The Express.
London, England, 1861-08-19 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(nor On OWN

PARIS, SUNDAY EVI/17/IG.

Some sensation will be created here by the state-
ment in your number of yesterday as to the alleged
speeches of Mr. Colquboun on the occasion of his
visit to the works of the Isthmus of Suez. Those
imaginary speeches having been printed in, com-
mented upon, and largely exploitis by, the semi-
official journals, it will be impossible for them to
pass over your manifestly semi-official announce-
' meat without reply, explanation, or, perhaps, abso-
lute denial. I shall watch the matter with inte-
rest. The subject in itself is one of vast import-
ance, of which, indeed, we have a striking proof
in the fact that it is thought worth while to practise
such a deception—one so transparent, and so open
to detection—as we are now discussing. With-
out intending to enter into the general
question, I will mention an observation
made by a highly intelligent Frerchman, almost
an Anglo-maniac, with whom I was discussing it
at the time the speeches attributed to the English
Consul-General were being trumpeted forth.
"There is no subject of the day," be said, " which
the government could, if so disposed, more easily
blow into a flame. The French shareholders are
nearly all little people. It is a popular affair
altogether. I think if the opposition of your
government were withdrawn an important, element
of possible discord between the two countries
would cease to exist, and our people would not fail
to believe your's had made a sacrifice in favour of
the alliance." I shall, in all probability, have to
return again to this matter.
The news from South Italy continues to be
satisfactory. The reported, but now denied, resig-
nation of Cialdini bad caused some alarm here.
The Monde was already chuckling over the
misfortune—for such it would have been—to the
liberal cause. This morning that reactionary
journal said, " If the Opinion shall to-day decide
upon mentioning the fact that Cialdini has offered
his resignation, it will be because the news is so
probable that it can no longer be concealed from
the public." There is marvellous virtue in an if.
Another Hapsburg-Bourbon journal, the Ga-
zette de France, repudiates the notion that the Pope
should have organised a fate at Rome on the 15th
on account of the Emperor Napoleon :
The 15th of August (it says) is the Feast of the glorious
Assumption of the Mother of God, one of the greatest
fiesta of the catholic world, end Rams is before all %bless
the catholic city.--(The old story sheet Reese belonging to
catholicity, not to the Romani—We willingly believe
that the Sovereign Pontiff was ohanned at the coincideoes,
and rejoiced to be able to testify his gratitude to France by
lwmouring the Mother of God ; bat it should not be forgotten
that ►t Rome—Christian and catholic Rome—the Fart of
the Queen of Heaven goes before the feasts of all earthly kings
and sovereigns whatever. Rome is stilf the capital of the
Christian and catholic world, though the King of Piedmont
hes robbed it of part of its territory.

Since commencing this letter I find that the
Opinion /intimate at once takes up the subject of
the Suez Canal. It says :
We had believed that the English government was at
length converted, and would henceforth awns to oppose the
cutting of the Isthmus of Suez, and that wren it would
show Welt sympathetic to that great enterprise. The enthn-
aastic speeches made by Mr. Colquhona could not be inter-
preted in any other sense. The Morning Post itself had
confirmed us in our opinion ; but this plessant perspective
has been abruptly closed to uv. The English government
has sent the following communication to the London joy:-

u►b. [Here fotlows a translation of the article I quesiini)
We ran hardly believe in the misunderstanding which the

English note could infer. But Lord John has mama 10
belong to the cabinet, and Lord Palmerston perhaps repo-
distal the initiative taken by his collesgae. _ _

Lord John ceased to belong to the cabinet ! The
Palais Royal paper has acted rashly in not waiting
for the key-note of the Conalittetionne/.
The first anniversary of the Archbrotherhood of
Bt. Peter's Pence has just been celebrated at Rome.
Monsignor Nardi tells the catholic world what
has been the amount of its subscriptions. The
35,000,000 catholics of France have given in two
years 320,0001. sterling ; Austria, with 28,000,000
catholic. subject to the concordat, has sent the
modicum of 80,0001. ; while 6,500,000 of Irish
have bled to the tuno of 70,0001. The Romans
themselves, together with all Umbria and the
Marches, have only attained the figure of 8,0001.,
and of this nearly the whole is understood to be
contributed by the clergy and the convents. Ati
this rate, the Pope must soon come to a reduced