The Express.
London, England, 1860-01-16 00:00:00

EIPRESS FROM PARIS.

THE GREAT FISCAL REFORM.
(ZION OVZ OWN ooßmaroigozirr.)

PARIS, 817NDAT EVININO.
The Pros's says of the Emperor's highly Im-
portant letter to the Minister of State :
It will be assn that the eolioitade of the chief et the state
comprises the esemsik of public life. The latter wants but
ass thing to be a complete programme of government. That
ono thing wantir.g is what, on Deo. 2, it Tea thought fit to
cell the crowning of the edifice." And yet " liberty
weold have done no harm whatever to tither agriculture,
trade, or manufactures. Liberty asks for no subsidies and
I no taeoarsasownts ; she writes only to be recognised.
. _

The Patric applaud; the programme without
resetve, and is persuaded that the " generous pro.
jecta of the head of the state will be cheerfully
supported by the great political bodice called upon
to assure their prompt execation."
The Pays is of opinion that
France cannot fail to accept with gratitude and confidence
the measures about to be submitted to the ruction of the
Bloats mid Corps Irgielatif. The Emperor sad, on a solemn
occasion, Vimpirs 'ea! is Par. He now, in • language
as positive am it is exalted, confirms this great promise of his
reign. We have no doubt that the political difficulties of
those latter times will soon mast with a happy solution.
Glory will remain behind ; and that glary will not have
stayed the march of public prosperity. After having so-
oomplished those prodigies of war of which Magenta sad
flolhaino will for ever perpetuate the remembranoe, the
Emperor has now with no Um éclat, and with • sentiment
no less profound of the necessities of our epoch, and of the
popular interests, drawn out the rich sad fruitful programme
of pore.

The Opinion Nationale simply calls attention to
the great importance of the " vast programme,"
but promises shortly to return to the subject and to
point oat " some omissions which it would be easy
to supply."

It isaremarkable sign of the times that the great
protectionist and even prohibitionist organ, the
Constitutions's!, now boasts that the French iron.
muter. are able to compete with the foreigner, and
states, by way of evidence of the fact, that they have
lately underbid some of the &et firms of Belgium in
a contract for supplying rails for the Roman lines.

The Szassinelaid Reononsisi were seized to-
day. I rather think that some observations of the
latter journal on the prospect of a commercial treaty
with France were thought to exceed those very
narrow limits of free discussion which are tolerated
by the board of censure as at present constituted.
The following paragraph in this evening's Paris
confirms a piece of news which has been already
given in a less precise form:
It is confidently stated, that in pursuance ot an arrange-
ment between Francs and England, Vice-Admiral Fanahawe,
whom deg is on the Marlborough, wilt leave the Straits of
Gibraltar towards Jam 20, and will bring the equadron under
his command to Gibraltar. Vio►Admiral Romain-Deefosais
has already left the bay og AJgegras for Toulon. The
goveniments of Frames sad Ingland are of opinion that the
events passing in Mimeo° no louger require the presence of
their theta in the Gibraltar and Algesiras waters.

The Emperor's letter to the Pope is now cried
about the streets in every town and village in
France, and sold for the sum of one sons. There is
therefore no shrinking from the direct Woe which
the letter joins with the ultramontane clergy.
_ .

The Emperor and Empress went to the Vaudeville
last night, to see a new piece called La Penelope
Normand., the first dramatic work of M. Alphonse
Karr. It is a melodrama, " replete with incident,*
and more appropriate to the Porte St. Martin than
the Vaudeville, the habitues of which were shocked
to see no less than two murders committed on the
stage. M. Lafontaine and Madame Doche played
the principal parts.
It is said that the despatch sent to M. Thonvenel
informing him that he was appointed Minister of
Foreign Affairs, was sent at a moment when there
was an accidental interruption of telegraphic com-
munication between Paris aid Constantinople. The
first despatch that arrived at Constantinople after
the line was put in order was one from the Turkish
Ambassador to the Sultan, and it was the Sultan
himself who first informed M. Thonvenel of his
appointment, at the same time congratulating him
upon it. It was not till some hours later that M.
Thouvenel got his own despatch.
A woodcutter, named Prevost, was yesterday tried
for manslaughter, or rather homicide from careless-
ness (homicide par imprudence), in having, from "
want of proper care, suffered a tree which he was
cutting down in the Champs Elysium to fall across a
Passy omnibus, whereby one person was killed and
two or three injured. The accident was described
in this correspondence some WOOhll since. It appears
that the municipal regulations, which require that
all the branches of a tree should be lopped before it
was cut down, were not complied with, and that
only two men were employed. M. linbaine, the
Prinee Napoleon's private secretary, deposed that the
tree was one of the largest in the Champs Elyeees.
There ought certainly to have been more than two men
at the ropes. The defence was that the tree had been
condemned udead some time ago, and that the greater
part of the roots were cut away, when it being dis-
covered that there was yet sap in the stem it was
suffered to stand. The defendant alleged that he
was utterly ignorant of the fact of the roots having
been cat, and that when the earth was removed the
tree began to fall so suddenly that there was no
time to lop the branches. The court found hint
guilty, but, in consideration of the extenuating cir-
cumstances, sentenced him to only fifteen days' in.
prisonment.
_ . _

PARIS, SATURDAY BYRNDIG.

The Bourse opened with much animation, and the
Rents went up to 89.10, both for cash and account.
At a quarter past 2, a change of tone was observed,
which was at first attributed to speculative opera-
tions of no importance; but, within the last half.
hoar, to use the words of the money article of the
Press.), " • positive pause set in. Rumours of all aorta
were set about to explain a retrograde movement
which in less than an hour effaced the improvement
of several days past" On inquiry as to what the
rumours alluded to may be, I find that the one prin-
cipally talked of is that Cardinal Morlot, the Arch-
bishop of Paris, has resigned his seat in the Privy
Council. That, if true, is not I should think a very,
serious event. The resignation of M. Fould is, how•
ever, spoken of, but I should think it unlikely.
More serious intelligence is brought by Vienna let-
ters, which speak of a rising in Hungary as highly
probable. The Rents closed at 68.75 for cash and
68.65 for account, with a tall of 20 and 25; Mobilise
fell 8.75. The Orleans and Southern Railway fell
sf. each; Lyons, 5.75; and Northern, 1.25. The
closing prices of Eastern and Western were those of
yesterday.
Nothing is known of the result of the meeting of
the Privy Council and Council of Ministers yester-
day. Another extraordinary Council of Ministers
was held to-day. It is fully expected that to-mor-
row's Noniteur will contain something important.
The appointment of Prince Napoleon to a grand
office is again on the tapis. Meanwhile he is ex-
pected at Nice, where apartments have been pre-
pared for him. The Italipeadento of Turin says
that the Ring of Sardinia is going to Nice at the
end of the month, to pay a visit to the Empress
Dowager of Russia. _ _

M. Villemain's pamphlet has appeared. It is ablst
like everything that proceeds from his pen ; but I
do not think it worth analysing for English readers.
His main argument is that a small State has as much
right to its integrity and independence as a great
one. This may be admitted, but it does not touch
the question whether the inhabitants of the Boman