The Express.
London, England, 1862-01-20 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(nom OUR owl

PARIS, 8011111 UT EVII4IIIO.

The continually recurring question whether there
really are in France any government journals
ettiser than the Moniteur—a question which the
irseateuis solemn and oft-repeated asseverations
fail to lull—receives an amusing elucidation to-day.
Affiew the warning given to the Debat•—• warning
which produced an extraordinary sensation, partly
because it was the first ever incurred by that cau-
tious journal, and mainly because it treated Pro-
testor Saint Marc Girardin, a man of the highest
dander, learning, and ability, as factious—the
tiesmffitrationnet felt called upon as a " devoted" print
' to trump the bfoniteur sad to abuse the editors et
the Debate a little more. By the pen of aM.
Grenier, formerly a small professor in some college,
it called M. Saint Mare Ginrdin a " buries"
(grey-bearded dotard), and M. Wein a "Jeweils.
Dean" (stripling). These expressions excited
universal disgust in Paris, and it has been ru-
moured that the more judicious members of the
government are much annoyed at their baying
boon used. The Dibata quietly observed, two days
ago, that " there are situations in the press which
render a too rash writer liable to render the go-
velment responsible, to • certain extent, for his
own imprudence." The Conektotionnet yesterday,
not remembering that the words used by the Dibata
were quoted literally from Viscount de la Guerron-
niere, protested lustily against the proposition, and
affirmed that it alone has " the entire initiative
and undivided responsibility both of its attacks
and replies." But now, unfortunately for the

,onditutionriel, and unfortunately too, as it tarns
out, for M. de Persigny, the Debats has discovered
that an official journal called the Monifew
des Coinnioines, which is posted on the walls
of every church, prefecture, and mayoralty
in Francs, for the information of the people,
reproduced the obnoxious article of the Conaitu-
notate/ and commended it to the attention of the
lieges by the heading—showing the high authority
by which it was promulgated—" Ministry of the
Interior I" It is, therefore, proclaimed in the thirty-
five communes of Francs that M. Saint Mare
Oirardin is called a " barbon " with the approba-
tion of M. de Peraigny.
The Pays announces that early in the legislative
session a proposition will be made in the Stasis
—which only takes an initiative in the case of laws
deemed of great public utility—for the " extinctios
of mendicity." Of course it is not meant by this
expression that laws more sweeping and efficacious
than those now existing are to be pawed to enable
the police to arrest beggars. It can hardly be,
either—although the Pays uses the word " social,"
which, till lately, was deemed seditious—that the
Senate is expected to invent a means to make all
men satisfied with their condition, and to eradicate
the propensity of the necessitous to ask alma from
anybody likely to give I presume that some kind
of a poor-law must be alluded to by the grandilo-
quent phrase.
The Union anno."--

that yesterday afternoon a

commissary of polioe,armed with a mandate from a
judge of instruction, made his appearance in its
office and seized all the numbers he could find of
the Union of Jan.l6. M. Laurentie, M. MaoSheehy,
the Omni, a gentlessaa of Irish descent,
who is generally called a colonel, and M. Dabnieson,
the printer of the journal, are all to be prosecuted
for au article beginning with the words, " Liberty
to do evil is the whole theory of the revolution,"
and ending with the words Comortpere et Corrumpe.
As I expected, M. Rooland has lost no time in
replying to the defiance of the Bishop of Arms.
The Cuurrier du Pal de Calais has received a com-
municated note, giving a list of several judicial
documents about to be published, which will prove
the truth of the allegations against the convents
which were denied by the bishop.
I hear it said on the Boulevard that a terrible

ill SO

catastrophe has occurred on the ice in the Bois de
Boulogne, and that eight people are drowned.
This is, I rather think, the first time that any
fatal accident has occurred on the lake. The water
is so shallow, and it freezes so rapidly, that the idea
of danger in skating upon it scarcely ever occurred
to anybody.
The cold increases in intensity. At 6 this morn-
ing the thermometer of Duo:ay-Chevalier was 9
degrees below zero. Letters from Orleans state
that the Loire is encumbered with mamas of ice.
Even in the southern latitude of Marseilles there is
frost, and the wintry " mistral " blows with ter-
rible violence in the valleys of the Rhone.
Dr. Vann was upset in his carriage yesterday,
while driving along the Rue, Royale, and very
severely though not dangerously hurt. The car-
riage was broken all to pieces, and a footman on
the step behind, who was thrown down, had his
shoulder put out of place.
M. Ger.:Sine, the painter, is still laid up from the
consequences of the wound received in his duel.
The arm had healed, and he was supposed to be
convalescent, when it was discovered that there was
an istaval suppuzation, which rendered an incision
necessary.

Hagan or Fewer.—,A remarkable instance
of the effect of /Were frost on iron marred at the
Orduance•wharf, Chatham. on Saturday. Dorlag the day
a party of convicts were employed in remcbm • lumber of
the large 10. inch gun frets ems part of Vie eolableh-
meet to &pother, la media= for embarkation la sear
to facilitate the egeraties the leap steam ass wee
'nought into rephdiaon to lift the puts. but seareely had
me of the 10. inch gu weighing 26 cwt, been alached to
the gear than the sesollee chain which held it soddenly
snapped aid es the mama ass only • few feet from the
pound. What mime the &oddest appear the more re.
usertahle is the fact that not the slightest Saw wadi be
donated la the motel of which the chain is composed, the
dais Neff loin made to soder' double the 756saad
mily a few days baba hastog Una rid Is lifting of
soya tem. AS the atomeat of the gun tallies, augh
onmal of lie amok& were at work within • cespie of UN
not ime lies Wand.

A conflict has taken place in the harbour of
Monrovia between the Liberian government
schooner Quail and a Spanish vessel of war. The
following are the facts of the case, as stated in the
M of the President of the Republic of Liberia,
dated Dec. 7 1861. The President havin4 been
informed by Prince Mannab, Chief of Galima (a
district about 70 mites N.W. of Monrovia), that a
Spanish slaver was at Gallium Bar, sent the Quail
to overhaul her and by that vessel she was seised.
Soon afterwards her Britannic Majesty' s
Torch, Captain Smith, arrived at GaUlnas m search
of the same slaver, and she was burned by his
orders on the 14th of June. The captain of the
Quail remonstrated against this act, as the Libe-
rian flag was flying on board the prize, and she wee
in possession of a Liberian prize crew when she wag
boarded by Captain Smith's lieutenant. The Presi-
dent states that "the commander of the Torch
expressed his disapproval of the act of
his lieutenant in taking possession of the
prize after ascertaining that she was a prize
to the Liberian government schooner Quail.
Though the act was, as he stated, done without his
knowledge and roval, yet, it having been 00M•
mitted, he concluded to direct her to be destroyed
as aforesaid. The motive by which be was to an
extent actuated in deciding upon the latter course
he hoped the government of Liberia would appre-
ciate, as it was intended thereby to relieve the go-
vernment of Liberia from any unpleasant misun-
derstanding with the Spanish government, he in
the name of his government ramming the responsi-
bility of the matter." These events occurred in
June last, and on the 11th of the following Sep-
tember the Spanish war steamer Ceres entered the
harbour of Monrovia, and fired upon the Quail,
but was beaten off bythat vessel and by the guns of
the fort. The last nem, in relation to this affair is
given as follows by the Liberia Herald of Nov. 20 :
A rumour baying rucked Sierra Leone of several Spanish
war vemak being at this pat for bombardment, her
stearawr Torch was immediately despatched by
his reoy Governor Hill of Storrs LOOM, with a message
to President ihrsocia, the purport of which we are not now
at liberty to give. The Torch left on the evening of Oot
lgth for Sierra Leone, bearing a menage from the President
of Liberia to Governor Hill. We have onl7 to my at pre-
sent that the object of the yid was gratifying to the govern-
ment and d Liberia.
By the F.glad mall steamer, whisk arrived about the
middle of lad moth as Owe Pilmak intelligeare was re-
mind trout ens el its mem, that the goverserviesralat
Tensile Po wee so 111011111111111 at the failerecl the Odes sod
her ignoble retreat boa the harbour, that he via
up three made of war to capture ce dek the
Nothing hem hew eon or heard of Spat& intones