The Express.
London, England, 1852-05-07 00:00:00

exprems.

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LONDON, FRIDAY. MAY 7.

Tue Ministers promised not to insist upon carry-
is; any legislative measures in the present
parliament not immediately and indispensably
Billed i.e. They promi.sed to take the sense of
tile nation upon ilwer own claims to public confidence
1,0,: the s originated any legislation that can be
to without endangering the national seen-
ntv. If they are honest men they will keep their
%ei ; if the multiform and ilbassorted opposing
niaj ,eity possess the avernge sense and spirit of
Englishmen. they will compel them to keep their
soreL when they give signs of a desire to break it.
N.oe it can easily be shown that the Militia Bill is
ere of those measures which might with perfect safety
IN- put oil till another 2445i011. The determined stand
Aira i ot this obnoxious measure last night was
,I„l,s;iliont its immediate value. The HomE.SEcRE.
1 Oa admitted the doubts of the government by noti-
fying their intention not to pass the ballot this year.
This is in Ober. rendering the plan weaker for its
sneered purpose than ever. Why pass an emascu-
lated ahrunlity P Since Mr. WALPOLE declares his
intention of postponing a vital part of the militia
sheme tin twat year. why nut postpone the whole
et it
It is from the e einent of Europe, indeed from
France it anyn he re, that we have in any case to
apprehend au invasion. Nobody pretends to look
Cr a flotilla of steamers, crammed to the teeth
with o h.to, 'tea dr rine, ones and artillery,
teem New York or Boston. It is not pre-
tended that the C./tit can effect a landing on
ear shores by a n.ap de 1101 in, or that a new holy
Armada is about to be rigged out in Spain ; or that
the SWAN is to combine all the Mahmuctaa
ricers—the catitct races of Algiers and Sallee--
Iva:ost England ; or that Denmark is going to bum
down London in revenge fur Copenhagen ; or that
sespelen, or Holland, or Belgium are pregnant with
projects (.1 buceancering descents on the coasts of
Nortolk or Northumberland. Under NAPOLEON
the LI tit P, as under NAPOLEON the GREAT,
FEIEee is the bugbear held up as dangerous. Now,
tarry though we should be to become bail for the:
French Par.stneNt ; much though we doubt whether
Le has the sense to see the folly of war and attempts
at conquest, and convinced though we are that his
sad and oath are alike little to be relied on, ws
can see pretty clearly that he is in no condition to
carrel with England.
The French PicestnENT has undertaken to croak
rarlismentary government and re-establish despotism
in Rance. Ile aims at investing himself with auto-
cratic power as great as ever was exercised by Louis
or the pre-sent Emperor of Russia. And he
Les addressed himself to the three great " legitimate"
losers of Europe, calling upon them to reward the
geoil service he has done them—in reducing France
to a condition in which it shall no longer set a bad
example to their discontented subjects—by recognising
ban es one of their own body. The " legitimates,"
after mature deliberation and consultation among
themselves, have decided that M. BONAPARTE asks
too mach. His services to the cause of despotism
thee neither deny nor undervalue. They are willing
to ajl anything in reason to show their gratitude.
They will graciously allow him to retain for life the
arbitrary power helots uved. But M. BONAPARTE
is not a jure dirian he itary prince, and to re-
cognise him u the founder of a dynasty would
be to abandon the principle of legitimacy. Their
rods are not completely served by subjecting France
to a despotism unless the despot be, like themselves,
legitimate." The great work so well begun by
M. BONAPARTE cannot be regarded as complete until
HENRI V. is restored to the throne of his ancestors.

They will allow M. BoNArszre to retain that throne
tre fife, bat HENRI V.—or the children or the legiti-
matt heirs of that prince—mast be his successor. So
kiwis has decreed, so Prussia has decreed, and so
Aueria—eince the death of Prince Sam IRZENBEILO
vtll decree. _ _

The French Pazetoesir is not satisfied with these
taus. Naturally enough he places a higher price
is his vertices than the powers who are hinting
with him do. Nor is it easy to convince him that
the nephew of the NAPOLEON who placed the impe-
MI crown of France on his own brow isl see " legiti-
mate" than the descendant of Fastomuce who
planed the kingly crown of Prussia on his own brow
oily some fifty years earlier. Besides, NI. BOXA-
rit rt knows—no man better—that " pcimuita Is
nine points of the law," and that the three mirth-
twerp potentates will find it no easy matter *serve
a proems of ejectment upon him in behalf of Knit
V. M. BONAPARTE, therefore, and the essele et Bt.
Petersburg. Vienna, and Berlin, are at odds ea the
'pities w Nether the NAPOLEON dynasty is es lend
to be inscribed in the Sirre dor of itaropeen 41.1
At present the contest is being wooed actively be-
tame the CZAR and M. BocArurfarmout e.n As yet,
:hero is no talk of an appeal CO the struggle
scarcely the lees inveterate. The swami of Sir (ides
ikerrrucA was a far less effective lieleement than the
bonds and mortgages of whisk he bed contrived to
stake himself muter ; sad tie Autocrat of
kesstt appears to have studied, atten-
tively and to good purpose, the " New Way
to pay Old Debts." Some time ago the EMPEROR
Sin( s:i.d ID the French hinds to the amount of two
atiiliona Tho ambitious aims of M. llosArsara
require that he ahould have the free disposal of large
mu of money. With a subservient sham legisla-
tic. courts of law subjected to the "contentious
jaicliction" of the Council of State, and the Bank
ut France completely under his thumb, he as deli
with the French exchequer as he pleases; bat If that
ischtstuer Is empty, he is nothing the better of this
Cd" r. To replenish the drained exchequer M.
..s.eemire has commenced a series of financial ope-
rifems. of which the redaction of the interest on the
national debt is an essential part. Here the Itemise
S.r (Mrs !retread...A steps in and threatens to cheek-
cute him; threatens to throw one million sterZuf
.0-averted Five per cent. Rental into the
and. luring thus beat down their rice, to demand
prompt payment of the other million. Ths poor
Inoeveuee gees his speculations about to be paralysed
his wily powerful, and relentless creditor.
But still M. BONAPARTE is not entirely at the
merry of the autocrat. Though the three northern
potentates have a oesamon interest as opposed to
liberty in the west of Europe, they are divided among
themselves upon certain special interests to which
*lcy attribute great importance. The Pen.slavism
rA Russia threatens the Sclavonic territories and po-
pennon. both of Austria and Prussia. Austria ia in
ro condition to make a stand alone against Russia, for
1' ha. only been able by the assistance of Huai& to
Fit down the revolutionary movements in Hungary
wad Transylvania. Pinnius, with its scattered and
urrew territory, is still leen able to stand alone
against Russia. But Austria and Prussia, though
fob exposed to danger by the unscrupenlolubewcwwwch-
nir policy of IttlaSia, have incompatible aims and in-
?meta which prevent a sincere and cordial alliance
between themselves.
Ever since the first FREDERICK placed the crown
of Pecan on his own head, a struggle for NOW
ddidy in Germany has been in Winos
Aloha end Pniseia. Since the bssolutiea d Ole
ft.cin.in mince, Austria has 'MIMI lin be properly a
Grrnsn power. Its Garman leniteriss end sehiests
an. when eserpesed yid; Bebania,
('adiva, Hungary, Italy, MI WNW previous is
• a non-German Pwratin
',l"'via would williney sorties pert di=
Susie. er lea, is ceder te Mete use lily
f•r the tic tem/mean territoriesit Midi Preede, es
tb e°^lrmy. L. mesatially a Gimes slate ; k bee a
tiny interest in preserving West Sae elemee terri-
tory. even under its present aamideee eel ematis-
vvy constitution. Prowls is thesetseed with
ian encroachments in Peen, and with
French encroachments on the Ribes and can only
i.
ft sil itself by keeping alive a determination
in the Gemian princes and peoples to assert the
Missoluble nationality of Germany. Neither Prussia
nor MLitt* therefore, are disposed to 00-operate ac-

tively with Russia in its struggle with the French
PRESIDENT ; but neither Austria nor Proton is dis-
posed to draw closer their bonds of union in order to
strengthen themselves against Russian aggression.
Here then is a promising field for the diplomacy of
the French PREsIDENT, and it will not be left un-
tilled. His emissaries will be—are busy at work,
to keep alive and exasperate the personal animosities
and antagonisms of the three northern powers, in or-
der to prevent any such coalition among them as
might endanger the stability of his power. The four
great powers of Europe are at this moment deeply
engaged in a game to outwit and outgenenl each
other; and they play this game with fear and trem-
bling. Not one of them dare appeal to popular sen-
timent; they know too well that such an appeal, if
success fol, would bring into the field an enemy able
to destroy them all. They are squabbling among
themselves about the division of the spoils, in a con-
stunt agony of fear lest their plundered subjects
should break loose and re-assert their rights.
The President of FRANCK has other business to
mind than an invasion of England ; the other F.uro-
peon powers arc little likely to leave him at liberty
to engage in such a wild and objectless crusade,
much less to aid and abet him in it. All that is
necessary to ensure peace to England is, for Eng-
land to stand aloof from the miserable diplomacy,
intrigues, and quarrels of tho continental powers.
Leave them alone to thwart and plague each other,
and keep watch and ward over their oppressed and
discontented subjects, and they will in turn be but
too glad to leave us alone.
There has in fact seldom been a time when
the likelihood of invasion was more obviously
unreal. The question of the re-modelling of our
defensive establishments may with perfect safety be
left for the decision of a new parliament. And any-
thing more unprincipled, or more insolent, than for
a moribund House of Commons, in these circum-
stances, to force upon the public the unpalatable
Militia Bill of ministers—or any modification of it—
owlet well be imagined.

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