The Express.
London, England, 1849-01-17 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, TVZIDAT, 6 P.M.
The composition of the committee appointed by
the bureaux on the project of M. Rotten for
the dissolution of the National Assembly, is
the principal subject of conversation to-day.
The prevailing opinion is that, notwithstanding the
hsi6U character of the committee, the Assembly is
pledged by its vote of Friday last to an early dissolu-
tion, and that it neither can nor will go bank on that
decision. It is said that the cabinet have resolved, at
the proper moment, to press2r4ed for fixing the
election for an early day in
On awning up the votes &Htared in the several
bureaux it appears that of 734 mashes present 400
voted against the dissolution sad 334 for it. The
contradiction between this and the vote of Friday in
the Assembly is explained by the het that the mem
ben -
be absent h.= the bureaux belonged chiefly to the
party who formed the majority on Friday, and it is

contended that, ',Wee* may be the nature of the
report, the decision in the Assembly will be substan-
tially decisive of the early dissolution. It is consi-
dered probable that a euerpromise will be effected
between the parties, and that, without fixing
a specific day for the dissolution, it will be
agreed that it shall take place after the
three organic laws on the council of state, the respon-
sibility of the President, and the elections, shall have
been pained. Alter passing the first of these, the
days
.for the elections and the dissolution will be re-
spectively fixed, and it is understood that the dissolu-
tion will not be postponed beyond the month of April.
The majority in the bureaux, and the leading
speakers who supported it, were not so much against
any near period of dissolution as against naming a
&finitive day. Moat of them were in favour of so re-
stricting the number of organic laws to be passed
by the Assembly u to render it certain that
the dissolution must take place within three
months. Another and more probable solution of
of the paradox exhibited by the same Ase•mbly
voting for the dissolution on a given day on Friday,
and against it on Monday, is found bi the manner of
delivering the vote. When the majority on Friday
was in accordance with public opinion, the decision
was made by open voting, the names of the voters on
either side appearing in the Moniteur. When the
decision was given yesterday against public opinion,
it was done by secret voting. A large portion of the
Assembly, convinced of the truth of this solution, are
now signing a proposition that the ultimate decision
shall be made by open voting, This proposition has
already received 200 signatures, and will probably
receive twice that number.

It must not be concealed that the opposition to the
dissolution, and the resistance given to the timid
universal opinion of the public, arise from the certainty
which is felt by the majority of the Assembly that it
will not be returned in the next election, and every
member not returned loses 11. a day, a subsidy which,
in a large majority of instances, forms their enti-e
means of living. 01 the 900 members constituting
this Aassailily, it is caloalatill that lees than 400 will
be returned.

M. Liechtenberger hu been named reporter of the
oommittee on the project of M. Ratteau. M.
Pierre Bonaparte has been appointed secretary; and a
sub-committee for the examination of petitions against
the continuance of the Assembly, consisting of MM.
Dupont (de Busse), Jules Fevre, and Grevy, all vio-
lent repablicans, has been elected.
In the National Assembly to-day a demand of
credit for the late "ateliers nationaux" was on the
order of the day for discussion. This was rejected by
131 votes a lust b. M. Navy, minister of finance,
notified that the government withdrew the project of
the income-tnx. (" Very good, very good, from all
parts of the chamber). M. Goudchsux declared thathe
would take it up, and would present a proposition to
that effect. A debate was then commenced on the tax
on property held in mortmain, which, after some dis-
cussion' was adjourned to another sitting.
The President communicated to the Assembly a
message from the Minister of Justice, to authorise
proceedings against two representatives, MM. Bey-
mond Lagardette and Bourbasson, for a duel.
The probable candidateship of M. Onizot foe the
next Assembly begins to be spoken of. It is repre-
sented as the reverse of pleasing to the actual
cabinet.

The party of the Rue de Poitiers held a meeting
last night, at which it was resolved to form an elec-
tion committte of thirty, for the selection and recom-
mendation of candidates to the National Assembly.
This project was warmly. supported by MM. niers,
Berryer, Mole, and St. Priest.
The Moniteur also publiehes the returns of the
direct taxes. From these returns it appears that the
four direct taxes which has been estimated in the
budget at 431,503,000 f., have yielded only
365,470,000 f., being a deficit of nearly 66,000,000;
the 45 centimes additional tax, which had been esti-
mated at 192,000,000L,has produoed only 172,000,000 F.,
or indeed less, for a large sum has been remitted ; the
indirect taxes have yielded 676,790,000 f., being
143,979,000 f. less than in the year 1847. The returns
of the lest gull ter of 1848 show a diminution of
11,314,000 E for October, u compared with the same
month in 1847; of 12,734,000 E for November; and
of 17,446,000 f. for December.
The choice of Cardinal Giraud as envoy to the Pope
has proved very gratifying to the claw and the
catholic party. Before his departure the cardinal had
a long interview with the President, who charged
him to express to his holiness his personal sentiments
of profound devottoa.
The President entertained et dinner yesterday, at
the Elyeee Bourbon, all the Marshal, of France now
in Pans, MM. Bugeand, Molitor, Gerard, and Sebas-
tiara. The minister of pubic instruction, M. de
Falloux, gives a grand political dinner to-morrow. It
is said that the president will be present at his re-
union in the evening.
The President of the Republic went yesterday morn-
ing, at 9 o'clock, to inspect the hospital of the Hotel
Dieu. Ho was attended only by a single aide-de-camp,
and was wholly unexpected. The director of the hos-
pital, and the physicians and surgeons in attendance,
came out to receive him, and accompanied him through
all the wards. He stopped at the beds of the patients,
consoling some' encouragu3g others, and speaking with
kindness to all. On quitting the hospital, the square
in front was filled with a crowd of people, who hailed
him with enthusiasm, and accompanied him to some
distance with their acclammations, as he proceeded to
the military hospital of the Val de Grace, which he
inspected in like manner. At both of these interest-
ing institutions he expressed his satisfaction to the
directors and medical officers, and particularly to the
sisters of charity, at the order which prevailed through-
out every department
Last night a ball was given at the Hotel de Ville
such as has not teen witnessed in Paris since the days
of the monarchy, and not often even then. Besides the',
well known splendid suite of rooms in that palace, an
additional ball room was prepared for the occasion of
still greater magnitude. Although the invitations
on this occasion were mach restricted, and
did not even include all the members of the
Assembly, there were present at least two
thousand persona, including the elite of Parisian
society. The corps diplomatique was present,
but very few foreigners,and almost no English. Ex-
cepting Lord Normanby and two or three of his at-
taches we did not see more than one English family
there. There will be a series of these bats, however,
and the invitations will be more diffused.
The Moniteur says " Several journals, in speaking
of a mission to Piedmont, confided to General Pelet,
have given it a cLaracter and bearing which do not
belong to it. We hasten to place the facts in their
true light. At the time of the election of M. Louis
Napoleon Bonaparte to the presidency of the French
republic, his Majesty the Ring of Sardinia sent a spe-
cial agent to:Paris to congratulate the President.
Therefore, there is nothing more in the mission to
Turin than sending a person, in the name of the Presi-
dent of the French republic, to thank his Majesty
Charles Albert, en act of courtesy'
in conformity with
international usages."
We read the following in the Sleek : " Certain
journals have not only exaggerated; the matures pre-
scribed at Toulon by the marine department, but have
represented them in an incorrect point of view. The
minister, having called for an account of the condition
of all the vessels, steamers, and others, at the disposal
of the government in the port.of Toulon, found that
they were not in the state required by the regulations
of the service. He, in consequence, gave orders
that these ships should be put in a state to go to
sea, by completing the number of their crews,
the quantities of their coals and provisions, &c.
It appears that this order has been executed with a
certain eclat, and hence have arisen conjectures in the
local journals and among the sailors' who are natu-
rally impatient to find an occasionfor signalising
their devotedness to France. In reality, no orders
have been given which go beyond the ordinary pre-
scriptions of the budget The government is desirous
of not remaining uoprovided under the events which
are being precipitated to Italy. The Austrians may
invade the legatione, and thus oblige France to under-
take an expedition. Beyond this eventuality, all that
has been said at the Bourse and elsewhere is without
foundation."
The Pres*, says : " The report spread yesterday of
an order having been given for a corps of from 8,000
to 10,000 men to be sent to Clefts Vecchia was pre-
mature. The Minister of the Marine had only sent
orders to Toulon for preparations to be made by the
government steamers in order that they might be
ready for any eventuality. No further orders had
been given up to bat night. As to the expedition,
several, members of the cabinet desire it, and it is cer-
tainly under consideration.'
The Semaphore of Marseilles of the 12th says, that
Government have sent new instructions to Admiral
Baudin, commanding the Mediterranean squadron.