ENGLISH NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 167, 26 May 1864, Page 4

ENGLISH NEWS.

[Trom the " European Times." Mnrcli 2fi.] Tnn spring is rapidly approaching, and it is gratifying to find that with the leturn of n-.ilder weather the condition of the industrial poor in the mannfactm-inc districts is gventlv iirrvroviiic. The meetings of the Central Executive Relief Committee are now held fortniarhtlv. instead of weeklv, as before, and in the fortnight ending the 12th instant there was a decrease in the number of the pnrochiallv relieved amounting to liearlv 7000. The number is still unfortunati-ly too larse, but every week will make it less. The total number ,assisted by tho parish up to tho 12th was 134.150, or 70,214 fewer than in the corresponding week last year. The decrease has extended to 25 out of the 27 unions: in Manchester proper there were 1154 fewer relieved than at the previous return; and in Sal ford. 350. Tho cotton prospects will now continue to improve daily as the year expands. Tn tlio coffers of the Bank of England g«dd is largely increasing, and tho rate of interest will fall as the auriferous wealth expands. The conviction, however, is, that money will not ho cheap during tho present Year, for large quantities of gold are certain to lie sent out of tho kingdom bv and h\\ to pay for the cotton now growing for our use in different p;«rfs of the world, rind these speculations are made without anv reference to the length or shortness of the civil war in America. The way in which the country has passed through the severest ordeal to whieh it has been exposed In modern times, is a source of felicitation to all. The action of the Jockey flub against Mr. Willes, the "Argus" of the Momhirj Post, has resulted in a decision to the effect that, thev have a legal right to order him off their course, although the only offence of which he has been guilt v is that of writing and publishing honest statements connected with the turf, which proved unpalatable to the said Jockey Club. The triumph of tho latter is a verv small one, and will be of short duration, for this decision will not enable them to order oft' anv gentleman, other than Mr. "Willes, that the proprietors of the paper mentioned rnav send down to Newmarket, while their " Argus" is free of all other courses throughout the conntrv. From the sent imords of a leading article on this subject in the Jfonihift Post, it is evident that the 1 Joekev Club have more to lose than the paper by the policv they have pursued in this affair. The Oxford declaration, which is intended to counteract, tho influences of tlie decision of tieJudicial Committee of Privy Council in the case "f the "Essavs and Review?." has already received the signatures of more than 10,000 (lergymon of the Church of England. It states the firm belief that "the Church of England ami Ireland, in common with the whole Catholic Church, maintains, without, reserve or qualification, the Inspiration and Divine Authority ofthe whole Canonical Scriptures." In connection with thi- movement mav be mentioned a pastoral h Her bv the Arehhj*diop of i 'ant- rburv, in which he exhorts tie- ch. r <ry \ (t reverence the Canonical Scripture* Word of Hod. "From these and other signs of tic times, which are apparent to all who pav anv attention to 11 1-• polemical tendencies ofthe cge, it is apparent. that the Privy Council'* judgment has created the most serious i alarm amongst what termed to he the more orthodox i portion of the Church. TV' controversies on this i subject in umnv oi' tho London publications which encourage these displays. exhibit the painful feeling to whieh in many quarters the decision has given birth; while, on the? contrary, it has been received with something akin to favour by the majoritv of persons who have no strong convictions on the subject, and are quite content to have the adjudication of knotty points to the "constituted authorities." Lord Westhury, filling the highest judicial position in the kingdom, has been most exposed to attaekforthepartwhiehhe playcdin thedecision:hut it may be doubted whether, on the whole, he has not pleased, in a mere numerical sense, quite as many as he has offended. The school to which the " Essays and Koviews" belong have, at least, no reason to be dissatisfied with his judgment. Garibaldi is on his way to F.ngland, and may be looked for in a few days. Already extensive preparations are making to receive him, uth) the popularity he has long enjoyed in thi y country will find an expression in anouthurst of enthusiasm greatereventhan accompanied Kossuth when lie was welcomed with open anus after his fruitless exertions for Hungary, some fourteen or fifteen years ago. Nor can it excite surprise that a man of Garabaldi's antecedents and character should possess peculiar influence over the popular mind. His life has been rich in dramatic incident, his military exploits have been groat and unexpected, and the simplicity of his character is so remarkable, that in the whole man are combined virtues not always associated with patriotism and valour. Considering the part which Oarabaldi has played on the stage of Confmental politics for a number of years, he may be pronounced the mo>t popular soldier in all Europe—the idol ofthe people —a man whose; sword has never been unsheathed but for Liberty, and who is tho friend of democracy in all parts ofthe world. With sn«*h claims on popular i esteem, the occasions will not he few during the sojourn in England when he will receive the ovations of the public, hut already fea?v are expressed, in some quarteas that the reception in tv be so overdone as to deceive the hero himself, and lead him to form conclusions which will not accurately reflect the sentiments of the nation. "Garibaldi," tays a leading morning paper, " can be very sincerely welcomed by Englishmen of all classes without tho parade of abstirdities which would certainly givehim a very unlairreprcsentation of English behaviour to those whom it wishes to honour. A quiet and dignified but cordial reception is the proper way to welcome him, because it is the way in which eminent men are generally welcomed among us. Nor is it becoming that one. fr-o deservedly popular in England should he monopolized by those? who only wish to make themselves notorious by clinging to his skirts." This is prudent advice. It has been suggested that the Volunteers in every town in whieh he may visit should pay him marked honour. The bad taste of such a movement has been forcibly pointed out by another contemprary, who Hhows that nothing would be more indiscreet than permitting the Volunteers, as such, to take part in political demonstrations of any kind. Once allow tho political virus to enter into tho Volunteer movement, and its elliciency will be seriously, it may he fatally impaired. Organised for the defence of the country, and composed of persons holding every imaginable shade of political opinion, it might sink under such a regimen into a mere political club, and inflict nearly as disastrous consequences on society as the evil it was intended to cure. We can receive and entertain Gar;;baldi as a citizen and soldier without compromising the Volunteer force in this way. Such precautionary hints arc worthy of attention, and a notice: of them may be painfully felt hereafter, j The calamity at Sheflie'd, owing to the bursting of ' a reservoir, has scattered death and destruction through a thriving and happy di>friet. Such ■ are unfortunately too frequent in Voir•hire. There wa-* one in 11 uddersia Id a. few \ ears • ink. in wh"eh the I<»mn of lile ..Jul piopertv was ■ frightful. We See it stated that ;hr actual Ws o:

lives at Sheffield amounts to 211—a prodigou.s sacrifice, owinr* tn onsinpr-ii ifr Mnndr-rins' or npfrliarf-iic''. and ne»irlv »11 the p< creature-s -worn drowned in the middle of the night without any note of warning or preparation. TheGovornmcnt, wlicn the accident became known, imrne i-ifely sent down Mr, 7?awlinson, the engineer, to invostigate and report npon the facts. tin the principle that prevention is better than cure, such works <>m:ht not to be allowed to come into oporation untMthey have boon minutolv examined hdo by some (rovernmcnt authority, ami found to ho pafe. Xo railway is permitted to exer-cise-!;s functions until this preliminary examination hn-s taken place, and theextcii<ion of the saint' supervision t" other public works would bo attended with i•" a''"u 1 ib! ' gv><>,|. Th" knowledge of {,]»,-> existence of fVN he.;lihy <ro far to te.-train the cupidi'v of contractors whose interest it i° tj» c irrv out cheap slop-work, without reference tn tie-injury it mav entail on society. Many painful pictures have been given of this terrible devastation at SheW'-ld : but no one cannot read such passages as the following without a thrill of horror: "In ijuiet little cottages, or in the little street of wellfilled houses, children were laid in their cribs, and men rested from their dav's work, to become in an hour the sport of the delude, and to lloat for days along river tide and marsh flood. Thedismal search and the miserable findings bring out more and more the strange ami sndden character of the messenger of death. The work was done in a few minutes, but in that space was a world of horrors, domestic tragedies without end, feelings more dreadful than shall ever be expressed, and results more capricious than any tale would ever tale." Of course the destruction of proportv has been immense, hut thus large as it was is-till subordinate to the 10-s of life. A supscr'ption has been raised in the district, to which the trustees of the Thike of Norfolk's estate have given CIODO, and tlio total amount so far is lit* lo short of C'2(i,oo() ; buV this amount respectable as it is, will go only a little way towards repairing the terrible disaster. Such calamities seldom come singly. The public had hardly recovered lroni the shock produced by the Sheflield tragedy, when accounts reached us of a fearful visitation at the Spittlewell Ironstone pits, near Chesterfield. It seems that the juimp in this pit had burst, and the accumulation of water was so rapid, that fourteen persons were soon drowned. But this is not all. The pit, at the time of the calamity, contained sevent.v-oiie men and boys, all of ■whoso safctv was deemed to be placed in the greatest j„ E belief in the London clubs and in the political circles of the Metropolis is, that u strong attempt will be made by the Conservative party, immediately after Easter, to dispossess Lord Talmcrston and his Government, and the recent indications in the House of Commons lead to the prolmbilitv of some such attempt. Xo doubt, the Conservative party in the Lower House is stronger at the present time than it has been for many year?, hut if strength is to be measured hv union, it is not (dear that the effort will be successful. The same cause that ha- «o long prevented this party from ruling is as strong at present as it has been at any time during the last, five years. Kvervone knows that the rank and file are not verv favourably disposed towards Mr. Disraeli, who has a strong competitor, if not opponent, in Lord "Robert ('ceil, aval the more juvenile and energetic sect inn of the Tories. Mmuv of the county representatives evince little sympathy with this party of action, and are disposed to place more confidence in Lord Falmerston than in either of t he t wo professing lenders of the opposite side: but, bad as this jealou-'v is in a more party sense, the Conservatives are deplorably in want of a policy. Notwithstanding much adverse criticism on tin' conduct of the Government relative to the invasion of Denmark and the preservat ion of neut rahty during the American struggle, Lord Derby and Ids friends have taken no exception to the principle of that policy, and a vote of want of confidence coull only be successful by attempt ing to reverse it. At the present moment the feeling of the country is decidedly in favor of peace, and TCngland would not tolerate in otliee statesmen who would think of embroiling us with the whole of Germany or the Federal S tiles of America. Fully admitting, therefore. the numerical strength of the Tory party in Parliament it is clear 1 hat they lack both a policy and the elements of cohesion—elements uhich seem essential to success in any attempt to rule a gnat ; country like this. Nevertheless, a series of small defeats on minor questions may compel the Government cither to resign or to appeal to the country. I It is very possible, then, looking to the state of parties and the age of Parliament, that we shall > have a dissolution some time during the present vear. ' In a personal point of view, no doubt, we believe, exists that the highest personage in the realm would rather iiave for her confidential adviser Lord Derby than the present First Minister, but she could hardly, in a constitutional sense, refuse to al : ow the latter t o nppeal t o t he eountry, if circumstatw-es rendered it nece-sary. Lord Derby, it is notorious, dors not covet ofliee ; lie would rather be without its cares and hara--itig tlul ics, hut someofhis follower* have ambition to gratify and honours to seek, so that the struggle bet ween the t *in<" and the 44 outs" may h'M-ome too intense to be modified or restrained by the Conservative Leader in the Cpper Chamber. The Nestor of Furopeau polities, the King of the llelgians, h it his capital prof, ssnlly to at tend the Royal Christening, but he was influenced, it is believed, by grave state of considerations to undertake such a journ'-y at his period of life and in his present state of health. The following passage from a London letter relative to this ivmaikahle man will be read with interest at the present- moment • —" 1 am sorry to find that, although it is said the King of the Belgians en j<ivs fair health, t In* traces of the s -veto mi florin its which he has lati Iv undergone aro very visible. I le is obviously exceedingly infinn, and one would say, to look at him, has but a very slight, tenure of life. It is impossible not to feel a deep interest in bis state of health under present circumstances, because, howuxer reluctant one inav be to listen lo the thousand and <me idle tales which circulate in club go>sip, there does seem reason to believe lhat the advice and counsel of.such a man as King Leopold are at. the pre-ent moment of inestimable value to the Royal Family—divided as its sympathies almost necessarily are between the Danes and Germans. Nor should any influence which he may exert -anil m» person now livingean exercise more—upon the Royal mind be regarded with auv jealousy. We may be sure that it will be used to overcome any reluct tie'" which may exist to follow the suggest ions of the constitutional advisers of the Crown, and to soothe those agitated feelings which are not favourable to the t ran sad ion of business." "Perhaps no li ving mona r«b stands better at tie- present time with all the rulinvr families of Kurope than t he king of t he 1 i-ins, and it is to be hoped that he wilt be spared to his pi ople for uany years to come. Whatever other result the Ma'/ini Stan-feld dehat ■ has produced, it has given unqualified satisfaction to the Fmperor of the French. A letter from Paris says, in reference to this subject, that Loins Napoleon " has ucen greatly touched by the mauifcsiation of public fueling in Kngland. both in the press and in Parliatmnt. Jlc has read with much interest the whole <>f the debates, as well as the articles in the leading journals, on the painful question lately before the House, and Icels gratified that his sent i men Is and his conduct towards Filmland have been so cordially acknowledged. ] am sure he disbelieves, quite as much as any sane person here or elsewhere, any complicity on the part of the member for Halifax hi (he Greco plot ; and perhaps he does not, after all, regret, that the Procureur-General alluded to him, as it has hecn the means of eliciting feelings so friendly towards himself and to this country. Indeed, d has all but healed in his mind whatever soiene.-s the rejection of bis proposition about the ('impress mav have left behind. He would willingly see re\ ivod the cordial understanding between the Governments which existed some time u<n), lor the maiulei.auee of the alliance with Kngland is for 1 lint, as for us, a a matter of the \ cry last importance." This is a highly important statement, and we attach to it unqualified credit, liecause if proceeds from a source which has si io\v<;il on liuiiiv |>rc!\ inns occasions jl tlioi-ontrli Unou'lt'clui' of tlie imuT life of the Kivnrh (.inviTnmi'iit. In this sense, Afr. St:iiisfVl(l niiiv lie ~ati 1 In liavc clone evil tlml yood ini>;lit emue. We !»•]«• we luive now liciiril the lsisl uf this _M azzini-Si ;i i: - !',•], i business ; ImL a sliilenienl lias been fovil: in ilir columns of :t CVmseieal ii e (•oiil<iii|)orar\ ui.i. ii ilisnallv snjiiiosed lo rolieel lhe\iews oflliis parl.v. to the cll'ect tluit it is to be brought np iiyahi i;! 1 renewed f'oree soon after tile F.asli r li-ce.-f. i. ck. it is ili.-tinetlv axerteil that a vote of want ■■■ n!!'leiiee in 1.0r.l I'alnn-rsto!, will lie t'onndei 1 upon the eouduet of Mr. Si ;j 11-ielil. and tin' re 11; s: 11 ol'lbe l'll'st \:inistir (o receive his r.<u;nalion w!,"n tendered. A u a ins! this statement. how. ur ina.v be placed another I which declares that the Ci.'k r\ at:i c ('liicl's have i nt , tbeir h -ads together lor cond>incd a'-liou, and lonnd. ; after minute calenlat am and impiiry, that a want of I con tab nee mot mi on this .suliject uould le:i vo t hem ill I :t minority of thirty or foity. Under anv eircumi stances, lite gratification of the Fhnpcror of the

eremai at -what has nlrendy been saul and done to heal his wounded susceptihilitVs in the Greco affair, a detovrin ( r —n wet blfi- l;et ov the successful revival of the controversy in Parliament. It required something to console the Emperor of the French for the defeat which he has sustained in the first and fifth districts of Paris, and the healing halm referred to comes opportunely. The two Opposiiiou candidates were M. C'arjiot, who received OOftN votes, agninst the Government nominee, M. Pinard, for whom onlv jiersons voted. Al. Gnrnier Pages had 11.721 votes recorded in his favour, ■whi v V. Levi, one of the "Paris put forward to oppose biin, only re«*eived ifl M. These two elections, following those a few months back, s'rve to show the unponnlarity of flu? Fl'uneror's Government in his own ('apital, and. as Paris is still -aid to be France, the fact cannot fail to annoy him. The simplest remedy would be lo give the peonle more political lihertv, for it is undeniable that lie ha* raised the nation to a pitch of moral and materal greatness wMHi it has uevi»r achieved since the tim" of Louis X 1 V. Of course, we except the career of the First Xapoleon. because it was exceptional and ended so disastrously. To show the utter want of political freedom, properly so called, it is sufficient to mention that the police recently dispersed a. meeting of electors held at the of TNT. Garnier Pages, for no other reason, aimarently. than because ho was the Opposition candidate. An act of tvrannylike this. —so small, and, in its way, so calculated to incense a spirited people like the French,—was the surest w iv to secure the immense majority by which ho has been returned to the Chambers. There can be no donbf now that tie* Arch duke Maximilian will go to Mexico under the protection of Franco, and attempt to found an empire ther". All the preliminaries arranged ; and to-morrow, at Miramar, the Archduke will announce bis acceptance of the throne to the deputation who eroded the Atlantic to place the prize at his disposal. Such being bis determination, wo can only \vi«h that the career of the young Ausf?-i:m Prince in his opposition mav be as happy and prosperous as ho can desire. But i«s no u-e hi disgpwinir the fact that the ]-»osition is in f»no of neril and uncertainty. As far as "Kmope and ind' - d ~ lexico her=elf are concerned, the substitution of a strong and solid srovoruTnent for one of anarchy and confusion would bo a positive blessing, for tlio state of things in fine and rich country over which the swav of Maximilian will now extend, has been a disirra.ee to civilisation and the enlightmont of the nineteenth centurv. Auv change, therefore, is likelv to be a change for the better. Hut it not be forgotten that however the war in America mav terminate;—-vhether in th" restoration of the Fnion or the independence of the South—the troubles of the new m!er must commence when peace and prosperitv have been restored to that portkm of the Xorth Ameriran continent. The Monroe doctrine' ishehlas firmly 1 now hv the American people as when it was first broached, though its maintenance may he in abeyance at present when the country is convulsed with fivil war. The moment, however, this civil war is over, the now l\mp'-ror will find his troubles beginrdny. If the South win. the expansion of slavery to a fresh and comparatively virgin soil will he the first desire e>f the new government : and if the rebellion he put down. Ihe conquerors will look for their reward in the appropriation of a countrv which has been always viewed as certain to become, at some time or other, part and parcel of the Fnited Stales. An evening paper, which is known to receive aft imes ('overnment inspiratiem. intimates that the Washington Cabinet is willing to accredit an envoy to Mexico, on the understanding of sin observance of neutrality durinir the civil war. This mav be so; for to refuse such an offer might have tempted France to acknowledge the indepenelcnce «>f the South : but a guarantee given under such circumstances may not be found to be worth much when the Fnion has airain become consolidated. The writer says : —" For some wars the fwo hostile sections of the late United States will prohablv have enough to do in battling with each other, and certainly the Southern belligerents will neither have a man nor a gun lo spare lor anv act of hostility to Mexico." This is true to n certain extent, hnt the reaction which follows exhaustion in America must not be indued of by the Knropean standard. The prom-ess of population on the \VeMern shores of the Atlantic, fed by the discontented nationalities of the Old AYorld. will soon replace (lie vacuum which \v»r lias made : anil the natural resources of America are so frij;anlic as will obliterate, ill a few veal's, many of the evils which the rebellion litis hronirht, ill its Irain. Tt is well to hem* these facts in lnitnl in estimating the future. Upon the whole, the time is not unfavourable for tryinu the experiment of a new form of irovernment in Mexico : ami, perhaps, amongst (he families of Kurope, n more likelv representative of the Monarchical principal coulil not he found than Maximilian - vouni.'. clever, spirit' il. enlightened, ami who has had personal experience of the all but absolute l-uin to which the Austrian empire has been reduced bv a persistant oono-ition lo I In- voice of the people. His personal niialities are in his favour, and on the protection of 1'" ranee he may re! v for a time: but a review of hi-J advantage-; and ditlieult ies will show that the poj-it'on inu.-t be, under any circumstances, one of peril and that lie may find in his new subject? the most troublesome ofall embarrassments.