The Express.
London, England, 1868-08-10 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, AUGUST tO, 1868.

may conceivably have furnished employment. for
the GM hour of the interview.

Cheered by finding that France and Eng-
land were absolutely united on all then
points, the two statesmen would then go
on to touch upon the Eastern question. From
2 p.m. to 3 p.m. is hardly too much to allow
for a survey of all the possibilities involved in
there ominous words. The financial position of
Turkey ; her capacity of holding her own against
the growing power of her Christian subjects ;
the past which Russia is preparing to
play in the border provinces of the Porte ;
the effect which her recent progress in Asia will
have upon her European policy—here was a pro-
gramme ample enough to strain the powers of the
most versatile diplomatist to dispose of within the
allotted sixty minutes. It is impossible, however,
that more could have been given to it, since the re-
lations of Russia with her western neighbours
would claim attention next. It may be supposed,
indeed, that Lord STANLEY and M. de Motrwruat
thought that perfect unanimity upon the thorny
ramifications of the Eastern question justified
them in dealing yet more rapidly with Panslavism
and all connected with it. But the relations be-
tween Austria and her Solavonio provinces ; the
designs of Russia in fostering the aspirations of
the nationalities in Eastern Europe; the part to be
played by Poland in thwarting the designs of the
Czar--could hardly have been long disposed of
when four o'clock struck. Then, if exhaustion
bad not supervened, one hour would still be left
before the advent of tea recalled the ministers to
the routine of every day life. Only minor ques-
tions remained to occupy this interval, but we can
readily imagine that the jaded energies of M. de
MOUSTIER and his visitor would scarcely
be equal to anything more important.
Such trifles as the position of Austria in Ger-
many, the permanence of Belgium in the
European system, and the neutrality of Luxem-
burg, came in conveniently to give them employ-
ment for the closing moments of the interview.
If the statements circulated in Paris about
this meeting had any real value, it would be
difficult to exaggerate its importance. Opinions
may differ as to the extent to which the interests
of England in Europe are allied with those of
France, but they must be agreed as to the weight
which the two countries would possess in conti-
nental affairs if the alleged understanding had
been arrived at. Unfortunately for those who
love startling diplomatic effects, there is
not the least reason to attribute to this
imaginary conversation either the scope or
the precision with which it is invested by
certain French papers. We have no wish to blame
our contemporaries for giving their invention the
rein. After all, when you are describing an in-
terview at which you were not present, it must
rest with yourself to choose the tone to be given
to the composition. The Etendard likes a warm
dash of colour, and under its imaginative pencil
the European sky glows with the brightest tints
of peace and amity. Perhaps if a more prosaic
artist had been employed to produce the picture
the result would have had more of verisimilitude.
In that case we might have heard that, after ex-
changing the ordinary civilities, the Marquis de
MOUSTIER expressed the pleasure it gave the
1 EMPEROR to receive the Quasar of Great Britain
within his dominions, and his regret that the
circumstances of her MAJESTY'S visit rendered it
impossible for him to entertain her with
the external hospitality he desired. With a
proper change of pronouns, Lord STANLEY would
express a similar pleasure, and assure M. de
Morsrint that no formal reception was needed to
convince the QUEEN of the good will of the
Emperor of the FRENCH. Whichever minister
then took the initiative, we may be pretty
certain that his first proceeding was to
speak of the necessity of maintaining the
peace of Europe. Both would doubtless
fed that, as far as Lord STANLEY was concerned,
this assurance possessed but little value. A
Minister who makes it his chief boast that Eng-
land under his guidance has altogether withdrawn
from the sphere of continental politics, can neither
believe, nor expect others to believe, that conti-
nental politicians will trouble their heads any more
about him. It is equally certain, however, that
neither Lord STANLEY nor the Marquis do MOUS-
TIER would care to give utterance to this convic-
tion ; and the latter would naturally occupy the
rest of the interview in repeating these familiar

formulas in which the French Government is

accustomed to assure the world that their military
preparations are only a French way of expressing
their rooted dislike to war—to which assurances

Lord STANLEY, no doubt, attached just as much
—or as little—importance as the Marquis de
Mora= designed that he should. Here
is a version of the proceedings con-
structed entirely out of our own con-
sciousness and general probabilities. It lays
no claim to authority, or inspiration, or conftcbm-
tial information ; but we fancy that our readers
will be nearer the truth if they accept it than if
they go further afield in the search for more
authentic intelligence.

rosin land. Its total length, including the usual
all mace of from 20 to 23 per oent. for slack, will be
in rounetnumbers, about 3,3oomile*, or sheet one
third more than the present cable. The point
of chief interest to the public, however, is
the probability of a considerable tall in the price
of messages between England and America. The
concession to land cables in the island of Elt.
Pierre is granted for twenty years, and as the
communication between it and the mainland will
be submarine, the heaviest charge borne by the
Anglo-American Company is got rid of. The New-
foundland land linos absorb by agreement some 30
per cent of the earnings of the existing cables.
The new one will run to its destination without
intermediate charges, and will, we trust, be ono
of very many cables across the Atlantic. There
is room enough and employment enough for
twenty instead of two, if directors and share-
holders learn the wisdom of appealing to the
many instead of the few.

gpVl44 CONTEMPORARIES.
ATMS DAY.)

7117 BIRMINGNAM ZLEOIIOII.
!raving referred to the peculiar interest with
which the electoral campaign at Birmingham te regarded
throughout the country, and to the triumph which the
tory party are seeking to achieve through the minority
arrangement, the Deily News proceeds to describe the
organisation by which the majority of the eloctors trust
to avert the threatened injustice. The thirteen wards of
the borough have been arranged into three groups, one of
which will be canvassed in favour of Bright and Dixon,
and the other two in favour of Dixon and Muntz. The
nil danger is that the liberal electors, unless thoroughly
on their guard, will returl Mr. Bright by a majority
largely swelled by votes which, superfluous in his case,
were indispensable to the success of one of the other
liberal candidates, and for want of which one
of them would see himself beaten by a tory. Mr.
Bright knows that his seat will be perfectly safe,
if the liberal electors will only distribute their votes ac-
cording to the advice of the Liberal Association, and he
has authorised the canvassers of the wards in group oto

say that he shall consider a vote given to bizon and
Munta as given to him, as by that division of votes the
three candidates can be carried. The disadvantage at
which the majority of the constituency have been in-
tentionally placed under the operation of the new Re-
form Bill, compels them to have recourse to the principle
of co-operation.

FOREIGN NEWS.

(THIS DAY.)

THE PRUSSIAN PLAN OF OPERATIONS
AND MAZZINI.
Several persons claim the merit of precedence
in suggesting the plan of operations recommended
by M. Von Usedom to General La Marmon'. The
Prussians claim it for General von Moltke.
General Cialdini has written to say that it was his
proposal. Others claim it for the late General
Fanti. 'There is another claimant in the person of
Joseph Mazzini. Here is what he wrote in the
bovrre of Geneva a month before the commence-
ment of hostilities and a fortnight before the
Prussian note:
We ought not to localise the war ; we should expand it,
we should not make Verona, Mantua, or Venice our
objective, but Vienna.
Mazzini is quite as clear as Moltke on the ad-
visability of not stopping before the Quadrila-
teral.
On this ground, chosen by the enemy, fortified by art for
many years, safely communicating with his bale of
operations, and inaccessible to a popular rising, all the
ditadvantages would be on our aide.
He predicted a defeat if the Italians gave battle
on this ground, and " this defeat," he added,
will reduce us from an offensive to a defensive
position."
Mazzini insisted with peculiar force on the neces-
sity of sending Garibaldi and the volunteers toraiso
the Sc]avic Populations of Southern Austria. He
concludes as follows :—" In the Quadrilateral you
may fail ; you cannot if you adopt the plan I point
out."
This letter is dated May 26, 1866.
The Italian journals publish another letter from
Mazzini of recent date. In it he maintains the
absolute necessity of Rome to Italy, but says that
the old capital must be conquered by the whole
Italian nation, and not by a rising within the
city, aided by volunteers from without. Ho has
no confidence in the present government, and
looks to a ministry of the party of action as the
only salvation of the country.

THE LATE PRINCE GAGARIN AND HIS

SON.

The Virnna Prase gives the following details re.
specting the death of Prince Gagarin and his son

Prince agarin, aged about Xi, took a walk with his
wife, their son, and his son's tutor in the direction
of the Mill of Redtenbach, which is well known
to those who are acquainted with Ischl. The
bright and coloured stones at the bottom of
the limpid stream attracted the notice of the young prince,
and he went into the water to pick some, the father fol-
lowing him. The princess and the tutor remained on the
bank. The prince and his son were studiously employed
in their innocent amusement, when both were carried out
of sight by a rapid rush of water and floating timber.
There is a lock about a quarter of a league from the
mill, by which the water is retained to float timber
down the stream when necessary. It so happened that
the lock was opened whilst Prince Gagarin and his son
were in the stream, and the flood came upon them with
such force that neither had time to escape, although they
were not more than 20 feet from the Dank. They were
hurled out of sight in a moment with the floating timber,
in the presence of the wife and mother, who was
stupefied at the occurrence. The tutor, at the risk of his
life, plunged into the water to save their lives, and it was
only a miracle that he was rescued. In about a quarter
of an hour, when the water had subsided, the body of the
prince was found fixed between two rocks. The body
of the son was not found till next day. The unhappy
princess was borne to her hotel in a litter.

(THROUGH RZURTR'S AGENCY.)
FRANCE.
PARIS, Aroun 10.

The Moniteur of to-day publishes an acentint of
the reception of the Emperor at Troyes. In
answer to an address presented by the Mayor of
the town the Emperor said :—" I would not pass
through Troyes without stopping a moment in
order to give a proof of my lively sympathy for
the people of the Champagne who are
animated by such patriotic feelings. Last year I
felt pleasure in noticing the progress of industry
in your province. I urge you to continue it, for
nothing to-day threatens the peace of Europe.
Have confidence in the future, and do not forget
that God protects France."

BELGIUM.
BRUSSELS, Auistrift 10.

M. Henri Rochefort, the editor of the Lanterne,
who was sentenced last week to four months' im-
prisonment for an assault upon M. Rochette, ar-
rived here yesterday.

ACCIDENT TO THE WEST INDIA MAIL.
SOUTHAMPTON, Artourr 10.

The Royal Mail Company's paddle downer
Atrato, which sailed on the 2nd instant with the
mails and passengers for the West Indies and
New Zealand, has broken down and is returning
under canvas. The company's superintendent
here has ordered another steamer to get ready for
sea immediately to start and pick up the Atrato
and tow her to this port.