The Express.
London, England, 1861-04-22 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(nor our OWN

PARIS, SUNDAY Ensin.

A new journal, which was to 'have been called
La France Liberate, has been strangled in the bud
in a very curious manner, before publishing a
single number, and, oonaequently, one would sup-
pose, before incurring any guilt. The immense
difficulties which, as shown by M. 011ivier's case
and many others, stand in the way of founding a
newspaper even under the comparatively liberal
administration of M. de Persigny, were sur-
mounted in the case of La France Liberale, which
a short time ago received an authorisation in due
form granted to Count d'Angles, as manager, and
M. Victor Bonnet, as editor. Before the journal
could be brought out M. d'Angles died, and now
M. de Persigny,without cause assigned, revokes his
permission. It can hardly be doubted that the
minister has the law on his side, for the terrible
decree of February 17, 1852, says that the previous
authorisation of the government shall be ne-
cessary for every change in the management,
editorship, or proprietorship of a journal. There
is no exception. If the proprietor of a jour-
nal dies, it depends upon the good pleasure of
the government whether the valuable property
which he had passed his life to acquire, and to
beneath to his children, shall be a property or
not. It is no answer to say that a law which pro-
duces such consequences is inconceivably , tyran-
nical ; dura lex sed lee. I suppose the moving
cause of the exercise of M. de Persigny's discretion
in the present case is the report that M. de Mouta-
lembert, M. Thiers, and M. Odillon Barrot were to
be contributors to La France Liberate. It is a pity
that the public should be deprived of such a pretty
ode podride as these three retired statesmen, whose
opinions are so full of conflicting elements, would
have been likely to have concocted. I should have
thought that the government, which cannot prevent
them from writing in anonymous or avowed pam-
phlets, or in newspapers under fictitious signatures,
would have had everything to gain by their coming
ostensibly before the public and signing their own
articles. M. de Persigny's faith in liberal principles
and in the popularity of the empire must be mar-
vellously weak if he is afraid of the influence of
these leaders of " old parties" in France.
The Pays announces as " latest news" that, after
the fetes which inaugurated the opening of the
bridge across the Rhine, at Kehl, the Baden
government determined not to allow tile bridge
to be used for traffic until the military measures
which had been stipulated for by way of pre-
caution
should be completely carried into effect.
A Kehl letter in the Cowrie,- du Bas Blau says
that a detachment of Baden artillery left Carlsruhe
on the 15th, with four guns, to arm the Mu de
pont established on the right bank of the river,
near Kehl, and that four more 12-pounders were
to follow immediately. The French are greatly
annoyed by these armaments, which they consider
as symptomatic of puerile distrust on the part of
Germany. A letter from Coblentz says that
Prussian officers are now tracing out a reviewing
ground in the neighbourhood of that town for
military manoeuvres on a large scale, which are to
take place in the month of September. The 75 or 80
battalions forming the garrison of the Rhenish
provinces are to take part in the evolutions, under
the command of the King in person. This news,
if true, has a reassuring aspect rather than other-
wise. If the King of Prussia is preparing for a
sham fight at Coblenta in the autumn, he cannot
expect real war on the Rhine this year.
A great contest is going on in the French
Academy, respecting the award of a prize of
20,000 fr., given by the Emperor to the author of
the most "remarkable work" of recent times.
M. Saint Beuve, in a very eloquent and energetic
speech, urged the claims of Madame George Sand,
and astonished his audience by the warmth with
which he defended the morality of her works. One
of his arguments in her favour was, that being a
woman, she was not eligible for a seat in the Aca-
dewy, whereas if they gave the prize to a man they
would almost commit themselves to a promise to
elect him on the next vacancy. Notwithstanding,
or, rather, perhaps, in consequence of M. Saint
Beuve'a advocacy, the name of George Saud was
rejected by 18 votes against 0., M. Henry Martin,
the historian, is now the favourite for this prize.
A great many of the academicians are very old and
in failing health, and there will probably be several
vacancies before long. The aged Duke Pasquier
is in a very weak state.

M. Meyerbeer's long-talked-of opera, L'Africaine,
is positively to be brought out at the Grand
Opera this year, and in anticipation of the event
M. Faure has been engaged for three years. M.
Blaze's drama, Gat he, for which Meyerbeer is
composing choruses, will probably be produced at
the Odeon, instead of the Porte St. Martin.
The performance of Charles VI. has been inter-
dicted at Bordeaux in consequence of the anti-

1861.

English, or, to speak more correctly, the Legitimist
and Ultramontanist, demonstrations, for which the
old song, " darnels en France PAnglais ne
regnera" furnished a pretext. You see I was
quite right in saying that the Prefect, who it was
alleged had taken a conspicuous part in these
demonstrations, would meet with no encouragement
from head-quarters.