The Express. — London, England, 1851-12-22 00:00:00

Ike entreoo. TO CORRESPONDENTS. 1ap...• Wks The rag osaiairauda lame averytre • Gory" it ',Word rag Tu ." rday art Friday atiaL is doe tar p ad lsteriad Pa "Mr Zapork" Leaden Errs. piper, add Its at as Mat, 10. atareadtrest. Tv. teassai uip dap a prikatiaa MOH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. Tor. Oat —Wardad, IL Ida .......Aftarsom IL.Oe. ra.seadow—llurrag. SAL Maar LONDON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 22. We doubt the possibility of any firm, intimate, or lasting alliance between Louts Narotzos, even in the supposition of his utmost present success, and the great despotic powers of Europe. We are well aware that the representatives from those powers have flattered the conqueror, and congratulated him R pon his triumph over the republic. We are much afraid that even a whig government will think it convenient not to stand alone in esion of the doings of the master of France, and itrangement from his policy and his alliance. But there will be as little sincerity in the flattering compliments of the one as in the bland adhesion of the other. To judge merely by appearances, and by the language of court journals, the Austrian and Prussian cabinets are well pleased that Louts NAPOLEON has succeeded as future emperor to the French republic. But the aristocratic parties, and, we may add, the court parties in both Vienna and Berlin, arc infinitely more alarmed and annoyed than pleased at what has happened. At Berlin, the ultra-party neither conceals its chagrin, nor dissimulates its hatred, of the French usurper. The ultra-tory organs of l'russia thunder against Louts NAPOLEON almost as fiercely as they might against the victor of Jens, and that the Austria noblesse would eagerly do the same, did it possess any organ, or was used to any habits of publicity, one may oleo be pretty certain. If there be any courts or parties in Germany really pleased, they are to be sought in those families which ob tained royal rank from the hand of Nsrotrox, and these states which, included by him in the confeder ation of the Rhine, were made to form a kind of third empire in Germany, apart from those of Austria and of Prussia, aad destined to counter balance them. What are, and what may be, the sentiments of those courts and states upon the ramp delat of Paris, and its future results, cannot yet be known, for their thoughts lie deep in the bosoms of those interested. But time will mature and develop them, and will in evitably bring about an altogether new division of power and party in Germany. But France, even under Lints NAPOLEON, is destined to have other allies in Germany than the Princes of the old con federation of the Rhine. It is a remarkable feet, that whilst the aristocratic and reactionary organs of Berlin denounce the hero of the Itlysi":e, the (JwJnc Goalie, the organ of the liberal and independent feeling of the lthenish provinces, looks with favour upon the nephew of the French emperor. Shutting their eyes to the treachery nod immorality of the l'itEst- DM es conduct, these German writers evidently con fine their view to one point. They ask themselves, will this rise of a new military power in France be favourable to the emancipation of the Rhenish pro vinces, now condemned by Prussia to most rigor ous tyranny. They answer the question iu the affir mative, and clearly show that they prefer Louts NAPOI.EON's petity to that of l'otsdam, and M. nr. MOINT'S tendencies to those of M. 'cost MANTEEFFEL. II such be the opinion of that great and wealthy province which extends from Mayetice to Arnheim, and we fear the journal in question but too faithfully represents these opi nions, very serious questions and contingencies arise, atheting Prussia and the future balance of power in Barer. We are far, indeed, from thinking that it is the design of the Elesk to rush into war. With one half of the military of France, and all of the remaining population hostile to him, Louis NA- Poi.t oN will not be rash enough to seek hostility with any power. Ile will rather seek to consolidate his empire by some new system of domestic government, of which he pus- WOK N the secret. This is to be a government of notables—of such notables, at least, as he can get to join him—who will affect to reverse the old maxim, and rule .• all for the people but nothing by the people." if such men as Daot - Yst he. I:11 UTS, NAROCIIE, 1111.1 WLT, and MONTAI.EMBERT consent to make such a trial, no doubt it will be made. But a forlorn hope. like that of replacing a re presentative system by a nomination one, and a constitutional government bi despo risme r'clair. , , could scarcely be un dertaken in the nineteenth century. Such a system can be no other than that of despotism itself, on which it depends. Now, despotism may be made a very goo and palatable thing under a Titus or a TRAJAN ; and DO may a government by a senate be excellent, it the senate be composed of CICEROs and CATOS. Bat to set either of these systems working with Louts NAPOLEON and M. PERSIONT at its head, and with BAROCHE, BILLAULT, or even Dum'ix as its senators, and we may foresee the result to be a failure far more lamentable and ridiculous than that of M. Lanatt-ItowN himself. Franco is the theatre on which all the world is now looking. And such an attempt at legislation and government-mongering us we have described will probably be the comedy that will be now brought forward. That it will fail and bo hissed off the stage, especially by the French public, so critical and fastidious in its judgments and amusements, we may well believe. And then Louis NAPOLEON will have nothing to produce but the old military spec tark, which is always a favourite, and which will thus have the merit of being new in subject, as well as in dreamt and decorations. It will then be to be determined what country shall pay for the melodrama. Some are afraid that England will be the great aim of Im perial enmity. But we do not see what is to be gained from a war with England. We have no provinces easily torn front us or facilely an nexed. Thaw many more attractions does Savoy afford, or the Bavarian palatinate, than a menace of any conceivable magnitude to England from the heights of Boulogne! Ono campaign might extend the French empire to the Alps. No such desirable result could possibly bo had at in small a price from antagonism with England. Frame can gain neither glory nor aggrandisement in a war with us; if she has a chance of such, it must be by • war with one, or with more than one, of those conti nental powers which now affect to congratulate the secession of the nephew and heir of the Emperor NAPOLEON to absolute power in France. WILAT is Lord Jowl RUSSELL going to do"? has been the universal question since t he session closed. "What will he do for reform"? It has been taken for granted by all that he really meant to do something, though what that something was to be nobody could divine. Conservatives have been watch ing hi's lordship with alarm, reformers with hope— " craftily qualified," as poor Cassia says, with mis givings. Were his reforms to bo administrative or Lgislative ? Were they to bear upon the electoral system? or national taxation or expenditure? No body could tell. At last tho murder is out. Lord Jens has been availing himself of the leisure of the recess to concentrate al l his faculties upon the reform of Downing-street etiquette. To him "much musing" it appears that the eat,* to ministerial re ceptions has been too indiscriminate, and he has made up his mind to restrict it within narrower limits. . . To a civil note from Mr. MILYLa GIBSON, desiring to be informed when it would suit his lordship's con venience to receive a deputation from the Reform Conference that met at Manchester not long ago, the Premier curtly replies that he does not intend to receive it at all. The ratio decitiendi is subjoined, and is expressed with Spartan brevity. It appears to Lord JOHN that there would be "great inconre-i 'clears in receiving deputations from part it aloe dis tricts on a subject in which the whole country is ooncerne4L" The principle of this carton of etiquette, promul gated by the Downiag-street master of ceremonies, has at least the recommendation of novelty. Depu tations were admitted by Lord MELBOCILNE to state their views on the corn laws, on the union of church and state, and other topics in which assuredly the " whole country " was concerned quite salmis as in parliamentary reform, without any questions being asked as to how many dial:lets these deputations re presented. Nay, unless our memory is very much at fault, there was a time when a deputation . from Bir mingham on parliamentary refoun was cordially welcomed bye whig prime minister to the honours d a conference in Downing-street. But in the eyes of the men of the movement, there is no harm in innovation, provided the change be a imp for the better. The soundness, however, of the principle upon which Lord JOHN de clines the pleasure of receiving the deputation, ap pointed by a conference, at which the reformers of Cumberland and the south of Scotland, and the me tropolis, were represented, as well as those of Man chester and the West Riding, is, to say the least, ex tremely questionable. The " whole country," we take it, is made up of "particular districts," and how is Lord Jouo to get at the sentiments and opinions of the " whole country," if he prolate in stopping his ears to "particular districts? There is a law, unless we are very much mistaken, against milliated political associations. If Mr. Nlusien Gin lON and his colleagues had asked an interview with the PREMIER as delegates from a convention at which all the "particular districts" of which the " whole country" is composed were represented, the door would have been shut in their faces, as an illegal body. His lordship will not receive deputa tions from "particular districts," and he cannot re ceive deputations from the " whole country." His conduct towards reformers has a very sus , picious resemblance to that which a pru dent Scotch judge is said to have adopted towards beggars. lie told every applicant for alms that he made it a rule never to give anything to those who begged; and he told an acquaintance who reproached him with hick of charity, that as nobody ever asked him for anything it was impossible he could know who was in want. Some persons, it is true, who can see farther into a mill-stone than their neighbours, will have it that Lord JOHN RUSSELL'S reply to Mr. MILNER Gtosos is meant as a sly hit at Loid PALMERSTON. For this surmise there is perhaps some foundation in theme bickerings of the "united happy family" in Downing street, which were only silenced by the Bonapartist coup (Mat. But even the hypercritic:9 of Lord PAL MERSTON rest their objections to the reception of the Finsbury deputies, on the ground that it was im prudent in the FOREIGN SECRETARY to expose him self to the hazard of being led to use, or obliged to listen civilly to, epithets the reverse of complimentary to powers and potentates with whom the country is on civil, if not exactly cordial terms. The deputies from the Manchester conference, however, proposed to confine themselves to parish business. Neither Russia nor Austria could find any pretext for taking umbrage, because the PRIME MINISTER and a num ber of English gentlemen had tall,ed over a matter of business which concerned their own country exclu sively in a quiet and friendly fashion. Turn it villa way we will, therefore, the refusal to receive the deputation from the Manchester confer ence has an ugly look. It does appear as if Lord Joust Itessr.i.n had rather not hear what English men want in the way of reform, lest it should inter fere with what lie has made up his mind to tell them they went. It creates an uneasy impression that he is about to tell them he knows their minds better than they do themselves, and on this assumption to cram his own measure of parliamentary reform down their throats, however insufficient or unpalatable they may think it. Lord Jolts may take oar word for it, that this will never do. Caution and reserve, in a statesman, are good things in their way, but they may be overdone. Be our interpretation of his shrinkiug from the contact of the north of England re formers correct or not, it is that which nine hundred and ninety-nine reformers out of every thousand will put upon it. His lordship may have been influenced simply by the fear that if he listened to Manchester he would also be expected to listen to Birmingham, to the 'lower Hamlets, to a large array of deputations foreshadowed by hie imagination, as in a glass, darkly, interminable as the issue of Banyno. It would be a bore, we will not take upon us to deny that it would, to listen to so much eloquence; it would have been " inconvenient " to Lord JOHN per sonally. But it is a necessity of his position ; a posi tion voluntarily taken up by himself when he declared, last session, his intention to bring in a new Reform Bill. 'flint announcement, he could not but be aware, was a challenge to all who are dissatisfied with the existing electoral system to come forward and tell him what they complain of in it and why. This is the aim of such deputations as that which lie has declined to receive. It is nut to fish for indications of his intentions, or worry him into premature revclutioiis , but to male sure of his knowing the real causes of popular discontent, , that the conference have sent their deputies to him. , No means more legitimate of accomplishing this seid—none less liable to suspicion of nuerepresenta- , *O, or ropproodu reri, than interviews with political lenders, appointed at large public meetings, to cuss way to his lordship the sentiments of their respective beatifies. To refuse such deputations admission to Downing-street, while deputations are daily received !era any knot of railway proprietors or colonisation schemers, or amateurs of street-sweeping and soup kitchens, is to say that jobbers and crotchet mongers of all shades and complexions are at all times wel some to ministers, but that they will listen to no one who comes to address them on questions that wholly ssscern the interests of the country at large. It is out of no hostility to ministers that we regret and indignantly comment on their shrinking from the approach of popular opinion as a hydrophobic patient shrinks from the approach of water. We speak not in anger but in sorrow, because they thus wilfully and sillily augment the difficulties of a position already in itself sufficiently difficult. How can they know what extent of parliamentary reform is needed, or wished for, if they shut their ears against the voice of the people? Do they imagine that anything but a sham measure will be expected from men who refuse to receive information on these points? lb they look for the confidence or support of those to whose representations they refuse to listen? 1/4 they flatter themselves that the public will come to the rescue of men who have inspired it with distrust of their intentions? We confess that we entertain not the slightest hope that such considerations will have the effect of , inducing Lord JOHN and his colleagues to abate one 'iota of - the supercilious hauteur with which they shrink from popular contact. It is the vice of their nature ; the counterpoise to, the abatement of all their good qualities. Even those among them who most earnestly and sincerely desire the public good never for a moment cease to look upon themselves as some thing apart from—something wiser and better—than the mass of the people. ffhey are incessantly wrapt up in admiration of their own condescension in caring for those who are so much their inferiors. They mar their best gifts by making us feel that they wish to be thought, as COWPER has said some where, " Our benefactors—not our brother men." This cold repudiation of familiar sympathy is less calculated to do mischief with the English than with any other people. JOHN BeLL, too, has a pride of his own : he can love dearly and enthusiastically leaders of a frank and cordial disposition; but when seek are not to be had. he is not fool enough to reject the services of less loveable persona. He is not the man to look a gift horse in the mouth, or ask who it comes from. if he cannot get a service done him in the way of good fellowship, he is quite content to accept of it in the way of business. Few men hays more systematically and consistently thrown cold water upon popular sympathy than the links of WELLINGTON : but Joule oles the duke's vales in his own line of business, and respects and admires him accordingly. And so it may be with our whig ministers. Joins will not quarrel with them for keeping on their gloves, like puppies, when they shako hands with him, or even for refusing to shake hands with him at all; provided they can make it clearly apparent that they are willing and able to servo him. Lord Joos Resseat.'s exaggerated caution and r&irefire will not impede the success of his reform measure, provided it be a real and effective one. But, having made up his mind to treat the people of England in his own de hate en bas fashion, he must be prepared to find them weighing the merits and dements of i his reform bill in a spirit as proud and uncompro mising as his own. All things considered, therefore, we can scarcely be at the pragmatical ai rs o f dignity he seems disp osed give himself. There is the less risk of "eetiteionn " carrying the people away, and making them cry out "the bill, the whole THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBER - 22, 1851 bill, and nothing but the bill,"—ualess the goodness of the bill be shove all suspicion. Lord JOHN may listen to the representations of the people, or he may not ; but of this he may rest assured that their minds are made up as to the neces sity of reform, and as to the minimum of reform that it is worth their 'while to accept from him. They insist neon the extinction of small and corrupt con stituencies; they insist upon having . representatives for communities that are at present inadequately re presented or not at all ; they must upon a real ex tension of the franchise ; they insist upon the votes of electors being given in secret as the only means of eliciting a sincere expression of their estimate of the capacity and trust-worthiness of candidates. They believe that anything short of these demands will be mere change without improvement. They will not so much as stir one little linger to promote any bill which does not embrace these indispensable requisites. Aud if Lord JoliN and his colleagues should offer them a less efficient measure of reform, the people will find others to do their work for them. Lord Jules RUSSELL may reform Downing street etiquette if he 'e ill, but he must also reform Parliament. THE REVOLUTION IN FRANCE. THE ELECTIONS. (BY SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH.) PARIS, MONDAY, 9 ♦.Y. The elections known up to the present time are as follows : ltouen, yes, 28,050 ; no, 6,810. Lille, yes, 50,272; no, 0,132. Bourges, yes, 7,194; no, 1,095. Angers, yes, 9,857; no, 1,625. Sevres, yes, 1,101 ; no, 143. Same proportions are stated to be shown in many other places. PARIS, SATURDAY EVENING. This morning, at eight o'clock, commenced the poll which is to determine the acceptance or rejection by the electors of France of the government imposed by violence upon the French people. Each arrondisse ment throughout Franco is divided into several sec tions, in which some convenient room is selected for the operations of the election. Before entering one of these you observe generally in the court of the house a strong detachment of the national guard mixed with troops of the line. Lounging about the doors and passages are a great number of Bona partist touters, who thrust into the hands of all comers tickets printed our. I did not observe any agents distributing tickets inscribed with non ; although the 3.l;hritemr of this morning states that the president of the chamber of printers has been ordered to notify to the printing establish ments throughout Paris that the government is only desirous of arriving at the sincere wishes of France, and repudiates, as a calumnious invention, the re port that it has taken any means to prevent the printing of negative votes. I found, indeed, that there was no lack of these in the offices of papers that survey the Elysce with no friendly ccc. In such resorts piles of "Noes" wait to be used by the faithful. Very different is the aspect of the polling places from what it was on the 30th of November, when M. Devinck was recommended as a conserva tive candidate for the representation of Paris, in the Assembly where he was never doomed to take his seat. Then but a few dozens of electors presented them selves in the course of an hour. To-day,even though the sections are multiplied as much as possible, to give room for the enormous crowd, the doors of all arc densely thronged. When you enter the room where the operation takes place, you see six persons seated at a table, who form the board. The president of the board is either mayor or deputy mayor, munici pal councillor, or a delegate appointed by the joye ale pal:. Each elector is provided with a card, which he has applied for at the mayory, and which identi fies his person, and confirms his right to vote. This card he hands to the president, who calls its number, and delivers it to the secretary, who checks the card by the roll of the electors of the section. The elector then slips a folded ticket inscribed with " Yes" or " No" into a slit in the cover of a small square box on the table, which constitutes what is called the electoral urn. If there should be more than ono ticket in the same fold, the fraud or mistake is at once recognised on the ex amination of the votes, and the vote is annulled. After the end of the operation the box is scaled and deposited during the night at the mairie, where they are guarded by a post of the national guard or hue. The doors of the room where it is laid arc also sealed. Each box has two locks, one of the corresponding keys being in the hands of the president, and the other in the hands of the eldest assessor. All the operations have been conducted in the must perfect order. The ballot is to be kept open until 8 o'clock instead of 0, by decree of the Minister of the Interior. Up to 4 about 100,000 electors had voted. Telei;raphic despatches have been received from the provinces, stating that the same eagerness to vote is manitisited everywhere. The Union Flectorale has published, to-day, a pin sad, giving its full adhesion to Louis Napoleon. The Mualteur contains decrees of the President of the Republic, for increasing the punishments now by law incurred by persons guilty of selling arms, am laanition, sulphur, and saltpetre to the natives. I 'llsere is also a decree for liquidating a bill of 1 2.137 f. 50e., fur binding books for the library of the Ltravre, before the revolution of 1818, which from the staleness of the claim may be presumed to have encountered difficulties under a less simple financial administration than that which now prevails. There are also decrees, upon the application of the Minister of Public Instruction and Worship, opening credits to that minister of 300,000 f. for granting compensa tions to the empluyt's deprived of their situations, by reason of alterations in the office of tho ministry shortly before the events of December 2; of 12,3001. for increased comfort in the public library of St. Genevieve ' • of 129,357 f, 3c. for salaries and indem nities to the members of chapters and of the paro chial clery ; and of 3,734. 11c. for prize purses in seminaries. A telegraphic despatch from the Prefect of the Acranches to the Minister of the Interior, announces the arrest of Colonel Menton, at Cherbourg, the chief of the demagogues of that department. General Castellano has made a vigorous speech in favour of the President at Lyons. M. ltondeau, who was one of the representatives of the Loiret in the Constituent Assembly, has been arrested at Montargis, and conveyed to the prison of Orleans. The commission charged to estimate the damage caused by the late insurrection in Paris met raters day at the Hotel de Ville. In this first sitting it merely allowed t - aid for the wounded and I hear that Changernier ' Lamoriciere, and the re rosining prisoners at Ham will be liberated. Immedietely after the comp d'etat of Dec. 2 I indi cated the probable suppression of the national guard. Sines then two legions have been dissolved at Paris, and I now learn from a good source that the resolu tion has been definitively taken to put down the in stitution altogether, and to replace this civic militia by a new organisation of the garde mobile. Some reforms are meditated, I understand, at this moment, in :a province of society which have Fo duced general alarm among a numerous class. lou are aware that there mists in France a set of pri vileged callings, as those of notary, attorney, bailiff, auctioneers, stock-brokers, which, by an inveterate abuse have acquired the right of sellintheir licenses. The whole system of legislation • re gardi ng these pro fessions is to be entirely re•mode led, and great is the stir made by threatened privi ege in this swarm ing tribe of citizens. It is reported that a censure will be established on books containing less than three or four sheets; as the suppression of the daily , press causes opinion to take refuge in pamphlets. This is what occurred at the Restoration, when a censure was established for the same reason. Up to eight o'clock last night immense crowds of electors thronged to the polling sections. In the Place des Vosges I saw about 2,000 people patiently awaiting their tarn to vote. Numbers of agents with packets of tickets inscribed " our " threaded the crowd offering their wares in all directions. They were generally taken and immediately after dropped in the mud, where they lay like snow flakes innumerable. It was evident that Bonapartism in this district of the Mairies was at a discount ; and affirmative tickets, a drug, rejected with loathing. I should also mention that electors who can write generally disdain a printed ticket as the resource of the illiterate, and prefer inscribing their own choice on the bulletins. Several assured me they would not use a printed ticket for the world, they felt such a keen pleasure in writing " Nov." In this quarter the National Guard having been dissolved the sections were guarded by detach ments of the line. Newly printed placards in very large letters are abundantly posted on the walls repeating the real question which the people arc called upon to decide. APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE.—.' The French people desire the maintenance of the authority of Louis Napoleon Bona parte, and delegates to him the necessary powers for esta blishing n constitution upon the basis proposed in his pro clamation of Dee. 2, 18.31. Those who wish to give those powers to Louis Napoleon Bonaparte will put into the urn a bulletin with the word ' Yes ;' those who do not wish to give him those powers will pat is a bulletin with tho word ' No.'" Some placards, counselling abstention, were posted up yesterday morning, but were speedily effaced by the police. Close at hand is the fourth polling section of the first arrondissement, established in a largo hall form ing part of the Hotel des Cupucines, or Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At this moment there is not the least difficulty in inspecting the whole process of voting. Before the garden door, which opens on the boulevard, arc two sentinels pacing up and down, one a national guard and the other a soldier of the gendarmerie mobile. Three touters stand about the door with packets of tickets, which they Assiduously thrust upon all who enter. One of these I ob served, held a packet of tickets printed "Non." On the wall are stuck four placards. One, signed by Berger, prefect of the Seine, quotes the Gth cnapter of the electoral law, which describes the penalties to which fraudulent electors are subjected. rho second states, in larger print, that any elector who votes in two or more sections is certain to be discovered by a comparison of the lists, and is subject to be impri soned for six months. and to pay a fine varying from 2001 r. to 2,000 fr. A third states that the ballot will close at 8 o'clock this evening. The fourth bill is the one mentioned in my despatch of this morning, which declares the meaning of the vote. From the gay crowd of promenaders that sweep by on the broad pathway, a portly tradesman, cigar in mouth, steps out, and wings the white glove of his friend the national guard. The opposition touter thrusts one of his negative tickets at the head of the ' new comer, who puts it aside somewhat briskly with his cane. The touter exchanges a sly wink with his colleague on the other side of the door, who holds a packet of Oars," as much as to say " That fellow's a rank Bonopartist." Two well-dressed electors enter arm-in-armoleelining the preferred tickets. The crowd seems greatly diminished at this hour (four o'clock). 20 electors entered in the course of a quarter of an hour. The garden was strewn with scraps of paper; blank tickets, negative and affirmative, lay strewn about in equal abundance. §everal of these were written as in the large band of infantine penman , ship. There was no difficulty in entering the hall, I winch, with the electoral board at the end, presented precisely the appearance which I have described in previous letters. One feature of this day it is important to notice. Generally, on a fine Sunday before Christmas you sec hardly one of the gaily-dressed crowd upon the pathways without a little packet of some sort, a toy for children, a box of Lon-bons, or some sort of etrennes. To-day, although the weather is brilliant, and the streets are crowded with brisk groups pacing in the sunshine, you hardly meet a person bearing home one of the Christmas toys with which the tempting shops swarm. The shop-people, who, a week ago, were sanguine as to the good effect of the coup-detat, to-day look quite blank at their starved custom, and begin to suspect that they have been duped into hailing a fa se prophet for their Messiah, and that the settled government they looked to for' curing the disasters of late years is further off than ever. The shops are many of them shut already (at G), in consequence of the desertion of customers; whereas they generally keep open on the Sunday before Christmas to a late hour. If there were the remotest chance that the result et the ballot, which terminates at 8 o'clock this lingear question to whatever, teve who seek evening, would be accepted by the French nation as a m so ig l h em t b solemn psa decision:ipossible of an y Pliticsill toloud a willing seek to justify the emtp. detat upon the pleaof necessity. It is an old and pertinent saying with regard to the French, that anyconstitution would be good for them if they would only obey it. If, therefore, there were any likelihood that the vote of to-day would ensure to France the stability, prosperity, tranquillity, and contentment so lavishly promised by the government journals, which now enjoy a monopoly of political discussion, an impartial observer could only rejoice at the prospect, and, not disputing the free and deliberate choice of a great and independent nation, would think only of the morality of the means by which the happiness of that nation had been achieved as of a theme for solitary meditation. Bat the melancholy part of this monster burlesque, appeal to the anthers df the deed of Dec. 2 are such prominent professors would not stick at falsifying the votes, if necessary, are all comparatively minor considerations., M. de Fallon' has made a speech at Angers to an audience of some four or five hundred persons, in which, wishing to recommend abstention in the pre sent election, and a withholding of all support from the government, he ingeniously shadowed forth the meaning which he dared not to express directly, by saying that wine ought not to be g iven to p eo p le w are drunk. A government which makes such gross abuse of the force which it has ought not to be trusted with more. The government, it seems, is much nettled at the presence of Thiers in London. They gave oat that he was going to Germany, and indeed launched him through Strasbourg in that direction. But the current of M. Thiers's plans was setting apparently in the opposite direction, and no sooner had ho reached the Rhino than he doubled like an old hare northward, until he was ferried across the Channel at Ostend towards the hospitable mansion of his old friend Mr. Edward Ellice. There is an evident disposition on the part of the government to indulge a sort of Roman munificence towards the working classes, which would be laud able were it not bribery for a selfish and mischievous end. Thus you may notice in the Mendeurof to-day the announcement of an intention to establish baths and washbouscs on a grand scale for the poor. Another of these Greek gifts is mentioned in a letter of the prefect of the Bas-Rhin, stating that the Pressident has given orders that free leave is to be given to the poor to cut their wood in the neighbouring forest. Phis ostentatious beneficence reminds one rather of the will of Cesar, to which Murk Anthony alludes, to inflame the people against the defenders of the republic : He leaves his spacious groves on this side Tiber For you to walk abroad and recreate yourselves. It is reported to-day that M. Valette, a professor at the Ecole de Droit, was arrested three days ago for a lecture which he gave on the basis of the respect due to the law. The hits at late events received, it seems, significant illustration, and derived dangerous emphasis from the enthusiastic applause of the stu dents. I know that the lecture gave great umbrage to the government ; but I give the arrest of the pro fessor merely in the shnpc of a report, which I have not yet been able to verify. It is at last perfectly certain that Gen. Cavaignae is at liberty, and once more restored to his family circle in the ltue du Helder. It is certain that he has made no conditions whatever with the govern ment in order to procure this advantage over the rest of his fellow-prisoners at llam. It was only, in fact, in consequence of the assurance that they also would shortly be set free that the general finally consented to accept his own liberation. At Amiens, the bishop, the clergy, and the mem bers of the religious congregations, went yesterday in a sort of solemn proceNsiou to the poll, holding up tickets inscribed with " M. Vivien, vice-president of the late conseil d'etat, has drawn up a memoir against the coup-delta, written with great vigour, and soundly argued. This document is much spoken of. The C'enstitutionnel assigns a prominent place in its columns to the following letter from Mr. C. Stokes, of the Western Railway : Faris, Dec. 20. Conformably to Art. 43 of the cables des charges annexed to the law of the concession of the NVestern Railway, we are this day to advance to the treasury the first instalment of 1,000,000 fr. upon the loan which we engaged to make to the state, to be employed in the works in the section between La Loupe and Lc Mans. The mini•ter, however, thinking that the events which have just happened in France might hinder the realisation of our capital, was good enough to offer us a delay for the p .yment in question. But in coming forward to offer the assistance of our capital and skill to French industry we were mainly in fluenced by the confidence that we had in the government of l'rincc Louis Napoleon, a confidence which has only increased since the events of December 2. Therefore, thanking the minister ut the same time for his obliging consideration, I have this morning paid the million due to-day into the treasury. Cit. STOKE 4, One of the lessees of the Western Railway. The Paris and Strasbourg Railway Company have made a treaty with the Minister of Public Works for the execution by the state of a junction between the Strasbourg Railway and that of St. Didier and Joinville. This junction is of great importance, as it will put the Strasbourg line in communication with the central manufactories of the Haute-Marne. _ The Consultative Commission will meet on Tuesday next, at the great palace of the Consul d'Etat, on the Qiuti I)'Orsay, to proceed to the examination of the poll. The urns of the several sections will not be opened until 10 to-morrow morning. The poll will be open up to eight o'clock this evening, when it will finally close. The Deikats estimates at 290,000 the number of electors inscribed at Paris. But it is difficult to reconcile so low an estimate with the fact that in the three first arrondissements 90,000 cards have been distributed at the mairics to electors. M. de Sesumisons having written to the Unioit, to protest against the insertion of his name in the list of the consultative commission, a notice appears in the Moniteur stating that M. de Sesmaison s alarm Is premature, his name never having been put in the list mentioned, nor occurred to the government with that intention. NEWS FROM TANGIERS. The intelligence from Gibraltar, by the Bentinck, is that a French government steamer arrived at that place on the 11th from Tangiers, with a number of passengers. and that the Emperor of Morocco had refused to communicate with the French consul, and ordered the Pacha of the province to settle the question between the Morocco and French govern ments. The British consul, however, had assured the British subjects that the differences under discus- 1 sion were likely to be amicably adjusted. The Clamor Pu6lico, a Madrid paper, publishes a letter from Gibraltar, dated Dec. 9, stating that the Emperor of Morocco bad refused to ratify the treaty negotiated between Admiral Dubourdieu and the Bey of Tangiers. The Emperor is also said to be marching at the head of 40,000 men towards the coast. Two steamers had been sent from Gibraltar to Tangiers to receive foreign residents on board. SPAIN. MADRID, DEc. 16. The Queen's deliverance is expected every moment. Nothing has yet been decided with regard to the meeting of the Cortes. M. Llorence is spoken of as likely to replace M. Reiner° as Minister of Public Works, but this rumour requires contimation. ITALY. , temporary aid tor tee .........-- _.__ . the people," is that as the widows. The architects employed by the city of I Y ele P t . " An ROMAN STATES. pro question has been posed in a manner devoid of Paris are engaged in making the estimates of the in - jury done to property. every element of fairness, so the answer (assuming it O ur R oman corre spondent, writing on the 14th of The administrative section of the Consultative Com to be in the affirmative) will be wholly destitute o f D ecem b er, states that the papal government was mission held its first meeting on Thursday at the - hi g hl y sat i sf i e d at the state of affa i rs at Paris but Palace of the Quai d'Orsay, M. Baroche in the chair, fully clever because he has contrived so t o as k a that during the intelligence of the barricade hustion of the French people tkat if they say " Yes" war the police had meditated arresting all MM. de Parieu, Bineau, and d'Argout are appointed ens authorised to govern them precisely as he likes; the foremost liberals of Rome, but had con presidents of the three committees. Each of these and if they say "No," the government is thrown up tented itself with watching them nig and committees had a sitting yesterday for the despatch in the air to be scrambled for by nobody knows who. day. Hopes were entertained of being able to t o renew ousiness. • This being the only alternative, it is by no means the railway negotiations on terms which are detailed. At the Bourse the Five per Cents. rose 1.15 closing clear that the most prudent thing for the The French troops voted on the 11 th chiefly in fa ,at 102.25, and the Three per Cents. rose 1.60 an moment may not bo to choose a positively Tour of the President. The priests were in hopes I closed at 65.90. Bank of France shares rose 40. bad government rather than an absolute nega- t h at , i n consequence of the state of France, the Neatly all the railways were higher. N or th ern and tion of any. Accordingly France may and pro- division would be recalled, and make room for the Bordeaux rose 6.25. Rosen, Mar se ill es , and Stras- bably will answer " Yes," but she will assuredly do Austrians. Mr. Freeborn was still endeavouring to bourg, mfr. The \len° 'Montagne mining shares rose so with the mental reservation that she will not be enforce Lord Palmerston's demands in favour of Mr. 100 fr. Foreign stocks were without alteration. bound by the answer. Instead, therefore, of the idle Balbi, which the police authorities resist in tutu. PARIS, SUND AY E vssixo . ceremony now going on, miscalled an election, being Exc hange on London, 496. I understand that some modifications of the mi- a great national settlement it will at the best be but NAPLES, Dec. 14. Many are in contemplation. M. de Moray is going a miserable and most hollow truce, accepted under I need scarcely remark that France occupies the ea s special mission to St. Peter s b urg . The compulsion by parties most deeply aggrieved, and attention of all parties. Hi s M a j esty , on hearing of alliance with Russia is at this moment thicker than most outrageously insulted, who will forthwith core- the success of Louis Napoleon's first step, made a ever. The post of foreign affairs is destined for M. bine to shake off their oppressor on the first favour- vow to the Madonna and gave tho naval gentleman Walewski, the French ambassador in London. Yon able opportunity. A hard catching bargain with a who brought the news additional rank. The next are aware perhaps that this diplomatist passes for nation can never be allowed to stand in the great day the official journal, which seldom prints any an illegitimate son of the Emperor. He made his court of national equity, and Louis Napoleon, when thing but the most trivial rubbish, reprinted the political debut as the protege of M. Thiers, whose he hereafter point s t o the national seal on the whole of th e accoun t o f th e l ate events o f ministry under Louis Philippe he supported in the bond of December 21st, will find himself in no France. The constitutional party look upon all Messager, a paper created for that purpos e , o f w hi c h b etter case t h an a fraudulent guardian w h o thi s as by no means encouraging ; they argue IM. Walewskt became editor. He has, since the re- should produce the s 4 nature of his ward to no hope for Italy . with Louis Napoleon at the volution of February, been sent upon a variety of Lord Truro as a justification for his misdeeds, head of affairs in France. The Prince, the diplomatic missions to Portugal, Naples, Rome, and Meanwhile, the glaring unfairness of the present Emperor, the President, the prisoner, or what other courts. For the rest IkL Walewski is a flashy, appeal being inherent in the very form of the ques- ever he may be at this moment, is on very good) fashionable courtier, and man of pleasure, very fit to bon proposed, the palpable absence of freedom of terms with the King of Naples and the Jesuits, and figure in the bright galaxy of the Elysee. discussion, the prohibition of electoral committees on equally faithful to the court, corrupt, priestly govern- The Marquis de Las alette has been recalled from the negative side, the arrest of persons explaining the meet of Rome. These are observations I hear on all Constantinople, where he will be replaced by the meaning of their veto to the electors; the inevitable sides. The party of "order" (for here that word is Duke de Gumbo. suspicion—a suspicion which we may hope to be I abused andusedaselsewhere)argue that, as the "divine After the result of the poll is known and published groundless—that the exceptional morality of which right" could not triumph in France, it is better to have such a man as Louis Napoleon. The c ourt pbxty boast of having known even thing that era i going to take place in l'aris days befoic th e Naples is perfectly tranquil, and all parties look f qr the arrival of news with the utmost anxiety. Tk re is a strong body of troops at Gaeta. The trials called "May 15th" were fixed fir the 9th, but I found, on arrival at the tamrt, that they were put off on account of the illness of one ..f the accused, Archdeacon Panama', an old man, ne arly eighty years of age. 'rho medical coomii, s i on ported his inability to attend the court. The pd. Boners were all marched to V warm a few days s ince. GERMANY. A telegraphic dispatch, dated Vienna, Dec.lB, an. nouncesl the following changes in thu corps t ho o . matique "Baron Vrints-Treuenfeld,hitherto Austrian envoy at the court of Denmark, has been nominated envoy at the Belgian court ; he will be replay d at Co penhagen by Count Hartig, hitherto Austrian envoy at the court of the two Hesse& Lieut. Field-Nlarsbal Baron Langenau will go from Hanover to Stockholm as Austrian envoy to the court of Sweden. Counsellor of Legation Baron Koller, formerly char trapir,4 at the court of St. James's, has been appointed Aus trian envoy at the court of Hanover. Count loge:- helm goes as envoy to the courts of the Ilesses; and Baron Philippsburg front Karlsruhe to London." The treaty of commerce between Prussia and the government of the Netherlands has been forwar.hd to the different Zollverein states fur their appi.,% a l, with a request that their answer may be returAd by the 2.3 th of December, that them may be no delay in ratifying the treaty. Its contents are I:,a yet known, but it is announced that not only the Wishes of the Zoll congress of Wiesbaden have been fully complied with, but that Prussia has tained concessions even more favourable than that congress looked forward to. In its sitting of the ldth the Second Chamber of Hanover adopted, against the opposition of the ministry, a resolution inviting the government to lay before the chamber all the documents conneetkd with the late appeal of the equestrian order to the Diet. . . . A Munich letter states that the Bavarian chambers had rejected the motion of a deputy calling tOr an amnesty for persons in confinement for political offmces. Upon this the King. of his own accord, pardoned the non-commissioned otliwts and private, who had taken cart in the insurrection in Ithenizli Bavaria, to the number of If $. The Archduke Albert, civil and military governor of Hungary, left Vienna, on the lath, to return to Pcsth. _ The Post Gazette publishes a resami'i of the ti berations of the Germanic Diet, in its sitting of 7th, upon the subject of a commercial con - renti. between tEe states of Germany. It concludes I the following resolution : The Diet invites the high governments to make knoll to the diet within the spitm of a mouth their views on t! adoption of the project of a convention between the ‘t of the confederation for advancing commerce and in.bwr as it was elaborated and revibed ut Dresden, and • quently revisedineonoluonrocue uponity with the r e iec.s-verh the exports, and to pronounce in h•r poilitive that the said conveittionia the ay su bject at once AMERICA. KOSSUTH IN NEW YORK. A telegraphic summary of thu following appcare in our impression of Saturday : On Saturday morning, at 9 o'clock, the Britis . and North American royal mail steam-ship, Judkins commander, arrived at Liverpool from 110 ton and Halifax, with (10 passengers, 80,000/. sterlin in freight, and the usual mails from the Unit, States, Canada ' Newtnundland, &c., in charm: Lieut. Raymond, lt.N., Admiralty agent. The .1-i left Boston on the 10th at noon, and Halifax on d. 11th at ten at night; we hare New York letters al papers to the 9th instant, but are without the telegraphic despatch, via Halifax. On the the Asia passed the steamer Niagara on her way in Boston. _ . The United States steam-ship Pacific from Lit, pool on the 26th ult., arrived out at New Y.O .‘ the 7th inst., at 1 o'clock in the morning. ller u. had the effect of causing an advance in cotton Ludt New York and New Orleans. When the Asia left Halifax, her Nlajesty's survi v• ing steam-vessel Columbine was the only man-of-war at that port, where the company's propellers, Osprey and Levantine, were in readiness to convey the Nia gara's mails to Newfoundland and Bermuda. The principal topic, among all ranks and elassis, was Kossutli , his sayings and movements. The ad dresses, deputations, and ovations, were continued to the total interruption of business of every kind. Kossuth left Staten Island on Saturday, Dec. 711, and entered the city of New York, welcomed by a " demonstration, " pi which the New York 11.41 speaks in the following terms : The reception of Kossuth by the city of New York, on Saturday, wits a spectacle of the must imposing character — The scene on the Bay, on Castle Garden, on the battery, in the park, and fur three miles along broadwuy—the and the arches, and the grand precession, the thunder iff the cannon and the shouting, the whole moving panorama of the day, was something fur the recollection of a life the,. At two o'clock there were not less probably than tea hundred and fifty thousand people in arid near Broadsay. The moral effect of this pageant will be felt throughout ties vast republic, throughout the continent, and throughout Christendom. It is the first grand response of the peoplo, the sovereign people, the free, independent. geueruu , and powerful people of the United States ' to the principle , of republicanism, of which Kossuth is the exponent and the champion. There appeared to be a general knowledge is the multitude that the mural effect of this reception •••• destined to tell upon the popular mind across the Atlantic; and that Austria, Russia, and even France, would levl the. weight of the rebuke against them of " the young giant America." The movement, thus begun, will doubtli.• be followed up, and it is possible that the influence of Atlkri• can enthusiasm may rebound with startling a fleet upon the slumbering elements of revolutions in Europe. Kossuth steamed from quarantine to Castle Gar den, where ho landed at 12 o'clock amid enthusiastic acclamations from an immense assemblage. An address of welcome was presented to him by the mayor, to which the illustrious Magyar attempted to reply, but in consequence of the noise and confusion by which the proceedings were interrupted, he was unable to obtain a hearing, and abandoned his inten tion of speaking after uttering a few incomplete SOP tenees. The cause of this disorderly conduct, which was confined to a small portion of the meeting, lead not been accurately ascertained. The disturbance was attributed by some persons to the enornseui , pressure, and by others to the Roman catholic seetioa of the crowd. Upon arriving at his hotel Kossuth, however. dic tated the speech the greater portion of which he , was unable to deliver, nod supplied it to the Fors, whence we extract the main portions as follows: lam yet half-sick, gentlemen ; tossed and twisted 3 10,3 by a fortnight's gale on the Atlantic's restless waves: say giddy brains are still turning round as in a whirlpool• sad this gigantic continent seems yet to tremble beinath -y wavering steps. Let me, before I go to work. WS nose hours of rest upon this soil of freedom, your !awl , home. Freedom and home, what heavenly music those two words! Alas, I have no home, rind the Irv, don of my people is down-trodden. Young Giant of f America, do not tell me that thy shores ens an a b Y t to the oppressed, and a home to the homeless exile. A asylum it is, but all the blessings of your glorious country can they drown into oblivion the longing of the heart, as the fond desires, for our native land ? sly beloved nits land! thy very sufferings make thee but dearer w heart; thy bleeding image dwells with inc when I auk" as it rests with me in the short moments of my restl , ,, sleep. It has accompanied me over the waves. It 'so accompany me when I go back to fight over again t, battle of thy freedom once more. 1 have no idea b_ thee; I have no feeling but thee. Even here, with prodigious view of greatness, freedom, sod happiness vol,' spreads before my astonished eyes, my thoughts art wand ' ing towards home ; and when I look over these thossatt of thousands before me, the happy inheritance of vend freedom for which your fathers fought and bled—and "l, I turn to you, citizens. to bow before the enjoy! of United States, and to thank the people of New York t their generous share in my liberation, and for tile unpari , leled honour of this reception, I see, out of the very IT , of this great assemblage, rise the bleeding image of, gory, lonising to you with anxiety whether ther e be ia t lustre of your eyes a ray of hope for her ; whether there in the thunder of your hurrahs a trumpet call of resort. lion. If there were no such ray of hope is your eyes, no such trumpet call in your cheers, then woe to her" es oppressed nations. They will stand alone the hour need. Less fortunate than you were, they will inc.! i brother's hand to help them in the approaching struggle against the leagued despots of the world woe also to me. I will feel no joy even here, alio days of my stay here will turn out to be lost for fatherland—lost at the very time when every inconot