The Express.
London, England, 1868-12-17 00:00:00

17,
_lB6B.

r. in

a duel. The court perhaps
so slight in the expectation that
/ed. Hitherto young Oassegoae,
,aciatly been eondenuied for various
re" duelling included, has always re-
Ilagieror's pardon.
use opened heavily, and }lento (which
was quoted to-day en die.) went dew; to 70fr.
Vie. (representing a fall of 10c.) ; but there was a
brisk revival in the latter part of the day on the
rumour that the Greek difficulty was settled, and
the dosing prices were 70fr. 70e. both for cash and
account, being a rise of 24c. and 3So.

bred tbe
The Boom

THE OLD WINTERS AND TILE NEW.
A qquestion of great interest is suggested by the
aonide shoeof the weather which now so com-
monly prevails during our winter months. It
seems impossible to doubt that the climate of Eng-
land has undergone a change of late years. In
looking back over the records of the past quarter of
a century one notices a marked prevalence of
mild and moist winters. Now and then there
has been a bitter spell, but scarcely a single
instance has been recorded of long-continued
frosts, such as used to be experienced of old. If
we compare the account in (filbert White's Natural
History of Helborne of the winter weather experi-
enced Ices than a hundred years ago, we are yet
more struck by the change which has taken place.
White's account, for example, of the winter of
1776 describes a state of things such as has not
been seen in England for many years. The cold
weather began on the 7th of January, and on
the 14th the narrow roads were filled with snow to
the top? of the hedges. From this time the snow
continued to increase, and stopped the road wag-
gons and coaches, " which could no longer keep
their regular eters, especially on the western
roads." On the 22nd White went to London,
and he remarked that the metropolis ex-
hibited a still more singular appearance
than the country, being completely bedded
in snow. The frost in the evening of the
27th, and afterwards for four following nights,
was so intense that the Thames was frozen over
both below and above bridge, and crowds ran
about over the ice. The snow remained twenty-
six days without melting on the houses in the city.
Whether we suffer more from the gales which
accompany the milder and moister weather of
recent winters than from the biting frosts of the
" old-fashioned" weather may be questioned. The
destruction of life and property during a great
gale attracts more notioe; but it is probably lees
terrible in its real effects than the " wave of
death" which tho registers of mortality exhibit
when a bitter season is passing. To the strong
and hearty the frosts and snows of a bitter winter
may seem genial and invigorating ; but they tiring
death with them to the weak, the ailing, and the
aged.

Xing Victor Emmanuel has left Florence for
Turin to vend the Christmas holi.laya His M4p.ity will
return to the earital for the receptions of New Year's
Day, and will leave on January 6 for Naples.

The Florence journal,' atirtounLe arriv;kl in
that city of nine daterterm from the Antibe. Legion. They
are all Mantellles men, and kit tiwir rAnk• with their
arm', and baggage.

The Pope has just written a brief to Mgr.
Dupanloup, Bishop of Orleans, congratulating' his fira^e
on his letter concerning the future (Ecumenical Council.
The Pontiff thanks the French prelate for having ex-
pounded with such precision and eloquence the holy d. c.
trine of the rights and prerogatives of the Papal See. and
its supreme authority over assemblies of the nature
alluded to.

Mdlle. Patti played Rosins on Saturday, Norica
on Tuesday, and again last night. She will sing Um the
last time this season in Paris this week, and then leave
for Brussels, where the manager of the Monnaie expects
her.

Mille. Minnie Hauck will make her first appear-
ance in Paris at the end of the present comfit; she will
be succeeded by Ifdlle. Ida Murska, whom fame has
already preceded her.
Mdme. Carralho oontinues to obtain the
plaudits and bouquets of the Grand Opera.
The well-known picture by Mme. Henrietta
Brown, representing two sisters of charity, one of them
with a sick child in her lap, was put up (or sale on Mon-
day at the Hotel Drouot, and knocked down for 1,3201.

The son of the late King Theodore of Abyssinia
has been during the summer months, and still is, residing
at Freshwater, in the Isle of Wight. Re goes regularly
to school at Bonchurch. Alamayou is still under the care
of Captain Speedy, who brought him to England.
The Duke of Abereoru has eddresJed to the
commissioners of the Dublin police a letter expressing his
sense of the admirable manner in which the force have
performed their duties during the term his excellency has
held the office of Lord Lieutenant.

A meeting of the Trades t'nions Commissioners
was held yesterday, at 1, Park Prospect, Great Queen-
street, Westminster. Present: Right Hon. Sir William
Erie, chairman, Earl of Lichfield, Lord Elcho, M.P.,
Sir Daniel Hooch, Bart., M.P., Mr. Herman Merl-
vale, C. 8., Mr. James Booth. C. 8.. Mr. J. A. Roe-
buck, Q.C., Mr. Thomas Hughes, M.P., Mr. Frederic
Harrison, and Mr. William Mathews. Mr. J. C. Train.
secretary to the commission, was also present
DEATH OF GENERAL E. M. SHOWERS, ROYAL
HOIM Asmuss2.—The death is announced of General
Edward M. G. Showers, colonel commandant of the
Brigade of Royal Horse Artillery (Madras), which oc-
curred on the 13th inst., in his 84th year. His commis-
sion. bore date as follow :—Lieutenant, April 12, MOO;
captain, April 21, 1504; major, June 4, 1514 ; lieu-
tenant-colonel, May 1. 1524; colonel, June 5,182 q;
major-general, June 25, 183.4; lieutenant-gsneral, Nur.
11. 1851 ; general, March 4, 1858.
THE BISHOPRIC OF LONDON. A rumour is
generally credited in ecclesiastical quarters that Dr. Jack•
son. now Bishop of Lincoln, will not become Bishop of
London, but that the office will be conferred upon Dr.
Wilberforce, Bishop of Oxford. The Guar 1,,r0 of last
night so far continue the rumour as to say that Dr. Jack-
son decline,. traniJation by the advice ot. his physicians.
A difficulty arises in consequence of the proinised elevation
of Dr. Wordsworth to the bishopric of Lincoln, inasmuch
as Dr. Wordsworth, being a Cambridge man. could not,
according to the usual etiquette. preside over a diocese
which contains the rniversity of Orford. Moreover, the
canonry in Westminster Abbey, which Dr. Wordsworth
held, has been provided fur in the nomination of Mr.
Prothero.

TItE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERIWRY'S UDR\ RY.—
The library of the late Archbishop of Canterbury was
brought to the hammer yesterday morning by Messrs.
Hodgeon, at their rooms in Chancery-lane. Whale acting
as Bishop of Ripon, Bishop of Durban, and Archbishop of
York. his grace appears to have collected some valuable
works relating to ecelosiastical and other antiquities in the
north of England. The number of volumes is w. large
that the Pale will last three days,
THE NEW CROWN OFFICIALS OF SCOTLAND. —Mr.
Moncreiff, the new Lord Advocate, on Tuesday presented
his commission in the first division of the court, and took
the usual oath. The following have received their com-
missions as Advocates Depute : —Mr. Alex. Moncreiff, Mr.
0. H. Moms, Mr. J. A. Crichton, Mr. H. J. Mouereiff.
The Advocate Depute for the Sheriff Court has not yet
been appointed.
WIDOWS OF INDIAN OFFICERS.—The late Secre-
tary of State for India (Sir Stafford Northcote), just be-
fore going out of office, gave his decision in the owe of
daughters of Indian officers chinning on the Madras mili-
tary fund. Sr Stafford Northcote expresses to the
home committee of the fund his regret that, without can-
celling concessions already made, there exists no surplus
of the fund from which provision can be made for allow-
ing daughters of officers on becoming widows to revert to
their former pensions. This decision will dash the hopes
of many necessitous ladies, widows of Indian °alders ten-
ded in this couutg.
SOCIETY OF PAINTERS IN WATER COI.OI' RS.—
The Royal Highness the Priam Royal of Prussia visited
yesterday the Winter Exhibition of sketches owl studies
by the members of the Water Colour Society, at their
Gallery, 6. Pall-mall East.
IRISH ELICTION PETITTONS.—A petitiim by Mr.
Tawas against the return of Mr. Dalway for Carrickfer-
gus was lodged yesterday. It alleges bribery, treating,
mlissidation, and corrupt practices. The petitioner has
hedged 1,0004 for costs. A petition by an elector was
lodged against the return of Captain Fagan for Carlow.
It charge' bribery, intimidation, and corrupt
stating slat erne of the agents had been guilty or rued
at a former sisetion. I,OOW. have bens bodged on each
side for the costs of the Dublin petition.
THRRATERING TO MURDER LORD 'Town AND
Famar.—At the Leicestershire swine held yesterday,
before Mr. Jeitiee Mee an elderW _awl" ""
Fillt was chascsd with seeding a mresa Wes to
Lord Howe. The aminedpletrusionotlsissild lusesy-
awe la the ilmeity. The cheep _OFFBOIO 6. have
mists them meaty by the masons in pewees
at the pith be met the Mei& The
_prime" was
head net an IV= se wed was
mimed le essined Ileinswn