The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-28 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

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PARIS. TVESDAI Emma.

The Petrie of this evening bas a paragraph
stating that it is proposed to substitute a fixed
salary for the monthly allowance paid to the
Deputies during the sittings of the Chamber.
This is followed immediately by a further state-
ment, separated from the former by all the
breadth of a well-drawn line, to the effect that
the Chambers will meet between the 10th and 15th
of February, and that, thanks to the diligence of the
Minister of Finance, who will at once lay the budget
before it, its clauses may thus be submitted to a
more mature examination, and more searching dia.
cussiou. These paragraphs have so evidently no
connexion with each other that no one
will suspect either the deputies of having been in
the habit of spinning out their sessions for the love
of the napoleons the Ist of each month entitled
them to pocket, nor the government of offering
them a bribe to despatch their business
quickly and cut short tiresome opposi-
tion orators. There have been rumours of
measures in a retrograde sense, one of which
was a curtailment of the liberty of speech in the
Legislative Body, but the Emperor's special organs
have indignantly denied such intentions. If the
measure now proposed be carried out it is evident
that it must be received as proof that far from
wishing to muzzle the guardians of public interests
the Emperor is only desirous of securing their in-
dependence.
M. Lachaud achieved yesterday another of his
great forensic triumphs—his eloquence procured
the acquittal, with flying colours, of au undoubted
murderer. It was the case of a woman killing
her husband. She was a good woman and he
was a brute ; and she had the best possible
case against him for a separation. But the sense of
her wrongs led her to thirst for his blood, and she
' repeatedly threatened to take his life. One night
when he clone home drunk she only consented to
sleep with him ou a condition which Le
attempted to break. She then got out o
bed, and stabbed him to the heart with his own
knife. The public prosecutor in vain offered to
raluce the case to one of manslaughter. The
President in vain told the jury that abso-
lute impunity for wilful bloodsheddiug was
abhorrent to the ideas of every civilised nation.
The Paris jury saw only • " woman in distress,"
and were as unable, their oaths notwithstanding,
to resist M. Lachaud's pleading in her favour as a
Surrey audience to abstain from applauding T. P.
Cooke in Biack-Eyed Susan. The prisoner, a good-
looking young woman, named Mauvoy, shook
hands " convulsively," the report states, with M.
Lachaud, and then walked triumphantly out of the
duck amidst the congratulations of admiring friends.
The lady patronesses of the fancy sale iu aid of
the Polish refugees have issued a notice announcing
the death at Montpellier of the Princess Czartoryska,
widow of Prince Adam, and founder of that work
of benevolence. The circular likewise states that
notwithstanding this melancholy event the sale
will take place at the Hotel Lambert, as originally
intended.

The Bourse was quite brilliant. Rentes rose 25c,
fur cash, and 20c. fur account, closing at 65fr. 55c.
and 65fr. 35c. It was reported that M. Fould was
deteriniued to screw the price up to Car. before the
eud of the mouth. Mobilier rose 6fr. 25c. The
Western Railway rose 131 r., Northern lift., and
other lines from 2f r. to Mr.

DOWNINU-STREET, DE,'. _6.—The Queen lies been
pleased to appoint it' Alien, Henry Valpy, E.q., to be rola.
nial surgeon for her Majesty's settlements in the Falkland
Islands, and John Vincent Leach, Esq., to be clerk of the
courts and keeper of the records for the colony of British
Hoodaras.—Go:, r re.

THE HAMPSTEAD VOLCNTICERS,—A party of the
officers, members, and friends of the 3rd Middlesex, or, as
they are privileged to call themselves, the Hampstead
Volunteers, dined together at the Holly Bush Assembly-
rooms, last night, on the occasion of the presentation of
prizes to the victors in a recent competition. The Lord
Mayor of London, who, until recently, resided at Hamp-
stead, presided; and with his lordship were Colonel Wil-
kinson, the oomenanctiot of the corps, Captain Signora,
Lieutenant Holford, Ensign Chater, Ensign Mills, the
Rev. E. Bickerstetb, and Mr. Gurney Hoare. After
the loyal toasts, the colonel, in responding for the three
services, said this battalion now had 900 effective men
on the rolls, and would receive upwards of 9004 from
the government. They had beaten the Hon. Ar-
tillery Cirps and the West Middlesex, but he admitted
they had been thoroughly thruhed by the Vietorkui. They
were still obtaining recruits. The prizes were distributed
by the Lord Mayor, to whom several of the successful com-
petitors living in the locality were per•onally known. That
for the principal marksman was gained by Private J. 0.
Scott, who had made 18 points. Private S. Sharpe was
the best of the marksmen of this year only, and received
the premium in that class. A telescope, given by Mrs.
Scott, was heeds' to Corporal Sharpe. A prize, given by
the ladies of Hampstead, was won by Private W. Vere ;
the second prize by Private Evans. After the presenta-
tions, various complimentary toasts were given, end were
interspersed with glees by a party of vocalists. The Lord
Mayor presented five guineas LI a prize for next Ytaill 0061.
POUtial.