The Express.
London, England, 1852-12-31 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, Ti tansy EVINiXO.
General Bouscaren has died of his wound received
at Lagbouat.
One of the many evil consequences of the present
state of the press is the prevalence of false reports,
and the absence of any efficient means of contradict-
ing them. Where the pleas is free, it is impossible
that alarming rumours can circulate many hours
without a full and satisfactory explanation being
laid before the public. But in Paris at the present
time, people knowing that disagreeable news of every
kind is always hushed up as long as possible,
have no confidence in official denials, and the ab-
sence in the independent journals of any allusion to
a given rumour is no proof that it may nit be true,
for perchance they may have been ordered to be
silent. For the last three days mysterious whispers
have floated about Paris that an infernal machine
had been fired at the Emperor at Compiegne. The
story, wholly unfounded as I believe it to be, happened
to reach my ears only last night. I made inquiries
and found the belief that something of the kind had
occurred exceedingly general, especially in quarters
least likely to be well informed. At the Bourse the
thing had teen mentioned merely as an idle talc, and
it excited no attention. But among tradesmen in
remote parts of the town it was really astonishing to
find how devoutly the report was believed. I heard
the same account from three or four people wholly
unconnected with each other. It was said that the
Emperor had been shot at, that Edgar Ney had been
killed, and his body consesled to prevent the matter
from being kn ow n, that everybody heard to speak about
the affair would at once be arrested, and that several
hundreds were already in prison. This morning a
contradiction appears in a shape so far from satis-
factory, that people are more than ever inclined to
think that the report cannot have been wholly
destitute of foundation. The Press* says that
several country newspapers publish the following
despatch from the Minister of Police :
Paris, Dec. 27, 9 cm.
A report has been spread in Paris and is certain depart-
ments that, while hunting at Compiegne, the Emperor had
been wounded by an assassin, and that several persona of
his suits had been killed or wounded. This report is com-
pletely false.
Now it is certainly very curious that reports said
to have been spread in Paris should have been con-'
tradicted only in the provinces, and that this Indirect
publication of an official denial, made three days ago,
should be the first information given to the readers
of ,the metropolitan press of the existence of the re-
port itself. The Moniteur and all the government
journals are wholly silent upon a matter which
was thought of sufficient importance, at 9 o'clock in
the morning of Dec. 27 to be the subject of a despatch
from the Minister of Police to several departmental
journals. It is noticed that the paragraph cited by
the Freese does not in terms deny that an attempt
at assassination was made, but only that the Emperor
was wounded, and that " several" persons were
killed, neither of which facts was alleged according
to the story current in Paris.
The Mumilner states that the return of the
Emperor to Paris was retarded by indisposition, but
that no sedum remelts followed, as his Majesty was
able to travel without inconvenience on Tuesday, and
to transact bodssossikii ministers yesterday morning
It might have been added that he went to the Opera
last night, and was thought to be looking exceed-
ingly well. The nate= of his indisposition at Com-
peigne has not transpired. It was thought neces-
sary at the Bonne yesterday to post a bulletin,
dating that his Majesty wee in perfect health. Thii
placard, exhibited about ten minutes before the close,
was thought to have been the occasion of the alight
recovery of the funds from the depression which had
prevailed throughout the day.
Poor old ,Jerome Bonaparte is laid up with the
influenza. Notice is given that he is confined to his ,
bed, and that his usual Thursday evening reception
cannot take place to-day.
Ido not know what has become of the Pope's
nuncio and his credentials. It was formally an
noenced that he was to go in state to the Tuileries to
present them at one o'clock on Tuesday last. The
Emperor did not arrive there till three, and no sort
of explanation for the postponement has been made
public bcyond the fact of his Majesty's indisposition
at Compiegne.
The recognition by the three great powers, so often
confidently announced, still hangs fire. The govern-
ment jonznals, however, to-day quote triumphantlythe following extract from a Berlin letter of the 26th,
in the C:Tis Gamete :
We hare est karat the important news that Runic
Austria, Presets hays ewes to a moieties to mown
the Priest empire is a very short time, sad that they are
directed Ia this sup y the same motives which led them to
recognise Louis Philippe.l There is so idea of any special

PARIS, WIDNISDAT EVISIXO.

The most recast intelligence from Berlin gives
groat @addiction. It Wu never believed that the
madmen courts would withold definitively the ro-
cognition of the restored empire, but the delays
which have taken place have been difficult to account
for, and, together with the Carols Visa business,
gave some reason to suppose that in the manner of
acknowledging the new government the powers
would not be very anxious to study the convenience
of the Emperor. Wears now told that the rooogni-
don will be accomplished within a few days.
The Moniessir prints conspicuously the followin
as from • Vienna letter: "The Em has just
given orders for a considerable redaction in the
effective of the Austrian army. The redaction is not
only to be applied to the infantry, but also to the
cavalry and the artillery, the horses of the dismissed
soldiers to be sold. It is caddy in the army of Italy
that the reduction is to tab place." The German
ors contain MIS shissowit of the kind, but
about dta rsaastias in Iteealy, which isbads a
must Wally aosnennaa. Mar g nay to
fa patinas, rogiumals. *a bid drama d die
Lasabardbllawsilom wan we say be well aswwwl,'
will rake bbouad &on diminished.
The swat at M. Tropbog, on the modifications
of the constitution, is 0111111111 Seed upon at some
length by the Assesiblis Nalbesafs and the Union
of this day. The article of the Assembles is written,
however, under so evident • conviction of restraint,
that the opposition is rather to be inferred from the
general tone than demonstrated by extracts. The
Assemble*, in analysing the report, turns each point
to account as well as it can, in order to mark the
extent to which parliamentary principles have
been repudiated.
The Boone was in a feverish state again to-day.
and public securities suffered • further decline. The
Four-and-a-Half per Cents. opened at 106 f. 80c., and
clamed at 105 f. Ito. for the end of the month ; the
I Three per Cents. closed at 81E 10e. ; Shares of the
New Bank of Credit Mobilise., issued at 600?, 850 f.