Glasgow Courier. — 1860-03-08 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

THURSDAY MORNING, MARCH 8.  The reception of Volunteer Officers by Her Majesty took place yesterday, when more than 2,500 at tended. Numerous arreats wire Made in Naples last week, some of persons of distinction. The Attorney. General at Messina had been murdered. The Sardinian government has refused the French proposal for the settlement of the Romagna. That for the settlement of Central Italy the King of Sardinia says he will send to the government of that country, and abide by their decision.  The Times is very angry with Mr Seymour Fitzgerald, and the Opposition generally, for speaking out against the Commercial Treaty, and doubting the propriety of the present attitude of Lord Palmerston's Cabinet towards France. On Tuesday it adminis.. tared what was intended to be at once a severe rebuke and serious warning to those members of Parliament who dared to speak their mind on these matters. It brandished over them the old terror-weapon; recommending greater caution to be used when discussing the relations of this country with the Imperial Government of France, in case the Emperor should take - umbrage at the free expression of opinion, and a rep. tore of the friendly alliance be invoked, in effect I" it has had the assurance to argue—approve of this !. treaty as quickly as you can, and cease frank remarks on the movements of the Imperial policy as regards Savoy and Italy until our true but touchy ally gets ' certain matters arranged according to his will. If you won't do so the consequence may be war. A@ we t'other day said, it was to be expected that inch language would be used. It occurs to us that there little secret reason which moved the Times danger to Lords Palmerston as muCh to do with prompt. ' to this style of argument, as If we have any right to past conduct—that especially not long gone by afraid, when it suits even actually to it. There is there the idea that some —vnosed, has  proval  in the heart—some, too, who would purchase peace at any price; but he knows full well that the nation at large will.not consent to a surrender of its free judgment on that policy of his in which it is interested, nor resign its right, whatever might be the consequences, to utter at the proper time an emphatic—No. Painful it is to think that any political party or member of the press of Britain ,should attempt in the least degree to check the frank expression of public opinion; and, in order to gain a special political end, to use arguments calculated to rouse alarm, which are utterly opposed to nationil feeling, and unwarranted by the state of I affairs. The reasons we give for opposition to the annexation of Savoy to France may or may not be good; but we have a right to urge them. We may or not be correct in saying tat the Commercial Treaty is not a wise one; but we have a right both to judge and express our judgment. And we should think much less hopefully of the position of matters than even we do, if friendliness with France could be endangered--as,the Times says it will be—by such criticisms as the Conservatives have felt it their duty to make on the late phases of the French Imperial policy. We grant that in the course of debate as to this Savoy question, there has been an admixture of rather intemperate language; but it has not emanated from the Conservative party, although, of course, the Times and its echoes throughout the country would like to make out that it did.