The Express.
London, England, 1848-07-19 00:00:00

the atmosphere or precincts of his business.
London was a hive by night as well as by
day. Whereas now, who is there that does
not seek at least suburban air when business
has c included, ana in the seeking of it indulge
in that daily exercise which his lathers durst not
think of ? What Carionbury-fields or St. James's-party
were to holiday townsfolk years ago, the five or six
counties Eut.und London are now. Your OdA Fellows
do not play skittles at White Conduit House; they
embark on river or rail, and scale he heights of
Gravesend or Richmond. Whilst your merry
Foresters, instead of admiring our humble Serpen-
tine, cross the Solent on a Sunday excursion to beat
up the court quart. rs at Osborne. Lord ]MLMENY
may think it profane to call this exercise, but, after
all, there aro no gymnastics like those of nature—
walking, running, swimming. Good citizens will
of themselves do these things, whilst no philosophy
can make them climb poles, or practise at the now
obsolete and fur ever useless rapier.

Lord DALAI ENT strongly recom mends his gymnastics
by hinting, that had our civic specials on the 10th of
April come to close encounter with the mob, they
might in some instances have got the worst of it.
And therefore his lordship recommends civic training
for future tigh s. God forbid that the middle classes
should ever be obliged, as it France, to put them-
selves in an attitude of military resistance to
the lower class. Such a contingency is to be
prevented, not provided for. But should it come,
the citizens must have some vantage-ground of de-
fence, some superiority of arms, they must make use
of that science and those weapons which intelligence
supplies, instead of those classes which Lord DAL-
WIENY represents as morbid with excess of intellect,
coming down into the arena, and putting their efforts
and lives on a level with brute force brutally wielded.
Lord DALNIENY spends some pages in comparing an
alderman with a gladiator. " Had they exchanged
their habits," he says, " they mi ,ht have exchanged
their forms. Had the alderman from his cradle oh.
served the rules of temperance and exercise his phy-
sical symtnetry would have vied with that of the
Athlete."

But, my lord, were this the case, the world would
be deprived of aldermen. What would the flemrs
alderman be without dining? Or what would be our
gain to have ANTINOUS and HERCULES, in lieu of
AMPHITRYON, filling the high posts of the City ?
How comes his lordship to broach such revolutionary
ideas? His notion of superseding aldermen altogether
is, however, not so preposterous as that of sending the
present generation of City dignitaries to the gymna-
sium, and compelling a common councilman to enact
gladiator, whenever it may please Mr. FEARGUS
O'CONNOR to convene his lieges at Kennington.
We cannot think, therefore, that there is so much
need for the introduction amongst us of Spartan or
Roman institutions. War is no longer the normal
state of the world, and civic strife will, we trust,
not become so. When they do occur, intellect, net
thews, will secure the victory; for if brute force is really
to prevail, neither the middle nor upper classes have
a chance. We should recommend, therefore, the
training of the statesman rather than of the
athlete, fur the defence of the intelligent and pro-
prietorial against the ignorant and the indigent. And
as for dyspepsy, we would combat it rather with
Spartan diet than with Spartan exercises.

FRANCE.

PARIS, TUESDAY, 11.30 A.M.

An interesting and important debate has taken
place in the committee of finances, which has almost
unanimously rejected the project of M. Jules Fevre
to confiscate the prima e property of Louis Philippe. A
debate was raised by the project of M. Prudhon to con-
fiscate a third of the revenues of all proprietors. That
individual having incidentally declared his in-
tention of forcing the Assembly into a sys-
tem which would inflict a slow but certain
death on property, being urged by M. 'Tiers
to explain himself as to the manner in which
he would accomplish such an object, let out, with
some reluctance, that it would be by insisting upon
the literal fulfilment on the part of the Assembly
of the clause in the preamble of the constitution,
declaring the universal right S labour. " Grant
me (said M. Prat:thou) that the state is bound
to supply labour to all citizens, and I will
make you a present of property.' This admission
produced a profound sensation in the bureau, and the
short debate which followed seemed to open the
eyes of the members to the real object of the theories
of MM. Louis Blanc, Prudhon, and their friends.
The project of M. Prudhon was rejected without one
dissentient voice, and M. Thiers was appointed to re-
port upon it.
An ordonnance of the President of the Council ap-
pears in the ...Mallow this morning, nominating
M. Marie to the Ministry of Justice. The same ordon
nance nominates M. Bastide to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, General Bedean being compelled to
resign that post in consequence of his indisposition.
Capt. Verninac, as we have already announced
would be the case, ;s nominated by the same ordon-
nance Minister f Marine. _ .

The difficulties 1 signalised in my letter of last
night, respecting the vacant presidency, will now
arise. The party of the Rue de Poictiers and the
party of the government are not agreed on a candi;
date. The government, as vet, have not been able to
select a candidate of whose election they can feel sure.
I mentioned in my letter last evening that Gamier
Pages was spoken of, but it is not probable that he
will be proposed. An attempt to get M. Marrast
elected would certainly fail ; and it is said that if the
party of the Rue de Poictiers succeed in getting M.
Dufaure elected, Gen. Cavaignac will resign.
The body of prefects of departments who had been
named by M. Ledra Rain, and who include a consi-
derable number of individuals that no doubt wonder
at finding themselves prefees, is undergoing a slow
purgation. 'the most objectionable individuals are
daily disappearing from office. The Constitutionnel
to-day pu'dishes some curious anecdotes of a certain
Marc Dupeice, who, it appeare, was an impudent apo-
logist for and who blasphemously compared
the death of Morey to that of Christ.
A notice appears in the llfoniteur of this morning
explaining that Treasury bons not already converted
into 5 per cent. stock may be converted at any time,
at the option of the parties, but that as to such as
were converted under the decree of the 7th of July,
the holders must apply within one month of the pro
mulgaion of the decree to obtain the compensation,
being tho difference in price between 80 and 100
francs.

The danger from shots fired in the streets in the
open day still continues. Two shots were fired
alimit three o'clock yesterday afternoon from a house
in the Rue St. Honor 6. The death of M. Dorne.l
the repres nutive, in consequence of his wounds,
1, announced.

The ex-municipal guard, which formed so fine a
corps under the monarchy, and became so unpopular
in the revolution of February are to be enrolled, by
order of General Cavaignac, in the new municipal
guard, now called the 8.-publican guard.
M. Ducoux is said to have been named Prefect of
Police, vice M. Trouve Chanel.
The committee of the interior has adopted a pro-
position, made by M. Bautier, for the formation in all
the towns cf France of committees for providing for
the poor. This proposition has been drawn up in the
shape of a decree, which we give textually :
There shall he organised in all the towns of France com-
mittees for providing for the poorer classes. These commit-
tees shall purchase oy wholesale such provisions :is can be
preserved, such as wine, cider, beer, and vegetables, and
shall deal tham out again by retail at the cost prices, aug-
mented only by enough to cover the charges of warehousing,
and the salaries of the persons necessarily employed. The
sales shall be made for ready money. The first funds re-
quired for I.syiug in stocks for a month shall be advanced
by the receiver of taxes for the canton, and shall be reim-
bursed by the committee at the end of two months at latest.
The minurers of the interior and finances are each charged
with prescribing such measures within their respective de-
partmenta as they may rind necessary for attaining the end
propoaed.

We have received the letters and journals from
Madrid of the 13th.
The Carlist faction, commanded by Brigadier Zabiri,
had been ch:pursed in the neighbourhood of Elzabaru,
valley of Ulzama, and three prisonars taken.
Some strong factions had appeared on the side of
Portugal; one admitted by the government journals
to amount to too men.
The Popular declares that the amount of bank notes
of San Fernando in Madrid has been reduced upwards
of a million sterling.
%ram, J, —Three per Cents., 201 cash ; after Bolas. 201 3-16
201 paper. Fire per Cents., 11. cash. natives, 41 per;pa otter
1,e1'..-IJ 'BBl, CBBl.lllc 8 cash. Ihscount of notes, 41, to 5 cash.
CB4Be Oa Londns, at 00 days, 43 paper.