The Express.
London, England, 1861-10-14 00:00:00

[TWOPENCE

FRANCK

(non on OWN CORRESPONDIDIT.)
PARIS, SATURDAY EVININO.
__

" Decidedly we remain at Rome. Fresh regi-
ments are about to replace those whose time of
service is expired ; the solution of the Roman
question is once more adjourned, and we have
nothing for it but to resign ourselves to the stattt
quo till the spring." Such is the discouraging com-
mencement of au article in the Temps.
While the Temps notices and deprecates the
existence of projects for setting the world in dames
in order to gratify French ambitions the Prase, by
the pen of a certain M. Labiche, launches
an article in which the absurd vet danger-
ous theory of " natural frontiers " is pro-
pounded as a practical and urgent question.
The Prelate holds that a nation is not " finished "
until it has obtained its " just and rational limits,"
and plainly says that France most have the "repa-
ration which she expects." The writer is. good
enough to say that Switzerland and Belgium. have
nothing to fear, because they are protected, better
than by the strongest fortress, by the Eureran
treaties which guarantee their neutrality. fhia
gracious admission is, however, immediately after-
wards qualified by the assertion that Belgian neu-
trality is very seriously comprotnistd by the fortifi-
cations of Antwerp. But Landau, Sarrebruck, and
Sarrelouia, the very fortresses named in the pam-
phlet "Le Rhiu et la Vistule," the Prelim claims for
France as necessary to her defence! The Landing user
those places, together with.the reconstruction of Fort
Euningun, demolished in pursuance of the treaties
of 1815, sufficiently answer the desires of France
when she speaks of a " rectiticatiou " on the Rhine
frontier. M. Labiche amiably hopes that the
question may be solved without France being com-
pelled to have recourse to the "terrible game of
victory." A friendly cession cemented by the usual
recourse to universal suffrage is all that is looked
fur. The Freese thinks that the opportunity for
this " transaction " will naturally arise "if Ger-
many should respond to the national movement
now agitating her bosom, for national unity under
the tutelary protection of a great military state."
We have here, I suppose, the leading idea of the
interview of Compiegne—as shadowed forth but not
realised by the lord of that chateau. While the
minds of French political writers are encouraged
to run in these channels, there is small hope of per-
manent confidence and security in Europe.
The Tempo insinuates that the pamphlet "Le
Rhin et la Vistule," so far from having any official
character, is the work of Prince Ladialas Czar-
toryski.
There are to be several theatrical representations
at Compiegne during the King of Holland's stay.
One of the entertainments will be au opera ; his
Majesty is not only a great connoisseur in music,
but something of a composer himself.
The Opinion Nation ak, in au amusing fenilkton,
showing up the various devseei to which the
church resorts to extract money from the pockets
of the simple, and which it describes as the idea of
" drainage " applied to small purses, reproduces
from a late edition of the Rosier de Marie, a work
put in the bands of all children educated in con-
vents, an engraving of a footprint, within which is
written :

This is the exact measure of the must holy Virgin's foot,
taken from • modal osrefully preserved in one of the
monasteries of Saragossa. Pope Innocent I. granted one
hundred days indulgence to whoever would devuutly kiss
this measure three times and say three Ave Marisa. This
indulgence was confirmed by Clement VIII.

The Bourse was much depressed, and prices con-
tinued falling throughout the day, with scarcely a
momentary reaction. The Bente closed, with a fall
of 30c. both for cash and account, at 68 and 68.5.
Mobilier fell 11.25. The Italian Loan declined
from 70.85 to 70.20. The Lyons and Southern
railways fell 6.25 each, and the other lines from
2.50 to 3.75. I have not heard any cause assigned
for the fall beyond a general uneasy feeling.