19 APRIL 1862, Page 1

NEWS OF THE WEEK•

T. week has been singularly dull. There is only one revolution going on, and of that the only intelligible accounts published in England have appeared in our own columns. Little American intelligence has arrived, and this little only implies that somebody is going to do some- thing tremendous by and by. The continent is tranquil, Russia, Austria, and Prussia alike waiting to see if their sovereigns will sabre the people or yield to public opinion. In France le roi s' a9nuse, but the public, with new taxes to pay, a religious quarrel to settle, and an unpopular vaude- ville to whistle down, cannot pretend an interest in Japanese receptions. At home, Parliament is not sitting, and little as it has done this session, Parliament is always missed. Term only began on Tuesday, there has been no piquant scandal, and the two or three murders committed have been deficient in scientific appliances. Only two horrible accidents have occurred. Railway directors have not commenced their battues of excursion tourists, and the accounts of the Great Exhibition are wearisome to a degree. Even the bright cold weather can hardly keep Londoners from yawning, and secretly wishing that the arena would open, even though Kings must play the part of gladiators. Your true Lon- doner, indeed, turns up his thumb on a King with the sang froid of a Roman patrician.

Paris is rather amused just now by a dispute between the police and the Faubourg. St. Germain. The ladies of the Vaudeville recently objected, for some incomprehensible reason, to dance a cotillon in public. The manager com- pelled them. They appealed to their admirers, against the decree, and the jeunesse dor& tried to whistle the piece off the stage. The manager, irritated, appealed to the police, the police assailed the disturbers, and several constables had the honour of being knocked down by patrician hands. The Emperor, in a rageat the incident, declared that for all the information he got, "he might as well live in a cellar," and the seven most prominent rioters are being tried before the tribunal. As plebeians who hiss are imprisoned, why should not patricians, who whistle, be fined ? So, at least, say the Parisians, delighted at an equality which, to borrow an illus- tration, is at least as perfect as that of "frogs under a flag- stone."

The bill enfranchising the slaves in the District of Colum- bia has passed the American Senate by a majority of 29 to 14. All the -representatives of the Border States voted in the minority, firstly, because of the principle involved, and, secondly, because of the personal inconvenience enfranchise- ment inflicts on them. Hitherto they have brought their slaves with them to Washington, but they cannot bring them into a free city, and how are they to be waited on ? Shooting an Irish waiter because he was impertinent might in these days be dangerous, and free blacks they simply detest. The victory is the more important because this has for years been made a test question—the vote was impeded to the last by a score of Southern amendments—and because it removes Washington finally out of the slave atmosphere. It is a curious fact, and one which of itself answers all economical arguments, that no State has ever yet reimposed slavery once abolished.

Mr. Cobden, in a letter to the President of the Man- chester Chamber of Commerce, has declared his views upon maritime law. They are very unfortunate views, for in their extravagance they diminish the chance of improvements we might have secured. Mr. Cobden would abolish the right of blockade, except when a fortified city is also invested on land. He might just as well abolish maritime war altogether. Suppose, for example, war breaks out between England and America, and the Federal Government withdraws its fleet, how is if to be ended ? We cannot, as he knows, pour armies into the States. We cannot seize property afloat on the ocean, or bombard the seabord cities, or search vessels at sea, or put a stop to trade. What, then, are we to do ? Mr. Cobden says that stopping, trade injures ourselves. Very likely ; all war injures both parties, tut the true question is, which side is injured the most. We lose some of our imports, but the enemy loses exports and imports too. It is a carious proof of the one-sided character of Mr. Cobden's mind that he never alludes to the fact that blockades prevent goods going in as well as goods going out, and produce at the outset of war a distress which causes an immediate inclination for peace. War will not cease while men are human, and if blockades were abolished the world would be driven back on the ancient and much more frightful expedient of in- vading armies compelled to make war support war on land.

Wit seems failing in France. M. de Montalembert has just been elected an Academician. On his official admis- sion, the Emperor, wishing to be kind, and at the same time give a rebuke, said : "You and I sustained a great loss two years ago, in the person of your brother, one of the most distinguished officers in the army, and who had before him a most brilliant career; he was most devoted to my person and Government." M. de Montalembert could find nothing better to say than : "My brother and I, now and then, talked politics, but we could never agree," and retired hastily. He might at least have said, "My brother, I agree with your Majesty, ennobled his cause."

The revisions of the Revised Code have been published, and the public is in for another education debate. The Govern- ment has given up grouping, has arranged that up to 31st March, 1864, teachers shall "duly paid," has defined due payment at a fair rate, and has made it the first charge upon the Managers' funds. But it has not, we suspect, kept the pledge which those who arranged the compromise fancied they had obtained. The Managers hoped that only half of the grant would be subject to success in an examination. They obtain, however, less than a third. Out of the 12s. a head granted for children in the day schools, only 4s. is.. exempt from the result of the test, while the whole of the 581 given for evening schools is dependent on examination. The arrangement seems scarcely wise Half is enough to make managers zealous for the three R.'s," and why squabble- about the proportion ? Mr. Lowe, of course, does not like to be beaten, and in a day when everybody "bows to the public," we respect the tenacity which can stubbornly stand upright. But having resolved on a compromise, Government should have seen it generously carried out, and not run the chance of another quasi defeat.

The arrival of the Japanese Ambassadors in Paris is, we suppose, an event, though we do not exactly see why. They waited in state on the Emperor on Tuesday, and remarked that they hoped that the treaty concluded at Yeddo would produce happy Jesuits, and that the Emperor would send them back in a vessel of war. Hie Majeety replied that he also hoped the best, andvoull certaialy place the vessel at their disposal, and so the intetview terminated. Paris does not quite know what to make of the Japanese. They ad- mired the Empress, which is evidence of very high civilisa- tion, but then they use paper for pocket-handkerchiefs, which is decidedly barbarous. They have just the look of weary calm which Asiatics possess, and the Europeans affect, and that is a recommendation ; but then they have no moustaches, and society thinks that effeminate. On the whole, and recollecting the paper handkerchiefs, Paris seems a good deal inclined to send the Ambassadors with an escort of honour off to the Jardin des P]antes.

That Danish question, which seems to be to diplomatists what freewill is to theologians—something they can neither solve nor leave alone—as turned up once more. Count Bernstorff, on 8th February, wrote an "acute" despatch, to which Mr. Hall, the Danish Premier, returned a " spirited " reply. Both documents seem to the uninitiated mere words, but the old radical quarrel is perceptible under the haze. Prussia says, the Confederation has a right to dictate to the Danish monarchy what arrangement it shall impose on Schleswig. Denmark replies that the Confederation has no such right except over Holstein and Luxemburg, and declines to submit to any interference whatever. This is the tenth time Prussia has made the same demand and received the same reply. Federal execution has been ordered in Holstein these twelve months, but the bailiff is plainly unwilling to serve the writ, and as defendant will certainly not attack the bailiff, there the matter must rest—a source of infinite inte- rest to German professors And most excellent training for the youths of the German Aancelleries.

The last telegram from India informs us of a detected con- spiracy. It was organized at Hydrabad by Bala Rao, and is said to have been an exceedingly dangerous movement among the Marhattas. That Bala Rao, brother to the heir of the Peishwah, should be able to stir up Mahrattas is likely enough, but why he should choose to operate from a Mahom- medan capital is not very intelligible. He himself escaped, to be heard of in all probability at Poonah, where his name will raise legions. The occurrence will put the Government on its guard, but a Mahratta rebellion could not be very formidable. It would be the rising of a caste rather than of the people, and would be crushed in a battle. The next dangerous revolt in India will either be that of the Sikhs, or, and more probably, of the Mahommedans of the South. They utterly detest us, have a regular army to rally round in the shape of the Nizam's 14,000 Arabs, and would be sup- ported by the pauperized population of Madras. They would be conquered, for our revenue comes from the Gangetic Valley, and we could pour down whole armies of Sikhs, but the white face would probably in the interim have disap- peared. There are 100,000 Moplahs alone, fellows who spring on the bayonet in order that as it passes through them they may give a closer stab with the knife.

The ring of Prussia has, by a formal decree, confirmed his Ministers's promises. He will not apply for the twenty five per cent. added to most of the taxes, and will reduce the military budget. The object of course is to conciliate opi- nion, but the King is a little too late. The Prussian liberals only remark that their demands are now proved to be just, for the King, uncoerced by a vote, has granted them, and adhere to their ordre du jour "Re-election."

The Commissioners of the International Exhibition aeem to have lost their tact. They wish to make the opening scene as grand as possible, and have therefore signified that subscribers "will be placed in reserved seats, according to their choice of dress," upon which we must presume a jury of tailors will decide. They could scarcely have passed an order more offensive to national feeling. Englishmen think it quite fair that the man who pays two guineas should be better served than the man who only pays one. They also think it quite fair that everybody should on occasion be compelled to wear evening dress. But to admit of variety, and then stigmatize those who prefer morning costume is justly felt almost intolerable. The best rebuke for such an impertinence would be for all men of really high place in F.ngland to make their appearance in shooting coats.

The best evidence of the value of iron clad steamers yet received is perhaps this. It is doubtful whether it is safe for *fleet carrying '70,000imen to steam down the Chesapeake, because the Merrimac. may come out of Norfolk. At the same time every city on the Northern sea board is arranging places for defence against this single vessel, and should she appear, New York will be defended by sunken ships.

The power of artillery over iron plates has this week been further demonstrated. A target was set up at Shoeburyness fifteen inches in thickness. Three plates, each five inches thick, were bolted together, making a mark four times as strong as the Warrior's side. Sir R. Armstrong's gun was charged with fifty pounds of powder, and fired three times. Each time the shot crashed through the target, crushing the first plate, splitting the second, and ripping the third. No vessel, it is needless to say, could carry fifteen inches of iron and keep afloat, but the experiment bears strongly upon the projects for plating our forts with iron. Thirty inches may be required, and the expense will be absolutely frightful. Are earthworks absolutely out of the question? Even the Rodman gun might be fired for ever at them without any other effect than slightly to increase their stability.

General Goyon has recently demonstrated his own imparti- ality and the independence of the Papal Government in a very original way. M. de Lavalette accused him of favouring Francis the Second. To rebut this M. de Goyon ordered General Clary, the ex-king's favourite officer, and organizer- in-chief of expeditions, to leave Rome. Nothing could seem more impartial ; but General Clary only retired to Civita Vecchia, whence he still directs operations. At the sane time the order is a breach of the last privilege of independeit sovereignty, the general right of asylum.

The distress in England, France, and Belgium begins to be very serious. In Lancashire the poor-rates have more than doubled, and the petty traders are almost unable to afford more credit. In Blackburn a relief committee calls for help from all England, and a Eleventh of the population is receiving relief. It is believed that a grant in aid will be necessary before the session closes. In France the Go- vernment is really supporting thousands, and in G-hent, de- spite its linen manufacture, the distress is so great that regiments are ordered to give concerts in order that the pro- ceeds may relieve the population. The patience of the people everywhere is extraordinary, though in France there is some disposition to visit distress on the Empire. Fortu- nately for the existing regime it is less felt in Paris than in the provinces.

A grand volunteer review at Brighton on Easter Monday bids fair to become an annual institution. This time from twenty to thirty thousand volunteers areexpected to assemble, under the command of Lord Clyde. Lord Ranelagh, who gave up his claim to command with some grace, has, we per- ceive, a Brigade, but the Divisional Generals are from the regular service. It is to be regretted that these reviews can- not be made a little more frequent. American experience seems to indicate that it is when acting in masses that the volunteers fail. They are apt to distrust their officers, and, like French soldiers, have a difficulty in learning simpbrobe- dience without reference to results.