The Express.
London, England, 1855-04-30 00:00:00

FRANCE.

01 TRIO DAILY emu )
PARIS, SATURDAY BYWORD.
That which I reported yesterday as a rumour, I
state today from private information u a hot. The

(7111011 TIN

Emperor, owing to unforeseen circumstances, has re-
teamed the idea of going to the Crimea at the be-
ginning of next month. You will have inferred, as
the public has done here, from the adjournment to
May 16 of the opening of the Universal Exhibition,
that his Majesty's departure would be at least post-
poned. It is not, however, to be supposed that the
impossibility of completing the arrangements in the
interior of the Palace of Industry by the day origi
nally fixed, can have weighed a feather's weight in
balancing any such great question relating to the
war, as the moment of the Emperor's assumption of
the chief command of the allied armies. So long as the
original determination that the Exhibition should be
opened on the let of May was adhered to, the Em-
peror was prepared to inaugurate an incomplete
speotaele, on the ground that engagements affecting
dee MOW interests of the civilised world, called him
hence a few days afterwards. If his Majesty, as I
believe he will do (although it is not officially so
stated), opens the Exhibition is person on the 15th,
the reason is that events occurring before Sebastopol
have necessitated a change in his plans for carrying
the war.

I now proceed, not without much hesitation on
account of its extreme gravity, to communicate the
intelligence on this subject which has reached me from
an excellent private source. Ido not guarantee the
absolute truth of all that lam about to state. It is
probable that in any account of what has but recently
passed in the state councils, and which can only be
related by hearsay, there will be inaccuracies and
exaggerations; but, subject to this cautionary remark,
I believe the main facts of the following narrative to
be true :

The fire of the Allied batteries has entirely ceased.
The General commanding the French artillery hes
written to the Emperor to this effect :—" Sire,—l
promised to keep up the bombardment during 14 days.
I have done so. My task is accomplished. We have
not reduced the place,and are not in a condition to at-
tempt the assault. It only remains fat us to withdraw
our troops in good order. Our guns, from protracted
firing, are completely unserviceable. We must leave
them as old iron in the possession of the enemy."
Orders have been sent to raise the siege of Sebas-
topol. The plan of operations will be completely
changed. A campaign in Bessarabia will be com-
menced with an immense army in the beginning of
June. Fresh levies to an enormous extent will be
made in France. The reinforcements likely to be
sent to the theatre of war are estimated by hundreds
of thousands ; and it is not doubted that a new loan
of eight hundred millions will be effected in the

course of the summer. General Canrobert is recalled.
The order for his recall was despatched by telegraph
this day.

According to the authority from which I derive
the above momentous information, the Emperor is
still fully determined to place himself at the head of
the armies allied against Russia, and this I fully be-
lieve to be the case. I must mention, however, the
existance of a very prevalent opinion, that hie
Majesty feels it necessary not to quit Paris for two
main reasons—first, because he is thoroughly dis-
appointed by Austria; and, secondly, because of
grave difficulties with regard to the conduct of the
internal government during his absence.
With regard to Austria doubt is at an end. She
will be false to her engagements, and will thereby
fulfil the expectations of all who knew her best. 1
am enabled to assure you of the very important fact
that M. Thouvenel, the political director at the
Ministry of Foreign:Affairs, has this day resigned his
office. The reason is, that M. Drouyn de Lhuys
having entirely failed to obtain any satisfactory
pledge. from the court of Vienna, M. Thouvenel,
who has a high diplomatic reputation, and has since
the commencement of the Eastern difficulty been a
warm partisan of the Austrian alliance, has acquired
the conviction that his policy must be reversed.
A ministerial council was held at the Tuileries
to-day, and protracted till a late hour. The
discussion was stormy. Marshal Prince Jerome
advances pretensions to be absolute regent
in the event of the Emperor's absence trom
France, and to make all such decrees as the
Emperor himself might make. The ministers refuse
to hold office on such conditions, and insist upon a
council of regency. Although this is a serious
diffi-
cnity, I do not doubt that the Emperor would find
means to get over it, if nothing else stood in the way
of his designs. The attitude of Austria is something
much more serious. It may very well be that the
Imperial generalissimo will find a more important
theatre for the first unfolding of his warlike flag, than
a distant Russian province.
A decree of the Emperor promotes to the rank of
general of division General Bizot, of the Engineers,
who was lately eo severely wounded before Sebas-
topol.
The Bourse opened heavily, under the impression
of the telegraphic accounts of Mr. Layard's motion ;
but Consols coming per cent. higher, the Rente was
quoted at better prices, although little besiness was
done throughout the day. The final quotation was
68.60, being a rise of 200. Orleans Railway rose
7.50, and most of the other lines from 1.50 to 2.50.
Mdlle. Dondet has appealed to the Court of Casea-
tion.

An English company has applied for the conces-
sion of a permanent bridge over the Rhine, at Mentz,
and at the same time that of a railway from Ascher-
fenhorg to Mentz, and from Monts to Biogen.
The following private telegraphic despatch has
been received :
"Berlin, April 27.--Glen. Ciortchakoff sends from
Sebastopol, under date of the 22nd, a despatch in which
he states that after' twelve days of severe bombard-
ment, the allied armies, seeing that their efforts were
unavailing, had slackened their fire, which had be-
come very weak at the date of the despatch. Our
losses,' adds Gen. Elortehakoff, have been diminished
in proportion. Nothing of importance has taken
place in any other part of the Crimes.'"