LONDON.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 11, Issue 821, 26 January 1867, Page 3

LONDON.

(fbom oub own correspondent) • London, November 26, 1866. Since the 2nd inst,, the extreme north and south of Europe have been indulging in festivities. At St. Petersburg all Russia is supposed to have been enjoying itself upon the occasion of the marriage of the Princess , Dagmar of Denmark to the Czarewitch. Notwithstanding that the largest Empire on the continent made " a heffort," to appear joyful, the whole affair partook too much of J the character of the climate. This was all the, more to be deplored upon the present occasion, as it needed a little extra warmth to make the funeral meat cakes do service properly at the nuptial banquet. Fancy a princess who, only one short year ago, was mourning the loss of her first lover (?) now marrying his brother. Truly it seemed to be, par eminence, a marriage de convenance. By it the little kingdom of Denmark becomes allied in marriage with the immense empire of Russia; but. if Russia helps Denmark in the way her other matrimonial relation did in the time of need, she will not gain much by this brilliant alliance. As in duty bound, the Prince of Wales went to see his sister-in-law married, and was received in a right Imperial manner: Still, notwithstanding all the attempts made to arouse the people to a state of enthusiasm, the utter indifference of the population was the most remarkable feature in the whole matter. The newspapers having been thus lamentably "sold" in the prospect of there being something exciting to write about, industriously circulated for 24 hours the rumour that the Prince of Wales had come to an untimely end while boar hunting. This was an event our "prophets" had not calculated upon in telling us all that is to happen in Europe during the next ten years; so they, as well as the rest of England, were considerably relieved by the assurance that . H.R.H. Teas perfectly safe and sound. If the great northern capital has been thus coldly looking on at a magnificent ceremony, Venice, the Queen of the Adriatic, has been almost beside herself in her demonstrations of joy " to order," when King Victor Emmanuel came to " get his own • again." Venice, in ordinary times, with all her marble palaces and wonders of architecture, proves a "rail damper" to the enthusiastic traveller in search of the romantic, —who by dint of his imagination has conjured up a Venice that all the fairies could not create— for its dirt and poverty are the first things that strike a visitor on his arrival, and very often the mostimpressive things he carries away with him. Therefore Venice's wonderful appearance upon the day in question was remarkable. All dirt and poverty were either got rid of, or studiously concealed, so that Italy once more had the happiness of seeing its "gem of the sea" in a fit setting. The natural good taste of the Italians displayed itself to the greatest advantage in the decorations of tha city, while the enthusiasm peculiar to the Italian people displayed itself in a most exuberant manner. Venice and its inhabitants seemed to have given way entirely to holiday-making and holiday cheering, and the descendants of the once proud and almost invincible. Republic looked upon the advent of Victor Emmanuel as the dawning- of another period of liberty and glory. : Still, the eyes of all Italians are turned towards Rome, and in the midst of the rejoicings, the cry of " Rome for Italy" found most favour. The King himself had evidently great difficulty to avoid expressing direct approval of a cry that, from its constant repetition during the last few years, must have become pleasantly familiar to him, Whether the possession of Rome as the metropolis of Italy is far off or no, it is impossible to say, though all events seem T hurrying on to the inevitable conclusion of the matter. As regards the temporal power of the Pope, his Holiness clings fast to his assertion that it is absolutely necessary that the church shall have an earthly kingdom, so that Christ's Vicar may be subject to no principality or power. Rather than reside in Rome other than as its ruler, he has intimated his intention of quitting the Eternal City. All parties are averse to such a proceeding and would look upon it with dismay, as it could only lead to complication and disaster. The French fleet has started for Civita Vecchia on its errand of fetching home the "army of occupation," but rumours are afloat that, owing to the disaffection of the Antibes legion aud the Pope's evidently insecure position, the Emperor Napoleon has determined to do things very leisurely. Whether he hopes, by delay, to put matters on a firm basis is uncertain. Baron Ricasoli has been compelled to speak out about this " awkward position," and in doing so uses these re- . ■. markable words " The sovereignty of the Pope ia j&otae is pkced tay the convention of September 1864 under the same conditions as every other sovereignty. It must seek in itself, and find in itself alone, the means of existence and duration. Italy has promised France and Europe not to interfere between the .Pope and the Romans, and to wait the result of this last experiment with regard to the vitality of an ecclesiastical principality which is without a parallel in the civilized world, and which is in contradiction to the progress of the age." He then calls upon the Italians on no account to agitate the question, but to remain perfectly quiet. There is something terribly ironical in all this, for the whole of . the "circular" might be written iri the few words " there is no necessity for you to exert yourselves in pulling down when it is so thoroughly rotten in its foundations that it mus.t quickly fall in ruins." However much we may wish to see Rome as free as the rest of Italy, there cannot but be a feeling of sadness when the present position of the Pope is looked at. On his elevation to the papal chair he was the beloved of Italy, and by his reforms bid fair to be its regenerator, but alas! the old priestly influence stopped him in his career. Now, in his old age, he stands almost alone in Europe. Austria, his last hope, is unable to help him ; France must carry out the evacuation ; and Spain itself, the last broken reed, is on the verge of a volcano, driven thither , by the same influence that has rendered the city of Rome so obnoxious, and that once before made his Holiness a wanderer. , What Mr, Gladstone has said to the Pope is unknown, but it could not have had much effect upon the pontifical mind, for, only a day after their last 'interview, the allocutions alluded to in . my4etter of the 2nd instant, were issued. . ; iSpain being paralyzed — that is the only - wpjfd capable of giving even a slight con--3' «eption of the present condition of that un-

happy country — Gonzales Bravo reigns supreme, ruling a Queen who seems to have become a perfect slave to religious scruples, or, rather, superstitions. To all remonstrance she turns a d,eaf ear, and has only one answer to everything,—;-" My body is nothing if my soul be saved." Alas ! in her selfish carjes for her own salvation she listens to the very worst advice. . Is it thus, one asks, that salvation is to be obtained ? Is it by the sufferings of the people, by bloodshed, cruelties, and persecutions unexampled, that a misspent life and a wicked reign can be atoned for? Monstrous a.s the proposition sounds, Isabella seems determined to believe in it. Listen ; here is the state of things as pourtrayed by a French writer from Madrid. " Trade, commerce, and agriculture are at the last gasp, and the severity with which the immediate payment of taxes is enforced terrifies the people. At the same time, the prisons are full of innocent citizens. Neither age nor sex is respected. There is grief in families, disgust in the army, and fear everywhere, but greatest in the government, which is expecting a revolution on all sides." They must indeed be mad who persevere in such a course with so certain an end before them, but when did a

Bourbon do anything else than display illtimed obstinacy ?

The French Emperor continues his " standing" character of spectator, merely strengthening his Pyrenean frontier with a few more soldiers to stein the flood of rebellion that may soon flow all over Spain, for rebellion is not a nice thing to have in or near Prance. How His Majesty will act if Spain should really abolish its sovereign, it is difficult to say. He seems to have a dread of the Peninsula. Is it from the sad memories of his uncle's failures there, or is the pear not ripe ? lam glad to say that his health improves, and France is now looking forward to the holiday he has ordered for it in May next, when the long-talked-of Exhibition will be opened.

The " row" in Candia still goes on, notwithstanding we had authentic intelligence the other day that the insurgents were completely subdued. One is inclined, almost, to think that neither party finds itself able to " settle matters," or, in other words " one is afraid and the other dare not." So, to please their different sympathizers, they even now and then have a fight, and each party publishes its own account of the affair. Still the effect is very inimical to Turkish credit in Europe.

The. state of our money market has induced the Russian Government to ask for a loan, a request that has been met so well that the Russian Minister of France must have blamed himself for asking so little.

At home we have literally nothing to "excite" us, but we have many things "stirring," that prevent us quite falling into a state of stagnation before the new year opens with its business of next session, &c. Among other things, a certain King Potter has just issued a decree to the working classes to abstain from all debasing work on the 3rd proximo, and proceed in " their thousands " to such place as he shall direct, and there and then shout aloud for reform, or rather for such propositions as Messrs. Potter, Jones and Co. shall bring forward. What end or purpose such a procession and demonstration can answer, it is difficult to conceive, but one result will certainly be that the " working classes " on that day will in the aggregate lose some thousands of pounds, and many of them will suffer by making the acquaintance of the police magistrates on the following day, for being drunk. If the working classes are so desirous of having a hand in making our laws, the natural question comes, why do they by these assemblages attempt to intimidate the legislators of the country? They themselves, at least, seem to enjoy unlimited monarchy, for at one man's command they are willing to make themselves puppets in his hand for one day. In their trades unions they obey without the slightest question the orders of their various executives, whether such obedience brings suffering or no in its train. Such devotion and obedience are worthy of higher motives and wiser leaders — men who would shew them that if the franchise is an object of so great value, at least it is worthy of the effort to secure it by raising one's self in the social scale, and not by agitation or any any other "outside" course, adopted only to save all personal trouble. If the working clases have such great power they should, on the score of policy alone, avoid any show of " bullying " those who are at present in possession of. the governing power. A really powerful man talks least. Mr. Bright's "trip to Ireland may be written down as a complete failure. It certainly has done more damage to the cause of reform than anything yet conceived, and a few more aueh nan-siiGGesgss will vvtm. all chance of a Reform Bill next session. The great orator has promised that he will publish all the speeches he has delivered since the present agitation commenced. I am afraid it will prove rather a tame affair, on account of the constant repetitions they will contain. One thing is remarkable, that in his last two speeches Mr. Bright has not stuck very closely to the test of "manhood suffrage," and that, however determined he is to reject any proposal that Earl Derby and Mr. Disraeli may make, he is not determined to introduce a Bill for the enfranchisement of every male above 21 years of age.

But while our members of parliament are busy in giving forth these ex-parliaraentary utterances, Her Majesty's government have got their work to do. The state of the army ia the first thing that demands their attention. The recent events on the continent have completely upset all previously entertained ideas as to the art of fighting. We have, in the late war, seen a power with an acknowledged small standing army suddenly produce in the field a force that has proved itself superior to all the immense and regularly trained armies of its powerful neighbours. The commissioners appointed to enquire into the present means of raising and maintaining a British army have presented their report, and now the government must be prepared with a plan by which our militia shall be made more truly effective, or else shew sufficient reason why the standing army should be increased to a great extent. It is said that this is the subject that has been the matter of talk at i all the recent cabinet councils.

Next to this matter stands our navy, which is far from what it ought to be, and, in the maze of conflicting inventions and " reports," one is afraid whether Sir John Pakington will be able to do more than re-Construct the theory of re-construction. He has an immense fleet, as far as numbers

are concerned, at his command, but alas ! no squadron of sufficient strength and calibre to meet an enemy in the Channel.

Then the Government have to introduce the proposal of new Judges being appointed to our law courts. It seems that as our wealth and importance increase, so our love of law advances; and now, our judges find themselves completely unable to keep the cause lists of the courts clear without work .that quickly shortens their lives. With all their efforts, they are unable to make their circuits quick . and numerous enough to prevent enormous expenditure to the suitors that might be avoided had they more help. The new judges will be distributed between the courts; and the names already mentioned as those of men likely to ascend the bench are simply " legion." Doubtless the Solicitor-General (Sir W. Bovill) will accept the Judgeship vacant by Sir W. Erie's resignation, the Chief Justiceship of the Common Pleas.

Lord Justice Knight Bruce only survived his resignation of office a few days, and England in him lost one of its best judges, most upright men, and most genial friend. Seldom has a judge so thoroughly impressed all with his worth as he had done. Quick of apprehension, "Buzfuzism" was never attempted in his court, and, while he was justly severe upon all roguery, he was kindly sympathising with all who needed the law's protection. In fact were any words wanted to describe the late Lord Chief Justice, they might be found in the words — Christian, scholar, gentleman and Englishman.

While speaking of law and equity, it is as well to refer to Dr. Colenso's case, which once more has made its appearance before our Judges. Your readers will remember that the reverend gentleman sued the trustees of the Colonial Bishopric fund for arrears of salary, and they pleaded he was not the sort of Bishop they were instructed to pay, inasmuch as he had been deprived of his Bishopric by a Synod. Lord Romilly, however, held that the trustees must pay, as Dr. Colenso had only been deprived by a Synod possessed of no legitimate authority to do so, and that Bishop Colenso could only be a Bishop amenable to the Crown ; in other words, the Queen is Pope to the Church Qf England. Hence all Bishops in New Zealand, until the law is altered, will be able to do and to teach whatever " is right in their own eyes."

The war anent ritualism which had just broken fairly out when the last mail left, is continued with unflagging spirit by both parties, and as fierce as paper can make it does the fight go on. It is far from an edifying spectacle for the English Church to present to the world — this fight over vestments and incense, and alotofgew-gaw ornaments. The Bishops seem thoroughly bewildered, and have come to no determimination how to act, so each clergyman does as he likes, and people accommodate themselves to " high" or " low" church as their tastes decide. If you are very emotional you can go to a church where splendid vestments will please your eyes ; and sweet smelling incense will delight your nose, but if you are only desirous of the strict old style you have only to turn into the next street and suit yourself. I need not say that the dissenters are glorying over this disturbance in Mother Church's establishment, while the outside world scornfully asks " Are these the ministers of the Gospel of Peace ?,"

If Bishops may do as they like, our commercial people seem determined to try if directors may do as they please with the shares and monies of the various companies committed .to their care. Some of the shareholders in recently "limited" companies are trying the point whether a lying prospectus issued by a few promoters is to be sufficient to bind them to their ruin — for in many cases it is neither more nor less. The most prominent of these actions has been that against Overend, Gurney & Co., which still remains undecided on its main points. From the statements made, it appears pretty certain that Messrs. Overend, Gurney & Co., at the time of handing their business over to the "company" were hopelessly insolvent, and received £500,000 for a business that would have been dear at the' same number of farthings. In the prospectus it was stated that the business then being conducted was highly profitable, and by this statement numerous persons were induced to take up shares, only to find in a few months that they were pretty certain to lose their money. The chief charge against the original firm is that they handed over to the directors of tlie new company a list of assets containing about £3,000,000 of bad debts. As the Attorney General, who appears on the part of the plaintiffs, very correctly said, if this statement is proved to be true, the English word to characterise it is fraud. How muel Gurney's ears. Should the plaintiffs gain the day, the results will be almost inconceivable. In the first place the shareholders will be released from* all further claims upon them, and the poor depositors will have to sit down, and make the best of their loss. The second result will in all probability lead to an exhibition at the Old Bailey of Messrs. Overend, Gurney & Co;

The one question now before us as a mercantile community — as to where financing ends and swindling begins — is likely to be put to the practical- test at the Central Criminal Court in about four weeks time, when Mr. Wilkinson, .the managing director of the late Joint Stock Discount Company is to be put on his trial for using certain cheques drawn by the company, for his own private purposes. The transactions between a large stock-broking firm and the gentleman in question were " financed " by him, by his entering a fictitious loan upon the company's books, and balancing them by an equally fictitious contra entry. Whether a jury will consider this the height of financing and worthy of applause, or a sample of swindling, remains to be seen.

What with railway debentures issued without any equivalent paid-up capital or else in duplicate, and companies that have never paid a dividend " winding up " by making the shareholders pay up to the last shilling of their liabilities, some reform is absolutely necessary. One suggestion is that we have properly appointed Government auditors of companies, who will not be content with signing the simple form that the vouchers correspond with the accounts, but who will see that all the " securities " so entered are composed of real matter-of-fact documents, and not of shares in this and that undertaking, as has been too often the case recently.

While thus all is confusion in the " limited company" world, our scientific friends, especially those addicted to astronomy, have

had a glorious treat in the shape of a " celestial firework display." Though confusing enough to look at, it was in the height of order as to its arrival, for it occurred exactly as predicted. On the night of the 13th-14th inst., the heavens were lit up with a complete shower of shooting stars, that, for brilliancy and beauty, were indescribable. I send you a copy of the best account given .in the papers here, for the benefit of your scientific readers.

The year 1867 is to be full vof wonders seemingly, for we have got among us a real live female doctor, who, in a frock coat and bloomer pantaloons, made her appearance as a public lecturer at St. Martin's Hail on the 21st inst. Her performance was far from a success. From the first she could scarcely expect anything but a cool reception, and her appearance was so. provocative of ridicule that little except laughter was heard during the whole time of her lecture. At the same time, it is only right to say that many, of the young men present behaved in a most ungentlemanly manner. This question of female doctors has certainly not received any help at the hands of Dr. Mary Walker, especially when she introduced anecdotes of patients desiring to kiss their doctor.

Doubtless most of your readers are acquainted with " Artemus Ward his book." The author is now in London " speaking a piece" every night at the Egyptian Hall, the text of his, discourse being a journey overland from the States to the Salt Lake City, the head quarters of the Mormons. You can easily imagine that it is not the journey or its incidents (so often " done " into books) that is the attraction ; it is the inimitable manner in which the "Showmaa" tells it that gives the charm. A quiet, dry, almost unconscious manner while telling the most ludicrous things, and, with all, a keen description of the Latter-day saints, makes an hour with him delightful.

I wonder whether Mr. Dickens has been to see Barnaby Rudge (as not written by him) at the Princess Theatre. I must confess that when I saw the play I was puzzled. A greater misrepresentation of Miss Miggs, at all events, has never been put upon the stage than Mrs. Wood's conception of that peculiarly " Dickensian'' character. Anybody who has never read Barnaby Rudge will come away from the Theatre without being able to learn anything about it. If Mr. Dickens has seen it, I am sure he must have been very angry at such a burlesque of one of his novels being presented to the British public. Fortunately for him, his fame is won and established, and cannot be injured by such trash.

To my mind the Lord Mayor's show, pleasing as it be as a sight, is certainly not so satisfactory as the banquet. It is at this dinner that the Government for the time being is expected to tell us a bit of its mind, but on the 9th inst., Earl Derby and his colleagues had evidently determined to adopt Talleyrand's idea that words were given to mask our thoughts, for one and all concurred, in telling us that Her Majesty's ministers were almost overpowered with the weight of their responsibility, yet that they did not despair of being able to put the navy and army strait, of keeping peace with all our* neighbours, and, if need be, of reforming our representative institutions. This last, of course, was only darkly hinted at.

It does not seem at all unlikely that our old " plagues," the Fenians, will cost iis a round sum again in prosecutions during the coming year. Mr. Stephens assures us that he will be in Ireland before the end qf December, and the police have made several seizures of arms, evidently shewing that, give the " boys" the chance we should, vulgarly speaking, have a " divil of a row." If it were only possible to leave Ireland to itself, we should, perhaps, inflict a punishment upon that unhappy country that would, once and for all, make it really appreciate the thraldom it now enjoys ; but then the many innocent would suffer with the few guilty. At Belfast, the other day, we had a fair sample of Irish 4 i rowdyism," in the treatment of a Mr. M'Lochlan, who dared, (upon the elevation of Sir Hugh Cairns to the Bench) to present himself as a candidate to the free and independent of that peculiarly noisy city. The hall he had hired was filled with a mob of his opponents, who smashed everything smashable therein, and wound up their expression of political sentiment by knocking the candidate down and robbing him, the last being a " freedom" that some of the scoundrels may perhaps have to pay for yet.

While talking of dark things, I may as well revert to the capture by our London police of a wholesale receiver of stolen goods. The " gentlemen in blue" had long been on the look out for him, and it. is said hit upon the experiment of a burglary. The " clealau '' i.rv<«arvse<l at l^eirvg vot>t>e.cl. iraos.^diately rushed off to the police to give the information. Behold, the very opportunity the constables wanted, for in examining "the premises,, they so managed to 'rummage ' the stock in trade," as to find a number of articles that have been missed for a long time. Mr. Moses, not being able to properly account for his possession of them, has been sent to the Old Bailey for trial, where, perhaps, he may be able to show how he came by such a valuable miscellaneous collection.

The north of England has been visited by terrible floods lately,, and immense damage has been done, as well as some lives lost. The floods are the result of the heavy rains that have lately fallen in the north, and that, sweeping down the hill sides into the vallies, have turned them into huge watercourses carrying all before them.

The Jamaica committee, intent upon prosecuting Mr. Byre, have lately had to lament over the loss of one of their counsel whom they thought they had secured, but as their association is only a voluntary one and not a corporate body, it appears it could not retain counsel — but Mr. Eyre as a single individual could do so. Hence, Mr. Coleridge was obliged to change sides. If the committee have lost an able advocate, at least their "cause" has been materially helped by the publication of two epistles from Lieut. Brand to Mr. Buxton. The latter gentleman verily began the " blackguarding match " by referring to Lieut. Brand as the " beardless boy," but certainly such a remark cannot in the least justify the vulgar and insulting language used by Lieut. Brand in his letters. Still he has Mr. Buxton to advantage when the " philanthropist" shelters himself from the consequences of his personal attack upon the Lieutenant by saying he did so in his " public capacity ;" for the officer puts it clearly when he says it is only necessary to get up a society and, attack any one in a "public

capacity," to escape all dangers, generally incurred in libelling your opponents. lam afraid Mr. Buxton has earned his own nickname in those unlucky words "public capacity." Lieut. Brand is to be made at once to feel that such letters must not be written by officers, for he is superseded and ordered home for trial upon a charge of conduct " unbecoming an officer and a gentleman." We shall soon have another exiled monarch in Europe. The Emperor Maximilian is on his way from Mexico, the Empire having collapsed, and once more that unhappy country is in confusion. The French troops must at once withdraw, as he whom they went to support has deserted his post. We shall see now if the rowdy and annexing elements of the United States can be kept quiet. Mr. Johnson is fairly put into the corner, for his party are losing ground everywhere, and if he wishes to retain his power he must eat the leek presented to him. This result may be chiefly attributed to his grand " stumping " tour. What a miserable picture to see the head of an immense nation reduced to little else than, a shuttlecock for political sharpers to knock about.