The Express.
London, England, 1868-08-18 00:00:00

HOTEL CH.4ROES.

PROTESTS against the extortions of the British
hotel keeper remind one of the old sore described
by Mr. TENNYSON as breaking out from age to
age 'twixt those who want and those who have.
They have cropped to the surface again this
summer, just as they have done at irregular intervals
throughout the longest period within the memory
of the newspaper reader. There is wonderful uni-
formity in the complaints. CANNING'S

fault of the Dutch
Ia giving too little and asking too much
is unconsciously paraphrased by every tourist who
inveighs against the shortcomings of the British
landlord. When will these learn wisdom, and by
catering for the tourist as if he were a customer
and not a victim, make the best parts of the
three kingdoms as popular as they deserve to be
That their own country is the dearest in Europe
to travel in is one of the preponderating causes
which send English families abroad summer after
summer. As long as it is cheaper to spend a month
at Geneva or Lucerne, than at the Trossachs or by
the Caledonian Canal, it will be idle to talk of the
merits of native scenery, or to hold up home travel
as a patriotic duty, Scotland is to tourists what
locusts are to honey ; and though neither England
nor Ireland is equally piratical, there is no
place in either where the comforts and luxuries
of life are not fixed at prices which
are prohibitive to thousands who can indulge in
them habitually amid the choicest @caner), of the
Continent. Where our hotels try the table d' hike
system, it is notorious that the " leaving of
" hungry," prescribed by doctors as the condition
of a healthy meal, is a penalty froth which there
is no escape. Where the hapless visitor eats in
private, he is charged famine prices for common-
place fare. Ten shillings and sixpence is still the
common cost of a bottle of champagne; claret is still
charged for as if it were something exceptional and
little known ; while port and sherry maintain their
position as fiery compounds to be paid for ex-
orbitantly for " the good of the house." But the
worst nuisance of all is the existing system of
servants' fees. The traveller is called upon to pay
these twice. The ls. 6d. or 2s. a day charged in
the bill simply confers upon him the privilege
of being personally solicited by theboots, waiters,
and chambermaids. It is the honorarium for the
landlord and nothing more. The man who thinks
of it as what it purports to be, and that ho has
paid enough for having been treated with ostenta-
tious indifference during his stay, is made to feel
his meanness, and, if nervous or sensitive, drives
off with a loss of self-respect which many shillings
would not cover. In short, to stay at a British
hotel is to be exposed to a constant sense of injury;
and until this is remedied the prudent tourist
will seek his ease and recreation beyond the
seas.

A report that a fire had broken out at an early
hour this morning at Buckingham Palace caused a num-
ber of engines belonging to the Metropolitan Brigade to
proceed thither, only to discover, however, that the report
was groundless.

ILINF.B3 OF TEE Rxv. DR. COOKE, OF BEL-
FARr.—We are szosediagly sorry to learn that the yener.
able Dr. Cooke, who le at present at was
taken suddenly ill on Saturday.—Belfoot lynoe tom,