The Express.
London, England, 1859-05-04 00:00:00

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Lilly DOI* WEDNESDAY. MIT 4.

Fa %NC E has declared the war against Austria
winch she has en long openly prepared. When the
comminieV.mi 'Lich was made yesterday by Count
IA et rtst. h I to the Corps LEgialatif, arid which seta
forth the grounds and objects of hostilities on the
part of France, has been published in the 211miteur,
all the forms which the modern law and practice of
European cations require io a declaration of war
will hare been complied with, and the whole power
of France committed against Austria. Like most
marii'eatoes of the kind, this declaration contains
some good and true and some bad and false mums
for takiog up the sword. There is no difficulty in
establishing the legal right of France to moist
Piedmont in the present case, for it rests open the
same ground as oar right to defend Tarkey against
invasion in 18da. Piedmont has been invaded in
spits of the protests of all Europe—Weeded after
she had accepted conditions which all Europe
deemed sufficient to ensure peace. As her ally,
Francs had a perfect right to succour her.
The French Forearm deeleree, that since Austria
has insisted upon dominating, over all Italy, states
which are and ought to be as independent as herself
he moues the Alps to vindicate end restore that is
dependence. "The object of this war is to remora
Italy to henicf, not to impose upon bet a change
" of masters. and we shall then have upon our fron-
t' tiere a friendly people, who will owe to us their
indepeodenee."
li this object should be steadily panned, we shall
heartily wish the enterprise suecters. The spirit'
of England is not that of the dog in the
manger. Having deliberately and repeatedly re-
nounced our part in the work of restoring and
upholding the independence of the various States
of Italy. we shall not grudge the honour of it to
those who are willing to undertake the trouble and
brave the danger. lint we shall watch the progress
of the enterprise with a jealous interest foe the
mum of freedom. We do not expect the present
Government of Francs to plant those free institu-
tions in Italy which it condemns at Paris. We do
not believe in imported liberty, and we are sum that
France has none to export. Bat if the French
EMPEROR, from whatever motive, will effectively
moist the Italians to get their affairs into their own
hands, he will have done all that the most san-
guine expect, all that the case requires. Whatever
may be the ruling sentiment among courtier,, the
feeling of the people of this country is nernistake.
able, and wee faithfully expressed by Lord PAL-
ERVION last Friday, when he expressed satisfaction
in the prospect that Austria would be driven right
eat of Italy.

MAST of the county elections are over, and the 1,
remainder will be so by the end of the week. Not
one in ten will hove been contented. landed pro-
perty changes hands compiraticely seldom; and
where the estates remain the same, the representa-
tion must need. continue for the most part unaltered,
for it is acreage end rental that is represented, not
men or mind. Wh►t may ems to pass by and bye,
when the ten pound occupiers in counties are en-
franchised and enatled to vote by ballot, is
another question; bat as things EA/ stand, the
ceremony designated an election for knights
of the shire is in a majority of instances
a mere costly and noisy pageant, in which there is
not even the merit of temporary Woken, for nobody
is suffered fur an instant to forget the unreality of
the sham enacted before their eyes. When the pre-
dominant party colt:tirof the soil is Tory or Whig,
as the case may be. the members for the county are
selected privately ling before election time, in ac-
cordance with the prevailing colour, and with re-
ference to the personal or family interests that
happen to be uppermost in the locality; but with
the most complete and contemp,nons disregard of
the likings or diatkinge, opinions, prejudice*, or
feelings it the great body of the constituency.
Under these circumstances it is rather a relief
to learn that a county is to be spared the mockery
and mummery of a contest. The larger number of
English and Scotch counties and about one-half of
those in Ireland have long been occupied by a Coe-
'formative garrison, habituated to strict party disci-
pline when themselses on duty, and rigorous in en-
forcing r wake obedient* on their electoral vassals.
The very idea of resistance or independence seems to
be, forgotten. Ti ornery at will and over-looked
voting stifle all rising disposition to mutiny or self-
reepect on the part of the electors falsely so called;
while the enormous expense, deliberately and ad-
visedly kept up by oligarchic legislatior, repreeses
effectually all rising aspirations of independent
cantlidatilvee Naturally, nay inevitably, therefore,
the returns fur the counties will in the noun prove
identical with those of the last Parliament. Reside
the West Riding and Smith Lancashire, which
must from their peculiar etiaracteristim be classed
*part, there are some halt-doyen shires whose Tepee-
eentation is disputed on the present occ ision, owing
to the nicely-bslenced accident of property held
therein by individuals of opposite pettier. It is
doubtful what the Mins of these controversies may
be on this side of the Channel; upon the other we
are prepared to hear of two or three county seats
being gained by Miniaterialiata; but, on the whole,
we believe that the nominees of the landed interest
in the new House of Commons will numerically
stead pretty much as they were.

Tat ad -frail ben Paris Ade t►at during tho peat
ttral furcip Weal !saw law hiled.