The Express.
London, England, 1867-07-20 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(raw ous OW coaiwoxnrcr.)
PARIS. FRIDAY EVSXING,

The great, the sweeping measure of the entire
abolition of imprisonment for debt, whether in the
caw of traders, ordinary citizens, or foreigner*, had
a marvellously narrow escape of being thrown out
by the Senate. After three days hot debate it was
311..%cd to pass last night by the measuring cast
~,tp.rity of only 7. The numbers were 53 for
rising the bill, and 46 for sending it back to the
ps Legislatif for a second reading—a step which
have certainly hung up the bill for another
:ear, and very possibly have ensured its final
!vieetion. There never was such a close division
the Senate before. It is the first time that the
iiitors have made use of the new prerogative
.Lich they most unconstitutionally arrogated to
:iotiselves by the :want its eanAttlittnt, passed a few

otths ago, of revising a bill proposed by the
L • peror and passed by the Corps Legislatif on
merits." Hitherto they could only oppose the
sing of a bill on the ground that it contained

" unconstitutional." It required all
I NI. 'Wither and Baroche's eloquence, and all
t n it influence, which is not small, to persuade a
lAre majority of the Senate to redeem the Dupe-
r.r's word that imprisonment for debt should
k abolished. The Emperor is entitled to
411 the credit for the reform—assuming it,
4., I for one do, to be a good one. It is quite cer-
uni that public opinion among the thinking
doe's—l do not consider universal suffrage, which
sill vote anything, as public opinion—was against
tee change. In this case the thinking classes, I
i.elieve, think wrong; but the fact that they cling
,livulsively to the power to incarcerate a debtor as
e corner stone of credit is undeniable. The
.o,,lition of imprisonment for debt was recom_
nwnded in the speech from the throne last year,
hut it stood over on account of the known repug-
rince of the Corps Legislatif to vote it. This
s.ision more than half the house abstained
roan voting upon it, not wishing to oppose
the Emperor's personal wishes, but at the same
fade declining to share with him the responsibility
of an innovation which they thought would make
them unpopular with their constituents. The scant
numbers of the deputies who voted for the bill was
one of the arguments used by M. Delangle and
others against it in the Senate. Had the senators
been guided by their own personal convictions, not
tsenty of them would have voted for the bill. M.
Rouland, Governor of the Bank of France, made
an elaborate speech against it, but voted for it out
of deference to the Emperor. That was the lead-
ing motive with the small majority.
There were illuminations, extra suppers, and
great rejoicings at Clichy last night. Telegraphic
despatches were sent by some of the prisoners to
feUow prisoners in the provinces with the good
news. It is expected that in two or three days the
doors will be thrown open. The prison itself will
doubtless be " Hausamannised." There are now
in it only 100 prisoners, 97 men and three women ;
and yet M. Levy St. Amand and others solemnly
affirmed that if these were let out the whole trade
of France would be ruined.

The case of M. Casse came on for trial before the
Tribunal of Correctional Police to-day. M. Deles-
vaux was the presiding judge. The witnesses, all
police agents, deposed that on the evening when
the Czar was going to the Opera they were told by
their superiors that some people would cry " Long
live Poland !" and that all who did so were to be
invested. Hearing the cry from a group as the
0,44 ye was coining they laid hold of the " gentle-
man in the dock with the long hair" [meaning M.
Cassel He cried " Help ! Murder !" and resisted.
Several people came to the rescue, and in the affray
the police received blows, but took the pri-
soner and several others to the guard-house. M.
Casse called several witnesses, one of whom had
himself been arrested and subsequently dis-
charged. The President refused to allow the
latter witness to answer the question why ho was
discharged. All the witnesses deposed that none
of the police agents who arrested M. Caste were in
uniform. Some said he was laid hold of with un-
necessary violence, and several affirmed that the
a4ents, in order to keep off the crowd who wanted
to rescue the prisoner, said, " Let us alone ; he is
a thief who cries ' Long live Poland,' to take off
y.ar attention while ho picks your pocket."
The Imperial Advocate Lepelletier, in his address
to the court, said the defence against the charge,
which was one of rebellion against lawful authority,
would rest upon the allegation that the police agents
were not in uniform. He admitted that prima facie
that would be a good defence, because a citizen
was not bound to allow himself to be arrested by
the first corner. But he considered it proved as a
matter of fact thatCasse knew that the people whom
he resisted, though in plain clothes, were police-
men. Besides, one of them had his uniform on,
Be contended that when a police agent was known,
the fact of his not wearing the outward marks of
his authority was no excuse for resisting him. The
cry of " Long live Poland !" was not in itself illegal
in France, but it might become so if it served as a
allying cry for a riot. He would allow, however,
for the purposes of the argument, that the arrest
was illegal; but that did not justify " rebellion "
against the agents who affected it. A private in-
dividual could not be a judge of the acts of autho-
rity. His only remedy, if illegally arrested, was to
complain in the proper quarter afterwards.
31. Floquet did not appear as counsel for M.
Came, who defended himself.

- -
I have not yet seen any report either of his speech
a the judgment, but I hear that he is found guilty
tad sentenced to three months' imprisonment.
There is a great concurrence of testimony that a
sported despatch of M. de Werther, the Prussian
tabassador at Vienna, stating that the Emperor of
itmria's motive in conciliating: the Hungarians and
maw himself crowned King of Hungary was to
trengthen his position against Prussia, does really
t?ist, notwithstanding official denials in Berlin and
'leans. The Me'lisorial Diplomatique, explaining
fie contradiction given by the official journals in
henna, says it is etiquette not to insist upon the
tiitence of an ambaasador's despatch which the
renunent to which it was addressed desires to
,ssider as null and void. Nevertheless, it is be-
Ltted that M. do Werther can no longer hold his
Ftt at Vienna.

Tat DZPARTURIC or THZ BELGIAN VOLVICTIZZB.
—T•
he following is a translation of a document which has
?so distributed to-day among the Belgian volunteers,
17 order of their commanding officer, Colonel Ore-
"4l : " The Gerdes Civiques who do not intend
to return
cone the Sera* are informed that they
ill be ed on Sunday and the following
ttt from London to Dover for is. 6d. first
'44 and ss. second clams, including luggage,
not erfte,iixig 50 kilos for the first clam and 25 for
t„_lt' 4,cond. The points of departure for Dover are Cannon-
'''''et. Ludgate-hill, Charing-cross, and Victoria stations,
and the hours of departure of the trains are 7.25 In the
I.l'"mialt. and 8.30 in the evening, horn each of
.ese four stations. These trains are connected with
the mail boats of Ostend and Calais. The conveyance
'Y the Belgian vessels from Dover to Ostend
"..,▪ . be gratis for volunteers in uniform. The volunteers
,t, to bear in mind that they will hays to demand
l'lgiage on arriving at Dover, in order that it may