The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-02 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS. IM. 88/OHT ON TUN GOYI
NITORM POLICY.

(moat an OWN 0011

Trinatt MOM
PARTS, TIMMY ETIOMM. I A meeting wee held today in the pree_trede
There is not the learnt change in the alarming Hall of this town, being a spacial meeting of reformers
situation.- The slight rise at the Bourse, after a delegated by the Rational /Leh= tram from various
tremendois fall, represents nothing but the inevi- Pine of the country, "to take into consideration the pre-
table flutuations of a settlement, which gives ova- mut Position of Ma imarlam Bill, and the bedeeureel:
11011 realise large profits. The Oenstitittionnei, be eaePtea reftrereße to aid governmentrres of in passing t
There was he
though utterly discredited, imperturbably
obeys large an st*...,leisoe that the drawing-room would not suf-
orders, and attempte to prove to the public that gee ter the meeting, and it was adjourned to the Assembly
French Policy is the very best and most BOOM, which wee speedily filled.

honest that could have been. Let anybody, it says
with an air of triumph, who doubts this suggest a
better. Yes ! but how about warnings I answer the
independent journals. The policy of neutrality
which the Constitutionnel pretends, but which
nobody believes, is that of France would be
quite •al variance with the words spoken
by the Emperor on a celebrated occasion in
when he said to the foreign exhibitors,
"Toll per fellow-citizens that if they desire peace
any ralmpheepeady pronouns either fee or against
• ; for in the midst Of it gtave European conflict
indifference is a bad calculAtion, and silence a mis-
take." It is the universal public belief, in spite of
what wretched hacks like Paulin Limityrac may say,
that the Emperor is far from indifferent to the
impending conflict, and that on the contrary he
has long ago made up his mind what part he will
take in it. It is impossible that he can be indif-
ferent to the aggrandisement of Prussia, unless ho
sees his way to a territorial compensation
which may be pregnant with danger to the
peace of the world for the rest of the century.
The time has now come when this country thinks
itself entitled to know something of the arrange-
ment which so vitally concerns its interests, and
an attempt—very likely, most likely, not a moo-
ceadul one—to enforce this right will be made in
the Corps Legislatif on Thursday.
At the Bourse, after heavy fluctuations and much
excitement, Route fell bc. for cash and rose 30c. for
account, closing at 65fr. 600., and 65fr. 35c. Mobi-
liar and Credit Fonder rose 15fr. each ; Italian re-
covered only 30c. from the fall of 4ifr. of yesterday.
Railways were from 2/2. 50c. to bfr. higher.
Prince Napoleon's projected tour in Greece is
adjourned sine die, doubtless upon account of the
serious turn of events in Italy. When last heard
of, the Prince was at Naples, about to embark for
Athens, but now he proposes to visit Anoona, then
Florence, and, after a trip to Genoa, to return to
Florence.
Austria has made an attempt to lure Theresa
from Paris. She was lately offered 60,000 fr. to
sing at Vienna for two months. The manager of
the Casino where the " Patti of the people"
habitually performs in Paris, got frightened, and
to secure her exclusive services, made a new con-
tract for the enormous sum of 145,000 fr. a year.
Austria, it is said, has " disarmed."

Gnomon Wrisoe presided, and Mr. J.llOOl RILIGHT
moved a revelation atmessing rimers and heartfelt thanks
to the government end those members of the liberal party
who bad supported them, for their noble and gamess
acknoldodPsent of the rights of the people, and for the
energetic manner in which they had carried oat the pro-
posed measure for the extension of the franchise.
Mr. Watoar Tinuma, mayor of Salford, seconded the
resolution, end it was supported by. delegates from a great
somber of plains, inchtding Birmingham, Carlisle. Leeds,
and Chester.
Mr. Pares, Jate Y.P. for South Derhani, elao sup.
parted tie motion which we/ Moiled namninotwil-
Mr. IL Maros Moved the second resolution, expressing
unabated confidence in the government, and approval of
their recent declaration not to relax their efforts to pass
the bill for the representation of the people into law, but
assuring them that no measure which fell short in its
principal provisions of the present bill would be ratistao-
tore to the people.
Mr. B. Aeneratts moonded the motion, and it was
adopted.
The general feeling experienced by the delegates was
one of satisfaction at the result of the late division, and
of determination to support the government.
Mr. Barone, addressed the meeting. He said
since he was with them about a month ago there bed been a I
greet debate and a great division. (A Yoko: " A triumphant I
one.") Well, that was • matter about which there might
fairly be some difference of opinion. (Laughter.) A great
many of those who opposed the bill did not very clearly
state the grounds upon which their opposition was based.
There were 33 men who at the general election were
returned as liberals who turned round and voted against
their party, some on one pretence and some on another.
Perhaps the mover of the amendment was most frank—not
in his amendment as it stood, but in the speech which be
made. One of his complaints was that the government had
departed from the rule of whig government in peat times,
and sought advice at that end of the house where he (Mr.
Bright) generally eat. (Laughter.) He was not disposed
to deprecate the whig party, because if we looked beck
for 100 years there had been always members of whig
noble families who had been sincere friends of the people,
and he was sorry Lord Grosvenor did not recollect how the
radical and reform section bad redeemed his party from
its condition in 1841, when, having mismanaged its affairs,
and alienated its most liberal supporters, it gave place to
the tories under Sir Robert Peel. It was by the action of
the very party of whom Lord Grosvenor now spoke with
something like distrust and dislike that in 1846 the
tory ranks were broken up, and for the last 20 years the
whig party maintained in power and popularity. He
was still of opinion that Lord Grosvenor was not satisfied
with his course in moving his amendment. Had the
liberal party been united, with • majority of 70 for the
government, the tones would not have opposed the second
reading by • direct resolution, and the bill would have
been accepted with becoming wisdom by that other
Chamber into which he hoped it would shortly find its
way. He believed that among those who followed lard
Grosvenor there were men who would not permanently
separate themselves from their party, and might be ex-
pected to come back within the fold. (Laughter.) The
diecuasion of the bill bad only raised it in the general
estimate of the country, and the conduct of the go-
vernment had been honest and manly. As to the redis.
tribution, he would not give them any advice, lest some
weak brother or spiteful and vicious opponent should say
they had followed his counsel—(laughter}—but if their
redistribution was as satisfactory as their compromise
on the franchise question, there would be only more
reason to support them till these measures were passed.
Let them, however, regard the 141. and 71. qualifications
as essentisl provisions, short of which no settlement could
be even temporary, and if it did appear next Monday that
the tories and the gentlemen who were so hungry for • re-
distribution of mats—(laughter)—would oppose it as more
imminently perilous than even the Franchise Bill, then
there must be • struggle to decide whether the great
liberal party and the population of this country should
submit to a reactionary minority. Every day of discussion
would more firmly unite the middle and working classes
on the question, and if the government should be placed
in jeopardy, let the country give them that expression of
support which would convince them that change of their
bill, or withdrawal, or postponement, or resignation
would be a fatal policy. (Great cheering.) The bill in
1831 was not carried without a dissolution of parliament ;
it might be that this bill must go through the same ordeal.
(Cheers.)
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to the
chairman.

THE FATAL ACCIDENTWA ON THE BRIGHTON
.RAILY,

Whatever the evidence may be in the matter,
and whatever may be the details, the signalman has been
suspended pending the full investigation which will take
place at the coroner's inquest, to be held when the full ea-
tent of the calamity is known.
The unfortunate guard of the passenger train who was
killed was William Webb, el Brighton. The driver was
James Thompson, and an act remarkable at once for pre-
sence of mind and heroic courage is attributed to him, and
it would appear with good reason. It seems that the
train which Thompson and his mate were driving
was performing its journey through the darkness
of the night, relying with the soeustomed secu-
rity on the correctness of the signals. There was no
thought that the road was blocked until a moment—so
it seemed—before the frightful collision, when both men
saw before them sufficient to show them the necessity for
providing for their own safety—and, without a word, they
jumped off the train, one on one side, the other on the op-
posite. The collision followed, and naturally enough the
first of the two on his feet (Thompson) called out for his
mate, the stoker. The man was not to be seen, and
Thompson, without hesitation, took of his coat, threw it
over Isis head to protect him from the steam, and, at the
imminent risk of the life just before so miraculously saved,
plunged beneath the overturned engine, which was belching
forth steam and boiling water, and thence dragged out the
stoker, who was more dead than alive. Thompson is said
to be uninjured, but the stoker has received injuries suffi-
cient to entitle him to be declared off duty.
A passenger by the train states that when the train left
Reigate it was about 26 minutes behind its proper time.