The Express.
London, England, 1852-05-28 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, TIMILIMAT
The event of to-day is the reception of M. Alfred
de ?ilusset at the Academy, which has drawn a bril-
liant assemblage of company, with the usual crowd
of ladies, to the Palace of the Institute. The new
academician is the first purely literary character that
has been elected for a long time. It bus been the
custom, during moversl years pest, to look
for that eminence which seemed to deserve

the academic crown among the ranks of politicians;
and if literary merit was not excluded, it was at least
blended in the came of MM. Ouizot and Montalem-
bert with statesmanlike renown. M. Alfred de

Musset was early known by poems, breathing the
morbid egotism of the Byronic school, but occa-
sionally musical and fresh as some of the happiest
efforts of Heinrich Heine. The "Spectacle dans un
Fauteuil" was a brilliant assemblage of dramatic
sketches, distinguished by a power which gave pro-
mime of no ordinary genius. But the later produc-
tions of M. Alfred Mussel never fully realised the
hopes which were formed by the admirers of these
early works. 'rho discourse pronounced by M. de
Mullet was, as is customary, the eulogy of M.
Dupaty, his predeceesor.
At the ball given last night by Ocneral d'llaut-
poul, grand referendary of the Senate, the absence of
Louis Napoleon was remarked. Neither was Prince
Jerome, president of the Senate, present. The ab-
sence of the President and that of his uncle were
both attributed to the same cause, namely, the cool-
ness which MS prevailed, ever since the resignation
of M. Poussard, between the president of the Senate
and the grand referendary.
The committee of the budget has adopted an
amendment suppressing the sale tea of the inspectors-
general of the ministry. of police, and hai expressed
the wish that that entire department should be sup.
pressed. The committee has also adopted an amend-
ment, proposed by M. de Montalembert, to the effeet
that no credit should be allowed fur the sale of the
Orleans estates.

iiwas----reierted to-day on the Bourse that a
threatening note had beer. addressed by the Freud%
government to Belgium, demanding the expulsion of
French refugees from the Belgian territory. This
report, which however may turn out not altogether
founded, assumes some importance in connection
with the menacing tone of the ultra-Elysean journals,
which make a tremendous noise about the rumours
of fusion, and meeting of the members of the two
branches of the Bourbons at Weisbaden.

The movements of M. Berryer since his departure
from Paris have been watched with some interest.
He was received at Laeken by the King of the Bel-
gians. At Dresden he had a conference with the
King of Saxony, whose daughter is to marry the
Emperor of Austria. I am assured, from good au-
thority, that he was received at Berlin or Potsdam
by the King of Prussia and the Emperor of Russia.
He is now at Frohsdorf.
AU public functionaries, military officers, and per-
sons who can be influenced by the government, are
invited, I understand, to buy horses of French breed,
in order to encourage horse-breeding in this country.
A similar course was observed under the empire.
None but French horses were allowed to be pur-
chased by officers, and the example was set by the
household of the emperor.
The government organs' boast of the great atten-
tions paid to Baron Heeckeren at Berlin, and speak
particularly of his rich uniform of a senator which
he wore before the Emperor of Russia. It is in-
tended to be inferred that the Emperor conferred
with Baron Ileeckeren on the subject of his mission,
but the truth is that although during the Ptes the
Emperor of Russia may have seen M. Heeckeren's
uniform in the crowd, he refused to give hint a
private audience. Of this lam distinctly assured in
a letter from Berlin, of May 24.
A communicated note in the ifoniteur says:
Some foreign journals, persisting in their systematic has-
Slily to the government of the Prince President of the Re-
public, reproach him with exercising at this moment at
Madrid an influence contrary to the maintenance of the
constitution. This imputation has not the least foundation.
L The French government is too jealous of its independence
l not to respect that of others, and it would fail in its princi-
t les by miung itself up in the internal affairs of Spain.
_ . . .

In my letter of Monday I mentioned that the Ceti-
stitutionnel had received instructions from govern-
ment
to prepare en article upon the relations of
France with Belgium, and to disavow the hostile in-
tentions imputed to Louis Napoleon by rumours that
have long circulated in Brussels. The article ap-
pears to-day, with the signature of Oranier do Cu-
sagnac. It may be fairly described as an electioneer-
ing address to the Belgian constituencies, warning
them that if on the Bth of June next, when new

elections are to be made on behalf of the. Chamber of
Deputies, they do not so vote as to displace the pre-
sent liberal majority, France, while abstaining from
the use of any armed force, will starve them by
closing her markets ageing their produce. The
treaty of commerce with Belgium expires on the
10th of August. M. Cossognac asserts that France
will then have the power, and in the event of liberal
elections, he now declare; she has the intention, to
:edam the Belgian provinces by boodle tariffs to
sash a deplorable state that they must of necessity
mak ea a favour &that their neighbour may be
rto annex them to her dominions. Although
ed held oat in the form of a threat, it is clear
Mat Cassagnac has received instructions to
*FON upon the Belgian people that if
Mel
reealy knew their own interests they would
sanexation at all events. He reminds them
Mat hr IS yens they belonged to France, observes
Wit the Menhir part of the population has a coin-
smell sympathy with the French, that the re-
meladsr ere asturady allied to them by community
of tai 'worts that annexation to France
wooldbe hemense commercial advantage to Bel-
gium, while to France the benefit would be "infi-
nitely Ism." All this betrays a hankering after Bel-
laopacoitirich must be anything but pleasing to
of whom they speak in the following com-
plimentary strain :
ILteg Leopold is a man of too elevated and practical a
sad of a too noble character, not to have appro.
mally with the other sovereigns of Europe, the
Moses ionises rendered to thus muse of order by Prince
Leah Nansissa. It is, therefore, just to say, that the King
of the Belgians bas never emealed the sentiments if
aim sad !Waste with whisk no has been inspired by
the Is., and at the me Me moderate, conduct of the
Nen& goveemeat; bet Wag Leopold is, after Queen
Vistimia. the meet Melody constitutional sovereign in
Berm; he Yeses take wimp a ministry, it is not neee-
serilginte sheen sr sprees of it.
the Leg of the.Belidans does not, therefore,
prate= to gams essereng to his personal views, it
is not to him, bat to the Belgian people, that the rea-
soning of this eami-offetial article is addressed. Bel-
gium is divided into two great political parties, the
catholic party sad the liberal party, candidly awed
by M. de Cesar:Ls. =rustic to each ether.
He claims the unsophisticated real
population far the catholic party. The liberal party
now in power differs but little in prinelple from what
is called the revolutionary, although like =dye wis-
dom sad moderation of the Belgian ems* check
its excesses. This party is under the dhasties of
masonic lodges, clubs, and newspapers; and bon ler
its principal leaders advocates and journalieb—that
clue of persons so especially obnoxious to the French
government since the extinction of liberty.
M. Cassagnac attributes the triumph of the bad,
or liberal party, in Belgium to the great increase of
the constituency in 18413, when the electoral qualifi-
cation was reduced to 42fr. This. coming from the
advocate of a government that pretends to glory in
universal suffrages, weaered and infallible principle,
is at least curious. After going through the list of
the Belgian ministry, and seeking to disparage its
members by showing that nearly every one of them
has at some time or another wreten in a newspaper,
he makes a general protestation of Louis Napoleon's
peaceful intentions, and then comes to the main part
of his argument :
Bat if the Prism-President has not, and had, any
idea of invadiag Belgium, he certainly has had and has still I
the idea of making himself and France respected on the part
of the Belgian government, se of every other; and the next
elections in Eastern Flanders, is Itainanit, and in the pro-
vinces of Liege sad Limboarg, will considerably *draws
the question. The electors of them province*, ia choosing
their deputies, will have to consider whether it suits them
beet to preserve and improve their commercial relations with
France or to break them off. It will not come to an affair
of cannon, bet it certainly will be one of tariff*. Belgium
has undoubtedly a right to retain her ministers, but France
his also an indisputable right to protect her markets. When
favours are to be granted, a preference is not usually given
to enemies.
The Patric says, confirming an announcement
I which I made sonic day sicee
We are assured that a bill, applicable to officers of the
navy, and relative to the question of the limit of age, will
be submitted to the examination of the Legislative Body.

The *est of this mown is to facilitate the tamer end the
peamWen of dams of the secy.
The distribution of @nerd •foreign journals ban
I baewnsitaurped at the Poet-glace. Among them is the
Belga. in mineequenco of its containing
on unbecoming (incotertnant) article on one of the
French ministers. _

The well-known Mr. Serope Davies, the intimate
friend of Lord Byron, died suddenly on Monday last,
at his apartments in the Rue de Duns. Ho was the
senior fellow of King's College, Cambridge.
M. Vatimesnil has refused the oath as councillor-
general in the Blue.
At the Bonne the Four-and•a-Half per Cents. fell
5, closing at 99.60; tho Threes fell 3, and closed at
70.60. The St. Germain Railway rose 35 ;
3.75; Tate and Bordeaux, 2.30; Havre,
1.23 ; Rouen fell 5 ; Orleans, 3.75; Tours and Nantes,
2.50; Bordeaux, Strasbourg, and Lyons, 1.25 each.