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    340 THE LIADEB/ [Ko, 468, March 12, 1859...

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    constructing the line from Algiers to Or...

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  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

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    Of Volcanic Agency; Still Af Ter All, It...

    row us round the headland Jof Montbosoii into the milch talked of bay of Vula-Franca , and there we arrived at one conclusion , which we ofier with more , confideiice than we Feel in the justice of niost of oiuv observations , and that is , that if our patriotic pamphleteers , and publicspirited : correspondents had expended a like moderate amount of money on the sarne short expedition , a great deal of idle declamation would have been spared , and a good deal of very absurd invective against Russian aggression , kept for a more appropriate season . In former years this bay—the most perfect gem of a small bay on the to be favourite

    ful distance from tLenij and enlivened the tedium of duty by the charms of their conversation . What their soldierlike merits may have been we had no means qf judging ; but still the contrast between a city guarded by its own citizens ,. and the towns of Italy , where the Grovernient , supported on foreign bayonets , are afraid even to trust their own subjects with arms of self defence , was too striking not to make one overlook much that is theatrical and bombastic about the cause of Italian independence .

    coast of the Mediterranean— used -a haunt of ours , not only for its beauty , but its wondrous calm and silence . We were thankful to find that our fears of beholding this lovely spot desecrated with forts , and warehouses , and docks , were imaginary . One small Russian fi-igate , very dirty , as all Russian vessels look , lay there blistering in the noontide sun ; on the other side of the bay there rode at anchor an' American brig , the black flag flying from whose mast warned us to beware of the yellow fever , and the quarantine ; a few fishing and coasting smacks completed the arrangement . The docks , and warehouses , and forts of our imagination were reduced to one low , long shed , about the sizeof the bazaar at Ramsgate . The

    old battery in the little town of Villa-Franca that lays above the bayj had been brightened and burnished up ; and beneath the national tricolour you could see the figure of one Sardinian sentry , who represented in his single person the military element in the scene . For the consolation of any Russo-phobia-haunted victim , -vve would add the three following remarks : ^ -The ¦ ou tlet- to the bay can be blockaded by a single vessel ; every ship in the harbour , and every shed and outwork could be demolished in five minutes by the guns of FortMontboson overhead ; andif the surrounding heights were manned , an army landed on the shore would have as much chance of crossing into . the

    Open country as if they were placed at the bottom of a well . There is a little French fort and . ' harbour some six miles or so on the other side of Nice , by name Antibes , on which , if v ? e were king of Sardinia , we should look with feenngs of far greater apprehension ; As for popular excitement , we must own that , till we reached Genoa , and what you may term Italy proper , we saw but little sign of it . We doubt , however , whether anyone could have passed through Genoa , at the time we did , without having his attention called to on unusual state of

    things . Prince Napoleon and his young bride had just made their parting visit ; the remnants of the decorations and illuminations still hung about the walls . The sale of cheap newspapers about the streets was enormous ; indeed , our Star and Telegraph boys arc completely distanced in pertinacity and vehemence by these Genoese newsvendors . The papers are thrust into your hands , with a sort of stand-and-doliver air , which even the late ; Joseph ijume could never have resisted . We happened to b 0 at Genoa the evening that the speech of the French Emperor , at the opening of the Chambers ,

    was received by telegraph- There were mobs of people collected , reading it at every corner ; and in the cries of perambulating newsmen , the ear of a stranger was struck by the constant repetition of the words " guerro , guorra . " Anything about the war was suro to sell . Upon the walls patriotic scribblers were continually writing such sentences as , " Viva il so cV Italia , " " Morto ni TedeSchi , " awl the symbolic " Viva verdi . " Lampoons and pasquinades , imaginary speeches of . the Austrian Emperor and the Archduke , in ln * 6 kon G ormnn , dog-Italiaxv— -visions of lladetsky's ghost— -wore hawked about

    ovciywhero , or distributed gratis . Curious enough , of complimentary allusions to tho Emperor Napoleon or his Imperial cousin—or , indeed , to the French nUirincc <—there were but few . Indeed , it was universally reported , to us that all attempt * to got up a display of popular enthusiasm on the occasion or the Prince ' s visit to Genoa lind been a signal failure , The garrisoning regiments had all loft tho town for Iho frontier , and tho sentry boxes and tyntehos wore filled by citizens . It "was a ourjoue itrad , indeed , a pleasing sight to see those worthy amateur soldiers , with their plain clothes , distinguished only by a red badge on tho arm , performing their military duties with ( jnito un-military ardour . ( Jroups of admiring » vnd sympathising friends , often oz tho female box , stood at a respect-

    340 The Liadeb/ [Ko, 468, March 12, 1859...

    340 THE LIADEB / [ Ko , 468 , March 12 , 1859 .

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    Constructing The Line From Algiers To Or...

    constructing the line from Algiers to Oran , but the Minister of Finance , inspired by ' Fquld , the Minister of State , is opposed to the guarantee , wishing to reduce it to 4 | . Consequently the question is reduced to a state of dead lock , and the Prince is unable to proceed with a project in which he has taken great interest , and with which he was desirous to associate his name . Moreover , the Prince especially patronised a scheme in connexion with the railway Which had for object to enlarge the town ofAlgiers by levelling a mountain over which , the railway was to be brought into the city , —casting the rubbish ' into , the sea so as to obtain deep water frontage , . and at the same time to bring-a supply of eostof thelan

    waterin to Algiers . The . . . p'wasset dovrn at 8 O 0 , OQ 0 / i , but , as soon as a fourth had been spent . was estimated that the sale of land for building and wharfage would repay the contractors and leave large profits . The Prince , I believe , had determined to give the railway concession to the company that would execute this work , but the economical views of the Minister of State defeated his intentionsindeira . I may add that there is uo dissension between the Emperor and the Prince , for they both were present at the last Council of Ministers ; an-. d ; it is believed , his Imperial Highness will return to the Ministry of Algeria and the Colonies when the dread of war has passed , and a thorough purge has been administered to bis ministry .

    . w FRANCE . Paris , Thursday , 6 £ p . m . THE RESIGNATION OF PKIKCE K . \ rOU 3 ON . The withdrawal of the Prince-minister from the direction of Algeria and the Colonies , has been bailed as a concession to the policy of honourable peace , and as a rebuke to those who have sought ' to convulse Europe with war ,- that they might gratify their personal whims and fancies . But it is no more than the of

    just to add , that it is not so much resignation the Prince that has given -satisfaction and restored confidence , as it is that bis retirement will necessitate the dismissal of M . Emile de Girardin and other political charlatans from power . . There is little doubt but that the ex-editor of the JPresse , and a certain other personage who , for the present , shall be nameless , have succeeded in doing with I ' rince Napoleon what Itosencraritz and Gilderstern . sought to accomplish with another prince—he of Denmark—I mean , in ¦ " playing upon him . " the

    And as the two gentlemen referred to— 'not Danish courtiers —• are held to stand below zero when gauged by the political and financial barometer , the exigencies of public opinion are satisr fled by their disappearance into Dock directors . I may also add that it is believed the Prince admitted these individuals to bis councils , not from any sympathy with tJteir principles , nor admiration of their characters , but chiefly in- obedience to the policy announced at Limoges , " to ask no man whence he came , but simply for his assistance to dev elope the future prosperity of France . carry out this , conciliatory policy , to induce men of character and capacity , who , from previous

    political tendencies , now stand aloof , to come over to the Imperial camp , to x > bliterate the traces of party conflicts , and to enlist all men in the service of their common country , has been the ambition of the Prince , and I believe you will concede it to be a very noble one . That the object was praiseworthy and honourable—especially when it avowedly had another ulterior purpose ; namely , the introduction of never so small a modicum of liberty into Frances-few will deny , although the means to the end have turned out to be violent and impolitic . The Prince not only resembles bis uncle in physical appearance , but also in many moral qualities . He is passionate , hasty , and obstinate ;

    suspicious of persons around him , abrupt in manner , and not over courteous in speech . Being constantly haunted by suspicions of the , sincerity of , his advisers and courtiers , be has fallen into doubts , delays and hesitations . . Lord Eldon , even , is said to have been more prompt in deciding questions than his Imperial Highness , and more easily induced to make up his mind . But what people complain of is , that if Prince Napoleon takes one yiaw of a question to day , to-morrow it is altogether unsettled , if not changed ; and this vacillation is imputed to the influence of certain parties which is paraded about Paris as having a monetary value . That the Prince has no notion of this I feel convinced , —

    that he would soon put a stop to any attempt to make a profit out ot him , is positive . Nevertheless , it is notorious that persons have been stating that one individual in particular had complete influence over the Prince , to obtain this or that concession , if it were made worth his while to do so . Although tho purity of official administration may not be immaculate here , you may readily imngino w'ha . t disr may and disgust have been created by tho avowal of jobbery and corruption in high placoa . The elaborate defence of Prince Napoleon ' s polioy which hns teen circulated hero after its pub "

    Mention in the Times has had its source easily recognised , and has created some surprise . The allusion to tho existence of personal onemlty of M . Wulowski to the Prince has caused much merriment , and people speculate on " what great things from little things arise , " since tho rivalry of these two illustrious personages in love should break out afresh in tho qhajue of political antagonism . Tho difference between M . Would and tho Princo arose from discussion relative to tho Algerian railways . The Algerian commissions , appointed by the Prince , desired tho Government to give a guarantee of fi nor cent , on tho capital offered to bo embarked in

    NICARAGUA CANAL ,. Wars and rumours of wars appear to exercise no disastrous influence upon the scheme patronised by French speculators for uniting the two oceans . The French papers wbicb eke out a precarious existence by puffing ' all projects , are filled with the most mysterious allusions to the sayings ami doings of the projectors . Great reliance appears to be placed upon the capital and credulity of Englishmen ; and the warm imaginations of ¦ certain ' cudete de Gascoigne are fired by the prospects of how those two posses * - sions may be worked ; certainly with more profit and less risk than the inexhaustible gold and silver mines of South America . Not many days since , the

    Monitcur announced , with all the honours of large type , and at the head of its non-offieial portion , that an agreement had been entered into between the projectors of the canal and " Sir Rodney Croskey , the colossus of British maritime enterprise **— although I fancy the gentleman to be an American , and therefore hardly likely to wear a handle ; to his name . The lujreement is said to be for the establishment of four lines of twelve steamers of 3 , 000 tons each in both oceans . The Independence Behjc also announces Thome de imonflthe

    that so beset lias been M . G . , author of the scheme for carrying a railway tunnel under tho Straits of Dover , with olFura of money from your capitalists during his visit to London , as to have been sorely perplexed at bring obliged to refuse them . One firm of English contractors , the veracious journal gravely relates , offured to take shares , for the full cost of the entire works , to the amount of five millions-sterling , but although their solvability was undoubted , the receipt of 5 , 000 , 0001 . was refused , lest it should give the contractors an absolute preponderance in the management of the

    company . Nevertheless , vanquished by the prnyers anu solicitations of the contractors , he allowed them to subscribe for two millions sterling of shares , dm it oe wondered at that the invasion and pillage of hnghxna should excite the cupidity of the ail venturous spirits a . nd empty purses of the Continent when they hear ot sovereigns being tossed about like Birmingham tokens , and of English men of business supplicating French speculators to accept their millions—relievo tbom from tho embarrcss de leur richmes ! Moreover , we are informed that the Foreign Office , under tne direction of Lord Mahnosbury , perplexed by the tact that the Panama railway belonged to the Americans , and driven thereby to contemplate the necessity ox constructing a Honduras line , hnilod tho Nicaragua of

    canal scheme as a godsend—a . means escape from the difficulties of tho situation . Consequently , and as a small return , Lord MalmesDury is golujf to w tvo the carriage of the Piiuillu mails to " Sir Croskey , " for winch tho Fpruigu Secretary intends breaking all previous oontructs , means to pond tho West India Mail Company to tho 1 gut about , and to entreat the canal projuotprs and men associates to accept I hardly like to sny how » lfUiy millions . To provide tho ways ami means , bo Foreign Office will insist on tho Chancellor ot » iio Exchequer doubling tho ineoniu-tax , and auoma that prove insufllclent , tho ninjunt In to m raised by now duties on tho circulation ot jui > Punoh . Your readers will have lortrnoa timt last month tho firsb departure of onslftoeve ana workmen took plnoo in tlio Panama , «»?« " «

    condueb of M . Folix Holly , wl ' . , innondl to carry out nn enterprise , on wliloh < Jopo »«» tho commercial prosperity of tho whole world . ^» tho and of this month a convoy was to louvqibouui ampton , in tho Plain , undor the conduct ot M , Vltal-Koux , formerly dlrcoifor of works at xw

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), March 12, 1859, page 20, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_12031859/page/20/