The Express.
London, England, 1861-02-20 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIa.

Pus on ows

PARIS, TI7IBDAY EVININC.

It is now no secret, but an undoubted fact in
everybody's month, that M. Mires, the great mil-
lionnaire, the negotiator of the Turkish Loan, and
the managing director of the Caisse Generale des
Chemins de Fer, was arrested on Sunday evening,
and is now in Maras prison. According to report,
the charges against him are of a very serious cha-
racter. The newspapers do not yet mention his
name, but the circumstance which I have above
stated is alluded to in the money article of the
Opinion Nationale in the following terms :
But little attention is paid to business, everybody being
preoccupied with the painful matter to which we alluded
yesterday. It is anxiously asked what the consequences
are likely to be of the serious ernbammsments of one of our
principal banking houses. We think it right to warn all
parties interested not to give way to a panic of which they
would be the victims. The care of their interests has beck
confided to experienced and honourable hands. The Presi.
dent of the Tribunal of the Seine has appointed Count de
Germiny, Governor of the Bank of France, Provisional Ad•
ministastor of the Wass Generale des Chemins de Fer,
with the most absolute powers.

At the Bourse the Caisse Generale, which on Sa-
turday was quoted at 205 fr., opened at 155 fr., and
fell to 140 fr., but when by order of the Prefect of
Police the deepatch announcing the above appoint-
ment of Count de Germiny was placarded at the
Bourse, it recovered to 105 fr. The Rente fluc-
tuated considerably, but after dropping to 67fr. 96c.,
it closed at the highest price of the day, 68fr. 25c.,
with a rise of 15c. Mobilier fell 2fr. 50c. In rail.
ways there was hardly any change.
The news given in several foreign journals of M.
Thouvenel having sent a diplomatic circular, giving
reasons for a continued occupation of Rome by
French army, is said at the Foreign Office here to
be untrue.

Letters from Marseilles say that detachments to
reinforce the army of Rome are continually em-
barking.
The conference on the Syrian question met to-
day at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pursuant
to the announcement I made yesterday.
Baron Gros, the late French Plenipotentiary in
China, arrived at Manilla on December 22, on
board the Duchayla, and left on the 28th for Suez.
He is expected to arrive in Paris very shortly.
M. Vitteau, the late secretary to the fashionable
club, the Cercle Imperial, who is accused of forge-
ries and embezzlements to the extent of 80,000 fr.,
will be tried on February 25. He is to be defen-
ded by M. Plooque, the ex-bttonnier.
TheCorpsLegialatif yesterday set a good example
by annulling two elections, in Upper Savoy, for
illegality. The prefect had only kept the poll
open one day, whereas the law prescribes two. A
Savoyard member, Count Greyfid de Bellecombe,
made • gallant stand for his brother government
candidates, and tried to persuade the house to fol-
low certain very bad precedents whereby it has been
sometimes ruled that when there is no probability
of a second election producing a different result the
house may look over the most flagrant violation et
the organic electoral law. But Count Halles-
Clapariale, in answer, quoted his own case in 1848,
when he, having been elected unanimously (loss 14
votes), his election was set aside merely because the
poll was closed at half-past 2 instead of 3, MM.
Dupin and Odillon Barret saying upon that occasion
that uo special consideration whatever could be
suffered to validate an election in the teeth of
a violation of the law, and that the rights of the
electors were to be considered before the con-
venience of the member. The house, being in a
virtuous and constitutional mood, adopted without
a division the conclusions of the bureau proposing
the nullity of the election, and consequently the
two successful candidates, MM. Piasard and Bartho-
loni, must try their luck again. There is no doubt,
however, that the prefect will bring them safely in.
The debate on the address is not likely to come
on before Monday. I understand that the Senate,
which it was reported would vote their address
this week, particularly wish the Corps
Legislatif to have the first innings. M.
Darimon has obtained the unanimous adhesion is
his bureau to a proposal that the house shall have
the power of voting the budget by chapters accord-
ing to the old plan, instead of being compelled to
say yes or no to every minister's budget in a lump.
This important reform finds favour in the other
bureaux, and a demand for it will very probably
be incorporated iu the address.