The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-05-05 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, SUNDAY EVENING.
The Journid des Debats of today contains an
article on the English elections, in which " the
interesting spectacle of a free people who transact
their affairs amid the greatest political excitement,
• in • ,
without any.pne the three kingdoms or on the
Continent, apprehending the slightest injury to
social order, or interruption to the regular march
of the government," is held up to general admi-
ration.

As France is on the eve Of her own elections,
when matters will be conducted after a different
fashion, when all free expression of opinion will
be carefully suppressed, the article is, per-
haps, meant not only as the eulogy of
English institutions, but as art - indirect
satire on those of France; and as showing that
while in the one country the Parliament is the
issue of the people's will, in the other the coming
Legislative Chamber will be, like the one that is
about to expire, the mere result of the will of the
Government. A spirit of opposition has, neverthe-
less, manifested itself in several departments, and
the electors of certain' localities have begun to mur-
mur at the sort. of candidates sought to be imposed
an them. SYMptoms note and then appear of im-
patience at notbeing allowed to speak or write with
more liberty than they have enjoyed for a long time.
Their amour propre is hurt: at; seeing some orderly
officer or aide-de camp sent downAe them, with:no
option but to
,talmbi.m. for better for worse—some
one avitla_these opinions or persotrthe electors have
had no acquaintanee whatever, and whose name
they perhaps only now hear for the first time.
They begin to, think, very naturally, that as order
and tranquillity are now, as the the Goverment
• •
itself boasts, generally and solidly established,-no
danger cau result from the relaxation-of excessive
restraint, and a more extensive toleration to the
citizens in the exerciser of their electoral rights
The basis of the great- and durable. structure
has , long been laid .; the, ,edifice, we: are told,
is' every day acquiring more - .strength ; but
the people feel that, -the „ liberty which-
the Emperor long ago promised should crown the
summit is still to be waited for. That discontent
prevails in many places the-reports of the Prefects
are said to afford sufficient evidence, and, however
these gentlemen are in general disposed to report
nothing but what is agreeable to those on whose
will their future depends, there occur certain facts
-which ,the -most subserVient among them cannot
suppress. ,:This. dissatisfaction has given some
uneasiness to the Government, and, though
there is- ,no doubt that the vast majority
of the new Deputies will be Ministerial,
.yet it is a significant fact that, in order to
produce that result, greater efforts Will have to
be made by the functionaries of Government than
heretofore. It is said that agents have been sent to
the more suspected departments, independent, and
perhaps, in some cases, without the knowledge, of
the Prefects, to report on their situation, and to
ascertain the chances of the Ministerial candidates.
With the machinery the Government has at its dis-
posal a majority must be obtained, but it is appre-
hended that many of the electors will abstain alto-
gether from voting,either out of opposition, or from
utter indifference to the exercise of their right. An
extensive abstention would be considered not as
equivalent to defeat, but certainly as a severe cen-
sure on the Government, and to prevent this the
-efforts of its agents are directed. What the
_Republican party intend doing I know not, and
perhaps they are themselves still undecided.
Their plan was to bring forward their more popular
Candidates ; if successful, that these should present
themselves in the Legislative Corps, and should
Publicly refuse to take the oath of allegiance to the
Imperial Government which tendered to them.
This, it was suggested, should be repeated on
every occasion when a vacancy occurred Some
had great hopes of the moral effect of such a pro-
ceeding, and they pointed to the perseverance
of the electors of London in naming for so many
years M. Rothschild as their representative in
parliament, and to the certainty of that
perseverance being at no distant date crowned
-with success by the complete removal of Jewish
islisabilities. The experiment required great
patience and determination ; it involved also the
loss of much time, but it was an experiment wort h
trying. On the other hand it was alleged that
French electors do not possess the qualities which
could only ensure success. They do not care to
be disturbed from their ordinary avocations to
exercise the rights of -citizenship, even when its
exercise is for a bona fide object, but much less do
they care when the success is only apparent or
momentary, and they cannot comprehend the.value
of • an election which involves a mere abstract
Prineiple without positive results.
le some few districts the government will not
venture to combat the candidates, from a well
grounded apprehension that their own men would
be defeated; and they will affect to accept or
approve them because they cannot do otherwise.
They were seriously uneasy for a time lest M.
Thiers should accept the offers made him at Rouen,
-as in consequence of his opinions on free trade so
•completely coin cidingwith the manufacturers of that
place, there was a moral certainty of his success. The
.Prefect was instructed to inform the chief manu-
facturers, which he did, on the first favourable
occae;on, that the Government .would oppose no
one there except a Free trader. They were
great ly tranquillised wheil. M. Thiers announced
his refilsal of the honour intended to be conferred
on him.
In some districts I am informed that Orleanist
candidates would have a good chance of being
elected—not so mach, perhaps, out of very great
loiie fur that cause, but in order to mark the indig
nation of the electors at having individuals thrust
upon them whose names they never• heard, and
'whose only claim consists in being connected with
the Court. It was sought to be established that a
Court functionary, an aide-de-camp, orderly officer,
secretary, or such like, was not in the category of
public functionaries incapaciated from having a
seat in the Chamber, because they were merely
paid from the privy purse of the Emperor.
Th 3 most strenuous efforts are expected
to be made against M. Montalembert, in
the department of the Daubs, where it was
resolved - to put up the Duke de Cone-
giiano, the Emperor's Chamberlain. 11. Mon-
talembert will not give up the College that has
-elected him, it is said, except in the event of that
p4rson opposing him, but in that case he will come
fora/a.rd against the second representative, M. La-
tour. Doumoulin. A person of much influence in
13°8'n-icon, who had been for fifteen years Presi-
dent of the Council General, was some time since
removed from that post to make way for some one
less independent, has gone over to the other side,
and taken a good number with him.
Oa the whole, the government is forced to take
more precautions than usual to neutralise the
menaced opposition, and the new division of arron,
dissements in some, and even the disappearance of
a certain number of electors in other places, are
Said to be among those means.
Ths Grand Duke Constantine dined yesterday
With the Russian Ambassador. Several Generals,
Marshals, and persons belonging to the court were
Present. The Russian Ambassador proposed the
health of the Emperor Napoleon, Marshal Vaillant
the Emperor Alexander, Marshal Pelissier the
Russian Army, and the Grand Duke the French.
The Grand Duke congratulated himself,in the name
of Russia, on being able henceforth to count as his
friends the intrepid conquerors of Alma and Sebas-
topol. After dinner the party went to the house of
the Minister of Marine to attend a ball. The
Grand Duke entered with the Princess Mathilde,

‘'vhose husband, M. Demidoff, is, as you are aware,
a Russsian.

AUSTRIA.

VIENNA, MAY 1.

- The Vienna papers of yesterday evening contained
the following short notice, which produced a
.favour-
able impression on the money market
The Tithes learns, bOth froM Vienna and PariS; that the
Austrian and ardiniahcabinets are sincerely endeavouring
to come to an understanding. and it is n'.4 to be doubted
that a reco: ciliation will speedily be effected.
The foregoing, which was probably extracted
from the Englische Correspondenz, pUblished in
London, is totally incorrect, for your Paris corre-
pondent has repeatedly stated that some time is
likely to elapse before the diplomatic relations
between Austria and Sardinia are renewed. My
own opinion on the subject is thuS expressed in
my letter of April 24th, which appeared in your
second impression of April 27th :
. 'There can be no question of a renewal of the diple7
matic relations betwe-n Austria and Sardinia for some
tune to come but it affords me satisfaction to he'able.to
state that both governments are equally desirous to avoid
any measure which could widen the breach':
Baron de BoUrqueney is extremely desirous to
bring about ii, reconciliation between Austria and
Sardinia, but this Government seems to think it
would be better if Count Cavour were favoured
with a larger share of that advice of which the
French Cabinet is so prodigal.
Up to the yeEir 1843, only certain privileged
Jewish families were allowed. to reside in Vienna,
buti now_ any. Hebrew .who has the means of
providing for himself and family is permitted to
establish himself here. It appears. however,

that the authorities in some of the provinces are
less tolerant than those in- theeapital,' for we learn
from Saaz; in Bohemia,, that' the burgomaster has
ordered ,all the Jewish families residing in the
town there are some 60—to quit it within a fort-
night. The political rights of the Hebrews in
Austria have not yet been defined but It is hardly
probable that Government will permit the Jews
domiciled at Saaz to be driven into the streets by
the Bohemian Pasha. In spite of wind And weather,
the preparations for the reception of their Majesties
continue in Hungary. During the night of the 28th
April there was a violent thunderstorm at Mai,
with heavy rain, but the weather improved so much
yesterday that the workmen were able to repair the
damage which had been: done to the triumphal
arenas; obelisks,- Sze. The inhabitantSof Debreezin
intend to present to the two little ArchduchesseS
Sophia, and Gisella a head, dress which is peculiar
to the district.. The "Parte," as it is called,, is
commonly a broad hoop of silver gilt, but those to
be given to the Imperial children will be made of
gold, with three rows of precious stones (rubies,
emeralds, and diamonds) on the lower part of the
hoop, and some arabesque work in. diamonds o❑
its upper rim. It may be observed-that red, green,
and- white are the Hungarian nation colours-.
During the last few days the " ministerconference"
has had several sittings, at which—as is related
—Hungarian matters were discussed. Positive
information has been given me that a general.
amnesty, will be granted, and the political processes
which are now pending quashed ; but no greater
concession will be done to the Hungarian than
has been done to the Italian. nationality. Within
the last „twenty-four , twenty-four hours Hungarians, who
deeply regret the loss of their privileges,
have candidly confessed to me that the
confusion which prevails in Hungary . would
be ten times as great if Government
should attempt to retrace its steps. " The
die is cast, and the principle of unity
must be rigidly maintaine'l, for, if not, the
whole machine will fall to pieces." My own opi
nion is expressed in the foregoing sentence, but
the government will assuredly do well to yield in

the school and language questions, which the Hun
garians have so much at heart.

The establishment of the Archduke Ferdinand Maxi-
milian. as flovfornnr-General of the T.nmhardo-Venetian
kingdom, is on a very grand scale. Thy! palace is magmas-
centty furnished, the ante-rooms are crowded with servants
in splendid liveries, the stables are filled with file horses,
and a State carriage like that used by Iler Majesty
Queen Victoria is being built by Sala, the most renowned
of the Milan coachmakers. The Archduke has several
Seressaners in his service, and some time will probably
elapse before the Belgian Princess will be able to accus•
tom herself to the sight of men who carry about with them
a complete armoury of knives, pistols, and cutlasses. The
chduke has visited the principal public institutions at
Milan, and among others the hospital, where he remained
two hours. Baron Sina, the only son of the late banker.
who left property of the value of between 70,000,00011
and 80,000,00.111. has ordered an Hungarian dress which
equals, if it does not surpass, that worn by Prince
Esterhazy on state occasions. The chain which fastens
the dolmann (short peliss.), the buttons of the atti/a
(jacket), swordbelt, scabbard of the sword, and sours, are
of massive gold, s'udded with emeralds and diamonds.
A Hungarian paper says that the emeralds weigh
1,300 carats, but it must be far below the mark,
for one of the stones, which is faultless, is of the
same shape and siza as a pigeon's egg, and many of
the others are as large as shillings. The ari ist who made
the ornaments is Mr Biederman, the Court jeweller, a
person who is well known to many of those high and
mighty European ladies who take delight in tiaras, dia-
dems, and such like gauds.
The Unionists in Moldavia have protested against the

- .
ordinance of the Kaimakan prohibiting the formation of
clubs and the publication of political programmes. The
non-Unionists gave M Leihmann, the Austrian Commis-
sary, a very cordial reception on his arrival at Jassy.
As a reward for his courage in braving the anger of the
old Conservatives in Hungary, M. von Conrad, the burgo_
master of Pesth, is to be made an Aulic Counsellor and
Vice-President of the Court of Appeal when the journey
of their Majesties in Hungary is at an end. M. von
Hacklauder, who appears desirous to obtain some fixed

Austria, occupation in Austria, will give a detailed account of the
Imperial progresses. M. von Hacklander is the gentle.
man who a few days since received the third class of the
Iron Crown. The principal maritime Powers have pro-
mised that, even in case of a war, the Novara shall be
considered a neutral vessel and treated as such.