The Express.
London, England, 1861-03-16 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(nom OUR OWN

PARIS, FRIDAY EVRIFING.

The Corps Legislatif was enlivened to-day by an
amusing debate upon the question of "written"
speeches, which came off by way of an entertain-
ment prior to the resumption of the heavy business
of the address. Having heard some of these written
speeches delivered, I can testify to their tedious-
ness, and the sad waste of public time which they
involve. Inferior men, who could not speak a
dozen consecutive sentences impromptu, remorse-
lessly inflict upon the house, for the gratification
of their personal vanity, long prosy essays, crammed
with platitudes and repetitions. One of these
speeches often takes up the best part of a day,
and does not advance the debate. I would
not absolutely proscribe all written speeches.
Many of the greatest living orators—the name of
Lord Brougham occurs to me as an example—have
made use of them. But when such men clothe
their ideas in previously written words, it is for
the sake of concentration, out of respect for
their audience and the public, and fn order
that some statement or argument of extraordinary
importance may appear in the best and most
precise form possible. This is a widely different
thing from abusing the patience of a public
assembly by reading a dull magazine article and
pretending that it is a parliamentary speech. The
Moniteur has greatly vexed these would-be elo-
quent gentlemen by stating the fact in its report
that they read their speeches. I must say that
I think it was a very fair measure of self-defence
on the part of the official journal, which, be it
remembered, has undertaken to give a verbatim
report of the debates. It is quite plain that if the
Corps Legialatif means to do business seriously it
cannot suffer the system of reading speeches to go
on to the extent to which it has been carried this
week. I now report what was said in the house
on the subject this afternoon :

IL DE CHAZILLLBA complained of the innovation intro.
duoed by the Moeiteur, since March 12, in distinguishing/
those speakers who read their speeches from those who
did not.

A Voice—The Moniteur doe* quite right.
M. Da CHAZILLEB was not of that opinion. M. de Ssgr.•
Lamoignon was the first victim of this measure. He said
" victim," because a deputy who read his speech was to •
certain extent held up to the public in an unfavourable
light. It was often said that if he read his speech, he got
somebody else to write it for him.
A Dartrtv—That may very likely be true.
Y. Di CHAU:LLD; felt that he might be thought to be
pleading pro domo, but be did not speak often. He had
been told by those who were against written speeches that
the equality which he demanded in respect of the reports
of speeches was in reality an inequality, because men who
studied, prepared, and wrote their speeches beforehand had
a great advantage over other members, and that the system
of mentioning in the Moniteur the fact of • speech being
read would have the wholesome effect of putting a stop to
the practice. . .

Di CvviatviLis—Tbat reform boa, in fact, been
called for.

U. Di CHAZZLLES would maintain th►t no distinction
*eight to be made in the reports. Every speaker had his own
peculiar manner. Ministers, whose high position was the
result of extraordinary talent, and advocates who had the
habit of speaking in public, were a distinct class of men.
But ordinary members must deliver their opinions as they
best could. Suppose a member read part of his speech and
improvised the rest, would the Mounter sliatiogeish the
part read from the part spoken off-hand ? He protested
spinet any distinction between members who spoke with •
paper in their hands sod members who spoke without one.
He was foi stenographic equality.
M. DAVID DIiCHAMPS differed with the last speaker.
He thought there could never be any harm in reporting the
...act truth. The question of the toleration of written
speeches was not a new one. It had often been proposed
to take some radical measure to put • stop to them. They
were not there for the gratification of personal vanity, but
to do the business of the country. A debate wu much
more useful when the observations made grew one out of
another as difficulties were started. If everybody came
down to the house with written speeches, there would be
no correlation between one speech and another. At the
same time he would not prohibit written speeches. It
would be • great misfortune if the country were to be de-
prived of the suggestions of a man of talent because he
did not happen to be a fluent speaker. But he thought it
quite right, that when a speech was read, the Mounter,
whose office was to report the debate with all its incidents,
should state the fact.

M. 0. QUIN would not have brought the subject forward
hiromilf, but now that it was before them, wor'd express
his regret that the Moniker should have set a disparaging
mark against particular speeches. The tendency of it was
to prevent timid members from speaking their sentiments,
and to put the entire representation of the country into
the hands of barristers.

M. GELLIBUIT DEB SZGUINS thought it was right that the
Moniteur should tell the whole truth, and be took the op-
portunity of inquiring how it happened that an expression
used by M. Emile 01Eyler yesterday did not appear in the
report.

Paranna-r said—l will give you the explanation
you ask for. It was I who struck out from the Moe dear
these words used yesterday by M. Emile °Wrier, " I who
am a republican." I did not like to cell him to order for
as expression which escaped him in the heat of debate ;
more particularly at a moment when our honourable col-
league had spoken with so much moderation and candour,
and had done ample justice to Cho govern-
ment so far u his political opinions allowed
him. Censure under such circumstances would have been

undeserved. When Y. E. 011ivier said that be would rally
to the government if only a ►ittle mom liberty were given.
I could nut bring myself to remind him of bis oath. He
is free to repeat what he mid yesterday if he wishes. (Much
approbation.)

It is constaU by the above incident that, although
the decree of Nov. 24 gays the 31inateur is to pub-
lish the short-hand writers' report of the debates,
M. de Morny takes upon himself to strike out what
dispieases him. This is a bad precedent.

The Bourse was better in consequence of the
lowering of the discount by the Bank of France—a
measure which, as I stated yesterday, it was feared
would not be taken. The Rente rose 15c. both
for cash and account, closing at fiBfr. 25c. Mo-
biller rose Mr. Railways were Irvin Mr. 25c. to
21r. 50c. higher.
The finance minister has sent a circular to the
receiver-general and all the heads of offices under
his control, impressing upon them the necessity of
abstaining from Bourse operations, and avoiding all
business but that appertaining to the duties con-
fided to them.

The ceremony of blessing the golden rose, which
ever since the time of Urban V., in 1366, has been
invariably performed at Rome ou March 13, no
doubt took place as usual ou the appointed day.
According to tradition the Pope presents this rose
to some empress, queen, or princess, as a mark of
his especial favour. The last recipients of this
highly-prised sacred gift were the Queen of Spain
and the Empress Eugbnie, but this year his Holiness
means to bestow it upon the consort of the de-
throned King Francis IL The Pope does not, I
dare say, know English, otherwise he might be
aptly reminded of a line, the moral of which seems
to be singularly absent from his mind—

Row will lads—time din on."

CAPTAIN Baszszon. —A correspondent states that
oar ga.semseat, struck by some inconsistencies in the dates

and eirenrastanoes put forward Ly the Chinese authoriiies,
have offered the Chinese government a large sum of money
(20,00 W.) for the production of cAsptairi Brabason altrr.