The Express.
London, England, 1850-07-02 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, JULY 2, 1850.

FRANCE.

PARIS, 111011IDAT ETIGIITNO.
There is rime feature of the new law on the press
that deserves mullet attention. The 3rd article pre-
aides that when the responsible editor of a news-
paper has been arraigred at the bar of the Court of
Assist, in ermarqsance of a true bill found against him
for an Welke of the press, if a new bill is found
against him for a fresh offerce before sentrnos has
been past in the first cue, a sum equal to the half of
the maximum of the fines declared ley the law fur the
last offence mast be deposited within three days after
the bill is found. Now it is perfectly obvious that in
order to kill off the whole opposition Feta the govern-
ments teed. no other weapon than this article. For
the maximum fine for the common offences of the
press is 15,000ir., and if a paper were subject in sue-
cession to ten pre is-cations, as the nix de Potpie was,
it would have to deposit no lets than 3,0001. sterling,
in addition to the 21,000 fr. demarded as caution
money on starting. This enactment therefore entirely
cancels the guarantee afforded to the press by that
article of the constitution which allows to juries the
exclusive cognisance of press offences. It transfers
the jurisdiction of the jury to the board which finds
the till for arraigning the delinquent at the bar of
the tribunals; and the process of bucking inconve-
nient organs of public opinion is reduced from the
difficult task of procuring a conviction to the easy one
of finding a bill for the prosecution. The imposition
of the stamp will cut both ways ; for the reactionary
press is not less active than its democratic rival in
propagating its peculiar principles under cheap forms;
and the little tracts with which M. de Montal-mbnt
and his friends have deluged the rural di.tricts, will
have to contend with thrt same depressive tax as the
Brenentent avid Feuille do Village.
The Assembly will have to proceed to•morrow to
the three-monthly appointment of its president, vice-
president, and secretaries. The imprudent language
held by the organs of the Elyse(' has inclined a con-
siderable number of representatives to look out fur •
president likely to oppose the ambitious schemes sup-
posed to be entertained by Lonis.Napolecn with more
firmness than NI. Dupin, mar such an instrument they
think to hero discovered in General Bedeau, who has
expressed very decided views on this subject, and
would not fail to assert the prerogatives of the legis-
lature with energy in case of an extra-parliamentary
surprise. The Lett and tier:Tara will, it is raid,
support this candidate. The chances are, however,
in favour of the re-election of Duple, who
has won great favour latterly with the con-
'creative' by the pertinacity with which he
has woreel and tallied the orators of the Moun-
tain. The legitimists seem to live in constant
fear of a carp 4" leaf which will confound their cake-
Wines. To this aporehension must be attributed the
hos de position they have taken latterly towards the
government. It Stems highly probable they will
show themselves as little accommodating on the press
law as on the law of mayors.
The acme instinctive surmise that some ambitious
intrigue is at work, makes many opposed to the pro-
rogation of the Assembly; nor can five and twenty
men of the majority be easily found who would take
upon themselves the responsibility of forming the
usual interparliamtntary board. The government
seems raisposed to make another attempt to bring for-
ward the law of mayors. Tali press law will form a
strong ground for the oppositon, who are already
organising their plans of atteck.
The Assembly divided to-day upon the Usury Bill.
An tonal number of votes appearing for and against,
a verification of the ballot was called for; but the
even dWsicn amulets to rejection. M. Bineau
brought forward a bill for extending to 50 years the
duration of the concession of the railway from Orleans
to Bardeaux, and from Tours to Nantes, to relieve
these companies from several liabilities weighing upon
them. This bill, which caused considerab'e excite-
ment, was referred to the examination of a committee.
A bill for opening • credit to pay the expenses of
French contribution to the great London exhibition
of Veal, was laid on the bureau. The result of the
bahot on the Usury Bill was that a majority of 303
against 293 declared in favour of a third deliberation.
The ball is, therefore, tegarded as thrown oat. The
sitting broke up without any further occurrence of
importance.
A meeting of manufacturers aid take place on the
3rd, at the Hotel de Ville, to take into consideration
the great London exhibition of 1831.
Toe duel, suspended by the pelFee, between the
representatives MM. Valentin and Clary, was re-
sumed ye-terday at Versailles, where the offended
party, NI. Valeutio, received the satisfaction of • deep
thrust in the thigh from his adversary's sword.
M. Barrel, the professor of chemistry, and IM.
Bixio, the representative, ascended on Saturday in a
balloon, in order to make experiments on the density
of the atmcsphere. Their expedition was very near
terminating fatally from the expansion of the gas,
which bagged out the bottom of the balloon
in such a way as to threaten the aeronauts with suf-
focation. NI. Burs], with great presence cf mind,
slit the balloon with his penknife; the largeness of the
incision causing too rapid a diminution in the volume
of gas and perilous precipitation in the derma, they
both set to heaving out ballast, until the machine re-
covered buoyancy enough to prevent their return to
terra firma from being aeenmpsnied with any disas-
ter. No scientific results were obtained.

for four hundred francs. Prince Doris has ordered
the excavations to be discontinued at his villa at Al-
bano. although he had already discovered a splendid
marble eentam and the momenta of a theatre. The
same epithelia feeling has prevented any farther
•eareh being wade is Treeteverso where so masy in-
Unsling objects ware found heaped together la the
Visolo dells Palma.

Affording to • letter from Bologna, ef the 23rd alt ,in
the Opinions of Turin, the Austria military authorities
tits immer town had entered Into a negotiatiou with an
Englishman for the cession of • large totem of lend, Galled
the Capita% outside the Aorta Ban Felice, which they in-
tended to Ma as t ground for Military masconne; hut the
pries not Wining yet been agreed 00, the Aastrirn com-
mandant bad applied, aotwithetaading, to the government
for permission to occupy the land, which was granted, and
men were mat to eat down the treu and level the pruned.
Toe proprietor, wtto was at Turin at the time. has protested
against such arbitrary proyeedings, and a courier has arrived
at Bologna with orders from Vienna to stop the works imp
imedistely, the British kaabasaador having made representa-
tions on the subject.

TUSCANY.
The director of the 4:beatific/Jennie hu receivod
orders to quit the Tuscan territory within three days.
SARDINIA.
A letter from Tine states that an English compluy
is about to conclude • contract with the Sardinian
government, for the construction of a railway between
Deno' and Turin, which will be extended to Geneva,
and front Get.er• will be connected with the Bi!e
railway.