The Express.
London, England, 1853-03-11 00:00:00

ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY.

FRANCE.
THV&IDAT EVINING.
Lord F3tratford dolled°liffe was yesterday admitted
to a private audience of their Majesties, in the apart-
ments of the Empress at the Tuileries.
A Cabinet Council was held at the Tuileries yes-
terday, the only result of which yet kuown was the
communication of the following note to the Petrie,
relative to Marshal St. Arnaud :

The Marshal St. Arnaud, Minister at War, has been
for come days past. We arc WILLI, d that his physicians, to
prevent his Macs from inereuina, have ordered hug to
abstain from all occupation for same time. M. de Saint
Arnaud will Ito, it is said, to Ilyerce, and it is hood
the climate of Provence, and the absolute repose ha is
shout to take there, will speedily restore the illustrious
marshal to health, and enable him before long to resume
the administration of the ministerial department which he
directs, and in which he has already rewlered so many bril-
liant service to •be country.

Marshal St. Arnaud has left Paris today, and the
general impression is that he will not return in the
capacity of Minister at War. The rumours of his
approaching retirement, current some weeks ago,
although contradicted, were, it is well known, not
without foundation. Whatever may be the nature of
his illness it is not probable that the Paine would
be instructed to dwell so emphatically upon his pre-
sent unfitness for business if there were any intention
that he should return to his post. When Mar-
shal, then General St. Arnaud, was at the
Pyrenees last year, he continued to act as Minister
at War, and couriers daily brought him despatches
from Paris. On the present occasion M. Duces,
Minister of Marine, will assume the War portfolio
provisionally, and thus, for the first time since De-
cember, 1031, the famous War Miuistcr of the coup
(Taal is without actual power.
On the Bourse to-day a good dual of activity was
displayed, both in Rentes and railway securities; but
the former did not maintain the quotations of yester-
day, though the latter generally improved a shade.
The Three per Cents. closed at 81f. 10e. for the
account, being se. lower, and tho Four-and-a-Half
per Cents. at 104 f. 50c-, being a fall of 40c. Bank
Stock remained at 2,750 francs, being the former quo-
tation, after the heavy decline of the previous two

days.
The market for raila ay shares was Rrm, with a
good demand for Northerns at 901 f. 25c. for cash,
and 906 f. for account; Strasbourg and Bale, at
306 f. 30e. for cash, and 368 f. for account ; and Caen
and Cherbourg, at 627 f. 30c. cash, and 625 f. for
account.
The following are the latest prices of other Conti-
nental Bourses, received by telegraph to-day :—Ant-
werp—Fives, 99; Four-and-a-Half, 98; ; Two-and-
a.-Half, 56;; Metalliquce, 85. Frankfort—Fives,
861; Four-and-a-Half, 77! ; Fours, 69; ; Threes,
524; Two-and-a-Half, 431; Bank, 1,329.
PARIS, WZDNUDAY EVINING.
The expose des motifs of the bill presented to the
Corps Legislatif for calling out 80,000 men from the
lists of 1852 for recruiting the army and navy, states
that the bill is in the precise terms of that passed in
the last session, and that the number of 80,000 re-
cruits per year has never varied since 1830, cape-
deuce having shown that annual contingent to be ne-
esseary to keep up an army of 390,000 men at the
bast, which effective force 1B considered normally re-
quisite in France.
Tho Debuts says of the decree permitting China
Grape to be imported from England for consump-
tion :
The derogation now made from the treaty. of 1826,
although limited to a single article, is a first step in the way
et enfranchisement :coin the r-strictire system, and we can-
not but applaud it as an act calculated to favour our inter-
course with the United Kingdom, our most important one-
menial ally.
A highly important question, as affecting English
residents in Paris, was yesterday decided by the
Court of Appeal. Mr. L—, an Englishman, for-
merly a captain in the Guards, was lately arrested
by aM. Godchaux, for bills of exchange put into
circulation by him in England, amounting to
39,466 f., and was consigned to the prison of the Rue
de Clicby. His advomte stated that some time ago
Mr. L—'s mother paid 6,0001. for him on bills
held by usurers in England, though he had only
received on them 1,2001. or 1,6001., and that he had
subsequently put his name to bills for 12,0001., on
which also he only received a small portion. Being
unable to pay these latter bills, he was obliged to
sell his commission and come to Paris. But the
holder of one of them, a Mr. Calisher, passed it to
M. Godchaux, at Paris, and that person instituted
proceedings on it. The learned gentleman con-
tended that M. Godchaux could not be considered a
serious holder, and that he had merely lent his name
to Calisher, a foreigner. He therefore demanded
that the judgment should be set aside, and his client
be released. The court, reversing a judgment of the
Tribunal of Commerce, held that Godchaux was
not the bona fide owner of the bills, and released
Mr. L---.
The Minister of Public Works has just appropriated
a sum of 330,000 f. for the termination of the canal
from Caen to the sea.
A telegraphic despatch from Marseilles, Bth, states
that the Osiris, which was two days behindhand, had
entered the harbour with the Marquis de Lavalette
on board. The Leonidas, which was also expected
I from Constantinople since the 26th of February, had
left Malta on the 3rd. She was passed by the Osiris,
which had more speed, and was expected at Mar-
seilles from one moment to another.
A telegraphic despatch from Toulon announces that
the Colbert, steam corvette of 300 horse power,has just
left that port for the Indian and Chinese seas. This
vessel, which is commanded by Captain de Bauddon,
will touch successively at Madeira, Rio Janeiro, the
Cape, and the Isle de la Reunion. After snaking a
short stay at that colony, the Colbert will proceed to
Singapore anti Macao, where she wilt relieve the
Cassini steamer, which is to return to France.

Last evening the 79th anniversary of this society
was held at the Freemasons' Tavern, Great Queen-street,
Line*ln's-inn-fields. The Earl of Pown in the chair;
supported by Lord Keane, Captain Saumares, ILN.,
Mr. Oliveira, M.P Captain Scoheil, M.P., Mr.
Whalley, M.P., Sir Charles Fes, Mr. W. Hawes, the Rev.
E. Repton, the Rev. Dr. Vivian, ske. Amongst the tows !
was that of Prosperity to the Royal Humane Society ;"
and in bringing this under the notice of the company,
The CHAIRMAN enlarged at 901110 length upon the int- •
of the society and upon the great benefits which
MilsaXen, and still continued to arise, from its operation.
The velem of the institution was every day becoming more
and it was a great gratification to him to think
=lire' public seemed desirous of giving it their en-
gellellelMent. It NNW not be supposed that the society was
amens msdym to 'metropolitan skatinzelub,ks the mode
et prestiplee by its agents contributed as much to
restage enereded animation and to advance the study of
medical science as any of the great hospitals in which this
wintry abounds. Such an institution was deserving
el the sympathy and support of every Englishman, and in
proof of this he need only say that in the last year 273,000
persons had bathed in the Serpentine, and of these 20 were
respeed from drowning by the efforts of this society. Dur-
ing ear late nine days' wonder—for he might so call the
reseed frost—no less than 110,000 had been on the ice in
the Mersa parks, ann of this number 229 were saved by
the silken of the sOciety, whilst only one fatal *eddied had
esearriet. In making eib statement he was anxious to offer
a • to the esesaatee, vis.: that, encouraged by
el do eablbleisa is Louisa of their apparatus,
Inaisbessid farward Nava te the Great Exhibition. at
mad New York, where, there :could be no doubt,
they wadi be most warmly appreciated. A period of
almost eighty year' had now elapsed since the institution
et tide saisty. The number of lives saved end restored in
Mlle mseetsy alone within that space, and mostly in or near
the asusphs, has been nearly 30,000, which might con-
elm the mat prejudiced observer, not only of the sateen,
bet of the uncommon earnestness and unwearied activity
wherewith the managers have prosecuted tho philanthropic
views fof its founders.—Various other toasts were pro-
' posed during the evening, and ;amongst them The
memory. of the founder of the institution, the late Mr.
Hawes,' who it appeased had bequeathed his interest
in the society, as a legacy to his descendants. A long list
of subscriptions was read, the total amount being about
7001. One of the most interesting features of the evening
was the ceremony of presenting medals to the various per-
DOW who had been the means of rescuing human lives from
drowning. According to the usual custom the individuals
whose lives had been saved, passed in procession round the
room, followed by the various persons to whom they owed
their preservation ; and as the medals were distributed, an
opportunity was offered of testing the advantages of the in-
stitution, and observing the gratifying effect it produces
upon the recipients of its favours.

Letters from Berne and Geneva represent the po-
litical condition of Switzerland to be one of great
excitement. Petitions for the convocation of the
Federal Council are in circulation. Great discontent
is felt with the federal executive because it has not
published the Austrian notes and its own replies,and
then thrown itself upon the nation.

LETTERS FOR MELBOURNE AND HOBART TOWN.—
The Post-alike authorities have advertised that ship-letter
bags will be despatched fur Hobart Town and Melbourne
by the steamer Tasmania, which leaves this country for
those ports on the 3lst ins!.
THE SCREW STEAMER CLEOPATRA.—A private
letter has been received at Liverpool from Valparaiso,
dated January 11, stating that the screw steam-ship Cleo-
patra was hourly expert'd at that port from Sydney, and
' would tail in a few days after arrival for this port, rig

THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING MARCH 11, 1853.