The Express.
London, England, 1848-02-15 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

TRW DAY, Four o'Clock.
EXPRESS FROM PARIS.
Our Paris despatches of yesterday noon have duly
arrived.

Our letters say that all minds in that capital are
now pre-occupied with the possible consequences of
the ad-nation into which political parties, am well in
the chamber as out of it, have been thrown by the
proceedings of last week in the representative cham-
ber. Innumerable rumours and incredible statements
are circulated every hour, the repetition of which
would till a column of this journal, but which
scarcely outlive the hour. Meanwhile we have facts
before us which establish with sufficient clearness and
certainty the real progress of the movement that now
agitates the French capital, and foreshadow with
sufficient distinctness the more immediate effect of it.

From what we have already reported it will be
perceived that the ministry, shaken by the manifesta-
tions within the chamber, and alarmed by the fer-
mentation throughout the capital, resolved in the
eleventh hour to yield to the pressure, and M. Claisot,
at the close of the debate, delivered a speech,
which his organ of the press, the Journal des
Debate, in two leading articles on Sunday and
yesterday, has interpreted aa a distinct pledge that
the government will bring before the present cham-
ber, at a convenient time, a measure of parliamentary
reform. This the Debate affirms to be the clear intent
and meaning of the speech of the minister, who is
compelled to observe the reserve in his words which
the responsibilities of office impose upon him. Neither
the nature nor extent of the reform can be stated, be-
cause the chamber itself must decide these, and not
the cabinet ; but they will be such as the majority of
the chamber can be brought to concur in. In short,
it is understood that the question will be brought for-
ward by the government in the session of 1849.
Meanwhile another question has mitten out of the
incidents of the debate. The menaces of the govern-
ment have assailed the right of public meeting, an
imprescripteble public right of the people of all con-
stitutional states. The opposition, putting aside for
the moment the reform question, have determined
boldly to oppose this pretension of the cabinet, which
they pronounced to be monstrous. They have, there-
fore, determined at once to brave the threat,
and to hold one of these meetings in the very
heart of the capital, which the government has de-
nounced, but to accompany it with every constitu-
tional precaution which can tend to throw the go-
vernment in the wrong, and cover with odium any
attempt to suppress it. We have already announced
that a committee of opposition deputies has been
appointed to concert with the Central Reform Com-
mittee of the Seine, as to the management of the
projected reform banquet of the 12th arrondissement
With the further view to the same object, a meeting
of above a hundred deputies of the opposition was
held in the Place de la Nladeliue on Sunday, at which
the following public manifesto was agreed on, which
appeared in the journals of Paris yesterday morning :
A meeting of more than one hundred deputies, belonging
to the different fractions of the opposition, took place this
morning, to decide, in common, upon the line of conduct it
would be most expedient to adopt after the voting of the
last paragraph of the address.
The meeting first took into consideration the political
situation in which this paragraph places the deputies of the
oppmition. They have recognised that the address, such as
it has been voted, constitutes on the part of the majority, a
flagrant and audacious violation of the rights of the minority;
and that the ministers have, by drawing their party into so
exorbitant an act, at once infringed one of the most sacred
prieriples of the consti'utioa, violated in the persona of their
represer tatives one of the I sientiol rights of the citizens, and,
by a measure of ministerial safety, thrown over the country
the mesa pernicious seeds of division and disorder.
In such cirurristances they have found that their duties
arqoired a graver, a more imperious character, and that in
the midst of those events which now agitate Europe, and
pre-occupy France, they could no longer abandon fora single
mean; the guardianship and the defence of the interests of
the nation. The opposition will remain steady at its post, in
order to watch and combat incessantly the counter-rovrlu-
tionary policy, the audacity of which now excites the anxiety
of the whole country.
A. to the right of meeting of the citizens, a right which
the ministers seems wilting to subordinate to their good
pleasure, and confiscate to their profit, the meeting,
unanimously convinced that this right, inherent in every
free censtitutioe, is moreover formally established by
our laws, have determined up.o resorting to every legal and
constOuttoual means of maintaining it intact, and of con-
secrating it. In consequence of which a committee has been
named to concert with the committee of the electors of Paris,
and to replete with them the co-operation of the deputies,
at the banquet which is now preparing, in order to protest
against the pretensions of arbitrary power.
The meeting have,theaught 'that the cabinet, by miscon-
struing the character of the speech from the crown. and of
the address, to make of th.sen an act infringing on the rights
of the deputy, have placed the opposition under the necessity
of expreuing, on every occasion, their reprehension oh such en
excess of power. They have, therefore, resolved unanimously
that not one of its members, not even those who might be
designed by lot to form a part of the great deputation, shall
be present at the presentation of the address.
This proceeding has extorted from the ministerial
journal supplications for a truce, and reiterated as-
surances that the reform will be conceded, and that
therefore there is no longer any real object for the
banquets.
The question of parliamentary reform, says the Debuts
Cestenlav, will be thoroughly discussed by the present
hamber. Net only will it be discussed, but it will he de-
finitive:y resolved ; this solution will be conformable to the
wish which hes been exyrestitel Fa the discussion of the
address, and which appears to be decidedly that e the van-
sanative majority. The reform will then be accrimplislhed,
er, at least, it bas every possible chance of being ammo.
haired, for it no longer depends upon the ministry—it now
depends on Providence alone. Under this sole reserve, we
no longer conceive the least doubt as to the result. We
answer for it.
Thu• this great question is decided in its principle, and
ally remains to be deeded in parliament. Henceforward it
ao longer furnishes a matter for dismission. There is no
linger any pretext for that violence which has afflicted the
sountry—:`:ore is no longer any pretence for that agitation
which has ff irderl us such a painful spectacle. Let agita-
tion now cease, with ell its perils, with all its evils. Let all
glod ritivas know each other In the Cbansbers es well as
beyond the it precincts, and let the whole nation be restored
to tranquillity and confi&nce.
The resolution to hold the reform banquet in Paris,
in the teeth of the ministerial menace, was adopted,
without a single dissentient voice, by the deputies
Myra, amounting to above one hundred.
The National yesterday says:
We mentioned yesterday the menacing preparations now
makieg by government to aired the legitimate and pacific
enernie of the eight of meeting guaranteed to all cabmen by
ear insWutioas. A new measure has been made known to
to Nis dir, of too serious a nettle* fee ns not to pezvoki
Parise explanations on the part of the government. We
boo, rrom the most undoub•ed authority, that in the 10-h
Linen. s iteeu erden of serene have hem eleirerided, with-
out the knowledge or cot emcee of the ch,t's tie batalions,
or the ttptains, or the serjeamt-stejors of each eovepany,
drawn iu blank and signed, to be deposited at the
asearie, a d delivered, if necessary, te sixteen med to
ha relied upon. We are assured that these chefs
4 "071. informed of this illegal measure, have
'tat ia the most s -getic remonstrances to the *tat