The Express.
London, England, 1861-05-22 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(ISON OVB OWN

PARIS, TULSDAT EVINTIO.

Everybody is talking to-day of Prince Murat's
challenge to Prince Napoleon. The newspapers,
however, do not dare to speak of it. I have no
further information on the matter beyond what I
sent yesterday, but I think you may take it for
granted that there has been no bloodshed. The
note in the Moniteur, tardily contradicting the
existence of a letter said to have been written by
the Emperor to Prince Murat several weeks ago,
is manifestly connected with this affair. Prince
Murat, who in his government of the Freemasons
seems to have shown a thoroughly Napoleonic
contempt for law and decency, has dissolved the
meeting assembled to elect a new Grand Master.
But the central masonic lodge in the Rue Cadet is
at this moment crowded with leading members of
the craft, who claim to proceed with the election
on the ground that the Grand Master's powers
have expired and that his decree is void. As the
Freemasons' corporate existence lies at the mercy
of the Emperor, he, of course, will decide in the
last resort what is to become of them.

DE de Persigny has attained a reputation for
honesty and liberality of which, I have no doubt,
he is deserving, but he is "choleric and rash,"
and not unfrequently makes mistakes. He must,
I apprehend, be already aware that his circular
ordering the prefects to seize, extrajudicially, any
publication by any exile is a terrible bluoder. He
has not only betrayed a fear of Orleanism which
many of his colleagues repudiate as humiliating
to the empire, but he has so completely
overlooked the provisions of the law applicable
to the subject on which he writes that the impo-
tence of his intentions is on a par with their folly.
The Dibats, the Union, and other journals ask
triumphantly what he means by the "administra-
tive seizure" of a pamphlet. No such thing is
known to the law. The Moniker has frequently
boasted that in regard to books, as distinguished
from the daily or periodical press, the government
could exercise no repression except by a strictly
legal prosecution. The law is a stranger to the
distinction drawn by M. de Persigny between a
book written by an exile and one written by any-
body else. In telling the prefects to seize all such
works "administratively" and to await his farther
instructions he has given illegal orders, which
ought to be disobeyed. If, indeed, be had told the
prefects to send to him the names, foe transporta-
tion to Cayenne without trial, of all persons
guilty or suspected of being guilty of propagating
the writings of exiles in France, he would not have
exceeded the powers which ho enjoys under those
odious laws of public safety which some patriotic
members are about to bring under the consideration
of the Corps Legislatif on the occasion of the
debate on the budget. But this I should hope at
least is not what the minister means. He assumes
most illegally that the code authorises special and
exceptional proceedings against a book written by
an exile. It is pointed out that the terms of his
circular comprise literary as well as political
writings. Victor Hugo's lightest poems—

Je ne songs. p;s 1 Res;
Depuia j'y pease toulotus—

would before the recent amnesty have been as
liable to arbitrary seizure as an Orieanist pamphlet.
M. de Persigny's lame excuse that a pamphlet
like that of the Duke d'Aumale is protected from
criticism by the very fact of its being prosecuted
draws down upon him a bitter sarcasm from the
Debate. This journal, alluding to the notorious
cloud of semi-official pamphlets which did appear
in answer to the Orleans prince, says that the
minister must of course be now understood to
mean that obscure replies of this character are of
no account, and that under such delicate circum-
stances "uo writer who respects himself, and
none whose words carry any authority, would
would willingly take on himself the task of reply-
ing." Even the Cunatitutioiniel (advice having
evidently been taken in the matter) is ashamed
of M. de Persigny's circular. This govern-
ment organ reproduces M. Gueroult's stringent
article of last night, and, while agreeing
that nothing can be more " harmless" than the
pamphlet in question, so far makes game of its
leaders as to pretend that M. de Persigny's circular
is iu reality nothing more than a delicate attention
to the Orleans princes themselves, its real object
being to protect them from the ferocious attacks
which the loyal subjects of the Emperor in France
cannot be restrained from making upon them,
unless their writings are kept from the public
view.

The French papers have not yet spoken of M. do
Flahaut's sudden arrival in Paris, which, however,
I confirm. I am also enabled to add that he has
returned to London with instructions from the
Emperor of a conciliatory character.
The Bourse was calm during the greater part of
the day, but the Rents attained a rise of 15a for
cash and 10c. for account, closing at 69fr. 45c. and
69fr. 50c. Mobilier rose 3fr. 75c. Railways were
from lfr. 260. to 2fr. 50c. higher.
A corporal of the guards, named Mugarits, who,
u substitute for the Imperial Prince, acted as
treasurer to the squadron to which his imperial
highness belongs, ban unfortunately disgraced the
regiment by absconding with the funds entrusted to
him. He has been sentenced by a court-martial to
five years' inipriaonment with hard labour.

The Siamese Ambassadors and suite are expected
to olive in Paris about Saturday neat. The French go-
vernment have rented for them a handsome furnished
hotel in the Champ Wake.