EUROPEAN NEWS BY THE SEPTEMBER MAIL.

New Zealander, Volume XV, Issue 1421, 30 November 1859, Page 5

EUROPEAN NEWS BY THE SEPTEMBER MAIL.

SPIRIT OF THE WEEK.

[from the “ European Tiraei,” September 1.0.J

■ Kot withstanding: the disaster which has overmen the Great Eastern, people are looking to j, er as the best existing vehicle to repair the temporary check which has befallen our arms in China,- and it is urged on the Government that the be immediately chartered for the prompt conveyance there of such a force ns will punish the treachery of the Chinese authorities, and teach them in future to respect the faith of treaties. There isao vessel afloat capable of effecting the M me amount of good in an emergency. Any ether vessel would have been shattered to pieces by the accident which occurred on board. If employ'd in the the direction named, a few days, certainly a fortnight, would be to prepare her for the transport of troops to the East, for the luxurious saloon and its finery to accommodate first-class passengers accross the Atlantic, which *oßdestroyed in the explosion, would be needless if she were employed as a troop-ship. Had the Great Eastern been ready when the Indian mutiny first appeared, there can be no doubt that she would have been employed. The French and English Governments appear determined to tike measures in common for punishing the conductor the Chinese, and, in doing this, they Tjll be supported by the public opinion of both gantries. One important element in retribution ef this kind is speed—to let no time unnecessarily fltpse between the offence and retaliation. E»en the appearance of a vessel of such gigantic jroportutas in the waters of China would have a jowerful moral effect on the minds of the culprits, ffj as it is said, Pekin will shortly be in the occupation of a combined English and French ihny, the interval between the determination and (be act ought to be as •*rief us posible. It is to be lemented that we are to have a new Hr on »ur hands at the other side of the globe, feat it has been forced on us, and we have now no •iternalive but to bring it to a satisfactory issue in shortest period possible. So far, however, fron the Great Eastern being required for the conveyance of British troops to China, it is contended in some quarters that we have abundance of men, and to spare, in our Indian possessions. A contemporary is at some paips to show that “from the Indian capital an expedition could be dispatched to the coasts of China with the greatest ease—indeed it would be Stile more than a decent upon the Persian or Burmese shores, such as we have recently undertaken anil accomplished.” And the writer inantafaa that we have 60,000 Sikhs, or Punjaubees, excellent soldiers, whose only wish is for employm?nh and whose only dread is disbandment. These, with 90,000 men from the Royal army, would enable large masses to be drafted to China, without any danger to the peace of India, and with a great saving of expense to England. We | lee it stated that France proposes to send 12,000 i »f her troops to the scene of the Chinese disaster. The deeds of brave men, fighting their country’s kettles afar off, have always a powerful influence on the public mind, and it was this generous impulse which induced the inhabitants of Dover, the oilier day, to entertain at dinner the three hundred gallant officers and men of the 32nd Regiment who formed part of the garrison that so uobly defended Lucknow, in the Indian war. The speeches on such occasions are well enough In their way, but words, however eloquent, are often feeble exponents of the patriotism which glow* in the breast of sincere men. On this j occasion the officers, non commissioned officers, j Md privates were feted to their hearts’ content, hut the commanding officer of the regiment, who Expressed the gratitude of those under his command for the compliment so deservedly paid by the citizens to the soldiers, was not present at the »%e; but this drawback did not diminish, in fhet, rather increased the admiration for those who were. The scene was one essentially English. In other countries such demonstrations are usually the work of the Government; with us they proceed from the people, and, although it may be objected that manifestations of this kind create a We of military glory, the tendency of which is to rush needlessly into war, yet circumstances •rise in the history of every nation when it is **sential to sustain the martial stamina by enoonrajiement and public approbation. The Indian mutiny was one of these occasions; the new war •o China is another. When a country ceases to ippreciate military glory, exercised in a just cause, ttt doom is not distant. Rot dining and feting are compliments not mseved exclusively for those who fought * ff ord in hand. The civilian is still more frequently in the habit of receiving such ovations ■“■when he deserves it. The battle of parties is seconded in importance to the battle of empires, and Lord Derby and his colleagues in the hie Government, who are held in the judgment *0 their supporters, to have fought “ the battle «( me constitution” with great bravery during the *k°rl time they held power, from the tall of Lord Palmerston until his restoration, are preparing to a civic crown at the hands ot their admirers in Liverpool. This great political demon*hation will take place towards the close of vktnber, and will be one of the most imposing affairs of the kind which has taken place in "'gland. The ex-Premier, Mr. Disraeli, Sir phu Pakington. and all the prime spirits in the | Conservative. Ministry have received ’"vitations and will be present. There is some ‘Mu about Lord Stanley’s attendance. Tins IJflOng nobleman holds opinions considerably advanced than these of his father, —opinions ■ are not shored by the members of the late I r*?l' erniT 'ent, of which lie was a member. It was Obeyed at the time that filial regard rather than P°ntical sympathy induced him to accept office un,er the Government of which Lord Derby was the Jpd, and if this wore so, his absence will confirm | p impression,— if otherwise, he will partake "t I “e banquet and the honors. The forihI Jjp 1 "* display can hardly fail to bring out Conservative programme for the enduing

session, for rival politicians, like rival tradesmen, deem it wise to show their wares to the best advantage. It is difficult to arouse public opinion to the point which may be called exciting, except on the occasion of a contested election, but the forthcoming statement of the

I question of Parlimentaiy Reform, on some basis ! or other, is tolerably certain to have this effect ! during the next session of Parliment, The Globe of the 16lh says, in its quiet satirical way:—“ Perhaps the world could scarcely present a greater contrast than is afforded just at present by Aberdeen and Belfast—here, the meeting of the most influential classes iu the country, with royalty at their head, to promote the patient investigation of Divine works—there, an hysterical epidemic, not entirely unshared by influential classes, but seizing the lowest and most eneducated patients as chosen exponents of a Supreme Authority. The contrast is something more than a curiosity to amuse for the moment. The events of the late war in Itay have left a rankling feeling in the minds of the Germans, and they are anxious to see the Confederation placed on a basis which will render it more responsive to public sentiment. It is easy to desire this, but the attainment is an affair of difficulty, owing to the jealousy of the German Powers, small and great. Personal and dynastic considerations have greater influences with the popular voice. The people in the aggregate hate the French, and hate, more especially everyone who bears the name of Napoleon, and the hatred has all the depth and intensity of popular passion. Nothing would have given greater pleasure to the Germans, as a people, than a war with France when Louis Napoleon

was grappling with Austria, and the refusal ol Prussia to stir, except in the case of eventualities which did not arise, was the cause of much popuiai discontent. This did not arise from a love ol Austria, nor a desire for Prussian supremacy in the Diet, but was to be found in a deep-rooted anti-Gallic dislike. To this cause may be attributed the recent address from the principal inhabitants of Stettin to the Frince Regent of Prussia; it embodied the expression of the general voice, but, while professing to sympathise to some extent with the objects of those who addressed him, the Prussian ruler contrived to infuse a gentle censure into one portion of his reply. The fol'owing rebuke is telling in its quiet satire:— “ Germany will render herself greater service t the present time by endeavouring to further the common interests of Germany in such a way that practical results will ensue, by the increase of the armed forces of Germany, and by strengthening the certain footing on which rights are now established throughout the whole Federal country, than by premature proposals in the Federal constitution.” The article in the Moniteur , relative to the present complications in Italy, and which evidently discloses the private policy of Louis Napoleon, demonstrates conclusively that France will he no party to the restoration of the Austrain Princes. This manifesto, nevertheless, contains a sly hit at some of the more ardent and conspicuous of the Italian patriots, who are described as “ men more anxious about petty partial successes than the future welfare of their country.” It is evident from the whole spirit of this manifesto that France washes her hands of the Italian business. She has done her part, and the rest must remain with the Italians themselves. They can work out their own regeneration if they desire, and they stand in this respect in a position so superior to the one which preceded the war, that they may be confidently left to take care of what they have gained. Austria in the present temper of Europe will hardly be disposed to employ force in order to reinstate her relations in the Duchies ; and if she w r ere to make the attempt, it it is questionable whether she would succeed. But a new spirit seems to influence the councils of Francis Joseph lie lias been making large and libers! concessions to the Protestants of his empire, and this is evidently the harbinger of a new order of things—a new policy which may be said to have been inaugurated at Solferino. The King of the Belgians, strange to say, is paying a visit to the Emperor of the French in his autumn retreat at St. Saveur, and probably we shall hear little in future about the fortification of Antwerp. It is the misfortune of Louis Napoleon that lie obtains credit for invariably, when the opportunity permits, of treading in the footsteps of his uncle, and his uncle was always desirous of making Antwerp the Liverpool of the Low Countries. Louis Napoleon declares that he appreciate the spirit of his age, hut the woild will tie him down, nevertheless, to a slavish imitation of his great predecessor, and this is the primary cause ol the want of confidence in his policy. Still, it augurs well for the peace of Europe that so astute a man as Leopold thinks the time has come when he may he friendly and familiar with his great neighbour, and if the public could have access to their conferences much would transpire to amuse the world and instruct its future historians. THE GREAT EASTERN’S MISFORTUNE. (From the “ European Time*,” November 19.) The public have followed with intense interest the fate of this noble ship, from the time that she was first projected down to the sudden and unexpected calamity which has overtaken her in the Channel,—a calamity which is everywhere regretted, not less because it temporarily checks the success of an experiment of the greatest interest to the whole maritime world, but because it arose from a negligence which under the circumstances was unpardonable, and nvght so easily have been prevented. A gentleman on board at the time of the explosion thus explains its cause “ From the plan of her construction requiring that the cabins should run along the whole length of the deck, it became necessary that her numerous funnels should run up through their centres. As this would greatly raise the surrounding temperature, the plan of surrounding them with what are called “ water jackets was adopted, the latter consisting of an outer tubing round the base and up a portion of the sides of the funnel, the interstice forming an annular boiler quite as large as any of the regular boilers of the ship. This was to he kept constantly filled with water, and was to serve the double and apparently contradictory purpose of cooling rooms and generating heat, the latter to ho carried off by pipes, and a “tap” being provided, which was to act as the safety valve of the jacket. The safety valve of this steam generator was a tap which was to he turned by hand, and the opinion of every one who saw the broken funnel was that it had never been turned since K was first placed in its present position. Hie turning had been neglected, and, in consequence, the water within had rapidly become steam, and

finding no vent, had burst upwards m the ternhie explosion which sent a long weighing \ eight tons, some fifty feet into the air.” _ < It is melaticho.y to reflect that this criminal carelessness on the part of some idle or thoughtless operative has caused the destruction of more than half a dozen lives already, and that several sufferers still alive may not survive the injuries they have experienced. Mr. Scott Russell, to whom the Great Eastern owes her origin, exclaims, like the regicide in the play, “ Thou canst not say I did it!” and declares that the system of “ water jackets” was forced on him by Mr. Brunei, not only against his wishes, but in defiance of his earnest protestation, and that-he only yielded in obedience to the stern conditions- of his contract. If this be so, it exonerates the builder, but what shall we say of the engineer? Mr. Brunei has already immortalised himselt by his launching o this huge ship, an operation that consumed months and cost £BO,OOO, which beggared the company and caused the first hitch in .he success of ibis great experiment in naval architecture. The “ water jacket” scheme, which had been tried and condemned in other large steam-ships, was worthy of the launching, and to introduce machinery of this dangerous and complicated character, which was not self-acting, but depended upon the memory of a casual operative, or Ills want of memory, appears to have been as reckless as it wovld be to strike a Inciter match over a on or two of exposed gunpowder. Hitherto, the en- iueer we have named has held a foremost place in his profession, and it must be to him a source

j of bitter regret, as it is to the company to which 1 the ship belongs and to the public, that he should I have been so unfortunate in all his experiments with her. Perhaps, under the circumstances, we may be thankful that the destruction of life and properly was not greater. Had an explosion of this terrific kind occurred in any other vessel she must inevitably have foundered on the instant. About this there can be no mistake. It is the combined testimony of all who were on board when the disaster happened, and that the vessel is not permanently injured only proves that she is one of the strongest and safest in the world. We do not anticipate that the prestige of the Great Eastern will be permanently shaken by this accident. It will delay her departure some three weeks or a month, and it will entail a loss of i:5000 to repair the damage which has been done; but the most serious loss of all is the loss of life, so needlessly and recklessly sacrificed. For this no money can compensate, and the record of the sufferers’ agony is a painful episode in the history of human progress. Nevertheless the Great Eastern, before she commences her ocean career, will be thoroughly overhauled and inspected, so that the possibility of future accidents, as far as human foresight can be available, will be thoroughly anticipated, and we hope that the cloud that has darkened her birth may be cleared away by a prosperous and brilliant luture.