The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-10 00:00:00

SERVIA.

A few days ago we had to speak of the strenuous
protests and complaints of injuries made by the
Prince and Senate of Servia against Russia, and
recorded in formal documents. The end was that
Servia being the weaker went to the wall, and was
compelled to sacrifice the enlightened Oaraschnin,
convicted of being too much a Serb and too little a
Russ. The letter written by M. Nesselrode imme-
diately after these events, has just turned up. It
affords a glimpse of the manner iu which Russia
understands the nationality and autonomy' which
she pretends to guarantee to the Christian princi-
pality. The prolessions of confidence in the reac-
tionary.disposition of Prince Alexander are diplomatic
by y and nothing more. Were they not, the letter
never been written.
He (K. Porton, a special Russian commissioner sent into
Serra) has been further instruCted, my prinse, to express
to you the deep 'sorrow which we hit at the intelligence of
the discontent and disquiet which ban been manifested in
larva, and which have led to disusiontetween the people
and their gamesmen; especially aim that time when the
government adopted such counsel, apckpublished son which
are in ao wise riamicilable with public opinion, and oaly
casualties the present se well es the future of the lead.
News from Waal sources has lately arrived from Vienna
which perfectly confirms those unpleasant reports, but does
not miasmal the hot that your highness, as well as the
greater part of the cams who share with yen the caned
the administration, is at the present time sensible-of the
danger of those seductions by which they allowed them-
selves to be carried away ; and that they sow sincerely wish
tot. repair the past, sad to bring abort for their native land
a more NOM end salutary future than that which was pu-
reed them by a few &goats of 'little respectability—revo-
lutionary prepegaadesto—and their small faction.
If, my rearm, you are animated with this coavietioh, the
Toppoetuaty is afforded you to receivefrom our
ete a few salutary suggestions.
Ise , know, my Prince, better this any one else, that
Rasta ham never demanded of Sonia and her government
. • easeiffde or service of any kind, and will also never make
mist • deniaad; but we cannot sufliciently repeat that the
Yji yho; by the treaties existing bower& him and
therrte. . knareitteed to SITTia the political independence
other adulates which she enjoys, cannot allow that
Syria should, under the protectorate of the Emperor, be-
came the pleat of 'useably he the tevolutioeary exiles
from Wier metes, and the mutant Muth of agitation and
liwiitissi lawless, and thereby Matra, a disadmintags
Oa its gun subjects, and give Clan et satiety to asigbboar-
' ictstatea
The imperial Austrian Court entirely concur in these
oar views. That smart is• as anxious for the welfare of
Serves as we aso. Of this, M. de llayerhoffer, by his re-
cent coaununicationomnat have convinced you.
(Signed) NSISILRODE.
It will be seep front this that the Russian cabinet
aspires completely to dirtit and control the Servian
government, and to appoint its ministers.

,bEßiiii.

-4-

PRUSSIA.

The Prussian Correspondence states that numbers
of Poles, subjects of Russia, had escaped across the
frontier into Prussia from dread of the military. con-
scription. The Prussian government had, however,
given them up to their Russian muters, the Carr not
permitting free emigration.
_ _

BERLIN, Dzc. 6.
The high tory Kreu: Zeituny was confiscated last
night. The same misfortune overtook the "CO:la-
ments" of Victor Hugo. General Radowitz is so far
convalescent that his physicians permit him to receive
the visits of friends. The King is to visit him in a
day or two. The Turn-unions are again the objects of
police attentions. On the 2nd instant domiciliary
visits were made at Sweinfutt and at Wursburg.
Sir Alexander Malet leaves his diplomatic post at
Frankfort to-day to travel in Italy. It is said he
will not return to Frankfort. The Brothers Grimm
have brought out the seventh part of their" Worter-
buche," the work is now carried on as far as the tiord
" Bestrafen."

An important feature in the internal state of
Prussian politics is the re-assembling of the First
Chamber in its old form, in spite of the passing of a
law for its re-organisation. The organisation of the
First Chamber formed one of the prineital points of
debate during the revision of the charter. The
government proposals were, in the main, accepted.
' Rut before the arrangement, as provided for the
charter, came into operation, the government pro-
posed, in 18.11, a new arrangement, which was re-
jected. In spite of this, the government convoked

last year the provisional First Chamber, and suc-
ceeded in passing a bill to the effect " that the First
Chamber shall be composed of the royal princes, the
chiefs of the mediatised houses which formerly be.
longed to the states of the German empire, and of
such hereditary peers and peers for life as the crown
may be pleased to nominate." But the crown has not
yet been pleased to nominate any peers at all. It is
reported that the chiefs of the mediatised houses re-
fuse to take mats and swear to a constitution which,
as they say, gives no sufficient guaranty for the
maintenance of their vested rights and privilnges.
Hence we may expect to be told, that the First
Chamber, as constituted by law, cannot be brought
into operation, till a thorough remodelling of the
Second Chamber shall have brought it back to the
principles of the old Germanic states, which were
representatives, not of the people, but of privileged
classes. The so-called constitution, after having
been octroyed, revised, super-revised, will thus have
to pass through a hyper-super-revision. And i
even then it s a question whetheir the First
Chamber will be allowed to take effect on
the basis at present ordained. It is a
question, whether the Finegan crown, by installing
Peers by right, and creating hereditary and life
peers, will entrust to the aristocracy a power, which
may become inconvenient for a government essen-
tially bureaucratic. By doing so, moreover, the
government:would definitively sanction and stabilitate
the constitution, which, Pam prone to think, it will
avoid doing as long as possible. As long as the first
sisalser is kept in a provisional, unconstitutional,
almost illegal state, the whole constitution is provi-
sional, incomplete, abortive, and may, on the acces-
sion of the next sovereign, or on any other suitable
essasion, be swept away. The advocates of the old
=say that a constitutional government and par-
tary control is very good in an island like
Great Britain, where there is no standing
army ; but in a continental state, where,
as 'a, protection from foreign invasion, half a
million of bayonets must be always kept at the dis-
real of the executive, parliamentary control is
impracticable. While, on the other hand, it is plain
that such a mere mockery of parliamentary co-ope-
ration, as an all-powerful government will admit, a
convocation of privileged interests and plecemen,
who bow and subscribe to whatever the executive
pcoposes, can acquire neither respect nor confidence
with the people, who fare much better when the go-
vernment has to act uncontrolled, and, therefore, on
its own full responsibility. A constitution, which
the people are to posses. under awe of a great
army, is worse than none at all. Incapable of
curbing the acts of government, it weakens the
moral restraint, which no civilised govern-
ment can avoid feeling when acting entirely
on its own responsibility. In a word, continental
nations must be made to understand, that they cannot
achieve the blessing of popular self government as
isag as they are ready, on the first summons, to
marsh against each other and cut each other'.
threats ; for as long as they entertain this propen-
sity, they cannot dispense with the large standing
armies, which make them poor and keep them is
subjection. How long it may take to overcome the
national antipathies among continental nations, it
is difficult to say. But it I. easy to prove, that, u
long as they exist, there can be neither general
wealth nor popular freedom there. It is, perhaps, a
just dispensation of Providence, that people, who so
little respect the lives and property of fellew-crea-
tures, who happen to live on the other side of a river
or a mountain, should be excluded from the acquire-
ment of liberty and wealth, till they shall have learnt
that these highest blessings must be based on feelings
of he—

!humanity.

FRANCE.

PARIS, THURSDAY EVENIXO.

The Revue et Gazette dee heaters announces that
Mdlle. Rachel has sent from St. Petersburg her
resignation as a member of the Theatre Francais.
Dearth' giti:attrugldian mean to pass the remainder
of her days in Russia? Happily for the hopes of
the theatrical public the rulers of the principal
French theatre require that a notice of resignation,
to be valid, must be renewed at the end of six
months. Perhaps before that time Mdlle. Rachel
may exercise the lady's privilege of changing her
mind.

M. Alexandre Dumas is about to try another
tour de force. He has written the following cha-
racteristic and amusing letter to M. Arsine
Houssaye, the director of the Theatre Fl•aticais :
Monday, December 5.
My Dear Director,—l appreciate the delicacy of feeling
which prompts you u a manager, and above all, as •
friend, to hesitate to advise me to write a third comedy for
the Theatre Franuis. But I promised myself, in case my
second piece should be stopped, like my first, to write a
third, and I have the habit of keeping my word with my-
self above all others. Be so good, therefore, as to give me
• reading of a comedy in five acts for Saturday, the 17th
instant. Only, sines I cannot again venture to meddle
with " La Jeuneue"of Kings, I will go • step lower in the
ladder and will pass to" La Jeunesse," of courtiers. My new
piece will be entitled "La Jeunesse de Lauda." Of
I course, not wishing to ruin you, I will arrange so that the
costumes and decorations prepared for La Jeunesse de
Louis XIV." will de for the play. Should this third piece
be prohibited, like the others, I do not engage myself
anew, either towards the public or myself. But I trust it
will not be thus. Number three pleases the gods of anti-
quity, says the Latin proverb. I hope it may be so with
the modern gods. Tout a vow
*x,
P.S. Should I be ready before Saturday I will let you
know. I hope they will not say I blight this also from
Brussels.