The Express.
London, England, 1852-07-13 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, MONDAY Eve:gist).
The dismissal of the liberal cabinet in Belgium has
received here comments of the most contradictory
kind. Some pretend to see in this change a triumph
of the clerical partv, and the first blow dealt on the
free institutions of that kingdom. Others hope for
a continuation of the prudent policy which has won
for Leopold the reputation of a wise monarch, who
puts faith in constitutional principles, and does not
grasp at an extension of prerogative, which would
narrow the base of his throne rather than increase its
dignity. Under these circumstances it would be
premature to offer any opinion as to the real nature
of the present crisis. Meanwhile I am informed
from arespectable source that the formation of the new
cabinet is committed to the Minister of Finance.
If this be true, the clerical party have no reason to
congratulate themselves on the downfall of the mi-
nistry of M. Charles Reece, as his presumed suc-
cessor, M. Frre-Orban, was by far the ablest of
their adversaries, and, as such, the chief butt of their
hostilities. On the other hand, it is not to be lost
sight of that this step has been taken by Leopold on
his return from the baths of Nassau, which have
been this year the resort of some highly influential
members of foreign courts, grouped about the Em-
pais of Russia as centre. In this atmosphere the
:Etions presented to the Belgian King would
tly rather tend to weaken his allegiance to
constitutional principles, and transform his faith in
a free parliament and pre= to a superstitious
belief in the bayonet and crucifix. But what-
ever may be the upshot of this change
of cabinet, it may not be amiss to say a word here
about the ministers who have just resigned. In
Belgium, still more than in France, at least until
lately, the road to power lies through the bar and
the press. Thus we find nearly al the ex-ministers
were either advocates or journalists, or both. The
head of the cabinet, M. Charles Rogier, before the
revolution of 1830, was the editor of the Polilirse, a
newspaper which carried on a vigorous opposition to
the government of the Dutch King William. M.
}tower was at that time naturally the ally of thel
Belgian catholic party, which desired separation
from Holland. After the achievement of the inde-
pendence of Belgium, in 1832, M. Rogier became
Member of a coalition cabinet, half-catholic, half-
liberal ; but the catholics, getting the upper hand,
thrust out their liberal colleagues, and, gave M.
Eogier the government of the province of Ant-
werp. After resuming office for a short time in
1840 M. Hagler went again into opposition, and was
the most active member in that political campaign
against the government which led to the dissolu-
tion of the Chamber of Deputies and the General
elections of June, 1847. On the 12th of August in
the same year a liberal ministry came into office, of
which M. Charles Hagler became the president, and
so remained till a few days back. It was by this
timely reform in the Belgian government that the
throne of Leopold was enabled to resist the revo-
lutionary shock of the succeeding year, and remained'
unshaken while some of the great European powers
were a prey to anarchy. M. Frero-Orban, the mi-
nister of finance was, perhaps, in influence, the lead-
ing member of the late cabinet. Of humble extraction
but vigorous character,M.Frere found a stepping stone
to fortune in an advantageous marriage with a
Mdlle. Orban, whose name he appended to his own.
Before his election to the Chamber, be was the editor
of the Journal de Liege, his native city. Another
distinguished member of the cabinet is M. Teach,
Minister of Justice, an advocate of Luxembourg,l
who was, even so late as 1850, editor of the Bela the
Luxembourg. General Anted, at the head of the
War department, was an old officer of the French
army, and high in the confidence of King Leopold,
whew aide-de-camp ho is. M. Constant Hoffschmidt,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, was Minister of Public
Works in the cabinet of M. Theux in 1845. M.
Emile van Hoorbeke, the Minister of Public Works,
7:1
radical in
advocate, and perhaps the most decided
in the cabinet, having been promoted to the
adaistry from the editorship of an ultra-liberal
paper, the Obserralano.
ing the ministerial crisis in Belgium the
Pep says:
The only question is whether the whole ministry will
ratite, or whether the three ministers more essentially poli-
tical, will alone do en, A catholic ministry generally sp-
pours impossible, end it is nearly certain that a ministry of
modissablihornis will be established. Amongst the names
=sag Is haw part of the new cabinet, is that of M.
gvory cons.den the change which is about is
Inlie limos as livi,l),e to the maintenance of good relations
Isiesaa haws sod Belgium, and it is not doubted that the
Mobs which de Belgian government certainly hue of
ordalliaing thus relations will liars some influence on the
=itdon of the new cabinet. M. Firmin Rogier, who
is post of military plenipotentiary in France, to the
IMO position of his brother, will very probably be replaced.
It Is mid here that he will be called to a diplomatic poet of
ism importance or to the goverment of a province in Bel-
gium
A report prevails that the Czar has had a stroke
of apoplexy at Berlin.
The ministry of state has been removed lately
from the body of the Tuileries into the old quarters
occupied by General Jacqueminot, the commander
of the national guard under Louis Philippe, which is
on the npectator's left as he looks front the triumphal
arch of the Carrousel towards the Louvre. The
meaning of this arrangement is that the President,
on his return from the voyage to the south, will take
up his abode in the Tuderiem. He will not, however,