The Express.
London, England, 1852-03-08 00:00:00

FRAIirCE.

PARIS, SATIIRDAT EVRNIXO.
I understand that a decree is on the eve of pro-
mulgal—u, which will effect an important change in
the administration of affairs. The main principle of
this measure is to extend the powers of the prefects.
These functionaries will be enabled to settle defini-
tively off hand many questions, on which they are
now obliged to refer to the ministers. Thus the pre-
fects will become • sort of pachas ; and as their seal
to please the Omnd Signor Louis Napoleon has
already been evinced in so exaggerated a style as to
11 call for circulars from M. de I'ersigny to moderate
their ardour for ant sting and imprisoning, we are
compelled to conclude that the increase of their powers
will scarcely be in harmony with that benignant sway
which M. de Maupas announces in his instructions
to his inspectors-general is to be the ruling principle
of Louis Napoleon's government. On the other
hand, the ministers already shorn of the fair propor-
tions of their old importance, and reduced to the sire
of clerks, will naturally lose by the new arrange-
ment all the power which the prefects gain.
You are aware that for some days past the Presi-
dent has been unwell. If lam rightly informed, his
malady is of a much more senous character than
generally given out, and is suspected to he peritonitis.
He does not rise until five in the afternoon, and holds
cabinet councils till seven. It is now spoken of as
extremely probable that the first proposition sub-
mitted to the corps bsyislatit; on the opening of that
body, will be a decree for the establishment of the
empire.
The momentary satisfaction of the public at the
reduction of the Bank's rate of interest to three per
cent. has disappeared already; and great complaints
are raised against the prorogation of the tram for the
repayment of the loan of 75 millions, which is re-
glinted justly in the light of a fresh loan, and a na-
tional composition with the pnblie creditor.
The elections excite not the smallest interest. The
results of only seven circumscriptions remain to be
known. These are certain districts in the Aveyron,
Bouches-du-lthone, Corsica, the Eure, and Maine.
The day fixed. for the inaugurative sitting of the
Senate and corps Vyrslotif is now said to be
March 29.

11. do Morny has received a feeble compensation
for not being proposed for a district of Pans, by be-
ing elected for two circumscriptions of the Puy-dc-
dome. As the government adopted the principle of
proposing a different candidate in every circumscrip-
tion, this circumstance must be regarded as the reply
of de Morny's friends to the government's zealous re-
moval of his candidature from the capital. The
question of who is to be president of the corps
Myeslatif seems still open. The Union announces
that tilts honour will be conferred upon M. Billault ;
but this is not confirmed by better authority.
Last Wednesday some serious riots broke out at
Douai among the coal miners. Some of the most
disorderly having been arrested there was an at-
tempt made to raise the colliers of neighbouring
pits. A strong body of gendarmes were called in
and made some prisoners, who were rescued by the
mob. A detachment of artillery was then brought
our, which silenced the rioters by its determined
attitude.

The communication by electric telegraph between
Paris and Marseilles is to be finished before the end
of October.

The Dtgats says:—" It is stated that Count Ber-
nard d'Harcourt, Minister Plenipotentiary at Stutt-
gart, has just given in his resignation. The Duke
de Guiche, French Minister at Cassel, will, it is said,
remove to Studtgart in the same quality. M. Ser-
rurier, First Secretary of Embassy at London, will
be named Minister Plenipotentiary at Cassel, in the
room of M. dc Guiche. M. Charles Baudin, now
Secretary of Legation at Naples, will proceed to
London as First Secretary of Embassy, and will be
replaced at Naples by M. do Banneville, who some
years since was Second Secretary of Embassy at
Berne."

I understand that at a recent cabinet council, M.
Bincau seriously called the attention of the l'resident
of the Republic to the fittareiai embarrassments that
are likely to arise at no distant day, from the rail-
way concessions on the vast scale of the last few'
weeks. It is said that in consequence of these repre-
sentations the Toulouse and Cctte and Bordeaux and
Bayonne lines will be postponed.
The Prince President of the Republic his received
letters from the King of Saxony and the reigning
Duke of Brunswick, in reply to the notification of
the new powers conferred' on him by the French
nation.

pedal title by Louis Napoleon, slum to be
confirmed in seam measure by the mysteries&
significance with width the Paris annanaose that
the-Council of State is occupied with the. first
jects of law to be submitted to the Cbrps Es' • .
The same government organ states, with the autho-
ritative signature of Coninseessigui, that the mumeare
of a ministerial crisis are wholly without founda-
tion, and can only be spread from views of private
interest.

The -11imitotr contains the following decree :
Louis Napoleon, President of the French Republic, on
the report of the Minister of General Police—seeing the
circular of the 3rd lebrusry last of the Ministers of Justice,
Interior, and War—seeing the returns relative to the affairs
oss which the departmental commissioas, and the commis-
sion of revision for the first military division have defini-
tively decided—considering that the decisions given by
thew commissions, in virtue of the above-mentioned circa
Far, require a pried sanctum—decrees:—
Art. I. The persons placed by the departmental commis-
bi./11.1, or by the commission of revision of the first military
division, in the category of those who are to be cited before
courts martial or before correctional trimmers, shall be
immediately sent before the competent tribunal. Art 2.
The persons comprised in the category of those who
are to be transported to French Guiana or in Algeria,
shall be placed at the disposal of the Minister of Marine to
he trimenertml to French Guiana, and at the disposal of the
Misig/gdWar to be transported to Algeria. Art. 3. The
;natOlapeisesi in the category of those who are to be en-
. Igmeisearity removed from the territory, shall be
pledged we fibs Elepoeal of the Minister of General Police, to
be samara es tie bossier. Art. 4. Persona comprised in
the et thee libelers to be compelled to reside in a
pardeslee .bell iposeeed te, sad fix their residence in,
the pia* tibia ay ed to them by the Minister of
GeneralPsiles. The inhe is &Al also indicate to the per-
sons passel wader bie surveillance the places in whisk
they dial be interdicted from residing. Art. I
Aey puss transported to Algeria, who shall, wide.
out saga, eation, quit the place fined for his Till.
=/ay, ea en administrative Etelifuft, be trans.
te French Guiana. Art. 6. Any person expelled
eie usiesrarily retained from the territory, who shall return
6D Pusses without authorisation, may, as an administrative
suseure, be transported to Algeria or French Guiana.
AIL 7. Any penes onlered to re.ide in a particular place,
wile shall quit that place without authorisation, may, as an
simainistrative morare, be removed from the territory.
Art. 8. Any peones placed under the Mance of the
Minietey sf Omni Felice, who shall be found in one of
Os *so at mblele Is le forbidden to reside, mar he sent
to • lied reeldwiets. MD as administrative measure. Art. 9.
The lasietees statistics. War, Marine, and General Police,
are 'boned, old In what concerns him, with the execution
of the present dean. Louis NAPOLEON.
De Mauro., Minister of General Police.

All the elections to the Corps Leg ialatif are known
but those of Mahan (Aveyron) and Bastia
(Corsica). The six opposition candidates said to
have been elected are reduced to five by the corrected
poll of Lyons, from which it appears that M. Ilenon
has not obtained within 98 the necessary number of
votes. A second election will therefore take place
next Sunday. The five successful opposition candi-
dates are MM. de lierdrel, elected for Pougerea; de
Civrac, for Beupreau • Bonhior de l'Eoluse,
for Sables d'Olonno • ivaignac, for Paris; and
do Calvieres, in the Oard. The latter gen-
tleman was one of those candidates whose cer-
tainty of election caused him to be patronised by the
government; but he wrote to M. de Porsigny to de-
cline the official stamp wherewith it was sought to
brand his independence. Tho Petrie, however, insi-
nuates that M. de Calvicres, after having profited by
the support of the government, made this declaration
when it was too late to disavow him; and that it
was only in consequence of the peculiar zeal exhi-
bited by the prefect in his canvass that his election
succeeded. Fresh ballots will take place for 9 cir-
cumscriptions, not including the 2nd circumscription
of the Puy-de-Dome, for which M. do Morny has
been elected. These nine districts, which will
proceed on Sunday neat to the definitive election
of their deputies are the 4th circumscription of Paris,
and those of Lille, Arras, Rennes, Nantes, Brest,
Chateau-Oouthier, Lyons, and Dinan.
The Minister of the Interior has addressed a cir-
cular to the prefects, to trace the manner in which
the law on the organisation of credit former
is to be executed, and to engage them to promote by
all means in their power the development of this
new institution.

The Monikur also publishes a note confirming the
announcement already made by the Petrie that the
Minister of Finance has g►ven orders to have
journals occupied exclusively with subjects relating
to the arts, sciences, and agriculture, exempted from
the duty imposed on newspapers by the decree of
Feb. 17.

Cardinal Mathieu has set out for Rome, to receive
his hat at the hands of his Holiness.

The government is highly pleased, apparently,
with tho termination of the question of the Holy
Places, and even the rnirers declares itself satisfied
with the achievements of M. de Lavalctto at Con-
stantinople.
The Swiss question gathers daily more importance,
as the spring bears nearer the hour suited for mili-
tary action. 'fhe insolent note published in the
Frankfort papers as having been addressed
by M. Salignac-Fenclon to the federal council,
although without date, has been adopted as authen-
tic into the columns of the Patric., which observes
that its perusal will sufficiently demonstrate the ab-
surdity of the reports given by English papers con-
cerning the pretensions set forth by France on this
question. The Sie,cte, after quoting this note, and
expressing its agreement with the judicious article
of the //Ants, adds in a postscript that up to the
present hour the propositions of the capital of Vienna
have been neither accepted nor rejected by the French
government. TheAseentbli'e Nationale, true to the illi-
beral line of policy originally adopted by M. Guizot
when minister, with regard to Switzerland, attacks
the just conclusions of the DAals, and flatters the
bent of Louis Napoleon to close with the Austrian
proposals of blockade and invasion. Now, as in 1847,
the clisenddle regards the victory of the radicals over
the Sonderbund as the triumph of brute force over
right. France and Austria have to complain of the
protection granted to revolutionary men, because
the Swiss government is in the hands of
revolutionary men. To destroy the effect, these
powers must destroy the cause. In other words,
they must destroy the radical constitution by
an armed intervention. It is quite beside the
question to invoke in favour of Switzerland
the principle of national independence asserted
by the Ditbals. "This principle has always
admitted, and will always admit, numerous excep-
tions in practice." Such is the language of the
Assenthae, which has never failed to fulminate
against Lord Palmerston for violating the national
independence of Spain, Naples, and Greece as often
as the ex-foreign secretary tendered any wholesome
advice to the misguided governments of those op-
preleed countries. Finally the Asseinlei4 says:
" Switzerland is in an anormal position in Europe. She
formed a neutral state, organised upon settled bases,
with the express agreement of Europe. By upsetting
these bases to substitute others quite contrary she
has renounced herself the common guarantee which
protected her. Let her replace herself in the condi-
tion of treaties, Austria and France will no longer
need to demand guarantees from her; they will find
them in her re-constitution. To this end the two
powers ought to tend." Thus the two powers,
which complain of a free and an independent state fur
harbouring persons who foment revolution against
their absolutist governments, are to force that
state to revolutionise itself; and because there are
a few Germans and Frenchmen in Switzerland, who
desire a little more liberty for their respective
countries, Austria and Franco are to insist upon
Switzerland renouncing all her own liberty. Such
is the reasoning of the Assemblige. In the
meantime what better proof can we have
than such language in the organ of MM.
Mole and Guizot, that it is not to the coterie
of these statesmen that France must look for her
rescue from degradation. Nothing can demonstrate
more clearly the inanity of M. Salvandy's ma-
nifesto in the same journal about fusion than
this effete and retrograde policy upon a
question which touches the very life of civil
and religious liberty. On the other hand, the liberal
and judicious tone assumed by the Mbats on the
subject of intervention in Switzerland is a good
augury fer the cause which it advocates. I
may add that the report of the reconcilia-
tion of the two Bourbon branches in sedulously
spread of late is formally contradicted in the most
important provincial journal, the Courrier de la
(invade, which was compromised by the publication
of the protest of the Orlcanist princes against the
decree of confiscation.

There has been a strike of several miners at Douai,
in consequence of the arrest of their comrades for
being concerned in the riots which I reported yes-
tcrduy.
The Moniteur contains a notice from the " Comp-
toir National" of discount of Paris, that, from and
after March 8, a reduction of 1 per cent. will be
made in the rate of interest upon commercial bills upon
Paris and the departments. The comptoir will receive
bills, subject to the conditions of its tariff No. 9, at the
rate of 31 per cent. for bills payable in towns where
there are branches orate Bank of France, and at 3 per
cent. for bills upon Lyons, Marseilles, and Bordeaux.
After the 15th of March the rate of interest allowed
upon deposits at the Comptoir will be reduced from
21 to 2 per cent. per annum.

I have more than once stated that General 8t
Arnaud was in disgrace, and that his removal from
the post of commander-in-chief could not be long de-
ferred.
I beiicve that I particularly alluded to the
fact of his having refused to countersign decrees for
placing. a vast number of officers suspected of
Orlemma in retirement. The independanes of
Brussels now says that the retirement of General St.
Arnaud is more than ever imminent on this very
ground. Marshal Vaillant is spoken of as his suc-
cessor. The difficulty seems to be that St. Arnaud
won't resign, but will put the President to dismiss
him. It is pretty certain that the respite which the
general of the romp J'flat has gained by this course
of conduct will not be of long duration.
The rifor.'e asserts that official accounts fix the
loss of men during the recent march from Bougie to
Algiers at half the number (30(l) stated by the
.Ikkbar.

People talk of Vcron for President of the corps
lcgisfatij, but I can only look upon this as a joke.
At the Bourse the Five per Cents. fell 15c., closing
at 105.95.; tho Three per Cents. fell lin., and
closed at 68.60. Bank of France Shares fell 55.
Railways wore allivti.sl by the weakness of the funds,
and were generally lower.
EVISNINO.
The Monti'cur contains a decree convoking the
Senate and Curp,s Lewis Miff on Monday, March 29.
I already mentioned in my letter of yesterday the
probability of this date being adopted in preference
to the 20th. A surmise to which 1 alluded at the
same time, that the first proposition to be submitted
to these bodies would be the assumption of the im-

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY ETEDIING, MARCH 8, 1