The Express.
London, England, 1859-05-10 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

THE EMPRESS APPOINTED REGENT.

A telegram from our Paris correspondent informs
of the appearance of a decree in this morning's
Moniteur, appointing the Empress Eugenie Regent.
Mr. Renter's telegram gives faller particulars.
The Moniteur says:—" The Emperor having the
Intention of placing himself at the head of the army
of Italy, has resolved upon conferring the title of
regent on the Empress. The Empress (says his
Majesty) will swab* the functions of Regent
during our absence in conformity with our
orders and instructions, which will be tran-
scribed into the great book of the state. The
Prince Jerome, the presidents of the great bodies of
the state, the members of the privy council and the
ministers will take cognisance of these orders and
instructions, and the Empress will not be able to
depart from their tenor in fulfilling the duties of
the regency. The Empress will not be able to pro-
claim any other senalus eonsultum than these now
actually existing. The Empress will take the advice
of the Prince Jerome on the resolutions and decrees
which will be submitted to her."

Another decree published by the Moniteur ap-
points M. de Thouvenel senator.

The Mositeer also announces that a statue of
Alexander vat liamboldt will be placed in the
mums of Versailles.

(mow ova ows

)INT.)

PARIS. MOXDAY EVINIXO.

A communicated note in theorising papers statue
that the Emperor will leave Paris at 6 o'clock to-
morrow (Tuesday) evening. The grand mum to
pray for the success of his arms will be solemnised
not at the church of Notre Dame as previously
stated, but in the private chapel of the Tuileries.
The Cardinal Archbishop of Paris, assisted by the
grand almoner, will officiate. The imperial family
and household, the ministers, and great officers of
state will be present, but the ceremony will not be
of the public and imposing character which was at
first contemplated.
There is no vows whatever of importance from the
theatre of war. Thu Doke of Malakoff had a long
private interview with the Emperor this morning,
and afterwards was present at a ministerial
council.

The Bourse has been dull, with very little bail-
nem doing. The Rente fell 20c. for oseh, and 154.
for account, closing at 60tr. 900. and tiOfr. 85c.
Mobilier left off moo Saturday at 617 tr. 50c. Some
of the railways were better: Eastern rose 10fr.;
Lyons and Western, 2fr. 50c. each. Orleans fell
21r. 60e.; Northern, ltr. 25c. ; and Southern was
without change.

Letters from the theatre of war hare hitherto been
so rare that you will perhaps think it worth while
to print the following extract from one received
In Paris to-day from a private soldier; the only fact
of importance stated in it, namely, the capture of 14
Austrian guns by the Piedmontese, is probably an
unfounded camp rumour, but there is a certain coulter
locale about the communication which is interesting:
Italy, May 3.
I lave not been elAe t writa before s'ton we left Pads.
We went sleight to Mantilla by railway without a halt.

At Marmake we only rested two boon, and then embarked
for Gatos. There wa received our war equipments, end
were mat on the march with ell speed. To-night we are all
going to sleep in churches for want of other accommodation,
sad to-morrow we start for Alexandria. The Austrians
want to cut off our commtmicationa, and in all probability
the day will not per without an engagement. We expect
to fight in the very plats in which Napoleon fought the bot-
tle of Marengo. Ws are at this moment only about three
leagues from that battle-geld, which lies between
Novi and Alexandria. I shall give you no =r-
agtime about Italy sow; we an too much taken
up with the thoughts of to-morrow. As soon as the
affair is over, I will write to you again. I am sorry for the
Austrians, and should not like to be in their skin. I forgot
to say that the Piedmontese had an engagement with the
Austria= yesterday—gave them • good licking, and took
fourteen guns. I have no doubt we shall have equal good
luck to-morrow.

This letter confirms the telegraphic intelligence
that an engagement was expected near Novi. It did
not take place in consequence of a change in the
Austrian tactics.
The

announces that the long de-
bated corn-law question will probably be settled
shortly by the "pure and simple" revival of the
sliding scale of 1832, there being no time to consider
during the present session the various amendments
proposed of a legislation which the protectionist
journal admits to be defective. I am afraid
that this news is bat too true. The pro-
tectioniats seem to be the only class of men in
France powerful enough to thwart the views of the
Emperor. Many warm debates on the sliding scale
have lately taken place in the financial and commer-
cial sections of the council of state, and I am told
that in spite of all the efforts of MM. Baroche and
Rouher, two of the most able members of the
government, a great majority of the council conti-

flues to uphold the most ultra-protectionist doctrines.
M. Michel Chevalier, the FrenchCobden, strives in
vain to dispel the darkness which clouds the intellect
of hie brother councillors in regard to this question.
In their eyes the agricultural and commercial inte-
rests of France repose mainly upon these two corner
stones of industry, Prohibition and Protection.
In the last number of the Revue du Deux
Hendee M. Michel Chevalier states the startling fact
that Francs exports annually four hundred millions'
worth of those very articles, the absolute prohibition
' of which from foreign countries is considered by the
protectionists essential to her manufacturing exist-
ence. In the same publication M. Chevalier charges
the protectionists with being the systematic adver-
saries of the English alliance, because they know
and feel that prohibitive laws, which were originally
adopted as war measures against England, must in-
evitably fall to the ground if the English alliance
becomes intimate and permanent. The prospects
of free trade in France are certainly worse at the
present moment than they were two or three
years ago. Nevertheless it is certain that if the
Emperor chose to make the abolition of the sliding
scale a government question, the Council of State
and the Corps Legislatif would register his good
pleasure on this subject with that alacrity which.
they ever display iwhen made to understand that
opposition will not be tolerated. But it pleases the
Emperor, while exhibiting a certain personal lean-
ing in favour of a liberal commercial policy, to
affect extreme deference to public opinion on this
one point, and it cannot be denied that public,
opinion in France is not yet sufficiently enlightened
to comprehend the doctrines of free trade.

THE WAR IN ITALY.

(PROM ♦ 001111/IPONDINT.).

The positions occupied by the belligerent armies
are now pretty clearly defined. The Austrians oc-
cupy a line drawn obliquely across the north of the
peninsula from Anoona to their posts in advance of
Pavia, not keeping the current of the Po between
them and their enemies, but, on the contrary, with
that broad river in their rear, and occupying a series
of towns and fortified places in front of it. Their
chief force is evidently thrown out from Pavia and
Pismo's, =occurring on both banks of the Po,
and threatening thus to break the line which
their allied antagonists occupy from Genoa to
the valley of Soma. From Piacenza eastward
the Austrian troops at Reggio, Modena, Bo-
logna, and Ancona extend along a country and a
spew offering few facilities for defence, and in which
the intervals between the garrisons offer every ad-
vantage and temptation to an enemy's attack. It
may be that the Austrians occupy this region solely
for the sake of feeding upon it as long as they are
allowed to do so, and that they do not intend
eventually to contest these fertile plains. Their ob-
ject, however, for the present seems to be to deter
the French from detaching any large portion
of their army in this direction, m which case the
Austrians, massed between Pavia and Piacenza,
might fling themselves on Piedmont, and severely
punish both it and its King.
It is probable, however, that the French will
avoid any serious conflict, if possible, in Piedmont.
Their aim it, no doubt, to attack the weaker and
more eastern parts of the Austrian line, in which
I attempt they can reckon upon the aid of the popula-
tion of the Legations. One French division landed
at Ancona, and another advancing from Florence,
would, it is expected, easily drive the Austrians be
Ihind the Po, and, by crossing or menacing to cross
that river eastward of Croutons and of the line of the
Adds, completely turn the Austrian position at Pia-
' cenn, and at once transfer the war to the Adige,
leaving Milan to be occupied by Victor Emmanuel
That a battle would be fought to defeat, or to carry
out, snch • purpose is highly probable; and on the
result of such an engagement of course an immensity
would depend.
That such are the intentions of the French, we
augur from the circumstance of the large proportion
both of troops and artillery which have been sent to
Genoa. All the Guard went thither-14 batteries of
artillery, numbering 84 guns, were landed there in
the first week. Moreover, the revolution in Tus-
cany must have taken plum in concert with the
military operations. Two divisions of Chaloupes
Cannounieres are under sailing orders, both no doubt
for the Adriatic, and one of these under one of the
smartest officers in the French navy, Bonet Wi Bourne'.
With them gra • military division, under the
nominal command of Prince Napoleon Jerome. We
are not aware of the state of the fortifications or the
strength of the garrison of Ancona. Austrian ac-
counts state that it has been greatly reinforced, and
its garrison between six and ten thousand men. But
the French have no doubt that it can be blockaded
and taken.

If • French division should land on the Adriatic
coast, it is clear that it cannot be left
unsupported or exposed to an overwhelming attack
of the Austrians. Consequently, other French divi-
sions must advance upon the line which extends
from Parma to Bologna. And thus the central
Duchies, net Piedmont, will be the seat of war.
When the Austrian government sent its peremptory
summons to Turin and menaced instant invasion, it
must have expected that the strength of the French
army would be coming over the Alpine passes, and
that after the occupation of Turin the Austrian arm
'mkt have met them as they descended through
the valleys. The abandonment of North Pied-
mont by the King of Sardinia, and the bulk
d the French landing at Genoa, must have
dismanirted these projects, and compelled the
Austrian general to change his plan and await his
foe in the vicinity of Pavia and Piacenza. The ex-
cursions which Gyulai has made towards the Seals
and the Tanaro are surely not serious. Nor probably
will he now venture any attack towards Aleasandria
and Casale. For the French and Piedmontese
having full possession of the railway, whilst the
Austrian general has nothing of the kind, the former
can concentrate on ally given point aquantityof

force far greater than the itustriei oriald'eolleci by
mere marching and counter-marching. Indeed, if the
two armies shoald come or continue to be concentrated

'ken their respective bulletins are issued at present,
mean expect nothing decisive. The Piedmoutese have
three fortresses within almost hearing of each other.
The Austrians have Lodi and Pislighettone behind
haft( /11, and they have their railway, as the
Fiedmcnteire have theirs, on the other side of the Po.
For either army to attack the other in these positions
meld give too great and manifest an advantage to
whichever stood on the defensive. Mere, therefore,
we think, Ina not take place either decisive opera-
riots or severe 'open:lett,.
The interval between the Parma river and
the Taro is MIA MOTS likely to be the
stew of • serious advance of the French to
0r... the great river, and of the most energetic
efforts of the Aestriass to resist them. What most
tells against the French in this aggressive campaign
is, that •e movement can be new or unforeseen. The
grew Napoleon invaded Lombardy several times,
and each time penetrated by a now avenue. He Isms
hiniwif explained all that he did, in ample commen-
taries, with his monis and difficulties, pails aind
adexatagee. It is impossible to say a weed mere
upon the military geography of the valley of the Po.
And General VUoa's two goodly volume, just pub-
lished, telling the world what Charles Albert ought
to lave dose, say in reality nothing new. The
Austrians know the ground ; they are equal at pre-
sent in number to the attacking army, and but that
the Lombard populati-n are hostile, and that their
position may at any time he weakened or endangered
popular insurrections at Milan, Bergamo, sad
um, we should say that if they be not able to
hold their ground, they had better abandon Lom-
bardy definitively and for ever, for they an never
pretend, militarily or politically, to keep it.
That feature of the we., indeed, which ie the most
threatening to Austria is, in fact, the national
character that Victor Emmanuel le giving to it, and
which the French are most honourably permitting or
abetting. Charles Albert discountenanced Italian
volunteers altogether, and took but little miscount of
their cooperation. On the contrary, at present, the
commander-in-chief, La Marmots, is taking every
pains to render the legion, of Central Italy effective,
disciplined, and numerous. Let the war endure
even one campaign, and Italy would then have •
form idable army of its own, funned of men who, whilst
they had fought by the side of the French, would
not on that account be prepared to prostrate them-
selves before the imperial eagle.