The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-12 00:00:00

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THE REMAINS OP MAXIMILIAN.

Subjoined is the text of a letter addressed by
Baron de Benet to M. Lerdo de Tejada, Minister of Foreign
Affairs to Juarez, on the subject of the transportation of
the Emperor Maximilian's remains to Europe :
" Vienna, Sept. 25, 1867.
" Excellency—A premature death having carried off the
Archduke Ferdinand-Maximilisn from his family, Fs Im-
perial, Royal, and Apostolic Majesty feels the veil
natural desire that the mortal relics of his unfortunate
brother shorld repose by the side of the other
princes of the House of Austria. The father, mother,
and brothers of the august deceased expe.:enos the same
ardent longing, as well as all the other members of the
imperial family. The Emperor, my august master, has a
conviction that the Mexican government, Fstening
to the voice of humanity, CU not refuse to relieve
the just affliction of his Majesty, nor oppose my
obstacle to the realisation of his wish. For that
purpose Vice-Admiral de Tegethoff has been sent
to Mexico with an order to present to the
President a request for obtaining the transmission of
the remains of the well-beloved brother of his Imperial
Majesty, and to bring them beck to Europe. lem charged,
in my quality of Minister of the Emperor's Household, to
beg your excellency to be pleased to facilitate for the Vice-
Admiral the authorisation necessary for the accomplish-
ment of his mission. I have the hononr, excellency, to
request you to present beforehand to the chief of the state
the sentiments of gratitude felt by the imperial family,
and to accept for yourself the expression of the same feel-
ing for the services you sill be able to render it. Accept,
etc. " Bgosr."

The Minister of Justice at Baden has stated
to the Chamber at Carlarube, that in the cou-se of next
session he will bring forward a bill making civil marriage
obligatory.

" Information received from good sources," says
the Progres of Lyon., " respecting the painful suicide
last week at the Hotel dee Etrangers, enables us to state
that the ecclesiastic mentioned in connexion with the
event is entirely relieved from all moral responsibility.
The young lady seem■ to have conceived • strong and
foolish passion for him, and he, becoming aware of this
aberration, firmly showed her out of his dwelling, and
told her to cease all relations with him. In her despair,
(wired by this shock, she poisoned herself, as already
related."

A letter dated Nov. 6, from an officer serving
with the advanced force of the expedition to Abyssinia,
and written at Udoda, mays :—" It is so hot here
th►t writing is out of the question altogether between 10
a.m. and 4 p.m., between which hours the thermometer

generally stands about 103 deg., so we usually go down to
the pass and nit on the rocks and read until it gets cool.
We imannenee our day at 4.30 a.m., getting up and riding
out in different parties shooting. The jungle was full of
game when we first arrived, and we had our mess table
well supplied with all kinds, but now they are getting
shy, and we have great difficulty in stocking the larder.
We, however, manage to do it. It is said a regiment of
cavalry and one of infantry will be left in the low country
to defend the passes. I was awoke last night by my dog
barking. Luckily, I had got a light, as —, who shares
my tent, was sick. Getting out of bed I heard • hissing
nous, and, rousing my friend and looking about, we soon
found • snake under my bed. On return from shooting
this morning I found one of the largest scorpions I had
ever seen snugly ensconced in a pair of slippers ; the
beast, are beginning to find comfortable places for them-
selves in our tents."

SOUTHAMPTON, DEC. 12.—The Hamburg and
American steamship Bavaria, from New Orleans Bar on
the 24th ult. arrived here today with 40 passengers for
Havre and Hamburg, $4,736 doll. for England, and
26,273 for France.

QUEENSTOWN, Dze. 12.—The Inman steamship
City of Wuhington, from New York, arrived here at 4
a.m. to-day with 11 passengers, but no specie. She landed
mails and passengers, and proceeded for Liverpool at 4.15
a.m.

CALCUTTA, CHINA, AND AUSTRALIAN MAILS.—
MAR.+EILLEs, DEC. 12. —The Pera arrived at 5 a.m. to-day,
having experienced bad weather. The mail, leave for Lon-
don at 11.30 a.m.

THE LATE CONVICT WIOGINS.—NOW it is of
course possible these persistent disavowals of his guilt may
have been simply due to a mad hope that even at the very
last his life might be spared if he refused to confess. You
must take them denials for what they are worth, remem-
bering that such firmness in adhering to one lie throughout,
supposing the matenient to have been a lie, is almost un-
exampled in tke annals of crime. Since Wiggins's death,
his parents have made repeated efforts to obtain some re-
investigation of the case. Tbey declare that they have
witnesses who can prove that Agnes Oakes expressed to
them her intention of committing suicide ; and though
this evidence, if reliable, could not have disproved the
charge of murder, it would go far to increase the probabi-
lity that Wiggins really told the truth about himself. Dr.
Forbes Winslow, too, has conic forward to state that a
woman might easily inflict such a wound on herself as the
prosecution assumed could only have been inflicted by
another's hand ; and, if this truth could be established, it
would very nearly upset the theory on which Wiggins was
found guilty. The mystery, however, is never likely to be
satisfactorily solved. No future inquiry can ever elicit the
absolute truth one way or the other. Thanks to the ano-
malies of our criminal system, i man has been convicted of
• murder which it is quite possible be never committed ;
and, thanks to the absence of any mart of criminal appeal,
• maxi has been hanged who, for aught that can ever be
proved, may have been absolutely innocent.—lifaciniffest's
Magazine for December.