The Express.
London, England, 1862-07-08 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

POLITICAL TRIAL

01011 0011 OWN

PARIS, MONDAY EVINDIG.

The trial commenced to-day in the Sixth Cham-
ber of Correctional Police of 56 political prisoners
who have been confined for many months, and
whose arrest was mysteriously announced in the
Moniker by the statement that the government bad
found out a most horrible plot. It turns out, how-
ever, that the principal reason why this trial has
been so long postponed is that it has been found
impossible to justify by facts the great importance
' which was attached to the original arrests. All the
counts charging a conspiracy against the existing
form of government and the safety of the state
have been abandoned, and the prisoners are
now simply arraigned on the vague charge
from which any citizen whatever might find
it difficult to defend himself, of " belonging to a
secret society." As usual in all state trials under'
the Second Empire, the arena of the court was
packed with police agents in plain clothes, and,
with the exoeptioh of a few privileged people who
had influence enough to get tickets, the public was
not admitted. In an early stage of the proceedings,
however, a curious and novel scene took place.
The President, M. Salmon, breaking off his exa-
amination of the prisoners, said, " I am told that,
although the doors of the court are visibly open,
nobody belonging to what may be called the real
public has been allowed to enter. Justice cannot
be rendered in this way. I order the guard to let
fifteen or twenty people—the first comers—enter
the court immediately." One of the prisoners, em-:
boldened by this liberal proclamation, asked that their
wives and children might be let in. The President
regretted that it was impossible to find room for
the relations of so great a number of prisoners.
An advocate observed that not only the court, but
even the outer doors of the approaches, were
barred against the public, and the judge
thereupon ordered that the outer doors should be
opened, and as many people let in as the corridors
could conveniently hold. Great interest attaches
to this trial, not so much from its intrinsic im-
portance as because it will probably be a starting
point at the coming elections for a cry for the habeas
corpus, and the abolition of the exceptional laws of
"public safety." I shall send later in the evening
a full extract of the indictment.
Viscount Haien de Barreme was sentenced last
week by the Correctional Tribunal of Nice to six
days' imprisonment and a fine of 100 fr. for a
pamphlet written in the Latin language, and
entitled "De Libertate," wherein, as it is articled
and charged, he " excited to hatred and contempt
of the government."
Bullier's Correapondence affirms that at • minis-
terial council held just before the Emperor left
Fontainebleau for his tour in the central depart-
ments, it was decided that the general elections
should not take plane till next year. If this be
so I regard the imperial policy as one based. upon
a blind waiting upon Providence and an unenlight-
ened desire to put off an evil day. It is abun-
dantly clear that the present Corps Legislatif does
not represent the liberal principles inaugurated in
November, 1860. The Emperor might with a
much better grace appeal to the country now than
Inext year, when, unless be makes soother coup
d'etat, he cannot help himself. The unsettled state
of his mind with regard to Rome is doubtless the
cause of this prejudicial hesitation.

A letter from Rome, in the Augsburg Gazette,
gives the following news, which has not appeared
elsewhere, and which moreover, although it may be
true, I should be sorry to guarantee :
The 62nd line regiment of the French g►rriaoe, when
drawn up to receive the Pope's blaming, cried " Vire Na-
poleon!" " Vire Italy, with Rome for Its eapitaL" The
Pope, greatly offended, quickly left the balcony in which
he had appeared.

The Bourse has been heavy. Bente fell 15c. for
cash and 10c. for account, closing at 68fr. 20c. and
68fr. 40c. Mobilier fell 2fr. 50c., and the Italian
Loan 15c. Railways were quite as much depressed
as the Bente ; Eastern and Western fell 10fr.
each, Orleans Mr., and Lyons Mr. 76c.
A horrible case of murder and attempted viola-
tion, greatly resembling that of Miss Hall in Eng-
land, has just occurred in the south of France, at
Bsstids, near Nimes. On July 4, a woman named
Seve, accompanied by her two daughters, went into
the fields to cut grass for her cows. One of the
daughters, named Elizabeth, a girl of 16, being
tired towards the afternoon, laid down to sleep on a
heap of the gram which had been out. An itinerant