The Press.
London, England, 1858-03-20 00:00:00

IH E PRESS, MARCH 20, 1858.

in order that he might walk barefoot to execution, he
exclaimed, " Luckily, I washed them yesterday." .
At seven o'clock precisely, after the usual judiciary for-
malities relative to the reading of the sentence, the gates
of the prison were thrown open, and the crowd assembled
in front immediately saw the two condemned men ad-
vancing with naked feet, the head and face covered with a
black veil, which descended to their breasts, and their
bodies covered with a large white tunic, under which their
hands were bound. Each of them had an executioner by
his side. Pierri walked in front. Both mounted the
steps of the scaffold with extraordinary firmness. Pierri
chanted the air known by the name of the " Hymn of the
Gimndins," and which commences with the following
words.--

Mourir pour la patrie,
C'est le sort le plus dot's, le plus digne d'envie.
On their arrival on the platform, the executioner who
accompanied Orsini made him turn his back to the instru-
ment of punishment, while the other executioners were
taking the veil from Pierri's head. At, moment Pierri
cried with a loud voice, " Vive la Republique," and then
he recommenced his song. Orsini, without turning, was
then heard to call out to his companion in misfortune,
"Du calme, du calme." At that moment Pierri was at-
tached to the fatal plank, a second afterwards the axe fell,
and his head dropped into the basket. The second execu-
tioner then lifted the veil which covered Orsini's fac'.
He appeared at that moment just as he had appeared
during the process—resolute, energetic, and intrepid, but
without the slightest show of ostentation. He looked at
the assembled crowd with an earnest but calm regard ; and
he then turned his face a little aside that he might look
upon the head of Pierri, which the executioner bad at
that moment taken up and placed in the basket into which
the body of the culprit had just been Rung. He then cried
out with a firm voice, " Viva Phalle ! Vive la France !"
At this moment he was in his turn extended on the plank,
and in a second afterwards he had ceased to live.

The opinions of the French press upon the diplo-
matic correspondence which closes the late " painful
misconceptions " is that of satisfaction at this
friendly result. An intemperate article in the
Univers of Monday has, however, considerably
startled public feeling. The Univers, in a violent
article against England, recommends us not to
provoke the public and unanimous sentiment against
us ; and alluding to " Waterloo " as the one word
which speaks to the hearts of Frenchmen, warns us
not to incur the risk of learning " what France can
effect in the hands of a Bonaparte." The article is
signed by "Louis Veaillot."
The Moniteur of Thursday publishes a formal
denial of certain statements reflecting upon the
courage of the Emperor and the inquisitorial conduct
of the French police, contained in the Times of the
15th of March. The Moniteur also justifies the
demands of France upon Piedmont and Switzerland
on a principle of international law observed recently
towards France by Switzerland and Spain.
M. Pietri, Prefect of Police, has retired from office.
He is succeeded by M. Boitelle, the Prefect of the
Yonne.

Prince Jerome is confined to his bed by a severe
attack of influenza.

BELGIUM AND HOLLAND.

The three editors of the newspapers Proletaire,
Crocodile, and Drapeau, have been condemned, for
the publications of libels upon the French Govern-
ment, to imprisonment for terms extending from
thirteen to eighteen months, and to fines varying
from 100 to 1,200 francs, and expenses.
The Ministerial crisis in Holland is at an end.
M. de Rocbhnssen has constructed a Liberal Cabi-
net, of which the King approves. The Baron de
Holstein acccepts Foreign Affairs, and M. Van Bosse
is to be Minister of Finance.