The Express.
London, England, 1852-01-19 00:00:00

~ . MO]

moderate emsonels. la a previous letter I announced
that the decree embodying this atrocious measure as
lan eventuality in case the princes of the younger
branch did not avail themselves of the revocation of
the edict of banishment to return to France, had
' been sent to the Moniteur. It was, in fact, sent
twice, and only prevented from promulgation by tho
resignation of M. do Morny, and some other mem-
bers of the cabinet. During four hours on Friday
M. do I'ersigny was, I am informed on the best
authority, actually installed as minister of the into_
rior. For the not you have been informed of the I
ministerial crisis; but I am now able to assure you
positively that this question was the origin of it, and
still continues to threaten the cabinet with dissolu-
tion. If the measure be carried, de Morny, and
perhaps Fould and Magne, will retire. General St.
Arnaud is also opposed to the decree of confiscation ;
but it is less certain that he will refuse to remain a
member of the cabinet which will undertake to exe-
cute it. As the name of M. de Moray has been
more than once been brought forward as preventing
violent measures from being adopted. I think it
right to gratify an opinion that might tend to mis-
lead public opera on this head. 1)e Moray is now,
as before, the most energetic minister of the
cabinet, tho man of action, and the upholder of
severe measures. Rut in this affair of the Orleans
property he has private and peculiar reasons for
showing a moderation, which it would be a great
mistake to suppose. formed any part of his character.
M. de Moray received during the late reign more
than one favour at the hands of the government of
July. Ile has had intimate relations with the princes
of the house of Orleans, and he undertook not long
ago a mission from the President to the Duchess of
Orleans. Hence he is bound by engagements
which render it impossible for him to remain
a member of the cabinet which should un-
dertake to confiscate the property of the Orleans
family. Whatever may be the nature of these en-
gagements, it is to be regretted that obligations, of a
hags sacred character, perhaps, but still acknowledged
as binding by society in general, should bo treated
lightly by the Minister of the Interior. Thus I am
informed, from the best source, that M. de Moray
wrote a letter to 111. de It; musat, in which ho ex-
pressed regret fur his banishment, but said that it
was unavoidable, as lie had not been able to influence
the council of ministers in his favour. M. de Itemu-
sat, on receiving this message from the Minister of
the Interior, took up a letter from his table from an-
other member of the cabinet, which, in expressing
the same regret, stated that the writer had in vain
attempted to intercede with the leading members of
the cabinet in his favour.

The threatened confiscation of the property of the
House of Orleans is looked upon in a graver light,
because revolutionary governments, as soon as they
begin to attack property, become a thousand times
more terrible to the public apprehension than while
they exercise persecutions against individuals. It is
easy for men to flatter themselves that they will not
be included in the category of the imprisoned or
proscribed, which is confined to those who have
o&red resistance to the government. But when
property is attacked no proprietor feels himself safe
from denunciation.

It is said that the .11oniecur of to-morrow will con-
tain the list of the members of the Council of State.
I am informed that two of the ministers, MM.
Fortoul and hefebre 'turn& will form two af this coun-
cil, seats in which are sought with an avidity pmpor-
tioned to the handsome salary attached to them. I have
already informed you, in a previous letter, that the
departments occupied by the two ministers in ques-
tion would be absorbed in other departments and
transformed into mere subordinate branches of admi-
nistration, hence you will have been prepared for
their retirement from the ministry, e lila is expected
shortly. In the meantime they are appointed, toge-
ther with M. Duces, Minister of Marine, by decrees
in the J/snifear of to-day, to different ranks in the
Legion of Honour.
The ministry of police is still spoken of as on the
point of formation ; hut who the President's Foucl,
is to be is not yet very distinctly known. The crea-
tion of this new department is generally condemned,
as impairing the dignity of the ministry and bring-
ing the head of the state too nearly into contact with
the questionable machinery of the police department.
The time of the elections for the Corps Lep:Adj,'
seems as little fixed as ever. In fact, two opposite
opinions prevail in the cabinet on this subject. The
Minister of Justice, Itouhcr, is for hastening the
elections, or, at least, not postponing them beyond
the end of February, while another party wish to
delay the elections until April. Contradictory re-
ports prevail concerning the new electoral law; but
tt is not to be concluded, because the word " direct,"
as applied to universal suffrage, is omitted in the
constitution, that the suffrage will be therefore
indirect.

A good deal of comment is current with regard
to the apparent indulgence extended to two demo.
cratic chiefs who were among the most violent assail-
ants of Louis Napoleon in the National Assembly.
These are MM. Jules Favre and Crcmieux. 1 have
already explained this partially by the circumstance
of their having been originally instrumental in pro-
curing the assent of the democratic party to the re-
peal of the laws of banishment against the Bonaparte
family. But I regret to add that there is no doubt
whatever of these ex-representatives having sent in
letters to the government disavowing in the most
humble tone of abnegation all future connection with
politics, and promising to exercise their calling as
advocates without meddling in any way with the
proceedings of the government.

I have to mention to you to-day a fresh instance
of the persecution directed against salons. The Mar-
quise D'Osmout, a legitimist lady, who gives bri'liant
reunions at her house on the Boulevard de la Made-
leine, received last week an official intimation from
the Minister of the Interior that politics were not
approved of by the government as a subject of con-
versation at parties, and that as many other subjects
gave equal scope fur social communication, there ex-
uded no necessity for discussing the acts of the go-
vernment. Consequently the marquise was requested
to intimate to her guests that they must refrain from
talking politics. Mbdame d'Osmont, after receiving
this notice, invited to her next party only ladies; but
the absence of the " lord of creation " did not prevent
the company present from exchanging the freest
criticisms possible upon the deeds of the go-
vernment, and in particular from venting their
indignation, in shrill chorus, at the invasion of private
society by such monstrous prohibitions. This oc-
curred on Friday night. The next morning Madame
D'Osmont received a note from M. de Moray begging
her to name which of her chateaux the marquise
would prefer for her country residence, as her sojourn
at Paris any longer for the present had become im-
possible; and intimating that her return to the
capital would not be permitted without an express
permission from the President of tho Republic.
Before clewing my letter I hear that for the
moment the decree of confiscation against the Ilouso
of Orleans has been abandoned, as well as all fresh
lists of proscription.
Private advice' from Bordeaux inform me that the
chef d'eacadron Pcyronni has been found guilty by
the court-martial, and sentenced to transportation.
This was of course expected. The judgment went
on to decree that ho should be degraded from his
rank of an officer of the Legion of Honour, and that
his decoration should be torn off in open court. In
pronouncing this latter part of the sentence, however,
the zeal of the court exceeded its competence. M.
Faye, the counsel for M. Peyronni, observed, that
his client had retired from the army, and the rules
of the service did not permit a court-martial to strip
a man not actually in service of his decoration. The
president felt compelled to admit this objection.
During the trial an unparalleled outrage was com-
mitted upon M. Faye, whose house was searched
under pretext of M. Vergne, a municipal councillor
of hlarmande, having been secreted there. This pro-
ceeding has shocked public opinion the more from
M. Faye never; having belonged to the republican
party. The trial of M. Perronni has pro-
duced an immense effect upon public opinion, in
discrediting the lies of the government organs as to
the nature of tke insurrection in some of the south-
ern departments, and in clearing the characters of
the men who headed the movement of resistance.
Such has been the influence of the publication of the
proceeding of this court-martial, that no more judi-;
clot &hates will be allowed to take place ; hula vast
number of prisoners will be banished or transported
without trial.

\-!w.d,, •
X EVENtNCII: JANUARY 19, 1852.

Botirges ; Mathieu, Archbishop of Besancon; de
Somali!, Archbishop of Lyons; and Goussctt,
Archbishop of Rheims. Marshals : Gerard appointed
in 1630; -Heine, in 1847; ]prime Napoleon Bona-
parte, in 1849; Excelnians, in 18:o1; Hurispe, in
1851 ; and Vaillaht, in 1841. Admirals: du Maekau
and Parceval-Derchene.