The Express.
London, England, 1868-11-24 00:00:00

ITALY.

FLOR,ENCT. Nay. n.
?I►u Y.ubliah suitii,ter haw linft to-lay fur Lo
born.

NAPIXS, Nov. 2t

rrinet rfrimbert visited the s(:, /IP of derivitAtion
on Mount Vesuvius to-day, and assir,,noti fO,OOO
lire from his privy purse towards the rd!ief of
dose persons vchos Lads and booms hate been
overwbaltued by lava.
The Prinems Margliarits, is about to organise ft
lottery by subscription for the sumo ben ,yijlent,
obj, ot.

OUR PARIS LETTER.

(raOst Ofes owx conauroinnurr.)

PARIS. Mon ETENtgri.

The government is rapidly reaping the fruits
which all but blind functionaries must have expected
fro= the Baudin prosecution. I opened the even-
ing papers with unusual interest to see what effect
the condemnation of M. Delescluze to six months'
imprisonment, 2,000 fr. fine, and the deprivation
of civil and political rights, would have upon
public opinion in the department of the Charente,
where a fortnight ago there was a poll fora vacant
seat in the Corps Logislatif, without any defini-
tive result. My anticipation that the second and
final ballot of yesterday would bear a strong impress
of the resentment provoked throughout France by
the monstrous realisation in Paris of the rabid re-
actionary doctrines preached by Paul de Cas-
sagnac, has been more than justified. To show
the importance of the manifestation that has
taken place I must cite figures. The state of the
poll at the first election, which was abortive for
want of an absolute majority, stood thus :—M.
Bodet, 13,604 ; M. Laroche-Joubert, 6,689 ; M.
Marrot, 4,623 ; M. Albert, 1,043. Now, you will
read probably in telegrams, and certainly in the
French organs published in London, that the
government stood neutral on the occasion, and
that whether M. Bodet or M. Laroche
Joubert should be elected was a matter
of perfect indifference to the prefect and all
those in authority either over or under him. No-
thing can be more untrue. The prefect, knowing
that there was a strong leaven of opposition in
the department, thought it expedient not to pub-
lish a proclamation in favour of M. Bodet. But
at an early stage of the contest it was made known
that the departmental authorities were straining
every nerve in his favour, and an opposition print
branded him as a " government candidate in dis-
guise" and a " rabid reactionist." lie was, in
fact, one of the earliest adherents to
the coup &flat and a member of the Con-
sultative Commission of December 2. His
principal opponent at the first poll, M.
Laroche-Joubert, proclaimed himself in his address
as " dynastic," and was so distinguished from the
candidate of the democratic opposition. who
baa failed. But no further evidence than
K Laroche's address and letters subsequently
written by him to the local papers is re-
quired to show the mendacity of the asser-
tion that the government was neutral in the
contest. Ho declares against war, against the
Army Bill, against extravagant expenditure,
against " distant expeditions undertaken without
the consent of the nation " (meaning Mexico. and
affirms that his rival, M.Bodetia bound to the govern-
ment by such strong ties aa to disqualify him from the
performance of a member of parliament's principal
duty, which is to control the government. lie,
M. Laroche-Joubert, has only a few friends to
canvass for him, whereas M. Bodet is supported
by " all the official staff of the prefiaq, whose
name is legion," and who " insult him in various
ways, and tear down his electoral bills."
Tho above is a picture of the state of things in
the Charente a fortnight ago. It might well
have been thought that if M. Bodet was to be de:
feasted, it would only be by the very smallest
majwity. •Ho had polled 13,601 votes, and
the aggregate of the votes polled against him by
three different candidates was but 14.637. But
the dose of the poll, as declared to-day, was :
Laroche-Joubert, 17,600 ; Bodet, 13,528.
11.1ien such symptoms which they who run may
reed crop up in the country, I do not wonder
that the men represented by Paul de Cu:wag:use,
who think the sup d'iluf system of 1531
should be perpetual, talk of gagging the
bar, sweeping the streete with cannon. and
sending oft' ship-loads of journalists to Cayenne.
The ledepe*dant du Centre has been acquitted
by the Correctional Tribunal of Clermont-Fer-
rand on a charge of " practising suanonivres " by
publishing a list of the Hamlin suburription. This
is a most damaging cheek to the government, but
ono fully to have beau expected. The authorities
have madly knocked their heads against a brtek
wall. The Imperial-Advocate Aulois was fain to
admit in Paris that publishing the lilt
alone Was not, a " nianceuvre," and lie !a-
bound to connect that act with other things.
AO yet the day after the conviction which
he obtained. M. Baroche sent a circular to
law alarm in the provinces directing them t ire-
smote all newspapers which continued to publish
the subscription lions. Now many of the judges
in the provinces are more independent than those
of the lower courts in Paris. Their salary is
small, hut they would not accept promotion if
offered to lheiu because they have private fortunes.
do not (sire to quit 'their homes, and only value
their judicial rack for the vonsideration it gives
them anneuir th..ir neighbours. 1 expe4 more
ucen:ttals.
tleauralerz Bravo. the last and most tyrameieul of
the, cc-( ue.n of Spain's prime inioisters. has just
I are rice d in Puri:.

M. Crow°, tb• nuirly-appointod Charge
d'Agaitvi of 464, anivott at the tkaallii ou►-