The Express.
London, England, 1853-08-04 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, WEDNESDAY EVENING.
The following lines published by the Muniteitr,
to-day, at the head of its non-official part, have ex-
cited public curiosity to an extraordinary extent, and
constituted almost the exclusive theme of conversa-
tion and conjecture at the opening of the Bourse :
The London journals of August 1 all speak of a
Cabinet Council held on Saturday last. All the
ministers were present. The sitting was much longer
than is customary ; it lasted four hours."
It was the general opinion, an opinion encouraged
by the gravity of the news of the last two or three
days. that some energetic resolution must have been
taken at this Cublnet Council, and the rento and all
descriptions of securities opened very heavily. Tele-
graphic despatches arriving subsequently with the
news of a considerable fall is Consols, and
accounts of Lord Clanricarde's interpellations
in tho House of Lords, a more decided
downward movement took place than has occurred
for many days past. But fur the abundance of
money, which occasioned purchases to be frequently
made as quotations became lower, the depression
would have been much greater. Not only the renter but
all the railway shares, experienced the effect of the
movement; the best lines more than the others, for
the reason that in them the largest amount of busi-
ness has been done since the last settlement. The
Grand Central came out under the most unfavour-
able auspices. It fell from 532.50, the maiden quo-
tation, to 320. The Credit Mobilier sustained a rude
shock, falling 27fr. to 800. Even Bank of France,
which have so long becil ^ii,;2l.morted, fell 10fr.
From information that has reachea me, Etna is tai
I believe may be depended upon, it was decided in
the Cabinet Council of Saturday last, that without
waiting for the dilatory and doubtful support of
Austria and Prussia, Russia should be called upon by-
France and England immediately to accept the ar-
rangement proposed by them, and at once to evacuate
the Principalittes. It was intimated with as much
distinctness as diplomatic lauguuge allows, that any
evasive answer would be considered as a refusal to
treat, and would provoke an order to the fleets to
cuter the Dardanelles.

Th? Debuts says, that although the state of the
wheat crops is not yet exactly known, enough in-
formation has been received to enable an opinion to
be formed whether the harvest will or will not be abun-
dant, above or below the average. In some localities
it will be good, but in the greater number the rains
of the first weeks of July have done considerable
mischief. Beyond all question, corn will be dear
next winter. The price of the best wheat in Paris
is now 27fr. the hectolitre, and that of the most in-
ferior quality, 22fr. 2,5 e. These prices are consider-
ably below those to which corn rose in 1547, but that
disastrous rise might have been checked, if in the
Autumn of 1846, government had taken those mea-
sures of precaution which the Debuts hopes it
will not now neglect. The Debuts urges
as a measure of the commonest prudence
the immediate suspension of the sliding scale,
and the admission of corn without distinction
of origin, frontier, or flag, at a fixed nominal duty.
What inconvenience, it asks, could result from such
a measure? Would it make corn cheap? Verily,
nothing but the most robust optimism could antici-
pate such a misfortune at such a moment when
wheat is rising everywhere, in the markets of New
York, as well as in those of Odessa and the Baltic,
in Germany and Italy, as well as in Loudon and
Marie. No; whatever means may be taken to coun-
teract the upward tendency, French agriculturists
are certain to obtain amply remunerating prices,
which wilt indemnify them for the low rates of past
years. It is tearid that the shipping interest
may be injured. It is notorious that freights
are now every where exorbitant. The only reason
that can be given against opening the ports in the
present emergency, is the fear of making a breach in
the principle of the sliding scale. The De/sits ad-
mits that if the sliding scale be nowabandoned, it may
very probably be found impossible ever to set it up
again. It, however, earnestly entreats the govern-
ment not to hesitate to take precautionary measures
against the fatal consequences of a scarcity, for the
sake of a principle uow condemned by the most
varied and general experience in other countries, anti
unanimously renounced by all traders in corn in
every French port.
Prince Jerome Napoleon continues to keep up his
relations with his old republican friends. Ile habi-
tually holds his political boiri'es at the house of
Mademoiselle Rachel, where MM. l'roudhon,
Bixio, Ducoux, Emile de Girardin, &c., con-
tinually meet in conclave. The Emperor is
much displeased, or at least affects displeasure, at
the notoriety of these re-unions. I am told that he
lately forbade l'rince Napoleon to neeive Emile de
Girardin at the l'ulais Royal, and received for
answer from his cousin that he would rather quit the
Paluis ltoval himself then renounce his friend. It is
to be observed, however, that all the republicans and

poriaNall With whom the Prince associates, have a
spice of Napoleunism engrafted upon their other
sonicas, and I suspect the Emperor at bottom is sen-
Ale of the advantage of having a member of his
smily on good terms with the party they represent.
Es would not shrink from a, were measures against ,
any of his n• 1 .tires who should seriously thwart his ,
wiiho. As an instance of this disposition on his
par!. I !tarn to-day that a report, to which I have ,
sot before alludtd, of Lucien Murat being placed
and ,r arrest for cutting down some trees on wa-te ,
land in front of his house in spite of the remon-
WA' Les of the communal authorities, is perfectly
A' the Bourse to-day the market for public secnri-
ties experienoil a decided reaction, and lientes
bar, fallen coo.iderably—the Three per Cents. for'
cash ....Se., and the Four-and-a4lalf per Cents. 60e. ;
the •,*:iree per o.uta. for the account, 80e., and tho
Firar-::nit-a-Half per Cents., 70c. Bank Stock has
farther given way 10L At the close of business the
ki10...1N; were the quotations, with a downward
tend. :icy :—For cash : Three per Cents., 77f. 60c.;
Four-ands-Half per Cents., 102 f. 90e. For the ac-
count : Three per Cents., 77f. Woo. ; Four-and-a-Half
per I euts., 102'. 80e. Bank Stock, 2,820 f.
The market fur railway shires has fared no
better. Northern'', 856 f. 2.1 e. ; Paris and Orleans,
1.15tf. 41.10.; Paris sad Strasbourg, 912 f. 75c.
Paris and Lyons, 9131.

SPAIN.

journal.lof the 28th ult. contain
notl..ng to confirm the announcement of the Fren,:lt
papers that the whole of the ministers, except tl.
)(molt), had sent in their rt,ignation.
The Gazette of the 30th ul!. announces officially
• that ttv Queen has entered into the fifth mouth of
pregnancy. .

ITALY.
AUSTRIAN-ITALY.
Austrian military commandant of the city and
port of Leghorn has published a sentence by court
martial, dated the 27th nit., condemning three por-
ters :•nd a boatman respectively to 12, 10, 7, and 3
motilis imprisonment in irons, for having on the
29th of May last hoisted a tri-coloured thg on the
*a!' of Saint Coeimo, and let off it quantity of bquibs
is far adjacent streets on the occasion. Three more
bow oven dismissed for want of sufficient proof, and
one thquitted.