The Express.
London, England, 1852-02-07 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, FRIDAY EVIINII4O.
I have to-day to call your attention to the mean-
ing of the decree, which appeared in the Monileur
of yesterday, empowering the President to name
special committees in the Council of State. In fact
the question of the legality of the confiscation of the
Orleans property will be referred ultimately to the
Council of State • and by this decree Louis Napoleon
constitutes himself judge in the case in which he is a
party.
Lord Cowley, the new British Ambassador, is ex-
pected to arrive in Paris next Sunday.
Col. W. Morton, charged by the American govern-
' ment with a special mission to Germany, has arrived
in Paris

There is no news stirring to-day, if I except the
fresh telegraphic despatch dated from Madnd on
the afternoon of the 3rd. This clears up three points
of importance. The weapon was a poinard, and the
assassin a priest, and he was immediately arrested. The
fact of the criminal being an ecclesiastic is rather cm-
barraasing for the Pays and other newspapers,which
took the occasion to make a fresh onslaught on the
atrocious crimes of demagogues, and to declare that
when society was at stake the old brag of Louis XIV.
about the disappearance of the Pyrenees was truer
than ever. What the organs of Napolconism will
say now the dastardly blow was aimed by a fana-
tic of that order whose interests have been re-
garded with peculiar favour by the present govern-
ment, is not very clear. Meanwhile the atrocity of
the attempt is singularly aggravated by the occasion
on which it was perpetrated. The church of Atocha
is situated at the bottom of an alley of trees, which
traverses the end of the Prado, and conducts to one
of the gates of the park of the Retire. The Queen
on such solemn occasions passes down the Calle
Alcala, then through the Prude, to the alley men-
tioned. As all this line was occupied by soldiers the
deed must have been attempted in their presence,
and the criminal's escape was next to impossible.
A line of Queen's messengers has just been estab-
lished by the British government, from Paris to
Turin. Heretofore despatches to the latter capital
were conveyed by post.
The celebrated Miss Howard gave yesterday a
sumptuous dinner party, at which Louis Napoleon
and some English noblemen were present.
It is said that the price of the Illonitetir is to be
considerably reduced. As the only inducement to
buy the other newspapers is that they give the con-
tents of the Moniteur for a less price, this measure
would of course consummate their ruin.
The Paris correspondent of the Indetsenclance Beige
states that two cardinals have declined the seats
in the Senate assigned to them by the constitution of
January 14.
The French 'papers, although filled with the de-
bates of the British parliament upon the 3rd, con-
tain no leading articles upon the part o‘those de-
bates which has excited most interest here—l mean
the explanations of Lord John Russell and Lord
Palmerston.

On Wednesday evening took place, in the old
hotel of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce,
the first reception of the Minister of Police. Mem;
ben of the Corps Diplomatique, the Senate, and the
Conseil d'Etat were present.
The Moniteur Parisien insists that the author of
the attack upon the Queen of Spain must be one of
a gang of sworn murderers, impelled by the same
evil principle that directed the hand of Louvel,
Ali-
baud, and so many others. It then makes the follow-
ing reflections:

I desire to be mistaken, but in the presence of a malice so
deplorable it is necessary to watch to bring the sympathies
of the two nations into closer contact. Louis XIV. said,
" There are no longer any Pyrennees !" Let us watch, for
there are no longer any troutiers since crime has become an
opinion—l was going to say a political principle.

The following ironical allusion to the political
antecedents of M. Montalembert, in M. Guizoescom-
plimentary speech of yesterday, has been much
noticed :

You sir, during a long period, placed your efforts in the
service of religion under the protection of the favourite
ideas and sentiments of our epoch; you often made the
cause of the Christian church an instrument of opposition;
side by side with Alio cross you often, and sometimes per-
haps with a little fiery impetuosity. unfurled the flag of
liherty—that flag, so powerful and so seductive, which
easily leads away the people, and which even men such as
you cannot Gdlow without some danger both for the cause
that they would serve slid fur themselves. But, so soon ea
tilt danger was indicated to you, whether by your own
reason or by the supreme authority of the church, you drew
hack; you submitted yourself, air, with that beautiful
Christian docility which is at once wisdom and virtue.

The prefect of the Maine, finding the extraordinary
powers for closing hotels, inns, cuffs, and public
houses, conferred by the decree of December, 29,
1851, ineffectual for the suppression of political con-
versation has dissolved a number of "comics," where
the better orders of society have been in the habit of
meeting for social purposes, as they do in the clubs
of London. From the praises bestowed upon this
measure in official quarters it may be expected to be
extensively imitated.
The returns of the Bank of France for the past
week are somewhat more unfavourable, as the dis-
count-accommodation in l'aris has declined not less
than 6 millions, although in the provinces there is I
an increase of about 2 millions, the amount of the
(former being 49,748,819 fr.; and of the latter,
i75,067,964fr. Thu metallic reserve has fallen off a
I little more than I million in Paris, whilst it remains'
nca, ly as it was in the branch-banks. On the side
of the liabilities, the amount of notes in circulation
has decreased 101 millions in Paris, and augmented
2 millions in the brunelt•hunks. The current-ac-
count of the treasury has fallen off I' millions, the
present amount being 75,927,431 fr. Ordinary ac-

wants-current have increased 6 millions in Faris,
and about f a million in tho provinces, the amount
of the former being 118,522,732 fr.; and the amount
of the latter, 26,192,8671 r. The whole amount of
the metallic reserve is now 6711 millions, to ,5864
millions of notes in circulation.
At the Bourse the Five per Cents. fell 4.7 e., and
closed at 102 f. 80c. ; the Three per Cents. fell
closing at 64f. 60c. Bank of krone(' shares tell
The railway market did not greatly feel the we
nets of the funds. Orleans ram 7f. 50c ; Rouen, :44
Versailles (right bank), '2l. ; but the left bank
fell 7f. 60e. ; Northern, :if. 75c. ; Lyons, Butklogs;
and Dieppe, 2f.60e.