The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-23 00:00:00

LATiIiBT INTELLIGENUL

100.

The following is a translation of a letter ad-
dressed by the Emperor Maximilian to his minister
of state, Valasquez de Leon :

My dear Minister,—Sinus the return from my a-dame
voyage to the departments of the interior, daring which I
have received in each city, town, and village the most
sincere proofs rd sympathy and of the most cordial enthu-
siasm, I have been able to dalooe two irrefutable truths :
the first, that the empire is an set firmly based npou the free
will of the immense majority of the nation, and in it is em-
braced the form of a government of true progress, and that it is
the best to correspond to the needs of the people ; the second
is, that this immense majority is desirous of pesos, of tr►n-
qullity,and of justies—benefits which it expeensand anxiously
asks of my government, sod which I, having present my
sacred duty before God and the people which has elected
me, am resolved to give it. Justice will find its base in in-
stitutions adequate to the times, and will be sustained with
inoessant zeal. For the establishment of pawn and tran-
quillity in all this beautiful and extensive country, end for
the prompt development of its Prodigious wealth, my go-
vernment is determined to employ all its UMW and
isergy.

If up to the present time leniency has been shown to
its political adversaries to give them time and opportunity
to recognise the national will and conform themselves
to it, in future it will be an imperative obligation to
combat them, for their flag now carries no political creed
bat a mere pretext for robbery and murder. My duty
as a sovereign obliges me to protect the people with
an iron arm and to correspond to the wishes expressed
on all sides. We declare, in chief of the nation, and
with the full knowledge of our sacred mission sod of
the duty which we have imposed on ourself, that all
the armed bands which are yet overrunning some parts
of our beautiful country, pillaging it, alarming and
menacing the industrious citizen in his labour and liberty,
shall be considered as gasp of outlaws, sad will fall in
consequence under the inflexible and inexorable severity of
the law. Therefor* we recommend all functionaries, ma-
gistrates, end military authorities of the nation to pursue
and annihilate them by all means in their power. If our
government does respect all political opinions it cannot
tolerate criminals, who destroy the first liberties it is
called upon to guarantee, those of person and property.
Given at the Palace, Mexico, 3rd of November, 1861.

MAxi=.uzi.

(IXOTZIeII

LETTER OF M. DROUYN DE LHUYS TO
THE MAYOR OF SUNDERLAND.
PARIS, DIC. U.

M. Dronyn de Lhnya has addressed a letter to
the Mayor of Sunderland, in which he says :—" The
Emperor's government is particularly sensible of
the cordial reception given in October last by the
authorities and population of Sunderland to the
commander and crew of the Danae. Such mani-
festations cannot but strengthen the bonds of
friendship which so 'happily unite France and
England, and contribute to the development of
friendly relations."

SPAIN.

THE QUEEN'S SPEECH TO THE CORTES.

MADRID, Dec. 22, Evenica.

The Queen's speech at the opening of the Cortes
to-day contained the following paragraph :—" I am
bouud to state to you that the general condition of
the monarchy, considered in all its extent, is not
very satisfactory, and to remedy this I shall lay
before you a bill of great importance."
The Epoca considers this paragraph to refer
indubitably to Santo Domingo. The same journal
believes that a loan is indispensable and urgent.