The Express.
London, England, 1850-02-07 00:00:00

of their corn at market to enable them to pay the
hr ghost possible amount of rest. Now, looking at the
late division—lading a majority of 119 in the Com-
mom in favour of free trade—chaining that that
majority was increased by the defection of 22 members
who had been heretofore supporters dproteotion, we ask'
agriculturists and those who take part in prate*.
tionist meetings to consider if there is a single rea-
sonable ground for attempting to perpetuate this
miserable delusion? Farther agitation on this sub-
ject can be nothing more than a miserable trifling
wit► the feelings of a largo sad important portion of
the people.
That this is the way in which the subject is viewed
by many of the most tensible amongst the protect-
non party, there is the best reason to believe.
The division list in the House of lards

was a remarkable one. On hw other sub-
jects in that house could the government have got
a majority of nine, to say nothing of ferty-nine. But
the peers, the body of men most largely interested in
the land of England, know that continued agitation,
without a prospect of ultimate success, can in no way
be of advantage to the cultivation of the soil. They
are too largely interested in that cultivation to do any
act that will be permanently injurious, and hence
they decline to sanction a movement that promotes a
party object at the saorilice of so great a national in-
terest.

Tnrn is one aim, one question, in which the agri-
cultural and manufacturing classis of this country
have not only a great and a pressing but a united
interest ; and this is the speedy advance in civilisation
of the eastern portions of Europe. Free trade once
admitted and irrevocable, those countries alone can

menace our laadlords and farmers with chap im-
ports, where serfage predominates and where capital i
is as unknown to the powerful as comfort to the I
poor. The true danger to our landed magnafes
lies in the maintenance of despotism on the banks of '
the Vistula and the Danube. Emancipate the serf in
these regions, and he will consume in food and cloth- 1
ing double of what is now torn from him for export, I
whilst even for that which he does allow to go I
abroad be can claim for himself some of our 111111111•
factored produce in return. Our tory classes, then,
should be the most strenuous liberals in our eastern
policy. It is they who should encourage Poles, Wal-
'whims, and Hungarians—it is they who should
wage most energetic war against material barbarism,
land servility, which threaten to swamp them in con-
tinuing itself. lu a word, the cause of rent, even
more than that of trade, is the cause of liberty and
civilisation; and Distustt and BA-tKKS, in supporting
Russian and Atunrian despotism, are combating the
best, the truest, and the plainest interests of the party
which they pretend to uphold.
With regard, however, to the policy which it may
please the Russian government to pursue within its
own dominion*, we can have no right to interfere.
Bat we have a right and a duty to exert an influence
to prevent that country and that principle, which is
most retrograde in social policy, from stifling
or driving back the natural and now mant-
les: progress of civilisation and freedom east-
iard.- We do not say that we ought to do this
by war, or by blustering, or even by menace. We
should equally geoid assuming the character of bully,
and demeaning ourselves to the factions and accom-
plices of absolutsm and military rule. The influence
of England is a great moral influence, which should
be exerted steadily by our altitude, in appro-
bation, or outspoken sentiments, without treachery or
intrigue, or hidden malice,or personal rivalry.
Uufortunately it is • fact beyond dispute that at
this moment both Russia and Austria, instead of
being contented with the military advantages they
have gained, seem rather preparing to push for
further advantages of the kind, than inclined to turn
their attention to improved kinds of dom.stic admini-
stration. Though both countries are much in debt,
and obliged to have recourse to borrowing in foreign
markets, both are increasing their armies. And
Austria is augmenting the river, with which it
repressed even the expression of opinion. It has
just crushed and exiled that smell party in Hun-
gary which professed loyalty to the House of lisrs-
BURG and denounced KOSSUTH. The levies of men
and money in Lombardy surpass all former
levies of the kind. Whilst Austria is applying
even more than lalErreesica's rod of iron at home,
Russia is developing strenuously its old policy of inti-
midation. With a large army on the frontier, of
Prussia, it has awed the weak King of that country
into further tergiversation with his subjects, disturb-
ing again the basis of the constitution, of which the
mortar was not yet dry, and unsettling it for the
mere unsettling's sake. The smaller Kings of Ger-
many are under the same influence. Even the Pre-
sident of the French Republic is fascinated and
affrighted by the large armies and equally large
compliments of the Czar. And England alone is the
Athens from which the voice of resistance can be
raised against the modern PHILIP of MACEDON.
The House of Commons has in this respect a great
duty to perform. It has to express an opinion, and
to show that opinion to be in conformity with what
is universally and strongly felt throughout the coun-
try. In every part of the kingdom meetings have
been held and opportunities seized of expressing opi-
nion on the eu'Aect of Austrian atrocities and
Russian interference in Hungary. Even in
most remote districts, a feeling amounting
to political agitation has pervaded. We may in-
stance Wales, where a great number of meetings
have been held for evincing sympathy with the
Hungarian cause—meetings marked by all the elo-
quence, and good sense, and good feeling, of the most
advanced, most ducted, and wealthy provincials.
On each topics we cannot censure the. language
of government for being guarded. It is not an
English foreign minister that can come for-
ward to lecture, or cast reproof at despotic
power. This is for the public, and for par-
liament, in representing the public, although
our parliament, elected as it is, acts but too
often as the extinguisher to real popular opi-
nion and enthusiasm, whilst it acts as a bellows
to exaggerate and puff out the clamour of a caste or a
clique into a mocking echo of the national voice.
After all that the country has said and felt about
Hungary, for parliament to pooh-pooh and pass
over the matter in silence, would be too
gross an admission of how unreally parlia-
ment represents the country, and what little
true sympathy there exists between it and the
people. For decency and prudence sake, therefore,
, if not from honest feeling, members ought to join and
animate the debate, which Lord DUDLET STUART
is about to open on the subject of Hungary and the
Principalities.

Letters from Buenos Ayres of the 26th announce
that Mr. Southern has received power to sign for-
mally the convention which he had already con-
cluded ad referendem. The treaty has arrived in this
country.

FRANCE.

PARIS. TVESDAY, 6 30 P.m.
It was during the second reading of the bill on
public instruction, that M. Lagrange made his inter-
pellations on the subject of the disturbances of yes-
terday. The first article of the bill, worded as follows,
was the subject of debate :
The superior council of public instruction is composed as
follows :—The minister, preakkat ; three archbishops end
biihops, chosen by their colleagues ; a minister of one of the
two t churches, named by the presidents of the
Co tn3e ; a member of the (sand Jewish Retaliatory,
named by his colleagoes; three members of the Institute,
named at a general meeting et that body ; eight members
chosen by the President of the Republik in conneil of
ministers among the old member of the souneil of the
University, the inspectors-general, the rectos, end the pro-
tium, of the Welty; these eight members shall font a per-
manent section ; and lastly, Oro inesaben chosen by the
minister among the members of free Instruction.
M. Coquerel was the only speaker The debate
was then adjourned, and resumed to-day.
M. de Kerdrel was in favour of the first article,
which was under discussion at post hour.
Thirty-two individuals were arrested last evening
at the pkoe of meeting of the " Association doe Mar-
chands de Vin," Rue Just Robert, and twenty-thaw
others at a branch establishment in the Rue de Poitou.
The majority of them are said to be amnestied lam,
gebta from Me Isle.
" Orders hare just beim given," lays the Coe rrisr
Francais, "to collect an army of observation on the
frontier of Switzerland. It is said that Omura
coSchrammm is to be charged with the commandthis
Thew of
Constitaansul °obtains the following with the
word " communicated" attached to it :

la etesequaes el the Wanks hi the; Nape Mew of ea
ozhoot hoot the report handed to Ito Maks', of Fall's