked in a single day.

- -
At the Belfast Assizes the representatives of
the late James O'Donnell, a merchant tailor, of White-
haven, have obtained 1,20 W. damages against the pro-
prietors 'of the steamship The Queen, for the death of
Mr. O'Donnell, who. when a passenger on board the ves-
sel, on the 24th October bun, fell into the hold, and was so
severely injured that he died on the 2nd of November fol-
lowing.
A NOTABLE DINNER PARTY. When Mr.
Disraeli launched his first tale and found it to be a
great success, Lord Lytton, then Mr. Edward Lytton
Bulwer, had achieved the proud place as a novelist
which he has ever since retained. The aspirant for
literary distinction had long admired at • distance the
renown of his senior, and encouraged by the reception
which his own maiden effort had received, he did what
young authors under singular circumstances are apt to do.
He sent to Mr. Bulwea a copy of "Vivian Grey," writing
at the same time an apologetic note, and giving reasons
for the liberty he had taken. The letter with its accom-
panying gift, were at once acknowledged, and Mr.
Disraeli was requested to name a day for dining with
their recipient. It happened that Mr. Disraeli had
arranged for quitting England on the day but one after
receiving this invitation. He wrote to say so,
and the morrow was Axed for the symposium.
Four gentlemen eat down at Mr. Bulwer's table
on that occasion one being, of course, the hoot ;
another, Mr. Disraeli ; the third, • man, shy, but evi-
dently intelligent, for though he said comparatively little,
his remarks, as often as he hazarded them, were keenly to
the purpose. The fourth, • private friend of the host,
need Doi be specified. It was an evening not to be for-
gotten, became then, as now, both Lord Lytton and Mr.
Disraeli shone in convention. The pertybroke up about
midnight, and the host and his friend were left alone
together. After discuaidng Disraeli, the question was put,
" Who is your silent guest P" "He is one of the ablest
men I know," was the re.. "He was my contemporary
at college. He is now a barrister ' • and, mark my words,
he will attain the highest honoursof his profession. His
name is Cockburn." The climax to this little bit of do-
medic history or gossip is very remarkable. The two
brilliant novelists and the painstaking lawyer who dined
together some forty or more years ago, comparatively
obscure mesa have all risen to positions of eminence in the
state. Mr. Cockburn is Lord Chief Justice of land;Eng
Mr. Bulwer, after serving as Secretary of State for the
Colonies, has become • peer of the realm ; and Mr.
on mere than one previous occasion Chancellor of
thel eg ea and leader of the House of COMZIIOII4
now
PIM of the Treassary.—Bieektemers Ifsperiors
snail pries of4oar and bread=das
• IL per peek sad Id. per Ica at a
•

FOREIGN NEWS.
(THIS DAY.)

WAR RUMOURS AGAIN.

Tli,+ Florence correspondent of the DAcste writes
that " everyone in Italy believes that a war be-
tween France and Prussia is near at hand." The
Opinionr, a very moderate organ, says that
" Diplomatists alone have the hardihood to deny
the hostility of these militai7 powers." The North
German Gazette remarks the the intorpellation of
Gem ral La Marmora in the Italian Chamber was
not intended as a defence of the honour of the
Italian army, but "an act of hostility against
Prussia--an act dedicated by personal and politi-
cal motives of the most odious kind." The Berlin
Correopondence has also a very bitter article on
General La Marmon', which winds up by remark-
ing that, "the produotion of the Prussian note,
after two years of secrecy will not bring him a
whit nearer to victory."

tranotron szvnin'a AanNor
SP.II,VIA.
BELGRADE, JULY 3D.
. _

The imperial firman of investors for Prince
Milan was delivered and promulgated to-day. It
refers to the firman of the year 1830, by which he m-
alt/try rights had been granted to the Obrenovitch
family and also to the law on primogeniture, as
established in favour of the younger as well as
the elder branch of the national dynasty. After
the firman had been read the presiding member
of the Regency addressed Mama Bey, the
bearer of the firman, and adverted to the reply
given by the late Prince Michael on a similar
occasion, adding, in the name of the young
Prince Milan, that he would, like his predecessor,
be constant in loyalty and devotion to his
suzerain, and would zealously watch over the
safety of the national institutions. The members
of the Regency desired Kiamil Bey to express
their lively gratitude to the Sultan for his gracious
compliance with the wishes of the Servian
nation.

The state of siege has been raised throughout
the country, the city of Belgrade alone being
excepted.

FRANCE.

PARIS, Jots 31.

An imperial decree published to-day extends
the term for the exemption of cargoes of grain and
flour and breadstuffs from the payment of naviga-
tion duty until the 31st of December, 1868, the
date previously fixed having been the 9th of
September.

B AVARIA.

MUNICH. Juz 31.

The King of Bavaria has bestowed the Grand
Cross of the Order of St. Michael upon Baron Von
Wagner, the Wurtemburg Minister of War, and
the Cross of Commander of the same Order upon
Colonel Luckow, chief of the general staff of
Wurtemburg.

OUR PARIS LETTER.

(raox ors owx oosuraspormarr.)
PARIS, THURSDAY Ewnio.

Although the harshness of the French law of
libel, which admits of no jury and no proof of the
truth of a libellous allegation, is frequently com-
plained of the sentences pronounced by the cor-
rectional judges are sometimes so indulgent as to
discourage prosecutions. An instance occurs in
the,legal journals of to-day. A M. Albert Wolff,
a writer in the Figaro, prosecuted aM. Marchal
de Bussy, who, in a pamphlet entitled Les Impure
de Figaro, had said of him that he was a " Greek,"
a " coward," a " broncanteur," and a " flat knave."
The court, presided by M. Delesvaux, declared in
its judgment that the words were an attack upon
the honour and consideration of the prosecutor,
and were used with the manifest intention of
injuring him. Then follows this paragraph :

Whereas, in order to appreciate the gravity of the
offence of defamation, it is necessary to take into coml.
deration the facts preliminary to the defamatory publica-
tion, the provocation given, and the general course taken
in the press by the libeller and the libelled.
These things being duly taken into considera-
tion the court sentenced M. Marshal de Bussy to
pay 1 franc fine and 1 franc damages, and declined
to make him pay the cost of the insertion of the
judgment in any newspaper. The public has no
means of forming an opinion as to the justice of
this judgment, because the French law in its
wisdom prohibits the report in libel cases of either
the evidence or the arguments of counsel.
M. deVillemessant, the editor of the Figaro, whO
gives the highest character to his friend M. Albert
Wolff, insinuates that the pamphlet complained of
was written with the encouragement of the police,
in order to disgust tho public with the newly
acquired liberty of the press. M. Albert Wolff
announces that he leaves Paris this day to study
foreign jurisprudence in the tribunes of Belgium,
Holland, Prussia, Bavaria, Switzerland, and
Austria, and that he feels a great consolation in
the thought of being some time in Berlin instead
of Paris.

In consequence of Mr. Otway's question all the
semi-official papers of this evening repeat, in a
more or less guarded form, that there is no evi-
dence of the existence of any negotiations for an
alliance between Prance, Holland, and Belgium.

It is positively stated that the ex-King of
Hanover has bought the Chateau de Beauregard.
The question is asked whether he will be permitted
to reside in it ? I can conceive no reason why he
, should not. There were a great many rea-
sons why the Hanoverian legion should not
have been received as a body in France,
and the Prussian embassy made well
grounded eomplainta about the hospitality
afforded to an embodied force which at a given
moment would be ready to serve as an env iliary
to the French army in case of hostilities. But
these remonstrances were not listened to, and d
fortiori, if King George of Hanover wishes to re-
side in France as a refugee the French Emperor
is not likely to prevent him.
The Marquis and Marquise do Caux (Adelina
Patti), have arrived in Paris, and are staying with
the marquis's step-father, the Duke de Vabny.
The Figaro says that the Queen, when she
comes to Paris on August 8, will not rest at the
Tuileries, but at the British embassy, where Lord
Lyons ie preparing apartments for her; that the
Empress will come from Fontainebleau to see the
Queen at the Embassy, and that her Britannic
Majesty will return tho visit at the Tuileries in
the course of the day. . . .

The Prince Imperial is expected next winter to
inhabit the ElyeCv Palace with an establishment

of hie own.

The Galslois says that Augustin Iturbido, bro-
ther of the Prince Iturbide, who was adopted by
the Emperor Maximilian, now keeps a beer shop
at Conrbevoie, in the suburbs of Paris.
The. was scarcely any change at the Bourse.
It is Ow evident that the " options " to-morrow
eannoi be declared at anything him the highest