The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-16 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, MONDAY Ryas/Iwo.
If any candid judgment is ,still held in charitable
suspense as to the real drift 'of the violent 'green-
meat imposed upon Franco by] the surprise of the 2nd
of December, let it coOder the following fact, which
I have just learned from atrustworthywource. Missing'
the Sleek this morning I made inquiries, and found
that its publication had been suspended by.the govern-
ment. The cause alleged for this oppressive measure
will appear hardly credible. You are aware that
none of the independent papers have yet published
a single word of comment on the acts and decrees
of the government. The 114ats, Union, Ordre, Opi-
nion Pablique, and Sleek, have simply copied the
ordinances as they appear in the Moniteur, without
adding any original remarks whatever. The Sleek,
it appears:had given umbm‘mby urging all whowere
entitled to vote to get themselves inscribed without
delay at the different mayories. It was naturally
inferred that the subscribers of the Sleek would I
hardly claim their electoral right to use it in favour
of the gaoler of General Cavaignac. A visit 1
followed from an agent of the authorities,
who tendered to the Siecle an article in fa.
your of Louis Napoleon for insertion. The article
was refused, and the Sieck was suppressed. But
this is not all. I hear that a similar visit was made
to the office of the lYbats, and that warning
has been given to that paper that it cannot
be suffered to chronicle in sullen silence
the acts of the government. It must adhere
or abdicate. Sycophancy or suppression are
the alternatives held out to the bland hither of the
French press. Painful will it be to witness the en-
forced grimace of reluctant eulogy in those respect-
able columns ; still more painful to be-
hold at the foot of adulatory articles the
names of able writers, who, you have the best
reason to know, deeply condemn the policy to
which they are constrained by cruel necessities to
subscribe their public assent. 'thus the press, instead
of regaining by degrees the liberty necessary to its
existence, is daily verging to extinction. The Djbats
alone, of all those papers unfeed, unsubsidised by
the government, will probably survive to amuse,
as it did in the days of the empire, its oppressed
readers with light literature, philosophical essays,
dramatic critiques, and everything but politics.
An enormous rise took place at the Bourse to-day.
The Five per Cents. rose 3.15, and closed at 102.50.
The Three per Cents. rose-1.35, closing at 66.25. It
is to be observed that the price of the Five per Cents.
was 1 per cent. higher for the account than for cash,
which shows the confidence of the speculators for the
rise. Railways rose considerably. Rouen, 22.50;
Orleans, 17.50; Tours and Nantes, 1:3.75; Central,
12.50. Bankshares rose 155 fr.
The elevation of Valliant to the rank of marshal is
▪ blow at Oudinot, who was destined to that dignity,
if hehad not been designated as commauder of the army
by the assembled reproientativoi in the mayors of the
10th arrondissement. I tenet in the preamble to the de-
cree the whole merit (if such a service deserve the
name) of the captine of Rome is attributed to Vall-
iant. Considering that Oudinot was at that moment
in prison, it was hardly princely to strike this side-
blow at hie military reputation.
The government organ of this evening states that
some doubts having been entertained with regard to
the full meaning of the rote of I)ec. 20th, the govern-
ment will address a circular to the prefects, to ex-
plain that the object of the vote is to confer power
upon Louis Napoleon for ten years as well as to
imply an adherence to the measures proposed by
him. _ _ . _

A decree appears for :the distribution of pensions
to the old soldiers of the Republic and Empire, com-
prised is the lists drawn up by the committee ap-
pointed in virtue of the decree of Feb. 25, 1850, and
approved by the Minister of Justice. The dotution
of the ;rand ehancelry of the Legion of Honour is
to be augmented for 18.52 by 2,700,000 francs for the
distribution of these pensions, according to the age,
services, and wounds of the pensioners. A credit
to this amount is therefore opened to the Minister of
Justice ou the budget of 1842. The grant is to be
repeated yearly.
the chief point of interest at the present moment
is the disposition of the various classes of electors
with regard to the poll of next Sunday. By the
pains which the Sleek takes to urge its partisans to
secure their inscription on the lists it is evident that
this journal is at the head of an active opposition.
Generally the legitimists counsel abstention, although
the government papers wish to make it believed that
M. de Milieux has recommended his friends to rots
in favour of Louis Napoleon. The socialists seem at
this moment to have no organisation, and a vast
number of workmen, whom they might under other
circumstances influence, will no doubt vote in favour
of Louis Napoleon.
The Edit, de ri,sone states that at a meeting of
legitimists, held at Perigneux on the 10th, the ma-
jority decided on voting in favour of Louis Na-
poleon.
The Presto and Pays follow M. de Montalembert,
in arguing against abstention from the poll on the
20th. The (ifs:elle de France also condems abstention.

The C'unstitutionnel Hs its leading columns with
the letter of M. Montalembert.

The Urdre re-appears to-day.
In commenting un the provisional budget for the
first three months of 18.52, the C'onatitutionnel re-
marks that the sum assigned for the dotation of the
President is reduced to the limit fixed by the Na-
tional Assembly. The salary of 25f. a day to repre-
sentatives has of course disappeared. But the credit
for the Council of State is maintained, aq that insti-
-1 tution forms part of the forthcoming constitution.
The different corps of marine at Dunkerque have
sent in their adhesion to the President of the lte-

public.
In order to prove the great commercial expansion
consequent on t e revolution of December 2, atten-
tion is drawn to the fact that in the six days follow-
ing that event the number of bales of silk which left
the entrep.t at Lyons was 459, whereas, in the three
months following the revolution of February no more
than 314 bales were taken out.
Letters from St. Quentin state that several persons
belonging to the families of the generals confined at
Ham, had set out for that fortress, provided with an
authorisation signed by the Ministers of War and of
the Interior to see their imprisoned relatives.
M. Roger du Nord has not been set at liberty, as
was reported. The eight prisoners at Ham are still
there. General Cavaignac occupies the apartments
formerly tenanted by Louis Napoleon.
Gn Saturday were set at liberty, MM. Oudinot,
Lauriston, Lugarde, Eugne Sue, Arnaud du Var,
Ceyras, Chamiot, Charbonneau, Chanet, Cre"mieux,
Jules de Las'eyrie, Oelareeiere, Ilennequin, Gavarret,
Greyter, and Messner.
he police continue to make numerous arrests of
persons concerned in the recent insurrection, or who
attempt to create disturbances. Amongst them are
ten belonging to Neuilly, ten of the Batignolles, and
, eleven of Grenelle. In the lodgings of each of these
I men arms, ammunition, and demagogic publications
have been seized. On Saturday 40 persons were ar-
rested in Paris, and amongst them were Watripon,
Guerin, and Valliant, three chiefs of the demagogic
party. 'Me number of political prisoners in the fort
of Bicetre is 733. Provisions arc supplied from the
hospital of Bicetre.

LATEST FROM THE DEPARTMENTS.

The latest accounts from the Basses Alpes speak
of the insurrection as being repressed at all points. Digao
is quiet, in the hands of the authorities. Order is also re-
stated at Manceque.
The stew of the Vast is also said to be satisfactory.
Letters from Draguignan, dated December 11, states that a
decisive battle had taken place between the gendarmes
commanded by Captain Henries and the insurgents to the
I somber of 6,000 ; 6) or 70 of the letter were killed, and 80
taken prisoners. The troops lost only one man, but a cap-
tain and a lieutenant were severely wounded. All the hue-
Lige' in the hand of the insurgents were rescued. Amoag
I them was the Count de Colbert, whose son actively assisted
the gendarmes. Two other hostage., M. de Laval (de
• Largess), and 31. Panescorce (de la Garde Freinet) were
i found wounded.

An intended insutweetion in the HAUTIG4 ALPIS
planned by M. Gigouz, formerly a candidate tor
the Legislative Assembly ha, failed. An attack was
to have been made upon Bagnires at a signal given by the
sound of the tocsin, but the mayor had the precaution to
place a guard upon the church, and be thus prevented the
signal from being given. Gigoui was afterwards arrested.

POACUING IN NORFOLK.-0a Saturday night a
patrol, under the command of Superintendent Parker, en-
countered in the neighbourhood of East Dereharn a party
of nine poachers, whom they attempted to apprehend. In
{be affray two of the police were severely wounded by
slots, but they succeeded in capturing seven of the gang.
The poachers had just made an outrageous attack on the
house of Whiteer, the Loom Hall gamekeeper.