The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-26 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 26, 1853.

FRANCE.

PARIS, WEDNESDAY EVENING.
The downward tendency of the Bourse has de-
veloped into a complete panic to-day. The Threes
fell a franc, and all the leading railway lines gave
way considerably. The ercolit mauler shares fell
nearly 30fr., making the fall, in these so lately
favourite securities, 100 fr. within the last fort.
night. There is no positive news of any kind to ac-
count for this depression, and it is very generally
attributed to the "state of the account." The intel-
__

ligenco of the reinforcements sent to Admiral
Dundas, and the serious aspect in which the Turkish
question is now regarded by the English press, has,
however, had considerable influeuco upon the
market.

The Moniteur publishes an article on the Lyons
and Geneva Railway Bill, which is on the order of
the day in the Corps Legislatif to-day. The object
of this article is to reply to the serious objections
that have been made to the project. It relies upon
an opinion expressed by the committee of fortifica-
tions, the committee of public works, the consultative
railway committee, and the Council of State, that
" between Switzerland and France no other nation
ought to be interposed. Every consideration should
give way before this fundamental one." The :Von&
teur holds out a prospect of concurring in the forma-
tion of a railway through Savoy and Piedmont at
some future time.

The Cuarrier (le Marseille of the 21st states that
Admiral Stewart, some time since appointed to re-
place Admiral Harvey as second in command of the
English squadron in the Mediterranean, is expected
almost immediately at Marseilles, where he will
hoist his flag on board the Caradoe, and sail for
Malta.

Lord and Lady Cowley gave a brilliant ball at the
embassy last evening, to celebrate her Majesty's birth-
day. It was very numerously attended both by the
elite of Parisian society and by English mid-dents.
The Princess Mathilde and the Prince Lucien
Bonaparte represented the imperial family. The
Corps Diplomatique and several of the ministers were
present. The whole fuubourg St. Germain seemed
to have emigrated to the faubourg St. Honore for
the occasion. For upwards of an hour the sonorous
voice of the chamberlain proclaimed the arrival of
guests, of whom at least every
.other one bore a title.
One might almost have fancied that the ceremony
was a roll call of the noblesse of Fiance. Among
the eminent political personages present were Count
Mole, M. Guizot, and the Marquis Henri de la
Rochejaquelin. The Duke of Hamilton, Lord Sid•
ney, and several of the English nobility were pre-
sent. The gardens of the embassy were illumi-
nated with coloured lamps, and fortunately the
night the first summer night of the season—
was so fine that the ladies were able to
take the air between the dances without
danger. A military band was stationed among the
trees in the garden, and played alternately with the
band in the ball-room. The front of the embassy
was illuminated with a crown, and the letters
"V. It." in gas. The supper tables were supplied
with magnificent hospitality, and the festivities were
wound up at four o'clock in the morning with bowls
of smoking English punch, which, although cham-
pagne corks had been flying about all night without
intermission, seemed to find universal favour. Several
French gentlemen were heard to declare that this
was the most perfect fete of the season.
A rumour, to which several English journals have
given circulation, that the Emperor was about to
apply to the Senate for an additional five millions to
his civil list of this year is contradicted by the 211eni-
leer in the following terms :
Malevolence has endeavoured to disseminate the rumour
that the government intended applying for a supplementary
grant for the civil list. This rumour is without any kind of
foundation._ _ _

We read in the Courtier de Marseille
To-day's post brings the happy news of the solution of the
affair of our docks. The Rive Neuve Company has effected
a fusion with the docks of Paris, and the government has
approved of this compromise. The treaty is based upon
conditions which assure great advantages to the city and
commerce of itarseilles.
On Sunday next the Emperor, accompanied by the
Duke of Genoa, who wishes, but is scarcely per-
mitted, to be called here the Count de Gavona, will
review the camp at Satory.
The Prince and Princess of Capus have just
arrived at Amiens. _ _ _ _ _ _

News from Constantinople, of the 14th, has just
arrived, stating that the ultimatum is definitively
rejected, and that Prince Menschikoff has left Con-
stantinople in the Bessarabia for Odessa.

SWITZERLAND.

BERNE, MAY 22.

We are assured that diplomatic relations with us
are broken off by Austria, and that her charge
d'affaires quits our capital forthwith. Although
this measure was hardly looked for, at least in its
actual abruptness, I do not see what there is in it for
us deeply to regret, or why we should wish to retain
amongst us a minister whose presence has for some
time ceased to pledge the amity of his constituent
state. The Austrian minister has remained with us
thus far merely for the chance of obtaining some
concession from our presumed weakness, and not to
facilitate the maintenance of good relations between
the two countries ; otherwise his departure would
have preceded instead of following the expulsion of
five thousand of our Ticineee brethren from their
homes in Lombardy and the military blockade of
our frontier.

I know not what may be the ulterior purposes of
Austria, or whether her displeasure attains its limit
in this unceremonious act, but I believe we are pre-
pared for any contingency. We are not called by
our international position to take rank among the
influential powers of Europe, but we are a thoroughly
military nation in habits and organization, and pin-
made ourselves that our force is adequate to the defense
of our territory. For such a purpose I believe we
could call 100,000 patriotic citizens, well trained to
arms, under the federal banner. Not that I far a
moment suspect or believe that there will be the
least need for such a demonstration. Were we weak
Austria might hope to menace us with success; but
we base lately seen that this power is slow to go to
war with nations able to help themselves. In fast
Austria has not the slightest pretext which she could
plead before the court of public opinion in Bum
for commencing a war with Switzerland
loan which she hopes to effect on your exchange, her
own unsafeposition in Lombardy, the possibility of
war in the Eut for the aggrandisement of a neigh-
bour already too powerful, and the certainty that a
successful aggrewon on the south-eastern frontier of
Switzerland would bring the armies of imperial
Fruce so many. days' marches nearer to her disaf-
fected subjects in Italy, are so many pledges of the
peace of this country, so far as this depends on the
court of Vienna. But although the departure of
M. Karnicky entails no positive loss upon this
country, it apparently closes the door, at least for
the present, to a return to those amicable relations
which we are desirous of maintaining with every
neighbouring power. The blockade of Ticino will
be then continued; commerce will be impeded as
heretofore, and the presence of an unfriendly force
in arms will remain a source of danger to the peace
of our irritated citizens of the frontier. This is to be
regretted ; but we are a patient people, and can bear
to contemplate the military cordon longer than Aus-
tria can afford to maintain it. We desire to inter-
fere with no one's rights ; we are prepared to fulfil
every demand of international duty, to remove every
source of danger to our neighbours, bat we are not
prepared to surrender the prerogatives of an inde-
pendent state by permitting a foreign power to in-
fringe the rights of our cantons, nor dictate the mea-
lures of our federal departments.

At Freiburg on the 22nd M. Delay, the curd of
Torny, who was taken in .arsenicals at the head of
his parishioners when the late insurrection was sup-
, was brought before the court martial. On
Eis :ramination he declared that he had bents forced
to march with his parishioners by Colonel terrier,
who told him that he would assume the responsi-
bility of his conduct. M. Perrier was fetched from
prison, and, being confronted with the euth, con-
firmed all that the latter had affirmed, and prayed
his forgiveness for having brought him into a situa-
tion so painful.
The following despatch may serve to refute the
statement of the paragraph from the New Zurich
Gazette, quoted in our Pans letter. it adds, how-
ever, nothing to our information, since if Austria
breaks off diplomatic relations with Switzerland, the

function. of the Swiss envoy at Vienna are deter-
mined by that set :
Berne, May 23.—1 n conerquenee cf the notification made
by the Austrian charge d'affaires to ihe President of the
Helvetic Confederation, of the rupture of diplomatic rela-
tions between Austria and Swi,zerla nd, the F‘deral
Council has decided on putting an immeu'iato end to the
functions 0 the Swiss envoy at Vienna.