The Express.
London, England, 1848-05-04 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 4, 1848.

oorn-law movement, that cannot account for the I
simultaneous expeesaions of opinion in so many dif-
ferent par% of the hingdom, Birmingham took but a '
slight oni.listlms • part in the peoomdinp of the
league, yot_Birmiagham has basis eve more prompt
and dodde4 at the present cocoa* than Manchester.
The meeting at Leader, which elicited a sympa-
thetic response from one of their members, was not
got up by any anti-corn-law organisation. Among
the three hundred and forty-nine electors, at
whom request the Lord Provost of Glasgow called a
meeting fee the 3rd instant, to petition for " a full, fair,
and free representation of the people in the House of
Commons," we have not found any of those names
with which the zealous and effective co-operation lent
by that city to the League made os familiar. The
same remarks hold good of the meetings at Bradford,
Exeter, and elsewhere, and of the inchoate movement
at Lincoln. And above all, the plan of reform sug-
gested by Earl STANIIOrR (which we publish today
and to the consideration of which we will devote the
space and attention it deserves at an early opporta-
nity) proves that a conviction of the necessity of an
immediate and extensive change in our electoral
system is felt by members of the privileged aris-
tocracy as well as by the commons. When such a
deep-rooted, wide-spread belief that participation in
the elective franchise ought to be greatly extended
without delay, and that the mode of exercising it ought
to be changed so as to diminish the chance, if not
destroy the possibility, of corrupt or oppressive in-
fluence,
pervades all classes, it would be worse than
waste of time on the part of the people to allow
themselves to be diverted from their great object by
such a trifle as the measure we have now been ex-
posing. It is a mere " tab thrown out to the whale."

NEWS FROM PARIS.

themeless in flank before the latter could have
disturbed the Tuscans. The Austrian retired within
the fortress, and the affair terminated in Use exchange
of some cannon shots between the &ems and the
Piedmontese army.
No obstacle has been presented to the march of
such reinforcements es might cross the Po to join
Charles Albert.
P.S. Since writing the above I have received letters
from the head-quarters of the Sardinian army at Val-
legio, dated the 27th ult. The army had crowed the
Minoio, and wee advancing to the Adigo. On the
26th, Gen. Broglie, commanding the 3rd division,
hearing that a corps of Austrian Infantry and Hussars
were near Villafrancat advanced in that direction with
a battalion of the brigade of Savoy, and a squadron
of Nevares° cavalry. At the sight of these forces the
Austrians beat a retreat, and withdrew in good order
until they reached Somme Campegna, whore, being
attacked, they were completely routed, leaving
9 wounded and 24 prisoners, and 2 horses. On the
28th it was intended to fix their head-quarters at
Somme Campagne, within seven miles of Verona.
General Allemandi has written a letter to the
Milan Gazette, which announced his arrest, expla-
natory of his conduct. lie declares that it was at his
own request, made in consequence of his desire to
retire, ho not having received reinforcements promised
him from Bresc a, that an escort had been given on
his return to Milan.

GERMANY.