The Express.
London, England, 1861-11-14 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 14, 1861.

the narrow circle of absolutist infatuation believes
that the choice of such implements of repression
works otherwise than as an additional cause
of exasperation. It is so in Hungary.
There would have been less resentment had a
German soldier been sent to enforce martial law
in the country to which he was previously •
stranger. The free-born Magyars could have
thought no worse of his public acts ; and as for
his motives, they would have persuaded themselves
that he knew no better. Hut for • Hungarian
noble who lends himself to do the shameful work
of violence and terror there is no such poor
shadow of palliation. This is the sin against the
spirit of liberty that cannot be forgiven.

I IT seems almost incredible that any cotton
spinners in Lancashire can be meditating a strike
against the reduction of wages rendered necessary
by the state and prospects of our cotton supply.
It is too true that in the neighbourhood of limy
some of the operatives have actually struck
against the reduction of 10 per cent. proposed by
the masters ; and at Preston there is a threat of
turning out against a reduction of 71 per cent.
Such a course, adopted under the circumstances of
the time, seems to show that even yet, after tine
great advance the Lancashire operatives have made
in knowledge and in insight into their own inte-
rests, there is still much misunderstanding among
them of the source of wages, and the causes of
the rise and fall of the payment of labour. The
Bury men on strike are reported to have declared
that they will consent to a reduction equal to the
advance made in 1859,—that is, five per cent. ;
but they have struck against more. The Preston
men refuse all reduction.

Where do they suppose their wages come from 1 /
They are, for the most part, newspaper readers ;
they must have seen by the journals of their
county that employers are failing in larger num-
bers than were almost ever known before. The
Maechester EfAMilier says that seventy-nine firms
in the district of the manufacture have failed since
the Ist of January. There have been fifteen
failures at Manchester, and the same number at
Burnley and Bury ; and no leas than thirty at
Bolton, Blackburn, and Clitheroe. When manu-
facturers of small capital, and precarious standing,
fail iu numbers in this way, the larger and safer
capitalists are under a great strain. They can
stand losses for a longer time than weaker firms,
but they have to stand losses. Not only does their
business yield them no profit, but they have to
pay wages out of their capital. Of course this
can be only a temporary state of affairs.
It is a question of time. Unless trade improves
the day must come when the concern must stop,
either by the employer's failure, or by his retiring
from business before his property is all gone.
It is very clear that it depends partly on the ope-
ratives how long this payment of wages may go
on at all. if they were to insist on, and to ob-
tain, full wages, or something like it, the mill
would close very soon. If they are willing to bear
their share of the adversity of the time, the pay-
ment of reduced wages will go on longer, afford-
ing the chance of a return to prosperity. All this
is so clear that everybody will be asking the
question, on this occasion, whether the discon-
tented operatives suppose that there is the money
to pay full wages lying somewhere, or whether
they disbelieve that the present price of cotton is
inflicting heavy losses on their employers.
If the masters could go on manufacturing on
the usual terms, they would be very glad to do
so, even by sacrificing any such secret store of
money as ignorant turn-outs suppose them to'
possess ; for it is a heavier loss to them to
leave their machinery idle, and prepare no stock
against the coming time of demand for cotton
goods, than it would be to invest any spare money
in labour ; and their present contraction of their
business, and reduction of wages, shows that they
have really no choice what course to take. The
operatives must be well aware what the price
of cotton now is in the market ; they must know
very well that it cannot answer to make and sell
fabrics at anything like the ordinary price while
the raw material costa double. If so, what can
Vie men gain by a strike? By demanding what
it is not possible to grant, they will simply bring
their employment to an end altogether. Do they
not see that they are affording their employers an
opportunity of closing their mills, and waiting to
see what turn affairs will take 1 Many mills are
working five and four days In a week, and some
are working three ; but it is more loss than benefit
to put costly machinery in motion for only three
days per week ; and many mills are closed
in preference. The folly of objecting to a rtaluc-
Um of wages under such circumstances is extreme.
The profits of the manufacture are already swal-
lowed up in the price of the raw material ; and if
the labourers refuse to sacrifice a portion of their
share, the manufacturer must come to a stop.
Instead of ten or seven-and-a-half per cent. of
their wages, the men will have to go without the
whole.

All the world, in and out of Lancaahire, has
had long and earnest warning to prepare for the
very crisis that is happening. The manufacturers
have for years past been exhorted to provide
against a dearth of cotton, such as was sure to
happen some day. The operatives have for many
months past been warned that there would be
short work and low wages this winter, and have
been entreated to lay by every penny they could
spare as a resource for the hard time coming.
Both may wish now that they had been wiser.
The manufacturing interest might long ago have se-
cured ample supplies of every quality of cotton from
onr own colonies, from Egypt, Africa, and our great
dependency—lndia. One million outof the hund red
millions which our capitalists have invested in in-
ferior objects abroad, would have given them the
command of the best cotton, much cheaper than 1,
the slave-grown commodity of America, in any
quantity, however other nations might quarreL
By being too indolent and careless to lay out a
few hundreds of thousands in a thoughtful way
they have given their fortunes and the prosperity
ci a considerable portion of the nation into the
power of a fore'gn people who trust much to their
power of inconveniencing us. It is even too true
that the American Confederacy would certainly
not have gone so far as it has done if its members
had not supposed that they could compel us to
help them by making our cotton supply depend
upon it. They are discovering that we shall not
help them for any such reason ; but they would
not have made the mistake if we had had the
command of other cotton fields. Such has been
the fault of our capitalists.
The operatives, on the other hand, have now to
show whether they have made a better use of
warnings than their employers. The coming winter
will show whether they began in good time to re-
trench their expenses, to deny themselves luxuries,
and to look about for a variety of occupations for
their children, in preparation for the days when
cotton should be doubled in price, should become
excessively scarce, and finally should cease to
arrive in the country at all. It is to be hoped
that many have money in the bank, and that fami-
lies will not now, as in so many former cases, be-

I come all idle at once. In good times the tempts-
tion is great to have the whole family busy and
rich together, and therefore we see six or eight of
I • household all spinners, or stockingers, or lace-
weavers—at ono season earning among them at the
rate of hundreds a year, and at another time all
idle and hungry together, instead of being able to
help one another under all changes of the times.
We shall soon see who has and who has not been
prudent in these ways ; but meantime it is a
shock to the friends of the working men to find
that any considerable number of them can hasten
their own ruin by compelling their employers to
I close their mills.

One explanation of this insane act has been
offered, in the way of conjecture. It is said that
the men perhaps believe that the dearth of cotton
r may be at an end at any hour. It seems so unna-
tural to thorn that cotton is not to be had, that they
fancy it can hardly be true, or must soon cease to
be so. Such feelings are natural; but it is not
reasonable to act upon them as if they had fact at
the bottom of them. It is reasonable to hope and
expect that there may be a sufficient supply of
cotton in a year from this time, from new fields of
production. It is reasonable to remember that
any great success on the part of the Federal forces
in America, and especially the success of the great
naval expeditions now being sent forth, may put
an end to the blockade, and restore our communi-
cation with the Southern States. Such things
may happen ; but we have no right to reckon on
them. If the Northern army was in possession
of Southern ports at this moment the cotton might
still be out of reach ; and if it was reached, it
might be found short in quantity, uncleaned, or
badly ireparcd. There are various risks, if the
obstructions were removed ; and they are not re-
moved yet. There is notb;lg in the state of
affairs, American or English, which can excuse
any rashness in anybody connected with the cotton
manufacture. Rash speculators in the commodity
will suffer loss, sooner or later ; and they deserve
the punishment ; but what shall we say to the
rashness of men who refuse the means of subsis-
tence at a moment when the continuance of that
subsistence is becoming a grave question at best!

AUSTRALIA.

VICTORIA.

We have advice. from Melbourne to Sept. 26,
being a mouth later than those previously received.
The new parliament assembled on the 30th
August, barely a week after the conclusion of the
general elections. A day or two having been
occupied in the preliminary work of constituting
the houses, and re-electing Sir Francis Murphy
as speaker, the formal opening took place on the
3rd of September. The speech read by his Excel-
lency stated that it had been deemed expedient to
extend the advantages of the occupation and culti-
vation licenses on the gold fields to persons
who may be desirous of engaging in agricultural
pursuits. " I trust," he said, "that this—the
most liberal land system in the Australian colo-
nies—will not only be duly appreciated and exten-
sively resorted to by our own population, and that
the exodus of those unsettled portions of the people
who, having no fixed attachment to the country,
are led away by every rumour of a newly-dis-
' covered goldfield will be checked, but that it will
be a powerful inducement to intending emigrants
to make this favoured land their home, who might
otherwise have directed their (*urge elsewhere. It
is not too much to hope that the prosperity of the
country, retarded by the want of facilities for
settling on the soil, will rapidly advance under the
operation of the new system."
Measures for the reorganisation of the civil ser-
vice, for the benefit of the mining interest, for the
abolition of state aid to religion, for a reduction
of the export duty on gold, for a revision of the
tariff, tko., were announced in the speech. It
was also stated that the postal money order system
would be extruded to the colony in connexion with
the United Kingdom, that a bin to amend the con-
stitution of the council would be introduced, and
that the sense of parliament would be taken on
the mode of compensating members of parliament
for their services.

In the Legislative Council the speech was very
badly received, and the add-ess reply assumed
the form of a protest.
In the lower house the chief subject of dis-
cussion
had been a motion by Mr. Duffy on the
occupation licenses. The debate lasted for six
nights, but ultimately Mr. Duffy's motion fell to
the ground, there b&•ig no division. An amend
meat to the address was lost by 37 votes against
33, these numbers expressing the strength of
parties in the house. Ultimately it was agreed
that business should be suspended for a month to
give ministers time to complete their preparations.
During the present year, up to Sept. 26, the total
quantity of gold brought to Melbourne by ascot:,
from the several diggings has amounted to 1,340,773
ounces, which, valued at 41. per ounce, gives the
total worth at 5,362,0921., while in the correspond-
ing period of last year the quantity was 1,470,386
ounces, valued at the same rate at 5,881,5441.—
showing a balance in favoui of 1880 of 129,613
ounces. The shipments during the present year up
to date have amounted to 1,412,378 ounces, to the
value of 5,649,5121., while the quantity shipped
during the same period of 1860 was 1,478,168
ounces, which, at 41. per ounce, gives the value at
5,912,6721., showing a balance in favour of last
year of 65,790 ounces.
In its commercial report the Herald of Sept. 26
says:

The month which has elapsed since the preparation of
our last summary of news ban produced little of import-
ance affecting business operations. Every description of
market has squally suffered from the prevalent languor,
sad tho fact is fora 1 upon us that speculation in trade has
almost deserted us. The importing and wholesale
firma are more cautious than ever in their dealings,
and, in the face of the general depression, the retail
houses are compelled to doel'ie doing business rather
than increase their stocks. Every day, in fact,
produces additional evidence that the internal trade of this
colony is rapidly contracting within such moderate limits,
as more closely than heretofore represent the commercial
affairs of a population of five or six hundred thourand per-
sons of ordinary means of consumption ; and until immi-
gration has assumed dimensions corresponding with the
natural wealth of the colony sad the abundant resor-ces
which, under a liberal system of a lministration, every
colonist has at his command, it will be futile to anticipate
the extension of trade beyond its present area.
The money market is very fi•m. The banks sti" main-
tain their rates of discount unaltered, although money is
really plentiful. Eight percent. is the presentcnrreotrate for
first-class paper. lu the open market from eight to ten
per cent. is charged, but unquestionably good sear-Wes
are difficult to be obtained.

The rate of exchange upon London has fallen since hat
week, but &strong opinion prevails that a further reduction
is impending, and that by the time the °etcher mail leaves,
the exchange will be at par.

it stated that the land bills would be immediately re-
introduced, and that bills for the regulation of the
gold-fields and for settling the Chinese question
would require consideration ; and other measures
of less importance were alluded to ; but no intima-
tion was given of the financial or the educational
policy of the government, and no allusion whatever
was made either to the recent disturbances at Bur-
rangong or to the nomination of a new Legislative
Council.

The question as to the position of the church
and school lands has again been discussed
in the Assembly. A bill declaring these
estates waste lands of the Crown was
last session carried by the Assembly, but
rejected by the late Council. Since then a con-
siderable quantity of the lands has been sold by
auction. A resolution was last week moved by Mr.
Wilson, condemning the appropriation of the pro-
ceeds of these lands without the sanction of
the Assembly. A long debate ensued upon
the right of the house to touch properties
that had been dedicated to a special pur-
pose, and the motion was affirmed by a majority
of 22 to 14. This emphatic disapproval by the
Assembly of the policy of the government with regard
to the church and school lands, led to a
ministerial explanation from Mr. Cowper at the
next sitting of the house. He stated that his
own inclination, after the recent vote, would have
been to resign, but that, considering the import-
ance attached to the early passing of the land
bills and other measures, the government did not
conceive it to be their duty voluntarily to abandon
their offices.

The Chinese Immigrants;Regulation and Restric-
tion Bill measure, which is introduced by the
government, provides for restricting the Lumber of
Chinese immigrants according to the tonnage of
the ships bringing them, and also for the imposition
of a poll tax.
A motion affirming the undesirability of pre-
cedence being given to any religious sect on state
occasions, has been carried in the Assembly with-
out a division.

NEW ZEALAND.
THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD.

The past month bad been exceedingly barren as
regards news connected with the projected cam-
paign of the forthcoming spring. The arrival of
Sir George Grey was anxiously expected by all
parties.
All interest about the war at Taranaki, and the
threatened war in the neighbourhood of Auckland,
was sunk iu the discovery of gold at Tuapeka.
The diggings were opened early in June, and the
yield of gold for three months has been about
27,000 ounces.
We make a few extracts from the latest papers,
which will give a tolerably correct account both
of the state of things as they now are, and of the
yield of gold from the commencement. Our first
extract is from the Otago Colonist of the 13th of
September, and has reference to the landing place
at Dunedin, the seaport of Otago, or rather its
principal inland town on its only navigable river :

It is a mast distracting sight to see the state of matters
at our jetty just now. Chaos could not have presented such
confusion. Vessels arriving daily, and tumbling their
human loads with luggage and lumber on the jetty, to
crowd, push, and scramble through goods, trucks, carts,
horses, and men, to some goal which they might find out if
they can ; lighters discharging, and having the cargo laid
out on the narrow jetty to be kicked about and trampled on
at the mercy of the passengers, whilst the owners of the
lighters dispute among themselves, or appeal to the
bewildered jetty.keeper as to which of them have
a right to the truck for bringing the geode
to the end of the jetty; one .solitary landing
waiter, perched on the highest pinnacle of the last truck
load, endeavouring with almost distracted eagerness to
keep an exact account of each package as it hurried off in
some cart ; the jetty.keeper and hie aaristant flying from
one package to another in the hope of getting their rules
laid unto them for the measurement before they disappear
in the general rush; carts pulling off from the confusion
with • load, and others backing in to take one, getting
their wheels locked in each other, to the annoyance of the
drivers, who occasionally burst into a smack of Billingsgate,
but mote generally tsy to make the best of it.
From an "Extraordinary" of the same journal
of the 18th Sept., we take the following :
The escort arrival in Dunedin this day at 5 o'clock, bring-
ing 11.2131 ounces, having left the Tuapeka diggings at 1
o'clock on Tuesday. The quantity brought in by the last
escort was 7,759 ounces. The escort was delayed one day
ie expectation of bringing in all the gold offered, but more
was coming in as the escort left. Considerable quantities
of gold have also been brought in by private hands ; one
party of four men brought to town on Tuesday 1,000 os. A
gully one mile to the left of Round Hill was being worked,
and parties making an ounce per diem. The weather was fine,
land the roads had improved, and the bridges over two creeks
were completed, and had the effect of immediately reducing
the price of flour to W. per 2001 b. beg. 2,503 miners' rights
and 50 business licenses had been issued. All was quiet at
the diggings. Upwards of 6,000 people were (etiolated to
be at work, still chiefly in Gabriel's Gully and the immedi-
ate neighbourhood. Numerous persons were prospecting in
various directions, with various success. Gold was said to
be discovered alined everywhere that holes were sunk, but
whether in paying quantities is nut fully ascertained. A
new field is said to have been discovered, sixteen miles
nearer Dunedin, in which one party were making an ounce
a day. The wildness of a digging population, and the ex.
eitement in the province, are ouch that thu diggers rush
from one spot to another without the least tangible ground
for so doing.
The Melbourne Aryls says :
- -

An exodus has set in from ow. shores towards Dunedin,
which has eclipsed all previous events in the history of
rushes. The ordinary trading vessels between Melbourne
and Otago were early found unequal to the crowds that pre-
sented themselves as passengers, and, as the fever spread
from guld.tield to gold-field, it was found necessary to place
additional lines of coaches on to the main roads
of the colony to accommodate the miners hurry-
ing to the new gold-field. Some of the large
clippers on the berth fur Liverpool were at once
taken up for Otago, and rapidly tilled; next the
steamers were taken from the Adelaide and Hobart Town
lines, and sent to New Zealand ; two of the Sydney line
were next taken off that passage, and engaged for Dunedin ;
and in suoceasion all the large vessels in port, including the
Lightning, Result, Empress of the Sea, King of !tidy, hc.,
were engaged, and despatched, crowded with passengers ;
while craft of all kind., including steamers sent from Ade-
laide, others that had been laid up for months in the Yarn,
and barques, brigs, schooners of all sizes and classes,
followed with goods, drays, horses, and impatient diggers.
About ten thousand diggers have thus been conveyed away
from our shores during the month, and the rush as yet ex-
hibits no erupt= of approaching exhaustioi.

Sir William and Lady Don were engaged at the
last advice. at Sandhurst, Australia. They were shortly to
return to the Theatre Royal, Melbourne, and play over the
Christmas holidays.
Thu Divorce Act has recently come juts) operation
in Melbourne, but up to Sept. 26 no GUMS had been tried
under it ; the notice that petitions could be received having
only been recently published. Mr. Justice Moleaworth, the
Equity Judge, will also preside over the Divorce Court.
The Mdboirne A yes says " The Acclima-
tisation Society pursues its labours diligently, and
almost every Indian steamer and London clipper now
brings contributions to the stock of imported animals
and birds in the care of the society. A portion of the
Royal Park is now being prepared as • home for the
animals, in connection with the society, and a bill
for the protection of imported game will shortly receive
the attention of Parliament. The movement will be further
strengthened, in a few days, by the advocacy of a local jour-
nal, the Yeomen and Australian Acrlintatiser, which will
be issued from the Argos office."

FRANCE.

APPOINTMENT OF M. FOULD AS
MINISTER OF FINANCE.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE
EMPEROR.

(REUTER'S TaLLGIII(%)
PARIS, Nov. 14.

The Moniteur of this morning contains decrees,
nominating M. Fould as Minister of Finance, and
M. Forcade de Laroquette, present Minister of
Finance, to the post of Senator.
The Moniteur also publishes a letter addressed by
the Emperor to the Minister of State, wherein his
Majesty approves of the financial programme drawn
up by M. Fould, and acknowledges the necessity of
confining the budget within invariable limits.
The Emperor continues :—" The only efficacious
means to attain this end is to resolutely abandon
the faculty which appertains to me of *Ruing a
fresh credit in the absence of the Chamber.

" I am determined to introduce changes, and the
Senatus Consult° which will be presented to the
Senate on the 2nd December next will contain this
resolution, and determine your budget, and those
of the different ministries, by large sections.
"In renouncing a right which equally apper-
tained to the sovereigns, even constitutional ones,
who have preceded mo, may I do a useful thing
towards ensuring the right administration of the
finances.

"Faithfnl to my origin, I neither regard my pre-
rogatives as a sacred deposit which cannot be
touched, nor as a heritage from my ancestors, which
must be transmitted intact to my son.
" Elected by the people, and representing their
interests, I shall always abandon without regret
every prerogative useless for the good of the public,
as I shall likewise preserve unshaken in my hands
all power which is indispensable for the tranquillity
and prosperity of the country."
The Muaifeur then publishes a letter from the
Emperor to M. Fould, approving of his financial
programme, and charging bun with the carrying
out of the same.

The Moniteur also publishes M. Fould's pro-
gramme, which demonstrates the necessity for the
suppression of extraordinary credits, and examines
the financial situation. It recalls that recourse
has been had to credit under all its forms, and cal-
culates that the deficit has reached the amount of
1,000 millions of franca.
M. Fould's programme continues :—" The
fears which the faculty of directly disposing of all
the resouroes of France inspires in all our neigh-
bour► obliges them to maintain immense arma-
ments. To renounce this power, more apparent
than real, more menacing than efficacious, would
not only give confidence to France, but would
calm the uneasiness of Europe, and would remove
all pretext for hostile measures.
" Even admitting, against all probability, that
Europe might, from a state of complete peace,
immediately pass into one of war, the abandon-
ment of these prerogatives of the Emperor would
be without danger, as the country and the great
bodies of the state would afford him their devoted
concurrence."