The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-29 00:00:00

'
DECEMBER 29,e lB5.

31. Chatetuneuf, commission." et the ,prewiskasal
iburnment of 11148 in the Hsieh-A1 00; who was
lhken at Anps and shot in cold Blood, mdkumee the ,
victim Cho en Chweanneuf, and'adds, "Bic transit
gloria mundi"; thus concluding with a hangman's
joke the recital of a horrible butchery.
M. Armand Bertin, editor of the /34ats, has had
an interview with the President at the Elyete, and
tepresented to him the serious losses to which
the proFietare of journals were exposed from
the gagging of the press. At present all papers
were reduced to the same level ; and journalism
was reduced to the simple process of copying the
Moniteur ; so that the cheapest sheet sold about the
streets, the Public for instance, price one sous, was
quite u valuable a source of intelligence as the
Journal des Debats, whose vast establishment had
lasted so many years, absorbed such immense sums
of money, and gave employment to several hundreds
of persons of all classes, from the loading literary
men in France, to the printers, and workmen in all
departments. The reduced circulation was also detri-
mental to the interests of the government, which
derived a considerable revenue from the stamp on
newspapers. The President said that he was very
sorry ; but for a long time to come yet the press
would not be allowed to speak out in France.
A decree is prepared and will shortly appear. in
the Muniteur, which re-constitutes the municipal
council of Paris (at the same time council-general of
the Seine). All who have not given in their adhe-
sion to the coup d'etat of Dec. 2 will be struck out of
this body.
The llondeur Parisies contains the following :

Whatever may be the opinion expressed in France and
in England as to the probable causes of the fall of Lord
Palmerston, we can affirm that the real motive of it is the
frank and spontaneous adhesion which the noble lord did
not hesitate to declare to the great political act which was
accomplished in France on the 2nd December.
In fact, every ministerial paper contains more or
less praise of Lord Palmerston excepting the Makers.
This organ of the jesuitical party looks upon his fall
as a concession to the northern powers worthy of all
approbation.
I am informed from a certain source, that this morn-
ing the Minister of the Interior struck a leader out of
the proofs of a semiofficial organ of the Elyske, because
although generally favourable to Lord Palmerston, it
contained one passage, which it was thought might
be offensive to him. Since the Unirera attacks the
fallen minister, we must conclude that it does not
choose to do at this moment what is agreeable to the
Elyske ; and on the other hand, that it is allowed in
some measure to dictate to the authorities. This is
noted to-day as a symptom of what must in the
natural course of things come to pass, namely,
a split between the ultra-montane party and
Louis Napoleon. The President will probably, like
other ambitious men, when they have climbed the
pinnacle of their wishes, kick down the
ladder by which he mounted; and seek to
conciliate the whole church party instead of a nar-
row faction of it. Meanwhile theElyske is evidently
chagrined at the retirement of Lord Palmerston ; and
the strictest orders are given to keep every paragraph
out of the government papers that may be in the
least offensive to him.
rhe

has a leading article which
expresses satisfaction at the report that Lord John
Russell will take the practical direction of the foreign
department iuto his own hands, as he has always
professed the desire of maintaining friendly relations
with France. "This desire (it adds) it will now rest
entirely with himself to satisfy."
In order to smooth away the irritation which has
resulted from a remark of the Constitatiound, that
old parties could not affect the vote of Dec. 2 in the
least, a lender appears in the same paper to-day to
declare that the phrase "old parties merely applies
to the men of the late Legislative Assembly, and not
to their constituents in the country.
M. Emile de Girardin remains quietly in his house
at Paris, and awaits the moment for events to group
themselves into some settled form.

Five hundred ex-convicts, oho have broken their
ban, have been sent to Brest for transportation to
Cayenne.
It results from an account recently taken, that the
war materiel of France at the present time is esti-
mated at the sum of 439 millions of francs, divided
into seven categories—provisions, 22 millions; hos-
pitals, 17 millions; clothing and camp equipage,
45 millions; general remount for cavalry (72,800
horses), 52 millions; forage, 13 millions: artillery,
268 millions ; engineering material, 11 millions.
France possesses 4,967 pieces of heavy artillery of
different calibre in bronze, and 3,411 in iron ; 3,800
field pieces in bronze, and 2,973 mortars; 4,382
howitzers for siege and field operations; 17,674 gun
carriages of different kinds and sizes, and 229 swivel
guns in bronze. There are in the military arsenals
8,001,234 balls, 933,360 bombs, 1,600,000 shells;
212,213 grenades, 177,588 boxes of balls filled for
cannon and howitzers, 16,000,000 kilogrammes of
balls, 23,000,000 kilogrammes of powder, 99,000,000
of cartridges of different kinds, 96,000 bags filled
with balls for cannon and howitzers, 4,622 cannon
cartridges, 28,000 kilogrammes of powder contained
in hollow .hot and shells, and 450,000 kilogrammes
of powder manufactured, and of the necessary in-
gredients for manufacturing it. In 33 years of peace'
the war maVriel has cost 13,, millions of francs.
The state besides possesses 2,903,801 flint and
percussion lock muskets, in the hands of the na-
tional guard and the army; 151,021 carbines, and
181.336 pistols.
The marriage of General Cavaignac and Nldlle.
Louise Gabrielle Odier took place on Wednesday
night, at the church of the Oratoire Saint Honore.
The service was performed by M. Coquerel. The
ceremony, according to the catholic rites, took place
on Thursday evening, at Notre Dame, before the
Archbishop of Paris.
It is said this evening that Monseigneur Donnet,
the Archbishop of Bordeaux, has been made a
cardinal.
At the Bourse the Five per Cents. rose 83c., and
closed at 101.3,5. The Three per Cents. rose 53c.;
closing at 66.25. The rise ts attributed to the
"communicated" article in the Moniteur, stating
that the conversion of tho Five per Cents. cannot
take place till order and confidence shall be com-
pletely restored. Railways were firm, but without
much business doing.

PARIS, SUNDAY EVENING.
The total result of the polls in 74 departments
emplete is as follows ;
Yes
No 543,481
It is remarkable that, notwithstanding the appa-
rent success of the poll of the 20th and 21st instant,
scarcely a single judicial body of any importance has
come forward with a declaration of adhesion to the
coup d'etat. Not a single tribunal of any large city
has congratulated the President upon his success.
It is, I am informed, in contemplation to
sap the whole independence of the judi-
cial system, by destroying the principle of
the unremovability of the judges, one of the
few sound features of the much-abused constitu-1
lion of 1848. It is certain that the greatest
vexation is felt at the Elysie at the coldness and re-
serve manifested by the bench and bar ; and each
day proves that such feelings of vindictive displea-
sure are instantly gratified without shame or scruple
by the powers that be. Hence a decree is expected
making the tenure of a judicial office precarious
and dependent upon the power of the executive.
You are aware that, in order to meet the vast expenses
of war, the Emperor Napoleon invented a tax, which
is called the dkime de guerre, and exists to this day.
This is a percentage on the direct contributions,
which is levied to provide against the extraordinary
expenditure of war. It is said that this tax is about
to be abolished.
I have just met the President in the Champs Ely-
sees. He was driving in a small chariot, with his
aide de-camp Fleury. Two curassiers rode ahead
with cocked pistols, and a numerous escort of the
same cavalry perfectly surrounded the carriage,
whicn proceeded, at a rapid pace through the bar-
; riere de l'Etoile.

The Patrse contains an article by M. Delamarre,
which foreshadows the intentions of the government
as to the working of the Corps Legislatif. This
body is to be allowed no power of initiative; in other
words, all bills are to be brought in by the go-
yernment, assisted by the council of state. Thus
" the time of the legislature will not be wasted on the
discussion of useless propositions." There is to
be no tribune, or reading-desk, in the eentre
of the semi-circular ranges of benches : but
each member is to speak, as in England, from his
place. The writer traces half the evils of the parlia-
mentary system in France to this use of the tribune,
which throws the management of the Assembly into