Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-05-13 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, Wednesday.—Private accounts from Turin,
of the 9th, inform us that great excitement and some
apprehension prevailed in that city at the near ap-
proach of the Austrians, but that the mind of the
public became tranquil when it was ascertained that
their advanced troops had been severely handled by
the Piedmontese. It is stated that the Minister has
ordered five additional frigates to be immediately
fitted for sea. A commission appointed to devise a
plan for the protection, of the coast of France, of
which Admiral le .Barbier de Tinan is president, has
completed its report, which has been presented to the
Minister of Marine. Captain d'Herbinghem, of the
Imperial navy, who had been named to the command
of a division of gunboats, has, in consequence of the
idea of employing gunboats having been abandoned,
been appointed to the command of the steam frigate
Foudre. There can be no question of the fact—there
was great enthusiasm manifested yesterday among the
hundreds of thousands of people who lined the way
as the Imperial cortege slowly descended the Rue de
Rivoli on its way to the Lyons railroad. The tnise
en scene was, indeed, perfect, and, as usual, the
weather conspired in favour of the spectacle. The
Emperor, with kepi on head, and wearing his mili-
tary undress, ready, as it were, for instant field
service ; the Empress, looking sad and pale, and
smiling in her tears ; the Princelmperial; with his
innocence ; the Emperor clasping the, hands of
several among the people,' and bidding a most
friendly farewell to his Ministers and Prefects
all these, and several other' circumstanca

curred. to impart an interest to the performance
which it was impossible not to share. In the
multitude

it is true

were man'

of the

ultra ,vno probably had: their own
private reasons for the shout of " Vice lu guerre
whirls tnej nn The* whole, it cannot
be denied that there was a very strong reeling,
evanescent' it may be, but which looked very
like enthusiasm. The thing was got up well, and
it had more than a succes d'estime. But what
shall we say, to the rapid change which has
come over the people's minds ? What shall we say
to the two, legislative chambers, the great majority
of whoSe members spoke of war, and of all who
advocated it with a feeling of horror, and, while,
boiling with rage at the very mention of the word,
voted unanimously the funds to carry' it on, and the
masses who are to furnish the hecatombs ? What
shall we say to the crowds who received Prince
Napoleon and his bride with death-like silence and
with scowling brows; because they concluded that
the hand of the- Piedmontese Princess was the price
of the co-operation of France and yet who threw
up their caps, and raised their sweet voices
to the sky yesterday ? What shall we say to
the provincial bankers and capitalists who
solemnly declared only five days ago that, in
the departments—at least in their departments,
the war loan would not be . taken ; while we
are now told that double the amount is already sub-
scribed for, and- that instead of 500,000,000,
1,500,000,000 might be had for the same purpose, if
required ? To all this there is, alas ! no answer ' •
we have but to bow the head, smite the breast, and
confess that it is a strange people ! It is a people
so fickle, so contradictory. Of course not the slight-
est doubt is entertained of the defeat of the Austrians,
and their expulsion from Lombardy. ThiS. is so
certain, that it is said M. Bacciochi, who has the
honour of superintending the Imperial concerts and
dramatic performances, and otherwise acting as the
arbiter elegantiarum, is to arrange for the transport
to Milan of the actors and actresses of one of the
Paris theatres to perform for the Emperor, and,
perhaps, a " parterre of Kings." A despatch just
received announced the Emperor's arrival at Valence
at nine this morning; and a second despatch his
arrival at Marseilles at twelve o'clock. It adds that
the reception given to him was magnificent. The
Minister of Public Worship has addressed the follow-
ing circular to the archbishops and bishops of the

volutionist