The Express.
London, England, 1863-02-03 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 3, 1863.

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS BY THE
OPPOSITION IN THE LEGISLATIVE
OORPS.
(not on °wit oomeropraire.)

PARIS, WNW Emma.
The five independent members of the Corps Le-
gislatif—M.M. Jules Fevre, Henan, Darimon,
Picard, and Emile 011ivier—have presented the
following amendments to the address :

To peregraph 2—General Policy.
The rigit to elect implies the right to know, to discus;
to Mg, end, by come:mace, liberty. Sines the decree
at November 24 the word liberty Is constantly pronounced
imagist speeches ; but iu reality the practices of the govern-
ment have not changed. It oontlaues to interdict all indi-
vidual initiative, all free diectianoti, all independent mud-
'that life. It is prodigal of warnings to journals even
when they do not attach t4se principle of the govaterrent,
end it, at the seine time, sever amen to exercise a alas-
destine pressure upon them.
Tim dignity of the nation requires that this cooilvffilika
Whew weds and eilitiamid maw • Either. MAIL nfth

not be doomed to hear it mid that we alone me ituWiwiliv to
poems a Urea whkdi we have so often aloes our great
revolution confened upon others.
To psragraph 371destoo.

W;adrarethe heroism of oar soldiers fighting in Mexico
in a deadly climate, and we send them our most sympathetic
wishes. Bat regard for the national honour does not re-
UM a political assembly from the duty of expressing an
opinion upon an enterprise the causes and consequences of
which it is now able to appreciate.
The forme of Francs ought not to be rashly engaged in
ill-defined adventurous expeditions ; and neither our prin-
ciples nor our interests require that we should go to Mexico
"to see what government the Mexican people desires to
have."

To paragraph 6—Rome and Italy.
Rome no more belongs to the catholic than it does to
the Italians ;It belongs to the Romans. Our occupation
ought not, therefore, to continue. This is a case for the
application of the doctrine of non•iotervention, which is
nothing else than respect for national sovereignty, the only
legitimate foundation of governments.

The negotiations now going on at Rome are not rerione
and will come to nothing, since the Pope solemnly declares
that his conscience prevents him from making any conces-
sion so long as those provinces, the restitution of which the
Preach government bu always refused to ask for, shall not
be teetered.

Its beyond doubt that the independence of the Holy See
should be immured; but in this, as in all other matters,
liberty is the only solution at once digni6ed and practical.
The catholic religion should not fear a regimen under which
the church, separated from the state, would obtain, just
like any other faith, liberty within the limite of common
right, in place of cmoordats and disguised servitude.
To paragraph 8-43oalitious.
The new principle.' sanctioned by the treaty of commerce
involve aa a just consequence the right of workmen as well
u masters to discuss the rate of wages freely ; the chums
of the penal code against coalitions ought to be repealed.
To paragraph 9—Paris sad Lyons.

. .
We persist in claiming for the cities of Paris and Lyons
the application of the principle of common law, in virtue
of which no tax can be established, and no expense autho-
rised, without the vote of the taxpayer, or their represen-
tatives.

The smallest commune camtot be subjected to an extra
tax without the conseot of an elective municipal council
and ,the principal tax-payer,. Paris and Lyons, whose
budpta are equal to Woe of use status hays no other

'peat cities may have 'a-a

elective and independent municipil conned.

To porovaph

The populatiooa will at length understand th►t it is im-
portant for them to be represented by delegates chose.
independently of the will of that government which they
are to restrain and control.

The right to apportion the electoral districts does
not justify the administr►tion in lumping together

distant cantons and cutting up arrondissements and towns
for the purpose of facilitating administrative action and
changing existing districts with the view of withrawing
the deputy from his natural judges. Neither is it the
function of mayors to augment or diminish the somber of
electors at their pleasure, by striking off votes in great num-
bers, and impeding new registrations, so as, besides govern-
ment candidates, to create a class of government electors.
We therefore ask that the decree of December 29 may be
revised, and particularly that, instead of the city of Paris
being deprived of one deputy, it may be enabled to return
a number proportionate to the increase of its population.

The importance of these spirited amendments
will recommend them to your attention without any
commentary. Here you way see what independent
and enlightened Frenchmen really think of the
present state of affairs. The nauseous platitudes
of the valets of the Senate and the government
press, which have been the staple of French news
for the last few days, can only mislead those who
receive them as the expression of national opinion.
In the English language the expression " a unani-
mous vote," does not, I believe, admit of any am-
biguity. It means a vote nem. con—a vote not con-
tradicted by even a single voice. The dictionary
meaning of the French word unanimitf is the same ;
but in loose parlance it is sometimes used to express
an overwhelming majority. It is in this incorrect
sense that the Emperor was pleased to use the
word when complimenting his obsequious Senate
upon their vote on the address. He took no
account whatever of the single "no" of his
cousin, the Prince Napoleon—the only liberal
senator who had spirit enough not to eat his
words of last year, on the Roman question—and
called the vote of the Senate " unanimous."

You will observe that the Mooiteur says not a
word of the check received at Tampico. Some
particulars of this are, however, given in Bullier's
C wrespondence, which, in a letter dated Tampico,
Dec. 28, states as follows :

The tranquillity which the French garrison at first en-
joyed here has been troubled for the last fortnight by un-
expected attacks. The Mexican troops which evacuated
Tampico when we approached, probably went to seek for
reinforcements. They reappeared on the 12th, and pounced
'moo four of our soldiers quite close to the town. Colonel
dela Omegas sent • column of cavalry (3rd African Chu-
mps) against them, which came up with them on the 19th,
near Alt•min, and put them to flight. •While this column
was at Altamira, • very numerous Mexican force, with
artillery and cavalry, appeared suddeoly before Tampico,
having debonehed from Pueblo. Viejo. a village six kilome-
tres distant. Five hundred men were immediately sent in
that direction. The firing began on the evening of the 220 d,
mid listed till the next morning. The gunboat& lent useful
aid in this affair. The commandant of t►e flotilla, Lieut.
Cordotum, showed extraordinary courage and ability. The
shallop oa which he was having grounded within • few
yards of the enemy, VIM • target for his shots during the
whole night. This boat lost one man killed and ten
wounded. On the first news of the arrival of the Methane
our cavalry column was recalled from Altamira. It suc-
ceeded is getting to Tampico on the gird, but not without
having been attacked several lima on the way. It, how.
ever, repulsed these attacks, and even took sixty horses
from the Mexican. Since these rencontree the enemy's
force seems to be increasing, and scarcely • day parse with-
out our being Bred upon. In consequence, our garrison,
which was to have been reduced, is to be reinforced, and
two additional gumboots are vent for.

A Vera Cruz letter of December 31 says that
General Foray's siege artillery was still there, and
that in consequence of the events of Tampico, he