The Press. — London, England, 1858-01-23 00:00:00

THE PRESS That your petitioners find it difficult to conceive that the same independence, in judgment and act, which characterises the Court of Directors will be found in any council all of whose members are nominated by the Crown. That your petitioners are equally unable to perceive how, if the controlling body is entirely nominated by the Minister, that happy independence of parliamentary and party influence which has hitherto distinguished the a dministration of India, and the appointment to situations of trust and importance in that country, can be expected to continue. Your petitioners believe that in no Govern ment known to history have appointments to offices, and especially to high offices, been so rarely bestowed on any other considerations than those of personal fitness. That, without knowing the plan on which her Majesty's Ministers contemplate the transfer to the Crown of the servants of the Company, your petitioners find themselves unable to approach the delicate question of tLe Indian army, further than to point out that the high military qualities of the officers of that army have unquestionably sprung, in a great degree, from its being a principal and substantive army, holding her Majesty's commissions and enjoying equal rank with her Majesty's officers, and your petitioners would earnestly deprecate any change in that position. That your petitioners, having regard to all these con siderations, humbly pray your honourable house that you will not give your sanction to any change in the constitu tion of the Indian Government during the continuance of the present unhappy disturbances, nor without a full pre vious inquiry into the operation of the present system. And your petitioners farther pray that this inquiry may extend to every department of Indian administration. Such an inquiry your petitioners respectfully claim, not only as a matter of justice to themselves, but because when, for the first time in this century, the thoughts of every public man in the country are fixed on India, an inquiry would be more thorough, and its results would carry much more instruction to the mind of Parliament and of the country than at any preceding period. After the reading of this document, the adjourned debate was resumed by Mr. Jones, who was followed by Sir Lawrence Peel and Captain Eastwick, in defence of the Company. The debate was again adjourned until Wednesday next. lortign al* Colonial ]ntelligente. FRANCE. OPENING OF THE FRENCH CHAMBERS. The Legislative Chambers were opened on Monday last, by his Imperial Majesty the Emperor Napoleon 111. in person. His Majesty delivered the following address:— Gentlemen, Senators, and Deputies, At the annual meeting of the Chambers I render you an account of what has taken place duriug your absence, and I ask your support for the measures to be taken. Since last year the Government has followed its regular and progreseive march, exempt from all vain ostentation. It has often been pretended that to govern France it was necessary continnally to keep the public mind alive with some great theatrical display. I think, on the contrary, that it suffices to endeavour exclusively to do good to de serve the confidence of the country. The action of the Government has consequently been confined to doing what was most necessary in the different branches of the ad ministration. In the interests of agriculture, the exportation of and the &filiation from grain have again been authorised,and the import of the Bank has given support to the landed interest. The cultivation of the landes has commenced. In Public Works, the moat important results are 1,330 kilometres of railway, thrown open in 1f457 to traffic, and 2,600 kilometres of new lines granted for construction ; the floating-dock of St. Nezaire, and the canal from Csen to the sea thrown open to navigation; careful surveys made to prevent the scourge of inundations; improvement of our ports, and among others tho s e of Havre, Marseilles, Toulon, and Bayonne ; in the north and in the east of France the working of new coal mines ; at Paris the inauguration of the Louvre and of a wing at Vincennes; finally, in the capital, as at Lyons, quarters throwu open for the first time since centuries to the light of day, and throughout France religions edifices are being constructed or restored. Public instruction, protected by the State, is being de veloped by the side of free education honourably protected. The number of colleges has been increased by 1,500. Education has become more moral and religious, with a tendency towards sound humanities and useful sciences. The College of France has been reorganised; elementary instruction is spreading far. It is the wish of the Government that the principle of freedom of worship shall he sincerely admitted, without forgetting that the Roman Catholic religion is that of the great majority of Frenchmen. Therefore, this religion has never been more respected nor more unshackled. The Municipal Councils meet without hindrance, and the Bishops enjoy the fall plenitude of their sacred office. The Lutheran, Protestant, and Jewish confessions pay their just proportion of taxes to the State, and are equally protected. The increase in the price of all necessaries has com pelled us since lest year to augment the eateries of the lesser functionaries ; the rations of the soldiers have been improved and the pay of subalterns increased. The budget of IMO provides for better payment for teachers and professore. and for magistrates. I may point out an increase of charitable societies—in the country those of the medical corporations, and in the towns the JANUARY 23, 1858. establishment of soup-kitchens. One million has been I distributed in relief of the populations which have suffered I most from want of work. The budget of 1859 which will be laid before you will show a balance in favour of receipts, and the action of the sinking fund can be renewed. On the close of accounts a reduction of the floating debt was assured. Commerce recently suffered u check, but the firm position It took up in the midst of what may be termed a universal crisis is, in the eyes of all, an honour for France, and justifies the economical principles advised by the Government in matters of commerce, finances, and credit. The increase of direct and indirect revenue during the past year was thirty millions of francs. Among the various Bills which will be submitted to you of general interest I may mention a law on patents, a new military and naval code, a proposal to employ the 20,000,000 f. remaining from the loans on works to guard the towns against inundations. Algeria connected with France by the electric wire has afforded new glory to our troops by the submission of Kabylia. That expedition, skilfully planned and vigorously executed, has completed our domination. The army, which has no more enemies to overcome, will have to struggle against new difficulties in constructing railways so necessary for the development of the prosperity of our colony. In France, the army will find in the Camp of Chalons a grand school which will keep up the military spirit and standard at the high level it has attained. The Emperor Napoleon bequeathed to his ancient com panions in glory his private and other property. Under the Restoration it was absorbed by the State. It is to carry out in some measure that pious legacy that you, on the one hand, voted an annual sum of 8,000,000 f. for old soldiers, but, nevertheless, I wished that a medal should remind all who bad served in our armies of their former leaders. More than 300,000 men in France and abroad have applied for this medal in remembrance of the Impe rial epoch, and on receiving it they might exclaim with pride, I also belonged to the Grand Army "—words which at Austerlitz the Emperor had reason to point out to them as the advent of a title of nobility. Our navy is occupied in its arsenals with those neces sary changes which will enable it to maintain the honour of our flag on every sea. In China, it is acting in con cert with the English fleet to obtain redress for common grievances, and to avenge the blood of our missionaries, who have been cruelly massacred. The relations of France with foreign powers were never on a better footing. Our ancient allies, true to the sen• timents which sprung from a common cause, give us the same confidence as usual; and our new allies, by their straightforward and loyal conduct in all great questions, make us almost regret that we ever were their foes. I was enabled to be convinced at Osborne, as well as at Stuttgardt. that my desire to keep up the intimacy of old relations, as well as to form new ones, was equally shared by the chiefs of two great empires. If the policy of France is appreciated as it deserves to be in Europe, it is because we have the common sense only to deal with questions which concern ourselves directly, either as a nation or as a great European power. This is why I avoided interfering in the question of the Duchies which now agitates Germany, for that question, which is exclusively a German one, will remain so as long as the integrity of Denmark is not threatened. If, on the other hand, I took up the Neufchatel qnes firm it is because the King of Prussia asked for my bons ewes, and I was happy on this occasion to contribute to the final settlement of a difference which might have be come dangerous for the peace of Europe. As regards the Principalities, astonishment has been expressed at our disagreement with many of our allies. The fact is, that France, in her disinterested policy, has always advocated, in so much as treaties allowed her, the wishes of the populations which appealed to her. Never theless, the conferences which will shortly open at Paris will show in what conciliating spirit we work to attenuate the difficulties which are inseparable from $ difference of opinion. Such, gentlemen, is the resume of our position ' • I might end my address here, but 1 think it useful, et the com mencement of a new Legislature, to examine with von what we are and what we desire. It is only welddelined causes distinctly formulated that create profound convic tions. It is only standards boldly unfurled which inspire sincere devotion. What is the Empire? Is it a retrograde Government, an enemy of progress, desirous of suppressing generous impulses and of impeding the pacific extension of the great and civilising principles of 1789 ? INo ; the Empire inscribes these principles as the motto of its constitution. It frankly adopts e v e r yt hin g of a nature to ennoble the heart or exalt the mind for what is good ; but it is also the enemy of every abstract theory . It seeks a strong power, capable of overcoming the ob- Istacles which night stop its advance , for — let us not forget R—the advance of every new power is a long - - struggle. Moreover there is a truth inscribed upon every page of the history of France and of England—namely, that liberty without obstacles is impossible as long as there exists in a country a faction which obstinately disowns the funda mental bases of the Government; for then liberty, insttad of enlightening, controlling, ameliorating, is nothing else in the hands of factions but a weapon of destruction. Therefore, as I did not accept the power of the nation with a view to acquire that ephemeral popularity, the paltry prize cf concessions exacted from weakness, but with a view one day to deserve the approbation of pos terity by founding something lasting in France, I do not fear t 3 * declare to you to-day that the danger, no matter what is said to the contrary, does not exist in the exces sive prerogatives of power, but rather in the absence of repressive laws. Thus, the last eleetione despite their satisfactory result., offered in many localities a sad spec- 81 tacle. Hostile parties took advantage of it to crests agitation in the country, and some men had the boldness openly to declare themselves the enemies of the national institutions, deceived the electors by false promises, and, having gained their votes, then spurned them with con tempt. You will not allow a renewal of such a scandal, and you will compel (obliges) every elector to take an oath to the Constitution before presenting himself as a candidate. As the quiet of the public mind ought to be the constant object of our efforts, you will assist me in finding the means to silence extreme and annoNing oppositions. In fact, is it not too sad to behold in a quiet, prosperous country, which is respected in Europe. on the one hand, men ening down a Government to which they are in debted for the security which they enjoy, while others only take advantage of the free exercise of their political rights to undermine the existing institutions ? I welcome heartily, without inquiring into their flute cedents, all those who recognise the national will. As regards the originators of disturbances and conspi racies, let them understand that their day is gone by. I cannot conclude without alluding to the criminal attempt which has just taken place. I thank Heaven for the visible protection with which it shielded the Empress and myself, and I deplore that so many victims should be made when only one life was aimed at. Yet these plots bring their lessons with them. Firstly, they prove the weakness and impotence of the parties who have recourse to assassination and such desperate means ; secondly, that no assassination, even if successful, ever served the cause of those who hired the assassin. Neither those who slew Cesar nor those who assassinated Henry IV. derived any advantage from their crime. God sometimes allows the just to fall, but He never allows the cause of crime to triumph. These attempts, therefore, neit her shake my security in the present nor my faith in the future. If I live, the Empire will live with me, and if I should fall, my very death would only tend to strengthen the Empire, for the indignation of the people and of the army would be an additional support to the throne of my son. Let us, then, look confidently towards the future ; let as attend calmly to our daily work for the welfare and great ness of our country. God protects France! The reception of the Emperor and Empress was most enthusiastic. The preliminary steps for the legal inquiry into the recent attempt upon the life of the Emperor and Empress progress, and the trial is expected to take place shortly. The Spectateur and the Revue de Paris have been suppressed. A meeting of English residents was held on Wed nesday, and a congratulatory address voted to the Emperor and Empress upon their recent happy escape. Addresses are being voted by the inhabi tants of every town and village thronghont the empire. On Saturday the Emperor received Count Morny on behalf of the Corps L gislatif, and MN,. Troplong and Baroche, respectively on behalf of the Senate and Council of State. Count Morny ob served . We cannot conceal from you, Sire, that the populations whom we have recently quitted are rendered uneasy by your clemency, which is too apt to be measured by the goodness of your heart, and when they see such abominable crimes imagined and prepared abroad. they ask how it is possible that neigbonring and friendly Governments can be powerless to break up these laboratories of assassination, and how it can be that the sacred laws of hospitality should be applicable to wild beasts. Sire, your Government, which is founded on two principles—the principle of authority and the principle cf the protection of honest men —ought at any price to put a stop to these periodical con vulsions. MM. Troplong and Baroelle express(' similar senti- merits. The Emperor is reported to have replied : We shall remain faithful to that policy of moderation and reconciliation which we have continued to employ towards European States, bat it will be necessary to concert with the Corps Legislatif in order to adopt measures calculated to secure, as far as human forethought can anticipate, the security of France. The Conr Imperiale has prononnced a judgment annulling the decision of the Tribunal of Commerce, and declaring Auguste Thurneyssen, of the house of Stieglitz, not comprised in the failure of his son Charles. SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. M. Isturitz, President of the Council, has declared to the Cortes that the policy of the new Cabinet will have for its basis the Constitution of 1845. The contract for the marriage of his Majesty Don Pedro V. with the Princess Stephanie of Hohen zollern has been oppoed at Lisbon in a secret session of the House of Deputies. DENMARK. - - On the I.lth inst. the King of Denmark opened in person the session of the Supreme Council of the kingdom. His Majesty in the course of his speech alluded as follows to the Holstein question : We have seen with extreme regret that there exists in the Duchies of Holstein and Lauenhurg, as regards our constitutional relations, an appreciation which conk' not fail to came anxiety and excitement. The relations of those Duchies with the German Confederation necessarily bronclit our Government into negotiations with Prussia and Austria, after which the matter was referred to the Fraukfort Diet. In these negotiations—all documents