The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-14 00:00:00

TIIE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 14,-4853.

FRANCE.
PARIS, FRIDAY EVENING.
The Council of State, in fulfilment of the task im-
posed upon it of finding reasons for the re-establish-
ment of the political guillotine, has composed an
expose de "IWO to recommend the measure to the
Corps Legislatif. This document is signed by the
ex-minister of justice, M. Rouher, now Vice-Presi-
dent of the Council of State ; and M. Persil, the re-
porter of the council on' the bill. These gentlemen
have the face to represent the reversal of
Lamartine's grand law, as a mere decla-
ratory act for removing doubts. They pretend
that a grave legal question has arisen—whether the
old statutes applicable to a constitutional monarchy
which shad with death any attempt to disturb
the order of succession to the throne, are abrogated
by the " momentary " establishment in France of a
republican government. They ask whether it be
certain that the proclamation of the empire has by
necessary consequence restored the old jurisprudence
on this subject, and then with an assumption of can-
dour admit that very serious doubts on this important
subject are enterteined by the very best order of
minds. Proceeding to reason on the point they,
with wonderful acumen, arrive at the con-
elusion that the abolition of the punishment
of death for political offences by the provisional
government cannot be taken to have disarmed the
vindicatory power of society entirely, because no one ,
will deny that an attempt to murder the Sovereign
would b; now punishable with death. Having thus
established that the Emperor may not be killed with
impunity, any more than the meanest of his subjects,
these lawyers say that scrupulous men doubt whe-
ther an attempt to change the order of succession to
the throne can, as the law stands, be punished with
death, in the face of the abolition of that punishment
for political crimes by the republic of February. These
doubts, they further admit, are worthy of being taken
into serious consideration. Therefore, and merely with
a view, as they would have it appear, of relieving the
courts of law from the necessity of deciding a knotty
point, they recommend the Legislative Body to make
no more ado, but to pass the act demanded of them.
The Duke de Rianzares has arrived in Paris. He
will during his visit reside principally at Malmaisoe.
which belongs to Queen Christina. He has for some
time been in the habit of coming to Paris every year
to see friends and superintend Queen Christina's
property in France, which is very considerable.
On this occasion, however, some people will
have it that the Duke has come to treat
of political matters with Narvaez. General Prim
(Count de Reus) is expected immediately, also it is
said on private business • and a recent letter from
Madrid says that the rich capitalist, M. Carriquiri,
was on the point of setting out for the French
capital.
The American minister, Mr. Rives, had an audi-
ence of the Etoperor yesteday to deliver his letter of
recall.
The Moniteur contains a decree enacting that the
existing natigation tariff on the canals from the
Rhone to the Rhine, and front Digoin to Briars,
which, by decrees of May, 1850, and December, 1832,
were fixed until June 1, 1833, shall continue to be in
force until further order.
A prospectus of a now journal, to be called the
Courrier du Notarial, and lately sent by post to
almost all the notaries in France, states that a bill is
in preparation for effecting a radical change in the
laws relating to notaries, and in particular for fixing
regular annual salaries to be paid to them. The Mo-
niteur says this is a piece of " false news," which has
been many times officially (contradicted, and that
orders have been given to prosecute the authors of
this circumstantial revival of the false report.
We read in the Petrie :
Immense activity now prevails in all the ship-building
yards and in the manufactories of machinery. It is diffi
cult to find *sufficiency of workmen, and the maritime
inscriptions are every day increasing. A number of coun-
tries to which our commerce was before scarcely known us
now visited by our shipping, and the impedes which the
government gives to business of every kind, sal the
absolute security which it inspires, increases to an inieeme
extent the amount of our exports to distant countries.
The first part of the above statement is perfectly
true. Speculation in ship-building has been very
active of late, but the talk about the immense in-
crease in the exports is mere fudge, and entirely at
variance with the recent monthly returns. The
"impulse given to business of every kind" is
also a piece of vain boasting. Apart from those un-
dertakings which are directly supported by public
money, business is by no means brisk, and this is
proved by. the steady diminution in the discount ac-
commodation of the bank, which has been going on
for some time, and is again noticeable to-day.
A daring sacrilege was committed a few days since
at Bordeaux. On the altar of the cathedral there, a
holy thorn, contained in a golden casket, enriched
with jewels, was exhibited to the gaze of the faith-
ful. 'This precious relic, with its (to him) still more
precious envelope, was taken away by. a thief, who con-
trived to creep into the church at night unobserved.
The hue and cry was raised, and he was speedily cap-
tured, but not before he had made away with all the
vulgar part of his booty. The holy thorn was,l
is ow-
ever, it said, found upon him. At all events, the
priests have resumed the exhibition, and none of the
original believers in the relic entertain any doubts
about its miraculous restoration. All the bells in
Bordeaux were rung in celebration of this happy
event.
In anticipation of the Ems visit to the south,
the Minister of State has the restoration of
the Chateau of Pau to be carried on with the utmost
activity, and a quantity of new furniture has been
purchased for the apartments to be occupied by their
Majesties.
On Wednesday last, on the arrival of the English
steamer Soho, Captain Seller, in the port of Havre,
a commissary of police, accompanied by two agents,
went on board and arrested three English labourers
who were going to Lisieux. The motives for this
arrest have not transpired. I have since learnt that
the men were arrested for want of passports, that
two of them were liberated on proving their identity,
and that the third, upon whom some newspapers and
political pamphlets were found, is still in custody.
The Monikur publishes the following monthly
debtor and creditor account of the Bank of France,
made up to Thursday, May 12, 1853 :

f. e.
Cash in Wad _
—o26' 229
35

Cash in the branch banks
Canuharria! Mlle ravine
.

r; a 6 ,iici 00
303,074 03

Commercial bills dimented, but not yet
due, of whisk 42,386,1861. 96e. were
received front the branctr-Araks 110,545,159 06
Ditto in the breach banks 124,761,732 00
Acl,,eased on a deposit of bullion 1,337,800 00
Ditto by the branch banks
Advanced on French public mitrities
Ditto by the branch banks 10,498.950 00
Advanced on railway wieurities 66.970,000 00
Ditto by the brawls banks 16,109,309 00
Advanced to the Kale on the treaty of
June 30, 1848 76,000,000 00
Goverment stook reserve 10,000,000 00
Ditto . disposable
Hotel and furniture of the bank 4,000,000 00
Landed property of the branch banks 3,074.260 00
Interest in the national dismount dim 37,000 00
Expenses of ni=ment of the Bank
and branch 1,004,229 91
Sundries

Total
Ds 1,017,342,872 16
-
Capital of the Bank
Reserve of the Bank
Ditto in landed property
Bank notes in circulation
Ditto of the branch banks 168,631,950 00
Bank notes to order 4,894,976 32
Receipts payable at sight
Treasury account current, creditor
Accounts current in Paris 113,825,192 50
.
Ditto in branch banks
Dividends pa able
ts Discoun an ' undry interests
Redimonntedduring the last six months 710,456 02
Received on account of protested bills
Sundries

Total 1,017,312,874 10
Certified by the Governor of the Bank,
CoUXT D'AEGOVT.
From these returns, it appears that the metallic
reserve has increased 7 millions in the Paris Bank,
and somewhat more than 7 millions in the branch-
banks. The discount accommodation has fallen off

both in Paris and in the departments, in the former
i about 8 millions, and in the latter 6 millions. The
advances on rente have increased about a million
in Paris; and have diminished about 1 of a million in
the provinces. The advances on railway securities
show an increase of upwards of 5 millions in Paris,
and decrease of about I of a million itt the bnitich
hanks. Oa the aide of the liabilities, the notes in ell*.