The Express.
London, England, 1866-06-02 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(rays oes taws ccamearommier.)
PARIS, "'away Emma.
The jealousy of the new powers which the go-
vernment desires to obtain by the bill for the more
effectual repression of crimes and misdemeanours
committed by Frenchmen abroad, is shown
by the large minority (50 against 174)
which voted against one of the clauses ; but
the bill ultimately passed, with only 25 dissentient
voices, the tiers parti having, with that Moon-
siatency with which they are often justly re-
proached, voted that a good measure on the whole
which it had previously condemned in one of
its principal constituent parts. M. Picard,
upon whose broad shoulders fell the prin-
cipal work of opposing the bill, made
a second speech yesterday, in which he showed
that the new law was not called for, that the
offences committed with impunity by Frenchmen
in foreign countries were extremely rare, and that
the proof lay in the fact that the bill was not pre-
sented in consequence of the complaints of any
feign power. The logical consequence of the hiatus
in legislation which the government professed such
a conscientious and scrupulous desire to remedy,
would be to deliver up the criminal Frenchmen to
the justice of the country in which their
crimes or misdemeanors had been committed.
The government, with an affectation of
patriotic feeling, said they would never consent
to the extradition of Frenchmen for trial by foreign
courts of justice. But it was very hard that they
should not giva the accused party a voice in the
matter, and at least allow him to be judged in the
country whose laws he had offended if he
liked. As to the amendment, which the govern-
ment had been forced by the committee to assent
to, restricting the operation of the bill to cases in
which the offence charged was an offence by the
laws of the country in which it had been
committed, M. Picard urged that it was illu-
sory, because there were in other countries,
Ragland, for instance, most severe laws
on the statute book which had become obso-
lete, which juries would not act upon, and which
government never sought to enforce. He humour-
onsly referred to the fiction that every citizen was
supposed to know the law, and inquired how
French judges, who notoriously often did not
know the laws of their own country, were
to admiruster those of China or Japan, to
which the bill would apply. More seri-
ously he dwelt on the objection that the prisoner
would have no means of compelling the attendance
of foreign witnesses who might establish his inno-
cence. However, the bill has passed (subject to
the yet doubtful approbation of the Senate), and
French refugees or accidental sojourners in foreign
countries will do well to study it closely.
The Brame/wit was seized yesterday, and will be
prosecuted on account of articles by M. Albert Wolff,
which are accused of being political, whereas the
Illivneineett belongs to the minor press, and has no
Illicense to deal in politics. Nothing can be more
arbitrary than the line drawn by French law and
practice between political and non-political
journals. There is scarcely a number of
the most insignificant, gossiping print in Paris in
which a crown lawyer could not find something poli-
tical. The very general usage, when the little press
isnot hostile, is to exercise that wisdom lauded by M.
Emile 011ivier, which consists in not seeing political
offences. But I believe some of the established
papers which, owing to the difficulty of founding
any new political organ, enjoy a practical monopoly,
have acted as informers against the Evbtement.
The Bourse was very bad. It transpired that
Austria, while accepting unconditionally, as the
semi-official journals truly say, the invitation to
the conference, has at the same time expressed her
belief that nothing will come of it. Rents rose
50c. for cash and 60c. for account, closing at
64fr. 50c. and 64fr 40c. Italian fell 2fr.; Credit
Fancier, 27fr. 30c. ; and Mobilier, 21fr. 25c.