The Express.
London, England, 1863-01-12 00:00:00

SPEECH OF THE EMPEROR.

(BY 81:7BYARINI TMLIGRAML)
PARIS MONDAY APTICILWOON.

This day the session of the Legislative Chambers
was opened by the Emperor Napoleon, in the fol-
lowing speech :
" Massa& Sew/cons AND Dimoriats—lf the
Legislative Corps commenced its last session before
the term fixed by the constitution, it would have
been in my eyes au act of ingratitude
towards the Chamber, of distrust towards the
country. The time is past when it was
considered necessary to seize the occasion
of a lucky incident to secure the suffrages
of a limited number of electors. Now,
everyone sees that there is no longer
amongst the masses the fickleness of other days,
and men's convictions are not changed by every
passing breath that seems to agitate the political
atmosphere.
" Since we find ourselves assembled for the last
time, it will not be in vain to look back upon what
we have done together in the last five years,
for it is only by taking a period of some duration
that we can appreciate the spirit which has
distinguished the direction of affairs. Men usually
please themselves by seeking in the acts of
sovereigns for some hidden springs and mys-
terious contrivances. However, my policy has
been very simple—to increase the prosperity of
France and its moral ascendancy, without the
abuse, or without the enfeeblement of the power
which has been placed in my hands ; abroad,
to favour within the limits of right and treaties
the legitimate aspirations of the peoples to-
wards a better future ; to develope our commer-
cial relations with the country to which we are
drawn by the greatest community of interests ; to
erase the diplomatic scrolls of old questions put in
litigation in order to raise pretexts for misunder-
standings ; to prosecute boldly the reparation of
every insult to our flag, of every injury to our
fellow-countrymen. I wil show you how circum-
stances have permitted us to apply these prin-
ciples."
The Emperor then proceeded to mention the chief
events of the year in the Danubian Principali-
ties, in Montenegro, in Spain, Mexico, and
other countries. "Our arms," he said, "have'
defended the independence of Italy, without tam-
pering with the revolution, without altering, away
from the field of battle, our good relations with our
adversaries of a day ; without abandoning the
Holy Father, whom our honour and our
.past en-
gagements compel us to sustain."
[We had not received the conclusion of the speech
When we went to press ; but shall publish it imme-
diately it arrives.]

(azunes TELsosAmi.)
FRANCE.

PARIS, JAN. 12.

The Moniteur of this morning announces that
Mgr. Darboy, Bishop of Nancy, has been appointed
Archbishop of Paris.
The Moniteur, in its bulletin, remarks that the
movement in favour of peace is acquiring increased
strength in America.

ITALY.

•TURIN, JAN. 10, Bymum.

The committee appointed to inquire into the
causes and extent of brigandage has arrived at
Naples.
The national subscription for the relief of the
suffers from brigandage has been a complete
success.

The municipality of Milan have appealed to their
fellow-citizens to join in the subscription, and thus
by an act of charity repeat the plebiscite in favour
of the constitution of Italy.

• The tram:Rini= of this telegram from Totiu his oc-
cupied thirty hours.

THE CAPTURE OF A STEAMER BY THE
ALABAMA.

The New York papers publish the particulars of
the capture of the Vanderbilt steamship Ariel by
the Alabama, on her outward trip to Aspin-
wall. The following is the purser's statement of
the occurrence :

The Ariel was captured on her ontwartrpassage by the
rebel steamer Alabama, noder the following CiMUDOILDCOS:
On the 7th Dec., at 1.30 p.m., when rounding Cape Meysi,
the eastern point of Cuba, we saw a vessel about four
miles to the westward, close under the high land of Cuba,
barlue•rigged, and under canvas. As there was nothing in
her appearance indicating her to be a steamer, her smoke.
pipe being down, no suspicions were aroused, till in a
short time we saw she bad furled her rails, tailed her
smokestack, and was rapidly nesting us under
steam, the American flag fiyiog at her peak. Such
was her speed, in comparison to ones, that in about
half an hoar she had wine up within half a mile of us,
when she fired a lee gun, hauled down the American ensign,
and ran up the rebel flag. No attention wee paid to the
summons, and the Ariel was pushed to her utmost speed.
She then sailed across our wake, took a position ou or- port
quarter, about 400 yards distant, and fired two gnus almost
simultaneously, one shot passing over the hurricane deck,
between the walking-beam and the smoke-stack, and the
' other hitting the foremast, and cutting it half away. A
body of United States marines, coosistiog a 1•_'0 men, pas-
sengers on board the Ariel, had been draw a up and armed ;
but ►he officers in command deemed it worse than folly to
resist, as we could plainly as they were training a fall
broadside to bear upon us, and Captain Jones gave orders
to stop the ship and haul down the ensign. A boat then put
off to us, and the burdiog officer, on coming aboard, at once
assured the passengers that none sbou'd be molested, and
that all baggage and . private property should be respected.
He then demanded the keys to the special locker, together
with all tho sbip's papers and letters, end informed the
captain he must be in readiness to go on board the Alabama
with him, where be was detained as a hostage until the next
day. The mone► in the ship, amounting to 9.5 C) dela, was
taken off, and the pr Z 3 crew, 20 in number, all well armed,
put onboard. The engine-room was taken in charge by two
engineers from the Alabama. The officers and marines on
board the Ariel were paroled, and their arms takes, es
well as some belonging to the ship. Both wash; lay off
the cape during the night sod part of the next day. On
the afternoon of the fish our arils were thrown overboard
and the steam-valve taken away, in order to prevent our
escape should they give ch►se to any other vessel, as they
were expecting to capture the Champion also, and had been
lying in wait for several days at this point for that purpose.
The same night our valve was returned, and the intention
of landing us at St. Diut'ngo changed to Kingston, Jam.
Both vessels were then headed for that place, and ou the
9th, at 9 p.m. we arrived off Point Moraot, about
40 miles from Kingston. Near this point the Alabama
gave chase to and boarded a vessel, from which some informa-
tion was received which induced Captain Semmes to
again change his mind, and take heavy bonds for ship
sod cargo, permitting us to resume our voyage. The reason
given was that this vessel had reported yellow fever raging
in Kingston, and he would not subject our passengers to its
ravages ; but we were afterwards informed at klorant that
no yellow fever had prevailed there for some time. The
conduct of those officers and crew of the Alabama in charge
of this ship was extremely courteous. They were in
regular communication with the United States, both by
letters and papers, and were fully cognisant of our days of
sailing, and that no cruisers were is these waters to inter-