The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-23 00:00:00

OPENING OF THE FRENCH CHAMBERS.
SPEECH OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON.

[The following appenred in a Sooond Edition of bud
evening's Express:]
The following is a translation of the speech deli-
vered yesterday afternoon by the Emperor Napo-
leon at the opening of the French Chambers :

"SENATORS AND DEPUTIES,
" The opening of the Legislative Session enables
me periodically to lay before you the condition of
the empire, and to exprees to you mr views. As in
preceding years, I shall examine with you
the principal questions which interest our country.
Abroad peace seems everywhere assured, for every-
where the means are sought of resolving difficulties

in a friendly way, inatead of settling them by

"The meeting of the French and English fleets
in the same ports has shown that the relations
formed on the battle field are not weakened ; time

has but strengthened the harmony of the two
countries. With regard to Germany my intention
is to maintain a policy of neutrality which, with-
out preventing us from sometimes lamenting and
sometimes rejoicing, still leaves us strangers to
questions in which our interests are not directly

cioncerned.
" Italy, recognised by almost all the European
powers, bas affirmed her unity by inaugurating
her capital in the centre of the Peninsula. We
have reason to rely upon the scrupulous execution
of the treaty of the 15th September, and the indis-
pensable maintenance of the power of the Holy
Father. The ties which attach us to Spain and to
_ _

Portugal have been drawn still closer by my recent
interviews with the sovereigns of these two king-

" You have shared with me the general indigna-
tion produced by the assassination of President
Lincoln ; and recently the death of the King of the

Belgians has caused universal regret.
" In Mexico the government founded by the will
of the people is consolidating itself. The dissen-
tients, overcome and dispersed, have no longer a
chief. The national troops have exhibited valour,
►nd the country has found guarantees of order and
security which have developed its resources and
=Teased its commerce with France alone from

21,000,000 fr. to 77,006,000 fr. Thus, according to
the hope I expressed last year, our expedition is
approaching its end. I am coming to an under-
standing with the Emperor Maximilian in order to
fix the date of the recall of our troops, in order that
the return may be accomplished without compro-
mising the French interests which we went to
defend in that distant country.
" North America, having issued victorious from
a formidable struggle, has re-established the an-
cient union, and solemnly proclaimed the abolition
of slavery. France, which forgets no noble page of
its history, offers sincere wishes for the prosperity of
the great American republic and for the mainten-
ance of amicable relations, now nearly a century old.
The emotion produced in the United States by the
presence of our army upon Mexican soil will be
appeased by the frankness of our declarations. The
American people will understandthat our expedition,
in which we invited them to take part, was not opposed
to their interests. Two nations equally jealous of
their independence must avoid every step which
would affect their dignity and honour.
is At home the tranquillity which has not ceased
to prevail has enabled me to visit Algeria, where
I my presence will not, I hope, have been without
effect in reassuring interests and establishing a more
friendly intercourse between races. My absence
from France has besides proved that I could be
replaced by a tree heart and a lofty mind. It
is in the midst of satisfied and confiding popula-
tions that our institutions are working. The muni-
cipal elections have taken place with the utmost order
and the most complete freedom. The mayor being
the representative in the commune of the central
power, the constitution has conferred upon me the
right of choosing him from among the whole body
of citizens ; but the election of intelligent and de-
' voted men has everywhere enabled me to choose the
mayors from the municipal councils. The law on
coalitions (strikes), which had given rise to some
apprehensions, has been carried out with great im-
partiality on the part of the government, and
with moderation on the part of the per-
sons concerned. The working-class, so intel-
ligent, has understood that the more the
facilities granted to it for discussing its inte-
rests, the more it was bound to respect the
liberty of each and the security of all. The inquiry
which has taken place concerning co-operative
societies bas shown how just were the bases of the
law which has been presented on this important
subject. This law will permit the establishment of
numerous associations for the benefit of labour
and prudence. In order to favour their
development I have resolved that the authorisa-
tion required for meetings shall be granted
to all those who desire, apart from politics to de-
liberate in common on their industrial and com-
mercial interests. This facility will be limited only
by the guarantees which public order requires.
" The state of our finances will show you,
on the one hand, that the revenue continues
in its progressive increaee ; while, on
the other, the expenditure tends to de-
crease. In the new budgets the accidental or ex-
traordinary sources of revenue have been re-
placed by normal and permanent resources.
The law upon the redemption of the debt,
which will be submitted to you, shows the estab-
lishment of certain revenues, and affords fresh gua-
rantees to the creditors of the State. The
equilibrium of the budget is secured by
a surplus of revenue. In order to attain this
result it was necessary to effect retrenchment in the
greater part of the public services ; among others,
in the War Department.
" The army being upon a peace footing there was
only the alternative of reducing either the
regimental cadres or the effective. The latter
measure was impracticable, since the regiments
hardly mustered their necessary strength of men.
The good of the service even sugpsted an
augmentation. In suppressing the ca&es of 220
companies, of 46 squadrons, and of 40 batteries,
but at the same time tratederring the soldiers of
those companies and squadrons to other corps,
we have rather strengthened than weakened our
regiments. As the natural guardian of the interests
of the army, I would never have consented to
those reductions if they bad been calculated to
deteriorate our military organisation, or injure men
whose services and devotedness I have been in al
position to appreciate. The maintenance in due
order of all the officers without compromising or
betraying their future, and the admission into
administrative careers of officers and sub-officers
whose term of service approaches completion, will
soon re-establish the regular movements of pro-
motion in the army. Every interest will thus be
guaranteed, and the country will not have shown
itself ungrateful towards those who have shed their
blood for it.
"The budgets of public works and education have
not undergone soy diminution. It was useful to
keep up the fruitful activity of the grand under-
taking of the State, and to maintain the energetic
impulse of public instruction. Within the last few
months, thanks to the devotion of the school-
masters, 13,000 new classes for adults have
been opened in the communes of the empire.
Agriculture has made great progress since 1852.
If at this moment it euffers from the lowness
of the prices of cereals, this depreciation is the in-
evitable consequence of the overabundance of the
crops, and not of the suppression of the
sliding scale. Economical transformations deve-
lops the general prosperity, but cannot anti-
cipate particular grievances. I thought it was use-
fait° open a serious inquiry into the 'tete and the
wants of agriculture. This will, I am convinced,