The Express. — London, England, 1851-05-05 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY OFFICIAL CATALOGUR—Owing to tb• deism! at tita EthOaelas Raiding the OFFICIAL I C.A- L raNNOT PUBLUOIED UNTIL TO-MORROW MiI AT S. grim% IRROTTIOURS, AND WILLIAM CLORE.] sad ONO, Now Brittraatreat, WarAfriara. gilt •rpreoo. A %WM &Mos .f "TM F.epreeo,' owtsialne be moos melees • Clowns." la pablistel every Toweday nil Y. Alai oyht, ta time tor pot. Arneerneemask inbreed ke "Tbe Yapese; Larks Lorain paper, axe be se Ye Ones, le, Illetworieesnoel. by Tee o'clock es lbe RION WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. Tan DA, -tiervia& 41k. Sim. A Reno" 4e. 435. Itnnunw-Marens, A. le. .Altars. /i f!` LONDON, 3fONDA 7', MAY 5. MEN can accustom themselves to anything. Mrrn ntoarcs fed on poisons till they came to serve him as nourishment. The House of Commons has con tracted such a habit of leaving ministers in a mi nority, that they, the opposition, and the public have alike ceased to consider such an event as pregnant with any ulterior consequences. The ministerial minority of Friday scarcely occasioned a three-hours wonder. Ministers will most likely accept the grant of the income-tax for one year; agree to a committee on the tax ; and strenuously resist all changes in it during the present acssion. Nor is there any reason why they should act other wise in the circumstances. It was decided at the be ginning of the session that there is no party able or willing to take the place of the present ministers. The division on Mr. HERMES' motion affirmed the continuance pro temp ore of the Income tax : the division on Mr. Humes' motion merely compels ministerstu take a shorter lease of it. They must be mimed sooner than they wished to take measures fur making it more palatable, or to assign reasons for renewing it in its present disagreeable form. To make the vote of Friday night the pretext for a new ministerial crisis, or fur a second vote, neu tralising the first and stultifying great part of the voters. would he too palpable a display of purely personal soreness. The division of Friday is in more respects than one a remarkable one. The insurgent liberals who have been enabled by " foreign aid" to place ministers in a minority, are not mere flash radicals, neither are they the most stern of the middle class finan cial reformers who profess to vote on all questions regardless of the consequences to the ministry. The Woditirs and OVONNOW4 were absent from the di vision, and the Manchester school was found en maw in the ministerial ranks. The liberals who backed Mr. Ilene are the quiet, steady representatives of mercantile (immunities, who are in general ex tremely chary of extremes—The Mowarrs, Dritrar, Duo. tss, and II isrms. If the aceesimion of the Manchester party to the list of the minority deprives it of it. character of a mere whig catalogue, the list of libi•rals in the majority is one that cannot be said to consist of reckless or impractirable men. This will, it is to be hoped, mitigate any asperities which such ilissent are apt to give rise to among the liberals. Ministers and their friends it is true, cannot but feel Moro in their awkward position; they ham, however. no reasonable cause of complaint. They have provoked the mortification they experience. The hest of sates might be despaired of, if en trusted to such hands as those of Sir CHARLES Woo. The inesime tax is not the best of causes, though better a hundred fold than its inevitable substitutes. And Sir CIIARLY-4 Woof) has tnanaged to throw out the income tax, to shipwreck two budgets. and to render the maintenance of any 'lbe ria government almost impossible. We must say that the Whig party richly deserves its discomfiture, fur putting to sea again, after so recent a disister, under the very same financial ;guidance. Such a total want of tact, management, capacity, or even conviction, wo certainly never belwid in the conduct of the most inqsirtant cause of the administration. In the first debates of the session, we believe in the introduction of his first budget, Sir CIIARLEA Ns son more thun implied, that he looked upon the income tax us permanent. lie has unsaid this several times since, but never so as to undo the un towardeum of his first declaration. In his speech on Friday night the CitaNcri.rwit did not indeed repre sent the Monne tax as permanent, but as n tax necessary to supply the deficiencies of the revs . And lie at the same time declared it peremptorily, dogmatically, and almost rudely to be ineorrigible, and • provable. Ile admitted the income tux to be unjust, to be incapable of adjust ment ; he did not want it for any important purpose. Ile would not have a committee, did not want infor mation, he had - made up his mind," and what more use was there in talking. Such were the arguments with which the financial chief of the whigs led them into a division that was critical for them as a party, OA will as for the great principles of both protection and tree trade. Of course, it mated in a most shame ful defeat- a defeat not merely of the party, but of the principles; undeserved by the principles, but nowt richly merit e d by th e party's mode of defending them. The rid is that there is no financial administra tion in the country, and no one cqtible of under taking it. The whi gs h ave conrossed that they have no better man than Sir ell tRLEs Winn); and he has just proved himself worst• than nothing. The protect sinks have no one for a financier between the extremes of a schoolboy and an old woman. The radical and the l'cclite parties have each able men• but neither of them command a sufficient num ber of votes upon which to base an administration. A • • try in it financial sense its impossible. It re mains, therefore, for the House of Commons to take upon itself the management of the finances. And, instead of allowing itself to he stripped by Sr Cif XRLE4 W. 100,4 impossibilities, or by Sir Somebody Anything's idea of getting out of the Exchequer the rent, which the land will no longer produce; let the rise triule majority consult together, and agree upon a free nude budget. We have observed that the Peclite parts contained financiers of talent ; and yet we cannot altogether acquiesce in their views. They are aguinst any save a temporary taxation of pro perty. They would keep up direct taxation, for the especial porpoise of reducing what M r .S IDNET HERHERT eats the elastic taxer; but once the elasti city was taken out of thew, then Mr. HERBERT and Mr. fit twirowt would willingly let their financial system rest altogether on indirect taxation, and allow property to go free. We can look forward to no such ccifiximisici of direct taxation. There arc tuxes, such a. the malt tax, interfer ing with one of the first necessaries of life, which require to he reduced not only to the last de gree of elasticitv, but which ought to be abrogated altogether. Why should beer be in a different cate gory from meat and bread? In order to effect such haul reforms as the e,it would be necessary to make not merely a temporary use of the income tax, but a permanent adjustment of it. As this, however, is never to be expected from Sir Co tutors \Visit , , who refuses to stir in the matter, it is subject of congratulation that at all hazards the Howe of Commons has ordained a• reconsideration of the income tax next year. and has in consequence but voted the existing tax until then. Next year. Mr. Hunt: may. perhaps, be met by similar arguments as at present, such as the awry- 1 tun state of th e ministry, the approaching chs solution, the danger of the protectionists. Hut the tax can then. us now, be voted for the year. By thus compelling annual reproduction, ministers ] will be forced to turn their ingenuity towards devising that fair adjustment which may entitle them to demand such a tax for a triennial period. If such a smw as this be not put upon the government. direct taxation itself would be swamped by its mere unpopularity and asuargi preoure. TAP ecesvonidan in the Rasa at Commons upon the announced synodal freak of fliabop Pititi.rorra show, at least. bow large a share of liberty this 1 church of England boo to its connexion with the state how calk its lavoisan may be perverted to mischievous pawns and limmtions objects by a disorderly. illi-nosnered, and bawling prelate; how ' unjust and untrue are the sompLunts that this " church is in chains ;" and how suggestive those complaints ale that their real object is to enable the church not to liberate itself, but to enchain thy . com munity. Bialhop l'im.t.Parrs has summoned what he calls a 9.yn o d of his clergy to assemble in Exeter Cathedral on the 25th of June next. This he bps done, not p his private and individual capacity, bat vjdoe. some power which, in his opioion, is so in that- et episcopacy that human lbws eannot suspenicet. Apd this,so-called synod, %e law officers of thoo.e_ advise its First Minister 'the biw of the land`Samicif inhibit Bishop Pfituzorrs from calling and holding. The law does not authorise, but it doss net restrict him, say the ATTORNEY and SOLICITOR GENERAL. All its analogies and all prac tice since the Reformation are, however, in spirit at least opposed to such an assembly. Con vocation cannot be held unless summoned by the crown; neither provincial nor diocesan synods can be assembled under the Act of Submission for the of making new or altering old canons; the 1 11 3 1 5 4 47:n0n (so timely referred to by Mr. Hoitanstt) !expressly assigns the penalty of excommunieation to any meeting of pnesta which may any way tend to the impeaching or depraving "of any part of the government or discipline now established in the church of England ;" there is no producible pre cedent of any bishop of the English church having so summoned his clergy ; and the Prime Minister of the country has, with the emphatic approbation of the House of Commons, expressed his dissent from such a proceeding. All authority . since the Refor mation, with the exception of an imperfect reminis cence of a divine in the reign of JAMES 1., quoted by Bishop l'illt.i.eorrs, is, therefore, opposed to the step that prelate is about to take ; and there is not, we will venture to add, another bishop who will follow his bad example. Yet, because the law will not prevent him, fur it does not permit him, he is going to exercise almost regal and legislative func tions in the I.lo:Es's realm. What lir. Pittttrorrs may now do, after his lengthened career of intolerant bigotry and rebel lious turbulence, of polemical slander and episcopal insubordination, is not, perhaps, a matter of great consequent* ; except, indeed, when, as it frequently does, it touches and restricts the legal rights, the personal comforts, and the free thoughts of others. It is hopeless to expect, at his age, a reformation in I the Bishop of EXETER'S manners, a change in his heart, or a softening of his speech. He will wrangle, dispute, curse, and plot on, till he can wrangle, dis pute, curse, and plot no more ;—a scandal to the church, and reproach to the country ; an object of contempt and indignation to those who regard him from a political point of view—of shame and pity to all who look on him with a religious aspect. As the ' law won't restrain him, let him go on by all means ; if it be only to ascertain what influence such a man has over the 800 clergy, whose " Father in GUD" he claims to be. Let us know the worst. Bishop PIIILLPOTTS has, b y , as he says, his own episcopal authority, direct ed his clergy, beneficed and licensed, to meet in their rural deaneries, and there to elect representatives to attend him in synod,: and to propound subjects for him to submit to sy nodal consideration and deliberation. Now, his clergy owe him, as their bishop, all canonical obe dience, "following with a glad mind and will his godly admonition. and submitting themselves to his godly judgment ;" nothing more. That obedience is limited by the law of the land and the church. It does not bind to black his shoes or to brush his hat; yet he is not forbidden or inhibited from directing them, in the name of CHRIST, if lie choose to be so blasphemous, to perform such menial offices to him as the recipient of apostolical succession. So, when he summons them to meet in their rural deaneries for this synodal purpose, though the law does not pre- vent him from issuing the summons, their vow of obedience does not compel, and ought not to induce, them therein to respond to his behest; for it Ls ilchwv the submission they made to their bishop at ordina tion. If his act, in Lulling a synod, be not unlawful from the absence of laws against holding it, their not paving any attention to his summons cannot be disobetlient, because, though he can call, they are not under any bonds, legal or ecclesiastical, to attend a synod of this sort In this view of the matter, Bishop Pult.l.rorrs' pro misting assumes the character and attributes of a voluntary church. In responding to his summons the clergy of his diocese will, then, take the first step which the church of England has made towards voluntary-ism. A synod that has no legal authority must be voluntary in its essence and tendency ; and, being voluntary, it must and will be accepted as a movement against the continued connexion of church and state, whereon, and whereon only, we take leave to remind the clergy, consists the title of the church of England to the property its beneficed clergy enjoy. This, we say, is the inevitable logical con elusion which an assent to the bishop's SILIIIMOII9 by his clergy will involve ; and it is quite as well that they should be warned in time what it is they are about. The Ilishop, in his summons, says his chief ob ject is to obtain from his clergy a declaration of our firm adherence to the great article of our creed I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins." Now, though most Christians would only de- scribe that as a great. and not as the great article of their creed, all orthodox Christians will at once sub scribe to it. And mere subscription to its articles of , faith is all that is by law required from the clergy of the Church of England, as is emphatically laid down in the royal declaration prefixed to the Thirty nine Articles : Though wane differences have been ill raised, yet we take comfort in this that all clergymen within our rwilm have always most willingly subscribed to the articles esta blished, which is an argument to us that they all agree a the true, usual, and literal meaning of the said articles : and Ma! ere, on thou. uriura µunix in which thepreseal fL t'', retires lie, rai n of all sorts take Me Artie es IV . Me lat,la of Etayland to'he fur doss, trhi, It is an argtoneal 'wain tlot mole of ilscin inteiallany desertion of the artier, rstnh But subscription to it does not content this man ; he will have subscription in his own sense. His sense, he will have it, is the only Christian sense ; and being t he only Christian sense, all who reject that sense he will reject, and in the nam e of the Church of England too. The highest court of judicature in the land has, however, advised the QrEEN, as the supreme temporal head of the church, that the church of England does not exclusively require subscription 1 in BishopPitto.rons sense, and theQuer.x, as such head, has deliberately acted on that adviee. Yet, notwithstanding this judicial recommendation and royal adjudication. Dr. Fittit.rtirrs has, as Mr. Hons. M ss reminded the House of Commons, announced that he will not ordain candidates for holy orders, or institute presentees to benefices, who will not sub scribe in his sense; and herein he grows rebellious against the Quzza in her ecclesiastical character. As yet, however, he stands alone in this threatened episcopal rnacide. Others, no doubt, sympathise with his opinions; but none have gone so far as to say that they will passively resist the law by placing their own opinion above it but l)r. Pitio.rorrs. But for one man, even though he he an episcopal baron, to levy this sort of war against the crown, is an absurdity that may safely be consigned to the care of a parish constable, or, at most, be punished by the stocks. Therefore l)r. PHILLPOTri seeks for aid, comfort, succour, and support ; and, by this synod. he attempts to enlist th e - Clergy of Exeter in his resistance of the (.IrEEN's authority. If they join in the declaration by him to be propounded, he will, of course, have, and use too. their moral authority in refusing ordination and institution to those who will not assent to his interpretration of the church's articles. Every clergyman,then, whosubscribes to that declaration, thereby joins the bishop in his resist ance. If the clergy generally were to do so, how long, do they think, church and state could be con nected? How long would they have the guarantee of the state for their property? But this proposed declaration involves a direct and immediate attack on property. For, if the bishop be so fortified, it will lie in vain that the crown, the ' LORD CHANCELLOR, the universities, or lay patrons, exercise freely their right of presentation to bene fices in this diocese. Their free choice of presenters will be curtailed and limited by its bishop's dim , obedience of the law of the land. and his restrictions , of the articles of the church; and that liberty which patrons will continue to enjoy in every other see will be do red them in Exeter. It involves, however, something much graver than an attack on property; viz., an assault on the conscience, on comprehension, and on toleration. The Bishop of EXETER. by this synod. is endeavour ling to erect in the Church of England a standard of dogmatic theology based on ecclesiastical, or rather ;sacerdotal. authority. Now any such stan dard or test of ecclesiastical ilualitication limits the free exercise of thought. denies men the fret use of their faculties in the study of revelation, sets up human for divine authority, overthrows habits of in dividual independence, and will root out of the church • • - - that jersatice of comprelensiori which, et times, has bees atrehiefest glrity, and substitute intolerance for toleratiote. It isaot, therefore), a light matter, or a mere pro feoiossal squabble that-this proposed synod is an in cident in. It is the first formal 'attempt that has been made to bestow corporate authority on the great sacerdotal conspiracy that is on foot to change the character, and, with the character, the religion of England. It is from that habit of self-reliance, of ! individual responsibility, of personal conviction, of separate freedom of thought and of action, which has so pre-eminently distinguished this country since the Reformation, and which was more fully developed at the revolution of 1648, that the greatness of England chiefly springs. For these national characteristics the Anglicans seek to substitute tho corporate authority of a particular order of men, and to make that authority omnipresent and predominant in all our acts, national or individual—in short, to reconquer the country to priestcraft and its attendant agencies. And in this attempt, the proposed synod of Exeter is, we repeat, the most audacious step that has yet been taken. Whether, in the face of all legal analogy, of all English diocesan practice, of the principle of resist ance to authority which it involves, of the assault on toleration and comprehension which it will make— whether, notwithstanding all this, the 800 clergy of the diocese of Exeter will prefer their duty as citi zens, and their allegiance to the crown, to the in subordinate summons of their ordinary, constitutes not one of the least interesting problems of this age of transition. ~_ FRANCE. PARIS, SATURDAY BYRNING. The French squadron at Brest, under the com mand of Admiral Parseval Deschenes, has received orders to sail on the sth of May. Its destination is variously reported. While some say that the ships are to sail for the Mediterranean, others, who notethe strong leaning of the government to the cause of Count Thomar, whisper that the fleet will stick in the mouths of the Douro and Tagus. The multiplied indications of the existence of a conspiracy for the purpose of procuring an immediate inieute, have received, to-day, the accession of a fresh document,which is called the eleventh bulletin. This is the manifesto which was under press at the mo ment when the police discovered, yesterday, clandes- , tine printing apparatus, from which the first ineen diary manifesto issued. Three out of the four offen ders apprehended on the spot are assumed by the government papers to be pardoned convicts, who were implicated in the insurrection of June, 1848. The eleventh bulletin, which has increased the pre vailing alarm, from its direct exhortation to rise on the 4th of May, is us follows: To THE DEPAKTMEN T Citirens,—The Republic is in danger. In presence of the intrigues of the royalists—in presence of the concealed working of religious societies—in presence of the insolent defiance of Louis Napoleon, and the exterminating prepa rative' of the government—in presence of the enminal cowardice et a beat part of the clerks of the people—in presence of the slavery into which the republican press has fallen—in presence of the persecution whie% weighs on the democrats, and the starvation compact which is sworn to aad pursued with fury against the working elasses—people of the , orkshops, inhabitants of the country, what ought you to do ? Some say to you, " Suffer all to the end, and allow it to pass over; ' others say, " I'repare your scythes and your carbines; the moment is come to raise your heads." Which of these two versions ought you to follow ? To wait any longer is to fall into the snare which our enemies have laid for us; it is to give them time to forge fresh irons for us—it is to allow the fusion to ope rate—to allow democracy to exhaust itself in consumption and enervation. No, no; no more waiting. There has been enough cowardice and treason. There are Pie days marked by Providence to be also days of emancipation and of justice. We are on the eve of that day when Iron one end of France to the other one will alone should unite us, one cry alone be heard—" Immediate restitution of the rights of the people; complete annihilation of the libertieide law of the 31st May !" Let the voice of the 'work, there fore, make itself heard imposingly and energetically in each locality. To the universal eryof "A has la loi du it Mai!" be mingled the cry of " - ire la Wpiabliquo Democratique et Socials !" Salut et Fratemiti.—Le Comiti Central de itksistanee. A certain number of copies had already been dis tributed, some of which were seized in the commune of the Ratignolles. One of the printers arrested is a press-corrector of a democratic paper, and the type used is said to have been abstracted from the offivs: of that paper. It was yesterday stated to be certain that a move ment is to take place on Sunday evening; it was added that the signal agreed on was the moment of discharging the fireworks; but what is not doubtful is that ,the greatest precautions have been taken. Access to the towing paths will be completely in terdicted to the public, and they will be oceapied by troops who will have their arms loaded. To-day the Assembly renewed the debate on the Western Railway. l'he line by Menem; was re jected by 411 to 181. The outhne of the bill is as follows: The Minister of Public Works is authorised to make to MM. Veto, Betts, Brussey, beach, Fox, Henderson, and Stokes, a direct concession of the Western Ilsilway from Versailles to Itennes. The said company is to work the Versailles (Left Bank) line on the terms agreed to on No vember 12, 1850. The two Versailles lines are to be united together by the said company, a subvention of 5.50,000 f. being accorded to it by the government for the purpose. The said company is to pay into the treasury a sum of 12 millions in three equal parts in 1851, 18-32, and 1853; also, three millions for the works executed by the state on the section between Le Maas and Laval ; and three millions for the works on the line from Paris to Cam by La Loupe. The state gives up to the company, in three months after the date of the concession, the line front Versailles to Chartres; the works in courm of execution for the terminus on the Boulevard Mont-Parmesse. at Paris; and the goods' stati .n at Vaugirard ; also the stationary and moveable stock in the condition in which they may hap pen to be at the time; the value of the store, of coke, char coal, metals, and other articles; employed on railways shall be paid for to the State at a valuation. The company is tc execute or complete all the stations between Versailles and Chartres. The state is to deliver over the section from La Loupe to Le Mans in three years ; that from Le Mans to Laval in three years after, and that from Laval to Bennet, in foar years after that time, the works on the said sections being properly executed by the state. The company on its side engages to construct the various stations between Chartres and Rennes, to be completed within as period of ten years ; also to lay down the iron way, and furnish all kinds of stock for the working. A double line of rails is to be laid down between Versailles and La Loupe, but on the section between La Loupe and Beatles a single rail is permitted until such time us the gross receipts amount to 18,000 fr. per kilometre. The company engages to work the section between Chartres and 1,4 Loupe within the space of one year. The third-elase carriages on all parts of the line are to be covered in and provided with glass windows. All repairs on the way or in locomotives or carriages are to he at the charge of the cont. pang. The length of the concession in consideration of the works to be executed by the company is to be 99 years, the company paving to the state, before taking possession, a sum of three millions to meet the value of the stuck made over to it by the state, and two millions to serve as caution money, which will be repaid when the company can show that it has executed works to that extent: the said sum to be pail' for by the state at the rate of four per cent. interest. The company also engages to pay back to the state, in sixty annual payments, the sums due by the Versailles (Left Bank) railway, 5,000,000 fr. ; and, on its side, the state cuanr."l to guarantee to the company during the first 50 rears of its concession an interest of four per cent. on a sum nut exceeding 43 millions. The poi Tit at which the discussion was resumed was whether the railway to Caen should pass by Evreux or AlerKon. M. Darn spoke in favour of thZAlencon line. He said that this opinion of a member of the committee was a purely personal one, which engaged neither the government nor the assembly ; but it was just and useful, even while leaving the question en• tire, to notice the offer of three millions made by the company of the west. M. Thiers advocated the line of Erma, on the grounds of the defence of the coast, of the general interest, the interest of travel lers, the interest of the southern part of Normandy, at the expense of which Caen wanted to absorb the privilege of the whole provisionment. M. Gustave de Beaumont replied to M. Thiers. The question having then been put to the vote, the Assembly re jected the Alencon line by 441 against 181. Thus the offer of three millions made by the Eng lish company- for the line to Caen by Alencon, favour of which the committee decided, has been re jected by the Assembly, which has thereby implicitly given its vote in favour of the line by Evreux. The consequence will be the loss to the company of the traffic of Lower Normandy, to which it seems to have attached great importance. The Assembly then proceeded to vote some articles of the cahier deg charges, which had been reserved yesterday, and whidi were devoid of interest. The bill will be adopted to-day on the second reading. Only a few insignificant articles remain to be voted. Tim discqssion of the Railway Bill was interrupted by interpttations addressed to the government on the following subject : The atuniertir hang copied from the Pairie a para gra ph which charged two repre sentatives of the Mountain with being privy to the :a, MAY 5, 1851. ''' - - print . imi of the seditious bulletins Issued from the clandestine p seized yesterday by the police, MM. i Joly and Schee her demanded to nterpellate the go vernment upsn this defamatory libel inserted in its official organ. M. Leon Faucher declared, in the name of the government, that subsequently to the seizure of the clandestine press, and after the arrest of several persons had be en: effected in the course of yesterday, a judicial investigation into the affair had , been ordered, on the of which, for the present, it was his Eri e :observe silence. As to the paragraph copied, in the Moniteur the government had no control over, what appeared in the Unofficial portion. M. Joly protested against the foul calumnies heaped in the government press upon the party to which he be- I longed, and reproached the ministry for not prose- toting such infamous libellers of the representatives of the people. The terrorists were not of the demo cratic party, but of the side which had published Le Spectre rouge. M. Schceleherspokc in the same sense, and declared that whoever accused the Left of the ' Assembly of the least participation in the incendiary bulletins was a foul slanderer. The Assembly passed to the order of the day. ' A debate of some importance took place yesterday in the bureaux on the occasion of appointing the committee of initiative fur the month of May. You are aware that M. Moulin has presented a proposi tion for referring motions on the revision of the constitution to a special committee. In the mean time it may come to pass that such motions follow ing the usual course will be referred to the coin , mince of initiative. It became, therefore, a matter of importance to know how the candidates stood affected to the great question. M. Chapot having made this observation in the ninth bureau, M. Desmousseaux de Givre said that if a majo rity of three-fourths could be got to vote the revision, he would join them with all willingness, but that he should certainly oppose the idea of voting the re vision by a simple majority, as such an attack upon the constitution might expose that majority to a pressure that would make it enter on a fatal course. M. de Kerdrel, member for the department of Ile-et- Vilaine, a thorough-going legitimate royalist, made small account of the notion that the revision would not be voted by three-fourths of the assembly ; he declared that such a measure was of vital necessity, and that every party that opposed it would nun itself in the opinion of the country. lie was for a i total revision, being satisfied that } ranee would ne ver recover her prosperity or order until her institutions were completely changed. M. de Kerdrel attacked the opinions of the socialists in favour of the republic, asking them how they could wish to maintain a republic which denied all their principles. MM. de Kerdrel and Labordere, who echoed his opinions and was in favour of total re vision, were chosen members of the committee, which consists of thirty. In another bureau M. lierryer de dared that in his opinion unconstitutional proposi tions ought to be set aside, but that those that were constitutional might be taken into consideration. Besides the two above-named, the other members chosen were : M. de Nlortemart, M. Lesperut, M. de Castillon, M. Beugnot, M. de Bloomy. M. Fourtoul, M. Langlais, M. nufougeroux, M. ltiche, M. de Charenccy, M. Collet, M. de Melun (du Nord), M. Thomines lksonazures, M. Laurent (de PArdeche), M. Brehat, M. Moulin, M. do Ladoucette, 31. Coquerel, M. Quentin Bauchart, M. Ibusbray, M. do Limayrac, M. Lecomte (de l'Yonne), M. %act, M. Poujoulat, M. Vesin, M. Frichon, M. l'ierre Leroux, and M. Chammin. SUNDAY Evaxiso, 7 P The 4th May has chanced upon weather as dismal, cold, and raw, as any I remember at this time of year. But so much the better for the maintenance of order. There is no more serious damper for sedition than bad weather. Up to the present time all has been calm. The most original feature in the decorations of the file is a cascade, which has been constructed on the Punt de la Concorde. A vast assemblage of artificial rocks has been piled about the centre arch, towards the Tuileries, and crowned by a group of marine deities in plaster. The water, conveyed in gotta paella pipes from the reservoirs of the fountains of the Great Place, tumbles from the top of the centre arch down the sham crags. All this, lit up with in genious combinations of lamps, will produce a good effect. The club of the Rue des Pyramidal declared, on Friday night, on the motion of M. do Broglie, in favour of the total revision of the constitution, and of the adoption of the propositions of MM. Moulin and Morin, the first of which proposes to refer the motion on the revision to a special committee, and the other to enable the motion, if rejected, to be brought forward again after the expiration of a month. The club wishes the special committee tube appointed in the bureaux, and not iu the general Assembly. Audren de Kerlin:l has addressed a letter to the Union, contradicting the favourable expressions at tributed to him in regard to the prorogation of the President's powers. What he said was that the re public night possibly flicker on 150111 C time under the government of Louis Napoleon, but that the renewal of the President's powers would be a lean and un toward (chetifet untlencontreur) expedient. The isolated position of M. Thiers in the old par liamentary majority, and his decided repugnance to the fusion scheme, is evidently tending to push him back into his old place of the centre mt ache. Con vinced that in the struggle between the republic and monarchy, the republic will carry the day, M. Thiers is, with prophetic instinct, looking out for a plunk to land him safe front the wreck of old parties, and for the moment he has nothing better to du than to play into the hands of the socialists in order to stave off the revision of the constitution. I have already in formed you that the debate on public assistance was to begin on Monday, th e 12th inst. It is HOW said that M. Thiers wishes to adjourn the discussion of the bill, because he does notwish to quarrel with the socialists on one of their pet questions, after leaguing with them to throw out the revision of the constitu tion. Another snot of M. Thiers is cited apropos of his speech yesterday about the Western Railway. M. Bucher, his friend, rallied him about the court he paid to the socialists in adopting their doctrines, and pronouncing in favour of construction by the state. tilers replied, " My dear friend, I shall end as I begun." The great importance attached to M. Thiers's speech upon the Western Railway induces me to send you a more complete report than was contained in my letter of yesterday. Ile began by declaring that his opinion had always been, and was still, in favour of execution by the state. This profession was received with loud applause by the Left, while murmurs were heard upon the other side of the house. He believed that even in a financial point of view executions by the state was preferable to that of companies. (bivers movements.) But, waiving the question of system, he would rest his arguments upon u public interest of the first order. The coin mince had among its members some representatives of the departments traversed by the li ne w hi c h t h ey advocated. To give a relish to their plan they held out the bait, to all those who were interested in the railway of Cherbourg, that in certain eventualities the line of Rennes would become that of Cherbourg. The department of the Manche had embraced this idea with open arms. (The pun raised a general laugh). Cherbourg was reconciled to the plan by the adage that " a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." Well, let them have their road to Rennes, but the Assembly should not engage the future. Why not leave the question open? The difference of dis tance was 44 kilometres. But the interest of the coast defence was an enormous one, and this was only possible by the direct line. (Agitation.) The greatest interest of Fran ce at present 'was the defence ' of her coast. No question had more seriously occu pied during the last ten years, all public men, than the difficulty of securing this defence. The enormous power which steam had given to navies exposed all coasts to danger. There was no need for him to re- mind them of the alarms which, during fifteen years past, had attended the operations of great fleets upon all coasts of the globe. Several committees had been occupied with this subject; and they had concluded, I as under the empire, that the most efficient defence was through troops well placed at chosen points. Napoleon had traced a system of defence indicating two points, Rennes for Brittany, and St. Lo for Lower Normandy. In all his instructions these two camps were to be found, one at Rennes, for which troops could be marched rapidly on St. Maio, Brest, Lonent, Nantes, and the other at St. Lo (it had always existed) commanding Cherbourg, Caen, Hon fleur, Havre, and Rouen. The true interest of coast defence waa at present in the latter line. A railway uniting Rouen, Evreux, HnuHenr , (taco, Cherbourg would nisomplish this olijist. For such an achieve ment he m not stint t inn. nor minim's. If the line wore placed anywhere but on the littoral the detbnee was impossible. The stores of Cherbourg must be fetched Irmo the Seine, 14 in what did the stores of • a port consist hut provisions, metal, wood. (Sonic one itaid "Coal.") In time of war, for which these calculations were tnade, the departments which could Spare corn were all omit tho direct line. Iron came' from Lower Normandy mud the north. Coils came by the Seine and from the North. ( A member said, "By the Loire.") The cuuls of le Iluute-Loire would in time of war be absorbed by Marseilles and 'Nolan. The only coals that would be useful to Cherbourg would come front Belgium and the French low countries. In railways the advantages to inter mediate stations were very questionable; it was the extreme points of the railway that derived the main profits. Look at Orleans, and at the towns of Alsace, how they are disappointed. Ile maintained that the proposed line would be pernicious to exist ing interests, and cause the decay of the richest pro vinces of France, and those which contributed most powerfully to her to If France went to war with England, why the most exposed points of her coast would be Havre and Cherbourg. Havre for commerce, and Cherbourg for defence. Well, the defence of those points was only possible by the direct line. (I /enials front the committee and several benches of the Assembly). The committee prided itself on the bargain it had made in getting three millions for grafting the Cherbourg line on that of Rennes. This bargain was made to engage the future. What he asked them was, to leave the future free. M. Gustave de Beaumont said that it was strangt! that M. 'riders, being so deeply impressed with the absolute nteessity of the direct line, had not de -1 mantled its immediate construction. The difference in time between the two liras was about an hour; and positively it was preposterous to exaggentte, as M. Thiers had done, the strategicadvantages of gain ing an hour in the transport of troops, even if they were always to be in a state of war with a great maritime power. The strategic impairments of M. Thiers certainly merited his respect ; and he remem bered a debate on the fortifieutimus of Paris in which M. Thiers had proved, to the satisfitetion of the As sembly, that he enderstood a great deal trotter than Marshal Sault what had taken place at the defents! of Genoa, although the Marshal was present on the spot. (Loud laughter.) M. Caussin de Percival is mentioned as a candidate fur the place of Councillor of State, favoured by the Rue de Itivoli Club. A fresh leave of absence of fifteen days Mot been grunted by the committee of coups to M. de Falloux. The Minister of Marine has stated to M. Simeon, the representative of Toulon, that a resolution had passed the Council of Ministers for the return of the French fleet to the Mediterranean. It is to weigh anchor from lirest on the sth May. Yesterday took place in the Mikis Royal the dis tribution of the prizes awarded to painting and sculpture. The President was not present. M. Leon Faucher presided in his place. SPAIN. Madrid letters of the 29th ult. inform us that a Carlist conspiracy has lwen discovered in Catalonia. Seven persons were arrested, and, on their way to prison, were shot by the soldiers, on the plea of their attempting to escape. PORTUGAL. FLIGHT OF COUNT DE THOMAR. The Oriental Company's steam-packet Montrose, Captain J. Bowen, arrived at Southampton yester day, and landed her mails under the charge of Lieut. E. P. Fuge, It.N., Admiralty agent. Her dates arc:—Gibraltar, 23th April; Cadiz, 29th ; Lisbon, 29th ; Oporto, 30th ; Vigo, 30th. Although the Portuguese government pretended to know nothing of the movements or successes of Saldanha when the Montrose left Lisbon on the 29th ult., the Count de Thomar resigned on the 27th, and just us the Montrose was leaving he went on board and placed himself under the protection of the British flag. lie was landed at Vigo, where he will remain until the next packet arrives from Lisbon, when his movements will be governed by the news he receives. If he is allowed to retain his office of minister at Madrid, to which he has been appointed by the Queen, he will proceed to London to see the Exhibition, and atter a short stay there go to Madrid. If he is not allowed to retain it, lie declared that he should be unable to atfOrd to visit England. He asserted that he was com paratively speaking a pour man, notwithstanding the charges of corruption and peculation that had been brought against him. He offered a year and a halt' since to give up all his projwrty for II cantor of reis, and it is stated that Alfttte the possession of which was considered to be his crowning iniquity, he does not possess. Just before landing at Vigo, he was much depressed in spirits, and was very anxious about the fate of his wile and family, whom he had left in Lisbon. On the resignation of Thomar, the Queen sent for the hPuke da Terceira, who was with the army under the command of the King. Saldanha objects to Ter ceira, and it is asserted at Oporto that he caused a message to be sent to the Queen giving strict orders that it should be respectfully addressed to her Majesty, which was to the effect .• that the Duke of Saldanha did not draw his sword merely to allow the Count de Thontar to return at the head of the government in six months hence, and that the prime minister ought to be the choice of the nm jority of the nation." The Duke of Saldanha entered Oporto on the 29th, the civil and military authorities marching out with a few followers. Nothing could equal his triumphal entry into that town. Nearly the whole population of the place weut out three leagues to meet ham. They strewed the road with flowers, and the windows of the houses were covered with waving damask. The King was retreating on the capital, Part of his body-guard joined Suldanha at Oporto on the 29th. The King left Coimbra on the 27th, with only a regiment of soldiers, which at tended him as an escort, and who intended to march to Oporto afterwards. Tojul, Coimbra, Braga, Manna, Vimiera, Guc marucos, and the strong fortress of - Valencia, have all declared for Saldanha, and troops from those places were marching to join him at Oporto. According to a private letter received on board the Montrose from Oporto dated April 29, and to intelligence re ceived at Vigo on the 30th, Valencia pronounced in favour of Saldanha on the morning of the 29th ult. One of the regiments of Caeadores stationed at Oporto had shot their colonel for refusing to delivor up the colours of the regiment. They also shot the adjutant, who assisted the .tolonel in protecting them. The colonel shot two men before he was killed. It was rumoured at Vigo that the Spanish govern ment had ordered an army of observation to assemble at Teria, on the northern frontier of Portugal. One regiment had already arrived, and two other regi ments, as well as the captain-general of that pro vince and staff, would arrive at that place on tho evening of the 30th April. The following is the letter of our correspondent : LISBON, APRIL 29. On the 24th, towards night, a rising took place at Oporto, the 9th Cacadores taking the lead, followed by the 2nd In fantry, whose colonel, it is said, was killed in indeasouring to obstruct it. These regiments having united, and being joined by a detachment of artillery, went to the quarter of the municipals, who joined them , the 6th Infantry after wards rising. The Count de Cajal and the civil governor, with two aides-de-camp of the former, fled towards Braga. Colonel Monis, of the 6th, took the command of the troops, which he relinquished to Saldanha, who entered nu the 24th, being most enthusiastically received. The Queen, yielding to circumstances, has dismissed the ! count from his post, which, she says, he exercised " much to her content ; thus again offending the nation. The Duke de Terceira is appointed President of Ministers. The final arrangement, it is supposed, will be as follow 4— Terceira, President and Minister-at-War; Duarte Leiteo. I liome Minister; Bishop of Vixen, Justice; Baron de Chaneelleiros, Finance; Falcao, Marine; Viscount de Castro, Foreign. This is truly out of the frying-pan into the tire. It will be a minist r y o f vengeance, by which the Count de Thomar will be able to exercise all his ill-nature and antipathies: it cannot possibly last, but must be at.- tended with increased dissatisfaction, and more trouble*. The King's troops at Coimbra have adhered to the rising at Oporto. I have given yon my latest news first. The difficulty of obtaining correct intelligence volitive to Saldanha has been increased, and the government throw every obstacle in the way of it by opening letters, keeping newspaper, aqd spreading false report', m eo wi ng to the latter Sit Mantis had, some days since, left the army in dis guise, and bad not limn heard of ; he had retired into tipain, and the fore of the Ist Cacadures via so reduced in its march to join him that it amounted to a mere fraction ; and yet thin fraction the queen's troops were unable to make prisoner.. I shall, therefore, give you as much in formation as will show that the attitude of Saldanha and the progress of revolt ure alike feared by the government. In Oporto the first thing Count de Caxid did was to sus pend the habeas corpus and prohibit all the newspapers but one (the government organ), upon his own individual au thority, and contrary to law. In Lisbon the Count di Thomar packed up all bis valuable goods and chattels, ready for a start. tialdatilia was received in Coimbra enthusiastically, and complimented by an infinite number of people. The King, on the contrary, entered Coimbra, end while he was passing through the various streets, the most sullen silence pre-vailed ; he was received only by those officials whose duty it was to receive him ; as soon, however, as it was known he would enter the town, a petition was got up, having some hundred signatures, to dismiss the ministry. The King having assisted at "Te Deum " fur his happy arrival, afterwards received the deputation with the peti tion. On receiving it he said," Who are these gentlemen ?" One of them replied, We come in the name of the inha bitants of Coimbra to present to your Majesty this represen tation." " What 1191.,1 it contain ?" said the King. ' " Your Majesty will know its content,. upon reading it, was the reply. The King wid," 'fell me what it contains ?" "It is a petition that the inhabitants of Coimbra address to your Majesty, to interrede with the Queen to dismiss the Count de 1 . homer from her counsels, in order that it may put au end to the present civil war." The King returned," I ant here nothing more than commander-in-chief of the army, and lhe-refire cannot receive the representation. I recognise the right of pooh ,i,, n, and you can therefore address her Majesty the queen. I stn sorry as you, gentlemen, for this trifling (pywna), occurrence (referring to the civil war); but I am nut competent to receive the representation, because I am here only as commander-in-chief of the army, and nothing mom" . - . Alter this dialogue, the deputation retired. It is said that the King was net ' - had, the further he went into the country, the more decfcrooted be found the feeling against the government, and particularly against the Count de Thomar; so much so, that he desired to be relieved from the post of peril and responsibility, which he hail so unad visedly and so improperly taken upon himself. The forces which entered Coimbra with the hang were about 1,400; and he was perfectly cognisant of the fact, that neither theist nor the forces of the Count de Santa Maria, which were advancing against Sahlanha from the north (40 as to hem him in), would draw a trigger against the General, whom the government spier represented as having lied. No account, however, has been given of Santa Maria ; it is supposed he retreated. believe considerable reliance was placed upon the aid of Great Britain ; but the squadron has received orders from the British government to carry out its instructions, regard less of what happens The 4th Catmelores hare arrived from Tarim; but its known disaffection was previously smothered by a small payment on account of the immense arrears du e to the soldiers. The " trifling " civil war has already cost the govern ment MO coutos. They want money—the hank has refused it. It ha■ Lein said a furred loan was threatened, in which ease the hank would have shut up its door 4, sod lest the conscientious ministers to have broken them open, had they de•ird it. It is suppowil the government has taken up some money at an amounding sacrifice. Every money transaction indi cate% a nearer approach to a bankruptcy, which cannot be long averted. . fly the last packet an order arrived to press the British claims to an issue. The injustice of the government can not be more manifest than by their settling Costar's claim, after two deeres emaciating from the opinions of the council of state hail declared it inadmissible. Without re ganling the decrees issued upon th o se' opinions of the coun cil, the government settled it in their face, and without re voking them ; while Mr. Croft's claim fur license to regis ter his wife's portion remains in slau quo. The movement in the wine market at Oporto for the month of March is as follows Exported to the ports of Europe, 3,730 pipes of wine and 4 pipes of Geropiga of the first quality ; to ports nut of Europe, 6 pipes of wine of the first quality, and 116 of the second quality ; for conoimption in the kingdom, 6 pipes of the first quality, and for home consumption, 10 pipes of the first quality, 1,192 of the second quality, and 4 pipes of Geropiga of the second quality ,• re maining in store, 71,331 pipes of wi ne , an d 1,501 of Gem pig:, of the first quality, and 10,566 pipes of wino and 1,430 of Geropiga of the second quality. On the 23rd, the Phaeton, Arethusa, and Indefatigable, sailed on a cruise. Exchange sii ; di,count of Lisbon Bank Noted three per cent. GERMANY. The Augsburg Ablensrine Zedung announces that a few days before the departure of King Otho from Munich the succession to the throne of Greece was settled un Prince Adalbert, on the condition that his children should become members of the Greek church. The Breslau Zritung says that the Arch duke Leopold is to be appointed to the government of Hungary, as, under the present system, no one out of the imperial family will undertake the re sponsibility of tilling the post of Hungarian Stadt holder. The Now Preusaisehe Zeitung positively asserts that the Austrian provincial assemblies [Land tap] are to be almost immediately convoked, and that the general Iteiclistage will be also shortly after summoned. it adds that these assemblies will put the constitution of the 4th March to the test, but that it will bear this test all parties, it says, entertain very little hope. UNITED STATES. The royal mail steamer. Africa, Capt. Ityrie, ar rived at Liverpool. at 2 o'clock, yesterday- morning, with the .‘ierican mails, and the large number of 187 passengers. She has also about 100,0001. specie in gold, and 200.000 dollars in silver. The Africa left New York on the 23rd ult. at noon, and has, therefore, made the voyage, allowing for difference in time, in ten days nine hours from port to port. The steamer, America, arrived out at Boston at noon on the 17th ult., in 12 days, from Liverpool. The American steamer, Pacific, reached New York at 10 o'clock on the morning of the 19th, in nine days twenty hours, or adding difference in time, in ten days one hour, the shortest voyage ever made from port to port. She being able to carry her canvas the whole voyage made an average of 307 miler a day-. The Asia (steamer) reached New York on the 23rd, in 10 days 22 hours, .or, adding difference of time, 11 days 3 hours front port to port. The news by this arrival is four days later than that Jtveived at Southampton by the Washington on Saturday. The steam-ship Great Western, of the West India line, was at Chagres on the Bth March, taking in about half a million of specie sterling for England. Business is reported to be improving. A terrible example had been made of two horse thieves, de tected near Sacramento City, and who were imam diately hung, ac, ording to Lynch law. Our correspondent writes as follows: The principal topic here of late is the sudden adjourn ment of the State Legislature under extraordinary circum stances. They are so extraordinary, and so adiutrably il lustrate the scope and capabilities of a minority, that I may venture to explain them. For many years the Erie Canal has been deemed too small to meet the demands upon its capacity. A plan of widening and deepening it, so as to make it a river, has long been agreed upon. While the whiga were in power, they succeeded in obtaining large ap prooriatious for the purpose, and the canal was, for about one-half its length, perhaps more (at this moment I am un able to state it distinctly), enlarged. When the new consti tution was adopted, where democratic influences pre vailed, it was resolved to limit these expenditures for enlargement to moderate sums, a million at a time, and to allow no appropriation to be made for a greater period in ads once than two years, unless tho subject was first submitted to the people. It was also deteriniued, that for every loan so cr ea t e d th e means of repayment of principal and interest should be provided by law. This wholesome restriction put an end to the system of borrowing and expendin4, our state stocks soou recovered their tone and soon rote above par, where they remain. At this session of the legislature the whigs of both houses, being mostly Seward men, resolveu to enlarge the Erie canal for the sake of giving themselves strength at the next election. How to get the money to do so in the face and in the teeth of the constitution puzzled them surely. A am trivance, however, was brought forward of this kind. It was proposed to sell the future surplus revenues of the canal to such persons as chose to deposit their money in the state treasury, the state however refusing to assure the parties loaning the money, that they would ever get back their principal or even interest. Bat the constitu tion forbade positively any such appropriations in advance, or fur any term of time beyond two years, and the plan was clearly contrary to law, though somewhat ingeni ous . Th e bill was " rushed" through the lower home by a constitu tional majority of three fifths. In the senat e th e w hi ga had no such majority, and after the democrats had battled the question to the last, and found they were about to be overpowered, thirteen of them resigned their seats, so alto render it impossible that a three-fifth majority could be ob tained. Enough, however, held their seats to enable a re gular quorum to transact and finish all the important busi ness of the senate. Here was a crisis, indeed. After is few hours, the majority, finding themselves toiled in their loan scheme, adjoined suss die. The governor has called a special meeting of the legisla ture in June, and special elections in May are to be held to fill the places of the thirteen democratic senators who re signed its order to defeat the bill. i Mr. Webster, while on his wav to lilantfield, gave an r opinion favourable to this bill, in the lope that certain core r plimentary resolutions before the legislature would have t bean paned. I - .