The Express.
London, England, 1861-11-26 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN

PARIS, Mosnar Emma.

The Tempo has reason to believe that M. Fould's
plans of financial reform are nut likely to appear
shortly in the lifoniteur, as was expected, but will
be reserved for the report which the Finance Minis-
ter is in the habit of addressing to the Emperor
every year in the course of the month of December.
The same journal says there is no authority what-
ever for the new taxes announced by the Coasfita-
Gunnel, meaning those projects affecting lucifer
matches and pianofortes, which have obtained a
grand suers de rire in Paris. The Opinion Nationak
thinks it most desirable that M. Fonld should lose
as little time as possible before lotting the public
know what his measures are. The " devotedly-
independent " journals seem to have no other work
to do but to contradict in detail every confession
made in M. Fould's memorable report. What
with the Patrie's protest, that " disarma-
ment is impossible," the Conatitutionnd's asser-
tion that the "floating debt is a phantom,"
and the Pays' continual barking back to the doc-
trine that the resources of France are "inexhaus-
tible," the great demonstration of November 14
is in danger of being pared away to nothing. The
Temps, last night, said very plainly that in a reduc-
tion of the army alone consisted the possibility of
any true economy. The Patrie replies that the
government and the Corps Legialatif must know
better than the Temps—an argument which, while
it goes to ignore the interference of the press in
public affairs altogether, would also be a rebuke to I
the Patrie (if, indeed, it were not inspired) for talk-
ing about the impossibility of disarming. 1

It is said that when the Senate meets on Decem-
ber 2, Count Casablanca, an old Napoleonist long
out of favour, means to propose that amendments
of the Corps Legislatif, rejected by the Council of
State, may be revised by the Senate. This would
no doubt be a degree better than the present sys-
tem, although it would not harmonise with the
imperial constitution, which does not recognise the
Senate as a legislative body, but merely as a kind
of supreme court of caseation. I look with some
suspicion upon Count Casabianca's plan. I saw it
stated lately in Bullier's Currespundence that he
meant to propose that any chapter of the budget
' rejected by the Corps Legislatif might be voted by
the Senate. That proposition would be so mons-
trous, that I do not wonder at it having been with-
drawn for the moment, if it be true that it was ever
entertained. But the present announcement looks
like an encroachment of jurisdiction. The liberal
party would do better to battle with the Council
of State, whose interference with the representa-
tives of the people is too anomalous to last long,
than recognise a court of appeal in the Senate.
At the opening of the Bourse the brokers set up
a cry of " Viva l'Empereur l" and " Viva M.
Fould !" I hear that they have voted a bronze
statue to the Emperor, to be placed in the Bourse.
There can be no doubt of the sincerity of their
expressions of gratitude, for the abolition of the
turnstiles will certainly bring them more busi-
ness. The crowd to-day was not so great as
might be expected, bat still considerable. As iu
other gambling houses, people go in not intending
to play, but are tempted when they get there. No
great influence of the change was perceptible to-
day. The Rente rose 15c. and 10c., closing at
70fr. 15c. and 70fr. 25c. Mobilier rose Mr. 25c. The
Orleans Railway rose 10fr., and the other lines from
2fr. 50c. to bfr.

The Postmaster-General has deprived a great
many public officers of the privilege they en-
joyed of franking letters, which is hereafter to
be confined to the heads of great departments
only. This is the first instalment of M. Fould's
retrenchment.

The Opinion Nationale says that a powerful re-
actionary committee has been formed in Italy, with
Prince Petrulla, Francis IL's ambassador at
Vienna, for president, and of which the ex-king
himself and all the dethroned dukes are leading
members. They propose to set up newspapers to
advocate the reactionary cause at Rome, Vienna,
Paris, and Verona. It is in the latter city that
the central legitimist committee will have its head-
quarters. The Verona journal will be the official
Moniteur of the gang ; the first number is expected
to appear on January l.

The Arai de Ls Religion is to prosecuted for
an infraction of the law of signatures—
the imputed offence being merely the pub-
lication of a foreign correspondent with the
words "for extract," attested by the signature of
an editor residing in Paris. The government has
not been slow to take advantage of the opening,
which, as I pointed out the other day, was
afforded by the special grounds on which the
tribunal of Niort based a verdict of acquittal. A
heavy blow will be struck at the press if foreign
correspondence is to be signed by the "true
writer thereof." I have not the least doubt that
government has the law on its side. The law is
no doubt a very abominable ono, but it is quite
plain that "pour extrait," which has been hitherto
winked at, is, instead of being a legal signature,
the admission that the name of the writer, which
the legislature in its hostility to the press meant
to get at, is withheld.

The Memorial de Lilk says :—" Two days ar a
young girl, named Maria H—, who was shut up it. the
Convent of the Bon Pasteur, resolved to make her escape
from the place, but which she could only do by scaling a
wall. On reaching the top of it, she was preparing herself
to drop on the other side, a depth of about 18 feet, and
wee already hanging by her hand■, when a man who we.
passing rushed forward and attempted to catch her in hie
arms. The shock to him was, however, so great that he
was knocked down and rather severely shaken, and before
he had recovered himself the young girl had gad. She has,
it is thought, taken refuge with her family.*
A Toronto letter says :—" Our tall weather has
been beautiful. The leaves of the trees are beginning to
darken, however, and slight frosts for some nighty past in-
dicate the approach of winter. Further north there has
been a heavy shower of snow, and in the course of a few
weeks we shall have a visit front this northern product
also. Cold weather, however, does not come in earliest till
January or February."
Some more shipping dis listen have been an-
nounced from the Baltic. The Era, steamer, was stranded
on the Faro reef, but, after throwing overboard part of her
cargo, got into Gothenburg. The Deptford, screw steamer,
had also been stranded, and got off, but sunk after en-
tering Pillau harbour.

The Confederate war steamer Sumter, which
has doom such damage to Federal merchant shipping,
was built at Montreal. She was first called the Colon and
afterwards the Mar iuis de Habana. She is • screw steamer,
437 tons burden. 100 font' long, and 30 feet beam. She is
armed with eight 3.!-pounder ritle cannon, and one 82.
pounder rifled. Her bulwarks are so constructed
that her armament cannot be perceived by rz
Mg vessels. She ran the blockade of New or
on the 30th of June last, although the Federal
inanmf•war Brooklyn was watching her. The follow-
ing are amongst the Federal ships which have been
captured by the Sumter, via., the Golden Rocket, the
Cuba, the Machias°, the Bel 3 Dunning, the Albert Adams,
the West Wind, the Louisa Heiman. the Naiad and the
Abby Bradford. The Federal men-of•war Crusader, Nia-
gara, Keystone State, Powhattan, and Iroquois have
been sent in pursuit of her. The Sumter, it Is reported,
was captured off Barbadoes by the Powhattan or Iroquois
about the lit of October. Her commander was Captain
Raphael SWUM&