The Express.
London, England, 1855-02-19 00:00:00

FRANCE.

(11011 TRI

ON !RR DAILY NT/S.)
PARIS, SATURDAY EYINING.
The Monsieur contains a stately political manifesto,
the precise object of which at the present moment I
do net profess myself able to understand. It is, of
course, supposed to be written by the Emperor, and
at any rate must be taken to be published with his
immediate approbation. The article is a glowing
panegyric upon existing French institutions. The
fact of which the government was lately reminded
by the Siecle, that the constitution was designedly
made "improvable," is prominently alluded to, bat
not the remotest promise is held out of any improve.
ment being in contemplation. One is almost tempted
to think that the composition now published must
have been the preface to the announcement of some
practical measure which has since been struck out.
As it stands the article is nothing more than an invi-
tation to fall down and worship" whatever is."
The bourse has been again very dull. The rents
fell at one time as low as 65.75, bat at the last
moment a despatch from London reporting that
Prussia had accepted the proposition of a separate
treaty to the same effect as that of December 2, occa-
sioned a smart rally. The last price was 66.10, being
a fall of but 10c. from yesterday. There was little
change in railways. Most of the lines closed &franc
or two lower.

PARIS, &MIMI' Evinneo.

The great question continues to be whether or no
the Emperor is going to the Crimea. Half the
people you meet have a positive opinion on this sub-
ject, one way or the other, and are very impatient of
contradiction. My own mind is at this moment in a
state of doubt, but the inclination of my opinion is
that the project did exist and has been abandoned.
That the Emperor did at one moment seriously think
of going, I feel certain. At all events, his cousin, the
Prince Napoleon, thought so, for I happen to know
that so lately as Thursday last he told a friend, that,
after considering the various difficulties sug-
gested, the Emperor had changed his mind.
One fact upon which the believers in the expedition
mainly rely is the recent departure from the Tuileries
of one of the Imperial aides-de-camp—Captain Merle.
He is gone, it is said, with instructions to make pre-
parations for the Emperor's reception at Marseilles
and Constantinople. Now I can state with certainty
that whatever may be the truth in regard to the
matter in controversy, Captain Merle's mission has
nothing to do with it. He is the bearer of orders to
General Caorobert. He will proceed to the camp
before Sebastopol without stopping by the way,
and will stay there but twenty-four hours. Iby no
means affirm, however, that the event which all
Europe finds it difficult to believe may not after all
be realised. The whole history of Napoleon 111.
shows that he loves startling incidents, and that on
great occasions his most intimate friends and coun-
sellors are left in doubt as to his decision up to the
last moment. That the idea of suddenly appearing
at Sebastopol has really crossed his mind is to me not
doubtful. The Emperor:has been much perplexed by
contradictory reports as to the state of the army and
the prospects of the siege. He desires to uphold General
Canrobert, but has received reports against him which
cum painful misgivings. A serious difference of opinion
exists between General Canrobert and Lord Raglan.
The English commander, at the last council of war,
expressed an opinion that the siege should be con-
verted into a blockade, and that no assault should
be attempted before the month of May.. General
Canrobert, on the contrary, was so convinced that
the assault should be given almost immediately that
he expressed his determination to attempt it with
the French troops alone. The result of ti is discus-
sion was that Lord Raglan, washing his hands of
what appeared to him a rash measure, withdrew the
remains of his army to Balaklava to form a reserve,
leaving all the trenches before Sebastopol in the oc-
cupation of the French. The Emperor greatly dc-
sired to judge for himself which of the two generals
was in the right. He would also have been glad to
hate given a fillip to the old magic influence of the
name of Napoleon on the field of battle, which he con-
siders to have been damaged by the insufficiently
explained departure of the Prince Napoleon from
the theatre of war. I repeat that—although I thick
the better opinion is that the Emperor has, or at least
had, given up his project—l am not certain, in spite
of all improbabilities, that it may not be again on the
tapir. His resolutions may be modified from hour to
hour by the state of the negotiations with Prussia.
A report has been circulated that a treaty with that
power had been already signed. This is not
correct. A Prussian agent, Colonel Olberg, arrived
only yesterday afternoon with fresh instructions for
Baron de Wedell. A conference with M. Dronyn
de Limye was at once held, from which nothing posi-
tive resulted. Strong hopes are, however, entertained
in official quarters that Prussia will at once join the
alliance.

It is rumoured that the Count Jacques de Tolstoy.
who wu for 20 years an attache to the Russian em-