The Express.
London, England, 1859-08-18 00:00:00

SONDON, THURSDAY, AUGUST is.

Tax Emperor of the FRENCH has at length, after
many hesitations, in the eighth year of his reign,
accomplished an act which cannot fail to be particu-
larly gratifying to the prisoner of Ham and the re-
fugee of Kingetreet. The prerogative of mercy is
at all times the noblest attribute of sovereign autho-
rity upon earth, for it is in the exercise of mercy
that human power approaches nearest to the Divine,
not in the exercise of a spurious " justice," which Is
often nothing better than the right of the strongest.
To decimate your enemies by proscription, to Main
them disappear through the trap-doors of a eannet
and übiquitous police, to snatch them from their'
families and firesides, from the desk, the field, the
market-place, the street, the coffee-horse, and plunge
them bodily, without so much as a warning or a
threat, much lea a written accusation, into the
hold of a convict-ship, and thence into a
deadly swamp under the consuming rays of the
torrid zone—all these "measures of public safety," se:
they are celled in the abominable jargon of crowned
revolution/eta, are the vulgareet weapons from the
ersoary of tyrants ; and though it may intimidate
and reposes opinion for a while, terrorism has
never yet succeeded in establishing a Government,
nor has a dynasty based on violence ever taken root
among civilised men. The Emperor of the FRENCH
how, we dart say, deeply pondered these truths in
moments when a man is alone with his memory and
hi conscience, and has waited anxiously for an op-
portunity of satisfying at once his better feelings
sad his better judgment. A fall and complete am-
nesty signifies of course an unconditional one,
clogged with no exceptions, categories, or de-
grees. It has seemed to the EMPEROR a
fitting and favourable occasion for an Act
of Grace, that it should follow the perform.
Inc. of such an act of strength u the Italian cam.
paign, and the triumphant return of his legions to
the capital. The stains of civil bloodshed ilia we
more the swords of Magenta ,and &Melee: CS the
Boulevards and in the Faubourg, the Army and
the People have mingled their acclamations and
their tears of welcome, as friends, countrymen, and
brothers in the great family of France. At such a
time as this a great shadow may well flit scrum the
mind of the En reeoa—the shadow of his own past
life ; and it ie barely poseible that a tosehiag pas-
sage, written not so many years ago by a political
prisoner, on the miseries of exile, may have gathered
to his lips with all the poignancy of eelfreproach.
At any rate, without presuming to fathom the in-
scrutable, we are at liberty to suppose that at length
the ruler of the French is beginning to perceive
that the edifice of his Empire, however materially
strong, is morally incomplete. Orden are, therefore,
to be transmitted to Cayenne, to Lambesea
and to the many other unknown depositories
of political victims, to let as many as survive go
free. Many, no doubt, have languished and died ;
many will return home as stranger, and aliens, pre-
maturely aged, broken in &pints, destitute of hope
or purpose, indiffenut to the renewal of a wasted
life. We, in England, are happily incapable of con-
ceiving the refined tortures of proscription ; we
receive on oar 'Loren, with impartial negligence, men
of violence and men of honour; the waifs of faction
and the strays of tyranny ; we lump together the
patriot, the anarchist, sod the spy, as "refugees,"
and shrink from the stainless pride which is
content to drag out a bare existence in miserable
garrets and in sordid streets. Yet, if we cons
pare any of these victims of revolutionary
tempest' with the men whom they leave behind
in the high places of power and wealth, surely
such poverty as If %NEE knew is not ridiculous. We
need not be surprised, however, if the Imperial
amnesty should be disregarded by some to whom
banishmest le as bitter and honour as dear as to the
meanest or the Helmet- Epicurean critics, who have
• tine nose for ba►eness, will probably sneer at
those determined martyrs who decline to take ad-
vantage of even an unconditional amnesty. For
our own part we are free to say that we think an as-
conditional amnesty may be accepted by the proudest
and most susceptible without shrinking; bat we
do not the less understand that to men who have
suffered wrong for the right, the very name of
"amnesty" may sound tike insult. To accept an
amnesty seems to them like a confession of wrong,
or at least an abdication of right ; it seems almost an
act ef acquiescence. This is not our own view, but
we respect it. We, looking coldly and impartially
ea, cannot but bear witness to the undisputed
existence of the Imperial Government in
France for the last eight years, in the full
possession of all the attributes of sovereign
power. To recognise it, to deal with it, and to
respect it, appears to us no more than natural and
necessary, when we consider that for the last seventy
years governments in France have been so many
successive phases of the Revolution, more or leas
transitory and provisional. Wecannot expect French-
men who have sacrificed their all to the cause of law
and liberty to regard the status quo by which they
stiffer with the 'unanimity of foreign observers, and
if there be lowing the proscribed who are now
invited to return home a few men of severer
temper to whom a land of liberty is a second
country, let us be slow to misinterpret •
Ptoicisen so rare in these latter days. Besides, the
terms of the amnesty, broad and liberal as they ap-
pear, suggest a sinister though unexpressed condition
which is not likely to escape its objects. When
we are reminded of "those who have been the object
" of any measure taken for public security," we arc
equally reminded cf the measures of public safety
which, so far as we are aware, have not been re-
pealed. The exiles who return to France of their
own accord will therefore be placing themselves
within the grasp of measures which are not laws.
but simply the tentacles of arbitrary power. The
repeal of all such extra legal and revolutionary
measures would have filled op a deplorable hiatus in
this otherwise commendable and satisfactory decree.

THE "young Grand Dshis rusagan • has
mired in Paris, and has bas. net ealy psaissely
assayed by the Earaloa, bat retrieval to sonata
is Paris to await events. Ws mno mama Meow
Fiala as behalf al the Timm maple et the °Toon
Grand Daka• losing resolved as soutoonely by the
Earliest ss the repramestatim of the national
Government as a resent occasion ; but we are at a
lieu to asdentand what is meant by the events
which the yonag men is invited to await. The only
•meta which can possibly concern him have al-
ready taken place.

The telegram received at the Foreign-office yes-1
twday, and which we were enabled to publish in our
late edition, leaves so further doubt of the will I
of the people of Tawny with regard to their future
destinies go a State. The National Assembly elected
according to the law of 1848—the law which the
Grand Duke LEOPOLD himself had promulgated, and
which, therefore, having rapid to its author and to
its date, may be fairly assumed to be neither too
democratic in its franchisee nor (to meet Mr.
DISRAELI'S objections) too Whig in its limitations
—the National Assembly, we say, representing
fairly and faithfully the property and intelligence,
the rural se well at (or even more than) the
OWE population of the State (as the stat'itin which
we publish in another part of our paper sufficiently
prove), has declared by an unanimous vot, " that
" the dynesty of LORRAINE can be neither recalled
" so, accepted to reign in Tuscany ;" and a resolu-
tion has been brought forward by seven of the most
distinguished Deputies, to the effect " that the
" Assembly declare, it to be the firm will of Tuscany
" to form a strong part of the kingdom of Italy, under
" the constitutional sceptre of VICTOR EMMANUEL:

Ragland can have no objection to the

of a powerful and united kingdom in Northern
Italy; or to the fusion of the States of Central Italy
with the constitutional kingdom of Sardinia and
Lombardy. For England hes no other policy in Italy
than the policy which recommends itself to the feel-
ings, and interests, and wishes of the Italian people.
In Modena we learn that Signor FAancl has
opened the National Assembly, and in the act of
laying down a dictatorship most bravely and purely
exercised, made an appeal to Europe, to which we
are persuaded England, at least, will not be deaf.
" We are ready," said this nobleminded Italian
statesman, " to give to the civilised world all the
" guarantees of order and peace, conditionally that
" liberty is assured to us, and that Italy shall belong
"to Me Italians." This we know im the mile and
supreme desire of the citizens of Parma and of the
Legation.. It is the express desire of the present
Government of England and of the English people.
England has nothing to conceal, nothing to disavow ;
no intrigues to hide, no designs to mask. If there
be any opposition, secret or avowed, on the part of
any European Power to the national will of the Italian
people, emaredly it will set proceed from England.

file Cam

011BOR/fl. Aram. 17.

Her Majesty, accompanied by PrinetAliVed, Prince
Ara.; sad Primo= HANSA% dm* to 117.16 yesienlay
shersike.

The Methioeste of By eel Major-Getteral the lice. C.
Om were in stemdeace.

Tide marsiag the kid of the aide Brigade played a eeh+e•
goo of nub iro the Tensor, It bang the birthday of the
Dears of Ism.

The Dadra of Kent took a drive in as open carriage
yasarrisy.

A Cabinet Council was held yesterday, at the
official residence of the First Lord of the Trecae.;,
is Dowaing-strset. The abetters present were
V‘weant Palmitate°, the Lord Chancellor, Earl
Granville, Sir G. Comma Law's, Lord John
Rumen, the Duke of Newcastle, the Right Hon.
Sidney Herbert, Sir Charles Wood, the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, the Duke of Somerset, the Right
Hon. T. Milner Gibson, Sir George Grey, the Earl
of Elgin, the Right Hon. E. Cardwell, and the
Right lion. C. P. Villiers.

A depotaCen of erehitaota had an intereew with Vivoorst
Pahoerston yes. rda7. The depotabon was introdsoad by
Mr. Tile red Mr. Cou'agban; and ceneloltd ad Mr, C.
&ZIT, Mr. Beaks Mr. Brodriek, Mr. T. Doll, Mr. MMus,
Mr. Cockerel', Proirraor Donaldson, Mr. Pelham, Mr.
Yowler, Mr. T. Amos Mr. KM, Mr. Limo, Mr. Law, Mr.
Marbair, Mr. Kee. Mr. Seam, Mr. Sydnay Smirks, Mr.
Th and Mr. Wililka
=ition of in the subject of new tha publics inaU-
tntkote, with!a St. George's pariah, to the poor, had an h-
ornier. with Sir G. C. Loolo, at Mr How-oftlee, yesterday.
TM dopotatiou eonsistod of Mr. John Locke, M.P. for
Souttiweik ; Mr. DaaMl Bird sad Mr. Charism Ilanadors
(obarthwarderia); Messrs. Thomas Host, Iwo Him
Clark, sad Jaime 5. Beadle (overman); sad Mr. John Day,
Mirk to the b ord.

Captain Fitzgerald had an ietsairiew with the Deb et
Neweertle yeeerdsy. Mr. Smith, Bpreker at the Legialethe
el Canada also hed am laterview with hie Orr"
et the alike.

Despiiebas were raielved at the Co Initial-Ohre yeetertlay
tram the Govemee 44 Ur West leak Isleads, Stems Leone,
and lieligelead.

The Sher!hums Journal says His imperial
Highness Priori Laden Bonaparte, ewers to the Emperor'
Of the Frisch, visited Dorchester an Friday. The
prises bee Wee ka *MC Urns espied on a literary
week oa tbe ethaeksy and languages of the Western
rams, sad oe Friday hat 'mg ast.v. I by rail, be celled
epos the Rev. William Hamra in Boutb-street. The
usu. genthrean eecompanici the pstsci in • carriage
Ire= the Antelope Hotel to Weraosth sod Port-
land, coavereing re rouge on philosophical topics Otivily.
They vbitt I the Breektratee rod Clies4l Beech, end pe-
e-Ailed about half way up the bill at Tortland is order to e
the isthmus of pebbles which unites the rock of Portland to
the emit of Dorset. After dining ►t the Breakwater Meal
Kr. Barnes sad the pines returned se Dorchester; the
Later departed by the Great Western Railway for Devonshire
end Cornwall."

Viscount and Viscountess Sydney have left Lon-
don, for their meat. Fro/011U, in koLt, where they aro n-
ostrils/ coospoliy.

We ( Worcester Chroxicle) regret to hear that Mr
Treads Ruffed, tormarly member of parliament for the. city,
rad &al. man of the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton
Raftway Company, is now an inmate of • lunatic .glom at
Batton Coldfleid.

We (Bath Clireptick) have heard with extreme
regret that the Riget Rev. Bishop Cur is tow lying.
mine), ill, at hie realises* le L.eadowe•creecent. Thi

•••••ucement well be received •bb utafeignad sorrow by
nta Gellow-citizens, tunonpt whoa there vitae • feallog of
=Leonel esteem Lc the vesarsble rector of Bath.

Yesterday the patrons of the Leeds parish church
filled up the vacancy In the Cramp of Leeds oceadoned by
the recent elevation of the Very Rev. Dr. Hook to the
&rower, of Chichester. There IPIn thirty-eight candidates
for the vicarage, r •id the Bev. hues Allay, 8.D., Senior
Fellow of Bt. John'. College, Cambridge, was appointed.
Mr. Atb.y Y understood to be a high churchman, but not
of extreme vim..

TIIE BISHOP or Oxroito.—The R.v. M. A.
Itert, rector of Bt. Peter's, Tivertoo, has refused to allow
the Bishop of Oxford the use of his pulpit, to the great
aunnyance of churchmen of that right rev. prelate's school.
—Bherloorris Awful.

BIRTHDAY OF THE DUCHESti or KENT.—The 73rd
enniversary el the birthday of the Duchess of Kent was
celebrated with croup marks of moicleg yesterday at
Wieder* and the vicitiry. There was a rural Me u the
grounds of Mr. C. echoltißeld, M.P. At the dinner, witiolt
I,ook pied at 1 o'clock, the choir was taken by Mr. W. Van-
AIWA, M.P., with Mt. Hope, M.P., is his left, when after
the toads to the Queen and the Priem Cowart, the health
of her royal Miasma was enthusiamomlly drink. At
Wiedeor the balls of the Chapel Royal of Bt. Georgo's and
St. Juha's church net forth many peals throughout the
day. Al noon a royal gelato was tired la the Lots( Walk,
Royal salutes were oleo Arad at 1, rem Belvklme,
and the Adelaide frigate on V Water, and in the
seen/an a banquet took plea• at the Castle Hotel.
CRTeTAL PALACE—ONE SHILLING WT.—WED-
..

R.DA T. AVOU6T 17. —Ad ulOsiota oti pored.; 6,066 ; ditto,
by mica traits, 2,397: total visitors, 8,463.