The Express.
London, England, 1853-10-15 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 15, 1853.

FRANCE.

--•-
PARIS, TIMRSDAT EVIININO.

The recent measures intended to bring hawkers
of books and pamphlets more completely under the
control of the central administration, have unex-
pectedly, and to the great chagrin of the high church
party, operated in favour of religious liberty. The
tolerance of all religious established in 1789, and now
indissolubly incorporated with the law of France is
a principle not yet completely engrafted upon the
manners of the people. In many provincial districts,
the local authorities are as bigoted as the Spaniards,
who refuse to bury protestants, or the Tuscan perse-
cutors of the Madiai and Miss Cuninghame. In
these parts of France, it has hitherto been
practically impossible to duseminate protestant
Bibles, because tho hawkers, who alone sup-
ply the majority of country people with
books, knew very well that the sale of them
would, under one pretext or another, entail the loss of
their license. But now that a government stamp is
affixed to every publication before it can be lawfully
sold by the hawkers, they have nothing to fear so
long as they. sell nothing unstamped. The govern-
' went mark is a conclusive certificate, and it being
impossible for the government to stigmatise the
Bible as a bad book, protestant Bibles are now sell-
ing freely in priest-ridden Brittany and many other
places were such things were scarely known.
The Emperor and Empress arrived at Compi4ne
yesterday, at a little before 5 o'clock.
' ICount Bacciochi has returned to Paris from his
mission to Stutgardt.

PARIS, FRIDAY EVEITINO.

Considerable sensation has been occasioned to-day
by the receipt of a telegraphic despatch from Vienna
of the 13th announcing that the Emperor of Austria
bad actually issued a decree for reducing his
army by means of furloughs upon a vast scale.
This is thought to be a conclusive proof that
Austria will stand neutral in the coming conflict
between Russia and Turkey, and to show that the
war is not in any event likely to become general.
This despatch was the principal cause assigned for the
considerable rise which took place at the Bourse to-day.
Thel hrees improved 00c., and, with few exceptions,
the railways closed at much better prices. It is right
to say, however, that very serious and well-founded
doubts are entertained whether aoy real reduction is
about to be made in the Austrian army. The fact
has been repeatedly asserted of late, and as often
denied. Only yesterday a letter was received
from Milan stating that the orders which
had been given for the reduction were counter-
manded in consequence of the serious aspect of
foreign affairs. The Patric of to-night, in its
" Latest News," says "There is nothing to confirm
the recent announcement that Austria is about
to reduce the effective of her army," and
makes no allusion to the telegraphic despatch
of the 13th, as qualifying the weight of the observa-
tion.
The government papers are more warlike than'
ever. M. Grimier de Cassagnac has an article in
the Cunstitutionnel, headed "Consequences of a War
in the East," which sets out with the proposition
that war is so nearly certain, that for all purposes of
argument the sword must be considered as drawn, in
order that the consequences likely to result may be
soberly considered. The Pays, hitherto so peaceful,
no longer runs counter to the Consfitulionnel, but
admits with regret that war is imminent. The pub-
lic is indeed now reconciled to the prospect, but
trusts, we must hope not too presumptuously, that it
will be merely local.
The legitimist Union says it is enabled by a private
letter to confirm the fact (which has been disputed)
that Marshal Prince Paskewitsch has been appointed
to command the Russian army in tie Principalities.
Marshal Paskewitsch had already set out for the
Danube, and must by this time have assumed the
command. He has a great military reputation,
acquired principally in Poland and Persia.
The first volume of Dr. Veron's long-announced
Memoirs is just out. The title is " Memoires d'un
Bourgeois de Paris." It makes a great noise in a
certain world, but is sadly overlaid by the Eastern
question.
An election for a Councillor-General for the Pas
de Calais has been set aside by the Prefectorial
Council for bribery, treating, and intimidation. This,
' so far as I am aware, is the first instance of malpree.
does of this kind having been taken judicial notice of
since the restoration of the Bonaparte dynasty, which
I date from Dec. 10, 1848.

GERMAN Y.

AUSTRIA.

"Existing circumetanees,';sais the German Jour-
nal of Frankfort, "do not permit the Austrian
government to realise its project of reducing the
effective of the infantry. Contrary orders have been
given by the Minister of War at Vienna."

VIENNA, Oct 10.
It appears that it was an article upon the late
edict restoring Jewish disabilities which led to the
seizure of the Lloyd yesterday. The conductor of
that journal announces that he will appeal against
the seizure, and not receive another subscription to
his paper until he knows the law of the ease. There
is no doubt that the government has strengthened
the opposition in an important degree by the new
;measure.

PRUSSIA.

Letters from Berlin of the 11th state that because
the conference of the Zollverein had rejected the
proposition for reducing the import duty on iron,
the Prussian government had withdrawn its propo-
sition for abating the duty on cereals.

ITALY.

Queen Mahe, the widow of King Louis Philippe,
Ct"through Turin on the 9th, on her way to
o: and Nice.

Lord Minto pawed through Turin on the Bth, on
his way to Florence, where he intends pausing the
winter.

The Supreme Court of Cessation at Florence has,
by a decree of the 3rd, quashed the sentence of the
Royal Court of Florence, declaring Mini, Marital,
and others guilty of the crime of high treason. The
case has been referred to the Royal Court of Lucca.

SPAIN.

The Espano of the 7th, states that MM. Pacheco
and Rios-Roses have not thought proper to accept
the judicial functions at the Supreme Court of Jus-
tice, offered to them by the government. On the
7th Queen Isabella presided over the council of minis-
ters and gave her approbation to all the measures
laid before her. A Madrid letter of the Bth states
that the Marquis de Molina, Minister of Marine, has
given orders tor the construction of three screw fri-
gates in the ports of Ferrol and Corunna. The small-
pox has broken out at Madrid with great virulence.

INDIA AND CHINA.

THE OVERLAND MAIL.

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