The Express.
London, England, 1862-03-11 00:00:00

MR. SEWARD ON COURT ETIQUETTE.

The following official despatch, on the subject of
the etiquette of the French Court, has been sent by Xc.
Seward to Mr. Dayton :
" Department of State, Washington, Feb. S.
"Sir,—Your despatch of the 14th of January, No. 102,
bus been received. It is secompuziol by a copy of a note
which you have addressed to M. Thouvenel on the subject
of the introduction of American citizens at the Imperial
Court.
" I very freely confess to the opinions. first; that an
audience or presentation of any Lut diplomatic gismo
at court is to be regarded not in any degree as a tight
of the person received, but as a courtesy ezteoded to
Secondly, that the Imperial Court is perfectly at liberty to
define and prescribe the qualifications, conditions, and terms
on which stranger, shall be admitted into its society.
Thirdly, if American citizens request you to present their
wishes for admission at court, you can only present them
by complying with the terms and conditions prescribed.
Fourthly, referring to the questions which have actually
arisen, I think you can properly in all cases give the occu-
pation or profession of any person whose wishes you present.
You cannot, indeed, undertake to assign the social position
of each person, for that would be to diecriminate, or to seem
to discriminate, by European rides, between persons who,
being all alike citizens, may lastly claim to be equals in
social position at home, and therefore equals in the con-
sideration of the government itself when they are abroad.
It seems to me, however, that in many cases there are cir-
cumstances belonging to the persons you propose to present
which may lie properly stated, such as official position held
by individuals at the time, or even at some previous time—
dotinctiona arising from personal merit, such as scientific,
military, or literary, or a political character, and distinc-
tious as founders of scientific, literary, or humane institu•
tiona
" But when these suggestions are made in compliance
with the rules of the court it I. not to bo claimed as mat-
ter of right, or even RS matter of national comity, that the
Cations or audiences shall therefore be granted. I
have dwelt upon the subject longer than was due to any im-
portance that it can claim. It is peculiarly uucomfortable
at this moment to find American citizens leaving their
country a prey to faction and civil war, disturbing the
court of a friendly power, and embarrassing our represes-
tame there with questions of personal interest and pee
tension.
"Let the Emperor and Empress of Frimce receive whom
they will, and as many or few as they will, and let en
others, RS well as those who are admitted, turn their at-
tention to the question how they can servo their country
abroad, and if they find no better way to do it than by mak-
ing their attendance in the saloons of the Tuileries, let
them return home, to a country that now, for the first
than, and not fora long time, needs the active efforts of
every one of its loyal children to save itself from de-
struction.
Finally, above all things, have no question with the
government of France on this subject. Rather introduce
nobody, however justly distinguished, than let a question
of fashion or ceremony appear in the records of the
portant period in which we are acting for the highest in-
terests of our country and of humanity,-I am. sir, your
obedient servant, " W. H. SEWARD.
" Wm. L. Dayton, Esq., &c."

DEATH or ADMIRAL CCRLoN.—We regret to
anaemic. the death of Vice-Admiral Edward Curzon.
in his 74th year. He was raised to the rank of Vice-Admiral
in Irekt, and had received the distinction of a Companion of
Use Bath in 1157.27. _ _

Se. Pant's CATHEDRAL—Two prebendal stalls
in St. Pawl's Cathedral are now vacant, one by the death of
the Rev. J. Hampden Gurney, M.A., rector of St. Mary's.
litlanatoseaquere ; the other by the death of the Rev. T.
Hartwell Horne, B D., rector of St. Edmund the King,
tomlard-street. The stall which became vacant a few
weeks since by the death of the Rev. T. Hendereoe has
been confe. red upon the Rev. J. E. limps, M.A., rector
at St. James's, licemblly.