The Express.
London, England, 1848-07-27 00:00:00

FRANCE.

IN the coarse of the debate on Monday night one
of those miscellaneous diseussiors turned up, which,
while they produce 110 immediately practical result,
yet have this good quality, that they renew the public
interest and acquaintance with their subject matter,
and by displaying how much there is to do, have
occasionally led to something being really <l..rae. The
special topic ueon the occueion we allude to was the
state and cost of the army ; and the matter cam
Me before
the house upon the vote being asked for by r. Fox
MAI;LE of 1,336,8801., the balance remaining un-
granted of a sum of 3,e36,880/. required for the
land forces at home and abroad (East Jodies exclusive)
for the current) ear.
We had already surmised that the motion made
early in the session, by Mr. IiUME, for a reaision and
reduction of the " army estimates," had been pr-
tically shelved for the present. Being referred to the
"committee up stiirs," it had disappeared teen t
arena of debate, and we are now intormed upon the
best authority that the committee, although their
labours have been as assiduous as those of their col-
leagues upon the immortal Dublin election inquiry, cen-
not possibly approach the subject this se ri on. The mat ter
therefore, is now past cure. Nothing can be amended
or retrenched by the legislature from the estimates as
originally presented, without violating the forms of
parliamentary etiquette : and whatever saving can be
made in this 'sear must be hoped for only from the
Ileconomics of a thrifty executive.
There were, however, some facts disclosed during
the discus-ion which are well worth preservation.
I We learn that a committee, which included among its
members four of the present cabinet ministers, was
appointed nine years since to pursue investigations in
that wide field for research presented by our military
system, and ended by compiling a report recommend-
ing a variety of improvements, not one of which was
atterwarde heard of. We are reminded that the very
natural proposition to transmute the office of an irrc-
spoesible commander-in-chief into that of a re-
spons,ble minister of war has been allowed to float
about the house for years, in the shadowy and
ignoble condition of a measure universally acknow-
ledged to be theoretically necessary, but practically
disagreeable. We have from the Secretary at War
an explanation respecting the flagrant neglect of the
three officers to whose exertions the successful termina-
tion of the Kaffir war is principally due; and learn that
the reason why Capt. lltesextewho " dry-nursed" tee'
colonels from home into fitness for Cape warfare, mei
Capt. HOUG, who trained his Hottentot " irregulars"
so skilfully, that he was able with their aid to rout an
enemy who had baffled the discipline of the " h, avies,"
did not receive a decoration con!erred upon numerous
leceuse "the regulations of the ser-
vice" somehow forbid it. By the same " regulations,"
as we are also told, it is enacted that the officers whom
an admiring country regrets that she cannot reward
with higher pay than 601. per annum, must sit down
every day to their mess dinner in a full dress coat,
costing 20/., being one-third of their year's income.
And finally, a motion made by Mr. OSBORNE, to reduce
13,9001. from the expenses of the Tower staff, as being
uselessly appropriated in paying Tower wardens,
yeomen. " gentlemen porters," and " gentlemen
gaolers," was negatived upon the ground that those
appointments. useless as they might be, were among
the few that remained to recompense the faithful ser-
vices of non-commissioced officers.
The great evil apparent through these and similar
complaints is, that the army is made to serve a doue
and inconsistent purpose. It has to perform the rough
duties of national defence, and to supply a field for
patronage by furnishing employment, dignities, and
fortunes to the numerous scions of aristocratic families
who crowd into its ranks. In addition to the honour-
able and frugal livelihood which the nation would
never grudge to its brave defenders, provision must
be made for those highly-conuected aspirants who
throng the avenues of promotion—whose wealth tied
pretensions have completely perverted the military ma-
chine from its original design, and whose interest is suffi-
ciently powerful to resist all efforts at reformation.
Prescription has made soldiering, par excellome, the
fashionable profession ; and to satisfy the ambition
of fashionable soldiememployments have been created
for them which their training little feted them to per-
form ; and military authority was inttuded into pro-
vinces where civil administration would have been far
more appropriate.
Fully half the outlay for the effective services
of the army is incurred, ostensibly, on account of the
colonies. In reality, we have little hesitation in saying,
nine-tenths of this outlay is for services with which
the colonies could very safely dispense. The hon.
member for Southwark, in his admirable speech on
Tuesday night, stated that about one million square
miles of British territory, with five million inha-
bitants, were divided into no less than forty different
colonies, each with a separate government end from
the last returns presented to parliament, those of
1843-4, the cost for colonial service amounted to
2,5.56,919/. for the army alone. By the report of the
commission oa military rulministiation presented in
1840, it appeared that, of 103 battalions, 77 were
employed abroad, of which several had served for 16
and even 19 years out of 20 in the dependencies. The
proportion since that time has somewhat dimi ished ;
but it is still sufficiently large to give room for all and
ore
m than all the octs for reduction which the
ni tuber for Montrose
has yet ventured to indicate.

PARTS, Wanxr.suAY, 11 A.X.
An event, of great public interest here, will take
place to-day in the Assembly—Nl. Thiere will make
his debut in the tribune. The ( cession which he.
has selected is that of presenting a report from
the committee of finances upon the proposition made
by M. Prudhoe to confiscate on -third of the revenue
of all proprietors.
The coon I of the Bank of Francs his resolved on
taking a tenth part of the new loan, being the same
proportion which it had agreed to take in the loan
proposed le fore the revolution of February.
General Oudinot is to leave Paris this evening for
the army of the Alps. lie has asked leave of absence
from the Assembly.
General Bedeau is in a fair way of recovering from
his wound.
The reapers in the neighbourhood e Paris have
found some dead bodies, supposed to be those of in-
surgents who died of their woauds after takMg refuge
in the corn.
On Monday 134 insurgents, on many of whom
were found documents inculpatol of themselves and
others, were arrested in the Ilanheu.
The following is that part of the decree in the
Monit,:ur of to-day, as to tke new loan, which elates
to the holders of certificates for payrivuts under the
treaty for the loan of 1617 :
• The tolders of certificates of the old loan rti,ll be allowed
until 12. th August inclusive to PulAcrib e for the new loan.
I Their bidding conformable to form A .hall he dlyai..e.i at
L the " Cobra centrals," and must be seefwapanied by the cer-
tificahs of tho old loan and the payment of tl.•• sea ewes.
. i wiry to complete the deposit of the gutran.y ot 171 per cent.
I me sum to be paid in cash will be 7i per cent. of
the amount of the subscription, that is :
With a cortificatc of Cash to bo paid. To rreccc a ecrtilleate
old lo.n of ot the new loot of
3,oorti. 3 I,r ant stook ... 5,013 f. 750. ... 5,004. 3la r coat. A.A.
1,500 f. do. do. ... tail. Mc.... ;VOL do. d...
GoOf. do. d 0.... 1,114. 730. ... Leoer. de. do.
3o of. do. do. ... Ulf. SSG. ... :Nur. do. do.
IVA. do. do. ... :Nit lac. ... 2:all. do. do,

DISCUSSION IN Till: CONSERVATIVE CLUB Ole
TUB Rue MI POICT/LllB.—A mee*ing was hell on Monday,
at the club of the Rue de Poicticra, which was mat
numerously attended, and at wheels a diseivision tuck place
involving the consi.leration of the policy ut the present condi-
tion of the country, as well in its internal state as in its foreign
relations, and including en appreciation of the pc.sent and
past administrations since the revolution of Farteary. The
debate was opened by M. limn Faucher, who, ta as ela-
borate fr-ech, developed views and e ntiments on the pre-
sent rituation and prospects of France, which received the
general colicurr. nee of the meeting. lie affirmed that
the successful issue of the affair of the 15th May, and
the repression of the anarchists eu that neeasi et was
rendered abortive and Guides by the complicity of
the executive wmmissimt. That there were aiready
it-
dications which raised grave apprehensions that tie
same course would ha ultimately punts. d in refire= to
the late insurrection. The insurgents were, et es true
arrested and imprisoned in prodigious numben, but
cultic, were created and exaggerated, and a cry of pity cad
amnesty :.had been raised and secretly provoked by the
government. That the executive power is in reality euthing
more than agent of the late executive commisaien. That
all the n,minations and elections, made under th • iefluenee
of General Cavaignac, are dictated by the members of that
commission. Marie and Marred, the sure. save prteidents
of the chamber, and M. Ducoux, the pre'ect of police, an
examples of tail. The reel prefect of police i. soil Cauni-
,here, from whom M. Damn: takes all his inspirations.
Latuartine rules the foreign affairs wider the nam.of Bestide,
and Ledru Rollin rules Lsmartine. Thar intentitn cpenly
manifested to allow the insurgent prisoners to escape nide ire-
punity, is an insult to common justice, and an outrage suitst
ad the mends of order. The same spirit is manifested in the
I treatment of the press ; the anarchist journals, suck as Le
Refornae and La D,!macratie Pacijiqw-, have been allowed
to
.pour forth daily their furious invectives ugliest every
principle of social order, while the reseeetehle journals of
La Prime and L'Assen;bl,:c Nationak arc mippressed. If
we look to the departments, we find tit., disastrous reign of
Lcdru Rollin continued in as high activity as et ben he
was installed in the Ministry of the Interior. His emissaries
still diffuse the poisen of bin principles through the depart-
ments. la the finances the same tendencies are eisndest,
the duties on 'acts anions and on mortgage-, involving ca they
do the principle of progressive impost, and the consequent
ultimate . destruction of property, arc still main-
tained. It is admitted that the progressive ha-
pmt is the prevailing idea of °moral Cavaignae.
Tho foreign relations of France have been brought
to an equally disastrous condition be the p .rti ions policy of
the vi,ional Government and Executive Clainliillil/11-11
policy which less not been abandoned by the present govern-
ment administered as it still is in the foreign department by
Lemia-tine and Ledru Rollie. T.e intervention of
Charles Albert in Lombardy ought to have been a happy
incident for France, relieving that power Irem a necoulty
which would have entailed upon her much difficulty mad
cuth.ara,smmt in relation to other state, but this was
wilfully mistaken and perverted by the Provielonal OtTtlll-
meet and its successors ; instead of seconding Charles
Albert, and extending to him moral support and counteeance,
difficulties and obstacles were wilfully thrown in his way.
Pail agents were sent to foment the reenhlican sprit in
Lombardy, and to spread the same, if pes.ible, through the ad-
jacent states. Instead of seeking to estahli-h the independence
of Northern Italy, the agents of M.M. Lamartine and Lecke
Rollin endeavoured to create an Italian repuMic. The perma-
nent political interests of France were sacrificed to the spirit
of person and of party. The position of Chatles Albert now
becomes critical ; he will probably be driven back to the Pied-
most. se frontiers, and France will then be compelled to in-
tervene, war will ensue not with Austria only, but with all
Germany, and perhaps even with Rawls and with England.
hat a
M. Lion Faucher concluded with a proposition either t
deputation should be sent to express the sense of the meeting
to Gee. Caysiznac, or that interpellations Wield be made,
and a debate raised in the asmentily. After some ()ha m-
tions from MM. V ivies, Mauguin, Duvergier d'Hauranne,
and Degous:de, who concurred generally in the sentiments
expressed by M Lion Faucher, but deprecated any systema-
tic or factious opposition to government at the present mo-
ment, the discussion was adjourned till the next meeting.
This adjournment was thought the more desirable, u it
happened that M. Thies was not present. Meanwhile, ft
was announced that M. Idauttan wool I give notice Olt
ThIITSC.gI, ill the assembly, of queseinns to be put to govern
ment on the affairs of Italy on the following Monday.

SPALN.—We have received the Madrid mails of
the 21st, which confirm the news already given of the
Queen's illness. Her Majesty app.2ars to be in no
serious danger. A royal order had been issued for
the exile of the Infante Don Francisco Do Pauli,
the father of the king consort. lie is allowed t*
choose the point of his departure from Spain, and to
reside whcrover he likes abroad. His young children
amain at Madrid under the care of the D.,ke de
Gor, who liar accepted the responsibility, but declines

the salary.
"dfArtin, iv, T 21.—Three per Crnta, 19/ cash ; after Nam, 19i
visa. Fire p^r plipapc•r. Paesires, 4 paper. 11.0‘17 of St.
tOrillimul, 70 wiper; ili,count of note.", 4 per tent. Excilange on
London, at ninety days, 43.73.