The Express. — London, England, 1852-01-24 00:00:00

gilt erpreoo. To COII.ItEISPON DISTIL • llama Malkin .1" The /apnea." as talorag Om WM e+eol.l4 pulawhal eve!, Toroday sal fills, oyihr, 1. Woo It* pre. dArwuaveert■l•Mmkd for "The Itiorms." Lemke Presto, pow. moot at rho Moo, 10, LlwwrM.auw4 17 Two &float ea the dos of pelOoodos. NUM WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. ILIMAIIIINft, a 3... 41. tOS. br•oessaaw—Morausg. 41. 345. LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 24. LOUIS NAPOLEON does not pause in his course. Many expected that his political drama would flag, that incidents would grow rare, and passion subside or degenerate into rant. Bat no— come what may, Louts NAPOLEON is resolved that his reign shall nut be tame. Every week is to have its map rVtat or its map de maitre. A fortnight ago M. do NIORNY made him master of France. And M. tot MORNY in doing so avenged the Prince of all his parliamentary enemies. It roves not ..hough. What consolation is it to send M. TRIER+ and (leneral CHANGARNIER into exile, whilst those in whose interest both were,—tho ORLEANS family—can save them hum want, and make them comfortable in exile LOUDI NAPOLEON confiscates at one stroke of his pen a masa of the Ottiv-uss property. Even their forests that escaped the auctioneers hammer of the great resolution, are now to be swept away. The Duke ti.%t•st tLE must sell all that he inherited from the last CONDE ; the Duke De: gives up the estates bought with his wife's dowry. What I.stifte-Itof.t.tts, and Louts BLANC, and raolfmtom respected, LOCI• 4 NAPOLEON will not respect. Pray, aho is the communist now, who the enemy of property. who the confiscator ? The Express had an article yesterday evening showing the utter incompatibility of despotism with a state in which was concentrated great wealth. The Thnes at the same moment was likening the gime of Louts Naeol.Eom to that of the Roman em• perors. The thought of both writers was that the uncontrolled master of so wealthy a state as imperial Rome or France in the present century, must pounce upon property, and must have recourse to confis cation. Icseteseve has begun by the highest in the land. Can he stop there? Some of the wealthiest capitalists in France arc noted Orleanista. If a breath, a whim, a suspicion of Louts NAPOLEON'S be sufficient to warrant confiscation, where is the security? Paris in fact, by this decree, becomes completely metamor phased into Constantinople, not Constantinople under the present humane SULTAN, who has abolished con- Iscati,m, but what Turkey was under the SoLYMANS and .V•iierrs. The tenor of the French decree seems indeed borrowed from the Turkish ones. The mosques are to have a principal share in the spoil. The Janissaries are to have another. And the SULTAN pockets the rest, under the pretence of giving it to the hospital*. One will find all this in any Turkish history. We are not surpreed to find men so astute as M. DR Mossy, and so time-serving as M. FOULD, refuse to be pieties to each a measure. As to FOULD, he believes, like every rational person, that the present system cannot last, and to have his name down u inning the first act of confiscation were too bad. As to M. tie Mottea, he must see it to be more than a erime,—a fault. In fact, it makes of the Princes of OBLZees what they never were before,—martyrs. In exile, no doubt, but still enjoying their 8,000 1 . a year from this source, their 10,0001. from that. Every looker on considered that, after all, Lovis•Pilittere had not managed so badly, and that the old man had feathered the twill,' nest in a Ecunning and durable manner. Money was the of the greet chief of the house of ORLEANS, and divinity at least had not hitherto deserted him or his fami ly. As long as lioulinee and BONAPARTE drove each other from the throne, or rather stepped in as den as the people discarded their antagonist, every one must have felt that this play was a mere understanding between princely claimants to gall plebeian multitudes. But confiscation and poverty, proscription and murder—whether by the execu tioner or by the climate of Cayenne—that alters the entire bearings of the mutter. People become interested in princes who suffer, not in those who luxuriate in exile. '1 he ORLEANS princes excite sympathy by be coming the victims of confiscation, whilst the confis cating prince attracts quite another sentiment by the inveteracy with which he would deprive him rivals of independence and income. Moreover, the ORLEANS party wanted stirring. They were sluggish, tolerant, and contented to abide their time. But hunger will sharpen their ambition and their wits. Instead of the bridge of gold that Louis NAPOLEON ought to have made for a retreating enemy, Lofts NAPOLEON has broken the bridge down, and thus forces his enemy to turn and fight. With all this we do not deny that the BONAPARTE family were harshly treated in 1814. and much of their property %manly and brutally confiscated. This, however, was no act of the Oat.r.mises, but of those legitimists whom Loins NAPOLEON flatters. Since 1813 the habits and wiles of political antagonism have much softened. Who but Loris NAPOLEON would have dreamed of exiling without a cause, transporting without trial, confiscating from per sonal vengeance, and converting political hostility into personal iuitagoniun ? There really is but one thing wanting in the present arbitrary system of French government to render it perfectly identical with all that is must odious in French, or in any history— and that one thing is the guillotine. Truly at the rate that Loris NAPOLEON is going, this maid guillotine will not long be absent from the sine. The personal passions of the dictator, and his craving for the excitement of new and daily violence, can already be satisfied with nothing lees than the ruin of his adversaries; and it seems clear that soon even this will not satisfy him without blood. ITALY. PIEDMONT. In its sitting of the 19th, the Chamber of Deputies of Turin commenced the debate on the bill imposing • retention of a portion of salary upon public func tionaries. M. Gerbina, the new deputy for Alghero, opened the debate with his maiden speech, in which he attacked the bill as being unjust, illegal, and mischievous. M. Brofferio, on the contrary, tie leader of the extreme opposition. warmly supported the bill, declaring he saw no reason why tunetinaariss should not pay taxes as well as other people. After some further conversation, the first article, which lays a tax of 21 per cent. upon the salaries of func tionaries, for the purpose of creating a pension had, was voted by a large majority- Several mead mentA were then moved to the second article, which lays another tax upon s4.llarits for the purpose of go vernment, and which increases progressively with the amount of salary. All the amendments but one were, however, rejected : and that was referred for consideration, together with the original article, to the commission on the bill. The debate was then adjourned. PARMA. The Parma Ga:ett;,oithOlo4th, publishes a de cree, suppressing the general direction of the police on the Plume,* territories, and vesting all political, judicial, administrutii e, and military powers in the military inspector of the gendarmerie, and in the commandants of the towns and fortresses of the duchy. MODENA. The Al.itsaggere of Modena, of the 14th, publishes a notification, announcing the accession of the duchy d Modena to the Austro-Italic postal league. NAPLES. The Nimes says :—We have received important intelligence from Naples. The provisional situation of this state since the suppression of the constitution approaches its term. The examples of France and Austria will no be slow to produce their fruit in the kingdom of the Two Bicibes. The resolutions of the government will be made known as soon se the political trials which occupy the Orand Criminal Court shall have been emn i nkted. It is mid that the King Zing been exceedingly an noyed by a demand lately mac: , on him by the Murat bmilyfur a ■un' of two millions of francs, with in tend on the same for 35 years. CORIUR NECIITXLIJITH AND Ron DOVET RAIL WeMaimed art et Ihislka, an, Olearases. WOOL FRANCE. LOUIS NAPOLEON'S LAST DECREES. . . A summary of the following important intelligesee, received by submarine telegraph, appeared in the Erprets of yesterday : PARIS, FRIDAY MORNING. The Moniteur of this morning contains several de crees of the highest importance. The tint decree is as follows: Louis Napoleon, President of the Republic, decrees: A minister of state is instituted, who will have the (ol lowing attributes The relations of the government with tke senate, and the corps legislatif and the council of state; the correspondence of the President with the several minis ters ; countersignment of the decrees nominating the ministers, the pr indents of the senate and of the legis lative body and the senators, granting the &nations which may be attributed to them, nominating lb. mem bers of the council of state ; the countersignment of the decrees tendered by the President in execution of the powers which belong to him, in conformity with the articles 24, 28, 31, 48, and 54, of the constitution, and of those coneerning matters which are not specially attri buted to any ministerial department; the drawing up and preservation of the minutes of the council of ministers ; the exclusive direction of the official part of the Monsieur ; the administration of the national palaces and manufactures.— Done at the Palace of the Tuileries, J an. 22, 1832. Loins NA roccom. A decree follows, appointing M. do Casablanca, former Minister of Finances, Minister of State. - The next decree defines the attributions of the ministry of police as follows : Louis Napoleon, President of the Republic, decrees: Art. 1. A ministry is created under the name of Minister of General Police. . _ Art. 2. The Minister of Police will possess t►e following attributes. Ihe execution of the laws relative to the general police. to the safet)• and internal tranquility of the republic. The service of the national guard, the republican guard, the gendarmerie—fur everything which has refer ence to the maintenance of public order. The sow oeillance of the newspapers, dramatic pieces, and publications of every description. The police regulations of the prisons, houses of detention, of justice, and of every ether description of prison. The peraoftnel of the prefects of the police of l'eris and the departments, and all agents of general police. The commercial, aruitary, and industrial police. The repression of meodwity and vagabondage. Art. 3. the Miui.ter at l'oliee will have correspondence with all the constituted authorities in all matters having reference to the security of the public. Art. 4. An ulterior decree will regulate the central organisatioa, and the active services of the new ministry. Art. 6. The ministers shall be charged, as far as concerns each of them respectively, with the execution of the resent decree. Done at the Palace of the Tuileries this 22nd January, 1&52. Loma NuruLsos. The Minister of State, X. Di CASABIANCA. The nest theme is *a fo:lowa: Louis RANI, on, President of the Republic, decrees : Art I. M. de Nlisupas, Prefect of the Police of the Seine, is appointed Mini•ter of General l'olice. Art. 2. Our Minister of State is charged with the execu tion of the present decree. Done at the Palace of the Tuileries, Jan. 22, By the next decree, M. Abbe tucci, Honorary Councillor of the Court of Cessation, is appointed Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice, in the place of M. Rouher, whose resignation is accepted. By the next decree, M. Fialin de Persigny, formerly Plenipotentiary Minister, is appointed Minister of the Interior, in the place of M. de Morny, whoso resignut ion is accepted. By the next clo..cree,Sl. Dineen, former Minister, is appointed Minister of Finance, in the place of M. kould, whew resignation is accepted. The next decreett is as follows : The President of the Republic, considering that all the !governments which have succeeded each other have deemed at indispensable to compel the family which hod ceased to reign to dispo-c of all the moveable and immoveable pro petty which it possessed in France ; That, whereas, on the 12th of January, 1516, Louis XVIII. compelled members of the linaperor Napoleon's family to sell their personal pro perty within the space of six months; and that, whereas, on the 10th of April, 1832, Louis ;Philippe did the same with respect to the princes of the elder branches of the Bourbon family ; Considering that ouch measures are always enacted for the sake of order and public in terest; that, whereas, at the present juncture, more than ever; high political considerations imperatively meteaand the diminution of the influence which the pores sioa of three hundred millions of territorial property be stows on the Princes of the Orleans family Decrees : Art. 1. The in •mbers of the Orleans family, their husbands, widows, and descendants, cannot possess any movable or immovable property in France ; they shall be forced to dispose definitively of all the property which they possess iii the extent of the French territory. Art. 2. This sale shall be effected within one year—, to take date, as to that property which is free from mortgages, and unembarrassed by other funds, from the peoatalsahoo of the prceent elveree, sad mato that portion of their prow ty which may be mortgaged or open to litiga- J tiuu, from the day on which such property sh a ll b e av e r.- I cably declared to belong to them. Art. 3. In default 01 havint effected the sale within the above-mentioned periods, suck sale shall be effected with all due diligence by the administration of the domains, nemeding to the forms prescribed by the law of the 10th of April, 1832. 'I he proceeds of the sale shall be handed over le the proprietors, or to those who may be entitled to them. Done at the talace of the Tuileries, this 22nd January, 1162. Loom NAM/LION. By the President, The Minister of State, X of CI.B•IIIANCA. The next document is as follows: The President of the Republic—Considering that, without wishing to striae at the right of property in the person of the princes of the Orleans family, the President of the Republic would not justify the confidence of the French people if he were to permit property that ought to belong to the nation to be taken away from the domain of the state ; Considering that, according to the old public law of France, maintained by the decree September, of 21st of 1790, and by . the law of Nov. 8, 1814, all the property belonging to princes at the time of their coming to the throne were of full right and on the instant reunited to the domain of the crown, that thus the decree of 21st September, 1790, as well as the law of Nov. 8, 1814, enacts: " The private property of the prince who comes to the throne, and that which he may have during his reign, by whatsoever title it may be, are of right and on the instant united to the domain of the nation, and the effect of the union is perpetual and irrevocable ;" that the consecra tion of this principle goes back to very distant epochs of the monarchy; that among other examples may be cited that of Henry IV. This prince having wished by letters patent of 15th of April, 1690, to binder the union of his property with the domain of the crown, the parliament of Pans refused to register these letters pa tent, upon the grounds mentioned in a decree of July 15, 1591 ; and Henry IV., applauding this firmness at a later period, issued an edict in the month of July 1607, which revoked his first letters patent ; Considering that this fun damental rule of the monarchy has been applied under the reigns of Loris XVIII. and of Charles I. and reproduced in • law of January 15, 1826; That no legislative act hsd revoked it on the 9th of August 1830, when Louis Philippe accepted the crown; and thus by the sole fact of his acceptance, all the property that he possessed at that period has become the incontestible property of the state ; Considering that the general gilt to his children, reserving the life lame. CM elation uni verselle soya reserve etwelifreil 0) ansamed to by Louis Philippe for the benefit of his iii6dres, to the exclu sion of his eldest son on tie bli of August, 1830, on the very day that royalty wee efillared to him, and before his acceptance, which took pbs. en N. 9th of the same mohtb, had only for its object to pmewant tie to-union with the domains of the crown, of amildarallea yeaprrty powered by the prince called to the the,.. VMS enheeignestly, when it became known, this set the pails auseis s e a • That if the nullity of that act was set priassased, it was because there did not steal, ea under tin ancient monarchy, a competent authority to repress the vitiation of principles of public law, the guardianship of whisk was 'formerly con fided to parliaments ; That in reseturing to himself the usufruct of the property eomprind is the donation, Louis- Philippe deprived himself efnething, and intended only to assure to his family a trinsony which had become that of the State ; That the donation stuff, no less than the exclu sion of his eldest so, its the view of that son coming to the thecae, was, on the part of the Xing Louis-Philippe, the meet funnel recognition of this feadiunental rule, sines so many precautions were requisite to evade it; That it would be in vain to object that the uni'-n of tbe public domain with the property of the prince ought to re suit only from the acceptance of the crown, and that this acceptance not having taken place till the 9t h August, the donation consented to on the 7th of the same month bad then already taken effect; considering that at this last date Louis Philippe was no longer a private person, since the two chambers had delared him King of the French, subject to the sole condition of taking the oath to the charter ; That as a consequence of his acceptance be was Xing from and after the 7th of August, since upon that day the national will had been made manifest by the organ of the two chambers, and that the fraud upon • law of pub- lie order does not the lees exist because it is concerted in the view of a certain fact to he immediately realised ; Consider !is hat the property comprised in the donation of August 7, having been irrevocably incorporated with the domain of the state, could not be abstracted from it by the diepos 4 - , lions of Article 22, of the l aw o f March 22, 1832 ; That it would be contrary to all principle. attri- 1 hating • retro-active effect to this law to allow it to validate an act radically void, according to existing legislation at the epoch whoa this act was consummated ; That, moreover, this law, dictated by private interest, under tie induenes of • policy of circumstance, cannot prevail eg nioet the permanent rights of the state and the immutable rules of public low; ComWeriag further that, the right, of the elate so restored, them still remains in the Orl , sus family 1 more than a hundred millions of francs with which it can I m.intsin its rank shroud • Considering, also, that it is gluing to continue the o wl allowance of 3 00,000 francs in the budget for the dowry of the Dachau of Orleans, Domes : THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, JANUARY 24, 1852. Art. L The pettarty, isereable sad isemoviable, "Ada is the of the diemednimiede ea Aug. 7,1880, by Lag Loan b settend W the dame' of the gets. 'Arts!. esssenthehe wish the payment of the delft 6111 eivil liC ' of Art. 11,t &weer of 'Bowed to the Duthie. Art. 4. T to et by virtue if A. 1 wi ll ha ia et the donnas, sad delimited' 0, Art. b. Sea wain. DS to the seneties of tu tu] assietanoe eatheried bry the keret 1212, July, 1850. Art. 6.—Tsa nhileas win be legisi Is lie ameliora tion of the dweilMes of the lel Wee =tourer). Wing towns. Art. 7. Ten =Moss will be aliened for the establish ment of institutions of ortidit J 44446, r the departments which may ask for this nesene, awl esbnlt to the condi• Lions judged necessary. Art. e Five millions will sieve hir the establishment of a retiring fund for the relief of the resent numbers of the priesthood. Art. 9. Tbs moles of tie prepselg dowited in Art. I shall be eddied to the endowment el the Laths of Honour ia order that its resswes way be espied te the following so, is ere et lee b deg iswellelest, recourse rzttika,.6. rewires. .1 the budget. Art. 10. Ivory sneer, sab.diesr, et seldisr, in active service, en sibs sea or land, wbe may hasoefurth be named or promoted in the national Order ef the I. .... „ 11f Honour, shall receive, according to his reek hi t the following annual allocation :—The legfinarires (es tofore), 200 francs ; officers, 600 francs; ossememdses, 1,000 francs; grand officers, 2,000 francs ; greed meow 3,000 francs. Art. 11. There shall be created a military medal which will bestow <ha right of en annual endowment of 100 francs, upon such *radian and sub-ofßcers in the sea or land service as may be placed in the conditions which shall be defined by an ulterior regulation. Art. 12. A national chateau will serve as au educational establishment for the daughters and indigent orphans of such families, tho heads of which may have obtained this medal. Art. 12. The chateau of Severna will be restored and completed to serve as an asylum for the widows of the high civil and military functionaries who may have died in the service of the state. Art. 13. In consideration of these presents the President of the Republic renounces all reclamation wit► respect to the confiscation decreed In 1814 and 1816 against the Bona parte family. Art. 14. rho ministers arc charged, inasmuch es concerns each of them respectively, with the esecution of the present decree. Given at the Palace of the TaUeries this 22nd January, 1842. Lowe NAPOLEON. - - By the President, ____... The Itlinistcr of State, X DI CABARIANCA. The appointment of M. Casablanca to the ministry of state is a merely temporary arrangement, as M. do Persigny is destined to till that dace later. PARIS, FAIDAT ETZNINO. I understand that General St. Arnaud gave in his resignation of the portfolio of war on Wednesday evening, and was greatly offended to find that the decree accepting it had net appeared in the Mondestr of to-day ; but I hear that it will be published in that or to-morrow, with the date of the 21st attached, in order to show that he has had nothing to do with the decrees of confiscation. M. Magne, Minister of Public Works, had also given in his resignation. Inflict the department of public works, which he holds, is suppressed, u I believe I already told you. l)rouyii de IHuys is, I hear, to be installed to-morrow in the ministry of foreign affairs, in the place of Count Tur got, who is to go to Madrid as ambassador. M. Le febre-Durufie, :Minister of Commerce; M. Fortoul, Minister of Public Instruction; and M. Magne, are to be made councillors of state, and thus compensated for the suppression of their ministries. As for M. Itouber, it was to be wished that his retirement from the ministry of justice were dictated by conscientious and disinterested sentiments; but, as I understand that he is to be promoted to the lucrative post of vice-president of the council of state, one can give him credit for neither. M. Baroche, who expected the latter post, is greatly chagrined. I shall not attempt to paint to you the consterna tion produced throughout society at Paris by the de crees which have appeared this morning in the ifu sitettr, and which at the present moment arc being read eagerly by crowded groups from the placards posted in every part of the capital. I prefer to give you briefly and dispassionately such information as is essential for the full comprehension of the mea sures taken for the ruin of the house of Orleans. Louis Napoleon, who justified the coup detat of Dec. 2 by the necessity of saving society , from the spoliation of socialism, has not only committed an actof spoliation from which the apostles of socialism, Ledru-Itollin and Louis Blanc shrunk when they held the reins of power, but he has given to this robbery a colour completely in harmony with socialist doctrines. People feared the socialists precisely because the latter contem plated the endowment of national institutions from the confiscation of property. But in the present in stance the flotation of charities is merely a vulgar and hypocritical mask for declining the odium of an implacable confiscation. You will observe that there are two separate decrees upon this subject. The first, under pretence of a regard for the public safety, obliges the Orleans family to sell all their real and personal property in France within • year from the date of the present decree. The second decree annuls the settlement made by Louis Philippe upon his family . of all his property, a few days previous to his accession to the French throne, and annexes all that property to the domain of the state, Now there are three descriptions of property belonging to the Orleans family:-1. The property left to the princes by their aunt, Madame Adelaide, the king's sister, amounting, I believe, to about 20 millions; and the property of the Duke de Bourbon, inherited by the Duke d'Aumale, rated at 40 millions. 2. The private do main of Louis Philippe, which he made over to his family on the 7th of August, 1830. 3. The propertywhich the king bought and annexed to his private domain during his reign. At first it would appear that, since the second description of property alone reverts to the state, a considerable amount would still remain ir, the possession of this family. But I shall presently show you that, so far from 100 millions remaining, as is stated in the 2nd decree, in the hands of the princes of the younger branch, their total ruin will be effected by these de crees. In fact you are aware that in February, 1830, a loan of twenty millions was contracted by Louis Phillips, in order to pay the debts which he had contracted as king, such as the sums duo for the improvement and repairs of the royal chateau, for the works of artists, and other objects. This loan was secured by mortgage on the property given by the king to his children on August 7th, 1830, which is now confiscated to the state. Hence the creditors will entirely lose their guarantee, as the state only undertakes to pay the debts of the civil list, and not of the private domain. Of course the Orleans princes will be bound in honour to sa tisfy those creditors as to their principal and arrears of interest out of the sale of the property which is indicated in the first decree. Observe that this loan of 20 millions was contracted with the sanction of Louis Napoleon's own government, and the name of M. Fould, his own minister of finance, figures among the signatures of the deed. Thus the government destroystheguarantee of a loan in which it played the part ofone of thecontracting parties. The property of the Orleans family is rated in the decree at 300 millions. This is universally recognised aa a great exaggera tion. The brute revenue of the private domain left in 1830 by Louis Philippe to his family was 130 mil lions. But the greater part of the property consists of forests, the maintenance and exploitation of which costs so much that the net revenue only amounts to two or three millions, and this sum has to be divided between nine persons. Since the death of the king all the proceeds of the estate have t rosol to the creditors, and the princes have lived chiefly upon the dowry of the queen. The portion which will remain to the family after the confisca tion of the property settled in 1830 will be the pro ' nerty left by Madame Adelaide, the property of the Due d'Aumale, and the property bought by the king , and annexed to the priv a t e domain during his reign. Deduct from this the debts of the family, and it is calculated that not more than twenty-five millions will remain. The chief do mains and chateaux belonging to the Orleans family are Eu, La Ferte Vidal, in the Eure-et-Loire ; Ant. !poise, in the Indre-et-Loire ; Bisy-Vernon, Dreux, La Fore, in the Aisne; Corbeil St. Gildas, St. Dialer, in the Haute-Marne; Arc Chateau-Vilaine, Aumale, Tournau, Bretcuil. The confiscation will inflict a grave loss upon 'several foreign princes. Thus the King of the Belgians is deprived of the magnificent chateau and domain of Asiboise settled as a dowry upon the Princess Louisa of Orleans when she became the Queen of the Belgians. The Prince Augustus of Saxe-Cobourg married to I the Princess Clementine, will lose the Chateau Bice, the forest of Vernon, the forest of Mercy, the wood of Epied, and other estates. The Infanta Louisa Fcrnanda of Spain will lose the domain of Anna villiers, in the Moe-et-Marne, settled on the Duke at . The Prince Philip of Wurtemberg,l son of "A liaTior eons Marie, of Orleans, will be de pnved o the domains of Ivry, Roseux, and St. Hence, I ma not surprised to hear that the tra i rrepresentatives of Spain, Belgium, Saxe-Cobourg, and X urtemberg have held to-day a conference, in which the harshest terms were applied to the decrees which have appeared this morning. I need hardly speak of the number of persons who receive at pre sent pensions and aid from the Orleans family, who will be beggared by the decrees in question. The considerations with which the decrees of to-day are accompanied bear on their surface a consciousness of the injustice of the act which they pretend to justify., But supposing that the confiscation were perfectly just, what is the use of those new bodies, the senate and the council of state, if they are neither to be consulted as to the legality of the measure, nor as to the application of the property which thus reverts to the state. To dispose arbitrarily of 200 millions of francs beloiging to the state, after framing a constitu tion, with great deliberative bodies, whose business it is to manage the affairs of the state, is an act com pared with which the assumption of the title of em -1 peror would be a trifle. The installation of M. do Maupas in the ministry of police is viewed, I may say, with terror. It is ex pected that some act of violence will be exercised to wards the correspondents of foreign journals. I hear, at this moment, that M. earlier is to be struck by a decree of exile. The motive of this sentence is not quite clear. Some say that' the ministry of police was offered to Curlier, before M. Nlaupas, and that the former did not like to incur the responsibility of the decree of confiscation. The President is then reported to' have said, " Ile who is not with me is against me." But it seems that M. de Maupas has long harboured a secret jealousy of Curlier, in consequence of the latter still meddling with matters of police, and keeping his old acquaintance with certain subordinate officials. In fact, it is said, that the present minister of police accused M. Curlier of exercising a sort of counter police against him, and has taken advantage of his present powerful position to procure his expulsion. The 3foniteur publishes a decree of the President of the Republic, appointing the chefs de battalion of sixteen battalions of the National Guards of Paris ; the same number of captain-adjutant-majors and the captains of the respective companies. Another decree raises to the grade of Officer in the Legion of Honour M. Chevreau, Prefect of the Ardelche ; M. de Prcissac, Prefect of the Lot-et- Garonne; M. Combes-Sieves, Prefect of the Pas-de- Calais; and M. Charles Lucas, Inspector-General of Prisons. 'I here are also several nominations of sub prefects as Chevaliers of the Order. It is reported that the companies of insurance will be absorbed into the state. The following striking anecdote has been told of M. de Persigny. When he was under the surveil lance of the police at Versailles, in consequence of his participation of the affair of Strasbourg, it was proposed on the occasion of the Duc d'Aumale's mar riage to include him in the amnesty granted upon that occasion. But M. Finlin, as he was then called, refused the proffered grace. saying that he felt per fectly convinced that the principles which be advo cated must one day triumph, and the party which he served come into power. He did not, therefore, wish to tie his hands in case of such an eventuality by re ceiving a favour from the house of Orleans. A leading article in the Pattie, headed " Tho Drawing-rooms of Paris," contains a sentence which has mused considerable sensation. After stigma tising in severe language the disposition to carp at the government manifested in the higher orders of Parisian society, it says that the President having put down socialism, they have no longer any fears from it, and concludes with these words: "These men are incorrigible. They will not believe in the reign of terror till they shall have one foot upon the scaffold." The expression is ambiguous enough, but it has certainly excited an uneasy feeling. The Bourse, contrary to general expectation, has kept up; but I have already told you of the species of intimidation which is exercised against the agene de-change, and the menace to double their number. Several arrests were made to-day at the Bourse of people who were accused of spreading false news. They were conducted to the prefecture of police. At the Bourse the 3 per Cents. rose 30c., closing at 103 fr.; the 3 per Cents. rose lfr., and closed at Mfr. 23e. Bank of France shares fell 5.3 e. Little business was done in railway shares. Rouen fell 10fr., and most of the other lines fell to a less extent. SPAIN. It appears from an official document, in the 31a drid Gazette, that during the year 1851 the amount of gold coinage at the Mint of Madrid was 11 mil lions of reabi in pieces of 100 reale (25fr.), and 21 millions in silver pieces of 20 reals (sfr.). At the Mints of Seville and Barcelona the amount of coin age was about 3 millions of rails. GERMANY. The First Prussian Chamber assembled on the 21st, and after an unimportant debate passed tho Disci plinary Bill fur officials not belonging to the judicial class, with one amendment in favour of the officials of the Agricultural Loan Institution, an establishment belonging to the " Ititterschaft." The disciplinary process against these officials is to bo commenced by the chief of the establishment—if that can bo consi dered a privilege. With this amendment the law was passed by 78 votes against i 2. A letter, dated Berlin 21, says: The Prince of Prussia, u Stathalter of Pomerania, re ceives an annual complimentary visit from the deputies of that province. Their reception for the present year has just taken place, and his royal highness took the opportu tunity to impress on the deputies his opinions as to the necessity of increasing the efficiency of the army, and urged them to support in the Chamber with all their influence, that increase in the military esti mates the late Minister of War intended to ask, and which his successor had undertaken to propose. Though, said the Prince, there was much in recent events in the west which ho did not disapprove, yet they must not give way to that carelessness and want of foresight that seemed to be on the increase. It must be recollected that the ruling power in France was not a legitimate one, and might fall as easily as it had arisen. Prussia must be prepared for all eontin • . They must make use of the experience gained by the geneses tTperimental mobilisation, for he could not regard it is any more than an experiment. The defects discovered must be remedied. An army of 400,000 men ho should prefer to the Lindwehr • but he knew that the financial position of Prussia rendered the support of such an army impossible. If, however, it would maintain its position as agreat power, more must be done than had hitherto been effected. The army ought not to be deficient in anything, and the old system of saving must be abandoned. Ile did not know what funds were at the disposition of the Finance Minister, but he was certain they were not sufficient to cover the considerable increase contempleted. Extraordinary means must be resorted to, and to provide these mean, was the affair of the Chamber. During the audience his royal highness returned more than once to the subject, and ex horted the deputies present repeatedly to support the pro spective expenditure. HAMBURG. On the 18th inst. a process was instituted, by order of the Senate of Hamburg, against the editor of the Reform, for the publication of an adverse article and a caricature upon M. Louil Bonaparte. The court acquitted the editor, and condemned the public trea sury in the costs of the trial. This is the first cri minal process instituted in Germany to punish jour nalists for unfavourable allusions to the President. DENMARK AND TILE DUCHIES. We have Copenhagen advice, of the 17th. Since the return of M. Chamberlain Dille from his diplo matic mission to Vienna and Berlin, cabinet councils have been hell daily, the members of the ministry being unable to agree upon accepting definitively the conditions on which Austria and Prussia are willing to conclude a treaty between Germany and Denmark. So great is the difference which divides the Danish cabinet, that a new dissolution of the ministry is foreseen at Copenhagen. The great and permanent difficulties to be apprehended from the creation in the three great territorial portions of the lhnish monarchy of three separate governments, often inde pendent of one another, and, as may be exp ec t e d, holding diverse views upon many administrative points, and having ministers now responsible and now irresponsible to the Danish Chambers, are too serious to leave reason to expect from the arrange ment entered into by M. Bible any lasting or well grounded settlement. • WEST INDIA AND THE PACIFIC MAILS. A telegraphic summary of the following appeared in tho Express yesterday : SOUTHAMPTON, FRIDAY. The Clyde, Captain Moss, has arrived; Admiralty agent, Lieutenant Percival, R.N. Her dates are : Jamaica, Dec. 30; Demerara, 27; Trinidad, 29; Ila vannah, 21; Santa Martha, 26 ; Grey Town, 20; Chagres, 2.5; Barbadocs, 30 ; Grenada, 29 ; St. Viu ' cent, 30; Antigua, Ike. 30; St. Thomas, 4th inst. Amongst her cargo is specie to the value of one million three hundred and fifty-three thousand four hundred and forty-Nix dollars worth of gold dust, jewellery, and platitia on merchants' account. It would appear from the last accounts from Yucatan that there was a temporary cessation of hostilities between the Indians and the Yucatans, and that the town of Baader still continues in the possession of the latter. This town has been com pletely surrounded by a low wall and ditch, but it is not calculated to resist a determined attack of the enemy. The spirit of animosity between the two races is by no means quenched, and there is not at present the slightest probability of a termination of the war. The Indians can place no confidence in the promises of the " Yucatacos," by whom they have frequently been deceived. There is nochance, there fore, of any amicable settlement of their differences. There is a desire on the part of the Indians to annex that portion of the country which they claim to the British territory of Honduras; and, if that cannot bo accomplished, the majority seem disposed to emi grate to that country. According to Jamaica newspaper accounts the weather had changed, and it was hoped that cholera would soon disappear. It was still, however, very virulent in some places; the smallpox is also scourging some parts of the island. A public meeting had taken place at King ston to make arrangements for the establishment of a steam-packet communication between Jamaica and the Spanish Main. From Ikmerara we learn that the election fur Fssequibo has terminated in the triumphant return of the government candidate. In reference to this event the Zwal Gazette of Dec?.mber 27 has the following: In reviewing the history of the past fortnight in Bri tish Guiana, the occurrence that merits most attention is, unquestionably, the election for Essequibo which has just terminated in the triumphant return of the government candidate. A more determined election contest never, per haps, took place in the colony. On the 2ith the poll was closed, and the numbers then proved to be :—For Craig, 50 ; Cameron, 45 ; majority for Craig, 5. The Essequibo constituency, as may be inferred, is not numerous ; in fact, ' it is as at present composed an aristocratic body, consisting for the most part of the local gentry, with slight sprink• ling of independent tenant farmers and imall traders. Now, it is a remarkable circumstance, that this is just the sort of body from which former governments in this colony were sure to encounter oa occasions like the present the most determined opposition. Ileoce the inference is, that had the constituency been more numerous, and had more of the popular element been infused into it, the triumph of Mr. Craig would have been even more marked and sigeal than it is. There is a reasonable prospect of a sugar crop in the dependency this year superior to that of the last. A Georgetown paper says:— During the past fortnight the weather has been delight ful; genial showers, bright sunshine, and cool breezes having been agreeably intermixed. Our planters are taking every advantage of the season, and pushing on both in the cane field and the boiling house as fast so they car. The present year's crop will considerably exceed that of 18-50, as no doubt, if things go on smoothly, and the seasons are tolerably fair, that of next will the present. As an instance of the improvement that has been effected within the last twelvemonths on most estates, we may particularise one property, several miles distant from town, on the rust coast of Demerara; we mean plantation Lusignan. That estate made last year 020 hogsheads of sugar. It completed its crop for the present year, on the oth of this month, when it had made 1,010 hogsheads, exceening the crop of 1850 by 20 hogsheads. On December 30th a public meeting was to take place in Georgetown, for the purpose of co-operating with the Anti-Slavery Society in London. in making two appeals—one upon the British parliament, the other upon the British government. Parliament will be called upon to prevent that further eduction of duties in slave-grown sugars at present proposed to take place on the sth July next; and government will be called upon to renew their demands upon Brazil and Spain for the fulfilment of their treaty engagements for the suppression of the slave trade, notifying to them at the same time that till this be done the present sugar duties will be rendered per manent, and those countries held responsible fur all the sums advanced to them to secure the abolition of that traffic. And it is further contemplated, in the event of the treaties with Spain and Brazil not being at once and fairly acted upon, to call upon parlia ment to reduce the rates on British sugar to the low est point compatible with the public interest. At Barbadoes the House of Assembly met on the 23rd ult. There was no business of importance transacted, and the house adjourned for a month. Sugar making has been commenced on several estates in this island. The weather is everything the planter could wish, and the yielding of the cane so excel lent as to authorise the prediction that the present sugar crop will yield a return for shipment exceed ing 40,000 hogsheads. The first vessel with sugar of this season's manufacture will leave Carlisle Bay between the 12th and 13th proximo. From New Grenada we learn that the law by which slavery is abolished throughout the republic will go into effect on the Ist of next January. It provides that "all persons liberated shall be entitled to the same privileges, and _governed by the same laws, as are other citizens of New Grenada. No slave under forty-five years shall bo valued at a greater sum than one thousand six hundred reals if a male, nor over one thousand two hundred reals if a female ; over forty-five, the value of a male slave shall not exceed one thousand two hundred realm, and a female slave eight hundred reals, which compensa tion is to be paid to the owners by the government." The Bogota Gazette (official) says a decree has been addressed to the Boards of Manu mission, which specifies the manner in which the provisions of the above law shall be carried out. The slave, whose owner is not capable of proving his right of ownership, shall be liberated without farther legal proceedings; and the boards will have the au thority to pronounce his manumission. Owners of slaves, who are to be emancipated from time to time, will receive a remuneration, to be apportioned from the funds appropriated by law for this purpose. The price of the slave must previously be ascertained by two appraisers—one appointed by the board, and the other by the owner. COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. We extract the following remarks on the Jamaica mar kets from De Cordova's Journal Christmas trade has disappointed even the mockrate expectations of dealers, the demand for goods having exceeded the ordinary inquiry only to a very trifling extent. Both pickled and dry fish are wanted, and would be taken—the former especially—at advanced rates. The flour market is heavy, both as regard supplies and demand. A good business might possibly be done with speculators, but holders will not listen to their terms. Produce generally is quiet." The supply of American provisions in this market is not heavy, yet we cannot quote any material change in quota tions since our last publication; the dealers generally have manifested a desire to reduce stocks previous to the holi days. Flour may be quoted at 6 dols. per barrel for choice brands. Cornmeal, 41 dols. in limited demand. East India rice 'worth 4 dols. 30e. to 4 dots. 50c. p•r bag of 1601 b. for white Calcutta. Pork wanted, at 17 dols. per barrel. Cod fish dull of sale, a cargo now offering, the stocks nn hand ample. Mackerel wanted. Herrings more inqu,red fur, a few barrels really good are saleable. A cargo of potatoes from Germany sold at 3 dols. Sc. per barrel. W. P. lumber dull of sale. P. pine ditto is also abundant. The importa tion of R. 0. staves has been large, and prices have de clined. A temporary supply of coals, sufficient to take off the remains of the present crop, has come to market since our last; our prices have declined. Produce still plentiful, sod the weather most favourable. Sugar worth 3 dots. 50c. to 3 doh.. 75c. per 1001 h. Dutch. Molasses in brisk demand at 14c. to 15c. per imperial gallon. Rum : strong, 36e.; common, 22c., per imperial gallon—packages included. Freights have declined. In consequence of the numerous arrivals from Europe our river is now well supplied with tonnage; to London and outposts, 2s. 3d. to 2s. 6d. Exetiarsoati UN LUNDON.—l'rivato hills, 90 days' sight, 474 dols. ; banks, 90 ditto, 480 dole ; ditto, GO ditto, 482 dubs. ; ditto, 30 ditto, 484 dole Bank drafts on New York, at 30 days' sight, 1 per cent. discount. THE ARDTULLY MlNES.—These mince, which are iituated within four English miles of Kenmore, are cele brated for the purity and richness of the copper ore raised from them, which brings a higher price in the market in proportior., than the produce of any other Irish mines. They have lately been purchased by a London company from John Dillon Croker, Esq., of Quartertowe, for the aura of 2,5001. They are now being worked with great effect, and a very Bne ore is raised from them. Several of the peasantry are employed in the various processes, at reanairstive wales.—Cork Aporier NATIONAL DEFENCES. TO THE EDITOR. 01' THE DAILY NEWS. Sts,—The admirable articles in the Daily N este on the importance of keeping our naval have nearer home, lead mo to hope that a firm and determined stand will be made by an influential party in the House of Commons against all increase of our naval or military establishments, until they have com pelled those in power to use the sums now voted for the purpose in such a manner as will give the nation the very best means uf• defence the amount voted can provide; and by far the most important point indent you dwell so strongly on, of keeping our force at home instead of scattering it over the world. I have before pointed out the danger we ran in 1810, and how important it is to keep our naval force "in hand near home." I also lei to call your attention to another point—viz., having a better "reserved force" of trained seamen, a point of the next importance to having our fleet near bottle; and as it need not cost the country one farthing, it ought to be insisted on. I urged it strongly, through the columns of the Nand and Military nearly ten years mince. lied it been adopted then, we might already have had a fine body of trained men, in addition to the coast guard, to fall back on. If our best seamen were selected err tho situations referred to in my letter, it would go far towards making the service popular, and there can be no reason why every vacancy in the rimy should not be as eagerly sought after as artificers in the dockyard, and dismissal be considered suffi dent punishment, when all corporeal punishment could be abolished, which 1 trust we 50011 shall see (except for theft). The number of nit untions under the crown that seamen could well fill, are very great—. messengers and storemen in dock and victualling yards, crews of powder hogs, lighters, and custom house boats, &c., now tilled by tinkers of every description, through the nomination of the "fir. Edwardses" of government boroughs, more especially Devonport and Greenwich, and in this all governments have been alike. In advocating this question years since, I men. tinned a case coming under my own notice of a vacancy as coxswain of a gun-wharf lighter, for which several good men-of-war seamen were candidates, being filled by *hoemaker, who, it was proved, could not steer a boat, and being put out of it, sonic tinker or other, who knew that much, was put into it. These men are all better paid than seamen and petty officers, who would gladly take such situations, or their naval pay with an al lowance fur provisions. And while the expense to the country would not exceed what it is at present, a fine body of our picked men would be ready at a mo ment's notice to man our advanced ships, if war un fortunately threatened to break out. 'the only reason against it is, that the different Mr. Edwarilsea would lose a certain amount of rewards, or rather bribes, for voters in the government boroughs. Nothing could have been worse policy thus the manner in which we have been running a ram with France in keeping a large fleet in the Mediter ranean. Twenty-five years since we had one line of-battle ship there, three at Lisbon, and eight or ten guard ships, half-manned, in reserve at home. France had a very small force afloat, so that she could not train any large number of seamen, and she had few seamen elsewhen: to fall back on ; while we could, by having a reserve such as I have mentioned, have tilled up the crews of our ten guard ships with picked men, and the expenses of the last 20 years would have been much leas; by running a race with France we actually taught her men to compete with us, we enabled them to train wi many, that they have now at least six or eight thousand men in reserve that have served from three to six years, and though poor seamen, are trained gunners. In fact we have played the very game that suited them, while we threw away our chief superiority, which was, that however small our force afloat, while France had one as small and no reserve, we had a vast advantage; but when we added ten thousand men to our force and France did the same, she re placed these in six years, and so in twelve years trained twenty thousand men, while our men continued to serve. These views arc not merely hasty speculations, but have been the subject of my constant thoughts and study for the last fifteen years; and, as I said before, wire published long since. If the government would at once issue an order that no vacancy, such as I have referred to, should be filled by any but petty officers or seamen (or mariners) of tell years service and good character, without costing the country a farthing, we should gradually be getting a splendid body of men in reserve, and whenever men enough to man two line-of-battle ships were thus available, we might reduce our active force one line-of-battle ship, and thus gradually bring back our naval estimates to what they were a few years since; but with no reserve, and the effects 'of the system of the last ten years to strive against, we could not possibly do with fewer men than we have at °resent. I write this merely that it may be of use in fol lowing up the line of argument you have adopted, which lam convinced is the right, and only ono that ea* lead to any real benefit to the country ; and I have often deeply regretted that we had no naval man in the " house" who was independent enough, or who had paid sufficient attention to the subject, to bring these questions before the publi c . But tho principle of having the must for our money, requires most seriously to be applied to the military esti mates. We are not, I think, sufficiently prepared against the chance of invasion. The Guards system, by which a body of men that share none of the hard work a ith the really useful and poorly paid line regiments, must give way to a steady opposition; unfortunately hitherto, even the large body of liberal members have never backed the few who, on the army estimates, (lid their duty by objecting to these abuses. If the whole body of financial reformers were to attend and support an opposition to the estimates on these heads, instead of a few members merely proposing to reduce tha number of men 5,000 or 10,000 (which, if adopted, would all fall on the hardly worked regiments of the line), they must eventually carry their point. Once prove to the country that for the money now paid for 3,000 Guards they could have 4,000 equally good soldiers; or 3,000 soldiers, and from the savings could organise 8,000 or 10,000 militia (which is not too much to expect), how could a government stand that defended these abuses? Again, we want a good defensive force, and the more particularly as far as cavalry is concerned, who can suppose that wo should ever again be mad enought to tight other peoples' battles on the continent ; our foreign, i. e. In dian and colonial service (with the exception of about four dragoon regiments) requires nothing but infantry and a few artillery. In de fensive warfare on our own shores, we would not have a large cavalry force to oppose.; we might, there fore, I am convinced, reduce one-third of our cavalry, say 2,000 or 2,500 men, which amount would give us 4,000 additional infantry (trebly valuable in a de fensive battle or coast defence), or 20,000 to 30,000 well-trained militia; but supposing there is no chance of obtaining this, at least the country has a right to insist that the officers for 600 men, and the same throughout the cavalry, should not be con stantly kept in pay for only 400 men, and many of them not mounted. Surely officers would be provided for the additional men as quickly as those men would be trained. What would be said if our present half-manned guard ships had the full complement of officers? 'Hie only possible reason for the present cavalry system is the use it is for enabling young men of rank and fortune to play at soldiers for a few years. Our cavalry system wants a radical change : and the same of ap ply to the artillery : a few liFlit guns, such as no longer arc used in the french artillery, arc kept with all the best horses and men as play things, and the system allows all men of interest to escape foreign service, while the main force of artil lery is weakened and neglected. Yet the same expense would make all equally efficient by adopting the Bengal Horse Artillery system, and we should then have a really useful force of the highest importance in case of attack. Our object must be to get the most efficient defensive torte that the nione grantisl will procure: and the hard working regiments of the line should be the last, instead of the first reduced. All our reductions in the other systems should go t5)- wards organising our irregular force, by which, in case of invasion, we have 8,000 (if not 10.000) man for every 1,000 regular troops, that the same would provide, and for a defensive battle the SAO well drilled militia, with the advantage of a few The Fu pettedly, I the Medite The fol royal table Leopold co Lady C. I. I,vly in NV Speth, Los St. Maur, Bruce. Vu and Lady Th (lu4 mnrning.. The Pll members and walkil by 0 1-; ; Col. sa c F. Wioe Sir Cha at the Cu The this this evcni n•nee" sea had acco FT4I2CeV A Antonio ltd Falai° da h Court Cola Matted Chew nLmpu Ginena Nana hoNQjt lier MI children, arcompan Saxe Cob stance 1.4 Lord and Maur, ti ton, the Right iii and Lad; gentleme nese, and the 13sroi TheQ ing taker band pee mowed. Craven Tto The fol witnew Caroline Mrs. Phi H. A.h le Sir The Labouch , lion. C. ander Le Royal utticii, I 2i.d. Batt trey the and Mrs. UtPle La iCt;e7, A deg Right LI Smith, • ?Out Ii tiOsTnir; The .70 full dres of Fehr. square. The C Windsoi lonian I c d om i h a 1 2 u -t;h t ad:►ei:nti country the intil made tl Mr. 1 trade au ARY ea] It is imp