The Express.
London, England, 1860-02-20 00:00:00

lEBRUA,4
UTAST ELLIGENOIL
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FRANCE.
WARNING TO THE PRIESTS.

The Yossiteor of to-day pabliehse a circular, ad.
iressed by M. Itenland, the Minister for Public In-
&MOON to Iheatabbiehope and bithope of France,
ioneeleigeg Ike customs, laws, and principles
mai* slam a distant period, have established in
Fromm the incontestable authority of the church
over religions society in independence of state,
which is the regulator of civil and political society.
The minister recalls the conduct of the Emperor sines
1849, who has accorded to the church great confi-
dence and liberty, and has never made use of the
prohibitions of our special laws in reference to it.
The Emperor, however, will not permit that this
liberty, which had been conceded in the interest of
public welfare, become. an expedient for agitation.
The minister reminds the bishops, &0., that the
disagreement between the Emperor and the Papal
dose not refer to religious but only to temporal
questions. To excite civil discord would be a
deplorable fault of the religious class. The
minister acknowledges that the immense ma-
jority of the clergy have known how to escape
such dangerous ground, but expresses his regret
that some priests have abused the liberty of the
pulpit to make offensive allusions and culpable
provocations. Tee country condemns such outbursts
of passion. The minister hopes that the bishops will
bring back to the way of the Gospel and to their
Idaty the men who had departed from it. If the
clergy owes veneration to the Pope, it owes respect
and fidelity to the Emperor. Thus disorders com-
promising religion and prejudicial to public peace
will be prevented. The Emperor will always be
happy to protect the French clergy, but he ener-
getically wills that the laws be maintained and
executed. Es has the firm hope that the bishops
will fulfil their mission of order, peace, and con-
ciliation.

The following circular ham been addressed by the
Minister of the Interior to the Prefects of Depart-
rants :

Paris, Feb. 17, 1860.
M. le Prefect,—The Roman question has for some time
pest given a pretest for attempt* at agitation to which it is
neesimery to put en sod. Forgetful of what the Emperor
hr does for the lest ten years for the Holy Father, we bear
people talk of hostility and sp liattan. Regardless of the
proioned peace the church erjoys to France, of the respect
with which the government surrounds of the benevo-
brae and liberality with wbi•:h it is treated, people talk of
peessentioe. Little pamphlets composed in this sense, with
store eon less of ability, and in a popular for.., are by hun-
dreds el thousands gratuitously distributed is the temple',
in wheels, la private bosses. Tin pulpit itself is made
in metal. plans the mho of those calumnies and this
emetement. Anions the promoters of these SIMI:O4MM
tansy, doslitlem, are Wad, though sincere. The sprit of
PAM. however, gives them armiliaries—aed these are not
among the Meet ardent. The populations seem to be little
moved by all this iffervemeace, which is in the
eyes of sensible people more hurtful than usefal to
religion ; and the government Mid hoped that it would
outride in memos of its patience end its longanitaity. flood
citizen. ask whether loriganimity, by being prclueged use-
lessly, might not become weakness, end whether it be really
russet to allow sucitement to be say Mager spread among
the fiathfui, me* betimes there islets a diplomatic question
which most assuredly will not be resolved by these imprudent
but fruitless attempts to lead the public astray. Toe go-
moaning is a that opiate% sad, without coming to be
moderate and benevolent, it believes the moment come to
retail those who go beyond the law te the meoution of the
laws which it allows to remain dormant.

The 6th clause of the law of the 77th July, 1819, pro-
hibits the gratuitous or sonigatoitese dietribetion of any
production or pamphlet when the authorleattoo for It bee
not been Bi►en by the Prefect, and puokbee with from one
to eix mouths' tumneonment, and a doe of from 26 to 600
franca, those whoaca in costrakation to the kw.
. _

I charge you, IC le Prefect, to take care that la your de-
partment that prohibition shill be hessefortk respected.
after a blindly warning, this distribution be persevered in,
you will ocaturt with the Procureur-Chsissal, and the Pro-
eareur-Imperial, to whom his EiGallspoy the Minister of
Isabel haa given hts instruction', that those who commit an
ierstation td the law, whomsoever they may be, the law shall
be applied to them.

There is another clam of facie, moos delicate, but not less
to be regretted, to which I also direct your attention.
On many points of the territory a meal as unjust as it is un-
enlightened km caused to be heard in the pulpit, tether
ageism the government, or against the Emperor himself,
we'd. which neither the vigilance of the buitioye nor the
commie and kind awnings of the civil authortty could
prevent. Perfectly free with regard to al which concerns
faith, the pulpit, for the evident Interests of religion as of ,
public pea" ought to remain sompulouely apart tram this
external excitemeat, and there 'etas in our o ids an maw
matt which award. to such irregularities • correctional
penalty. The government doss not think It opportune to
prescribe its strict application at once. Without adverting
for the present to 'evert, ies which acts of a graver kind only
might incline it to empl /y, it reminds you that in virtue of
the law of the 19th Germinal, year X., abitee• of this nature
may, after otlicial laformation, be brought before the Council
of State. In order to direct year nodes to this Metier, you
will receive from the Ministate' Worship damned instructions.
In these eircumetanoes, whin the administration must
not depart from their habitual moilemulem, bat according to
what shall be strictly necessary to pat a atop to the agile.-
' lion of people's rabid., I salt you to carcase at the same
' tins, moderation end thinners. Take Care also that no one
shall misundensand the nature mid the extent of the ass-
ate which 1 recommend to you. The fleoperter desires pia&
teed Überty Ica relifiert, lie doable that toe moat profound
reepeet—the teem benevoient protection—ehall be secured
to religion sod SO lie Walston ; that the faithful shall have
complete nearby foe the melateenens and the liberty try
their bilk; bat ha, moreover, wishes that his euthoeity,
which is the impious of the arch wader which ere guarded
ihe interests of relish:min wall as others, shall be also re-
spend; that those who should most desire public tran-
quillity should not labour Co disturb It; an" that, no oce in
krasee being above or beyond the lawn of the couairy, those.
laws shall be by all faithfully observed. _ _

Iteadms, Lis Prefect, th. 4.60/111100 of my distinguished
oonsideration. BILLAULT, Minima of Me Insmor.
THE TARIFF REFORMS.

The Moisiteur of yesterday publishes a ministerial
report addressed to the Emperor by M. Rouher as
the reform of the tanff for primary m►terials. Toe
minister expresses hie opinion that the epoch for the
exemption of wools and cottons may be fixed for
the 16111 of April. The minister further believes
that this tariff for primary materials could be
expressed as follows:—All wools and cottons in
wool imported from etunitrise out of Europe are
exempt. If coming from other parts, and in French
vessels, to be subject to a duty of 3 (ratios per
100 kilogrammes. If imported io foreign vessels, to
pay a duty of 6 trance per 100 kilogrammes. The
premiums paid on exportation will be suppressed-
1. For threads of cotton a:d wool within two
months; 2. For tissues of wool and cotton within
three months. The report of the minister also pro.
poses modifications of the tariff for dyes soil
chemical products.

AUSTRIA.—THE ENGLISH PROPOSALS.
VIENNA, ftwomr,

The Austrian government has not yet sent a reply
to the English proposals for the seulement of the
Italian question. It is stated that the governments
of Austria, Prussia, and Russia hays arranged that
their replies to the English proposals shall arrive
simultaneously in Paris and London.