The Express.
London, England, 1868-12-19 00:00:00

TO TEI 19/TOl OP TEI EZPRZIE.

-
8114—As many erroneous statements have been
made, both in this country and in America, with respect to
the first interview I had with Mr. Reverdy Johnson, at
the banquet given by the American Chamberof Commerce,
at Liverpool, on the 22nd October last, to which J was
invited, and as it has been suggested that Mr. Reverdy
Johnson voluntarily sought my acquaintance on that oe-
Mita, I deem it right to send you the enclosed cone-
spondenoe, for the pabliesticia of 'high I have naked and
obtained the consent of Mr. Johnson. I have to request
the favour of your inserting this letter and the corre-
spondence.—l am, &c., JOHN LAIRD.
Birkenhead, Dec. 17.
Birkenhead, Oct. 19, 1868.
Dear Sir,—l have been in the habit of showing atten-
tion to distingaished strangers visiting Birkenhead and
this neighbourhood, and on the occasion of your visit to
Liverpool it would give me great pleasure to receive you
in Biikenhead, recognising, as I do, the efforts you are
making to cement friendly relations between this country
and America. But I observe in certain American
partizan papers that attacks are made on you for hold-
ing courteous relations with gentlemen whose sympa-
thies were with the South in the late war, and
1 will therefore refrain from indulging ply wishes if my
doing so will in any way be prejudicial to you in the estima-
tion of your friends in America. But as 1 sincerely desire to
-see lasting peace between the two countries I cannot
resist telling you that it will give me great pleasure to
have an opportunity of expressing these opinions to you
Personally, and to give you a hospitable reception in
Birkenhead should you feel able to avail yourself of it.—
I am, dear sir, yours faithfully, Joan Luna.
His Excellency the Hon. Reverdy Johnson, &c.

4, Upper Portland-place, London, Oct. 21.
Dear Sir,—Your favour of the 19th inst. has just been
received. For the kind terms with which you refer to me,
and yet more for the friendly feelings you expressed to-
wards the United States, your deeire to see cemented
amicable relations between your government and my own,
I thank you. Ido not know that it will be in my power,
whilst I am in Liverpool, because of ants already
entered into, to visit you at Birkand t if it shall be
I will do so with pleasure. My mission to England
is not to do, or retrain from doing, an- which
may serve to promote or continue any ill-feeling
any poetion of bar Majesty's subjects and the citizens of
the United States, but, on the contrary, to endeavour,
by all proper means, to extinguish such feeling. Not-
withstanding, therefore, that you symp•thised with my
Southern brethren during our late civil war, I shall have
much pleasure in making your personal acquaintance, and
in hearing from yourself that, now the war being over,
you namely wish to see • lasting peace between our two
countries.—I' remain, with regale% your obedient servant,
Rim= Jonasom
Jehn Laird, Esq., Birkenhead.

Tna Rio:am-Benno'. 2AovintErrr.— An in-
teresting gathering in ronnection with the ragged school
movement, took place in St. James's-hall last night,
when nearly 600 children, belonging to upwards of 60
ragged schools in the metropolis, were provided with tea,
cake, and biscuits, and received presents at the hands of
the Earl of Shaftesbury, under whose chairmanship the
proceedings were conducted. The noble earl had the
distieguished support of Prince Teck and the American
Minister. The former, who is a patron and subscriber,
told his bearers that the Princess Mary of Cambridge took
a lively interest in ragged schools ; and the latter said
that should the boys and girls present fail to meet with
success in England, there was another country almost
large enough to hold the world—he meant the United
States, where, if they cultivated self-respect, adopted
habits of industry, and obeyed the laws, prosperity was
sure to await them. Assistant-Judge Payne, the Dean of
Mr. D. Pawl, Mr. Huntley (Reading), and
others, then addressed the meeting. 'ln the intervals
between the speeches the children, under the leadership of
Mies Sanders. sang several glees which had been expressly
composed for the occasion.
SOCIETY OF ENOlNEERB.—Lastnight the annual
dinner of the members of this society' took plans at the
liridge-house Hotel, London-bridge. Mr. :B. Latham
(president) occupied the chair, and between fifty and
sixty gentlemen were present on the ciociMion. This
society, which has been in existence between thirteen and
fourteen years, was founded for the reading of papers
and discussion upon all matters relating to engineering
and its various branches. PIIIOIUIOI are also awarded
during the session for the best whioh may have
been read. The Chairman .1n palate terms
"Snorer to the Society," a toast to • Mt. A. Wil-
liams, hon. secretary, responded. He staled that at the
beginning of the year the number of members con-
nected with the society was 463, • while d
the you they had elated 46 another' and
emendates. There had bean a daresas of nine
from deaths and resignations, so that there bad
been a total ' of rt, making the present number of
members y 600. In 1066 the nuniber of members
was only 22, so that it must be evident that the snow=
which the society had achieved had been vary great for a
scientific body. As regarded Inanoes, they had 400 i.
rii;lsets bendm a balance in hand, though it was to be
that those members wbo were in arrears did not
come forward to pay their subscriptions. Ha felt sure that
if all interested in the welfare of the society would unite,
and do whatever was in their power to promote its sue-
oess, the career of Ito usafurness would be materially
incise/ed. During the evening a seiectien of vocal music
was given, under the direction of Mr. J. J. Burgess, by
Mira -Fanny Holland, Mass Palmer, and Mr. Itontem
Smith. The toastmaster was Mr. Took. 4

ARRIVAL OF THE PRINCE OF WALES AT
: : . ; STOCKHOLM.
STOCKHOLM, Dac. 17.
Tho.Prineeof Wales arrived here last night, and
was received at the railway station by the
King and his Majesty's two brothers, who were
seeomweied by a numerous suite of courtofEms The programme of the festivities in
honour of the Prince of Wales is as follows.
This evening there is a banquet at the Royal
Palace. and to-morrow the widow of the late King
will give a grand dinner to his royal highness,
which will be followed by a state visit to the
theatre, when the opera of L' Africaine" will be
performed. On Saturday there will be a ball at
the.royel palate, and on Sunday the Prince will
probably be present at the festivities at the
Swedish Academy. On Monday there will be a
ball and supper at the residence of Prince Oscar.

STOCKHOLM, Dec. re.
The Prince of Wales will, leave here on Tuesday
morning, the 22nd inst.

THE DUKE DE BRABANT.
BRUSSELS, Dac. 18.
The Plum Rep/ has paired a better night.

SPAIN.

MADRID, Dam 18.
It is announced that a conspiracy, organised by
the Canis* has been discovered in the province of
Navarre. Several arrests have been made. Senor
&gotta has issued a decree abolishing, as &useless
piece of machinery and as a burden to the Trea-
sury, the provisional and municipal juntas of
public charity, and the municipal deputations are
entrusted with the functions hitherto performed
by those juntas. Vice-Admiral Mendez Nunez
has arrived here.

PRUSSIA.
BERLIN, Dec. 18, Eviormo.
Yesterday the Upper House discussed the reso-
lution carried by Herr Guerard in the Lower
House, for guaranteeing unconditional freedom of
speech inthe latter Chamber, by amending Art. 84
of the Constitution. In the preliminary debate
which took place the motion was disapproved, and
to-day, when it again came on for discussion, it
was finally thrown out by 72 votes against 41.

BERNE, Dye. 18.
After a debate which lasted three days the
National Council has ratified to-day the treaty of
commerce with Italy.

TELEGRAPH LINE BETWEEN SWEDEN
AND FINLAND.
COPENHAGEN, Dam 18.
The Dano-Russian Telegraph Company have
received a oommiasion to lay a submarine tele-
graph cable between Sweden and Finland.