The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-13 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY

of the evils of tht present clay had all the w • e
la his tits eyelet
116
period. Ills not my .
morality ei;these is m o y adv ;
1 and mom adapted the lowellutes of w
people, ;than in re g'eme -Lb); -it
is equally erroneous to utak that the
infidelity of our time—end this wane* is
the kind of immorality referred to--ie off Imeer 1
type than the infidelity of a century ago, *hen
the sneers and jests of such writers as VOLTMRS
and Tom PAYNE were mistaken for arguments.
We have sceptics enough, Heaven knows, among'
the working classes ; but it is rarely, indeed, that
the men who doubt or deny do so with a joke
upon their lips. Indeed, we believe that there
never was a time of more earnest and eager in-
quiry on all matters connected with religious faith
or political well-being. The period of indifference
and of blind credulity has passed away ; but it
does not, therefore, follow that the present
period is one of irreverence. The Aa*ec.
DEACON is right, however, in warning his
clergy against underrating the intelligence of
the working classes. Some of the shrewdest
minds in the country are b. be found among the
artisans, and the clergyman who would exercise a
legitimate influence over them will do well to
shun everything that savours of dogmatism or
illiberality. These men are generally open to
argument, but they are for the most part utterly
regardless of clerical anathemas. They can appre-
ciate earnestness and sincerity, but they have an
unmitigated contempt for priestly assumption and
intolerance. At the same time the working man
does not expect—he would be most unreasonable
if be did—that the clergy should take an active
part in the political mover ent+ of the day. All
he does expect is that they should not place im-
pedimenta in the way.

THE omnibus proprietors, stimulated, uo doubt,
by their want of success as traders, are allowing
unusual energy in supplying long neglected routes
with vehicles. The Strand and Holborn have
long been well filled with omnibuses—perhaps a
little too well filled—but it was only the other
day that Long-acre was discovered to be an im-
portant thoroughfare from east to west, or
west to east, and " opened up" for 'bus traffic.
Persons now wishing to go from Leicester-
square to Horton are not compelled to go
round by the Haymarket, the Strand, Fleet-street,
Cheapside, the Bank, and City-road, but are
taken to their destination by a shorter cut
through central London. The service from
Pimlico to Bayswater would bear improvement,
but so would the chief thoroughfare, Park-lane,
and the omnibus proprietors will doubtless move
in advance of the Board of Works. Bayswater
has now been put in communication with the
important districts of Camden and Kentish towns
by a cross service just started from the central
station, the " Mother Red-Cap," and this
service is distinguished by an experiment
in the way of conductors. The pro-
prietors think, whether rightly or wrongly,
we are not prepared to say, that some
portion of their loss is due to the
dishonesty of their servants, and, after trying a
variety of mechanical checks on the receipts, they
have now engaged a few men belonging to the
Corps of Commiaaionaires as conductors, who, we
believe, are to work partly on salary and partly
on commission. The half-military uniform on the
steps of these new vehicles is novel in appearance,
and gives the omnibus a bright Parisian air.
Whether Parisian order, comfort, and success will
follow the adoption of this plan remains to be
seen, but the change in the organisatiou of these
popular and necessary carriages deserves to be
noticed.

.--. _ .

Tea impeachment trial has revealed to us no
American BURKE. The contrast between the
addresses of the counsel and the speeches at
the trial of WARREN HASTINOS, seems pain-
fully to affect our transatlantic contem-
poraries. To some extent. no doubt, the
dearth of eloquence is due to the peculiar
character of the subject. The romantic haze which
enveloped East Indian history gave enviable
advantages to the orators of the day. Still what-
ever is wanting in the present trial in rhetoric,
there is no lack of earnest purpose, or of practi-
cal and legal knowledge. Mr. BUTLER is
described as having more of the readiness
of resource required for extemporaneous speaking
than any other of the speakers, though we rind no
compliment paid to his wit or his imagina-
tion. Judge Cuarrs's argument, if not elo-
quent, was able and logical. Mr. Evs RTs,
the best of the PRESIDENT'S counsel, ex-
tended his oration over four days. We do
not profess to have followed him step by step, but
we have read enough to see in his address some
striking passages, and a power of sarcasm not
commonly found in American orators. Mr. Evsars
assumes that the PRESIDENT is absolved from his
oath to see that the laws are faithfully executed
when he thinks them unconstitutional, and that he
can break any law he chooses, upon the pretext
of testing its constitutionality. The verdict, it
will be seen, is deferred till Saturday.

--
-..-

A sIiORT notice in the N(,,,1 vf the death of M.
DE CORMENIN reminds us of the variability of
species exhibited by the race of French politicians.
" As a statesman," says the Nord, "he attached
" himself to four Governments only. In a ooun-
" try so agitated as this beautiful France of ours,
" he was the juste milieu between the obstinate,
" who remain faithful to one Government, and the
" fickle who have served seven—the maximum of
" variation reached by several of our most diatin-
" guiahed contemporaries.".

STATEMENTS OP THE " Ovvr.."—The Owl to-day
says that the Prince of Wales and Prince Arthur intend
to proceed to Scotland towards the close of next
week, in order to pass the 24th of May, her
Majesty's birthday, with the Queen at Bslmor•l.
—The government will support Sir Rebuild Knightley's
amendment to Mr. Barter's motion for the diafranithise-
ment of the ten smallest English boroughs. The emend-
=tut seeks to provide sesta for the additional members for
Scotland by taking one member from each of the ten
smallest English boroughs having two members.—There
was • large meeting of English liberal members yesterday,
at Devonshire•house, to consider Mr. Ilibbeet's motion
on the Boundary Bill. The leaders of the party urged
the expediency of opposing the fourth clause. Mr.
Leathern, Mr. Monk, and other independent representa-
tives with mete below the gangway, declined concurrence
in this mares, and the proceedings were not characterised
by entire unanimity. It is quite passible, therefore, that
opposition to the Boundary Bill may not be pressed to a
division.—The select committee on the arrangements
of the House of Commons have unanimously reoom-
mended the building of a new House of Commons and the
conversion of the present inn/Went Chamber into •
lobby for members. Mr. Baillie Cochr•ae's suggestion of
• wide staircase from the Central Hall to the terrace has
been adopted.—The government hare abandoned the idea
of proceeding with the measure for the acquisition at the
telegraphs of the United Kingdom, end the order of the
day foe the second reading of the bill will be discharged.