The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-22 00:00:00

AUSTRIAN MILITARY PREPARATIONS

Aooording to a correspondence from Vienna in
the Gatos of St. Petersburg the Austrian govern-
ment has issued orders to all the railway com-
panies to prepare within the least possible delay
moveable telegraphic offices and additional railway
and telegraphic material, so as to be able at once to
repair any partial loss or damage that may be oc-
casioned by war. The same journal states that the
Archduke Albert, in strict incognito, made a re-
eunnaissance of the passes over the Carpathian
Mountains near Eperies, and also of the valley
leading to the town of Przemysl, the most im-
portant defensive position of Galicia. Further-
more, the Minister of War ordered, a short time
since, an addition of fifth battalions to the regi-
ments of the line. What, it asks, is the meaning
of these measures

The correspondent of La Lib4:rfe in Vienna
says :—" An extraordinary activity is displayed in
the Austrian arsenal of Pola. Night and day
workmen are employed in the construction of
vessels of war."

(NT ATLANTIC TITLEGILLPIT. THROUGH MR. anTra's AC nrcT.)
AMERICA.

NEW YORK, MAI 21.

The Chicago Republican Convention have unani-
mously nominated General Grant for the next Pre-
sidency-,and have passed resolutions denouncing any
repudiation of the public debt, and approving the
impeachment of President Johnson.

OUR PARIS LETTER.

(rßom OUR OWN CORRESPONI.ENT.)

PARIS, THURSDAY EVENING.

The M.nitenrde 1. Annie gives a tardy and by no
means perspicuous contradiction to the speech at-
tributed to General de Failly on opening the
Chalons camp. It is not true, this military organ
says, that General de Failly used language implying
that war was probable and imminent. Nobody not
entirely ignorant of military usages could have
supposed that a general having no diplomatic or
political mission would have spoken to such an
effect on the occasion of assuming the command of
a corps for the mere purpose of instruction. This
' denial would be much more satisfactory if the
Moniker de r Arrntle had repeated what General de
Failly really did say. As the matter stands the con-
, tradietionapplies rather to the interpretation that ]cis
been put upon his speech than to the published test
of it. The speech was clearly not intended for
publication, or it would not have come out by
accident several days after it was delivered.
Although General de Failly may have no diplo-
matic or political mission, he isone of the Emperor's
aides-de-camp ; he is the utterer of that hist..rical
mot, " Nos Chassepots ont fait merveille." and
although it may be now convenient to repudiate
the construction which the pinlic has put upon his
language, it does not at all follow that the aide-de-
camp did not rashly and prematurely foreshadow
something that he knows.
The Moniteur de l'Armie, which in the above
paragraph seeks to cover General de Failly, in
another sounds the alarm. It says :
We recommend to public attention a military map indi-
cating the position now occupied in Germany by various Prus-
sian corps d'arrn6e. Three corps d'arruee are massed within a
few leagues of the French frontier. These corps are
the most numerous, the best organised. and the best pre-
pared to take the field. There are certain points of our
frontiers which are more especially menaced. The Prus-
sian railways seem to have been constructed for the special
purpose of conveying armies to the valleys of the Sarre
and Moselle. The three principal lines of the German
network of railways converge towards the summit of a
triangle formed by the Prussian armies—a triangle the
point of which seems destined to enter the heart of France
as an iron point pierces a bole in an oak. We are in-
debted to Captain Schenk for this valuable map. The
opposition journals will doubtless say nothing about this.
What care they for the preparations and intentions of
Prussia' If the peace is to be broken the Si r'r and
Opinion Nationale must reserve a pretest for saying it is
the fault of the French government.

It is scarcely a week ago that I quoted from a
French paper the opinion that the 3roni*,t,a• do
l'Arn4c is a journal too little read.
A letter from Rome, dated May 15, in the PA.s.,e,
Says : _ . .

It is the opinion of the French officers stationed in the
Pontifical states that the Italian emissaries, whom it i■
impossible to keep out of Rome, are preparing a move-
ment, which, supported by an attack from without, will
threaten the Pope's sovereignty and compel France once
more to assume • hostile attitude towards Italy. Ido
not share this opinion, for I have reason to believe that
the revolrtionary party is at this moment about to do
something in another direction than Rome.
. .

The protectionist debate, after being protracted
by speeches of inordinate length (several members
having taken up not only a whole day, but a day
and a half with a single speech), came to rather a
sudden termination yesterday. Several members
whose names were put down clamoured loudly for
a further adjournment, in order to deliver their
prepared orations. M. Thiers, who treats the
Chamber as if he did the members too much
honour to belong to it, as if they were all of a lower
order of being than himself, interrupted con-
tinually, and declared that if he w ere
allowed to reply he would demolish all M.
RoAer's arguments and figures. M. Rouher
did not quite fulfil the rumour that he was going
to promise a new law which would prevent the
Emperor in future from changing the tariff with-
out consulting the Chamber. On the contrary, he
maintained the prerogative of the crown to make
commercial treaties, but said that the " tendency
of the government would be not to make any
more changes without the sanction of the
representatives of the people. M. Thiers,
M. Picard, and some other members said,
parenthetically, that, although the constitu-
tion enabled the Emperor to sign commercial
treaties it did not empower him to change the tariff,
which was a " tax," and, as such, essentially came
within the jurisdiction of the Chamber. President
Schneider and M. Rouher, however, sternly told
M. Thiers and his backers that they were assuming
to discus"; the interpretation put upon the constitu-
tion by the Senate, which they had no right to do.
M. Jules Simon, on the part of the democratic
opposition, which hitherto had taken no part in the
debate, said, shortly, that they were entirely in
favour of the principle of free trade, b•it they
claimed political liberty as a necessary concomitant,
and protested against the power of the Emperor to
conclude such an important thing as the treaty of
commerce by his single will.
The protectionist interpellations were rejected
without a division by a large show of hands. It is
estimated that the minority was only about sixty.
This being Ascension-day, there was no Bourse.

The infant heir of John hiorant Bay, of Broclen-
hunt-park, in the New Forest, was christened at Bracken.
hunt Chinch a few days since• The font contained water
from the river Jordan. The Marquis of Hastings, the
Earl of Erroll, and the Honourable Kra Hay were the
sponsors.

_.
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETYop
ENOLAND.-(THIS DAY.)

ine
tie n 0f5::7
ri
.7
it
pfTh:Hmrhonmisnc...l:ll:l,-it,v,.birintitiyhb:,.l:if
aLoThn oonegn half
-yearly
were Lord Bridport, M 4 r.grybpormnori
eon, Sir Walter Stirling, Colonel Team:ley, Mr. Corls:t.
Major Wilson. Mr. blilward, Sir J. Juhustone, M.P M
Dent,woAars el I
Rt
thePs. rIRL motion.l HGeo. nit
his
eirs, rid;
0. •, r.
Wales was elected president for next year.
The SECRETARY (Mr. Hall Dare) read the report, of
which the following are tho material parts
"Since the general meeting in December,
and 42 members have died, the camas of Ih9
have been removed from the list, 1:1it numbers have been
elected, so that the society now conaista of 7; life goy.,
nod, 11 annual governors, 1,40'J life members, ,t-ss
annual members, 15 honorary members, making a total ~•
5.461. being a decrease of Wi names. It is with gr. ,t
regret the council have to announce the death, en th.
12th inst., of Mr. P. IL Frere, the highly resperk.i
and talented editor of the Joiernrif. The coat,'
have elected Mr. William John Edmonds, ~f
Southrop, Lechlade, Gloucestershire, to be a anemia
council in the room of Mr. Lawrence, ; and Mr..
Robert Charles Ramona!, of Dolton-bill, Ipswich, in C..
room of Mr. Hudson, resigned. The half-yearly stateu.tct
of accounts to the ;net December, 1867, has been e‘sriri. t
and approved by the auditors and accramtants ~f ti
society, and, together with a balance-sheet for the wlini.•
year lstii and a statement of the country neetirs
account for Bury St. Edmund's, has be, 1., 1.;.
fished in the last number of the .1 ~.•
The funded capital stands at 111,027 f. 11,
the New Three per Cents., the sum of 2,tr011.
deposit with the society's bankers, and the cash kilancs
their hands on the lot instant was:l24,g. lie. The I.ii.axt•-r
meeting to be held from the llith to the
promises to exceed that of Bury St. Edmund's it. the
pleinent department. The entries of horses, cattie.
pigs. cheese, butter, and wool will n opt/1 .L,
till the lst of June. In order to enable a large
bee of the members to attend the eel,. cL: n • t
of the society held annually (luting L..
meeting, the council las determined that it be t.: .
the Saturday in the week of the show. Aft.
consideration the council have resolved • r
to reduce the number of implements to I. ,t
show so as to afford time fur thorough „ ,•
Bitable that a further subdivision in the ;
made; and have adopted a new 0 .
implements for trial. Mr. Latkii-g, th ;r
'tentative in England of the Vic. tey • f
having expressed to the society the great ii,t, .
his Highness in promoting the reien(e of :t .:•
also the pleasure derived from a visit t. tl..
Bury St. Edmund's during his short stay in tl .—. •
announced the anxiety of his Highness ti, !!• pt... ..c
to be awarded by the society at their tie, t sle,w !
cultural implements, and the council live
accepting the offer of his Highness the ••, y
Egypt, of a prize 'for the la.,t imp;, -:,,•:.:
cultivation of the soil by steani p,a •r, c.
strength with simplicity of construction. for . ,
I foreign countries, where skilled 'al our fur •
cult to be procured.' This cup, which r. . f t
about iro., will be competed for at the Lei..., r •, ~;.•
and finally awarded at tho adjourned trial ~ft., :7,
The examinations of candidates for tee ,oci. t) ,•.
and prizes in connection with education
taken place in the society's h ruse, when
*opted themselves out of IN who had elitvr,
opinion of the examiners the competitinti •
in its kind to that on former occasions."
A discussion ensued on the subject of t!...
ag. iculterists in relation to the question • .1.i.-„t i.e..
The CIIAIRNIAN said he did not thiM, the .1
education encouraged by the society—a lord
to which he was himself opposed had as y. !..el
trial. He also stated with regard to the nuinher
hers that the actual diminution, as compared sal,
precious year, was at that moment reduced to tour
funds of the society had, lie remarked, always •".".• • •
considerably by the holding of the annual shay in a I .-
a4ricultural district ; hut he hoped that the ilefica:. •
which hail arisen recently from that cause would be
made up by the results of the meeting at Leicester
year, and at Manchester next year.
The report was adopted, and some routine
having been transacted. the proceedings terminate-I
a vote of thanks to the Chairman.

ANGLO-AMERICAN TELEGRAPH Com! ,

(THIS DAY.)

This day an extraordinary gen ?al nioa.;ih_
shareholders was held at the Terminu. llot, I, faun.:.
street, Sir H. A. Gl.A's in the chair.
The report ha, in; been taken as real.
The CHAT Rll IN, in moving its alopta,n, 1 the t •
four 'autographs had reference to the working
between them and the Atlintic Teegraph I'map y.
next paragraph referred to the paym ut of2-;p -u
of the first earningsof the :i•:e, and to the 25,impu,'
now paid to them by the New York, Newfolono .4 I.
London Telegraph Com pan y. Yesterday's oe.,t hi io r.
a scaled agreement from New York which guar..
continuance of that subsidy. A sum of 12,:as,'.
plied annually to the creation of ai reserve for, I •
their revenue of 121,isait. Five-twelfths of t...• !• •
would be the property of the Anglo-Ameor...,a
The agreement with the Atlantic Tch
provided for a settlement of accounts
two companies up to the :tuth April. 1,-. .-
and it was therefore proposed to submit a r,,
thorising the declaration of a dis blend for tia• !,..!.•
ending that date at the rate of 12e. hd. per
would leave a balance of over 7,040. to I. .1 1,, •
next account. A resolution would sol, •
enable the directors to distribute the olisid• ~.i• I. • -
The draft of agreement was then stileiiitt.,l t ii•• '
ing, and adopted. The report was also adopt, d. - a ••
the resolutions to which it referred.

THE MINISTRY AA' I) THE '1
FORM BILL

The insertions and alterations in the • •l•
form Bill, to he moved on Monday next I.y ti • I ::r !t•
cate, on behalf of the government, and r; t., 1.,.•
Disraeli in his statement last night, are fed use..
" Page 2, clause 3.—After' voter' insert 'or to •.
shall have been exempted from me,e...,1,e nt ..r •
of poor's rates on the ground of inebeir, •
who shall have failed to pay, on or before th• •!.. •••
Jane in any year, all poor-rates lif of*) t!.. ,:. • • '
come payable by hint in respect of sail
or as an inhahitant of said burgh up to th.- im • •!:!...
day of May, or :who shall have heeti t. • :
of parochial relief within the twelve c.‘l, r •
next preceding the said last day of July. l': 0,. '•
that no man shall under this section Le ent:C. e •
gistered as a voter.' . .
" Page 3, clause s.—Leave out from':; II ,•.• •
' may' on line 7, and insert ' Provided th .
shall under this section be entitled to he
vote, who shall have been exempted from a•-
or payment of poor's rate on the groutel ..f
to pay, or who shall have failed to
pay, on er I"''" I
20th day of January in any year, all pooreah • •
that have been payable by him in respect of : -
heritages up to the preceding 15th May.
have been in receipt of parochial f
calendar mor.ths of the next preceding said .I‘y •
.!
" Page 8, clause 20, line Ilk—Lease out fro:,
' also' in line 30. Line 33.--Leave out ' •
rated.' Line 35.—After' May' insert' or alio -Ls .
been in the receipt of parochial relief within' t''•
calendar months preceding the last day of J

SALE OF LIQUORS ON PO'NDAY ((RFLAY'
BILL.

The select committee appointed to o•usider ti•-•
bill have completely metsmorphoiied its prosi,iona
O'Reilly introduced the measure to the Woof
all public-houses in the sister country were to k
during the entire of Sunday, except for non.comuloc±nt.., .
:
on the premises, between the hours of and 0'c...;
the afternoon and and 9 o'clock in tlo
was, however, considered infinitely too reArictire.
committee incline to the view that, for coniumption on
off the premises in rural districts, publiehou-ei, ;an
perfect propriety be kept open from
a 2
oc:, iu -•••,..
noon until 7 o'clock in the evening, and inncities and tov:
from 2 o'clock up to 9 o'clock at night. At
in point of fact, the committee bare al ea. boy,
•annd4l w°l)ehennintghtitnoodimmParitt:east
members, Mr. Murphy, the able and eminent MA::
Cork, among others, are desirous that the bouts of ,•0,-;
that effect will be discussed. The bill, with a tounit.,,t‘,:,
alterations, is in course of reprinting for the use of too.
of the committee.—.Adeertner.
nlribellasudtcAsh;ldrwhe
oithaf,

A lithograph of a sketch of the eastern ,14'
Magdala taken in 1862, has been presented to tLe
Institution, Southampton, by Sir Henry Janscs, -
Ordnance Survey Department.
REFORM AT ETON COLLEGE.--SeVCral
the school work, and mostly affecting the tie I:.
of the school, have been introduced by the bead 1.01.,
the Rev. J. J. Horeby. The saying lessons in
lLe
three divisions have been cut down from sis to
•
are no longer selected necessarily from work done dig'''.
The tasks done are fewer in number, four instead of ,
that they will bo got through quicker, and the aro
the narrative or argument kept up better. Intead..o.f
two schools on Tuesday and Saturday, lit shish .1
used to be done, there are now schools st 9.15 on
Thursday, and Saturday, so that the tirst three eh":
get one extra school, and the rest three. But ttt
important change is the introduction of French. tor-
Italian, physical science and political economy ; •
in the first three divisions has his choice of one ot.
subjects, which are done twice in the week. la
of the fifth foam French and physical science ba‘-.
made compulsory,
_and each subject is done tivics.l,..
week, betides which the tasks done are. fewer
111 DUI •
in the upper part of fifth form and in sixth form.

THIRD EDITION. ,

LAW INTELLIGENCL-(THLS DAY.)

EQUITY COURT.
(Before Vioe-Clumeellor Sir G. 11. Lei&
LYON IL NON&

The Vice-Chancellor sat at 11 o'clock today to give
judgment in this case. The court was as densely crowded
adi on the days of the hearing.
The Vice-Chancellor, after describing the frame and
nature of the suit, observing that the plaintiff was over
70, and the defendant about ti;, when they first
met, and noticing the solitary circumstances of
Hrs. Lyon's life in London before she fell in with Mr.
Home. her great affection for the memory of her deceased
husband, and the apprehension she was under of her not
surviving him for more than seven years, proceeded to
narrate the conversation with Mraßims,ln consequence of '
which she was first induced to communicate with Home.
His honour remarked upon the influence which HOMO'S
book, "Incidents in My Life," appeared to have bad
upon Mrs. Lyon's mind ; and quoted llorne's
seription of himself and his experiences, as given
in has answer, and referred to repeatedly during
the hearing of the cause. Passages front Home's
cross-examination were also read. His Honour then
read Home's description of what to k place at the first in-
terview in Sloane-street, at the second interview at her
lodgings, of the conversation in which Mrs. Lyon
was stated to have used language which made
Home think she contemplated the possibility of wanner
relations ; and of the various circumstances attending
the first gift to him. The evidence of Mrs.
James Fellows and of Daniel Phillips as to the alleged
sounds which proceeded from Mrs. Lyon's room en the
7th was also referred to. On the Ath came the gift of the
50/., the proposal to change Home's name, and the
introduction of Mr. S. C. Hall as Mrs. Lyon's
adviser. Throughout the whole narrative, includ-
ing the journey, to the City on the 11th, his
Honour read front Home's deposition,. The history of
the manuscript book was referred to, in which Home said
he had written from time to time a narrative of the In-
terviews, which narrative was read to Mrs. Lyon in the
presence of Mr. Shorter, and approved of by her. Of this
book all that remained (according to :come) was the leaf
on which was written the supposed message about the
knotted handkerchief. Long extracts were also read
from the contents of the other manuscript book; and from
letters of Home to Mrs. Lyon. His Honour proceeded
through the case, including the execution of the will, and of
the deed of trust, and the ultimate rupture tetween Mrs.
Lyon and Home. The evidence of Mr. Wilkinson was
read. and his Honour observed that the unusual course
had !men a adopted of producing several witnesses to de-
pose to Home's character. This and the remainitg en-
donee having been touched upon at various points, his
Honour (at about 1 o'clock), proceeded to say he had not
gone through, the plaintiff's evidence, because he thought
her testimony was clearly untrustworthy, awl such as
no man ought to have bis case decided upon
ag unst him ; and the case could only pro-
tee., upon such evidence of Mrs. Lyon as was
corroborated by other witnesses. Much, however, as his
It wee r mistrusted the plaintiff's evidence, be did not heal.
tat' to say he totally disbelieved the defendant's allegation
that she turned against him because he refused to accept
other relations betweer. them than those of mother and
son Every letter and every act of the plaintiff was in-
consistent with such a supposition. With respect to the
no rite of the ease, his Honour thought that the questions
had. ,•n the whole, been sufficiently raised, and that
eat, side had been sufficiently apprised of the
ea. -hat was about to be made by the other. Then came
tie-m..00n of law, whether gifts of this sort, being irre-
so, Able :end without consideration, were the spontaneous
tat- at the plaintiff's uninfluenced volition. His Honour
hal no lit sitation in saying, after a review of all the facts
of ties Caw, that they were not the unbiassed results of
Mi. Lyon's free wisher. Her mind was saturated with
d.'' ; and more than that, Home himself
1,...1 to be a medium. To Mrs. James Fel-
'o", • ti olence his Honour viva the fullest credit.
IIi•e • , pretensions on the other band were
ant!..-: I•. -s than a correspondence with supernatural
pas . .n•I when with these pretensions were coupled
' amount of these gifts, it was imp:is:Rile not to
fe• : Lord Eldon raid in " Hatch v. Hatch," that they
! tot :let.; of rational consideration, of pure volition
oia•oli•need. His Honour disagreed with Home's asser-
tion that he was under Mrs. Lyon's influence, and the
wh• h. history of the transactions p.iated to a directly
epi.a-rte conclusion. As to the plaintiff professing to be
SO doubt she bad practised a little in this way,
t .: "as not proved that she had done so in connection
eith "e transactions, whereas Home Lad acted as a
tu•- throughout. Hie Honour further commented
el an the absence of any power of revocation
in 'he deeds. His Honour concluded as follows:
I h.,.,• already said that in my opinion the onus of support-
: the gifts and deeds rests entirely on the defendant. To
t 1.,• I van add for the reasons I have given, and having re-
gard t,. Vie Lints and evidence I have gone through, that
in isy judgnient be has not made or proved such a case as
is ui.ite for their support There must, therefore, be a
oation in the usual form, that the gifts and deeds are
`i 'ul, et and void. There must be the necessary transfers
a,,,,ignments to the plaintiff, and an account against
the ,iefen lanL There remain the costs to be disposed of.
Th. id iintiff and her counsel agreed that they had no
Las- against Mr. Wilkinson, and that his coats must be
iiani by her. This of course must be done. Under any
le.t vsct pt,onal circumstances, these costs would be re-
v, o isl over against the defendant, and he would
~:l the other costs of the suit. The expenses, how-
, hose been very seriously increased—first by the
tna.irtant.tblu attack in the plaintiff's affidavits on Mr.
Wil'sinson ; and, secondly, by her innumerable misstate.
aunts in many important particulars -misstate-
nit sts on oath so perversely untrue that they
has, embarrassed the court to a great degree, and
quit, di.ereilited the plaintiff's testimony. The plain-
titi, therefore, must pay Mr. Wilkinson's costs and
bar own. The defendant will escape these cost'.
I have now only a few words to say in conclusion. I know
nothing of what is called spiritualism, otherwise than
front the evidence before me, nor would it be right that I
should advert to it except as portrayed by that evidence.
It it not for me to conjecture what may or may not be the
effect of a peculiar nervous organisation, or how far that
effect may be communicated to others, or how far some things
may appear to some minds as supernatural realities, which
to ordinary minds anti senses are not real. But as regards
the so-termed spiritual manifestations and communications
referred to in this cause, I have to observe, in the first
place, that they were brought about by some means or
other after and in consequence of the defendant's presence
—how, there is no proof to show ; in the next, that they
tended to give the defendant influence over the plaintiff,
as well as to his pecuniary benefit; in the next,
that the system, as presented by the evidence, is mischiev-
ous nonsense, well calculated on the one hand to
delude the vain, the weak, the foolish, and the
superstitious; and, on the other, to assist the
projects of the needy and of the adventurer; and,
lastly. that beyond all doubt, there is plain law enough,
and plain sense enough to forbid and prevent the reten-
tion of acquisitions such as these by any " medium,"
whether with or without a strange gift ; and that this
should be so is of public concern and, to use the words of
lend liardwicke, " of the highest public utility."

ROLL'S CHAMBERS.
^TM VIVIRATION OP OFFICIAL LIQUIDATOIIB.,

I. IA morning the scale of remuneration to official liquf•
lAura. adopted by the Master of the Rolls and the Vice-
in•:eliers, with the unction and approval of the Lord
Ci ,eellar, was exhibited at chambers. It has long been
'‘ • s ',Neil question" with liquidators, and the present scale
n decided upon, with liberty as a matter of equity
Uhl. the same where it shall be deemed necessary. It
• • 'Aiding scale" as to the assets. The lowest fee per
day to an official liquidator of eight hours in a case
"I' re tht amount devisable to creditors is small is 11.,
al,l it increases until it reaches 12/. per day, where
th•• assts are over 500,000/. The clerks of the
under regulations, are to bo paid at the
rate of " one shilling per hour." Every application by an
oghcinl liquidator for remuneration must be supported by
• .'hdat it of the time devoted by himself and clerk to
11. II liddation. The court may sanction advances on
liel•int to the official liquidators for the labour taken by
ti yin in the affairs of winding up companies.

COURT OF QUEEN'S BINOIL
Etatuu,o in Banco.—(Before the Lord Chief ,Tostice sad

Justice' Blickburn, Mellorand Lamb.)This waa the fleet day of Trinity Teem. Thre 1 or four
motion only of an ordinary character were made, and the

Barometer corrected and reduced to 3d deg. at sea level. The
letters r (ruing-, f4falling`, steady), Indicate direction of mo-
tion of the mercury within last 14 hour, Thermometer ex-
posed in shade. Extreme force, with lie direction during lasi
24 hours. 7.—calm. Weather : 13.—blue .ky c.—clouds ;de-
tach, d ; f.—fog : h.—hail ; ; m.—misty (hazy; ;
o.—overcarit +dull, ; r.—rain ; s.--snow t.—thunder. Rain-
fall, snow or hail (melted:, during last 24 hours. tics dis-
turbance.