The Express.
London, England, 1861-01-12 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, JANUARY 12, 1861.

not just or honest in the Legislature or in the
Government to take advantage of the easy loyalty
of the people to tax them beyond what is actually
required. Either all that has been said publicly
and repeatedly by men in high station as to their
belief in the advantages of peace, and their con-
viction of the worth of our Volunteer Army, is
hypocritical and false, or we ought to be enabled
to reap the good of it. No foreign Power threatens
us with outrage or with insult. No sedition at
home or in any of our dependencies calls fur un-
usual exertions. fu the unlooked-for event of some
misunderstanding arising with Russia, France,
or America, we are immeasurably better prepared
than we have been any day during the last half
century to repel attack and to hold our own.
Wherefore, then, should we go on senselessly ex-
hausting the resources of national strength and
the means of national improvement by levying two
pounds ten shillings a head on every man, woman,
and child in the United Kingdom? The thing is
intolerable ; and certainly will not be tolerated.
And if in preparing the way for important reduc-
tions in the Estimates of the present year it shall
be found necessary to cut down largely items of
domestic expenditure as well as those which are
classed under the various heads of Military Defence,
we are satisfied that public opinion will steadily
sustain those whose efforts are devoted to the ac-
complishment of that useful work. Mr. GLAD-
STONE gave us last year a great reform of tax-
ation ; we hope that he may give us this year an
equally striking reform of expenditure. The
address to Lord Paten-ere:4 which we printed
yesterday bore the signatures of fourteen mem-1
ben of the House of Commons, well known
for their attachment to Liberal principles,
and all of them reckoned as amongst the best
supporters of the Ministry. The document is in
course of further signature, and we doubt not it
will receive era long great additional support.
Its intrinsic weight, however, is that which gives
it its peculiar value, far more than any array of
ISSOINS could do. Lord PALMICILSTON has ever
shown himself a shrewd discerner of the signs of
the times. When opinion took head in the direc-
tion of expenditure, and rushed eagerly if not
blindly on, its skilful rider gave it rein, and
laughed as be gallopped by the few who would
have had him stop. But opinion has now
slackened its pace considerably, and shows itself
somewhat tired of the course it has run ; it is
certainly in no mood to go over the same ground
again just now, and no amount of whipping or
spurring will succeed in compelling it to do so.
Lord PALIIIIIIIATON may as well, therefore, go
through the dignified form of seeming to pull sp
in time, rather than provoke resistance from a
steed that has carried him thus far so welL

THE objections which have been made to the
zealous and benevolent proceedings of Mr. Knox,
the Worship-street Magistrate, by some of his I
brethren on the bench, are not altogether tunes-
seeable, if viewed exclusively from an official
point of view. It is no part of a magistrate's
duty to be a relieving officer. Doing his duty to
the very foot of the letter, as the French
say, he is not called upon to become a
public almoner. It may be difficult to under'
stand how any man can preside during this
terrible Beason in • Police-court—which is the
very centre and focus of distress--and refrain
from making any effort in his power to relieve it :
yet he may hesitate—however willing he may be
to increase his own already sufficiently harassing
duties—to impose fresh labour on his subordinates:
the labour and pain ci inquiring into the cases of
Ellisery and starvation which are presented to the
magietrate's notice. Some people—the easy-going
smoothers of the benevolent world--are charitable
simply with money. They pay, and have done
with it. They take no trouble. They give nothing
but that which they can very well spare, but
giving even that they do a great modicum
of good. Others give their time, their
persomal energy, their judgment, their sympathy,
and their money too. Mr. Knox, of Worship-
street, and the officers under him, are of the latter
elms. After a hard day's work, the magistrate
devotes himself—as we learn from the police re-
ports—to the harrowing dotal* presented in num-
berless letters, of abject wretchedness never
equalled except when weather like the present
produce* want of work, and sharpens the necessity
for warmth and food, which want of work makes
it impossible to obtain. Mr. Ksox, and the other
magistrates who have followed his laudable ex-
ample, may well despair of making any general
impression upon the vast amount of slimy sawed
within the districts of their respective courts ; but
they do something. By the aid of their officers,
they take care that the money placed at their dis-
posal by the public is well bestowed. Yet even if
the funds at their command were ample—end they
actually form but a very inadequate resource—
the staff of a Police-court is so small, that, even
were the contributions to the poor-box more ample,
mane of proper distribution would be wanting.
In praising the magistrate for his well-directed
exertions, let us not overlook his subordinates. It
is no light sacrifice for a police officer attached to
the courts to give up the leisure well earned, after a
whole day's standing about, to travelling about
from house to house, and witnessing scenes of suf-
fering and despair which the means entrusted to
him are very inadequate to lessen. The affluent
contribute to the poor-box according to their
means—come their ten or five pounds, or sove-
reign, or even single shilling. But see what a
much greater proportion of his means the humble
umber, or messenger, or warrant officer gives when
be foregoes the comforts of his little home, and
sallies forth till far into the night, helping in the
work of charity !
Work after office hours ever so hard, however,
he can do but little ; tied that more may be done,
where pecuniary means are great enough at the
police court, we propose to the more intelligent
and favoured inhabitants of each district that cer-
tain of them should volunteer their services to aid
the magistrate and his staff in their inquiries—
should in fact present themselves to the bench as
• ready-made district visiting society. No doubt
many valuable secessions to the poor-box are with-
held, the intending donors feeling that it is impos-
sible to ensure their gifts being bestowed with
reasonable discrimination. The suggestion we
make, therefore, would tend to increase the fund,
while it would facilitate the judicious distribution
of it.

TO MILLAR FUND. —The committee give
asthma lid Urns esearts will be given in aid of this
ftsid—ene by the Vocal Association, directed by Mr.
Refeedks, as tie 28th January instant ; one by the Royal
MI Opals andantes, directed by Kr. Alfred YeUoo, oa
the 441 lebrawy nest ; sad one by Mr. Leslie's Choir,
*directed by Mr. H. Leslie, oa the 7th Merck next. Further
parlioalsre will shortly be announced.

WIUTERALL, JAN. 10.—T110 Qoaen has been
to direct lettere palest to be prod midst the Gnat
fitsed vnating the dignity eta Baron of the United Engem
of Great Britain and Ireland onto the Hight Heneenabla
Sidney Herbert and to the heirs male of hie body kw lb
begat... by the alma style, and title of Baran Harbert
of Lea, in the county of Wilts. —Gonne.

Els 60KM

osmium Jam.
The Prince Consort, attended by Major Du Plat,
visited the forts near Gosport yesterday.
The Queen's dinner party included the Prince of Walla.
Prince Alfred, Princess Alice, Colonel the Holt Sir C. B.
Phipps, Major Cowell, and Use Rev. G. Prother°

Despatches were sent yesterday to the governors of the
North American provinces, Ciairaliar, and Mslts, and to
the Lord High Commissioner of the lonian Islands.

WINTEIOR. JAN. 11.

TU-MOITOW the Queen and the Prince Consort,
the Prince of Wales, and the other members the royal
family and suite, will return from Osborne, l,le of Wight,
to Windsor Castle, where the court will :Vll7llllO until
Monday, the 4th of February, when her Majety will go to
Buckingham Palace, for the purpose of openirg the houses
of parliament.
The court will them remain in town for the wring swam.

The Duke of Cambridge, as General Commanding-
ia-Chief, held • levee yesterday afternoon at the Horse•
guards. There was • immense attesdeace d odleen.

The Earl and Countess of Derby are entertaining
the following circle at Knowsley Park :—The Earl and
Constar of Chesterfield and Lady Evelyn Stanhope,
Viscount Canterbury, Lord Colville, Lord Stanley, Colonel
the Pim W. P. and Lady Emma Talbot, Has. Miav Wil-
braham, Has. Captain Talbot, Hoc Captain Stanley, Sir
Robert Gaud, Mr. Allen Bathurst, sad Mr. C. Leslie.

The Earl and Countess de Grey and Ripon left
Cositoo.ganlens on Thursday, for Newby Hall, war Ripon,
in consequence of the receipt of intelligence of the alarm-
ing °militias of Mr. Tyner, occasioned by a fall from hie
hone.

The marriage of Lieutenant-Colonel Cost, of the
Grenadier Guards, with Lady Florence Locales, is fixed to
take place at the Duke of Buceleuch'a seat, Dalkeith Palace,
saw Edinburgh, ea the 29th inst.

We (Times) have meson to believe that Mr.
Darius will Neeeped Lard De Grey as Under Secretary of
State far the War Department, sat* ender the sew Lord
Harbin ; sad that Lord De Gray will take Mr. Daring's
place is the India-Aloe, and represent that department is
the Howse of Lards.

At the last meeting of the Royal Society the
Bight Hon. Sir William Erie was admitted a fellow. A
paper was read by Mr. W. Shaw, giving a description of a
new optical instrument, called the stereotrope. This in-
strument is an application of the principle of the stereo'
scope to that does of instruments variously termed thainn-
&tropes, phantracopes, &c., which depend for their results
on " panistenee of viaion."

The Prince Consort leads, with s subscription of
twisty galena, a project for acquiring from the traders
of KW Demean a entails portion of the drawing, and de-
dies of Plasma, with a view to their bring placed in the
hail of Univenity College. Four or live hundred pounds
are raid to be required by the promoters of this scheme.

. A private view of the Photographic Society's
sawed Munition will be held this day (Saturday).
Visitors to the Zoological Gardens, young and
mid, will be merry to learn, from the Atheneum onto-day,
that the noble Nubian lion has died from the effect' of the
very severe cold. He was apparently quite well in the
'mkg and in the morning he was found dead in his den.
A poet *torten examination disclosed the sad fact that he
had died from exposure to the intense cold, no orpnic
dimes having been detected. The Zoological Society bane,
we regret to and, lost many animals by the severity of the
weather.

A proposal is on foot for giving a commission to
Bares Marochetti to execute a statue of the Black Prince,
to be placed opposite that of King Richard in Palace-yard.
The authorities are busily engaged on the new
cede of regulations for the volunteer force of Great Britain,
sad it le expected that it will be ready kw true in a week
or tee dips.

On Thursday evening a lecture was delivered
by the Right Boa. Q. D. Addleley, ALP., to the members
sad fries& of the Akkmiey Library sad Maerowe,
ea the hie et the he. Dft Bobwt Pod. IL D. MIL DK.,
Roowder el itirmis‘tesa. oesapied the ark.
Mr. and BIM Marks Kean appear in the
PL] of gam, at Drury-Lae, on the 28th.

Herapai today on ;—" In conaequence of
some dilemma of opinion with his colleague. at the board,
the Marquis's, Chandos,ehninnan of the London and North
Wasters Ballow Ownpany, tendered his resignation on
&sudsy Li" and N appear. that his lordship's resignation
liaa base astaptaii"

The Dwain Beating Mail, referring to Baron
Graeae, mays :—" This emissat judge has placed the resig-
nation of he ..at in the Osnit of Exchequer in the hands
tb. gertrament. Verioss rumours are afloat respect*
oessegoast promotions sad Armee, but we are amthied to
state that seething wbetever has es Tot bees arraeged."
The Roniau catholic bishops of Ireland are
shoat to issue • usaifers prebastaas clerical patrons of
Rama catholic erect' hoes wading their teachers to any
of the motel or Mar* schools in connexiou with the
National Board. and also deciaring that Roman catholic
parses arm not employ in an, away capacity, pupils,
ambers, papa timbers, or towbars who may enter say
of these tribalism after the date of such prohibition.
dune of lb. Rama Istholie prelates have, in fact, already
promulgated this abet within their respective dioceses.
"We understand," says the Biesppore
" that Lord =lglu will proceed from the Potho to Japan,
and after see* how matters are progressing there will
vWt Masai, and, d his time permit, Java, on his way to
flees. He will no doubt teas► at Ilbsppon, bat it is mid
he will eat call at Hoag Hong, errs the cruse of events
Month render an alteration of his present arrangements
expedient."

GREAT FLOODS IN HOLLAND.

(MON •

AlielliDAld, JAN. 9.
The great enemy of Holland—water--haa again
pat forth its Snag* and broken down the duns which
protected households and farms front its devaidatissn
The eassesee =ass et now which he,, Lately fans ha=
'won= the riven to • festal extent, sad the SNIIMM, im-
peded in their amiss by the sat aocumulations al ice
which have formed in different parts of the pria-
cipal rivers, have burst their arditial birdies, and
in thaw distractive career swept sway hoses,
tress, and stile. The wretched inhabitants of
the inundated districts, driven from their home'
asked sad foodless in this inclement season, are is a stet*
of destitaticn scarcely conceivable by those whose happy
privilege it is "to live at home at ease." They never had
much, but what they had is irevocably lost ; and were it
not for public charity, they most die of cold and starva-
tion. The =drowned cattle have collected in the higher
localities, whence it is impossible to rescue them, so that
they cassia within the narrow compass of a dam-top tin,
=ls= with cold, they drop dead. The whole scene is
described se houttreading—beyond the power of woeds to
describe. Morel eabisiptioes are pouring in from all
parte of the country for the relief of the poor creatures
suffering frank this great eilimity, which, I am sorry to
add, is extending ia every dinettes.

A TRENCH' MICRON IN CANTON.
(From yesterday's Moniteer.)
An important concession has just been obtained
all Coates, and one is medcemity with the liberal clauses
inserted in the treaty of pesos signed at Pekin. The
Viceroy has granted to our miasionaries, for the erection of
• catholic church, a magoiEeent site, situated in Canton
itself, on which, before the oomipation of that tows, stood
the palace of the famous Governor Yelk.
For two years the French authorities have demanded that
there should be given up to the bishop of the two Konangs
at least • portion of the ground which was formerly appro-
priated to the catholic setabhshincmta, sad the passesson of
which were driven away and plundered as the occasion of
the last persecutions of ChlidiADS in the Celestial Empire.
Although the Chinas authorities had recognised in prin.
cipis the legitimacy of a restitution of this nature, they
umd a great ninny expedients to serape from it. Our suocess
in the north has happily put a term to their ill.will, and the
church, which will be built without delay, will soon evince
in a striking manner the solicitude of the Emperor's govern.
most for the religious interests placed under the traditional
protection of France in the extreme seat.
The

of our taildsessfse in this quarter
will besides be d service to everyind7 at Centou. for it
will prove sod ensisida the right, alwuys hitherto refused to
foreigners, of having free access to the interior of that town.