The Express.
London, England, 1860-04-17 00:00:00

FRANCE AND GERMANY.

A confidential despatch, addressed by M. Thou-
venel to the agents of the Emperor of the French in
Germany, has been mentioned frequently in the
Saturday,
A letter in the Indepersdame Beige of
Saturday, dated from Frankfort, gives the text of
that despatch as follows :

Tar* March 15, 1860.

Monsievx, —I observe that in the German josirtials an
extreme importance, and a meaning which is not the true
one, is attached to a word which occurs in the discourse of
the Emperor—namely, rerendleation, which his Majesty
made nee of in speaking of the question of Savoy. Some
see in the use of this word an intention of reverting to the
ancient melon consented to by Sardinia in 1796 ; others en-
tertain the idea that our demand is founded on the difference
between the treaty of 1814 and that of 1815.

The government of the Emperor owes it to itself to pro-
test against an interpretation essentially erroneous of a
word of which a natural explanation can be given. His
Majesty, in pointing out with so much correctness the terri-
toruil changes going on in Italy, which would place us in
worse position on our side of the tips than we are in ac-
cording to the terms of the treaty of 1815, if they were not
modified, Eaid that those changes gave him the right to
demand of the King of Sardinia a modification j'utified by
existing circumstances, and by the conditions which it then
becomes incumbent on Frame to demand. That which
we ask in the name of a tight which we believe we pores
in not that which is called in French a rereadication ;
and u for the explanations into which the Emperor
entered, they do not clearly indicate the only titles on which
that ramification was based. It was, I repeat, the new
fact of a considerable aggrandisement of Piedmont affecting
thelposition which res ted to no from the treaties, and not
any idea of referring to previous acts or events. According
to the engagement entered into, explanations must be given
to the powers—an engagement fulfilled by the communica-
tion of which I had the honour to send you a copy attached
to my preceding despatch. Does not this suffice to exclude
even the suspicion of such a thought? We believe we can
in that respect appeal with all confidence to the equity and
the good sense of cabinets.
You are authorised to read this despatch to the Minister
of Foreign Affairs of , and to make use of it to
rectify
mi
false appreciations which may be prodttoceduvENUOTl.Und
you.

THEFT OP MILITARY EXAMINATION PAPER&
We are sorry to learn that the rumours are well founded
which have been for some time in circulation. to the effect
that the examination papers proposed to candidates for mili-
tary appointments have been surreptitiously obtained by some
of the candidates in anticipation of the examination.
Whether the infamy of tempting the subonlinates
employed in printing these papers rests with the class of
pretended military agents, or with other persons who are
base enough to lend themselves to such chsgraneful means
of enhancing the value of their own teaching, remains
to be proved ; but this at least is certain, that the
French questions in the examination for direct
commissions now in progress have been obtained
by some person, who has reprinted them and then sold them
to such of the candidates as desired to avail themselves of
information so dishonourably purchased. The result has
been that the whole examination has been vitiated by this
discovery, that the exercises of the candidates have been
cancelled, and that a uew examination will at once begin.
We have reason to believe that the Council of Mili-
tary Education have taken great precautions to guard
against such a disgraceful breach of confidence as this
exposure reveals, but it is evident that their efforts have
not met with full success. We trust that the General
Commanding-in-Clnef will ewe neither trouble nor ex-
pense to bring those persona to justice who hare first
stolen and then sold what may be fairly regarded as the
p ice of a commission in her Majesty's service.—Tirsea