EUROPEAN SUMMARY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 16, 17 October 1861, Page 5 (Supplement)

EUROPEAN SUMMARY.

(From the Home,News.) Parliament still sits with stubborn patience, but the Ministerial whitebait banquet has been fixed for the last day of July, and the session is expected to come to a close on the Gth of August. Mr. Roundell Palmer, much to the distress and vexation of the Liberal party, to which lie belongs only in the Conservative sense, has been appointed Solicitor-General, Sir William Atherton being advanced to the Attorney-Generalship instead of to the Bench, there being no immediate opportunity of disposing of him in that direction. In the coming recess some changes may be looked for in those offices. Mr. Justice Williams or Mr. Justice Hill may be prevailed upon to retire, and Sir Wiliam- will then give way to Mr. Palmer, whose promotion will make room for another, and, it is to be hoped, a more popular appointment. In the meanwhile there has been a stir in the Cabinet, which looks as if it were only preliminary to greater changes. Lord John Russell, still holding the Seals of the Foreign-office, has been translated to the Upper House, with the title of Earl Russell. His loss will be severely felt in the Commons, and his elevation all but cuts awav the last hope of his ever reaching the summit of his ambition that of becoming, one day or another Prime Minister. The popular theory is that the Premier should sit in the people’s House ; and if Lord John hold that doctrine he most forego the helm should it ever be offered to his hand. The vacancy which his lordship’s translation to the peerage will make in the representation of London has awakened the vigilance of the Conservative party, who have already got up a requisition to the present Lord Mayor. The contest, no doubt, will be a fierce one ; but we apprehend that victory will sit on the standard of the Liberals. • Mr. Western Wood; son of Sir Matthew Wood, is the only declared candidate on. that side. He stands well with the Liberal constituency on nil points but one—that of Church Rates. He refuses to vote their abolition, but is ready to liberate Dissenters from all obligation-to pay ’them. Lord John Russell’s transfer to the Lords will materially weaken the Administration in the House of Commons ; and several other important changes, consequent upon the retirement of Lord Herbert, will still further reducodhe influence of Lord Palmerston’s Government.

London- is rapidly disappearing. One-half the world has already gone abroad, and the other half is preparing to go. The weather is precarious. April has usurped the province of July, and when we ought to be bashing in sunshine, wo are boxed up under umbrellas. The comet is supposed to have something to do with this uncertainty and unseasonableness. It made its appearance on the night of the 30th of June, and has been drifting away from us, millions of miles ever since. Some people think it is the same comet that was visible in 1558. If it be, how different London must now appear to it from what London was on its former visit! There was then only one bridge over the Thames, and it was covered with houses ; little else was to bo seen in the neighbourhood of the Tower but tenter-fields and gardens; Tleet-street. and the Strand were laid out something after the manner of building plots in a colony upon which half-a-dozen families have just settled down ; and London to the north was wild open country, with a windmill chopped here and there, and the lonely roof of a ’spital rising up amongst the trees upon the verge of the horizon. It is rather a different London in this middle term of the nineteenth century. Turn its blazing glances in what direction it may, the comet will see nothing now but houses, stretching far away north, east) west, and south, and the eternal

motions of an indefatigable population. In the lack of something better to do, after the Great Fire of Southwark, the town amused itself for a few weeks with the “ Marriage question,” got up in the form of a maternal wail from Belgravia against the men, who instead of looking for wives in the drawing-rooms of the West-end indulge in the society of “ pretty horsebreakers” in the suburbs. This subject, at the end of a season, has worn itself out, and. been succeeded by a series of tragic excitements. At this moment wo are “ supping full of horrors,” as our old buckram tragedy has it. We have long relinquished the doctrine of omens ; but we are not the less shaken to the centre by an accumulation of appalling crimes. First came the news of the attempted assassination of the King of Prussia, by a student, who, dissatisfied with his Majesty’s conduct in this world, wanted to send him into the next. But our domestic horrors cast this poor rehearsal of a. regicide into deep shadow. A wandering German, accused of murdering a poor woman in a lonely country rectory, has been commited for on circumstantial evidence. The body of a youth ot 16 has been found under the peaceful ripples of the Cam, and a companion of disreputable character is in custody on a charge of having made away with him. In both of these cases, the accused protest that they are innocent, and in the latter the evidence for the defence flatly contradict that for the prosecution. A French nobleman, who moves in the highest circles, has been committed to take his trial for assaulting his own son, with intent to murder him. In this case, the circumstances are dead against the accused ; but the son refuses to give evidence. Next comes the most fearful tragedy of all, in which two gentleman, alleged to be personal strangers to each other, have a mortal encounter in the chambers of one of them, the cause of which is involved in the profoundest mystery. The visitor who has been invited into the house by the owner of the chambers, is shot at twice by the latter, upon which the wounded man attacks his opponent, and hatters and smashes him so effectually that he has since died in the hospital to which both of them were conveyed. Nor are these all the cases of criminal violence that were crowded into, the last fortnight, A surgeon has been charged with killing a patient through ignorance ; a lady with committing an atrocious attacks upon her. mother ; a boy with stabbing: his schoolfellow ; and several husbands have been brought to justice for murdering their wives. As gamblers say there is such a thing as a run of luck, so wo might say from these numerous examples that their is such a thing as a ruu of crime.

Vi:iiT little movement is going forward upon the Continent. Tho Austrian government has answered the despatch of M. Thouvenel respecting Rome, and, seizing upon, the- only point that afforded a solitary ground for agreement, declared itself perfectly satisfied with the views of France. Austria, lie Fance, is for maintaining the security of the Pope; but it is clear to all lookers on that France puts a different interpretation upon the phrase, from- that which Austria affects to accept. That the solution cannot be much longer delayed seems highly probable. Austria lias so much to do at home just now that it is not surprising she should be glad of any escape from a controversy with France. Tbr address of the Hungarian 'Diet gave- the deepest offence in Vienna. The government resolved not to receive it, and a royal rescript was issued at once apprising the Diet of the fact, stigmatising the address ns disloyal and hostile to the rights of the Crown, and requiring that it should be altered both in form and matter. The President of the Hungarian Chamber of Deputies, who had gone to Vienna for the purpose of presenting the address, had no sooner been put in- possession of the final determination of minister, than he took his departure from the Austrian capital, and returned to Pesto.

The Hungarian Diet, acting with a degree of prudence and moderation that was not anticipated from them-, agreed to yield to the demand of the Emperor, and to modify the form of their address. The original draft was accordingly adopted and the Presidents of the two Chambers repaired to Vienna to present it. After all, nothing had been conceded by the Diet but a matter of form. They agreed to address the Emperor by the titles he demanded, but their essential claims embodied in the address remained unaltered. The way was thus left open for an amicable arrangement between the Crown and the people ; and there was a hope that it might be take advantage of by the Emperor’s advisers. That hope however, has been disappointed. The imperial rescript which has been sent to the Diet in reply to the Address rejects all the principal demands of the Hungarian. It allows in a general way what it styles internal self-government, but insists absolutely upon the dynastic, diplomatic, military, and financial amity of Hungary with the rest of the empire. What effect this reply will produce on the minds Of the Magyars remains to be seen.

Italy is making its way securely to independence. Its minister has been received in Paris, and the two Courts have interchanged ceremonial compliments. This is a step towards the ultimate achievement, of a perfect dominion. In the meantime it is confidently anticipated that the French will shortly evacuate Home". The Italian Parliament has brought its session to a close. In the recess Government will have enough to do. San Martino has resigned the viceroyalty, and Cialdini, who has been sent to Naples to suppress the disturbance, has been appointed his successor. Brigandage is extending in the provinces close to Naples, from whence the brigands find a ready escape into the Pontifical territory, where they are not only protected but encouraged. It it stated that Francis 11. has had an interview with the chief of the brigands, and placed at his disposal the remains of the arms of the late Bourbon army, the condition being that he should excite popular disaffection a widely as possible. Tliis is a lamentable state of things ; but it will help to hasten that final event the necessity for which is becoming more and more developed every day. Rome must be absorbed by Italy. It is clearly impossible that Victor Emmanuel can continue to suffer this focus of insurrection to be maintained

upon the border of his kingdom. As for the brigandage, Cialdini, may bo expected to render such an account ot it ■within a few weeks as may satisfy oven the Pope that it is a rotten stick for the rotten monarchy to lean upon.

_ Afteh the storm comes a lull.- Wows - had arrived from America of the gathering of troops in the direction of Fairfax, and of the immediate expectation of a great battle. This was followed by inaction, and suspicious rumours of a compromise. The rumours, vague at first, were contradicted upon “ authority,” but they came out again, and in a shape so probable and circumstantial as to leave little doubt that there was some truth in them. It seems that emissaries from the South were recently in New York, and there procured a large number of signatures to a petition intended to be presented to Congress. The object was to obtain the sanction of Congress either to the recognition of Southern independence on equitable terms, or the concession of such guarantees as would induce the slaveowners to return to the Federal government. As it is not to be thought of, and is not, indeed, expected by anybody, that Congress will ever consent, upon any such motion, to recognise the independence of the South, the question will turn, should it be entertained, on the nature of the guarantees. Here the modesty of the South shines out conspicuously. The Confederate missionaries require that slavery - shall bo maintained in all the present and future territories south of 36 deg. 30 miu., from the Atlantic f to the Pacific, with a complete amnesty to all whohave taken arms or office under the Confederateauthorities. It is not at all unlikely that in- some form this scheme will be discussed in Congress. But that a project so monstrous, by which slavery is not only to be protected but extended, should ever receive the sanction of the Federal legislature is, we think, not to be credited. A contest that cannot end by victory at either side, must be settled by uegociation in the long run ; but the recognition of Southern independence would bo much more probable than the recognition of an extended system of slavery by the Northern States. Since this intelligence readied us, we have had further news. Congress has opened, and the President has delivered a Message of great length, in which he details the course he has taken, vindicates the policy of resistance, stigmatizes secession as an act of rebellion, and calls upon- the Chambers for support in men and money, to- enable him to carry on.the war. The Chambers responded to his appeal by granting him more than he asks ; and lie now takes the field supported by an army which he is empowered to increase to 500,000strong, and a sum of 500 millions of dollars. The effect of the national enthusiasm is beginning to ■ tell effectually on the contest. An advance upon Eichmond, where the Confederated States are about to hold a Congress, is expected to terminate in a victory which must lead to still more important results.

The accession of the new Sultan lias been inaugurated by the most extensive retrenchments that have ever been contemplated, not to say actually effected, by an Eastern potentate. It appears that the Civil List of the late Sultan amounted to three millions annually—a fourth or fifth of the whole revenue of the empire. Abdul Aziz has at one fell swoop cut it down to £IBO,OOO, which exceeds our own civil list by a mere trifle, considering the uses to which oriental princes apply their resources. His Majesty has discharged no less than 500 civil servants, and fused his ornamental and dangerous palace guards into the general body of the army. There are no less than three harems quartered on the Civil List: that of the present Sultan, that of the late Sultan, and that of his predecessor Mahmoud 11., the latter two consisting of three hundred ladies each. A simple solution of those claims, by no means unacceptable, we imagine, to the ladies themselves, has been hit upon by Abdul Aziz, who has directed that all those ladies who have no issue, by far the majority, are to be immediately married, so that the State shall be relieved from the expense of supporting them, and that the rest shall be otherwise provided for. Marvels will never cease ; and’ it is not impossible but that we may soon be called upon to record the balancing of income and expenditure in the Turkish empire, leading up to an ultimate increase in the revenue, and a publication of quarterly returns.

The great fire at Southwark is at length extinguished. .Although? this calamity has been the most destructive if its kind that has befallen London since the Great Fire of 1666, we have much reason to be thankful that its area has been so providentially confined, that the loss of life has been numerically inconsiderable, and the loss of property comparitively trivial, considering that the wealth of empires lay packed up in the surrounding warehouses. The whole extent covered by this fire is estimated at about 3 acres, and the computed loss of property at less than 3,000,000. The fire of 1666 swept away upwards of TOO streets and 13,000 houses, besides numerous churches and public buildings, and the loss of property is supposed to have exceeded 10,000,000.