The Press. — London, England, 1857-02-21 00:00:00

- FEBRUARY 21, 1857. Grand Duke Constantine, the taking of Cronstadt, and other matters under the notice of the house, AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS. Mr. LowE, in reply to Mr. Blakemore, stated that her Majesty's Government bad no intention to in troduce a bill this session on the subject of agricul tural statistics. Mr. BLAKEMORE gave notice that on as early a day as possible, before Easter, he should call attention to this subject. iortign dorrtsponbtuct. BRUSSELS, Feb. 10. BELGIUM is verging towards a political precipice. The ultra-Roman partisans, having a majority in the Chambers, are forcing upon the Government the realisation of their factious views, preparatory to organic changes in the Constitution. The stealthy Jesuit of Belgium is thus advancing, and advancing rapidly, in power, at the expense of liberal Catholi cism. This is not a Protestant country, therefore there are no special opponents to Belgian Ultramon tanism belonging to that section of religionists. The struggle is between the conscientious and liberal Catholic and the Belgian Jesuit. In the first place the Jesuit demands the exclusiveness of public teaching. The debates that are taking place in the Chamber of Representatives openly reveal their ulte rior object ; then will come the measure of electoral reform, by which the lower class of voters will be subjected to the control of the Priest, as the Reform Bill of England placed the people under the yoke of the Whigs ; and next in succession will be promul gated a law to curb the liberty of the press and establish a Jesuit censorship. This is the march of events in Belgium, and the immediate consequence it is not necessary to state. An Imperial ukase has announced the concession of the Russian railroads to a company entitled "La Societe des Chemins de fer Busses." The pro moters of the undertaking are—MM. Steiglitz and Co., bankers, St. Petersburg; Hottinguer and Co., bankers, Paris ; S. A. Fraenkel, banker, Warsaw ; Baring Brothers, London ; Hope and Co., Amster dam ; Turneysfen, Paris ; Mendelssohn and Co., Berlin; E. Pereire, J. Pereire, B. H. Foul(' and Fould-Openheim, Mallet Brothers, Baron Selliere, J. T. Uribarren, Desserts, Mussard and Co., A. d'Eichthal, Frederick Greininger, and Casimir Sal vador, Paris. The principal board of direction is to be at St. Petersburg, and is to consist of twenty members, one half of them to be Russians. Another committee of nine members is to hold its sittings at Paris to superintend exclusively all foreign or otherwise non-Russian interests. Capital, 275 millions of silver roubles, in shares of 125 silver roubles; 500 francs, 134 Prussian thalers, 238 Dutch florins, 20/. English. The company engages to construct, within a period of ten years, four trunk railroads, with branches to Warsaw and liOnigsberg, connecting the Baltic with the Caspian and Euxine seas. The lease of the com pany is for a term of eighty-five years, but at any time after twenty years from the completion of the railroads the Russian Government may cancel the lease, and take possession of the establishment, upon payment of a fixed sum and a further rent annuity to be determined upon. Five per cent upon the subscribed capital is guaranteed by the Russian Government ; and the proprietors on their part are to pay to the Government, " a titre de cautionnement," five per cent upon the nominal capital, and a further five per cent upon the gradual issue of scrip, the first instalment of which, seventy-five millions of silver roubles, has been already taken and pail up. Any commercial advantage accruing to Russia—especially one that will bring her into a more immediate rela tion a ith the rest of Europe—will be for the general benefit, and belie the anti-Russian fallacies that are industriously propagated by the Whigs of England, to serve base and party purposes. The names of the promoters of this gigantic enterprise are calculated to insure credit ; but to a casual observer, and after reference to the map of Russia, the capital does not appear to be commensurate with the extent of the engagement. Prince Stirbey, the agent of Austria, has peremp torily forbidden the introduction of any journal or publication into the Danubian principalities that favours the Moldo-Wallachian union. Several persons have been already arrested for baring in their possession a number of the Nord—especially the one quoting the note of the Monitcur on the subject of the Principalities. This has given the gravest offence to the Austrians. Henceforth, to have the Nord and Moniteur. in the judgment of Prince Stirbey, is positive evidence of conspiracy. Against whom? In the Treaty of Paris it is stated tbst a Divan shall ba summoned by the Sultan to take into consideration this very question, among others, for the better government of the Danubian THE PRESS. provinces, based upon provincial independence under the suzerainty of the Porte. The Nord has been ostracised and the Moniteur suppressed by Anglo-Austrian authority. Is this the Whig con struction of the "entente cordiale"? and it may also be asked pertinently at the present juncture who now infringe, openly and advisedly, by word and deed, the most ess3ntial clauses of the Treaty of Paris ? C. A. H. lortign anb (Colonial ]nttiligtna. FRANCE. OPENING OF THE LEGISLATIVE CHAMBERS. THE EMPEROR'S SPEECH. The French Legislative Session was opened on Monday by the Emperor Napoleon 111. His Majesty spoke as follows : Messieurs les Sonateurs et Messieurs ?les Deputes,— Last year my opening speech concluded with an invoca tion to Divine Providence. I prayed it to guide our efforts in the path most conformable to the interests of humanity and of civilisation. That prayer seems to have been heard. Peace has been signed, and the difficulties of detail which obstructed the execution of the Treaty of Paris have been fortunately surmounted. The dispute between the King of Prussia and the Helvetic Confederation has lost all warlike character, and has enabled us soon to hope for a favourable solution. The understanding re-established between the three protecting powers of Greece henceforth renders unneces sary the prolongation of the sojourn of English and French troops at the Piraeus. If a lamentable misunderstanding has arisen on the subject of the affairs of Naples, it must still be attributed to that desire which equally animates the Government of Queen Victoria and my own to act everywhere in favour of humanity and of civilisation. Now that the best understanding prevails between all the great powers, we ought to endeavour seriously to regu• late and develop the strength and the riches of the nation at home. We ought to struggle against the evils which a progressive society is not exempt lrcm. Civilisation. though its object is the moral improvement and the material welfare of the majority, advances, it must be admitted, like an army. Its victories are not gained without sacrifices or without victims. Those rapid means which facilitate communications and open new roads to commerce shift interests, and throw backwards those countries which are still without them ; those most useful machines which multiply manual labour at first throw men out of work, and for a time leave many hands unoccupied ; those mines which send throughout the world an amount of coin hitherto unknown—that increase of public fortune which multiplies consumption tenfold tends to cause a fluctuation and to increase the value of everything; that imperishable source of wealth called " credit " does wonders, and yet the abuse of speculation involves the ruin of many private individuals. Hence the necessity, without stopping progress, of assisting those who cannot keep up with its accelerated movement. Some must be stimulated, others kept in check ; we must feed the activity of that panting, anxious, exacting society which in France expects everything from the Government, and to which, h3wever, it must oppose the limits of the possible and the calculations of common sense. To enlighten and to direct, that is our duty. The country is prosperous, it must be admitted, for, despite the war and the famine, the rate of progress has not slackened. The produce of the indirect taxes, which is a certain sign of the publio prosperity, exceeded in 1856 by more than 50,000,000 f. the amount, already exceptional, of 1855. Since the restoration of the Empire its revenues have in creased of themselves to the amount of 210,090,000 f., deducting the new taxes. Nevertheless, there is much suffering among a portion of the people, and as long as Providence does not grant us a good harvest the millions given by private charity and by the Government will be but feeble palliatives. Let us redouble our efforts to remedy evils which are beyond human foresight. Various departments have been afflicted this year by the scourge of inundations. Everything leads me to hope that science will succeed in subduing nature. I make it a point of honour that in France rivers, like revolutions, must return to their beds, or that they must not ler.ve them. A cause of anxiety nc less serious agitates the public mind. When a crisis takes place there is no sort of false rumour or false doctrine which ignorance or malevolence does not propagate. They even succeeded recently in alarming public industry, as if the Government could desire anything else than its de velop.i:ent and prosperity. It is therefore the duty of good citizens to spread everywhere the wise doctrines of political econo:ny, and especially to encourage those doubting hearts which at the tint breath—l will not say of ill•furtune, but at the slightest check in prosperity, sow discouragement and increase uneasiness by their imaginary alarms. _ Considering the many demands of the moment, I have resolved to reduce the expenditure without interrupOig the great works, without compromising what has already been achieved—to diminish certain taxes without inflicting injury to the finances of the State. The budget of 1838 will be presented to yon balanced. All anticipated expenses are therein stated. The produce of the loans will suffice to pay for the war expenses. The public service in all its branches will be provided for without our having to appeal again to the public credit. The budget of War and of the Navy has been reduced to fair limits, so as to keep up the cadre, to respect the pro. 177 motions so gloriously earned, and to maintain a allitar force worthy of the greatness of the country. It is with this idea that the annual contingent has been fixed at 100,000 men. This figure is 20,000 above the ordinary calls in time of peace. But, according to the system I have adopted, and to which I attach great impor tance, about two-thirds of these conscripts will remain two years under arms, and will afterwards form a reserve which will furnish to the country on the first appearance of danger an army of 900,000 disciplined soldiers. The reduction in the effec tive strength will allow an improvement of the pay of the lower grades and of the rank and file,—a step which the dearness of provisions renders indispensable. Fur the same reason the budget allows a sum of 5,000,000 f. to commence an increase in the smallest salaries of the lesser civil officials, who, in the midst of hard privations, have given a good example of honesty and devotion. We have not forgotten either the appropriation for a trans atlantic line of steamers, the establishment of which has been so long required. Despite this increase of outlay, shall propose to you to abolish, from the Ist of January, 1 858, the new war tax (diebne de guerre). This abolition is a sacrifice of 93,000,000 f., but in compensation and conformably to the wish expressed at various times by the Legislative Corps, I shall take into consideration the im position of a new tax on moveable property. An idea entirely philanthropical had induced the Go vernment to transfer the convict establishments to Guiana. Unhappily, the yellow fever, unknown in those parts for fifty years, has arrested the progress of colonisation. A plan is under consideration for the transfer of those estab lishments to Africa, or elsewhere. Algeria, which in skil ful hands sees its produce and commerce make daily progress, is deserving of our particular attention. The decree of decentralisation recently passed will favour the efforts of the Administration, and I shad neglect nothing to bring before you, according to circumstances, the measures best suited for the development of the colony. I call your attention to a bill the object of which is to fertilise the " Landes" of Gascony. The progress of agri culture ought to be one of the objects of our constant care. for upon its improvement or its neglect depends the pro sperity or the decline of empires. Another project of law, due to the suggestion of the Marshal Minister of War, will be presented to ycu ; it is a complete military penal code, which unites in one body, by placing them in harmony with our institutions, the scat tered and sometimes contradictory laws passed since 1790. You will, I am sure, be happy to attach your name to a work of this importance. Messieurs les Deputes,—As this session is the last of your legislature, allow me to express to you my thanks for the devoted and active support which you have lent me since 1ec.52. You have proclaimed the Empire. You have associated yourselves to all the measures which have re established order and prosperity in the country. You energetically supported me during the war; you shared my sorrows during the epidemic and the famine ; you shared my joy when Heaven granted me a glorious peace and a well beloved son ; your loyal co-operation has allowed me to introduce into France a rigime founded on the popular wishes and interests. It was a difficult task to fulfil, and for which real patriotism was required ; to accustom the country to new institutions, to replace the licence of the tribune and the exciting contests which brought about the tall or the rise of Ministries by a free yet calm and serious discussion, was a signal service rendered to the country, and even to liberty, for liberty has not more formidable enemies than the outbursts of passion and the violence of language. Strong in the support of the great bodies of the State, and in the devotion of the army, strong especially in the support of that people which knows that every instant of my life is devoted to it and to its interests, I foresee for our country a future full of hope. France, without infringing on the rights of any one, has resumed in the world the rank which was her due, and may with safety give herself up to everything great which the genius of peace can produce. May God never cease to protect her, and soon may it be said of our epoch what a statesman—an illustrious and national historian—has written of the Consulate,—" Satiss faction reigned everywhere, and whoever did not nourish in his heart the bad passions of party felt happy in the public welfare !" At the conclusion of the Imperial Speech the usual ceremonies were observed, and the Emperor and Empress shortly retired. The Imperial Speech has been most favourably regarded in Paris. Count Kisselef has returned to Paris from Nice. The question of the union of the Principa'ities is still discussed in the Constitutionnel anii the Debate, both of which papers support the proposal. AUSTRIA AND ITALY. Great administrative changes are about to be initiated tcr the benefit of the Austro-Lombardo provinces. The following ere said to be the principal features of the proposed t plan of administration : His Imperial Highness, the Archduke Ferdinand Max, to be the alter ego of his Majesty, and as such to receive his instructions directly from him. One of the Aulic Councillors of the Home Department, who is to have the management of matters connected with the organisation of the Lombardo-Venetian kingdom, to be attached to the Governor-General. Judicial matters to be under the more immediate direction of the Supreme Court of Justice for Loin hardy and Venice, which, as a matter of course, is responsible to the Minister of Justice for its actions. The Governor-General will have to do all in his power to maintain the unity of the empire, but he x