The Express.
London, England, 1865-02-16 00:00:00

EXPRESS BROM PARIS.

(MN 0472 OWN

PARIS. WIDWISDAT EVIIIIIIO..

The Emperor's speech strikes me as one of the
most interesting he ever pronounced, and it offers
a smaller surface to hostile criticism than any that
I ever remember to have commented upon. There
is in it nothing startling, nothing sensational,
nothing threatening or offensive to any power in
the world. The expressed desire for peace, if in
some instances based upon views which may be
thought too sanguine, appears to be sincere.
Several reforms of capital importance are an-
nounced in decided terms, which, having regard
to the government majority in the Chambers,
shows that they are as good as carried. Free trade
principles are repeatedly and emphatically as-
serted. Although the projected reforms do not
comprise any extension of the liberty of the
press or of the right of public meeting, I
note with satisfaction the absence of the
slightest hint that existing liberties are to be
curtailed. His Majesty clings, it is true, to what
he calls the "bases of the constitution," but gives
not a word of encouragement to those reactionary
advisers who would have him respond to the elec-
tion in the Charente Inf.trieure by restrictive mea-
sures. Neither does he echo the desire repeatedly
expressed by many semi-official organs that the de-
bate on the address should be less complete than
heretofore. I can take no exception to the terms
in which the Emperor expresses the natural regret
that his proposal for a congress was not accepted.
The reason for that regret, sententiously given in
these words, "The sword often cuts ques-
tions without solving them, and the only basis
of a durable peace is the satisfaction re-
sulting from the accord between the conduct
of sovereigns and the true interests of peoples,"
does not, as the context shows, mean that the Em-
peror expects war as a consequence of the refusal of
the powers of Europe to meet in congress, but only
that the solution given by the sword to the Sias-
wig-Holstein question is not satisfactory, and can
hardly be expected to be final. That is a proposi-
tion which few politicians will be prepared to deny.
The paragraphs on the Roman question add nothing
to the information of which the world is al-eady in
possession. They are evidently written with an
arriere pensee, which it does not yet suit the Em-
peror's purpose to disclose. His Majesty echoes
the official despatches which affirm that a difficult
problem "has been" solved and that the kingdom
of Italy, and the Holy See "are reconciled"—ignor-
ing the fact that the Holy See protests against the
arrangement, does everything in its power to spite
France, and will certainly not be friendly with
Italy. It is satisfactory, however, to find the
speech stating that the convention enables France
to withdraw her troops from Rome, and there is

not a word inconaisteiit with the Italian theory,

that if the Pope continues obstinate to the end, the
French army will, nevertheless, return home and
leave him to his fate.

The short paragraph relating to Mexico was, I
have reason to know, pronounced, if not composed,
with a full knowledge of the important news of the
day, that serious negotiations for pesos are going
on between the Federal and Confederate States of
America on the bogie of the Monroe doctrine.

Should these negotiations be crowned with suc-

cess I apprehend that the "intelligence and energy',
of the Emperor Maximilian, to which the speech
refers, will not suffice to maintain his new-fledged
empire, more especially as the speech goes on
imperturbably to say that " the French army of
Mexico is returning to France." The sooner the
better is, I am sure, the sentiment of the vast
majority of Frenchmen, whose only desire is to
leave Maximilian, the Mexican people, and the
North and South Americans to settle the bearings
of the Monroe doctrine among themselves. When
the Emperor talks of "closing the temple of
war," I give him full credit for having no
intention to send an army of 300,000 men (and
less would not suffice) to combat the Monroe
doctrine on the American continent.
The speech would, I have no doubt, have
provoked a considerable rise in the Bourse, had
not its effect been neutralised by the serious
American news. As it was, Rents, after going
down (for account) to WM. 50., recovered, for the
close, to 67fr. 30c., with a rise of 10c. ; for
cash it rose 15c. The only other important
change was in Mexican stock, which was greatly
affected by the news of the day, and fell fully 1
per cent.

On the 25th of the present month a second plea-
sure ezeassioe, argealeed by Herr &ante, of Viola%
stub from Vaasa on a wilit of 'beat two mouths' does-
ties to Borypt sad the Holy Lead. The amber of memo
gimlets is limited to forty. The WON sae of the quirked
sad best of the 'Women of the Aostrias Lloyd. 1,500 tom
Notion, 150 hoesepower. with a orew of forty.fire perms,
bmbssa chartered to mom the Mueller' frau Trieste to
Almeedria aid Jaffa sad beck. The viral will Mash at
Corfu. Athena. sad other plasm a tke mate. This le the
sem& expedition of the Ida& The Amt, which retooled
Java before Obristams, is repotted to lan beta a decided
MINIM

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/Aserpooflllfier the following War. just roosivid from
Glaribsldl :—" Glynn. Fob. B.—Ky dose sfr,—li bolsi
imposibls for as to visit Segiand this yam I thank with
ell my bsszt. ray Kee friends fee Asir bled wirk sad I
ems, Irak grains.. O. Gasssazza."
Til ARTS Curs.—This club bald its second con-
vorstsioss al lb. mom sa Its boom is Koarows.eqsars,
yesterday wads& Tb. wilds *I the rams was throws
spa to the isseiten sod Asir gusts, sad friss Ales to
fost hundred gentl.mss win Pessiai• Keep as. Partials
sad water-oases drawls.. ran brasses, b.* magus,
I realti sad pbstsgsspbm ens sobsiblea.