The Press. — 1856-04-19 (London, England)

THE WEEK.  Tux Congress has at length concluded its sittings, and terminated its important labours. Its discussions have not been without interest, from the peculiar circumstances under which it was convoked at Paris. From first to last it held twenty-three primary and five inferior sittings, from the 25th of February to the 16th of April. Although grave questions were debated in its presence, it cannot bo affirmed that its results have that character of decisive finality which imparts so much historical dignity to preceding congregations of diplomatists. The question of the Danubian Principalities is still unsettled. and the affairs of Italy are assuming a threatening aspect. Austria has pushed forward its troops to the Piedmontese frontier, and the Emperor NAPOLEON has ordered the formation of a powerful camp in the department of the Var. Lord CLARENDON arrives in London to-day, and Count CAVOUR is expected. Count Bum. and Baron MANTEUFFEL return to Berlin and Vienna. Am PACHA and Count ORLOFF remain at Paris. The text of the Treaty is eagerly anticipated ; ratifications will be exchanged before the end of the month. The Times correspondent at Vienna announces that the forts on the Circassian frontier will not be reconstructed ; but if that be true (and it is doubted in some quarters), it may follow that a similar res alt is intended to affect the Turkish frontier. The policy of denuding the Turkish territory of its solo defensive outposts may be justly questioned.  There has been more " progress" than is quite -flpparent in the course of the last few days. The breach in the Liberal party continues to widen, and the discomfiture of Lord JOHN RUSSELL upon his " Education Bill" has been seized upon by many of his old supporters as an opportunity for assailing the " Bedford Whigs." It is most evident that the " Liberals " are not certain what leader's flag they should follow. On Monday, a former Private Secretary of Lord JOHN RUSSELL, the Earl of ALBEMARLE, brought the question of torture in India before the House of Lords. How much there still remains to be done by the practical philanthropist and statesman upon our Oriental possessions, may be seen in the confession of the Earl of ELLENBOROUGH, that " though he had been a member of the Indian Government at home, " and in India for five years, during the whole of that time he had never heard that such a system existed, and before he read " the present Report he would have denied its existence." The Crimean inquiry continues, but the general interest in its proceedings has considerably flagged, though in military circles its evidence is keenly discussed. Mavnooth has had its regular turn on Tuesday, and on a division Mr. SPOONER carried his motion for a Committee of examination of the acts in the endowment of the College, by a majority of 159 to 133. A vehement Roman Catholic speech from Mr. DEASY, a newly-chosen Member of the House, was the only novel feature in the debate. The subject of Ministers Money (Ireland) was under consideration on Wednesday, and Mr. HORSMAN (Chief Secretary for Ircland)'drew down upon himself an attack from Lori JOHN RUSSELL on the untoward course he had pursued, proposing no measure of his own, and leaving the question to be " agitated." On Thursday there was `• no House " to hearken to the eloquence of Sir JOSHUA WALMSLEY, seeking to enforce the necessity for England getting up a revolution on the model of 1848.  A paragraph has been circulated by several journals, stating that Sir JAMES GRAHAM and Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT were about to juin the present Ministry in the course of a few•days. The rumour is entirely without foundation. Sir JAMES GRAHAM is far too clever a man to commit himself so egregiously ; and though Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT is a most benevolent character, it would be carrying sentimentalism too far if he were to embark in a sinking vessel.  The wrath of Sir JOSHUA WALMBLET and his friends at the House of Commons thinking that there was no particular use in wasting Thursday evening on his ridiculous Reform Bill, is something awful• Among their small revenges they have printed names of those who attended in their place, in admiration of the great JOSHUA. This is, perhaps, the most suicidal thing they could have done. We will extract the bright, if not particular, stars of the Radical list, and then ask the people of England whether such a gathering were not enough to settle the character of the movement :  Mr. Apsley Pellatt !! Mr. George Hadfield ! ! Captain Scobell ! Mr. J. F. Maguire! Mr. William Williams!! Mr. William Ewart! Mr James Kershaw! Mr. J. Brotherton ! Mr. Thomas Meagher! M r. Henry Berkeley ! ! Mr. W. A. Wilkinson!! Sir Joshua Walmsley !! ! Here are a choice dozen. who came down to remodel the British Constitution. Imagine the merits of a bill that could please that 

Article type: NotIncident