The Express.
London, England, 1860-12-17 00:00:00

A TRUCK AT GAETA.

CHANGE IN THE POLICY OF FRANCE.
(nom ova anew. anistroirDert)
3101. A DI GAM, Dic. 10.

Mars it appears is going to retire within his tent,
and leave to crafty diplomacy the final settlement
of the southern Italian question. I had scarcely
posted my letter of Saturday when I was informed
that a French man-of-war had arrived with im-
portant despatches for Admiral Barbier de Tinan.
I hastened to Cialdini's head-quarters, where I
heard that a truce of fifteen days had been nego-
tiated by the Emperor Napoleon, and that
in all probability the French steamer referred to
was the bearer of the official intimation of the
French Cabinet. It seems that it is especially
due to the influence of the English
government, that Louis Napoleon was induced to
change his line of policy towards Francis 11. The
truce proposed to the two contending armies, and
already accepted by the Sardinian government, has
been proposed by France, in order that Francis 11,
should have time to consider his case, which is
tantamount to a timely recommendation that he
should give up the idea of resistance. At the ex-
piration of the fifteen days, if the besieged King
persists in the defence, he is told by the Emperor
that the French fleet will leave Gaeta, and aban-
don him to his fate. These, lam told, are
the very words of the imperial ultimatum.
Francis IL will be greatly surprised, for, till
the other day, he firmly believed that France
would never allow Admiral Pavan to bombard
the place. The Sphinx of our times having sud-
denly changed his mind, I do not see how his once
Sicilian Majesty can persist in keeping up the
struggle. I am, therefore, inclined to think that
before the expiration of the truce the son of Fer-
dinand 11. will have left the last den of Bourbonic
tyranny, and h►ve set his foot on the land of exile.

NAPII33, Dic. 11 (vls Marseilles).
Fresh reinforcements of Sardinian troops are ex-
pected.
The steamer Dora, having on board 760 Garibal-
diens, has been lost near Tarracdna.
The Garibaldiane are supposed to have been
saved.

General Dunn, on whom life en attempt was
lately made, is still alive.

NAPLES. Ds% 13.
The mobilised national guard, destined foe Upper
Italy, has been organised.
The Naples journals highly approve the project
of the Minister Minghetti, which aims at adminis-
trative decentralisation.

It is said that 2,000 pontifical troops are about to
march against the town of Ponte Corn, to over-
throw the provisional government established there
in the name of King Victor Emmanuel.
PERUGIA. Dac. 16.
The province of Viterbo continues in a state of
insurrection.

It iii &alerted that the French are preparing to
evacuate the province.

MARSEILLES, Dsc. 17.
The report of the loam of the atoamorDora has not
been confirmed.

The Naples journals received here assert that the
Abruzzi and Calabria are quiet, and that the revo-
lutionary movement in the province of Avellino
had been partially suppressed. The same journal
also states that the Lieutenancy at Naples is en-
gaged in arming the National Guard, who are to be
despatched to Upper Italy.

MILAN, BUIDAT.

The Perseveranui of to-day publishes the entire
pamphlet, "The Emperor Francis Joseph I. and
Europe," the publication of which has been an-
nounced in Paris. The author of the pamphlet
laments the state of things in Venetia, and says
that it is impossible to stop the Italian movement
which aims at its deliverance. The poosesaion of
Venetia is the permanent cause of the financial
and military weakness of Austria. The treaty of
Campo Formic disposed of Venice against law and
right. The sacrifice of Lombardy was more inju-
rious to Austria than would be the loss of Venice.
The author concludes that the interest of the peace
of Europe demands the cession of Venetia by means
of compensation as the only solution of the ques-
tion, and that Europe would be grateful to the
Emperor of Austria for such a solution.

FRANKFORTANMFIE-MAIIM, SATURDAY.

According to reliable information Lords Bloom-
field and Loftus, English ambassadors at Vienna
and Berlin, have been summoned to London on
account of deliberations on the question of Venetia.

It 11, 1860.

EXPRESS PROM PARIS.
ABOLITION OF PASSPORTS.
(nor OUR OWN 001EINPONDIIIT.)

PARIS. SUNDAY EVESI3O,

I cannot but sincerely applaud the (apparently)
unconditional abolition in France with respect to
British subjects of that passport system against
which I have so often written. I should, indeed,
have been more rejoiced had the French govern-
ment boldly swept away the whole nuisance, in-
stead of giving to my countrymen a privilege over
its own citizens as well as those of all the rest of
the world. Still the good feeling manifested by the
measure is most satisfactory, and I entirely agree
with the Patric that it is one calculated to multiply'
very considerably the interchange of friendly rela-
tions between France and England. At the same
time, before I frame and glaze my passport as
an historical curiosity which I shall have no farther
occasion to use, I cannot help asking one or two
questions, and I am far from putting them in a
captious spirit. The words of the note in the
Moniteur are that British subjects will, from
January 1, by way of reciprocity, be permitted to
"enter and circulate in the French empire" with-
out passports. Does the word "circulate" imply
the permission to leave the empire without showing
a passport ? I must presume so, for otherwise the
boon would be nothing at all. Englishmen have
never found any difficulty in landing at Calais or
Boulogne for want of a passport, and since
'the construction of railways it is very seldom
indeed that any, traveller is asked to show his
passport in the interior. The real difficulty
has always been to get out of the country without
one. Is it meant to be said that after January 1
any Englishman may step on board the Folkestone
boat at Boulogne without being put to more trouble
than a Frenchman would be in coming from Folke-
stone to Boulogne 1 Row is the privilege to work
' A Frenchman, an American, and all men whatso-
ever, British subjects only excepted, must show a
passport, or the authorities will not allow them to
go on board. How is a gendarme to know an
Englishman 7 His natural answer to a man claim-
ing the special privilege would be "show me your
papers." Now it is the essential distinction of au Eng-
lishman from all men in Europe that "papers" are
no essential part of his identity. If you must have
" papers " of any kind the boat may go away while
you are looking them up, and the " reciprocity "
fails. There would practically be less difficulty at
Boulogne and Calais than in other frontier towns
less exclusively used by Englishmen. Take for
instance the Pont de Kehl over the Rhine, which is
crossed several times every day by crowds of all
nations going to or returning from Baden
Baden. How is the respectable and polite func-
tionary who watches that bridge to know
an Englishman from anybody else ? Merely
speaking bad French would nut be found
a sufficient identification. It seems to me plain
that until the passport system be altogether done
away with, it is impossible in the nature of things
that Englishmen unprovided with them can be
secure from annoyance and delay.
The Opinion Nationale says that the omission in
the description of M. de la Guerronniere's new
direction of the words " press and colportage," is
highly important, and that the change was made
by his request. The theory of the change is that
the press, "being free," does not require to be
"directed," but only to be "advised and en-
lightened." The distinction would be of greater
raise if the power of inflicting warnings had been
repealed. Let us hope that this further reform
will follow the meeting of the legislature.