The Press.
London, England, 1856-09-06 00:00:00

lortign dorrtsponbtate.

BRUSSELS, September 3.
THERE are few towns in Europe that have been more
embellished of late years than Brussels. Those who
remember the old fortifications, and the swampy
ground around the sandhills, where now appear the
handsome streets of the Quartier Leopold, would
hardly recognise the locality of former years.
Amongst the more prominent of the recent edifices
erected in the Fauboarg de Schaerbeck, are the
several convents. Fashionable religion in Belgium
demonstrates itself, and is as it were divided betwixt
"le !riche et le remords." "La Lionre " trespasses,
and flies " en retraite," where penitential flagellation
can be performed fittingly and with proper precau-
tion. These asylums for sorrowing spirits are
strangely increasing. Whether it he that Leonine
transgressions multiply, or that the demands of the
Jesuit become more menacingly importunate, it is
certain that the establishments of the " Dames de
Marie " and others are springing up in every direc-
tion. Tn the " Rue Royale exterieure," opposite the
Botanical-gardens, a stately house with extensive
gardens, lately belonging to M. Vixquain, has been
purchased at tho high prico of 150,000 f., for a reli-
gious community of ladies, "que l'on dit d'etre cette
des Jesuites." The large sums that have been
extorted from dying penitents are employed in this
manner. At " les eaux de Spa," where the " Lionnes
Ultramontaines " migrate during the summer, and
disport themselves covet the Ardennes after a fashion
that often leads to the "retraite," much sensation
has been caused by the premature death of the young
Earl of Shrewsbury. Masses have everywhere been
said for his soul, and the event has been regarded as
" a heavy blow and great discouragement " to
Anglican Romanism. At a Riman reunion in the
"Champignon," erected in graceful and conjugal
recollection of benefits received and conferred at Spa,
the conversation turned upon the great loss sus
tamed by the Catholic party in England from the
deaths of Mr. Bastard of Kitleg, and the Earl of
Shrewsbury. The fact may be mentioned simply as
a proof that in this hotbed of J sultry and ultratnon-
tauism not an occurrence takes place in England,
referential to Catholicism, but is scanned minutely
to ascertain its value. Even in the same compa-
ratively remote district masses are regularly, although
privately, celebrated in conventional establishments
for the conversion of heretic England to the Catholic
faith. _ _

The letter of the Cayenne convicts to Louis Blanc
is said to be exaggerated. When these persons were
first transported to the " Isle du Diable," they were
allowed full liberty under the usual and necessary
precaution of being guarded. Attempts at escape
at last. became so frequent, that they were con
demned by the magistrates to hard labour. It does
not appear that upon an aggravation of offence
corporal punishment was ever inflicted. Solitary
confinement, and a curtailment of rations, were the
common chastisements for offences against disci-
pline. During the great heats of summer only two
out of 181 convicts died, which shows that there was
no want of sanitary care on the part of the colonial
officials. Of those; who signed the memorial to
Louis Blame, Pelletier, Cayet, and Sodoani were re-
leased convicts (forcats liberes) ; Dessaller, Priol,
Dore, and Aill'and, were old offenders, and had been
repeatedly condemned to prison Oa bagne); and
Frison and Labrousse have been pardoned since the
transmission ot the letter. The majority of these
exiles were the very offscouriogs ot the French
prisons, and not likely, anywhere or nuclei any
system of treatment, to be otherwise than ill
conditioned and disorderly. Those who preached
the baptism of blood, and drank the toast of the
guillotine, can hardly be accounted the friends and
brothers of mankind which they pretended to be.

Within the last month the Gazette de la Croix, at
Berlin, the devoted agent of the Emperor Nicholas
during the late war, has been notably severe in its
strictures upon Russia for not having taken an active
part in defence of Ferdinand of Naples and his Go•
Nernm en t. It also has pointed out the necessity of
calling England to account on this subject. This
journal is the champion of the ancient order of
things, in a feudal sense, and supports avowedly a
policy of retrogression.
The question of the principalities each day be-
comes more difficult to solve. From the simple
desire of future possession, Austria and Turkey