The Express. — London, England, 1850-01-02 00:00:00

Vie erpreoo. OUTGOING MAILS. nil mails foe *Maria, the Brasile, and Buenos Agres,will lee =ads lap as the evettire of Jas. 4. . The mails for Lisbon, Spas, and Gibraltar will be made up ea Jan 7. TM nails rid Marseilles, to the Mediterranean, Bop , . Cellos, VA* Mong-Kong, de., will be made up on the osmium of Jan. 7. The moils for British North Amnia and the United Stater will be made ■pp en the evening of Jan. 11. The West India Mails, ezeledisg Bermuda, Havana', Moan, Hwulnrss, New Orleans, and Meals*, sad ioaluding these fast Mstkira. Bt. Jasa-de-Niearagna, New Granada, Chili, and Enn.will be made up on Jaa. 17. The male for Gibraltar, Malta, Greece, the lonian Islands, Egypt, Ceylon. India, and Miss, Ma Southampton, will be nada up as the evening of Jan. 19. MON WATINI AT LONDON SMOG& To 141-114.NoiL So• Afterwo. il Ma -Nano& M. tisa.. LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2. Tne last mail from California has brought intelli gence p ste•sing • different kind of ii.t rest from that which attaches itself to stories of mason of gold piiked up in the beds of riven, seed rpeculstions on a possible depreciation cf currencies by the cheap suing of their standard. The Californians have not been solely occupied with "the ditgir p." They have fond time also to construct a sit of institution. With 111 . 2 active self-help characteristic of the ener getic people from whom they a•c an offshoot, and of whose broad federation they already form a pert, this motley assemblage coming together from many quar ters, united by no preying tie, and finding on their arrival no constituted government to protect them, proceeded first to organize and enforce a gs•em of velsotary government, with the requisite sanctions, solicient for their protection, and then nomiaated • semeiotics:, after the usual American manner, to pre ps,' Republican Constitution. It is worthy of remark how instantaneously any body of American migrants, as soon as they have formed a settlement, proceed to make a constitution; thcugh Furores@ authorities of no small account in their own crime, tioo, are never tired of assuring us that constitutions cannot be made. But while these sages are stostly denying the possibility of moticn, the American; ore after another, like Dlooton, rise op and walk ; and not one stumble boo yet centred to mar the cam pleteness of the practical confutation. Whatever other faults have been found with the Anglo-Areri can constitutions, no one has yet said that they will not tr,,r4 : a fate so often denounced agaitst ell con stitutions except those which, like the British, "are not made bat grow," or, it should rather be said, come together by the fortuitous concourse of clashing forces. Perhaps the truth is, that the cocstitations which will not work are those which are made fi)r the people, while those which do work, such as the American, are made by the people; a feet which is in itself a guarantee that the ideas which they embody are sueli as the people are already familiar with, and attached to, and are therefore both capable and des roue of making them "work." It is so with the constitutions which spring into existence in the North American contineat at the rate of one in every three or four years, namely, whenever either a new state is added to the Union, or the population of one of the older states MAWS (like that of New York recently) on a general revision of its institution,. All then systems of government have, as might be ex pected, a family resemblance, but each new one affords in some one or other of its features a signi ficant indication of the &rection in which the general mind of America is tending. The convention at NI minty, comprising about four-fit•ha of new settlers with Anglo-Saxon or Ger man names, and one-fifth of old S, anish inhabitants (which is probably not an unfair proportion to the population), has concluded its laticure ; and the pro duct of its deliberations is about to be submitted for approvai or rejection to the general suffrages of the inhabitants. This propoerd fundamental law of the state comprises many provisions not usually classed under the deoartment of constitutional or political law: it includes, in fact, everything which is con sidered too important or sacred to be entrusted to the discretion of an ordinary legislature, and which is therefore inscribed in a sort of charter of tights and liberties, not to be altered except with peculiar for malities, and by an assembly chosen for the express purpose. On the vital question of negro slavery, this consti tution is irreproachable. By an express provision, " neither slavery, nor involuntary servitude, milers for the punishment of crimes, shall ever be tolerated in thug state." California has thus the honour of being the first southern state which has constituted itself free from that curse ; and it the example be followed by New Mexico and the other rates which will be formed in the newly-acquired territory, th- iniquity is doomed. The slave-owners are well swore of this result; they have long ago declared that the question of the ex tension of slavery is the question of its existence; that once hemmed in within a corner of the confede ration, it cannot long survive; that the joint mural and economical effects of closing the new territories to the export of slaves, wit be rapidly fatal to the in ati.ution. In this point of view, the determined re jection of slavery by the first new s'ata constituted in the territory whica was s ;tight and conquered (it is said) mainly for the perpetuation of slavery, the heaviest blow which that form of qranny has re ceived in the United States, and is thus no unimpor tant event in history. On one subject connected with the rights and interests of women, the Californian delegates have afforded an example which legislatures of greater importance in the world must ere long imi tate. They have deemed it a fit thing to be not only ensctel, but to form a part of the ei nstitution of the state, that women shall hsve a right to their own property. The laws of most of the American states are on this point less unjust and irrational than those of England and of other countries of Europe. "All property, both real and personal, of the wife," say the Californians, "owned or claimed by her before marriage,and that acquired afterwards by gift, devise, or descent, shall be her separate property ; and laws shall be passed more clearly defining the rights of the wife, in relation as well to her separate property, as to that held in common with her husband." It must be by an oesreiaht that the wife's earnings are not included in the property which is to be at her sepa rate disposal. As the words stand, she will have (if the phrase " separate property" is to be understood in its obvious sense) exclusive control over what may devolve on her by any mode of acquisition except her own labour. But even thus, how superior to the law of England—which on this, as on many other subjects, remains very little altered from what it was in those times of barbarism when the wife was literally the slave of the man by whom she had been appropriated. . . "AnOther highly creditable part of the Californian constitution consists of its provisions for education. A superintendent of public Instruction, elected by the people. is to be one of the render officers of the govrroment. All lands belonging to the state. and ail property of persons dying intestate and without heirs, together with a tax (to be solicited from Congress), of five per cent on all sales of land within the state, belonging to the federal government, are to be formid into a permanent fund for the sap ped of common schools ; and a groat of unappro priated land is to be solicited from Cl:agrees for the support of a university. This is 'wording to the laudable example of the New England States, which, of all communities existing, have made, in psopa to their population, the most munificent provision for general educatiou ; and of whose people it has bean said, that they would as soon expect to be made to pey individually f.rr the use of the streets, as for that of the common schools. The Californians have taken precautions against both the burthen of a national debt, and the scandal of repudiation, by prohibiting their legislature from incu►noC debts or liabilities exceeding in the aggre give 300,000 dollars, " except in can of war, to repel invasion, or suppress insurrection i" or unless expressly " for s'.me spiciSed object or work." The remaining provisions of the new constitution do not very materially from the beadier features of re presentative democracy, u found in the older free 'states of the Union. Tnz proceedings of the Judicial Committee of the :Privy Council will occupy a position in the annals of the English Church exactly similar to that occupied by the proceedings of the Council of Trent in the annals of the Romish church. This council did Lot sorririssate say of thou dogma which Low form a • stumbling-block to the rest of Christendom. The dogmas were already in existence, bat they were sot hardened into definite consistency; they floated amidst the great mass of papistlo theolvy, shapekss and yielding to the lightest pressure if they came in contact with opposing force. The Council of Trent separated them from the mass and orystalli&ed them round a stubborn frame-work, where they now re main, hard and unyielding. The Privy Council is now doing kr ow at the doc trines of the Church of Ragland that which the Conn cil of Trent did for all the doctrines of the Church of IRome. No person can deny that at this present me i mint there are thousands of clergymen in the English Church who hold opinions on the subject of baptism diametrically opposite to the opinions which will be declared orthodox by the sentence of the Privy Coun cil, no matter what that sentence may be. It is not at all uncommon to find the rector of the parish hold ing, and his curate denying, the doctrine of baptis mal regeneration. The church dem:rine was sup posed to oscillate between these two extremes. This has been the case any time this last 300 years. If there was a view of the doctrire which might be considered absolutely and exclusively true, it did not appear upon the surface, it was as it were held in solution with other views. The Bishop of EXETER insists upon the application of a kind of theological chemistry to the solution, so that the truth, according to him, may be precipitated. What, in the present state of the church, will be the effect of these proceedings? Will it settle the ques tion at issue? We feel certain that the seteknenit will be further off lhan ever. If indeed the church wire to bow to the decision of the Privy Cenocil, there would be no alt..rnative left for honest men who hold opinions contrary to those contained in the sen tence; but to give up their p-esent positions on which ever side the judgment leans, the secession from the cobweb, thus neereeitatrd, would be greater than at any previous period in the history of the church. It is said that the evangelical clergy, in the event of an adverts judgment, are determined that a schism shall not take place in the church until the party ceasing a secession shall be com pelled to decisrc openly what are its real views. A stand therefore wed ba made upon all points of &chine which are at present at issue between the high sad low church parties, and it is supposed that if the same principles are allowed to operate se those which influenced the decisi , ai of Sir H. J. FUST in the previous stage of the present controver-y, Lord CAMPBELL will be able to point out still treater ana logies than he has yet discovered between Protestant ism end Popery, and to declare that "as far as infant baptism, confession to the priest, priestly absolution, the yes °penal/in in the Eucharist, adoration of saints, and prayers for the cead, are concerned, there is no difference between the doctrines of the Church of Rome and those of the Church of England." Leaving the latter church in pcsseesion of treasures of such doubtful value in the eyes of most protestant& the seceders Rill be able to declare liberarimus animas nostras, and to justify themselves in the eyes of all Christians, in protesting against the retention of the dignities and wealth of the Church of England by a party thoroughly adverse in principle to the spirit of the first founders of that church. We are, however, at some distance from such a consummation as this. It is even whispered that all opportunity for a schism will be destroyed by an in definite postponement of the judgment, by means of some legal quibble. It is whispered also that the Bishop of EXETER. yielding to suggestions proceed ing from " high quarters," will withdraw hie opt ni tion. How true this may be we know net : we trust, however, that the authorities sill not fluter them selves that this shirking the question will amount to the same thing as e.t.lirg it. The wiy settlement possible f.r there and similar questions which are destined to arise in the English church, is the establishment of a tribunal which the church will recognise, and the determination of the written authorities which may be appealed to. Let the church have a c ,de of law, and ' proper judges. These it has a righ t to demand. We are net solicitous by these means to limit the comprehensiveness which has been hitherto the boast of the church ; we wish only to make the comprehension safe to those who take advantage of it. The captain of a steamer acts upon a sorry principle of czmprebension if he takes on board enough passengers to sink his vessel. No bishop ought to have the power to turn round upon • minister who has entered the church upon the faith of the latitude of its principles of comprehension, and say, "although the church has rot denied you the privilege of coming in, it has given me the right t turn you out." We believe that the Bishop of EXETER in acting in this manner has violated principles which have barn forcibly assumed as rules of action by the great body of English prelates. There are few clergymen who have not tales to tell relating to themselves, or to others, of cases of conscience which have been eubmitted to the bishop before ordina.ion. ARNOLD refused to be ordained until the bishop had received his prot:st against some obnolone features cf the requirements at subscription. The Bishop of LIN COLN, when sated Fy a c'ereyman whether holdir g opinions contrary to those deduced from certain parts of the Athanasian creed, and certain passages in the Litursy, comstitut - d any obstacle to admissios into—and therefore, u fortiori, continuance in— orders, replied that it did not. The Bishop of LONDON and the late Archbishop of CANTERBURY gave the same answer. It is evident, then, that the maintenance of slay set of doctrines which may be deduced from the church formularies could never, in the opinion of these prelates, be made a ground of emulation against the party holding them, however directly those opinlots might contradict other doc trines deducible from the same. We would have this tacit convention made into positive las', in order that bishops of the nature of HARRY of EXETER might be debarred from disturbing the peace of the church and persecuting individuals. Unless something of this sort is done the paths of the church will be as danger ous to clergymen es the walks around Louts the Eleventh's Palace of Piessis les 'lours to unwary travellers ; the pleasantest of paths leading to a pit fall or a mantrap. HOLLAND.—Tint NAGUL—The Stadia Courant publishes the law adopted by the two chambers, by which the capital of the deferred debt is, by pr,s longation of the delay first accorded, transferred to the Active Debt Two and-a•half per Cent, until the 30th April, 1850. We hear from Rotterdam that two-thirds of the city is completely inundated from the high tide. Very considerable damage has been oecesioned by it. The S:ock of Holland, that famous exterior dyke, has also sustained a breach, and the Nienwland is completely submerged. Should the in terior dyke, which is not we ry strong, give way, serious accidents may be apprehended. _ _ GREECE.—A letter from Athens, of the 12th ult., states that the British ambassador had presented a note from the Lord High Commissioner of the lonian Islands, demanding the annexation of two Grecian islands, Sapienza and Elophonich, to the lonian is lands, but the Greek cabinet had protested against the (lemma Tns NAVIGATION LAN'S.— Yesterday the new mallelies hies cue into force. The sot of lest session (12 13 Viet, c. 29) has repealed siatutes and parts of statutes from then Om. 111. to the 8& 9 Viet. Some pasts of this l'irsSlew have already been noticed in the Daily News, eeellisre the substance of the act itself may be briefly seam& The coasting trade is to be confined to British vessels, and British main us to he employed. Regarding reelproity with other magas, M ijesty in council may isos. esiflas to impose are of duties on foreign silly ahem our goods are not 'dallied, as may wake to her blej iry to countervail the dread mategm to which British trade or navigation is sulflesesd by prohibitions end restrictions of other nation.. The metiers am to be published in the Linda; Gazette, and tiii=fy the vessels to which theyapply. A new fora of a of regietry is Try* scribed kir registering British owner., as am a declereti in to mare by the Owne tMl ag vissels me registered. It is enacted that if my goods be i.peeted, exported, •r carri.d coastwise contrary to this aet, all sae►rags shall be tor.ei'ed, mei the master or the ship In whit& the same are so imported, exported, or carried sesetwas, shell forfeit the sum of 100 i. exeript where my ether penalty is specially Impo el .—T by the act.—Bitarrox, Jam. Ihis being the day in ich cow shipping law tames into operation it bed been currently reported that 'he slipping In the harbour, generally, would host their flags at half sea m a sane of mourning for England's departed glory." So ter, home, r, fr ra the folly gemerally prevail leg, bet very few vessels were Frailty of it, and thee' prin. cipelly of a smell clam and connected with one firm THE WEATHER AND THE PARE'.—There having hem a 'harp freer on Monday night, the tee on As waren of the 'sirloin mest-e-d parks was in tolerably good c on dilate yesterday, and was thronged by skaters and sliders A few accidents of a trivial nature occurred, but the suf ferers were promptly relieved by the officers of the 114iyal Humane Society, &buyers in attendance. I THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 2, MO. FRANCE. PARIS, Tempe:, 6 30 rte. The following is the continuation of yesterday's debate in the Assembly on the La Plata question : The Minister of Justice wished to comprehend the constitutions! part of the question, and the duty desired to be imposed upon the government. Ac cording to the constitution it lay with the executive power to negotiate and ratify treaties. the Assem bly sanctioned or rejected them. The executive power watched over the safety of the state, and under took war with tie consent of the Assembly, which could oppose the idea of war, either by an absolute resistance or an adjournment of the question. When the war was resolved upon, the executive carried it on. Tke committee should prepare the deliberations of the Assembly. In the present instance the com mittee declared the ratification of the Le Predour treaty impossible ; and fresh negotiations as impossible. For us nothing seems possible but abandonment or war. The Reporter, then, said to the ministry "choose!" M. Dare did not say " make war ;" he saw obstacles on the part of England and on that of the United States. If the sommittee stl.l held the same language, lilt per sisted in telling them to choose, at the same time leaving them but one course to pursue; we will require of it to propose a special vote, a more explicit vote, in a word, a vote of war. The government will require it in order to cover its own responsibility, and it will no less reqn:re it of the Assembly. In fact, neither our national interests, nor our national honour properly understood, dema-el this resolution of imme diate war. In 1844 our national interests were at Monte Video, in 1849 they are at Buenos Ayres. Our countrymen have for the meet part transferred their commercial interest from Monte Video to Buenos Ayers. We hope, therefore, that the Assembly before taking so serious a resolution, will weigh all these confederations. It will judge whether, without actual pressing necessity, it ought to transport to a distance of 3,000 leagues from France the sanguinary efforts Algeria cost ber—Algeris, which is at her very door. (Approbation.) The minister concluded by saying that the government regarded the continuation of negotiations as possible. Id. Darn (reporter) said that the minister's speech was no answer to his (M. Daru'e) ; and further, that the language of the mi' ister way different at the tribune to what it had been in the committee, where he had maintained that action was indispensable. He conceived that there were verious modes of action without going to war. What did they say in the report? 'Thst negotiations seemed henceforward im possible. We have said that action is at lest etc -nary. [A voice on the right:—" Then we may understand one another']. (Laughter.) The committee had not ed a military expe dition. hey demander :P.01:"/ line of conduct. In this respect they agreed with the minister buiself. Then tne minister demande'l a c wee of conduct other than that proposed by the c ,mmittee, who merely asked that the question should be referred back (agitation). M. de Larochejaqutlin wished to say that, from the agitation which prevailed, it appeared impossible to arrive at any result without the question bring clearly explained. They all had heard the speech of the minister of justice, which, in fact, only amounted to this, that the diplomatic negotiations were to be continued. Thereupon the reporter ascended the tri bune, and attributing to the minister a desire to negotiate, supported by suffic'ent means to render the negociation of weight, proposed to have the matter sent back to the committee. But the hon. minis ter had made a negative sign when M. Darn had proposed so referring the matter to the committee. He could comprehend the seadieg the matter to the committee, if what the hon. minister said was in any way new ; but, if not so, such reference would be useless. In fine, the yardarms of the Le Predour treaty wanted peace, from • horror of war ; whilst the adversaries of the treaty desired war because they judged it necessary. The whole question, there fore, lay between peace and war : let the Assembly decide. 11. Darn said that the reason why he asked to have the matter refined to the committee war, decid• dlv, became the language of the hon. minister cprned a new view of the mode of acting. The Minister of Justice thought that what he had said was so clear as to allow of no misconception. He had ment , oned these matte,. as desired by the g6vent mint ; no immediate war; diplomatic wgotiations continued; full defence of the French subjects at Ls Plata and of their interests. M. E. Arago declar.d that the position was now pte.isely what it had been on Saturday ; the minister o' justice had not said anything more than the minis tcr of foreign affairs had spoken on that cccasior. What was required was to have some clear and ex plicit decision come to —to have nothing ambiguous or capable of misapprehension. Fur his part, he could not tee that further negotiation was possible. Let the Assembly vote something, whatever it tifght be—let there be nothing doubtful ! M. de Mornay said that the opinion of the minister was clear enough ; what was necessary at present was to ascertain that of the committee. M. Darn said that the committee bad been called on only to examine the bill to grant a certain sum as • subsidy to the Oriental government. Now, it was proposed to negotiate, with a sufficient force to sup port the negotiations—to have, in fait, an armed ne gotiation. It would seem, to hear hon. gentlemen, twit there was no intermediate course between war and peace. When Admiral de Maclean was sent to La Plata wila sufficient force to support the diplomatic action, was not that an armed nego tiation? The rime case had occurred with respect to Mogedor. (" No, no—that was war.") There also vessels had been sent out to support negotiations. The he gotiations had not succeeded,and war" bllowed. Why had not the committee come to a positive con clusion ? Because it would in that cue encroach on the attributes of the government, for it was the government which had to resolve such a point. After moms interruption, M. Darn said he was now authorised by the col.- mines to say that it concluded on sending to La Plata a negotiator armed with sufficient means to energeti cally support his declarations. (Pr o l onge d ag i tat i on. ) M. Hubert Belisle said that the committee had manifested its opinion in a clear and positive manner. After the diecussion of Saturday, he thought the only thing that remained to be done was to demand a credit for the expedition. It had been said that the negotia tion with Morocco was an armed one, and that 3et it had led to war ; but the case, he contended, was not analogous. At Morocco there had been no treaty, whilst at La Plata the cue was different. It was necessary that the Chamber sh.tuld leave the doubtful position in which it was now placed, for one more worthy of a deliberative Assembly. He should, there fore, demand whether the ministry was disposed to accept the proposition made by the committee, and which was an armed negotiation, and afterwards war. If the government accepted that position he did not see why the matter should be referred back to the committee, nor even if it declared that it would not go beyond an armed negotiation. The President.—The Assembly must come to some decision. An amendment has been proposed to vote the funds necessary for war. This amendment, ac cording to the regulations, must be sent to the com mittee. Consequently the Assembly has to decide whether it will vote the credit in reserving the gene ral question—(cries of "No! no !")—ar whether it will immediately vote en the amendment. Tee following is the amendment of M. de Ranee :—" There is opened to the ministers of marine and war • credit of 10 millions, in order to support by arms, in case of reed, the negotiations between the French and the Argentine republics." The Assembly cannot vote immediately on the above amendment, as it is called on to deliberate on a bill for which urgency is de clared. The proposition of M. de Rance can there fore, according to the regulations, be only taken into consideration, and referred back to the committee. M. Jules Fevre said that the question to be con sidered wee, whether the Assembly was to continue the Policy of the pest,or depart from the convention of 1848. It was eeceseary to decide whether French interests should be left in a suffering state, or whe ther the word peace or war should be pronounced. The committee bad said that there should be no ne gotiations. M. Daru—Not on the conditions of the past. M. J. Fevre.— In that ease the opinion of the com mittee was nothing, for it brought back the old pro visional state of things which was so fatal to the inter est of France. It was evident that all neffotiations would end in the Le Predour treaty, since Rosa. had declared that he would listen to nothing. The com lmittee had said th a t negot i at i ons should be abandoned, and that the only choice was between that course and action. The committee had given it to be understood that it was in favour of action, but, not wishing to infringe on the initiative of the government, it left to it to explain how it understood the means of action. It was, therefore, clear that the committee demanded the substitution of setian fur negotiations, whilst the government was in favour of an opposite course, and the two were therefore widely separated in their opinions. It erss not for the Assembly to trace out a complete pro geamme to the cabinet. It did not follow that a policy of action should lead to war with Roes' ; the city of Monte Video might be released, and the troops of Oribe sent out of Uruguay. Several Voices—But that is war. M. J. Fevre—lt was possible that a simple naval demonstration would have the result of making the forces of Oribe disappear like smoke. France might. therefore, without a declaration of war—(laughter)-- accomplish its object. War might result from it, but that course of action would not be war. Let then the Assembly make known its ideas to the govern meat, and the latter would furnish the means of exe cution. lie should propose the following as an addi tional article :—" The government, renouncing nego dation., wi ich it bad found to be useless, will put itself in a position to protect the lives and interests of French subjects by releasing the city of Motet. Video, and causing the territory of the republic of Monte Video to be r.spected." (Murmurs.) On the Right.—But that is war. The President.- -That makes already five amend ments. (Renewed laughter.) Just now I bad but two amendments, and now I have six—(laughter)— and in a little time I shall donleless have more. (Re newed laughter.) I shall read them to the Assembly, but for the prevent the question is to know whether the Assembly will take them into consideration, in which case they will be referred to the committee. The president then again read the amendments of M. Rance and M. Jules Fevre, as well as one by M. Savoye, this latter having for object to send an ulti matum to Rises, supported by a toice sufficient to re tect Monte Video from any surprise ; a fourth, de , mandirg that measures should be taken to secure the persons and property of the inhabitants of Monte Video, in case that city should be compelled to capitu late ; one by M. Riudot, inviting the President of the Republic to make known to the government of Monte Video the resolution of the French government to cease the payment of the subsidy from the day the treaty was broken off; and lastly, one by M. Des mousseaux de Givre, proposing to reduce the credit demanded by 500,000 fr. M. Cremieux demanded that the Assembly should take into consideration four of the amendments wlich had hien just read, and refer them to the c ,mmittee; as to the others— Several Voices—The Anembly must decide without die; ueeion. M. Cremieux—l do not discuss. The President—The regulations of the Assembly do not allow you to proceed. (M. Cremieux left the tri bune.) I shall now proceed to consult the Assco.bly as to taking the am• ndmenta into consideration, as their simultaneous reference t 3 the committee has bt en demacded. The Assembly decided that the amendments of M. Memoutseaux de Givre, M. Rtudot, M. Fevre, and M. Savoys, should not be taken into consideration. A division then took place on that of M. de Rt 1,61, when the numbers were— Ayes Nuts • 315 . 312 Majority The amendment was eonsequehtly declared to be taken into consideration, and was re!enci to the committee. Such wee the conclusion of this fruitless dtbate, which he taken up three days, spent in wrangling and noise. Many pers.ms seemed anxiousto kuow, when it was over, what it was that had so suddenly changed the warlike ardour of M. Dieu, and it was said that It was in consequence of despatched frcm the cabinets of Washington and London, communicated by General de la }Hite to the committee, from which di.-agree meets might arise between these governments and France. I give you this intelligence for what you may think it worth. M. Thiers would have spoken but for a violent hemorrhage of the mouth with which he was troubled during the sitting; bas' his activity did not cease. He voted tho warlike amendment of M. Jules Fevre. M. Berryer followed his example, but MM. Mole, Itlontalembert, De Broglie, aad De Maleville voted with the government. The Orleaniste are continuing toorganise their new club ; M. Piseatory, M. de Maleville, and it is even said M. Faucher, are very active in the matter. Conferences have taken place in order to induce several members of the moderate republican party to join, such, for instance, as MM. Dufaure, Barrot, and de Toequeville. I do not as yet kno.c the result. The club meets at the house of the Duke de Broglie Btf .re the public sitting in the Chamber yesterday the representatives met in their bureaux, and appointed committee on the bill relating to deposits in the sav ings banks, and on that tending to extend for three months longer the interdiction pronounced relative to the liquidation of the old cistl list. No discus-ion took place on the first, but some explanations were given by M. Dupla on the latter; in the course of which he stated that the three months demanded would not, most probably, be sufficient. Property had been already sold to the extent of six or seven mil- Inns, and as much more was at present advertised for sale. In his opinion not less than a year would be required to wind up the affairs of the civil list. Va time attempts Lad been made both in France and abroad to raise a loan on the property, but, notwith standing the excellence of the security, every endea vour had hitherto proved unsuccessful. The hon. gen tleman, in conclusion, asked why the sequestration should be continued on the property of the Duke d'Aumale, who had no creditors? There was no pre text whatever, he said, for any further interference in the duke's affairs. The commit:ere, in both cases were favourable to the bills. • The committee on the budget yesterday received communication of the new proposition of the minister of public works, relative to the railroad from Paris to Avignon. The new bill, which was read by the minister in the presence of the minister of finance", is the same as that first presented by M. Lacrosse, with out the proposed subvention of of millions of trance, and with the fixation of 260 millions as the maximum of the capital necessary for the execution of the works to be undertaken by the company, and fur which the stare will guarantee an interest of 5 per cent. The division of the profits between the state and the com pany is not to take place fur lo years, and then only in the event of the profits exceeding 8 per cent., and at the end of these 15 years, the state is to have the power of purchasing the line it it shall wish to do so. The minister of public works stated that he con sidered the guarantees offered by the company which had tendered for the whole Rases good, but it had riot yet signified its adhesion to the above conditions. The Moniteur of this morning contains the law increasing the number of electoral districts. ITALY. ROMAN STATES.—The list of impositions giTen in the following letter of our oortespondent appeared in yesterday's Express: _ ROME, Dec 20. The rumour of the Pope's speedy arrival gains strength every day, and is corroborated by several minor particularities, amongst which I may mention the facts that his Holiness's relations, the Mirstai Fer retti family, are expect-d here in the beginning of next week; that the whole corps of palace servants, hitherto residing at the Quirinal, have received orders to remove themselves and their household furniture to the Vatican; and that preparations for illumina tions end fireworks are still going on at the Capitol. More purple-robed forerunners of the papal court are also making their appearance, Cardinals Pianetti a n d Clarelli having returned to Home, the former staying but a short time on his way to his Archbishopric of Viterbo. However satisfied the inhabitants of Rome may be to me some prospect of an amelioration in their com mercial interests being effected by the return of Pio Nato, they are far from looking forward to that event with the degree of enthusiasm which the eccle siastical partisans incessantly represent as existing amongst the majority of the people: nor have the recently adopted measures of censorial dismissals from employments, and arbitrary and extra taxation, at all increased the affection either of the middle or lower classes towards the present government. The follow iog notification hu jos* been pulkshed by the muni cipal commissioners, and the language es well as the object of the document has awakened an universal cry of indignation throughout the city : " S. P. Q. 8.. "The lamentable vicissitudes which took place from the latter part of last year to the middle of the pre sent one have inflicted de , p wounds upon the welfare of this state, wounds which would perhaps have proved mortal had not friendly powers hastened to the rescue, and a valorous nation given peace to Rome at the price of its own blood. Rome is saved ! but Rome must not forget the duties imposed upon her by grati tude ; the generous sentiments displayed by the allied troops must rather urge her to render their sojourn here u little irksome as possible. The provi sional municipal commission, interpreting the sentiments of the people, has unwearielly laboured to attain this end, but the vast expenses which it is required to defray would prevent the commission from effecting its purpose, were it not to call upon the people to emulate the provinces and the neighbouring sta.tee, and to afford a cheerful aid, although a partial ore, in the form of a tribute not burtheneome, but inevitable. The com mission considers that having freed the citizens from the obligation of furnishing !Airings for the military in their own hous s, it is reasonable that thry should in some manner supply the heavy amount of in demnity agreed upon as barrack money. It considers also that, as the advantage derived from the foreign auxiliaries was generally felt, the burthen must be generally distributed amongst the proprietors and consumere, diminishing, however, as much as p• s sibla, the pre sure upon the indigent dieser., by avoid ing any aumentation upon the articles most neces sary for subsistence. In cons. querce it has estab lished and ordered thn followitgimposititn 4 : 1. Fifteen per cent. en the dafiaw, end usual tel wants rurvl and urban property, with the exception of vinsysrdo. —2. Two gusttrini One halfpenny) for every gallon, and 10 haj cchi (101.) for every barrel of wine, beer, or vinegar.- 3. Three hainechi and a half for every galtaa, and one &Dar for every barrel of aquae vita, op;rit, rum, or rosolio.-4. The present water rates fnr the Vergine, Felice, and Paola condui's are doubled. The absve.named impositions will come into ferce on the let of January of the 3 ,, ar 1850.- 18igt.ed) Prince CRIEPICALCHI, l'lti.deUt. &C. &c. From the Capitol, Dec. 18, 1840. It may be easily imagined that an extra tax on water will not be very well rce.eivt d when it is con sidered that tie tax on flour has been lately oppcsed by a levee en moue of the Umbrian pessanta, arm , d with pitchforks and billhooks, who took advantage of the Spaniards' departure to intimidate the authorities, sack their offices, and burn their registers, to the great horror of Monsignor D'Anclica, papal commis sary far the provinces of Umbria end hub na, who immediately sent troops of the line, carbineers, and long edicts to the disturbed distr:c's, whilst the offi • clad journal of Rome laments the obstinacy of the peasalts, and, as usual, points cut the venerable anti quity of the tax, which was in full vigour as far back as the time of Pope Sixtus IV. in the fifteenth cen tury. The fact is that it produces 810,000 dollars per annum, and forms too important an item in the public revenue to be done without in the present emergency. The great anxiety prevalent amongst the commer cial classes and the public in general, with respect to the final destination of the Roman back-notes, has been relieved by a recent edict of the cardinal*, in consequence of which the notes, whose forced cur rency ceases at the end of this month, will be re ceived in the government offices and changed for goveenment paper. Great apprehension was felt lest the notes of the Roman bank should be de p:eciated in value; but as they were declared to be iewal ten der by the ca-dinals until the end of 1849 — , such a measure could not have been put in fi roe without the I most manifest injustice to the pabiic; the chief blow, therefore, falls on the shareholders of the bank, whose lean of 1,3410,000 dollars (to which amount balk notes are now in eirculatioe) to the late government is tot recognised by the present one, the cardinals stating in their edict that the government will secure the interests of the public by cha. ging the notes, reserving to itrell the right of calling upon the shareholders fur their value. This is of course equivalent to breaking the bank, which is consequently declared in the same ecree to be in • Witte of liquidation, a state which I understand it to he the intention of the shareholders not to acknow ledge, but to continue their usual bat king and dis count operations until actually forced IN the govern n.ent to dee:are the motives insolvent. The capital of the bank is 500,000 dollars, and it has bills to the amount of 400,000 dollars to set against the 1,600,000 dollars of notes in circulation. Toe shareholders con ' sist chiefly of Roman princes and rich proprietors, whose attachment to the Papal cause will doubtless be shaken by the heavy loss they will have to un dergo, a less which will be doubly 6lt by the twelve patrons of the savings bank, as they invested con siderable sums belonging to that establishment in Roman Bark shares on their own responsibility. Foreign shareholders, who are chiefly Frenchmen and Belgians, will be guaranteed against ary I es, in con sequence of a protest from General Baraguay d'llilliers. With respect to Dr. Achilli, nothirg favourable has yet been effected, altl.ou4h his friend Mr. M— , who leaves Rome fur Civiia Vecchia this evening, has made every passible exertion in his behalf. The British Consul has warmly second d his efforts, and I may add that the commani.ler-in-chief has shown himself by res means indifferent to the case, although decidedly averse to use any o her influence than that of his good offices, which I fear will be p rfectly unavailing, as eeverai French offici re, a qusiuted with the circumstances of Achilli's arrest, and inter ested in his misfortune, have stat 11 it to be their conviction that he will be sacrificed to the vengeance of the Inquisition as a scap.geat for m my others not in custody ; and that he is, to use their own words, 1411 Amine per& lam aware that it is Dr. Achilli's own opinion that he is no longer subject to the tri bunal of the Inquisition, from the circumstance of his having fully renounced the honours, rghts, aed character of a Roman catholic priest, the indelibility of which office he maintains not to be a necois ray dogma of the Ronan Catholic faith, although an usually re ceived point in theology, and h,s profound studies on the subject, whilst he filled the resprnsibie charges I have already (num , ated, must render him capable of judging of the question. Right and might are, however, two different things. An Amvrican Pro testant minister had twelve of his countrymen joining him in worship at his own house last Sunder, in the Via S. Bastianello. The police were acquain'ed with the circumstance before night, and the American Charge d'Affaires, Mr. Cars, was apprised that if the offence were repeated the minister would be emit away from Rome immediately. SARDINIA.—In the Chamber at Turin on the 24th ult., M. Lanza had presented the report of the com mittee on the election of M. Mamiani. It stated that , some members of the committee bad expo seed some doubt as to the eligibility of M. Mamiani, and that one of the members remarked that a report was in circulation which appeared to be well founded, to the effect that M. Mamiani had been promised by the government that it would not oppose him, but would be neutral. A member assured the committee that M. Mamiani had received a letter front one of the ministers, in which it was stated that the decree of his naturalisation had been actually signed by the king, and that all that remained to be done was to publish it. The same day the president of the committee re ceived the following letter from the chief iweretary of the minister of the interior :—" Knowing that the oommittee, of which your lordship is president, desires to know in a positive manner if Count Terence Msmiani della Rovere, is or is not a naturalised Sar dinian subject, I hasten to inform you tha'. ro decree has conferred that quality upon him." This commu nication leaving no doubt that M. Mamiani was not a Sardinian subject, the committee reported, with re gret, that the election ought to be annulled. The re port concludes with these words: " The country has done its duty in giving a solemn testimony of homage and esteem to th4o illustrious Italian. It becomes now the duty of the government to justify its c mduct to that gentleman to the nation." Tnese words created a great sensation, and were ',welly chiered by the oppseition. The Chamber then annulled 'he election of M. Mamiani. In the sitting of the 25th, the veriticati M of the elections was proceeded with. Some m. miters of the majority moved that an inquiry be set on foot about the validity of the election of M Mau, a leading member of the opposition, who had bean elected at the igna. The motion was negatived, and the election confirmed. TUSCANY.—The minister of flounce of Tuscany has ordered the reimbursement of a pmrt of the mort gage bonds created during the revolution. The sum -- to be refunded amounts to about half a million of franca. GERMANY. BERLIN, Dcc It is rep,rted here, by persona who are likely to be well informed, that his Majes e t t er „ tains doubts as to the course he ought to pursue with regard to takirg the oath to preserve the consti tulion. I learnt this fact some days ago, hut not be. having it poesthle, I did not communicate it ; n ow , however, the report is repeard, and wi.h such c..r. teinty that I cannot &Altai.e in attaching 5 ,, me cre dimes to it. I am assurel that a very influential y at the court it. working and intriguing wilt all tts weight to persuade the King not to ptracrese in his constitutional course. From Frankf ,rt I learn that the federal cemmksion is definitively constituted, and that five spiel .1 com missions have been appointed for military affairs, for the marine, for the internal, legal, trade, and commer cial affairs, fur foreign affairs, and for the treasury; all documents are to be drawn up by a c •mmon Kanztei, and are to be signed by the whole or the tour commissioners, who, according to the I) , illsrhe Reform, are to eign in the I dlo sing order. KObeck (Austrian), Itaelowiz (Prussian), 8 , 11.6-.hals (Aunt-iau), and Beilicher (Prussian). The federal enintn . nsi.n is to hold daily sittings; the Austrian Councillor of Legation, von Brenner, is to fill the office of w-neral eecret3ry; a Prussian ss.ra,or, lierr von der Ooltz, is to conduct the protocol. Toe d &r -ent offices are to be filled, as nearly as possible, half by Au.trian and halt by Prussian officials. VIENNA. Dec 28. I have heard through a private letter frr.in Verc rut that L cut.-Gtneral IVrbna, the military w.verror of Verona, has shot himself. Wrbna'a app,intment was one of those which were made in Italy recently by the court nitolt e,nsultir g Itadetsky. The oil marshal's choler was all the more roused ag.in.t the presumpi i on of General Griinne in this nctan e, as Wrbna was the most unpopular as well as unsuccess ful officer in the army ; and owed, after repe:t.d ffilures in the high positions assigned to him, • his net, favour of the court purely to his aristocratic emneet and relationship to Schwarzenbuig and Grii,Le.Wrbta Atlll bet ond in command over the army in Inv:pr. ' , under Windiackyrica, and headed the disistroaa ro•-t at Kapolna at the end of last March. Ile was tic n made commander of the city of Prath. Wait, W.r, dischgratz fell, the clamour against Wrbna, who , ras a near relative of the prince marshal, procured his re moval for a time from active service. Meanwhile I brother, who enjoys a very rear place about the em peror as grand huntsman, laboured assiduously * 9 reitore him to the current of promotion ; and :he re organisation of the army gave Grunne the opportutlty of appointing the military courtier to the important p_ of Wrote. here Wrbna was even more disiiiod that he had been at l'esth, and the et xati.af restricthins imp sed upon the inhabitants, tngeth , r with the growing insole net of the garrisln, brel frequent coati C:11 lavtweel the people at el added hourly to toe: exasperation of :h I Li11y.... shown in .he asesasinatrun of sentinels and like ceases, and were at I-ngth succeeded by an or dineet:e increasing the rigour of the state of urge. Itade:/kr, who reached Venice on the Vial, just after , 1. ! assminition of Lieutenant Griesner in the arses. t'. had the wisdom to see that matters would Lot' minded by submitt;og the excited peop'e to fro homed atione, and a. Lr from increasing the miii - ary pressure, relaxed i:. Instead of shut:irg up :he c / miler, he allowed them to be kept opeo tie mt.:- night, and made the patrols lees frequent. return to Verona he sent far Wrbna. Ile ra•ed tha officer a undly for his injudicious conduct, accu-. him of exceeding hie powers, and called up /I t resign, threatening to have him tried by ei , .;rt-rr:.• It he demurred. The marshal continued his jour:. , ' to Milan ; and the same day the governor if Vf" , .7.: Wart discovered in his room s t h his brains Yown • •:-. I hear tha• it is the intent i on to appoint B. Neumann as o)ll , :redo's LAl:team. in the Ans. , embassy at London. Jillachich is gone to N paged!. I see the suicide of Court IVI bna ann. io• e i r: evening editions of the Loyd a: d Mindere r. latter gates tint it to.k place Ca the 2ltt. _ The government are straini-g every Le:,,e- r. sptcie. They must sionly raise another fort (.1 1 . In the meantime thri.• paper tal's daily ire the m.r.r< •t, and on the Bohemian frontier it is got rid of at tec a loss that the government is obliged to poi- •'.; Bohemian army carps mainly sliver. The -ta•e the money market is getting so alanuirg :Lit •.• sive hopes of relief are deify held forte in the mi--:.- terisljoArnals, with attempts to exglain a.t av !: fact by t - aository causes. Thus the t n r:•: premium on silver, which is up at 13 in i:. printed coarse of rzehangv, and malty high r. attributed by the /?eiebs-Zriftrog Er the a'e at :• garian t stitekwhose owners, like Gustavus Bat hytr: • realise at any sacrifice what metal they se .! • - treat to England. There is no d 'OA some this, but the cause Resigned is by no :reins a trsr.4:,-.. one. On the contrary, every day fresh Itni it estates are coming to the trimmer. The r: why a forced loan is not raised in Italy is, the• Krauss knows that the Lombard nubili sell their S r. !- •.. at any loss in the Vienna market, to get back !7 gold and Wive-. The Jews natur&ly Lave .t • time of it. They are buying up everything •!ey get, and particularly the Kettsuth notes, no:V. : i •tir mg the recent assurances given by the Reid .•7 • • that the government still persisted in its granting the holders no compensation. The Ist Barnet regiment matebed from '.h' into the papal states. The first b tttalion was to .1 • Ruh on the 28th, at.el the second Hlnaini or. t!.. ,a . .. day. General Ksrl Prince Sebwurzenberg, vie : military governor of Lomb :rd.) , left on the _,; Milan. It was reported to-day on the &Jur,. the Austrian troops had entered Saxony. The `•r wide of Gen. Steininger was forwarded on the 2 , ; . h railroad to Bob* mia. 'l•he road between Verina t! Walt continues to be infested by robbers, whi:e organisation of the hair regiments of genad trm. destined for Hungary gore on but slowly. The constitution of tte 4th of March has beer pr• claimed at Pesth. The dissolution of the Wurtemberg r is I highly welcome piece of news to the tniuibtere here. The Prase reapp. ared in Bruns yesterday. I contents appear to be pretty well known in 1 ter-e, notwithstanding the menace of IVelden, and are is scribed in this evening's papers. FREE TRADE IN GRAIN LN BELGR 41 An interesting discussion is a. this moment ing the public attention. It originates in the reto:..- mendation of the central fiction of the Asssnilh. which was referred a proposal of government u t , t. subject, to raise the duty on imported cereals from cents. to 1 franc per kilogramme. This is nlere:y s renewal of the same proposal initiated iu the Asset,.; bly last session by Messrs. Junin), Trknouteux, arm Faignart, and negatived by a majority of tll votes to 27. The Indepoutiner Page, of the 27th inst., contain an able and c inclusive article on this question. writer begins by inifuirinie whether any chatio. LAS taken place in the agriculture of Belgium that might appear to warrant a majority of the Assembly to re verse their vote of last year Since last year, it is admitted at the outset. 11. , price of wheat has fallen 10 per cent., that is, ono tenth. But the independance shows that this :ann.): occasion an agricultural crisis, seeing there are te,,, counteracting circumstances. In the first place, the ' reports of all the agricultural committees show that it the price of wheat is less by one-tenth than last year• the produce of the harvest is greater by one-tenth. The increased quantity the farmer has got to sell com p mates for the lower price he has to receive. In the second place, it is observed that wheat, though an im portant, is not the only, agricultural preduction of Belgium. Calm lint, hope, tobacco, and mane other articles count for something; and of all thew the har vest has been abundant, and, what is more,their prices have risen from 25 to 75 per cent. Potatoes. too, are an abundant crop, and scarcely at all affected by 'be taint. Nuts, too, are plentiful, and there is a Urge demand for them in England. From these foe . . the Int4perlance infers that the Belgian agriculturist .5 quite as well off in l)ecember, 1849, as in Weenther, 1844. It then proceeds : This is not all. A " great tact" has occur ~j since best year; the opening of the hnglish market. Recent though this event be, it has already produced so sensible an that notwithstanding the tow prices in England, Belgium has this year exported agricultural produce to the value al . • *Z: .