The Express.
London, England, 1863-11-07 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

THE LEGISLATIF CORPS.

SPEECH OF THE DUKE DE HORNY.
(fox ona owl' couseroyamm)
PALM FILDAT EVINIIIO.

At 2 o'clock this afternoon the Duke de Morny
took the chair, and opened the first sitting of the
new Corps Legislatif. Pursuant to the imperial
decree of Feb. 3, 1861, the President called upon
the four youngest deputies present to take their
place at the bureau as secretaries. The names of
these members are MM. E. Fould, Welh de
Lavalette, Maurice Richard, and Ikopold Lehon.
The Duke de Morny then pronounced the follow-
ing speech :
Yessieurs,—'The recent elections have revived political
aspirations which have been lulled for several years. The
word liberty has bee° often pronounced ; and no doubt it
will be spoken of again. The government is not uneasy at
this.

It is not permissible for us to doubt that the first cause
of this movement of opiniot is the sovereign himself. Is
it not the Emperor who took the initiative of all the reforms
with which the last chamber was endowed

The admirable epee.* which you greeted yesterday with
so much applause, contains once more the enumeration of
important change• in the law, sad all in • profoundly
liberal sense.

There is no one within these walls who approves these
measures more highly than I do. I was brought up in the
admiration of that English society where absolute individual
liberty inspires every citizen with a emu of his dignity and
independence ; where freedom of usociation develops
personal initiative, careless of state tutelage ; and when
the largest political liberties are tempered by a religions
respect for law, by a blind acqnkscence in the principle of
the government, and, finally, by the good sense of the
public.
But it is to be observed that time only fortifies those
edifices which it has taken a part in building. Only eon-
rider how many years England has taken to achieve those
kw" of which I have just laid before you the enviable
picture. In France the oonfliets between the great public
powers have always produced revolutions, but have never
definitively eor•sd to the benefit of durable liberty.
I Believe me, gentlemen, when I ass ere you with a
patriotic, conviction that liberty can never be established
except in a peaceable manner—it can only be established
by the sincere accord of a liberal sovereign and a moderate
assembly.
And my constant desire has been to cultivate this under-
' "tending. The confidence which the two WS unemblies
were pleased to afford me enabled me to achieve this de.
sirabk result. I trust that similar sentiments on your
pert will help me to ME my new task with like success.
The anilines of the people have sent amongst us several
illustrious members of former parliaments. I 'venture to
say, for my own part, that I am delighted at the innovation.
In the first plans, this adhesion is in itself a limns to our
I form of government, which is not that of their political
school, and I have too much esteem for them to doubt for
an instant of the loyalty of their intention.
Moreover, our government cannot but gain the closer it is
scrutinised. In a country which like ours has been the
theatre of so many commotion', there must always be io
the part career of these who have played any coasiderable
part in public affairs, trials which, while being warnings for
others, ere, sometimes, lessons for ourselves.
Well, then ! Let no nuke a common stock of our ideas
and our experience, without prejudice and without any
obstinatel► predetermined coarse of action. Let no endea-
vour to enlighten ourselves by loyal and courteous discus-
sion, and let our only object in the solution of the ques-
tions before us be the true interest of the country.
I cannot termin►te this short speech without pronouncing
the name of the eminent man whom France has lost. On
the brink of a tomb in which all passionate judgments are
merged, we moat all agree in doing homage to the amiable
qualities, the refined mind, and the high talent of M. BO-
bilt ; and I am certain that I respond to en unanimous
sentiment when I say that he has left in all our hearts the
moat profound regret.

I am informed by a trustworthy eyewitness that
all the exclamations of " Yes, yes," "True,
true," and " loud approbation," with which
you will see this speech interlarded in the
reports of the French journals, are the mere
usual additions and ornaments which the imperial
printers put in to round off paragraphs, and that,
in point of fact, there was no applause at all. I
may claim credit for impartiality in mentioning
this minor, but not unimportant, detail, when I
say that, in my own opinion, there is much to
commend in the Duke de Moray's speech. Indeed,
with the exception of the paragraph in which he
claims exclusive credit for the Emperor in initiating
the reforms in the chamber of 1860—sinking the
fact that by the imperial constitution nobody but
himself can possibly take any initiative—l can
discover nothing to find fault with. He admits the
revival of public opinion in favour of liberty much
more frankly than the Emperor does when be talks
scornfully of some "local dissidence."
An important commentary upon the "local dis-
sidence" mentioned in the speech is contained in
a statistical work on the elections just published,
from which it appears that the votes polled for
opposition candidates in 1863 were nearly four
tunes as many as 1857. The figures are as follows :

Among the opposition candidates not elected, 33 obtained
more than 10,000 votes each, or a total of 409,8 as ; 66 from
6,000 to 10.000, or a total of 493,328 votes; 75 from 3.000
to 6,000, or 340,112 ; and 73 from 1,000 to 3,000. or 100,055.
The 947 opposition candidates thus obtained 1,343,298
votes, which, added to the 408,304 of the successful oppo•
sitioc candidates, makes a total of 1,731.802 votes. Those
figures do out include the fourth circumscription of the
Seine-et. Oise ; the tirst of the Seine-et-Marne, and the
third of the Messes-Alps, nor the candidates who obtained
less than 1,000 votes. Those different omissions would
complete a total of 1.900,00 suffrages. If the entire votes
are taken together it will be found that the opposition,
which in 1857 obtained only 571,859 votes, coast 1,900,000
in 1863.

These are the statistics which I lamented the
want of in June last, and which I have never been
able to find till now. They are moat significant.
The misapprehension of a translator introduced
into my letter of Tuesday last a mistake which
cannot be too soon corrected. I am, unfortunately,
responsible for the circulation of a report that the
imperial government was about to abolish the
"censorship " of stage plays. Nothing of the
kind has been ever thought of. I am
appalled at the idea that the theatrical
world of London may possibly have thought for
a moment that the liberalism in France was so far
in advance of the institution of the Lord Chamber-
lain. All that is meant by the "liberty of the
theatres," alluded to in the imperial speech, and of
which I had a previous inkling, is that it shall be
less difficult than heretofore to become a manager.
Government authorisation of some kind there must
still be before a man can open a theatre. Several
journals noting that the bakers' and the theatrical
reform stand out so prominently in the imperial
speech, cannot resist the temptation of referring
ironically to the panel► et droners of the Cesare.

At the Bourse the imperial speech continues to
be regarded as an enigma. The letter of it, every-
body says, means war ; but there is a strong party
with a robust faith that the Emperor does not
mean what he says, and is only talking to
"Chauvin "—a French synonym for "bunkum."
However, in spite of the buoyancy of Consols,
Refute, after some fluctuations, left off with a fur-
ther fall of 10e.

A communication from Vienna states that the
Archduke Maximilian is to leave Miramar about the 15th
and, iu his quality of commander-in-chief of the Austrian
fleet, inspect the Bevel establishments of Pole, Venice, and

Trieste. This step is considered u a farewell visit prior to
Lis departure for Mexico.

MOURAVIEFF AND THE SIERAKOWSEi
FAMILY.

All the members of the family of the gallant
Sierakowski have fallen under the vengeams
of Mouravieff. Mrs. Dalecka, his mother, wife
and her sons have been banished to Siberia;
but Mrs. Sierakowski, who is enceinte, was
detained at Wilna for several months after
her husband's execution. Hearing that she
was near her confinement, Mouravieff ordered her
to be taken in her bed by railway into the interior
of Russia, and that the child be placed immediately
after its birth in the Orphan Asylum at Pskow. An
officer of gendarmes accordingly broke into
the house of Mrs. Sierakowski with his men,
and ordered them to take her in her bed
through the town to the railway station. The un•
fortunate lady fainted several times during this
dreadful journey, and at length had a severe fit of
convulsions. The indignation in the town wee
tremendous, and the officer, not daring to proceed
any further than the station, sent to Mouravieff for
instructions, reporting that the town was in the
greatest state of excitement. Mouravieff sent back,
and ordered her to be sent on by railway,
accompanied by a Russian midwife. The sub*.
quent fate of this unfortunate victim of Russian
cruelty is not known.

PERSECUTION OF POLISH LADIES
IN WARSAW.

There are upwards of fifty ladies imprisoned in
the citadel. It is said that a young lady named
Trochanowski is about to be publicly executed in
one of the principal squares of Warsaw. The police
arrest numbers of women in the street every day,
and take them to the guard•housea. where they are
searched by the troops with the most revolting
indecency. It has thus become dangerous for any
respectable woman to show herself in the streets.
As the decree of General Lewszyu does not define
what is meant by mourning, the police and the
soldiery arrest whom they please.
The news of the discovery of a printing press in
Niecala-street is confirmed. Councillor Wengleuski
has been arrested. The arrests of Jews take place
on a large scale.

MR. COBDAIN ON TEI CONDUCT OP TSB
BRITI6II AUTHORITIES IN JAPAN.

The following letter from Mr. Cobden hie been
reosived by Mr. Ashworth: mayor of Rochdale :
• Ilkihunt, November 4, 1814.
"My dear sir,—Circumstances will prevent me from
paying my accustomed visit to Rochdale previous to the 'Ati
union% and I fear I shall therefore not have the satisfaction
of attending • public meeting under your presidency is
mayor. I regret this both on personal and public grounds.
I should have taken the opportunity of calling the ate%
lion of my oonatituenta to the lest news from the East.
" I have been reading carefully the official correspondence
last published, respecting our recent proceedings in Japan.
It is • horrible narrative, which I find difficult to tre,t
with calmness. It appears that • despatch was sent by
Rai Russell, instructing the British Maim in
that country to demand redress from Prince Satsuma,
one of its feudal chiefs or clehnios, for the murder
of Mr. Richardson, and, in default of which, discretion
wee given to our naval commander, either to 'seize or
detain' the prince's steam vessels, or shell his residence
or blockade his port. Thereupon, according to his own
despatch, the British admiral proceeded forthwith to burn
the prince's steamers, and set tire to the town of Kagosima,
when, to quote his language, the condagration thus
created continued with unabated ardour up to the time of
the departure of the squadron. 4$ hours subsequently to
the first attack,' which, he proceeds to say, affords ream.
able ground for believing that the entire town of Kago-
shima is now • mass of ruins and he expresses his ' trust
that her Majesty's government will be pleased to approve'
his deeds.

It is stated, I know not how truly. that Kagceima is a
city of mon than 150,000 inhabitants. la an interesting
amount of Japan which appeared to the Revue du Aux
Yowler of the 15th October, from the pen of Adolphe
Linda'', a recent traveller in that country, this place is
described as • L'un dee plus considirables entrep& do
oommsrce de rile de ICIOII4iOU.'
" Now, let me ask you to consider fors moment what is
really implied by the destruction, with incendiary shells
without previous warning, of a city of even 100#10 inha-
bitants? There are always in such towns hundreds of
Winn at their mothers' breasts. thousands of children
wider five years of age. hospitals with their sick, end
numben of aged and infirm. tottering on the brink of thr.
grave ; there, too, must be women over whom the pangs of
maternity are impending, and there will be toned homes
filled with mourning for the dead which are awaiting the
rites of sepulture. Such is the normal condition of every
large city, whether in Asia or Europa Now, picture this
great commercial cetrepOt, with all its contents, reduced in
48 hours to a heap of ashes ; try to realise in imagination
the fate of its population ; and then ask yourself what
great crime they had committed to bring on themselves
this havoc and destruction. To our shame sod confusion
the answer must be that this is the way in which English.
men, under the command of Admiral Kuper and CoL Neale,
administer justice for the murder of an individual sue
I hundred miles away—of which crime the inhabitants of
Hagosima were as guiltless of all knowledge and oomph.*
as your own neighbours in Rochdale. It is precisely se
though an enemy should lay Bristol in ashes because sa
individual had been murdered on the highway between
London and Breotford. And the cuief actor in this out-
rage on humanity, instead of expressing one word of
regret, or even emotion, coolly lay claim to the approbation
of their government.
" There hes been much criticism in this country on the
manner in which the civil war has been conducted by
the Americans. We have been prompt to condemn a
people over whom we have no control. for acts for ehich
we are in nowise responsible. I remember the indigos-
800 with which the prime minister denounced General
Butler's proclamation in which he threatened to consign
to the aanboun those women who should insult his sol-
diers is the strain of New Orleans. Will he :JAI his
colleagues now make themselves and the country worn-
idiom after the fact in these atrocities of their own neon,
who, in contemptuous disregard of the instructions of their
government, bare brought this heavy diagraoe upon the
country ? I trust not. But, at all events, let us tot for-
get that our moral power in the world is at stake ; that
as a people, we condone such crimes as these, when per.
nitrated in our name by those for whom, under heaven, we
are alone respousible, we shall only invite the sawn of
mankind by assuming to sit in Pulgrneot, as moral censors,
upon the delinquencies of other nations.—Believe me,
yours sincerely, " R. COBDEN.
" G. L. Ashworth, Esq., Mayor."

The following advertisement appears in our Stam-
boul contemporary, the T,rjuonati Ahrai
tootb•acbes, lumbago, eye-bores, fever. &c., cared by a cele-
brated divine put arrived from Asia Ilium, by breathing on
the patient and by charms. Addreu Dede-kavt', at Air-
mai."

CAPTAIN STEER.—Thia gallant officer wax enter-
tained at a banet given by the Bristol Society of Merchant
Ireatureis on Thursday evening, at which, however, re-
porters were not present. Yesterday Captain Speke pro-
ceeded to Taunton, where a 000gratulatory address on his
return to his native country was presented to him. On
Wednesday neat a public dinner is his honour will take place
at Ilmiester.
AMERICA AND RUSali.—Unhappily, in our ad-
miration of the present Emperor for his humanity and
courage is freeing the serfs, we are in danger of forgetting
that he may be far from having acquitted himself of his
wholeduty to his fellow-men. We know that if he were
fully impressed with the belief in the equality of mankind.
he could not retain his sceptre a moment. The sight of
his countrymen suffering under a shameful wrong—the
statesmanlike estimation of their increased value as sub-
jects when freed—the perception that only through emasci•
patios could Russia attain the level of the first nations of
the globe—or even the fatigue confessed by Frederic 11.
io ruling over slaves —these are sufficient motives for the
Emperor's action, which we all applaud. But when be
would thrust back Pam' to the bloody grave to which his
father met her, we may, nay we must protest is the name
of that humanity wows laurels are fresh upon him. It
is pitifully selfish to rejoice that France sal England ire
snubbed on the mere suspicion of an intent to interfere
between Poland and her oppressor—to taunt these powers
with want of courage to declare belliceranta the unfortunate
poles, or to play the neutral in their behalf. This is pram
tinily to adonis that our struggle is one for empire, like
'curia's, whereas ourcondemnaboo should be (mend forth-
coming, on the ground that we fight to crush • oonspiracy
for the creation of a new despotism, while Russia is slay-
ing • people whom it has twice murdered and deprived of
their rightful liberty. Our cause mono' possibly be oilskin
—its justification is in the right of self-defame against a
restoreeleas semen, and as well in every prima* of malty,
order, sad law. We need sot clap o,ir bands when a seem
iogly wallet conflict, with no parallel io the rebitioa of
the contending parties, unmasks the cowardice or hypocrilY
of our evil wisher,. We might rather indi.tnowitly to spurn
the forced comparison of Poland to the Confidesoy. as as
Iseult and a disgrace to Americas honour.—Nis York AAh•
SlarerN Standard. Oct.
THE MerisY IN THE MaltaßT.—The nineteen
seamen from the American ship Webster were yesterday
again brought before Mr. Raffles, the Liverpool stipeadiary
magistrate, charged with mutiny, and Lynch in particular
with attempting to reorder Impactor Carlisle, by stalling
him io the neck with a knife. It appeared, from the evt-
deuce adduced, that the paper collar which the ofhorr wore
was so tough that it altered somewhat the direction of the
blow and diminished Its force ; otherwise, it is believed. the
officer would have been killed ou the spot. The prisores
were all committed for trial.

LAW INTELLIGENCE,
(THIS DAY.)

COURT OF EXCHEQUER.
Sittinp in Bann.—(Before Lord Chief Baron Pollock, sad
Barone Martin ,ChaaoaU. and Pigott.)
STAPLETON IL HAYMAN AND ANOTHEL _

This was an action to recover the value of a barge, tried
before Mr. 13aron Martin, ►t the sittings in London, after
last Trinity term, sod in which a verdict was found for the
plaintiff—damages, 1301.
The Solicitor• General now, in pursuance of leave re-
served by the learned judge, moved for a rule to show
muse why the verdict should not be entered for the de-
fendants or the damages reduced. The action was brought
against the sssigoees of a bankrupt named Atwater, and
the question was whether the plaintiff, to whom there was
no doubt the bankrupt sold the barge, could sue them for it,
he not having registered the bill of sale as required by the
statute.

Mr. Baron Martin-1 thought this m►tter would have
keen settled. If the plaintiff is deprived of the barge it
will be as distinct a piece of robbery as ever was perpe-
trated.

TM Solicitor. General said the setae might be said of the
ease of " Boyson v. Gibson," in which the point had been
clearly decided. If the robbery was sanctioned by the
Legislature it could not be helped except by an alteration
of the act of parliament.
Mr. Baron Martin said the plaintiff, a young man who
came into a legacy, and the mate of a barge, purchased is
April, 1862, a barge trout Atwater for 1001. Having paid
the money he went to the Cnstora.bouse to register the
bill of sale, and was there told that he could sot do so, as
he was • minor. Shortly afterwards Atwater became •
bankrupt, and his anignece took posesesion of and sold the
barA% Lord Chief Baron said it would be very strange if a
man could not own a barge mars he were 21.
The Solicitor-General said that whether the Custom-
hones officers improperly refined to register the bill of sale
or not was • spiestioo affecting them only, but the sot of
Parliament, 17 and 18 Vic. e. 104, made it imperative that
the registered owner alone should be the owner.
Mr. Baron Marlin said it wan imposible the learned coon.
eel could get over the sale of the barge.
The Solicitor-General then said he would move to reduce
the damages to 201., the cost of the mast and sail which
the defeniant had put upon the barge.
The Lord Chief Baron—lf we are to be aceemories after
the fact, to what certainly bears the complexion which Mr.
Baron Martin has given to this matter, we ought to be so-
armories toss little as we can help.
Mr. Baron Martin—l was in hopes that the matter would
be arranged. an your client, who appeared to be • respect-
able man, said he would see that justice was dose to this
you( man.
The Solicitor-General-1 also hoped that the matter would
be settled.

RulTie;e cou granted a rule to Moos the damages to 201.
slirt t

COURT OF PROBATE AND DIVORCE.
(Beton Sir Jams Wilde.)
800TP O. 8001 T. —IIIIW TILT.
This, which was the last case tried by Sir C. Criswell,
was the suit of a husband for sent:Aka of conjugal rights
answered by a panties for a judicial separation ea the
monad of entelty ; and
the verdict of a 'penal jury, after a
hog trial, wee for Captain Scott.
The Quaea's Advocate (with him Dr. Spinks sad Mr.
Cole) now moved for a rule nisi for a new trial, oe the
ground that the verdict was against the weight of
evidence, and also upon affidavits oorroborating the
evidence of the petitioner with regard to certain
alleged acts at Struetian, respecting which the elate orate
of the parties at the trial bad been in direct conflict. The
learned advocate also contended that the new judge could
not pronounce say decree in the case until there had
been a rehearing.
Sir J. Wilde said that ea the case was one of great impet-
uses he would postpos his decision till Tuesday next. No
doubt cm motions for new trials it was a =advantage to
has as opportunity of consultis the liege who
bad tried the case ; but a judge of the cosmosw =arta
scarcely ever died without leaving questions depending
which his colleagues had to decide accerdi to the best
lights in their power. The argument of the leased advo-
cate as this point must therefore fail.

ROL:LIU° r. BOULTTNG.
In this eau, which was a motion for a new trial on the
grated of misdirection, the petitioner wu a wife, who
sought a judicial separatimi on the ground of adultery.
The parties bad long lived separate, the respondent allowing
the petitioner the sum of 7e. per week ; and flit Crewmen
had directed the jury that if she had continued to mein
the mosey after hor husband', adultery bad come to her
knowledge she warn guilty of connivance.
Lod The Queen's Advocate contended that this rule wu wrong.

Sir J. Wilde reserved his judgment on the motion for •
rule MM.