The Express.
London, England, 1868-01-11 00:00:00

THE WEEKLY PRESS.

The Spectator, referring to the Queen's book,
says, when the Queen, still a very young wife,
pays her first visit to the Highlands, snd feeling
at a loss bow to express her sense of the beauty of
the scenery, es everyone who loves nature almost always
does on such occasions, records repeatedly that scenes are

"fairy-like," " romantic," and so forth, no one 'can
help feeling that the natural and perfectly simple stiff-
ness of style is appropriate, and almost touching. This
stiffness wears off completely as the book goes on, and
that, again, is one of the most pleasant natural trait, about
it. In the later journal the Queen does not attempt to paint
the beauty of the scenes around her, but only ter own deep
attachment to and delight in them ; and this she does
very effectually, and in true feminine fashion. The book
cannot but give a great deal of pleasure and establish a
more confidential relation between the Queen and her sub-
jects. The little rough sketches are very vigorous—some-
thing in Leech's rougher style, we heard a friend observe,
as be looked at them. That may be perhaps a compli-
ment, but they are very bold and telling. The dead deer,
which the Prince Consort had shot—a sketch hastily
" scratched on the back of a letter"—is full of vigour.
In national education, what is wanted before and above
all else, s►ys the Examiner, is a general statute enabling
the ratepayers of each parish or town to tax themselves,
for educational purposes, to wh►tever amount they feel
their condition needs.
TheVh not idc thinks the best evidence of pacific intentions
that could be given by Prussia would be a real approxi-
mation to Austria, since such an alliance could only be
entered into on the basis of substantial guarantees for the
r consolidation of the European system. Recent events

have given Austria an interest in maintaining peace such
as is possessed by no other great continental power. For
the present the development of her constitution necessarily
thrusts all questions of foreign policy into the background.
So much is this the cue that Austria, while really anxious
to keep up friendly relations with Italy, remains not
merely neutral but absolutely passive in Italian affairs,
and especially in all matters relating to Rome. The atti-
tude of Russia, however, is giving some anxiety to the
Austrian public, if not to the Austrian government.
If, says the Saturday Review, the " national " parlia-
ment of Ireland were elected by the same voters as the
Irish members in the present parliament, they would be as
divided in opinion as they are now. If they were elected
by a larger number, they would be elected by poorer voters
whose " ignorance " and " debasement " form • tries.
&nee already. The statesmanship inspired by Irish cot-
tiers, destructive as it would be for Ireland, would be also
an obstruction and stumbling-block to England. An Irish
parliament would have to decide on the external relations
\of the kingdom, no less than on its internal affairs. We
have already once experienced what it is to submit ques-
tions of • regency rad • French war both to an Eeglish
and an Irish parliament. The experience was not favour-
able to a repetition of the experiment. Life is too short,
and events move too rapidly, to admit of delicate questions
of war and diplomacy being debated by two co-ordinate
: parliaments in two separate capitals of the same kingdom.

The next examination for direct
be held on Monday, the 6th of April.

A county meeting, convened by Sir Edward Coey,
high sheriff of Antrim, in pursuance of an influentially-
signed requisition, was held on Thursday in Belfast, for
the purpose of considering the question of the purchase of
I Irish railways by the government. The meeting was
addressed by Mr. Galt, Colonel Shafto Adair, Mr. Gil.
dooney, D.L, Mr. Lanyon, M.P. for Belfast, and others ;
and resolutions approving of the proposed scheme were
passed unanimously.
___ .

Writing at Magdala prison, Abyssinia, on the
sth of November, to Mrs. Beke, Consul Cameron says :
" I have been ill, but the news that our soldiers are
coming seems to bare est me all right. I believe I have
shot up two inebes since lb* intelligence came. Pray God
we may not be disappointed. The poor Metropolitan is
dead. I feel it severely. He was a good friend to me and
all of us."

The death is announced of the venerable Henry
Tatum, LL.D., who was for many years Archdeacon of
Bedford. He was rebooted at Trinity College, Dublin,
hem which be received the degree of LL.D. The degree
of D.D. he obtsined from Gottingen, and that of Ph. D.
from Leyden. In 1822 he was presented by Lord Eldon,
then Lord Chancellor, to the rectory of St. Cuthbert's,
Bedford, and in 1831 to the rectory of Great Woolsione,
near Newport Paged, and both these benefices he held up
to 1849, whom be was presented to the croon living of
Stanford Rivers, Essex. la 1844 be was presented by Dr
Allen, Bishop of Ely, to the archdeloonry of Bedford, and
It in 1888. Archdeacon Tatiana wee a Fellow of
the Society, sad was the author of several theologi-
cal IF in Coptic and English, ‘Copeo sod Lao, and
Clerra and A
zzow-orries' Jew. I.—The Queen has been
irreeloosily pleased to !mint Francis Gerhard Mybursh,
Eaq., now her lli&ey • mod at Lineal's, to be her
MalwAy's coma at Mg* sad Oinks. The Qnern has sec
been grasiwasly pleased to Esq.,
to be hen. Nalestfe earn' at Yedo and at Eanagarra.
The Queen has Os* been graelowdy pleased to appoint
William won., Esq., to be her Majestyvkoecesul at
Tido and Ennagaws. The .1a has also been graciously
to appeEat John Fre Lowder, Seq. to be her
tii
jrety's viee-oossul
at Rine and at Osaks.—Gezette.