The Express.
London, England, 1866-12-05 00:00:00

It is reported that some prominent radicals have
held a caucus at Philadelphia, at which they drew
up articles of impeachment against President John-
son, to be submitted to a republican congressional i
caucus after Congress assembles.
Montreal despatches published here assert that
despatches from the British cabinet have been re-
ceived by the Canadian government, hinting at
the possibility of trouble with the United States,
and recommending increased vigilance on the part I
of the Canadian authorities.
A last appeal for arms and money has been made
from the head-quarters of the Fenian in New
York, to assist in striking a blow in Ireland this
year.
The steamer France, from Vera Cruz on the
10th, has arrived here with despatches on board
I from the Emperor Maximilian, who was at
I Orizaba.

(ST ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.)

NEW YORK, DEC. 3, EVEXING.,

Gold, 1411. Sterling exchange, 100. 5-20
United States' Bonds, 108:1 ; Illinois, 1181 ; Erie,
721. Cotton, middling upland, 34c.

THE EXPERON MAXIMILIAN.—A private letter
from St. Thomas says that the Mexican passengers who
arrived there by the Gulf boat saw the Empeoror ; •
liar at Orizaba. It was rumoured that he purposed dating •
his abdication from that place, and leaving Mexico in a few
days in an Austrian frigate for St. Thomas, whence he
would proceed to Southampton in a royal mail packet-
Notice was sent from Vera Cruz to the royal mail super-
intendent at St. Thomas that berths would most probably
be required in the next Southampton packet for the Em-
peror
and a small suite of four or five persons. It was ;
also rumoured that General Bazaine had sent an insulting
message to the Emperor, with respect to the abdication'
being from Orizaba instead of the city of Mexico. Should
his Majesty leave Mexico at the time above stated, he
might be expected to arrive at Southampton on the 12th
instant.
SIGNOR VEOEZZI'S MISSIoN.—The Opin,;one
of I
the Ist says :—" Signor Vegezzi, after conferences with
the ministers on the subject of the renewal of negotis. I
tions with Rome, has returoed to Turin on urgent bud-
nese. lie has neither accepted nor refused the offer made
to him to go to Rome on a mission, but it is believed that,
allowing considerations of public interest to prevail over
personal considerations, he will accede to the invitation
of the government. In that case he will be back in Flo-
rence in a few days."
DESPATCH. OF THE CALCUTTA AND CHINA MAILS.—
SouTHANrroN, DEC. 4.—The Peninsular and Oriental
Company's steamship Ripon, Captain Rogers, sailed
this afternoon with the mails for Gibraltar, the
Mediterranean, Egypt, Aden, Ceylon, India (except
Bombay), sad China. She took out 60 lint and 30
second class passengers and on freight—For Madras, gold
coin 3201. 105.., gold and silver watches, kc., KW. ; for
Calcutta, jewellery, kc., 1,0501. ; for Hong K
ong,o bar
silver, 50,246/. 10s. 4d. ; dollars,cool •
for .Amoy, jewellery, 424. 21. ; and, for Shanghai, dollars:
4751.5 a.

THE TRIAL OF LAXIRANDE.
(noir 008 owx coaassroxnzir.)
PARIS. TIMIDAT RVZSING.
The trial of Lamirande, the cashier of the branch
bank of Poitiers, began at Poitiers yesterday. Your
readers are so well acquainted, by your full reports
of the circumstances attending his arrest in Canada
and your many leading articles on the subject,
with the story of Lamirande, that it is unnecessary
to repeat it here. The indictment very shortly set
forth that the prisoner had, by fraud and forgery,
embezzled various sums of money belonging to the
Bank of France, amounting in the whole to
700,000 fr. The court was crowded to excess,
and the hotels of the town are thronged by
people attracted by curiosity to have news
of the trial. After the reading of the
indictment, M. Lachaud, the prisoner's counsel,
took the preliminary objection which I stated to
you would be raised. Re read and handed in to
the court written exoeptions—conclusions is the
French legal term for them—submitting that the
extradition under and by virtue of which the pri-
soner stood at the bar, ought to be declared null
and void by the court, as illegally and fraudulently
obtained. The document charged that French
courts of law were competent to examine the regu-
larity of the extradition of any prisoner brought
before them, and that this principle was laid down
by the Court of Causation on May 9, ISO. It then
stated the well known facta that pending the argument
on a writ of habeas corpus before Judge Drummond,
in Canada, and after an adjournment had been
asked for by the counsel for the Bank of France,
Lamirande was fraudulently, violently, and in
breach of international law, carried off from
prison in the custody of French agents, and sent
a priaoperto France ; that the order of the Governor-
General of Canada, under cover of which the
extradition was effected, was obtained by fraud
and surprise ; and that Judge Drummond, before
whom the matter was pending, had subsequently
declared judicially that the extradition was
illegal.
M. Gast, the advocate-general, who occupied the
public minister's chair, opposed M. Lachaud's
motion. Ho denied that the court had anything
to do with the legality or illegality of the extra-
dition. Its only Mildness ,was to try the prisoner
whom it found before it, no matter how he was
brought there. Any irregularity in the extradition
was a question to be decided diplomatically be-
tween the two governments. Even if the court
were to annul the extradition it would be an
I idle proceeding, in no way beneficial to the pri_
soner, because he might be arrested de 7Wtkfr as he
left the bar. There was no law which said, as-
suming the extradition to have been illegal,
that the prisoner was entitled to a safe conduct
to the frontiers of France in order that he might be
restored to the statms quo. Extradition treaties, in
short, were not made for the benefit of criminals,
but for high international purposes, and an accused
party, when once brought before A French court,
was not competent to argue that his arrest in a
foreign country had been illegal. So far as the
jurisdiction of the court was concerned, that was
altogether an irrelevant circumstance.
M. Lachaud, in reply, said that Lamirande had
been " stolen" from England.
The President (M. Attbugeois de Laville-Dubost)
here interrupted him and said—M. Lachaud, I
cannot allow that expression to pass ; you are not
now addressing a jury, and such observations are
lost upon the court, which is trying a question of
jurisdiction.
M. Lachaud persisted in the use of the word
"stolen," which he said was perfectly borne out
by Judge Drummond's judgment, which, out of
respect to the court, he would not read aloud,
although the court knew what it said. He con-
tended that, according to the Court of Causation and
the doctrine of M. Faustin Hblie, a great text
writer, the court had at least a discretion to con-
sider whether the extradition was legal.
The court overruled the objection.
An attempt which was very nearly successful
was then made to entrap Lamirande into a consent
to be tried in France upon all the charges in the
indictment. In answer to the first question of the
president he said ho would consent. But M.
Lachaud rising to insist that he did not un-
derstand the meaning of the question, the
court adjourned for a few minutes to allow
him to consult with his counsel. He subsequently
said that he wished to profit by all the irregulari-
ties of his extradition, and that he would not con-
sent. Thereupon M. Lachaud contended that
the triple charge on which he was indicted
must be submitted to the jury, namely, for-
gery, abuse of confidence, and embezzlement.
The court, however, held that in default of his con-
sent he must be tried for the forgery only,
that being the only accusation which justi-
fied his extradition. The object of M. Lachaud
was to have a case for the Court of Caseation on
the ground of the want of the prisoner's consent.
He now hopes to prove that the charge of forgery is
not technically sustainable.
The Pays, in announcing that the Prince of
Wales left Berlin on Sunday, says, sun altesse
iniperia/e would pay a visit to his uncle, Duke
Ernest, at Coburg, before returning to England.
It is rather hard upon his " royal" highness to be
described in France as an " imperial" highness.
He will hardly think it promotion, although schooL
boys are taught that an emperor is something more
than a king. In France the word " imperial"
conveys an evanescent and transitory idea which
makes it weigh less than " royal." The substantial
difference neither is nor ever was more than that
betwixt tweedledum and tweedledee.

ADMIRALTY, DEC. 4. —APPOINTMENTS. —COM-
mender H. Campbell to the Royal Adelaide, for service in
the Galatea.
Sub-Lieutenants J. R. Aylen, to the Caledonia ; E. T.
Hume, to the Lord Clyde.
Master W. T. Clifton (additional), to the Dasher, for the
Speedy.
THE GOLD DIGGINGS IN NEW ZEALAND.--Gold
mining operations are steadily carried on, and as the
weather becomes milder the escort returns improve. The
reports of the various wardens are hopeful and encourag-
ing, and the miners are generally content. Meetings have
been held at Tnapeka and elsewhere to petition against the
project of transferring the management of the gold fields
from the provincial to the general government. Memorials
on the subject have been forwarded to Wellington. The
following is the amount of gold received since last mail:—
August 2.5, 5,4340 z. 15dvrt. ; September 8,6,5850 z.
15dvrt. ; total linos the beginning of the present year,
112,1300 z. 9dwt.—Ncio Zealand EX4lRiairr.
General Charles G. Halpine, better known as
"Private Myles O'Reilly," has been elected by a majority
of 20,000 votes to the post of register of the city of New
York, worth upwards of 6,000/. sterling. As editor the of
Citizen, General Hatpins has rendered impatient sopped
to the conservative party Man:erica, by his popularity sad
active political serene.