The Express.
London, England, 1868-02-01 00:00:00

THE WEEKLY PRESS.

The Spectator says, an invasion of Italy, intended
to end i• the divides of the Peninsula into three—North-
ern, Southern, and Papal Italy—would gratify the priest-
hood, would satisfy the wounded pride of France, would
plant near France three almost dependent states, and
would seem to be a revival rather than a formal betrayal of
the Napoleonic ideas. The peace of Villahenoa was
the Emperor's work, and he has already shed blood in
the field to prevent the completion of Italian unification
and to protect the papacy, which is now intriguing in every
direction, not to resist, but to break up Italy. Ther
is but too much reason to fear that such • project
would be received with considerable favour in France,
That the country itself would resist is certain, but France
i desires rather than fears an enemy ; and men well sa-
-1 *minted with Neapolitan feeling affirm that the appear-
ance of a French fleet before Naples would be the signal for
• Bourbon and clerical explosion which would divert half
the strength of Italy to repression. These are the views
which there is too much reason to fear a party within the
Tuileries are pressing upon the Emperor, which are avowed
by all clerical prints, and which have the sympathy, to say
DO more, of M. There and those whose latent thought be
always contrives to express, the war party of France.
Fortunately, they have not yet prevailed with the
Emperor, who is not a man to forget his attitude before
the historians of the future ; but the Spectator fears they
assist to induce him to press • despotic, or rather a
Ossearist policy upon Victor Emmanuel. Many signs com-
bine to prove that a coup d'tlat is under consideration,
more or less serious, and that the King is trying anxiously
to effect some compromise with Rome.
Treating of " mistress and maid" in the question of
dress, the Saturday &rim tomes to the conclusion that •
reform in the dress of " lower-Maas females," and maid-
servants in particular, can only be brought about in one
way. The reaction in favour of a neat and simple style
must come from above, and not from below ; in the way of
example, not precept. When " ladies of position and
' fortune" cease to lavish their thousands on millinery, their
copyists in the nursery and kitchen will cease to spend
their wages on a similar object. When every one above
the rank of a governess dresses in a manner suitable
to her station, complaints will be no longer heard
about " unbecoming" finery below stairs. The chief
incentive to showy dress among the "lower order of
females" is unquestionably a desire to ape the extract.
gance of their betters. Remove that incentive, and the
evil which • "Clergyman's Wife" so forcibly deplores will
■oon cure itself. We hope that she may be induced to
turn her reforming zeal into another direction. Instead
of indulging in childish projects for putting the Sunday-
school, and the church singers, and uudd-servants, and the
lower order of females generally into uniforms, let her
attack the mischief at its root, sad persuade the fine
ladies of the earth to curtail their monstrous prodigality
and immodest vagaries in dress. Let her add her warning
voice to that of the Head of Latin Christianity, who has
recently denounced this scandal of the age with the same
perennial vigour that characterises his anathemas on the
subalpine government.
The Examiner says that in France a spirit of bat-blind
materialism has got feat hold of the middle classes of the
community ; and they will sacrifice nothing of present
ease or enjoyment for sake of those who are to come after
them. Love of liberty and love of country dwindle and
die under the shade of absolutism. In Austria the people
rubbed their hands and sneered when they heard of
Konigratz ; and there was not a thought or • threat of
snatching up arms to defend the country ; it was not
their country—only the dominions of their despotic lord.
How far constitutionalism may change this sullen and
resentful feeling time alone can tell. There are 40,000,000/.
of gold in the °offers of the Bank, which, for the present,
it will hurt nobody to have set rolling through the vein■
of public employment ; and u to the price which the
newly issued Rentes fifteen or twenty years hence may
bring—who thinks of that? That is the affair of another
generation—perhaps of another dynasty.

Cite Court.

OSBORNE, JAN. 311

The Queen held a Council yesterday, at half-
past one o'clock, at which were present the Lord Pre-
sident of the Council, the Earl of Bradford, Lord John
Manners, and the Right lion. Stephen Cave. Mr. Helps
was Clerk of the Council.
The Duke of Marlborough had an andienoe of her
Majesty.
The Earl of Bradford presented to the Queen, Mr.
Charles Wheatstone, who received the honour of knight-
hood.
The Queen drove out in the afternoon, accompanied by
Princess Christian, and attended by the Duchess of
►thole.
This morning her Majesty went out with Princess Chris-
tian.
Viscount and Viscountess Sydney have left Osborne.
Prince Leopold is better, but is still very weak.

A Cabinet Council was held yesterday at the
official residence of the First Lord of the Trea-
sury, in Downing-street. The Ministers present
were the Lord Chancellor, the Duke of Marl-
borough, the Earl of Malmesbury, the Right Hon.
Gathorue Hardy, Lord Stanley, the Duke of
Buckin,ghain and Chandos, Sir John Pakington,
Sir S. Northcote, the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
the Right Hon. H. T. L. Corry, the Duke of
Richmond, Lord John Manners, the Earl of Mayo,
and the Right Hon. Spencer H. Walpole.