The Press.
London, England, 1856-07-05 00:00:00

FRANCE.

The Corps Legislatil closed its session on Wednes-
day. The bills for the repeal of prohibitory customs
duties, and for consolidating decrees relative to cus-
toms duties into laws, have been postponed. The
vote of 600,000 francs for the Orleans family was
passed.
The Princess Clementina of Orli ans, and the
Dukes de Nemours, D'Aumale, and Prince Joinville,
have addressed strong protests against so "illusory a
reparation." The Princess Clementina indunantly
refuses to accept any gift as an indemnity for her
share of the confiscated property : while the Princes
exclaim against the use of the word bienveillance in
the exposé des motifs of the bill.
Count Montalembert, in a letter to Count Morph
protested strongly against the measure :
If the property which the Duke of Orleans before be
ascended the throne settled upon his children (wrote the
Count) dues not belong to them, why should a present be
made to them at the expense of the taxpayer ? But if it
does belong to them, or even if the question is doubtful, on
what principle is it to be restored to some of the heirs and
not to the others ? In thus acting I obey no party nor
personal considerations. If, which God forbid, princes of
the house of Bourbon could be induced to act in such is
manner towards princes of the Napoleon dynasty, I should
entertain the same sent'ments and hold the same hun•
gunge, for I am one of those who serve justice and not
fortune.
The text of the letter from the Count of Paris to
Count Roger du Nord, has appcarEd. The young
Count refuses altogether to accept the " fusion "
between the two families proposed by Queen Mario
Amelie and the Count de Chambcrd. "My mother,
my brother and myself," says the Count, " are alto-
gt_ther strangers to this affair." The Count an-
nounces that he will shortly declare his principles
and views, and concludes :
I have but one object, that of rendering myself worthy
of a possible future ; and to this end I have incessantly
before my eyes the will of my lather, the conduct of my
grandfather, and the sacred principles upon which the
constitutional monarchy was founded.
Count Rayneval, French Ambassador at Rome,
has suddenly returned to Paris. 11l health is said
to be the cause.
The Dignitaries' Pensions Bill, conferring a dis-
cretionary power of granting pensions on tie present
Emperor similar to those enjoyed by Napoleon the
First, was rejected by the Committee on the Bill, but
adopted by the Corps Legislatif. The committee in
their report used atone rather remarkable under the
present regime :
It has appeared to the committee (says the report)
that although no longer governed by a parliamentary
regime, France has not on that account receded fitty yeais
towards a Government which hail its prestige as regards
the glory of our arms and the greatness of the nation, but
which the excess of its principle (l'excds de ,on prineipe)
and too absolute an exercise of power, was sooner or later
to lead to its ruin. We have the pretension to think that
France, as regards her institutions, is better off in 1888
than in 1807. Our respectful independence, now that the
Prince is in the height of prosperity, is, he is aware of
it, a guarantee for him of our effectual co•operation in
case, which God forbid, France should have to experience
new misfortunes.

The Emperor left Paris for Plombieres on Tues-
day, arriving there safely on Wednesday night.
Cardinal Patrizzi left for Rome, via Marseilles, the
same morning.