The Express.
London, England, 1861-12-13 00:00:00

FIPRFJ3B FROM PAItIS.

(now ova ows

PARD3, TEUUD&Y EVF-1130.

The appearance in the Moniteur of a decree de-
claring that in future none of the ministers shall
ask the Emperor's signature to any decree autho-
rising any works or measures which may add to
the public expenses, unless such decree be accom-
panied by a report in its favour from the Minister
of Finance, is an event of first-rate importance.
The date, "Compiegne, Dec. 1," is a pregnant con-
firmation of reports of violent ministerial struggles
for power and influence within the last fortnight.
The publication of the decree, which has been bot-
tled up since the first of the month, is a triumphant
victory for M. Fould. And the victory is the
more signal because the decree is countersigned
by himself alone, whereas it ought regularly
to have borne the signature of the Minister
of State, who is the recognised intermediary be-
tween the Emperor and all the other ministers.
M. Fould has now shown himself to be, to all
intents and purposes, " Controller-General of the
Finances of the Empire." Although the title which
it is understood he asked for from the first is not
formally accorded him at present, Count Walewski,
I have no doubt, refused to sign this decree, and
the only consequence is that M. Fould supersedes
him in one of the highest functions of his office.
This is the first time that a decree imposing orders
upon all the ministers has been countersigned
simply by one of them not being the Minister of
State.

A paragraph in the "latest news" of the Patrie
contains the following explanation of the reports
—s;uce contradicted by General Scott's letter and
Captain Wilkes' speech—that the Southern oommis-
&Loners were taken out of the Trent by the express
orders of the United States government. The
Patrie aye :

It manna, from New York Dews of November 28, that
the cabbie' of Washington despatched several ship with
orders to search the Trent, and to mhos the °Skirl de-
spatches and the Southern made of which she was the
bearer ; bat that the captain of the Saa Jacinto took upon
himself to arrest AM Slidell cad Kum, about whom
nothing was maid in his insareaticas.

If this information be authentic, it is very
strange that Captain Wilkes should have forgotten
—as he certainly did—to ask for despatches.
Allow me hero to guard myself against being
thought, even inferentially, to approve the doc-
trine that the San Jacinto would have bad any
right to seize despatches on board the Trent, or to
capture her on amount of despatches. Because de-
spatches may, under certain circumstances, be con-
traband of war' it is loosely assumed by many
writers that the San Jacinto would have been in the
right had she merely searched for despatches. I
have not seen any precedent cited, and do not be-
lieve that one can be found, in which it has been
I judicially decided by any court of admiralty that
despatches from a belligerent to a neutral were con-
traband of war on board a neutral ship " bound
from one neutral port to another."
In a second paragraph the Potrie says :
It is anted that the Costederated Motes of the South
are penparieg a monomials= for Europe, is which it wig

be shown conclusively that the North has uodertaken a war
which mane* possibly lead to any result, since the Worth is
unable to swegair the seesenonist sales; the Smith will
Nimbi, propose • friendly aspiration, offering, at the same
time, to make such conoeuions am the state of mama Girl-
Iliad= demands.

The Bourse remains without any marked feature.
Rents left off at yesterday's price for account, and
with a fall of be. for cash, the hat prices being
67fr. 500. and 67fr. 75c. Mobilier fell Mr. 7,c.
The Italian Loan fell 550. in oonsequenoe of a re-
port that a heavy speculator was " executed."
The Orleans Railway fell 6f r. 25c., and the other
lines about 2fr. 50c.

It is said that bank notes of 50fr. will be issuel
on January 1.
It is reported that the Emperor of Russia has
sent a pressing message to the Grand Duke Con-
stantine, now at Hanover, to repair to St. Peters-
burg without delay.
A.ocortling to a paragraph now going the round of
the French papers, the heir to the imperial throne
is a brilliant specimen of the forcing system of
education. Although only five years and a half old,
be alre►dy speaks four languages " fluently"—
French, English, German, and Italian. I wonder
that his mother should not have taught him her
native tongue—Spanish.

The news of General Scott's departure for the
United States, with further particulars than were
known here yesterday, is telegraphed to-day from
the Daily News.

There is another vacancy on the episcopal bench,
occasioned by the death of the Bishop of Gap, who
has occupied that see since 1844.
M. Fagnani, whose portrait of Mr. Cobden was
placed in the sal& d'howneur at the last Paris Exhi-
bition, has received a commission from the muni-
cipality of Naples to execute a portrait of King
Victor Emmanuel for the Cam Comunale of that
city, and will shortly set out for Turin to paint it.

REPRESENTATION OP NOTTINGHAM.

The health of Lord Lincoln is so far improved
that he is expected in Nottingham daily. Ward meetings
are being held by his lordship's supporters, and his candi-
dature is pretty well received, many gentlemen of influence
having undertaken to canvass for him during his absence.
A considerable number of the dissenters, however are
anxious to know his lordship's opinion respecting the:Non-
conformist Buil Bill, and a meeting was held last night
for that object Ties* is also sans difference of opinion
amongst thee relative to the earl's opinions on church
rates, and the more advanced section of them have signed
the following protest :
. . .

" A statement having been generally circulated that tho
opinions of Lord Lincoln on the subject of church rates,
as contained in his address to the electors, and explsined by
his letter to Mr. Close, of the Bth isms., are satisfactory to
the liberals sod oonoonformiste of this town, we, the
undersigned, feel bound publicly sad emphatically to pro.
teat spinet such an assertion, because—l. So far from
to support the entire and unconditional
abolition of uroh rates, the said letter expressly declares
that Lord Lincoln desires a compromise, and only in a
certain contingency, of the occurrence of which he
aloof will be the judge, will be vote for' their abolition.
2. From past experomos we believe all attempts at
campmates to be delusive ; their only tendency is to em.
bitter the discumion, and to delay the settlement of a qua.
tion already too long deferred, and the justice and necessity
of which are universally felt. 3. The aniertion of Lord
Lincoln that church rates are the last remaining grievance
of dissenters implies either lamentable ignorance or a deli-
berate rejection of the just end long-standing claims of
this summons body to—l. Full admission to all the advan.
Sages sled honours of our public schools and universities.
IL Eqsal participation in the management of public trusts.
111. Abolition of the degrading oath, required upon &Mire
sloe to municipal offices. IV. Limitation of the power
of refusing the right of burial in public burying grounds.
V. And . generally, entire equality in the eye of the law for
all relous denominations. 4. Considering these paints as
of vital importance to the great body of nonconformists in
this estuntry sad regarding Lord Lincoln's letter of the Bth
bac as the expression of his matured opinion upon them,
we feel it is impassible to -give our eupport to him at the
present election.—Nottingham, Dec U." hero follow a
number of signatures.
81e Rebut Clifton addressed a large number of his sup.
last =Vito he meta
adhere tomir,it hearty
present political
pledopeiligiadad so unanimous vote of consfitl'encenwupopatedcal
to him.

—lt is sow beyond doubt that Yr. H. Twointrose will not
come forward's. be has Unwed an address in which he de.
clines the pressing invitations of his fries& in Nottingham,
" on account of a rumouredprobable vacancy in the repro.
seatatlon of the Tower which borough he is
pledged to contest if the anticipated vacancy should occur.'

LAW INTELLI4; ENCE.

(THIS DAY.)

EQUITY COURT.
(Before Vico.CtivicoUor &r W. P. Wood.)
TII► NoIiTHULI ZAILwAT COMPANT r. TUC WAS-
( mHUFIELIt, A.VU LINCoLNKidiIIE ILAILMAT COX-
) ANL

This wan a motion to restrain the Manchester, Sheffield,
nml Lincolnshire Railway Company from acting upon or
pie,yeahtig to carry out an arranginneot with the Midland
I:Ailway Company for the working of traffic front Manehes-
tvr and the sortt. It appeared that on October 1, IMO,
tie great Northern and the Manchester, Sheffield, and
Compunie. entered into au agreement for working
the erotic from the north. That agreement oontained a
~,,, idou in it, 14th claims that no agreement should be
'mole lo either company with any other company which
should interfere with the interest of the other company.
lhiogs twang an this state, it bad lately coins to the know.
I,lge of the plaintiffs that heads of an a g~seet bad
been come to between the Mancheeter, She~EMld, and Lin-
colu.hire line nod the Midland hoe, whereby the latter
w..url -bleat' seam to Manchester via Hayworth, and so,
I, means of the working powers over the Great Northern
hue, put themselves in threct communisation between Lon-
don sad the north.

Mr. Holt, Sir H. Cairns, and Mr. T. Stevens were for the
plaintiff.: the Silicitor-General, Mr. Daniell; Mr. Gil Lard,
Mr. Speed, and Mr. Km-slake were on the other aide.
The Vice•Charroallor said that the question in this case
was, how far the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire
Company had, by an agreement made under statutory
authority with the Great Northern Company, precluded
itself from entering iotaa subsequent traffic agreement
with the Midland Railway by which facilities were given
for conveying northern trajdc vii the Midland, and to the
disadvantage of the Great Northern line. The agreement
entered into between the Great Northern and the Saffisid
Company was virtually this. The two companies, the Gnat
orttivro and theSliefeeld, arranged to convey northern trellis
via their two linea, at Gee price to the public, dividing thole
receipt. according tonsils.. rate agreed upon between the.
It appeared that sow the ithelleklCompany were about en-
tering into an anagrams with the Midland Company, by
which a shorter route, via tine latter, would be available,
and this &museums.% it one that the plaintiffs desired I.
stop. The quest ice obviously tamed upon the coestrontes
of the first agreement, ad, is fact, it meted upon two
clauses only of it. The Intel three clauses was the 9th.
Hy this the Northers Company agreed that they would
bout eat invoice all through traffic sea specially invoiced
as to rout* along the Northern and Sheffield line, and
the libeffickl Company entered likewise into the mese
arrangement, though vim versa. And each company agreed
to pawn. to for aa they lawfully meld a through train
theirroutes. Now, in the drat place, the Oren Northern
imitated that by the arrangement with the Midland this
clause was infringed, inasmuch as it could not he promoting
the through traffic via the route agreed upon. To de-
termine this the terms of the clause must be considered as
attectior the public, and when that was done it would be
seen that any reran might, by specially invoicing their
guide, or any paserngerbyso taking his ticket, might chase
the route agreed upon by the two companies. That bang
so, could noteitle.rof the companies so arnuige that facilities
might he given to the penman choosing to transmit goods ce
trees' themselves via a potboiler route, which was not the
route agreed upon by the companies ? It certainly seemed
to his Honour that, going upon the 9th clause, this
question must be answered in the affirmative.
But there was soother clause upon which still
more stress wee laid. via, the leth. His Honour stated
the effect of that Blames set out ahem Now, upon this
clause more difficulty, no dent, mess ; but his Moment
could not argue that it went the least insisted upon by
the pbuutiffs. If the Great Northern Oosapany wooled to
shut out the power ef shaking anisgemente fur bailie with
other curepaniem that might base said so. Dilleaties
might have arises ea le the validity et such an agreemeek
ad perhaps this amend for the terms is which the
agreement was frame/ Thews awes did not, however,
bear out the coastrselies Raw gag& to be put upon than;
and epos this. as epee the feeseer Isesdi of 111111
the Oren NorthersOompasy, I. his Kensee's
Mai l
fund. a mak* est leek are. The melee wee UMW
re