The Express.
London, England, 1861-01-14 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY 14, 1861.

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(71011 OCR OWN

PARIS, SUNDAY EVG4ING,

The Presse, referring to the alleged protest of the
Prussian government against M. Valerio's preten-
sions to consider Trieste as part of the Italian,
dominions, says that the only foundation for the
news is that the Prussian minister at Turin, Count
Brassier Saint Simon, applied to Cavour for "ex-
planations," which were at once given in the most
satisfactory manner.

The other evening papers contain nothing of the
slightest importance.
The Havre journals say :

Tiler, is a talk of experiments lately made at Cherbourg
with a new sort of asiso invented by the Emperor. A new
dad cannon of extremely long range, also invented by the
Emperor, is spoken of. It has been already stated that four
new iron. aced frigates have been put on the stocks to corm
plate the Emperor's programme, it being his Intention to
have twenty iron rased frigates at sea this year. At the
present moment there are six afloat, ten are just ready for
launching, and the four above mentioned will make up the
number.

A Marseilles letter, Jan. 11, in the Message'. du
Midi, says :

The multiplicity of orders continually received at Toulon,
and their frequent modification, sufficiently indicate the
difficulties of the situation. We hear from Toulon that
the Gaeta squadron will come there to revictual. That,
however, does not mean that France has renounced the pro-
ject of showing her flag in the Adriatic.

It would mean, however, as it seems to me, that
she is in no great hurry to send a fleet there, and
that among the orders countermanded are those for
"sending out" three months' provisions to Admiral
de Tinan.

The Saturday Review and two or three other
Sund►y newspapers were seized to-day ; it therefore
appears, an I suspected yesterday, that the " free
circulation" which M. do Persigny professes to
accord to foreign journals is not absolute.
A crinoline accident happened last night at a
brilliant ball given by M. and Madame de Errazu, at
their mansion in the Rue des Ecuries d'Artois, to
a young Spanish lady, the daughter of a professor
who was formerly tutor to Queen Christina's
children. While walking round an illuminated
fountain in the conservatory her dress caught fire,
and in a moment the flames were over her head.
The people about her despairing of extinguishing
the fire by any other means, contrived to throw her
bodily into the water, from which she was taken
out very much injured, but it is hoped that her
life will be saved.
PARIS, SATURDAY BMW°.
M. de Peny has addressed a circular to the
prefects to guide their conduct at elections. The
text has not appeared, but it is understood that,
while recommending them to abstain from all
pressure, he adheres to the principle of recom-
mending "government candidates." A good deal
of attention is now being paid to the revision of
the electoral lists. It is amusing to see the Pays
attempting to throw cold water upon this move-
ment. It coldly and formally admits that, "of
course," citizens do well to see that their names
are down for the exercise of their constitutional

rights, but it thinks that the stir made about the
matter by the Sidle and Opinion Nationale is very
unnecessary. "Universal suffrage," it argues, is such
a grand and mighty thing that it is impossible it
should go wrong, and attention to the voting
lists is of nothing like the importance that it
was under the restrictive system. Now the fact is,
as the government writers well know, that this
matter is vital. The system as hitherto conducted
has been this : the prefects, or their subordinates,
put down the names of all those whom they know,
or at least have good reason to suppose, will vote
for the government, and systematically omit the
names of all other voters. These latter have, it is
true, a right before a certain day to insist upon
their names being put down ; but to do this they
must present themselves at the mairie, produce
papers, lobe much time, and .give an opportunity
to the various petty functionaries always on the
look out in every commune, to put down their
names in a black book. Moreover, by a very
cunning device of the framer of the imperial consti-
tution, the old practice of publicly placarding the
lists of electors was abolished, and no man can
now tell whether he is down or not unless
he goes to the mayor's office, kicking his
heels in the antechamber, for nobody knows
how long, to inquire. Under such a system the
inevitable government majority throughout France,
except in a few large cities where it has been found
impossible to extinguish public spirit, is easily
accounted for, without supposing physical frauds
at the ballot box. A serious attempt ta now likely
to be made in many districts to make the elections
a reality instead of a sham.
The Bourse was less animated than yesterday,
but tolerably firm. The Rente, after being quoted
at 67.25 and falling to 67.10, closed with a fall o:
only 50., at 67.20 for cash, and 67.15 for amount.
Mobilier fell 2.50. In railways there was scarcely
any change.
1 The Council of the Imperial Household, the
creation of which has just been announced by the
Moniteur, is an institution of the first empire. The
members have already assembled, under the presi-
dentship of the Emperor. This council will be
usually composed as follows :—Marshal Valliant,
Minister of the Imperial Household; Marshal
Magnan, Grand Veneur ; Duke de Bass= 1 High
Chamberlain • Duke de Cambaokes, Grand Master
of the Ceremonies • General Rollin Adjutant-
General of the Palace ; Count Bacioochi, First
Chamberlain ; General Fleury First Equerry ;
Prince de la Moskowa, First Huntsman ; Count
Lepic, Superintendent ; K Gautier, Councillor of
State, Secretary-General of the Ministry of the
Household_ and K Bute, Treasurer. There is no
doubt, as K Fould had abundant opportunity of
knowing before he resigned office, that the affairs
of the imperial household greatly require looking
into.