THE EMEU'S MAIL. English News to 18th December.

Taranaki Herald, Volume VII, Issue 343, 26 February 1859, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE EMEU'S MAIL. English News to 18th December.

[From the Sydney Morning Herald, Feb. 10.] The steambhip Emeu, with the December mail, arrived this morning.

[From our Correspondent.] BY TELEGRAPH VIA MARSEILLES. London, December 18th, 11.7 p.m. The President's message is mainly devoted to domestic topics. Regarding foieign relations its language is peaceful, excepting with Warangnay and Mexico. It expresses satisfaction at the abandonment of the right of search by England, and announces that the present new Minister of Spain has full power to settle the Mexican question. The President hopes the Liberals there will soon regain power and establish stable govetnment, otherwise the United States must take possession of a portion of that country to indemnify its citizens for losses. Ho proposes the military occupation of Sonoia and of Chiohiagua to prevent hostile Indian incursions. Cuba, says the President ought to belong to America, — and he lecommends its purchase. The Munro doctrine, herctofoie announced by Secretary Cass, to be adhered to by Central America ; negotiations aie on foot for an anticipated settlement. The Paragua difficulty will be settled without bloodshed. The President alludes to the co-operating of the American Minister with England and France in the Chinese treaty. He proposes to change the present ad valorem Tariff to specific duties. , [from our city correspondent.] London, November 20, 1858. The news from India continues to be favourable, hut you will be aware that the engagements are at present between meie detachments of both the rebels and the Queen's troops. It is considered that, ere .the present year closes, we may be m receipt of fiecided intelligence of the dispersion of the rebels, or at all events early in the new year. The Daily News has obtained copies of two despatches of Sir John Young, the Lord High Commissioner of the lonian Islands, to the Colonial Office —of course by the treachery of some one of the clerks— the publication of which will very much impede the labours of Mr Gladstone. These letters recommend the sunender to the kingdom of Greece of five of the islands., and the conversion of Corfu and Paxo into British colonies. The publication took place without the sanction of the Government, who have instituted an enquiry into how they evei saw the light. The five islands referred to, are Cephalonia, Zante, Ithaca, Santa Maura, and Cerigo. There has been a; commission appointed by France to report on the advantages and disadvantages of the Negro emigration scheme, when no doubt a recommendation to abandon the same will be recorded.

The amount of indemnity to be demanded by France of Portugal, in the matter of the Charles et Georges, has not yet been fixed. The state of affairs in Mexico is becoming very complicated. The country is disturbed from one end to the other by internal dissention and warfare. and is threatened from without with an hostile force from Spain. Franoe, the United States, and England, have at the same time cause of complaint. France and England have communicated to the United States Government their determination to enforce their interpretation of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty for the piotection of the company formed by M. Belly, for an inter-oceanio mail across the Isthmus of Nicaragua. A war between Peru and Ecuador is expected'; both sides are making preparations. Her Majesty'sGoveinment pmpose urging foieign states to reciprocate the advantages of free trade conferred by .our navigation laws ; but our shipowners »re making a greater stir in the question in consequence of the alleged injury sustained by them from foreign shipping. The fact is, that trade has become so dull that freights have fallen to an unusually low level, and hence their dissatisfaction. Nothing was said on the subject when trade was brisk and freights high. The Hon. Frederick Bruce, brother of the Earl of Elgin, has been appointed the first ambassador to Pekin from the Court of St. James's.

The Prince of Wales has left for Prussia on a visit to his sister and brother-in-law.

A gigantic indictment has been laid by the Saloon Omnibus Company against the London Gpneial Omnibus Company, for a conspiracy to ruin the former, but both parties have finally agreed to come to some private arrangement whereby the question may bo settled out of Court. Mr Bright and Mr Gibson will, on the 10th December, attend a Reform Soiree at Birmingham.

Ribbonism, in Ireland, appeals to be springing up again. " Cardinal Cullen," it is said, will be conferred on Archbishop Cullen by the Pope of Rome.

London, Saturday, November 27.

The news from the United States this week is important. France and England have resolved by an armed force to uphold the independence of Central American republics, in the spirit of the interpretation they give to the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, and a combined squadron has been ordered to Panama to oppose any attempt by the fillibusters against Nicaragu* and Costa Rica. The President of the United States has issued a proclamation, warning American citizens from joining any fillibuster ex, pedition, preparingagainst Nicaragua under General Walker. This may put a stop to the proceedings of Walker and his partisans, but when they kniw that they have to contend with the forces of both England and France they may see the utter hopelessness of their intentions and abandon their lawless debigns.

The elections in America (U.S.) have so far gone in direct opposition to Buchanan for re-election as

President, on account of his backwardness in exercising his authority in favour of law and order. Her Majesty has conferred the dignity of Knighthood on Charles Clifford, tho Speaker of the House of Representatives of New Zealand. The colonists of Australia thus find my predictions come true — that certain celebrities of the Australian group would receive titles of nobility. This I predicted some years ago. But now Igo fmther and assert that time will produce still higher titles of nobility, with " local designation." Reinforcements for India continue to be despatched j those now ordered will raise the British force in India to just 100,000 men. Foreign politics are in general quiet, but a storm is brewing up between France and Austria, which is likely to burst at no very distant date. Some of the French Gevernment papers have had repeated attacks on Austria, and some retaliation has ensued. The Queen of Spain will recal Geneial Concha, Governor of Cuba, as soon as the difficulties with Mexico are arranged, and Senor Don Ros d'Olano will succeed him. The Dutch Government have signed a treaty of commerce with Japan similai to that of other powers. Lord Napier, her Majesty's Minister at Washington has been iccalled for a too strong leaning in favour of the Monroe doctrine taken up by Buchanan with respect to the interpretation of the Claj touBulwei Treaty. It is said he has acted adversely against Sir William Gore Ouseley in his exertions to maintain our treaty engagements with the Government of Central America. St. Paul's Cathedral will, to-morrow, be opened for evening service to the people. The accommodation is made for 2500. There have been some fearful storms in Emope, Asia, and America of late, and the damage done to the shipping has been very great. ENGLTSH AND EUROPEAN GOSSIP. [Fiom the Coirespondent of the Sydney Herald.} London, December 15th. The item of the greatest impoitance in this piebent monthly budget is Vaffaire Montalembeit as tho Fiench have it. For a time it has taken absolute possession of the English mind, even to the exclusion of Mr Blight at Manchester, and Mr Gladstone, at Coifu. That wo aie very deeply interested in the matter is not to be denied. The crime of M. de Montalembert is, that he piefers English to Fiench institutions. The comparison is held to be odious to the French Empeior — mats quest cc qu'd vcuti What tyranny have we heard of, so wanton and reckless, as that which will not have black called black, nor white, white ? To assort that the Fiench have not their liberty — to aspire after that libeity, and to show how, in a neighbouring state, it woiks to the safety and honour of a great people — aie these to be reckoned offences against the French Empire ? What and m hen is to be the end of a system so sensitive to criticism ? To prosecute a man for stating the broad fact that theie is no liberty, does appear to be a dioll method of proving the contrary. What lias M. do Montalembert said or done which is one-half so derogatory to the dignity of the empire as his prosecution, trial, and condemnation ?

For tried he has been, and of course condemned. If it had been the right of the Emperor to justify the tiuth of M. de Montalembert's libel, he could not have taken any more effectual measures. The world knows now better than ever what sort of liberty lemains in France, and what is the exact relation of her constitutions to those of England. Of the trial, which excited intense inteiest in this country, you will read full particulars elsewheie. The speech of M. de Berryer for the defence, however, restricted by the arbitrary interference of the Judge, was worthy of the fame of one of our greatest living oiators. At its conclusion, the Court was the scene of an extraordinary sensation. A storm of cheeis and bravoes burst spontaneously from the audience — an audience, too, be it remembered, most caiefully packed and selected, consisting of all the most moderate and respectable men who lend a passive adherence to the Imperial system. No notes whatever were permitted to be taken of the proceedings. It, of course, almost every woid, found its way into the great London dailies, which were in consequence, rigidly excluded from France.

Being convicted, M. de Montalembeit had lodged an appeal to the superior couit, but befoie that appeal could be heard came in a paidon fiom the Emperor, in the shape of an epigram, the most impudent imaginable. The pardon, it was expressly declared, was a I'occasion de I'anniversah c dv 2 Decembre! 'Die joke, whoever perpetiated it, is likely to be an expensive one. It has excited a lively feeling of disgust, even among the Emperor's adherents, who consider it tin pen hop fort. The insult, of course, is less to M. de Montalembert, who, uufoitunately for his fame, did lend himself for a few days to the policy of the coup_ d'etat — than to Franco, who does not caie to be reminded of an anniversary so infamous. It is — as one of our ablest journalists has lomarked — as if Richard 111 had let off Buckingham in recollection of the day on which the two Piinces weie muidored in the Towei — or Ciomwell had pardoned a Cavalierin remembiance of the 30th of January — or the Pope had dated an amnesty on the eve of St. Bartholomew. Ceitainly, the Emperor does well to remind Europe of the 2nd of December. Some of us, in England, had nearly forgotten it — had neaily forgotten the grandest act of laiceny ever committed — had almost lost out of mind the stoiy of that shameful day, when the drunken fury of a brutal soldiery was let loose upon a defenceless people — when women and childien were shot down at their own doois, and saw their husbands and brothers slaughtered without even a shadow of provocation. Hardly appreciating the exquisite good taste of the Imperial coup de grace, M. de Montalembert has somewhat spoilt the point of the joke by refusing to accept his pardon. For this refusal he is blamed by some of our leading journals, but I think that the majority of men of sense and spirit will agree in thinking that M. de Montalembert has done right. On legal grounds there can be no pardon, until after final conviction. Now, while his appeal is yet undecided, M. de Montalembeit's case is yet open, even in the eye of the French law. He cannot, therefore, accept &s a favour that which he might yet obtain as a light, and his acceptance of which involves an admission of guilt. But having committed no crime, he denies that there is any power which can pardon him ; and so the Imperial grace is frustrated, and the whole affair lendered a great deal worse to the Emperor and his friends. Joined to the frequent late instances of Imperial unwisdom and bad faith, the affair of Montalembert has loft a very bad feeling in this countiy. People

ask, very naturally, if these are the evidences of that profound sagacity which was guaranteed to us in lieu of any of the finer virtues, on the part of Louis Napoleon. To be a knave is bad enough, but to be knave and fool together is intolerable. Of course, there are some who still maintain that we have nothing to do with the character or the acts of our continental partner, but, in a concern wheie the liability is not limited, is it not our business to discuss the affairs of our ally, as only less important to us than our own ? Old Fogydom, of course, i 6 up and wags the beard against the insolence of the Press, and so forth. By its representative Sir Francis Head, supposed to be one of the family of the Block Heads) — that old chiffonier of literature — who is always either blowing Bubbles or gathering Faggots, it has come forth to defend the Emperor, and to denounce the "unpatriotism" of those who attack the existing Fiench institutions. The climax of Sir Francis Head's atgument is, to point out the vast unprotected wealth of London, and the furious cupidity of the French army ! For the honor of our countiy you will be glad to know that these considerations have no weight with the British public except in a direction precisely the contrary to that advocated by Sir Francis Head, and his friends. Those who denounce the Empeioi's policy have never implied so gross an insult to the French nation, as to charge it with only being kept from brigandage by despotism. This was reserved for the silly old women of the sterner sex, whose cause Messrs Blight and Gibson have adopted. These two self-elected tribunes of the people have been lately the heroes of a grand demonstration at Manchester, which regarded as a political movement must yet be regarded a failure. Eveiy one looked to this meeting in the expectation of gleaning something like a definite idea of the future policy of the Manchester 1 party, but in tins every one was disap. pointed. We aie ab much in the daik as to " Bright's game," as we were. As for story, "Loid bless you, they've none to tell us, Sn." You may imagine how destitute that paity is of a ciy, fioin the fact that the Game Laws formed the grand point of attack in Mr Bright's speech. As tor Pailiamentary leform we had the shadowest outline of it ij^ssible. We know nothing more than that Mr Bright has been chosen as one of a committee to diaw up d scheme of reform on the part of the Liberals i but wo may be perfectly assured that any such scheme from such asouicehasnot the remotest prospect of success. Even the Liberals do not trust Bright, and that worthy is as far fiom being their leader now as he was at any time. Doubtless, he will attempt to bring forward his scheme, and we are 6uie that there will be a good speech or two about it ; but the result will be rather to impede the progress of sound and true reform, than to advance it. Mr Bright's failure will but strengthen the hands of the Tories, who may then come in with a measure of their own, to take wind out of the Libeial sails, granting the lodger franchise, increase of metropolitan lepresentation, and leducing the figures in the counties, all measures of real reform, yet tending, as of couise, to real Conservatism. December 13th, 1858. There is eveiy chance of another attempt to lay down the Atlantic cable. The present Company, whose jEIOOO shares, by-the-by, are now only worth £400, were empoweied to raise one million of money ; they have already literally "sunk" about half that sum, and now piopose to raise jC537,000, on which they ask Government to guarantee 4$ per cent, for 25 years, which is the period over vhich the subsidy of £14,000, granted by Lord Palmerston's Government, was to extend, contingent, of course, on success. This guarantee, which the Company ask, amounts to j£22,500 per annum. The new capital of the Company ib to be kept dibtinct from the old, and they offer Government a first charge on the pro. peity, after paying woiking expenses, for any advances which may be reqniied in the way of interest. As the Government guarantee 4J per cent, on the capital to be expended on the Red Sea and Indian Telegraph, it is most likely they will do the same by the Atlantic Company, especially as the receipts for a few months would, if it succeeds, meet the guarantee. — We have Madame Lola Montes lecturing in Dublin to crowded and fashionable audiences ; she has lately come from America, and proposes visiting the provincial towns, when she has overdone the metropolis. — Three new steamers are being built in England for the Galway and American line, guaranteed to steam 20 miles an hour, and be ready next summer. — We ate anxiously awaiting the punctual arrival of the P. and O. boats from Austialia; we only heard yesterday (12th) here, of the Victoria's having sprung a leek near Ceylon, and the Oneida's peifoiming her old trick of breaking down (when wanted) near Aden. — Some 300 troops who weie consigned to an old East Indian tub of about fifty yeais of age, the Bombay, and which said tub was to have called in at Coik and " taken in" a deck load — a fact — of 100 more men, was blown away from within ten miles of that port to the middle of the Atlantic, and having become dismasted, lefused— some say pluekily— -assistance from vessels which arrived at Cork, and Waterford, and repoited her. Then, a Government steamer, which, as luck nould have it, did not bieak down in the search, was scut to tow her into Plymouth, in which, by bomc strange chance, she succeeded. — I think I mentioned the Lord Lieutenant's marriage to Lady Adela Capel, the Earl of Essex's daughter, in my last.