The Express. — London, England, 1851-12-29 00:00:00

the erfreoo. a flows 4 41111.• at Earn"' wanking lbe mob miff Gras. T - p4blisbed wary Tarby awl Palsy elsbi. Is Ow y.d. as •.s aram. by Two Viet am twee Lambs awes( m ay. err Or Mee, bormilw lb, pablig.dsb. NIOR WATIR A T LONDON BRIDGE. Tags M. —lionise. A. ler.........Atarimms, Ilk. Sta. TOMOSBOW—XeraIa& So. -Aflovesea. 71. Um. LONDON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 29. Tne election of Louts NerOLLON BONAPARTE, in whatever degree aided by falsification or intimida tion, to be the dictator and legislator of France, is without doubt one of the moat serious blows that have ever been dealt to constitutioaal government. We can account for many votes by the peculiar peasions and ignorance of the class which gave them. We can un derstand the legitimiet voting for any heirless mem ber, who would undertake to kill at once every prin ciple of freedom, under republic or under monarchy. We can comprehend M. MONTALEMBERT, who ima gines human happiness and virtue to exist in but two mansions—the barrack and the cloister. We can un derstand the socialist,who, in no possible contingency, could hope to put his own pnnciples in practice, and who, therefore, is well pleased to be avenged of society and of all political parties, by stifling them. We can understand the ignorant peasant, the songs and traditions of whose family are of the Grande Amick, and who in truth knows no name save that of NAPOLEON. And we can also understand the con stitutionalist and Orleanist, who despair of seeing a monarchy of the middle classes revive till the forward spirit of liberalism has received the dire lesson of many years iron tyranny and exaction. All these, however, are mean motives to a mean set. And we believe that a far more universal and predominant motive than any was the convict i o n utterly hopeless and useless it was to oppose Louis N.+POLEo s ' s election, and the inability for any one to see their way to the substitution of anything else. The army had decided. For the people to decide anything contrary, implied resistance to the military power. The French were no more prepared fur that than the Germans. And they have submitted, an they generally bear adverse fortune, — with a good face. Of thOSC parties who, adverse to Louts NAPO LEON and to tyranny, have still voted for both in the vague hope that they may turn to its advantage, tho vulgar socialists arc those least likely to be mistaken. By vulgar socialists we mean t ha t large body of the struggling, the needy, and the ignorant, who are discontented with their lot, and who seek by some political legerdemain to turn society upside down, and plant themselves upon the top. Louts Nsro- Leos has done, or is doing, this for them with quite as much efficacy as M. PROVDBON. The main prop of his power is the support of the most ignorant of the population,—the common soldiery, and the rustic peasants, and the monastic clergy. These are the layers of society, well reprenente y MONTALEMBERT and St. Ar-sisto, whom he is putting uppermost. The classes of society that he is extinguish ing and treading down ate the liticians, the professors, the men of letters, journalists, and in fine, the gentlemen. M. Guizor raved of a g.,vernment of notables and capable& Louis N.iroLeos puts a gag on the mouth of every one that can pretend to either character. It is all the vulgarity, immorality, and brutality of the country that is uppermost ; and that stamps its seal upon every government act. Look at the arrests, the know de euchre, forced exile, the extinction of the press, the restoration of the censorship, even upon books, the firing into first-floor windows—these all bespeak the ignorance, the coarseness, the de fiance of decorum, the bacchanalian triumph of the lowest class of mind and lowest class of breeding in the country. It is in fact sans-culottion, as yet without the guillotine. It is a serious disaster to have the political educa tion of a country stopped. With the journals sup pressed, books submitted to the censonship,—the gagging of the masters of public instruction, — France must retrograde if it bears its present yoke long. The counter revolution in Prussia and in Austria did not• at least, proscribe all the talent of the country. The bureaucracy of Prussia is able, though despotic. And even Senweazenueito availed himself of the BRtettri and the BACHE.% thrown up by the revolution. But no one with a soul or a ca pacity above that of a policeman would serve the resent French dictator, who will be reduced to Ind civil tali:Alps as well as military ones by means of the conscription. How the liberal and educated mind of France is to free itself front a yoke so galling and so disgraceful remains as yet a mystery. The unfortunate schism between the upper and the lower classes, the propertied and the earning, has deprived the intellect of the country of its right arm. And it is by this fearful separation, to which the upper classes of the French were not sufficiently alive these three years past, that Louis Kirot.cox has profited. He is, to some extent, the people's dictator, and his mission is to sco the intelligent, the commercial, and the middle c lasses. The balance may for a long time tremble between his prudence and their impatience; but the day of decision and of retribution will come. There is one truth that must impress itself on the mind of every citizen in Europe, and that is, the im pmsibility of enjoying the permanent advantages of liberty as long as rulers can dispose of armies of from three to five hundred thousand men. This large and disciplined body is necessarily raised from the most illiterate of thz u ropulation. Brute power can be based 011 it. the brute part of Europe must dominate over its intellectual part until means are found for all and each country dispensing with an immense military force. There is no use now in any class, however numerous, or any party, however well organised, attempting to effect a revolution until they are prepared to deal with the army, and shake off that incubus. We allude not, of muse, to such an army as the British, but to continental armies. The great question now is, military or non-mill rule ? The military pried* predominates over svoile, and we very much rose may crush in a fent weeks sr months whatever remains of constitathmalkim be Piedmont, Belgium, or Switzerland. ma w rip dominance is an inundation that must SOWS! every thing below its leveL To oppose it, or most dykes against it, seems for the moment isapsoihic All ens can do is to be prepared for the ilia, of the waters, and to labour for the restored= st constitu tional, civilian, mile, and seam systems of government. The task is not an omy one, the aim not to be attained saw thns#_auasit soaring, and many years of collating awl Mimes WI that it is the chief Wag to kr sisat be evident to any one yaw the present state and future primped' of fmrspun satiety. &roresur.is ought to be judged by their deeds rather than their words. Of them. as of all men, the divine eayint holds good, "by their fruits ye shall know them. M outh - patriots like Wain or BURDETT— one of whom betook himself to patriotism to repair his fortunes, shattered by dissipation, while the other was, from the first, known to be incapable of atten tion to business—never can be relied upon when action is required. Men, who baring acquired a re putation by one bold and good act, and who having in consequence obtained place and power, remain idle, sod yet expect public support on the strength of former services, are equally unworthy of confidence. The party which follows implicitly the lead of such men, or of men who from any other causes are as inefficient and as untrustworthy as they are, acts sillily, and betrays its public trust. In this sense, " measures not men," or as it might perhaps be more intelligible expressed, "men for their mea sures" is a Gonna and prudent maxim. At all events it Is a consideration that ought to make men pause in the headlong career of party. Their leaders may be able and brilliant ; their imago ciates may be amiable and well-meaning; and yet as both are like all men,—liable to the errors and in firmities of humanity,—it is at all times dangerous to run after and along with them, shutting one's eyes, and not once asking where they are running to. It will not be amiss to throw some of this cold water upon the party heat which appears likely to be generated by the friction of personal collisions and incompatibilities within the whig party at pre sent. Instead of blindly following either those who cry Up with Lord PALMERSTON, or those who cry Down with Lord PALMERSTON, the reformers of the mselves eelkmgress, any . The partlsaae of Lord Psurtartow complain, and not tone show of reason, that attempts are lig dto pre-Pedge his cause. If the attacks mos Yu is the Times are official inspirations,—as Sy bate way mash the appearance of being,—his liiOWNS have laid themselves open to the T r. 4 of wo=to lower him in public estimation they at least have no right to Wig against lie. It atar_b . e that Lord PALMER- Siest by iniedidonly medd ling in the domestic sillies of foreign Mil% OM by harsh and haughty isto fatale this country position; C i re= l en d done this by one hekted act; and the general tenor of his policy has been acquiesced in, and, when im zealously defended by the whole et and their party. Again, Lord PAL- MinaroN no doubt avowed himself at one time en advocate of a 3s. duty on imported corn, but dna was when Lord Joni; RUSSELL was proposing sea Illa. daty ; and the former's declaration that he la. ants to see the error ot his former ways is quite el ore entitled to credence as that of the latter. Oa the other hand, if the Morning Post is to be taken, was it has for some time been taken.--to be the semi-official exponent of Lord PALMERSTON'S views, his Lordship is quite as busy as his old friends and new foes, seeking to prepossess the public in his favour before the real merits of the quarrel can be known. When parliament meets, both parties will take care to tell their respective stories, and corrobo rate their statements by such evidence as they can adduce. Then, and not till then, the public will be in a condition to judge between them. Even then, however, it may neither be just nor ex pedient for the public to take part in this family quarrel. In all bickerings of the kind it is pretty certain that one party is in error; but it sonic times happens that both (see the memorable case of PEACHEM and Locker) are in the wrong. If mere personal grudges and jealousies have led to the schism between Lord PALMERSTON and the rest of his party, the public have no concern whatever in the quarrel. The course to be pursued by reformers in that case will be clear enough—to give their sup port to the party or persons who shall appear able and willing to carry such reforms as are necessary, without listening to any one's private grievances. What course Lord I'AULERSTON may see fit to pursue in his novel circumstances reformers in gene ral cannot know till the time comes, when his lord ship can or will speak out in person. But if he do not sacrifice the public good to the indulgence of personal animosities, it will not be for lack of temp tation. The most discordant and irreconcilable par ties arc egging him on to assail his former colleagues. Tory protectionists, sot-disant Peelites, the " neg lected talents " of the whig Ftrty —all are professing a vast deal ot respect and sympathy for him, and la bouring to convince the public that he is an ill-used man. All these professions of sympathy and respect may be perfectly sincere and genuine, but if Lord PALMERstON, relying upon them, shall aim at attaining power and place by the aid of such heterogeneous supporters, it is clear that he will be unable to use it in the way honest reformers ought to wish. The next session (at the least) would be ex clusively devoted to struggles fur removing one set of men from office and installing another. To pre treat discord in the ranks of the opposition or assail bit party, all questions upon which they differ must be kept in abeyance. What chance would there be then of anything being done in the way of legal, financial, or parliamentary reform ? Lord PALMERSTON is no doubt a brilliant and liberal man; but is he a man of such transcendent ability, is he so trustworthy a reformer, that it is worth while to postpone every practical measure of reform in order to make him premier of England ? Ile has indeed bearded the old despotisms of the continent ; but the time bee been when we were charrl with undue sub serviency to Russia; the time has been when he kept up an unprofitable and irritating controversy with the United States about a boundary question ; and at this moment the accusation of favouring the reckless ambition of M. BONAPARTE is not contra dicted by his partisans. And although Lord PA!, MERSTON has been ready enough to fraternise with pretty far-going liberals abroad, it has not been un derstood that he has been very zealous for decided practical reforms at home. As a member of the ANNIN_O party (its last surviving member of any mark) Lord PALMERSTON was considered as rather yielding to the inevitable necessity of parliamentary reform than as zealously supporting it. His opinions and sentiments may have been misapprehended, but certainly he has hitherto been regarded us one of that class of politicians whose sympathy with popular liberties, in the abstract and at a safe distance, is un- bounded, but who rather shrinks from too close a familiarity with the democracy of his own country. He is more at home in the salons than in the busy marts of commerce or in the workshops. Such a man is not exactly the raw material out of which to manufacture a highly popular leader. Sentimental ebullitions of sympathy for distin guished men ill treated by old friends, are no doubt vo pretty and very poetical. But waving alto r the consideration that it remains to be proved Lord PALMERSTON has been ill-treated by old blends—that we have as yet, either on the one hand or the other, nothing but anonymous assertions, vague surmises, and unauthenticated rumours, it behoves reformers to be just before they are generous. The rights and interests of the millions have a prior claim upon their attention and efforts, to the delicate feelings of any individual, however meritorious or however amiable. The first duty of reformers is to look to the advancing of practical, necessary reforms. When they have done. that they may be as sympa thetic and sentimental as they please. It may be that in existing circumstances, Lord PALMERSTON may be the bast card for reformers to play ; but better proof is required of this than has yet been sitded ' • and it must be confessed that both his own unnelodsnts, and the known views and wishes of MIR st his zealous panegyrists are of a nature to 'aspire some distrust. IN ith the Morning Post and the Morning Herald among his loudest admirers, it may bo well for reformer to wait for Lord PAL ISHISTON'S explanations, at lent, before committing themselves wholly to his cause. Lord Joust Russer i. bss offered us a new Reform Bill. Let us see what it is to be like, before we try to upset him in Sam of any one wham opinions on reform are far hes known than them if present PREMIER. PIIdiSIIIML mast soot mut t amtledire the op dm media lbws Y stilt Awls giving a broe3srLtb la dm aairtili aids try. Uwe are two ones. 'amt. and then w eol leer= of Lord JOHN'S who—cosse fres ae, and some has ill-health—might be well Aimed to re tire to honourable repose. This opens a way by I which the ministry may be strengthened, and by which the cause of reform is more likely to be ad ranted than by any rearing up of per oral anta gonisms between whig statesmen in office, and whig statesmen out of ofilce—however excellent and accomplished any of them may personally be. THE QUARTER'S REVENUE. EMlbad follbg seek and -alP..re.t 17to uk; :' ,, • themeless visa sesstomoowhat policy urn" meet esodasivo to the peed wee; and o ean • mot olleiently psightts osob.dwasared ;mid policy ? When these quietens 'ire beed satiority , • answered. it will be tints enough . to choose between the ex-Secretary for Foreign At iirs and his quondam Tre_,!' colleseses, or say other leaders who may offer a ... 7 :a /- THE EXPRESS, MONDAY • FRANCE. • - SATvaziAlr Notre Dame bm bees the Ind. Avery:Atort ceremony all por ridges ETiNIWO. Te.Peses .et n fixed by I decree for the ce will be to give this einem all poisible splendour. ae diplomatic corps, the iges and legal bodies, and all the mayors of all the capitals of arrondisse ments throughout France have been invited to at tend. Already the greater part of these have been summoned to Paris by telegraph. In the event of the mayor not being able to come, the municipal asseil will appoint a delegate. The following are the numbers of the votes upon the various Constitutions which have been emcee- lively submitted to the French people since the first revolution:— Yes. No. Constitution of 1793 Constitution of the year 111. Constitution of the year VIII. Senates Censehut of the year X. Benatus Coosaltus of the year XII. Additional clause, The sycophants of Government publish these re turns to show that no Constitution has ever been sanctioned by a number of votes approaching to that which will consecrate the Constitution that Louis Napoleon is about to give to France. This is true, but haring regard to the increase of population, and more particularly to the increased facilities of loco motion within the last half century, the difference is not surprising. What the figures do prove in the most striking way is this: that an appeal to the people, backed by the whole force of the executive power, and offenng no alternative, must ever be a farce. It is historically evident that an enorrhous majority so obtained is no guarantee for either the excellence or durability of the thing voted for. There is, how ever, one remark upon these figures which the government advocates will take care not to make. Assuming the final state of the poll to be, in round numbers, 7 millions for Louis Napoleon, and 6011,000 against him, the protesting minority will be im mensely larger in proportion than any of the minori ties that said " No" to the six constitutions above mentioned. the only considerable place besides Mulhouse which has yet given a majority of negative votes, is Montpelier, where the "Noes" amount to 3,336, and the affirmative votes to 3,275. Itennes has given the following result, which shows that the abstention policy of MM. de Falloux and Ilerryer has been fol lowed by the majority of the electors of these head quarters of legitimacy. The number inscribed is 10,868; Abstentions, 6,190; Yes, 3,304; No, 1,391. In the same department (Ille-et-Vilaine), a com mune called Melesse had 678 electors inscribed. There are 338 abstentions; 86 annulled votes; the rest are negative, without a single " Yes." The consultative commission, yesterday commenced the examination of the electoral returns. At this sitting the votes of 2'J departments were examined. The commission sat again to-day, and completed the examination of 67 departments. It is expected that their task will be completed by Tuesday, at latest. The bureaux of the commission are to work all to-morrow (Sunday) in order to expedite the proclamation of the definitive result of the poll throughout France: Hope is expressed that on Mon day, the commission may hold a general sitting, to hear the report of the bureaux. The President of the Republic has written the fol lowing reply to a letter from the Mayor of Lyons, thanking him for having given to General Castellane the title of General-in-Chief of the Army of Lyons : Ely4e, Dec. 20. Monsieur lo Maire,—l am happy that the city of Lyons, whose sentiments you express, his received the event of Dee. 2 with a sentiment which leads it to foresee favourable results (or the future, and that in the measure destined to recompense loyal services it has found a new proof of interest in its favour. It Is not mistaken. In grave cir cumstances I have always been seriously solicitous about what could ameliorate the position of its workmen, ■nd increase its prosperity. If we may be permitted to hope for calmer days, your city will be one of the first to feel their salutary influence. Receive, Monsieur Ic Maire, with my thanks, this renewed assurance of my distinguished sen timents. Louis NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. The Moniteur contains a report from M. de llorny, stating that it would be advisable to take measures for carrying into effect a number of local bills which had been introduced into the Legislative Assembly, but not voted, in consequence of the dissolution of that body. A decree from the President of the Re public follows, declaring that, as it is of importance to give the departments and communes the means of meeting the calls on them, and of favouring the exe tuition of public works, the loans and imposts voted by the departments or towns, and which required tbe sanction of the Legislative Assembly, can be authorised by special decrees issued in the form of administrative regulations. The Muniteur publishes the following, under the head of "communicated" : Public opinion has been for some days occupied with the question of the conversion of the Five per Cents., and an that point the intentions of the government have been coot ' mooted on in the most false and malevolent manner. Ab surdity was carried to the length of declaring that the go vernment thought of putting a tax upon the rente or of arbitrarily reducing the interest. It is useless to refute • supposition so absurd, and so contrary both to the most ele mentary principles of public credit and to those of good faith. As to the conversion, it is matter of notoriety that it cannot be proposed except with the option of reimburse ment. But that measure, which, by alleviating the charges of the tax payers, would lower the rate of interest in all transactions and ensure the development of credit, will not be possible until order and confidence are completely re stored. In presence of the erroneous or malevolent com ments which may mislead public opinion, it is the duty of a loyal and provident government to reassure private in tercets, whilst reserving its right for the future. The affair of, the Lyons Railway is on the eve of conclusion; but the sum resulting from the conces sion not being sufficient for the necessities of the government, M. Achille Fould will be compelled to resort to a loan for the balance. It appears to-day from the Bank account that during the last week upwards of twelve millions of francs have been drawn from that establishment for the use of the Treasury. The metallic reserve of the Bank has increased 41 millions in Paris, and 11 million in the branch banks. The discount accom modation has increased nearly 31 millions in Paris, and declined something more than 1 million in the provinces, the amount of the former being 54,906,137 franca, and of the latter 72,289,990 fr. The amount of money advanced on French securities has increased from 8,929,9265. to 12,062,876 fr. On the side of the liabilities, the notes in circulation have increased in Paris 111 millions, and fallen off in the provinces three-quarters of a million. The account current of the Treasury has declined 121 millions, the present amount being 57,768,844 franca. Private accounts-current have increased in Paris 9 millions, and declined in the departments about a quarter of a million; the amount of the former being 116,415,987 f., and of the latter 31,245,278 fr. The whole amount of the metallic reserve is now 5691 millions, to 5911 millions of notes in circulation. The Bank has an nounced a dividend of fiofr. per share for the second six months of 1851, payable on and after the 2nd of January next. An imitator of the atrocities of General Eynard has appeared in the Basses-Alpes. This is a Colonel Parson, commander during the state of siege of the arrondissement of Dauphin. Ile has pnblished a de cree declaring that any one who gives either shelter or food, or ambits in any way a long list of proscribed persons, shall be treated in every way as a rebel against the government, and tried by court martial accordingly. Meanwhile the detestable proclama tion of General Eynard has been openly adopted by the highest authorities of Pa ris. To day, as if in defiance of public opinion, the prefect of police, M. de Maupas, has sawed to be posted up all over Paris a decree of the military commander of the Allier, declaring that even individual who gives refuge to M. Felix Matte, proprietor, and to a long list of other persons, among whom figure several more proprietors and two physicians, and who are denounced as insurgents, shall be considered as accomplices of the insurrection. Great crowds of people, in silent indignation, were gathered about these placards wherever they appeared. But this concentrated and mute rebellion of the heart against such execrable menaces gives the police authorities pleasure to behold, because they mistake that grim protest of crushed feelings for terror, and announce in the miserable jargon of their reports, that " the decrees posted up to-day by order of the prefect are observed to produce a salutary impinge° on the crowds that flock to read them. The cyn'eal tone in which the sufferings and salami ties,andeven death,ot persons denounced asinsurgents are pronounced, is of a piece with this callous sneer of satisfaction at the progress of terror. The .21foniteur of this morning, in recounting the horrible fate of TO TUZ SUITOR 01P TRI DAILY NEWS. Bn,—There must be a considerable falling off in the revenue fee the quarter ending the 6th January as compared with former years, as far as direct taxation is concerned, sod also is the quarter ending on the sth April next, and no doubt a neat deal will be made of it by the protectionist press. Let your readers know Use reseal of it. The tint moiety of the repealed window tax has here tothre come into the account of this quarter. This is all goose, except the small portion which has been left in arras siuee the last half year's payment in April. The new assessment fur the year's house duty, from April 1851 to April 18.52, is not yet in operation, and not a single shilling of it will be paid in the account of the ensuing quarter, ending sth January, 1852. The delay in passing the Pro perty and Income Tax Act in the last session has prevented the accounts being made out by a new assessment for the year at the usual time, and there will therefore doubtless be a considerable deficiency in the property and income tax payments into the Exchequer for the ensuing quarter. Let reformers remember this, that they may be prepared when the quarterly and yearly account is shown on the sth January, and be at the same time really to explain the cause of the deficiency. I am, die., A CONSTANT READER. December 26. , the hauls of twe or three ambitious orators. Thal ministers aro not to sit in parliament. They are to be niekof aetipf, and their tenure of of is not to depend upon their power of talking. When orators can no longer mako and unmake ministate by talking, they . will not waste so much breath and passion. In conclusion, M. Delamarre says : --" The parliamentary re gime was talking. The representative regonc will be action. The reign of speeches is over ; that of serious business is to begin. Louis Napoleon will have the glory of inaugurating it."• I mentioned in my letter of yesterday that a decree would shortly be published dissolving . the council general of the Seine, which is also municipal council of Paris, and excluding from the new council all those members who have not given in their adhesion to the coup d'itat. This decree appear! in the Mon tear of this morning. The new municipal council of Paris consists of 36 members for Paris, among whom figure MM. D'Argout, Governor of the Bank; Boujeau, Advocate-General of the Court of Cessation ; Billaud, Syndic of the Agens de Change; Chaise d'Est-Ango and Delangle, the fatuous advocates ; Denvick, former President of the Tribunal of Com merce, and late candidate for the representation of Paris in the National Assembly; Firmin Didot, printer; Eugene Dclacroix, the historical painter; lAnclactin, runner president of the Municipal Com mission; Pcupin, ex-representative; de Royce, ex- Minister of Justice ; Thayer, Postmaster-General ; Four more members are appointed for the arrondisse ment of St. Denis, and four for that of Sceaux. On the proposition of M. Fould, Minister of Fi nance, a decree is promulgated uniting the adminis tration of the indirect taxes with that of the custom house department. M. Greterin, director of the custom house administration, is appointed director- general of the customs and indirect taxes. On the proposition of the Minister of War the distribution of Franco into 21 military divisions, which prevailed before 1848, is restored by a decree. Each department will form a sub-division. The new arrangement will provide places for the military silents of the Elysi , e. The head-quarters of these twenty-one divisions, in the order of their number, are as follows :—Paris, Rouen, Lille, Challonssur, Marne, Mctz, Strasbourg, Besancon, Lyons, Marseilles, Montpellier, Perpignan, Toulouse, Bayonne, Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes, Bas tin, Tours, Bourges, Clermont-Ferrand, and Limoges. On the proposition of the Minister of Marine, a de. crec establishes a cadre of naval affairs affected to the service of the fleet. As soon as the new law on journals shall have re placed the existing system, M. Emile de Girardin has formally promised the proprietors that he will immediately resume the direction of that paper, which he had quitted in consequence of scruples which circumstances have nut permitted to be ex plained. In the meantime, M. Perodeaud has re signed the place of redacteur-en-r/of. All bis col leagues resign with him, and the former stuff of contributors resume their posts. Several taverns and public resorts of the eastern faubonrgs have been closed for allowing seditious meetings to take place in their rooms. The Patrie proposes that all vagabonds at Paris who persist in vagabondage after being invited to work, and have been condemned by judicial sen tences, should be assimilated to ex-convicts who break their ban, and be transported like the latter to penal colonies. The diminution of 12 millions of franca in the account current of the treasury in the statement of the Bank, results from the payment of the half yearly dividends. The military commissions sit daily to take evidence on the insurrection of December. The prefecture of police furnishes masses of documents on the moral character and antecedents of the individuals arrested, by the aid of which the commissions decide upon the liberation of prisoners, or their triul by court martial. M. de Mesonan, formerly fellow•captive of Louis Napoleon, has been despatched on a special mission to Britanny. (BY SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH.) PARIS, MONDAV. The reception, after the Tc Deum, on Thursday, will take place in the Tuileries. ' DECEMBER 29, e lB5. 31. Chatetuneuf, commission." et the ,prewiskasal iburnment of 11148 in the Hsieh-A1 00 ; who was lhken at Anps and shot in cold Blood, mdkumee the , victim Cho en Chweanneuf, and'adds, "Bic transit gloria mundi"; thus concluding with a hangman's joke the recital of a horrible butchery. M. Armand Bertin, editor of the /34ats, has had an interview with the President at the Elyete, and tepresented to him the serious losses to which the proFietare of journals were exposed from the gagging of the press. At present all papers were reduced to the same level ; and journalism was reduced to the simple process of copying the Moniteur ; so that the cheapest sheet sold about the streets, the Public for instance, price one sous, was quite u valuable a source of intelligence as the Journal des Debats, whose vast establishment had lasted so many years, absorbed such immense sums of money, and gave employment to several hundreds of persons of all classes, from the loading literary men in France, to the printers, and workmen in all departments. The reduced circulation was also detri mental to the interests of the government, which derived a considerable revenue from the stamp on newspapers. The President said that he was very sorry ; but for a long time to come yet the press would not be allowed to speak out in France. A decree is prepared and will shortly appear . in the Muniteur, which re-constitutes the municipal council of Paris (at the same time council-general of the Seine). All who have not given in their adhe sion to the coup d'etat of Dec. 2 will be struck out of this body. The llondeur Parisies contains the following : Whatever may be the opinion expressed in France and in England as to the probable causes of the fall of Lord Palmerston, we can affirm that the real motive of it is the frank and spontaneous adhesion which the noble lord did not hesitate to declare to the great political act which was accomplished in France on the 2nd December. In fact, every ministerial paper contains more or less praise of Lord Palmerston excepting the Makers. This organ of the jesuitical party looks upon his fall as a concession to the northern powers worthy of all approbation. I am informed from a certain source, that this morn ing the Minister of the Interior struck a leader out of the proofs of a semiofficial organ of the Elyske, because although generally favourable to Lord Palmerston, it contained one passage, which it was thought might be offensive to him. Since the Unirera attacks the fallen minister, we must conclude that it does not choose to do at this moment what is agreeable to the Elyske ; and on the other hand, that it is allowed in some measure to dictate to the authorities. This is noted to-day as a symptom of what must in the natural course of things come to pass, namely, a split between the ultra-montane party and Louis Napoleon. The President will probably, like other ambitious men, when they have climbed the pinnacle of their wishes, kick down the ladder by which he mounted; and seek to conciliate the whole church party instead of a nar row faction of it. Meanwhile theElyske is evidently chagrined at the retirement of Lord Palmerston ; and the strictest orders are given to keep every paragraph out of the government papers that may be in the least offensive to him. rhe has a leading article which expresses satisfaction at the report that Lord John Russell will take the practical direction of the foreign department iuto his own hands, as he has always professed the desire of maintaining friendly relations with France. "This desire (it adds) it will now rest entirely with himself to satisfy." In order to smooth away the irritation which has resulted from a remark of the Constitatiound, that old parties could not affect the vote of Dec. 2 in the least, a lender appears in the same paper to-day to declare that the phrase "old parties merely applies to the men of the late Legislative Assembly, and not to their constituents in the country. M. Emile de Girardin remains quietly in his house at Paris, and awaits the moment for events to group themselves into some settled form. Five hundred ex-convicts, oho have broken their ban, have been sent to Brest for transportation to Cayenne. It results from an account recently taken, that the war materiel of France at the present time is esti mated at the sum of 439 millions of francs, divided into seven categories—provisions, 22 millions; hos pitals, 17 millions; clothing and camp equipage, 45 millions; general remount for cavalry (72,800 horses), 52 millions; forage, 13 millions: artillery, 268 millions ; engineering material, 11 millions. France possesses 4,967 pieces of heavy artillery of different calibre in bronze, and 3,411 in iron ; 3,800 field pieces in bronze, and 2,973 mortars; 4,382 howitzers for siege and field operations; 17,674 gun carriages of different kinds and sizes, and 229 swivel guns in bronze. There are in the military arsenals 8,001,234 balls, 933,360 bombs, 1,600,000 shells; 212,213 grenades, 177,588 boxes of balls filled for cannon and howitzers, 16,000,000 kilogrammes of balls, 23,000,000 kilogrammes of powder, 99,000,000 of cartridges of different kinds, 96,000 bags filled with balls for cannon and howitzers, 4,622 cannon cartridges, 28,000 kilogrammes of powder contained in hollow .hot and shells, and 450,000 kilogrammes of powder manufactured, and of the necessary in gredients for manufacturing it. In 33 years of peace' the war maVriel has cost 13 , , millions of francs. The state besides possesses 2,903,801 flint and percussion lock muskets, in the hands of the na tional guard and the army; 151,021 carbines, and 181.336 pistols. The marriage of General Cavaignac and Nldlle. Louise Gabrielle Odier took place on Wednesday night, at the church of the Oratoire Saint Honore. The service was performed by M. Coquerel. The ceremony, according to the catholic rites, took place on Thursday evening, at Notre Dame, before the Archbishop of Paris. It is said this evening that Monseigneur Donnet, the Archbishop of Bordeaux, has been made a cardinal. At the Bourse the Five per Cents. rose 83c., and closed at 101.3,5. The Three per Cents. rose 53c.; closing at 66.25. The rise ts attributed to the "communicated" article in the Moniteur, stating that the conversion of tho Five per Cents. cannot take place till order and confidence shall be com pletely restored. Railways were firm, but without much business doing. PARIS, SUNDAY EVENING. The total result of the polls in 74 departments emplete is as follows ; Yes No 543,481 It is remarkable that, notwithstanding the appa rent success of the poll of the 20th and 21st instant, scarcely a single judicial body of any importance has come forward with a declaration of adhesion to the coup d'etat. Not a single tribunal of any large city has congratulated the President upon his success. It is, I am informed, in contemplation to sap the whole independence of the judi cial system, by destroying the principle of the unremovability of the judges, one of the few sound features of the much-abused constitu- 1 lion of 1848. It is certain that the greatest vexation is felt at the Elysie at the coldness and re serve manifested by the bench and bar ; and each day proves that such feelings of vindictive displea sure are instantly gratified without shame or scruple by the powers that be. Hence a decree is expected making the tenure of a judicial office precarious and dependent upon the power of the executive. You are aware that, in order to meet the vast expenses of war, the Emperor Napoleon invented a tax, which is called the dkime de guerre, and exists to this day. This is a percentage on the direct contributions, which is levied to provide against the extraordinary expenditure of war. It is said that this tax is about to be abolished. I have just met the President in the Champs Ely sees. He was driving in a small chariot, with his aide de-camp Fleury. Two curassiers rode ahead with cocked pistols, and a numerous escort of the same cavalry perfectly surrounded the carriage, whicn proceeded, at a rapid pace through the bar ; riere de l'Etoile. The Patrse contains an article by M. Delamarre, which foreshadows the intentions of the government as to the working of the Corps Legislatif. This body is to be allowed no power of initiative; in other words, all bills are to be brought in by the go yernment, assisted by the council of state. Thus " the time of the legi s lat ure will not be wasted on th e discussion of useless propositions." There is to be no tribune, or reading-desk, in the eentre of the semi-circular ranges of benches : but each member is to speak, as in England, from his place. The writer traces half the evils of the parlia mentary system in France to this use of the tribune, which throws the management of the Assembly into MON AN OCCASIONAL /NT)ENT. PARIS. Dec. 26. A stranger visiting Paris just at this moment would doubtless observe nothing to suggest to him a " state of siege." He could write home with a good conscience that " all is tranquil." Indeed, it might occur to him that tranquillity had been substituted for trade; and having heard, from his youth up, that Paris was the gayest metropolis of Europe, ho would certainly wonder why everybody looked so sober and stupid. Still, despite the stagnation of business and a certain indefinable melancholy pervading society like an atmosphere, he would find so much to admire in the material splendour about him, that, on the whole, he would be favourably impressed. But how, on the strength of such a state of things, writers who are thoroughly acquainted with Paris, and who were here before the late coup trNat, can de liberately say that everything is not only tranquil but satisfactory, and that the tyrannical movement of Louis Napoleon has wrought no so unfavourable a change here, is a mystery. Yet such things are said every day, and figure in the columns of English and other newspapers with all the assurance of truth itself. Because the streets aro not blue with municipal guards; because lancers are not seen flying through the streets at every moment like demons; and because, moreover, a cocked horse-pistol is not pointed at one's head at every corner, these profound and brilliant writers infer that Paris is as free from military oversight as London. But what mat ters it whether the soldiers are in their barracks, or on the Boulevards, so that they are here? If the people are satisfied (as well as " terrified "), and if the " prise "is assured, why not raise the state of siege ; why not free the press ; why not dismiss the spies ; why not liberate the republicans ; why not restore the right of speech ; and, above all, why do not the Parisians, who are always so fond of show, favour their " chef " with something like a demonstration ? "No change in Paris!" Why the Paris of to-day is as different from the Paris of November as Louis Napoleon from his uncle. How could it be other wise, when the streets have just been reddened with blood, and hundreds, if not thousands, of the best men of Paris are pining in dungeons? Are the people here such brutes, that these things do not affect them ? Poor rich old Billecoq (whose fine warehouse was so battered by artillery on the 4th instant) writes to the journals to-day, that as for him, ho takes no in terest, and never did take any interest, in anything but—shawls! Billecoq, I am afraid, is a type of the bourgeoisie. They are as ready to shout for Louis Napoleon as they were for Louis-Philippe, and as they would be for Louis Blanc, if he would only pro mise them Louis d'Or. It is they who cry peace when there is no peace ; and it is they who furnish so many " correspondents" with their false and absurd ideas of the state of France. It is on their perfidy and fear that Louis Napoleon calculated, not without reason, for sup porting him, if his first blow should be successful, in carrying out the principles of the coup trefut. But despite the apparent success of the coup, France is still in a state of paralysis. Nobody knows which way to turn. The ship of state is becalmed, and from what quarter to expect the wind no one can surmise. There is no confidence, no safety, no hope, no anything bat fear. After all, there has been no revolution, but only an involution, by which everybody and everything have become more or less involved. The waters have been stirred, but there is no healing in them. The people have been caught in a ballot-box, and are as restless as a net of eels. What the cunning sports man will do with his prey, whether, in fact, he is not as restless' as the most slippery creature in his toils, is at this moment a question of tho intensest curiosity. We must all be prepared, however, for the moat startling developments. All the trade in luxuries, which is usually so brisk at this season, is to-day at a dead stand. The long rows of carriages which - one lused to see in front of the fashionable shops arc miss , ing. The Palais National looks like a fragment of Pompeii. Stalls are imnrovised as usual on both I sides of the Boulevards and the principal streets ; but Ithe show is " stale, flat, and (above all) unprofitable." 1 This is a great affliction to the young folks, and they I cannot be consoled even with bon-bons. Christmas • has without rejoicing. It i s sa id t h at a f ew marren e : l imen illuminated their houses in honour of the President; but, with this exception, and a little extra gas at some of the theatres, all was darkoesi and gloom. - 1 THE CENSORSHIP IN FRANCE A contemporary says, M. Cuchcval, having tetra educated in the Eoule Normale, the l'epinh•re of ra u d,, m French professors is regarded as the "savant par xr(l. lanes "In the B oard of Censure. Yesterday, however, h e was very nearly losing his place in consequence ut ba s i n . 'allowed several Latin quotations trum T.icitut to pas in the "feuilleton "of M. Jules Janiu, in the je,o nal ,j Debate last Monday. M. Cacheval, being a YLhotar , wag pmean;lld to understand Latin ; but it would seem that the Latin of Tacitus wee too much for him. The pa,. i 4 the "feuilleton" In question are worth quoting. In hit notice of a now piece at the Gaite (" La Fileuse ") • Jenks says: "Mais (c'eet no mot de Tacite), sue chests mal salufsy arrive l'impuissance—' nemo unquam imperium Itagitio quirsiturn bonis artihue exercuit.' ' Further on M. Janin cites the speech of a senator to t'aimais, disait an senateur a Neron, tent quoit t'si cra dignc de l'amitie d'un honnete hoinme , mail , 5 prsent, qv: je to vol.; parricide, histrion, parri c id a, bistros, incendiarius '—je to mepriso, et je to hais." The third passage, although somewhat ambiguous, wu found still snore offensive; it occurs in M. Janina review of a piece at the Ambigu Comique (" Le Vampire") ; " Deux hommes qui ne doutent de rien, mass quc faire, et I quel remede a ces excel ? Cue Cols quo l'un est dehors de sea Makes naturelles, qui pout dire ou on va s'arreter? neque metes ultra, neque pudur est!' " The fourth and last passige, "de coereendo intra li mites imporio," was apropos of some incident in the rune piece. The Journal dot Dante: appeared on Monday, as usual. The Latin quotations, which had escaped M 7 Cu cheval, did not, however, escape the lettered hoSien•S of the coNs, but created an extraordinary sensation. Next day, as was generally expected, the rerlarteur of the D. 6e4 was reprimanded ; and it was intimated that had the pas. sages in question attracted the attention of the censure, the journal would have been suspended. So mach 14 the Latin of the board of inquisitors, which is regarded the educated classes as one of the most deadly blows aira,l against the liberties of society. SPAIN. MADRID, Dac. 23. The Princess Royal was baptized yesterday- Tbe infant 1). Franciteso de Pattie, the father of the King, was the godfather, and Queen Marie Christine was the godmother. The Princess was christened Marie Isabelle Francoise DAssises Chris tine Francois° de Peule. The ceremony was per. firmed by the Archbishop of Toledo. The city wi!l be illuminated this evening. Since the birth of the Princess Madrid has all the air of a season of festi vity. The Gazette. of to-day publishes the budget of 1/452, which has not yet been approved of by the Cortes, but which is nevertheless to come into opera- tion on January 1. This fact leads to the presump• tion that the minister does not think of convening the Cortes before September or October, unless ex traordinary events should happen. The decree of the Gazette fixing the budget fcr 18Z2, is as follows : Art. 1 files the , _ ordinary expenses of the state at 11,410,5311. Art. 2 HU, t h e extraordinary expen,es at ,osol. Art. 3 relates to the payment of the active and passive classes of empfoye's. Art. 4 estimates the receipts 4 11,884.7471. Art. 5 dedicates the surplus to the ditninuti.a of the floating debt. Art. 6 authorises th 3 government to open upon the receipts of 1853 a limited credit amount og to the deficits of 1819, '5O, and 'ol. Art. 7 autbonses the ;a- verninent to sell, by public auction, the umountof thischarge fur pros idiag the royal household with quarters, to whoa various houses of Madrid are subject, the reslciaptiun of which, granted by the law of May, 1815, is not realiwd by those interested within four months from the prat nt time. Art. 8 authorises the government to contract a loan, de•tintd exclusively for covering the expenses of in: acrid. for t!:a army ; the interests and sinking fund of which loan •hail bi discharged, with the credit of 30,0001. assigned fur that par. pose in the present budget. Art. J provides that the Duch..s of Montpcnster, whose pension as heir apparent to the throne amounting to 21,5001. now passes to the infanta, born on the 20th inst., Shall receive, instead of the pensioned .5,50/.. settled on her by the budget of 1814, the manual sum of 20,0001. For this purpose, the budget of the royal how, hold is increased by 14,•"001. GERMANY. WM All the Zollverein States bordering on the Rhine have expressed their assent to the treaty with Rol. land negotiated by Prussia. The Prussian Gazelle states that the Hanoverian Government has refused to send a plenipotentiary to the Customs Conference at Vienna. The eutogne Gaz.lic says it has mason to belkse that the treaty which has fear its object the renewal of the treaty of commerce between Prussia and 1k - gium, will be signed in a few days. Dr. Edward Banks, Syndicus and Secretary to the Senate of Hamburg, frequently employed by that city in important diplomatic missions, has died .a Switzerland, where he was travelling for the restora• tion of his health. Madame Schroolcr-Derrient, now Baroness von Bock, the celebrated prima donna of the Bredai opera, who was charged with being implicated in the last insurrection in that city, has been jot. doned by the King of Saxony, on condition of ha paying the costs of the proceedings commenced against her. BERLIN, DEC. 26. The chief topic of conversation here to-day is the telegraphic announcement of Lord Pahrierston's lc signation, and Lord Granville 's succession to the Foreign-office. The reactionary party . greets the measure us an augury of total change in England's foreign policy ; the democrats express fears that the asylum given to political refugees on British soil 161 be withdrawn. Persons acquainted with English affairs, however, know that the change has no other aim but that of putting the Foreign-office into the hands of a man whose negotiations with the cones nental powers, at this critical moment, would nut be ' mpeded by the remembrance of past differences. ITALY. VENICE, DEC .; Gold is in peat request here. The Lombardi Venetian loan is at 75i buyers. Bank bills, WI. LEGHORN, DE,.. 20. -Henry Stratford, calling himself Lord Aldborough, and his brother Edward Stratford, have -been con demned to death by the court-martial, upon the charge of conspiracy to overturn the government, and the unlawful possession of arms. The third brother, Charles Stratford, has been sentenced to a year's imprisonment in chains. But the punithment has in each case been commuted. Henry Stratford, is to suffer 10 rears' imprisonment, Edward Stratford 6 years, and Charles Stratford has been set it liberty, the imprisonment previous to his trial being reckon , d as a sufficient punishment. TRIALS FOR THE REVOLT OF BIAY_IS, ..... - NAPLES, Inc. 11l The long-expected trials of the accused for tba revolt of May 13, 1818, commenced on Friday last. The celebrated President of the Grand Criminal Court, Navarra, took his seat surrounded by doe judges who have already proved themselves to be the political tools of the government. The prisoner!, forty-five in number , occupied the seine benches 0* which Poeno and his companions sat a few mouths since. The court presented precisely the same ep pearanoe—a strong body of gendarmes, and ant number of spies, placed at different points, to repsr the words and looks of the crowd which tilled the body of the court. Before the trials could einnmencs it was of course necessary that all the aceu,cdshoia be present, one of whom; Archdeacon Cagauw , man upwards of eighty years of age, was reposed as unable to sustain the fatigue. The president pro posed that he should have a lawyer to represent lux but the old man stoutly refused, and was brought into court in a sedan chair. As the forms of an Italian court are tedious and unintelligible to the English reader,l shall endeava to give a clear statement of the facts as they sofa! without following tho details of the law. In the IF!' place, however, it will bo necessary to give the origin of these trials, I will then follow the printed aeon:• tion of the Procurer-General who acts for • crown. The 15th of May, 1818, was the day appointed for the meeting of the first parliament—Of the lICNV COrl: atitution. A difficulty had arisen about the form the oath, when the members of the tower hon-4 illegally met at Monte Oliveto. A pernicious Mal threw up barricades—it was feared the King . wou' u t not prove loyal to his oath; the former Por t, i e the Neapolitan Bourbons was quoted as an esinnP, • A street fight ensued (a terrible day)/ find erenlill the royal authority was triumphant. More than o( ki were taken with arms in their hands—more than •-,01 were killed or wounded. Then followed a royal ar?: linty. The King told the people that all should I"