The Express.
London, England, 1847-05-11 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 11, 1847.

them the question of the urgency of a change in
the cabinet After a conference, it w-am resolved
that M. Lscave-Laplagne, the Minister of Finance;
M. Moline St. Yon, the Minister of War; and M.
de Mackin, the Minister of Marine, should
be ;got rid of. The question of the removal
of M. Cunin-Gridaine (who, it will be observed,
was excluded from this cabinet caucus) was
talked of; but it was thought that his dismissal
would be unacceptable in a high quarter, and he was
allowed therefore to remain. Atter this conference,
M. Guizot presented himself to Marshal Soult, who,
it is well known, takes no share in the actual pro-
ceedings of the cabinet, of which he is the nominal
chief, and informed the marshal of what was resolved
on. The two ministers then proceeded to the Cha-
teau, and were immediately admitted to the royal
presence, where they obtained the King's ;uncut to
the decision which had been taken, and M. Soak was
authorised to communicate to the three proscribed
members the willingness of the King to accept their
resignations. On Saturday morning, accordingly,
they presented themselves to the Tuileries, where the
Ministers of War and Marine gave their unconditional
resignations; but not so the Minister of Finance. M.
Lacave-Laplagne respectfully represented to hie Ma-
jesty that, although he was willing to be dismiesed,
he must decline giving a voluntary resignation ; that
he was sensible of being about to be victimised for the
faults and malversations of those of his colleagues,
who still retained office ; that he was ready to resign
with the rest of the cabinet, but not separately ; that
the acts which supplied the pretext of his removal,
were, in reality, committed by his several colleagues ;
and that, inasmuch as his voluntary resignation would
amount to self-condemnation, he must respectfully
insist on retaining his office until he was dismissed
from it. Upon this, the King, with much kindness
and urbanity, represented that in retiring he should
receive liberal proofs of royal confidence and favour.
The peerage was offered, in the first place, with the
rich sinecure of the office of procureur-general of the
cour des complex. To this M. Lacave Laplagne re-
plied, that, however gratefully he might accept such
marks of the royal confidence under other circum-
stances, he felt it due to himself at present to
decline them. The King then added the further
offer of the office of intendant of the domains of the
Duke d'Aumale, which was nevertheless declined
with the same respectful firmness.
These particulars were given by M. Lacave-La-
plagne himself, in the Salle des Conferences of
the chamber without reserve to his friends, among-
the deputies, and great was the indignation he ex-
premed at having been made the " scape-goat" for
the misdeeds of his colleagues.
Up to the hour of closing his despatches our cor-
respondent had learnt nothing certain respectiafr the
persons to be selected to replace the three ministers
dismissed. It was considered certain that the ministry
of war had been offered to the Marquis de La Place,
who, it was believed, however, had declined the
honour of a seat in the cabinet. It was said that
Lieut.-General Laanours, peer of France, was then
proposed for the office. M. Duchitel, whom it was
first proposed to transfer to the finances, had, it was
said, declined to leave the ministry of the interior,
and M. Damon was then named to go to the finances,
and vacate the ministry of public works. Among
the persons mentioned for this latter office were M.
Muret de Hord and M. de Bussieres, French ministers
at the Hague. The Count de Bresson continued to
be spoken of for the ministry of marine.
The opposition journals are, of course, highly in-
dignant at the attempt of the leaders of the cabinet to
elude the difficulties of their situation, and visit their
sins upon the heads of some three or four of their
inferior colleagues. Nor does there appear any pros-
pect of the present change restoring to the ministerial
majority the pro.gressist conservatives who have re-
cently deserted it. La Presse, which is the organ of
that section of the Chamber, is as indignant as any of
the organs of the Left at the obstinate tenacity with
which MM. Guizot and Duchatel adhere to office.
A debate took place in the chamber on Saturday
on a petition against duelling, in which it was pro-
to enact a special law against the practice.
is, however, was successfully opposed by the most
eminent law authorities in the chamber, including
M. Dupin, on the ground of the inexpediency of
taking a murder thus committed oat of the common
classification of homicide in the code.

The preliminary examination of Gen. Cabieres
took place on Saturday at the little Luxemburg, be-
fore the President of the Court of Petra and the
committee appointed for that purpose.
It was announced that the Minister of Commerce
would introduce on Monday a project of law for the
continuance of the free importation. of provisions
until the last day of October.
In a postscript written at the latest moment, our
correspondent says : The crisis of the cabinet con-
tinues without definite solution, and appears ever. to
assume still greater complication. Unlooked-for em-
barrassments and difficulties collect around M. Guizot.
At one o'clock to-day nothing was done. All the
parties to whom portfolios had been offered had de-
clined them. M. de la Place, M. Bresson, and M.
Busaieres, bad refused. M. Bignon, vice-president of
the chamber, and a distinguished member of the con-
servative party, was offered the portfolio of public
works, but declined it.
In the course of the morning, M. Guizot had an
interview with M. Achille Fould, at the Hotel of
Foreign Affairs, and, as is supposed, offered him the
ministry of marine, which was also declined. M.
Achille Fould is an eminent banker, and was lately
signalised in the chamber by his attacks on M. de
Mackan.
The king, who was to have left Paris for a few
days for Chantilly, has been obliged to relinquish his
intention, and remain at the Tuileries.
M. Duchatt I, who has since Friday held himself
aloof from affairs, under plea of indisposition, went
with M. Guizot to the Tuileries to-day, where these
ministers were closeted with the king till 4 o'clock.

' We have received advice, from Madrid to the 4th
inst. The Baylen anniversary of the 2nd May was
observed by the queen and court putting on mourning.
A patriotic banquet was given in honour and in com-
memoration of the victims by the Progreasist
headed by M. Olozaga. Madame de Valverde
Countess dowager de Torrejan, has been appointed
cumerara-mayor, or mistress of the robes, to the queen,
being the office vacated by the :Marchioness of Santa-
Cruz. It remained uncertain whether the queen
would be accompanied to Aranjuez by the king, whd,
it was said, would probably go to the Prado. The
members of the royal household had already departed
for Aranjuez.
M. Castro y Orozco, president of the Chamber of
Deputies, died suddenly on the morning of the 4th at
seven o'clock.

A royal ordonnanee appeared in the Madrid
Gazette, founded on a report of M. Salamanca, autho-
risicg the centralisation in the public treasury of
all the state funds. M. Salamanca intended to pro-
pose a project of reform in the organisation of the de-
partment of finance. The senate had approved, by a
large majority, of the project of law for raising 2.5,000
men.

FRANCE.—PARIS, MAY 9.—BOILER EXPLOSION.
—A fearful accident took place, on the Bth inst., in a manu-
factory of carriage springs, situate in the rue St. Denis, in
Paris. The boiler which fed one of the steam-engines bunt,
throwing the stoker a distance of 180 yards from the place
of the explosion ; Mr. Hartmann, sae of the engineers of
the Great Northern Railway, bad his skull fractured ; two
workmen who were on the spot were instantly killed, and
eight others were ranch wounded. These last were imme-
diately brought to a hospital, where one is in a dying state.
The fragments of the boiler were thrown up more than 1.5
yards, they broke the fly-wheel, and knocked down the walls
of the engine-bowie, which now remains a mass of mina.
THE NEW OYSTER-BED.—The Journal do Harre
continues its lamentations on this subject, and complains of
the French government not taking any steps to ensure the
newly-found oyster-bed exclusively as the property of France.
" The naval authorities," saes that journal, " have ordered
the stoppage of the fisheey since the Ist of May. In the
meanwhile the English, who are not forbidden to do so, con-
tinue to work this fertile mine, and fish op the oysters ander
the very
_eyes of our guards, who errant prevent them."
GERMANY.—Pauggi.s.—BERLIN, MAY 7.—The
Allgemeine Preussische Zeifung of this day, contains the
report on the sitting of the first estate (Herren-Kurie) of
the diet of the 30th of April. Two subjects were before the
assembly. The first was the resolution of the three estates
respecting the export of potatoes, and the use of potatoes
and grain in distilleries. As will have been inferred from
the issuing of a royal edict on the 3rd of May, nearly in the
terms of that resolution, the decision of the high nobility
was in accordance witl4that of the equestrian, burgher, and
peasant orders. The discussion elicited no novel views. A
rizo-qtto that dropped unconsciously from Prince
y owski, us may be recordedone of the lite-
rary curiosities of Prussia's first national parliament.
Tho term Rilterschaft (knightly order or clam) his
come in Prussia, and' generally throughout Germany,
to mean little mere than "landed gentry." To this
we are indebted for the prince's rather startling enunciation

that "the knightly order distils and arils potatoes': (die
Rilleruhaft, die Kariojfehi verbreent rwd rerkauft).
Spirit of Chivalry ! has it come to this ? The second subject
of discussion was a proposal to admit the members of the
three estates (in so far as there was ro mi) to be present at
the meetings of the first estate, and rite versa. The pro-
, poeal was approved try the committee to which it was referred
by 9 votes to 1. The vote in the meeting of the first estate
was taken on a motion that the King be requested to
permit the arrangement. The marshal hinted at difficulties
arising from want of room. Count 1), hen supported the ro--
commendation of the committee on the ground that printed
short-hand reports offered, after el, only a half publicity.
Printed reports enable good speeches ill delivered to be ap-
preciated; but they cannot convey the impression made by
impassioned eloquence. Both require to be known. The
publicity of personal presence, and the publicity of the press,
are n complements of each other. On the opoosite
side, the Prebendary Krosigk, after avowing himself
the minority of one in the committee, earnestly opposed
the proposal to admit some twenty members of the
three estates (all that there is room for), to be present at the
debates of his order. That concession would necessarily lead
to the admission of the general public, and such a step in this
age of " railways, express-posts, eleetro-magnetic telegraphs,
short hand reporters, end express journals' must lead to re-
volution and all arils. Not *Fiala n ling the alarm of the worthy
prebendary, the proposal to address the king in favour of
permitting the members of the two bodies constituting the
diet to be present at each other's meetings, was approved,
with only three dissentient voices.
An important petition has been laid before the
general diet by the deputy from Pomerania, the contents
of which, if entertained and acted on, cannot fail to be
extremely injurious to the shipping interests of this country.
The petition requests that the Prussian government,
accord with the other Mates of the Zollverein, should
pass a law to the effect that importations direct from the
countries of production out of Europe Mould enjoy a remiss
aim of 20 per cent. upon the import duties, whenever these
importations should be effected by verses considered as
belonging to the Zollverein. Thu concession should be
extended to the ports of the north lying between the Scheldt
and the Elbe. By these means, it is stated, the shipowners
of the Zollverein would be protected, and the competition of
its maritime commerce facilitated with that of the pare of
Antwerp, Hamburg, Bremen, &c., and thus bring these ports
and other countries on the seuboard of the German littoral
to join the Zollverein. National industry would thus be
favoured, it is averred, and means found for concluding
advantageous treaties with other countries carrying on com-
merce by sea.
AUSTRIA.—VIENNA, MAY 2.—An official letter
from the president of the Aulic Council of War orders that
the army shall wear mourning for the late Archduke Charles
six weeks longer than the usual court mourning, that the
two regiments of which the deceased was commander shall
always he called the Regiment of the Archduke Charles,
and the sword of the late commander shall be preserved in
the Arsenal of Vienna.

--- • --
RUSSIA- ST. PETERSBURG, APRIL 27.—The
Emperor of Ramis has appointed his grandson, the Grand
Duke VladiuticAlexandrowitch, who is not above • few
days old, commander of the Imperial Dragoon Guards.
The ice has begun to break up in the Neva at its
junction with the Ladoga Sea; parts of this river are already
quite cleared.
On the petition of several members of the com-
mercial body of the capital, the Finance Minister has
given his sanction to a project for establishing a transit
company. The project has beta submitted to, and approved
of, by the emperor.
Siberia has been visited with great scarcity. In
the district of Werchneudlnsk, government of Irkutsk, the
harvest was so bad in the years 1844 and 45 that it was found
necessary to open the crown magazines. In 1846 the harvest
was a little batter; but was nevertheless scarcely sufficient
for the consumption. The crops were quite insufficient in
the circles of Irkutsk, Nischnendinsk, and Nertschinsk ; and
in the circle Kirensk, where corn is grown in small quan-
tities, there was a complete failure in the crops. The vast
expanse of this circle or province, and the distance by which
the divers villages are separated render the lot of its inha-
bitants peculiarly hard. TM
.gold washers are in a distress-
, ing state, the prices of provisions having advanced in an
! extraordinary degree. These high prices. however, are lees
owing to insufficiency of provisions thee to the increase in the
quantity of gold.
MEXICO. MANIFESTO OF SANTA ANNA.—
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, interim President of the
Mexican Republic, to his fellow-countrymen " Mexicans !
Vero Cruz is already in the power of The enemy. It has
fallen, not under the weight of American valour, nor even
under the influence of its good fortune. We ourselves,
shameful as it may be to say it, have brought upon ourselves
this dire disgrace, by our interminable discords. The govern-
ment owes you the whole truth ; you are to arbitrate on the
fate of the country ; if it is to be defended, you will be
these who shall stop the triumphant march of the enemy
that occupies Vera Cruz; if he shall advance one step more,
the national independence will be buried in the abyss of the
past. lam resolved to go forth to the encounter of the
enemy. What is life ennobled by national gratitude if the
country suffers • reproach which shall cast a stigma on the
front of every Mexican ? My duty is to offer myself as a I
sacrifice, and I shall know how to fulfil that duty.
The haughty Americans desire to obtain
of the capital of the Aztec empire. I shalljsm
witssees such a disgrace, for I am decided sooner to
die in combat. It is a critical moment for the Mexican
nation. It is as glorious to die in the struggle, as infamous
to acknowledge a defeat without an effort, • defeat too by an
enemy whose rapacity is as far removed from valour as from
generosity. Mexicans! have you a religion? Defend it.
Have you honour ? Save it from infamy. Do you love your
wives and your children? Itc.seue them from American
brutality. But it is deeds, not vain demands, nor sterile
wishes, which are to be opposed to the enemy. The national
cause is supremely just. Why dims Gad appear to have
abandoned it ? His displeasure will cease if we present, as
an expiation of our crimes, the sentiments of a sin- I
care union—of a true patriotism. Thus the Eternal
will bless our efforts, and we 'hall be invin- I
able; for, against the decision of eight millions
of Mexicans, how shall eight or ten thousand Americans
prevail when they have ceased to be the instruments of
divine justice ? I speak to you for the last time; for the
sake of God listen to me ; you must nut hesitate between
death and slavery; and if the teensy shall vanquish you,
at least let your resistance be respected. It is now time
that there should he no thought but fur the common defence.
The hour of sacrifices hasstruck. Awaken : the tomb opens
at your feet. Win a laurel, that it may be mare° over
it. But the nation will not perish: I will answer for
the triumph of Mexico, nay, will swear for the result,
if an unanimous and sincere co-operation shall only
second my desires. Fortunate will be the humiliating
affair of Vera Cruz. If the fate of that city shall inspire
Mexican breasts with the enthusiam, the dignity, and the
generous ardour of true pstriotism, it will unquestionably
have been the salvation of the country; but should Mexico
succumb she will bequeath her shame and her dishonour
to those egotists wno have sought not to defend her—
those traitor, who have prosecuted their owd personal com-
bats, damaging the nstional character. Mexicans, the fate
of the country is in your hands; you, not the Americans,
will decide it. Vera Cruz cries for vengeance ; hasten to
wipe out the foul blot of her dishonour.—(Signed) TUNIC,
Loran Dr SANTA ANNA.—Mexico, March 31, 1847.

How VERA CRUZ. WAS TAKEN.—We present our
, readers with an extract from a letter by a gentleman who
was an eye-witness of the operations at Vera Cruz. His
account differs somewhat from that furnished by the
American prints, but having heard the statement of avowed
partisans, perhaps it is well that we should read that of an
Impartial (or it may be prejudiced) observer :
Oa board lIJLS. Dwag, Saorifidos, lath of March, BM—
US Wad the tows at is Orr Gelds Ora* off& Joan de Vliaa
=:1to the Asalekens. The tans I stoir dawortain with err.
/rt Otitis la. selleded 'bates latarrhawapbead =honour in
thebedems, atm bra saweasSi NYE memo got at tbe Yankee,
Um Ns Oat Set tbey he,. bad Veva Ores averessdail by 14,000 to
ISA* 10014 and, easel It was sidE 0401sild by 4,000, me-halt or
VS= were militia, they dared sot albeh it like mea, but from a
lime threw shells into at until oftbisterth of the loan vigil in ache.,
Mei a great number of women sad aligns dtehroyed. The Mexicans
Yrs shown uncommon pluck. Its Amebas' gave it out that their
WSW** on shore were to play °alias Ss aloft whilst their fleet
Masked It on theother ride. Thwy bra ust. bweraver, bad the
la try their strength
Loathe cowls Sotwldslesdies their brae=
batYee ocatented hemselves with inglodiswebodlig Wakes Vara
Ons."