The Express.
London, England, 1863-07-09 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(IRON OUR OWN 001RXRPOIDIZT.)

PA EIS, WEDNEEDAT EV2NING.

M. de la Gueronniere's journal, replying to the
warlike article in the Patrie of yesterday signed
Delamarre, says shortly that the spirit of that arti-
cle is altogether "extraneous to the situation," and
in no way justified by the policy of France. On
the other hand, there is a talk of a pamphlet of
semi-official progeniture which is to appear to-mor-
row, and will smell of powder very strong indeed.
Notwithstanding, however, occasional paper demon-
strations, more or leas authorised, I continue to be
of opinion that there will be no war this year,
although there is not the least chance of the Polish
question being solved by diplomacy.
The Empress, now at St. Cloud, is about to
resume her old role of " President of the Council
of Ministers" during the Emperor's absence. If
all we hear of the liberal tendencies of M. Duruy,
the new Minister of Public Instruction, be true,
her Majesty's allegiance to the Pope is likely to be
sorely tried. He is the reputed author of a pam-
phlet against the temporal power, and since his
elevation he has had a friendly interview with M.
Ernest Renal], whose suspended lectures, it is
thought, ho will authorise.
The legal authorities in various parts of the
provinces, acting under the not yet exhausted
impulsion of M. de Persigny's administration, are
tempting the patience of the judges with vexatious
electoral prosecutions, which meet with but in-
different success. At Bohain, in Brittany, in a
district where M. Malezieux du Petit-Freenoy, the
opposition candidate, was elected, although not a
single local journal dared to support him, a
curiously paltry piece of revenge has been re-
sorted to. A man who posted his bills, and is
naturally suspected of having voted for him,
has been prosecuted for voting at all, on
the ground that he was under a legal in-
capacity, having been convicted of apple stealing in
1847. The counsel for the defence stated that at
the time of the conviction his client was a mere
boy, that he had led an irreproachable life ever
since, and, moreover, that having been constantly
placed by the mayor on the electoral list, and
having voted at every election from 1848 to 1863,
he had not the least idea that he was contravening
any law. The court felt the hardship of the case,
and commented strongly upon the long-continued
negligence of the mayor. It admitted that the
defendant, an ignorant man who could n!ither read
nor write, was free from all guilty knowledge ; but
being of opinion that the text of the law left the
judges no discretion, it convicted him in the nomi-
nal penalty of 20fr. This instance, which is but one
out of thousands, strikingly illustrates the system
which has been going on practically unchallenged fur
years. The mayors stick unqualified persons on
the lists when they think they are sure of them,
and hold a prosecution over their beads in terorrem.
At Amiens a billeticker of the Marquis de Mornay,
the opposition candidate, has been prosecuted for
having exercised his calling without giving notice
to the authorities, and the correctional tribunal
convicted him. But on appeal the court ruled
that the electoral law of 1850 had in effect repealed
the statute upon which the prosecution was based,
and that within twenty days' preceding an election
any person has a right to poet the addresses of a
candidate. This decision is very important.
The Bourse has been hesitating, and leaves of
with no change iu the Rente. Mobilier fell 3fr.75c.,
and railways were rather lower. The accounts