The Express.
London, England, 1862-03-10 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

THE FRENCH CHAMBERS AND THE
FRENCH PRESS.
SPEECH OF M. JULES FAVRE.

On Saturday the sitting of the French Legislative
Corps was of a most animated character, the
occasion being a masterly speech by K Jules
Favre in support of the amendments proposed by
the five members of the left. M. Favre de-
fended individual liberty and the liberty of thepreas,
and denounced in the strongest terms the interference
of the government with electoral and municipal
proceedings. He examined the report of K Fould,
the letter of the Emperor, and the consequences

which had resulted to the institutions of the coun-
try, and asked if it was wise, or even safe, to keep
the public mind under government tutelage. He
said that at present there is in France but one jour-
nalist--the Emperor ; all others are but vassals,
obliged to bow their heads before a warning
or a communique—things which constitute a
usurpation of the judicial power, and a
penalty arbitrarily applied, amounting to confisca-
tion of property. Elections, as now conducted, he
observed, were a negation and a mockery, for all
the mayors are compelled, under penalty of losing
their poets, to make the official, vote in the sense
determined by authority. Ho concluded by bit-
terly attacking the law of general safety, so called,
he said, doubtless " because it alarms everybody."
The speech caused great sensation.
M. Baroobe, the President of the Council, made
a reply, in which be contended that the government
only interfered in elections when it was necessary,
and that the press had rather too much liberty in
France than otherwise.
The dissuasion will be resumed to-day.

The Presse is grateful to M. Fevre for his speech,
and in reply to K Baroche, who said that the
government would continue to maintain the laws
which had been attacked by the deputies of the
left, remarks that time, which has already taught
him something, will teach him yet more. "He
will," it says, "end with seeing that the ob-
stinacy of keeping intact a system established 10
years ago is really a perilous thing, and that every
kind of danger flows from it ; that that which may
have been a remedy at one epoch may become the
very principle of evil at another ; and that it is
this remedy, rashly and inopportunely applied,
which supports the mischief. Arbitrary measures,
exceptional laws, are not the columns upon which
the edifice of a good government can rest,"

The Debate contrasts the "soft murmur" which
is permitted to the press with the boldness of the
language used ou Saturday by M. Fevre. Our cotem-
porary, however, is so impressed with the delicacy of
its position, that it preserves no ordinary caution
in its praise of the celebrated republican's speech.
The Ami de la Religion► has received a com•
muniquf from the Minister of the Interior,
on account of its remarks on the speech in the
Legislative Corps by M. Ko3nigswarter, which are
declared to have passed the limits of " loyal and
moderate criticism." The Freese observes that the
communiqui hitherto has only pretended to rectify
facts, but now it undertakes to comment upon and
interpret discussions. " Where will it stop r'
The Debate humourously observes:—" The Inde-
pendence Belge has not reached us either yesterday
or to-day. The Augsburg Gazette must have been
suppressed by the Bavarian government, since we
see no signs of it now. However, we receive very
punctually the grave and prudent Vienna Gazette,
which leaves us ignorant neither of what is done
by the magistracy of Temeswar, nor how much
snow has fallen at Rosawits."