NEWS OF THE WEEK.
INDIA appears to be really answering to the expectation of those who designed the Queen's proclamation and Lord Clyde's plan of
campaign. The celebration of the Que,en's Accession to the girect. pqfpnuent OrIndia.(inel3goOmvets imitated with almost greater- lustre in Calcutta, -and followed with proportionate splen- dour in other great oaks, Allahabad included. Native Indians who have distinguished themselves by commercial or soCial con-. nection with British --seeiety now stood forviard. to express the feelings of their own countrymen in favour of annexation. In Calcutta, the Babe° Ramgopal Ghose, while ascribing the origin of the revolt to unfounded apprehensions among the natives on the subject of their religion, pointed out to the British that the true corrective of such errors is education ; and to the natives that the error was founded on. a total misconception of the Eng- lish, their character, power, 'and resources. The Queen's as- sumption of the Gtrietinment has undoubtedly brought a sense of that power more compftely before the imagination if not to the practical knowledge of the natives. In a word they understand the form of Government under which they are to live hencefor- ward; and that the natives take to it is proved by many cir- cumstances, including such incidents as an augmentative to the date used by a native paper, the Victorian Bra.
The practical knowledge of British strength was to be enforced upon them by Lord Clyde, who had exchanged the illuminations of Allahabad for the more deadly glare of the field. His pro- clamation, announcing that he would protect the loyal, pardon the penitent, and destroy the contumacious, heralded the ap- proach of the troops led by himself and his brother Generals from various points on the Onde frontier ; and already within the frontier the native leaders of distinction were beginning to come in, making their submission with more or less grace, while others who held out were instantly reduced by the force of British _ arms. In Central India the Nawab of Banda had left the rebel army and was on his way to make his submission to General Michel; and other noted leaders in the Sawunt Warree country had surrendered. If Tantiit Topee still held out in his career of retreat, kept up with great skill and bravery, he was doubling in an ever contracting circle, defeated in his attempt to enter the Deccan where he might have done some mischief, and certain to be soon reduced by the Generals who were concentra- ting upon his position.
In Oude again, Mr. Montgomery was following up the military successes of Lord Clyde and his brother officers by a measure of great energy. Our readers will remember that before the re- bellion, a civil officer of distinction had pointed out to Lord Canning the necessity of dismantling the native forts. The Governor-General, after objecting, and then assenting, removed • the Commissioner, and it seems by the result the forts were left 'standing. Bitterly have our soldiers had to pay for that fatal error ; which Mr. Montgomery is now retrieving by the dis- mantling of all forts, and the disarming of native troops.
A new aspect is given to the Ionian question by events which come before us this week. Sir John Young, it is said, has ten- dered his resignation, on what account is not reported. It may
be the publication of his despatch, it may be the rejection of his. views ; or be may object to the , prejudgment of the qu'astiqe, involved in Mr. Gladstone' instruction. The proposal made' lit Sir John Young for permitting the annexation of the Ionian Islands to Greece, and retaining Corfii as a British station, was set forth in his despatch with'mnch' clearness and-deeision, and it is natural that he should _have an abiding affection *mitt This is the more probable, since local opinion evidently go& against the Maintenance of the Protectorate, and the limitation of Mr: Gladetone's commission has excited manifest disappoint- ment. Towards the notables of Corfu who hare: been.friendls to England, Sir John Yonng probably stands pledged to his intik °Pinions, and he Tax consider Ms resignation due to hinigelf'and toliiifriends in the Islands. The objection of the GoverizTent in Downing Street, that they have no wari4ant to Set aside tial arrangements adopted by the European Powers, is to some extent neutralized-by certain signs in St. Petersburg, that ItusRla for One Would not object. She would agree, to the bargain—six islands for Greece and one for England ; at leastio it akienre froinsoz article in the Norther; Bee, which writes' by 'per in4 -4 Ciinut Cavour has istied. a Cifeular intended partly to allay 'apprehension, but really: calculated to con-firm it. Ile says that no plan is incontemplation for a movement in Italy, but that unless the Governmeriti of the Peninsula Should materially mend their ways it will be impossible to keep down the Italian people. But a rising of the Italian- people would- be the signal fer an advance on the part,of Austria, counterpoised no doubt bra cor- responding advance An :the-Tart of.-,Fsance, Russia holding .the balance in-friendly relAions The position of gtrlii'ri does not appear to be materially altered by Count Cavour's soothing Circular.
It'is the maxim of M. ChaIx d'Est Ange that the duty of the bench is to represent, "not only the authority, but the personal wishes of the Emperor "; and M. Magne appears to think that the duty of the Finance Minister is te represent not only the wants but the hopes of the Emperor. -While the process is going forward for the appeal of M. de Montalembert against the sentence of the Court below, people are calculating from the state of the bench in the Court of Appeal, the Judges of which are periodically changed by rotation, what are the probabilities of a judgment for or against the appellant—no bad illustration Of the state of law and opinion in France.- And while M. Magne, pressed with the dulness of trade, cannot deny that "some ex- cesses caused a certain stagnation in business," he not only finds that "quiet soon restores activity,—such is the common law"— but he finds magnificent resources in monetary. statistics.': His report on "the elements Of the budget of 1860," takes an usual range—from 1855 to 1860; and in the survey he dis- cOvers nothing but "excellent ", balances, always going beyond his estimates in the past, and still more certain to outgo his modest calculations in the future. So that the draft of 1860 "conceived in a spirit of moderation and prudence," represents the state in the enjoyment of a large surplus, with the means of reducing the debt through the sinking fund, and of increasing the pay of officials. Some of the 'great facts are no doubt sub- stantially hopeful. The imports Of gold had exceeded the ex- ports by 15,000,0001.; the iinnirys and exports of silver are nearly balanced ; the total circulation has increased by about '15,000,0001.; and the reserve in ,the Banleof„Fiance, - whieh had fallen to 7,600,000/., has risen to -25;600,0001. -.Ali of which M. Magne ascribes to "the wisdom of the Emperor."
At henio the Reform movement proceeds at the established rate. While meetings are held by those Who take an amateur interest in such-proceedings, and while Mr. Bright's friends en- joy something like a monopoly of the public agitation at large, the bulk of the- people still remain quiet. - The meetings are got up ; there is no general spontaneous and simultaneous gathering throughout the country. The last indication of progress is Mr. Bright's speech at Edinburgh, Which is noticeable for something of a decidedly Conservative tone in it. He _stands by his owe rating franchise ; but while Use betrays a decided apprehension that the Tories. may Una lin position by admitting a clam of Titers who would mot -be up to the mark approve4 by4dr. Bright, he proclaims that he ilues not wish to overturn the mad- tutions of the country, but is for preserving as far as possible the ancient "landmarks." Mr. Newdegate is his grand oppo- nent, and no small portion of the Edinburgh speech was taken
• up with a reply to Mr. Newdenute. The debate heretofore has been chiefly carried on by "speakers ' below the gangway."
The shipowners of the North have succeeded in mustering a number of delegates at the central point of the London Tavern, in order to make a public statement of their grievances and to adopt an address to the Crown. Perhaps their object is almost ' sufficiently, marked out by the fact, that after the Chairman, Mr. Duncan Dunbar, the first and most copious speaker was Mt. Qeorge Frederick Young. The meeting, in fact, must be eon- • sidered to represent only a certain party in the shipping trade, though we are far from intending to disparage the numbers or the respectabaity of. the attendance. Several of the speakers disclaimed any intention of asking for a reversal of "recent legislation "—the cant expression for free trade ; Mr. George Frederick Young disavowed any desire "to revive the contra- veavy of Free trade versus Protection" ; but the old ideas cling to the party still, and come out in every diversity. They now claim not protection but reciprocity. They point to a clause which was retained in the Actof Victoria to repeal the coasting- laws, empowering her Majesty to impose any prohibitions or restrictions upon the vessels of any country which may be im- posed in that country upon English vessels. The grand fact upon which this claim is based is, that if British shipping has increased with British trade, foreign shipping in our ports has increased in a larger proportion. Of course it has, since it has taken advantage of the greater freedom. The retaliatory clause has lain dormant for four years, and if any Government could safely advise her Majesty to put it in force, the responsibility will lie with redoubled weight upon that Ministry which .is shrewdly suspected of regrets for the old Protection policy.
No explanation has yet been given to clear up the purpose of the Government in arresting a number of young Irishmen in Kenmore, Belfast, and other places. The examinations have all been in private, and the information on the subject is manifestly imperfect. Many of our contemporaries are criticizing the Government, and sneering at proceedings which give an undue importance to the victims of it. It has oozed out that the young men belong to a numerous and widely extended associa- tion called "The Phcenix Club," which is perfectly distinct from the old Riband Society. We have heard of this new combination before. It is supposed to have some sympathy with John Mitchell, and to have been preparing for the reception of a regi- ment of American militia, which was to take possession of Ire- land and to proclaim the repeal of the Union by beat of drum. That any such catastrophe could have happened is, of course' so wild a delusion that the only wonder is to find that men could believe in it and act upon it. If, however, it is the fact that a number of young men about twenty years of age have banded together in a conspiracy againit the Union and Queen, with mili- tary objects, they might have effected more mischief than Smith O'Brien, and on a wider field than a cabbage garden, before being called to account, unless Government had interfered with promptitude and decision.
The week has been fertile in the records of crime and legal anomalies. The Andover murder, to which five people listened, without cry or hand, raised to help, is charged upon a married couple occupying a fair social position ; and the supposed de- fence is as strange as the incident which led to the attack. The Divorce Court has enforced a " restitution of conjugal rights" on behalf of the Reverend Mr. Cherry, whose wife would fly him rather than consort -with him. Mr. David Barclay Chapman has continued his explanations in re Davidson and Gordon. But the most extraordinary case is that of Wellington Guernsey, acquitted of " stealing " a despatch from the Colonial Office,— he having conveyed to the Daily News a copy, and one copy alone having been missed : the Jury seem to have found some "extenuating circumstances" in that bold stroke for the diffusion of useful knowledge.
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