The Express.
London, England, 1853-08-11 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, WEDNESDAY EVENING.
The Moniteurcontains a decree elevating M. Drouyn
de Lhuys, already a grand officer of the Legion of
Honour, to the dignity of a Grand Cross of the Order,
" in consideration of his eminent services in the direc-
tion of diplomatic affairs." M. Drouyn de Lhuys has un-
doubtedly given many proofs of his ability as a diploma-
tist, but so far as the extraordinary honour this day con-
ferred upon him may be intended as a reward for
his conduct of the Eastern question, the public has
no means of judging whether it is deserved. The
latest known result of M. Drouyn de Lhuys and Lord
Aberdeen's diomacy, according to a telegraphic
despatch from Vienna of the Bth, appearing in yes-
terday's Express, is that the " good offices "of Aus-
tria are accepted, that "no objection was raised" by
the Czar to the main propositions; but that no for-
mal demand having been made for the immedi ,te
withdrawal of the troops from the Principalities, he
enters into "no specific engagement" in that re-
spect. He is willing to receive an embassy from
the Sultan, and "protests" that he is animated by
the desire to effect a pacific and amicable arrange-
ment. All the disjointed accounts that have reached
Paris go to confirm the accuracy of this, the clearest
explanation that I have yet seen of the present state
of the question. To say, under these circumstances,
ea the French papers do, that the affair is as good as
settled, is clearly to trifle with the public. The pub-
lic both in France and England have been told to
expect a categorical answer from Russia to a distinct
proposition—an answer that was at once to put an
end to the present state of armed truce, and show
whether it would be necessary or not for the fleets to
advance to Constantinople. Those "explanations"
to which according to Lord Clarendon we are
" entitled," mast also, if our title be admitted,
be now on their way from St. Petersburg. Yet
while all this is pending, we aro called upon to re-
joice and sing the praises of diplomacy, because
'Russia is said to have accepted the " good offices " of
Austria, good offices to be exercised in support of
some unknown proposition, to the " main" points of
which the Emperor Nicholas has" raised' no objec-
tion. Some people soy the eagerness of the Emperor
of Russia to adhere to the terms proposed by the con-
ference
of Vienna the instant they were communi-
cated to him by anticipation by his own ambassador,
M. de Meyendortf, is a plain proof of his desire for a
speedy settlement, for otherwise ho would have
waited till the proposition was formally before
him. I much fear, on the contrary, that this
apparent haste will turn out to be a crafty
device for protracting negotiations. There is
nothing in the news from Sr. Petersburg, as now
explained, to show that the Empercg of Russia has
done anything to bind himself. Ileyrotests in a
general way that he wishes for a pacific arrangement,
but so he has done from the beginning, while all his
acts have belied his words. The statement that he
" has " raised no objection to the main points of the
proposition of Vienna—whatever that proposition
may be—implies that minor objections have been
made already, and dues not preclude Russia from
raising more important ones hereafter. The " main "
point of the business, so far as Europe is concerned, is
that the Russia army should not be allowed to pass the
winter in the Danubian Principalities, and upon this
vital subject there is too much reason to believe no
stipulation whatever has been so much as proposed,
at least it is clear that Russia has accepted none.
While M. Drouyn de Lhuys is bedizened with the
Grand Cross, for his skill in diplomacy, the govern-

ment papers, as if to prepare the way for sonic dis-
graceful disclosure, are instructed to designate the
evacuation of the Principalities es a "secondary
questioa." which cannot lead to any difficulty.
There has been a Council of Ministers at St. Cloud
this morning.
General of Division Despnns Cubitres has just died
in Paris. This is the individual whose name acquired
such notoriety in the altar of Teste.
The Emperor, after personally examining, a scheme
proposed by M. Le Barazer, a captain of a merchant-
man, for making Paris a sea port, made him a present
of 130,000 fr., to build a sailing vessel which he under-
takes to navigate up the Sine to prove the practicabi-
lity of his plan. The Presse says that a steamer of
00 tons now building in M.M. Arman's yard at
Bordeaux will positively come up to Paris next
month, and it goes so far as to predict that, owing
to modern improvements in ship-building, Paris will
soon have no reason to envy London the Thames.
M. Bize, ex-questor of the late Ledslative Assem-
bly of France, has written a letter to the lialepend-
ance of Brussels, in reference to the permission, lately
obtained for him from the Emperor by Jasmin, the
poet, to return to France unconditionally. M. Mize
declares that the narration of the scene which took
place at St. Cloud gave him the greatest pain. " I
thought (says the letter) that I had made nll my
friends, and particularly M. Jinimin, understand how
much any solicitation made on my behalf would
annoy me ; and I was in hopes that they would for
the future confine themselves within a reserve which
for me was a right, and for them a duty. That has
not been the case. What has just passed obliges me
once more to make a disavowal, the motive of which
will be easily understood by every man of proper
feeling. rho end of the proscription which has fallen
on me, and which in my family affects three genera-
tions, cannot, even in appearance, be the result of a
favour accorded directly or indirect,y by an 7 one."
The Bulirtm de Paris states that the Emperor is
about to visit the camp at Helfaut. The municipal
authorities of Lille and other places, through which
he will have to pass, have already taken measures for
his reception. At Lille they are on an extensive
scale. His Majesty is to enter the town on horse-
back, is to be received by the authorities, and is to be
conducted with great pomp to the Prefecture. Two
triumphal arches are to be erected in the line of pro-
cession, and all the houses are to be decorated. It
is it not known whether the Empress will accompany
his Majesty. The Liberh: of Lille, of yesterday,
says :—" We are assured that the official news of the
precise period of the Emperor's aarival, reached the
Prefecture this morninc:
A new work by M. Proudhon, entitled " Philosophy
of Progress, or the Program," is announced to appear
at the end of this week. As originaly written, it con-
tained less than ten sheets, and could not be lawfully
pub:ished without the visa of the Minister of the lute-
dor. Not wishing to run the risk of this permission
being refused, M. Preuelliun has added a new chapter,
and so brought his book within the class exempted
from censure.
The Emperor has sent 10,000fr.' and the Empress
3,000 fr. to the Prefect of the Doubs, for the relief of
the sufferers from a recent terrible fire at Frasne.
M. Berryer has been re-elected batoanier of the
Order of Avocats of Paris.
M. Arago, perpetual secretary of the Academy of
Sciences, was able the day before yesterday to attend
the weekly sitting of the Academy.
The Bourse to-day has had a dull aspect, and
Rentes have hardly maintained the quotations of
yesterday. The Three per Cents. for cash have ad-
vanced ac., but for the account they have fallen 10c.
The Four-and-a-Half per Cents. for both cash and
the account have just sustained previous quotations.
No change has taken place in the value of Bank
Stock. At the close of business the prices were
steady at the following quotations:—For cash : Three
per Cents., 79f. 80c.; Four-and-a-Half per Cents.,
101 f. 40c. For the account : Three per Cents.,
801. ; Four-and-a-Half per Cents., 101 f. 40c. Bank
Stock, 2,b3 f.
Northerns, 893 f. ; Paris and Orleans, 1,215 f

Paris and Strasbourg, 007 f. 25c.; I'aris and
Lyons, 957 f. ; Paris and Rouen I,loof. 50c. ;
Lyons to the Mediterranean, itidf.; Western of
France, 700 f. 500.; Rouen and Havre, 510 f.; Bor-
deaux and Cette, frl3f. 2de.