The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-06-05

sures of the Belgian newspapers. The Lede-
pendGnce Beige has a large circulation in
France, and it is said that the heads of the
French departments are in the habit of furnish
ing its correspondents with information for its
columns, while Paris journals are not allowed
the privilege.
The Sultan, some time since, honored the
English Ambassador in an extraordinary man.
ner, by attending one of his soirees. The
Queen is about to return the compliment and
on the evening of the 9th instant she will
visit the house of the Turkish Ambassador.
A ball is to be given by his Excellency that
night. 1t is high honor, and, though intend
ed as return compliment to the Sultan, is yet
in part elected by the excellent qualities of
the wife of the Ambassador.
The great event of the week in the monetary
world is the announcement on the part of the
Government of another loan of five millions
sterling, to be raised in consolidated per cent.
annuities. Though peace has been declared,
yet the Government must loan money, as if it
were too soon to feel the good effects of the trea
ty. The plea on its part is, that to bring back
the army from the Crimea will require nearly
as great an outlay, for time, as the continuation
of the war.
l notice that provisions continue to rise,
rather than fall. / allude to the retail markets.
The people as yet experience no relief from the
high war-prices, and are not likely to for some
time yet.
There has been quite struggle during the
past few months, between the Sabbatarians and
others, respecting the playing of bands in the
different parks on Sunday. The Government
has defended the amusement, in Parliament
and out of Parliament. Lord Palmerston has
made several smart speeches on the subject /;
h,,fy l.. LII III j.
by an order for the bands to play no more in
the parks. The public curiosity is greatly ex-
ercised to know the cause for this change. 1t
! is said that the Archbishop of Canterbury ad-
dressed a very warm remonstrance to the Pre-
mier on the subject, and demanded that the
Government shonid not appear to countenance
Sabbath breakers. Other rumors have it, that
the Archbishop addressed himself directly to
the Queen, and that the order comes from her.
However it may be, the act causes great dssat-
isfaction among the common people, who ask
whether profane music is not heard on Sunday
in any of her Majesty's palaces? 1t must be
confessed that this is an ugly question, when
it is known that a band plays every Sunday for
the amusement of the Queens household, and
1t is said that the Archiepiscopal palace is not
entirely unused to music on Sunday. How
ever, it makes great difference avho hears the
music.
The Registrar General has just made his
quarterly return, which shows us that marriages
have greatly decreased in the past year or two
throughout the Kingdom. This is looked upon
as g sure sign of deterioration in the condition
of the people. At the same time, there has
been decrease in emigration, caused partly
by the war, which has created demand for
able-bodied men to be shot at, and therefore
fewer could be spared for emigration; and also
caused by the insane crusade of the American
Know Nothings against foreigners. The ex-
element has had its effect here, and upon the
best class of emigrants. The wretchedly poor,
who are shipped by their friends to get rid of
them, still 60 as usual but the more intelli-
gent, the small farmers, are deferred by the
accounts of the bitter feeling existing in Amer
lea against them.
There is an extensive strike in Scotland
among the miners-so extensive that it is Sc
riously felt Nearly fifty thousand of the miners
utterly refuse to work at their old wages, and
their employers are at stand-still in their
mining operations. Otherwise, the working
population of the Kingdom is in tolerable
condition. There seems to be plenty of work,
but the prices are altogether too low to suit the
price of provisions. The wages of laboring men
have not advanced since the war begun, while
every article of food has very much increased,
to say nothing of the taxes. AMERICAN.