The Express.
London, England, 1851-10-23 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, WTDNYADAY EVZNING.
A ministerial council was held to-day at St. Cloud,
at which Louis Napoleon presided. Nothing defini-
tive has been settled with regard to the ministry.
The prefects summoned from the provinces since the
President's declaration of the 14th of October were
said by the friends of M. Faucher to have repre-
sented the opinions of the great majority of the
middle classes as WaalVOUrable to the new policy of
the President. The profoundest quiet has not ceased
to reign in the metropolis. More and more
representatives meet daily in the Salle des Confer-
ences, and the conservative laity seem strengthened
in their intention of opposing the abrogation, pure
and simple, of the law of the 31st May.
The Moniteur contains a decree subjecting the de-
partments of the Cher and Nievre to state of siege.
M. Faucher states, in the preamble to this ordinance,
that the searches made by the troops in the various
communes, seat of the late insurrection, prove the ac-
tion of secret societies, having a completely military
organisation, which manufacture powder and procure
arms. The decree, countersigned by the minister of
the interior, bears the date of yesterday.
The Are'tiemilit reports that the Prince de Joinvillc
will come forward as a candidate for a seat in the
Assembly, and that the Thqsal is on the point of
publishing a letter from the prince to this effect.
The Patrie confirms, in the following terms, the
rupture of the negotiations with NI. Billault :
The combination of which M. Ilillault was to have served
as the pivot has completely failed. The President of the
Republic has opened new negotiations which promise
prompt solution. We do not, however, think that the new
ministry can be formed in less than two days. All that we
can affirm is that the President of the Republic is actively
occupied with the affair.
The Arc uctoent says :
At the moment of going to press we learn that the follow-
ing ministerial list, eompo.cd of men not belonging to the
Assembly, has been circulated to-day :—M. de Royer, Jus-
tice; M. itrenier, Foreign Affairs; General St. Arnaud,
War; M. Michel Chevalier, Marine; M. reauger. In-
terior ; M. Sallandroure, Commerce ; M. Schneider, Public
Works ; M. Giraud, Public Instruction ; M. nucleic,
Finance.

_ ..._.._..
Xll. Pietri. prefect of the Aviige, has been sum-
moned by telegraph to Paris.
Since the 14th of October the candidature of the
Prince de Joinville has grown more familiar to the
ears of the Bourse. But few regard as authentic the
letter printed by the .le.n,,inent.
The rumour of M. Curlier, prefect of police, intend.
ing to become a candidate for Paris at the next elec-
tion, seems unfounded, inasmuch as the constitution
prohibits public functionaries from being elected in
the departments in which they hare served, until six
months after their retirement from office.

The council of revision of Lyons has rejected all
the appeals made to it by the prisoners condemned
by the court-martial, with the exception of that
Bouvier.
The decree subjecting the Cher and .lcivre to
a state of siege is preceded by the following report
from the Minister of the Intenor :
Monsieur le President,—Thc situation of the departments
of the Chcr and of the Nievre, warmly occupies public opi-
nion, and ought to awaken all the solicitude of the govern-
ment. Under the impression of the in•urrectioual move-
ment of which the Cher has been more particularly the
theatre, measures have been called for from all parts, not
only for the re-establishment of order, but also to rause to
reign on the two banks of the Loire that security to
which citizens who observe the laws have a right.
The government has taken these wishes into con-
sideration. But, before seceding to them, and while
securing the repression of the disturbances which
had broken out, it was necesuire, in the nest place, to
sacertain the extent of them, anti to seek for their origin.
This inquiry has been made, while columns of troops wero
scouring the insurgent communes. The result of it has
been that the two revolts of the 13th and 14th last. cannot