The Press.
London, England, 1858-01-23 00:00:00

BELGIUM.

The Belgian Government has laid before the
Chamber of Representatives a Police Bill respecting
foreigners.

It consists, says the Dibats, of two articles, and is
simply the prorogation until the Ist March, 1881, of
the t xistiug law dated 22nd September, 1835, and
modified by the law of 25th December, 1841.

THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF THE
EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH.
DURING the w...ek some carious details have come to
light concerning the men Orsini and Pierri, who
with Gomez and Rudio have been arrested for the
recent attempt to destroy the Emperor Napoleon.
It appears that Orsini is the Felice Orsini who
recently made his escape from Mantua, and had
resided in Paris for about six weeks at No. 10, Rue
Monthabor. He passed himself off as an officer in the
the English army, and went by the name of Sir Thomas
Alsopp. He had bought a horse on which he fre-
quently rode in the Bois de Boulogne. Three days
before the attempt, a pretended domestic, who was
Gomez, came to attend him. As the new corner
could not be accommodated in the same house as
his master, a room was taken for him in the Rue St.
Honors, where he slept. During the day he came
to the Rue Monthabor, and while pretending to wait
on Orsini did very little, and was very lavish in giving
cigars and glasses of brandy to the servants of the
house. On Thursday evening, the 14th, be was sit-
ting in the porter's lodge, when he suddenly rose up,
and said," It is time for me to attend on my master,
who is going to the theatre." He crossed the pas-
sage, and went into the apartment of Orsini on the
ground floor, and soon after left with him and a third
person, a friend of his master, and a fourth—the
servant of the last•natned—Uomez and this man
walking behind the other two. The concierge seeing
the two men carrying large packets, wrapped up in
pocket handkerchiefs, thought it strange that they
should be thus loaded when going to the theatre,
and followed them out to the gateway, when he
observed that the two pretended domestics, thinking
they were not seen, threw off their assumed charac-
ter, and walk side by side with the others. The
Monitetir has told the rest.
Both Orsini and Pieni had been intimate in
England. Pierri had for long resided at Beth-row,
Birmingham, where he followed the profession of a
teacher of languages Abcut a fortnight since Orsini
came secretly to Birmingham and visited Pierri.
The two men held long conferences together, and
shortly after Mr. G. R. Collis, the French vice-
consul in Birmingham, was applied to by Pierri to
vise a passport to France• Having known that the
person applying to him had resided in the town for
several years, Mr. Collis complied with the request.
Pierri said he was going to travel for pleasure. He
was then asked to perform the same duty for

THE PRESS, JAxtrAiir 23, 185 g.

Prussia, but for some reason declined. Pierri then
wanted the Belgian mark, but this Mr. Collis was not
in a position to atilt, but referred the inquirer to Mr.
A. Everitt, who is the vice-consul for Belgium. By
the latter gentleman the psesport was made available
for Belgium. Pierri left Birmingham on Wednes-
day, the 6th, stating that he was going into Scotland
for three weeks.
The following details are given of his arrival on
the French frontier :

About a week ago an Italian, who gave his name as
Pierri, arrived at the railway here from Belgium; he
carried in his hand a small iron box, which he said con-
tained tools. He produced a passport perfectly regular,
but the commissary expressed a wish to see the use of the
box, which appeared of a singular make. Pierri replied
very composedly that he was a tuner of pianos, and that
the box, as well as its contents, was what he used it, his
business. As there was nothing to prevent his entering
France he was allowed to continue his journey, but the
surprise of the persons who spoke to him may be imagined
when they learned afterwards that he was one of the con-
spirators.

Since Pierri's arrest, his house in Bath-row has
been searched by the police, and a most voluminous
correspondence seized, and transmitted to Sir George
Grey. A book was also discovered treating of the
construction of grenades, and giving numerous
receipts for the manufacture of explosive substances.
From other discoveries it would appear that the
Spaniard Gomez, who is now in custody as impli-
cated in the conspiracy, was likewise one of Pierri's
visitors. Three of the principals have thus been traced
to Birmingham—namely, Pierri, Orsini, and Gomez.
The projectiles used to assassinate the Emperor
have been examined by a commission composed of
artillery officers. It has been ascertained that they
ate charged with fulminating mercury. They each
produce from seventy to seventy-five explosions. It
may easily be imagined what destruction they might
occasion.

On Pierri's arrest, when M. Hebert, who effected
his capture, was handling the bomb found on him,
Pierri, alarmed at the consequences which might
arise to himself should it explode, exclaimed, " Take
care ! Pay attention to what you are doing, or that
thing may cause serious accidents." When arrested,
Pierri was very violently agitated, but when he
heard the detonations he became more calm, and
said, "I am taken, but that is now of little conse-
quence, for the blow has been struck."
It appears from the list of the Moniteur that the
number of persons killed by the explosion amount to
seven, and the wounded to 144. Orsini was arrested
in bed ; a large sum of money was found at his
lodgings. Rudio is reported to have turned Crown
evidence, and to have confessed to the whole plot.