The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-09 00:00:00

THE FRENCH CHAMBERS.

At the meeting of the Chambers on Friday, the 11
6th inst., M. Ernest Picard reopened the debate
on the amendment proposed to the paragraph on
Mexico. He declared that it was his wish not to
speak of the war but of the expedition. Hitherto
there had been no opportunity for discussing it,
since the papers which had been submitted to the
Spanish Cortes and the English Parliament had been
withheld from the French Chambers. Now those do-
cuments were produced, and it was possible to express
an opinion. He questioned the urgent necessity of the
expedition, and asked " was this a moment to exact
indemnities which Mexico could not possibly pay.
Juarez was in such a state of penury that the Am-
bassador for France could not leave for want of
funds for his voyage. The real motive of the
expedition remained to be sought. With re-
gard to other reasons, the chief creditor was
a well. known banking establishment, whose
principal was Swiss. At what moment
did this national creditor become French P
The date of his nationality is March 26, 1862.
It was in March, 1862, that the individual
became a Frenchman, to whom is partly due the
rupture of the Convention, one of the causes for the
departure of the allies. With regard to the project
of establishing a monarchy in Mexico, every one
could understand that if France went in arms to
propose a monarchical government to Mexico, the
Mexicans would be alarmed, and would listen to
nothing. I repeat," added the speaker, " that it is
with great regret we have seen published in the
address to the Mexicans proclamations which re-
call those which in other days were addressed to the
French by the generalissimo of the armies of Prussia
and Austria." (Murmurs.) After proceeding in
this strain at some length, M. Picard continued—
. The address expresses a hope that the war will
have a speedy and a happy termination. This is
what every one desires, but what is understood by
the phrase ? Is it a military occupation ? Are we
to seek at the distance of two thousand leagues a
new Algeria when the Algeria so near us has been
for thirty years so little and so badly colonised ?
In a question so important in its financial, its
future, and its political aspects, let us
be told distinctly what is meant. The
Government has sought to follow in its ex-
terior policy the same system which it has un-
fortunately applied to the interior—that of force.
(Fresh interruptions.) Has it answered ? What is
our influence in Europe after so much loss of blood ?
The Throne of Greece is vacant. Who have been
the favourite Candidates ?

Several voices—" Greece is not the question."
M. Picard—Yesterday you were at Turin for
Turin, at Rome for Rnme.

A voice—" Come back to Mexico."

M. Picard—A year ago it seemed that France
was to deliver all struggling nationalities. You
heard yesterday how the Minister has declared
that he will treat the Poles. (Interruption.) 1
repeat what I have said. If you act on the princi-
ple of non-intervention, you must explain other-
wise than you do your Mexican wars. If you are
for the contrary principle, you should not be in
Mexico when you ought to be elsewhere. (Con-
fusion.)

M. le Baron Jerome David then rose to speak,
and said that his national spirit resented the asser-
tion made by M. Picard that all the world was in
the right but France. (Applause.) Ho admitted
that the Mexican expedition had created much ex-
citement, from the distance of the seat of war, the
obstacles, the uncertaimies, the expenses of the
enterprise. Nevertheless he was prepared to defend
the policy of the 3overnment on the grounds of
justice and truth. It must be remembered that the
preceding Government, notwithstanding its pacific
policy, he 4 been driven to arms to redress the
same giievance. He proceeded to argue the question
upon its merits, and declared that France was the
oily one who had remained constant to the original
views of the convention of London. England, he
said, had taken part in the enterprise to prevent
Spain from appearing alone, for she was always
anxious to separate Spain as much as possible from
her old colonies. France subjugated her material in-
terests to the'grand principles of civilisation. (Ap-
plause.) France.had nearly 100,000 subjects scattered
through the Spanish American Republics. If in
those distant localities an English subject was in-
jured the blow which struck him resounded through-
out all England. Should Frenchmen not be as
careful to protect their compatriots ? It was easy
to spread alarming roumours, to suspect the inten-
tious of the Government, but then it was necessary
to go further and declare that France would afford
no protection, no succour to her natives. But, said
the speaker in conclusion, if you reject such a doc-
trine let us declare that the more difficult and arduous
the expedition:the more it is meritorious. Let us en-
',lourage those heroic soldiers who defend in Mexico
the honour of France. Let them know if they fall
that they fail in a noble cause in serving France
and civilisation. (Loud applause.)
M. Favre then, amidst some interruption,
proceeded to answer the ministerial speech,
and to comment upon the two preceding dis-
courses, and wound up a lengthened analysis
of the question by declaring that the Mexi-
can expedition was a fault which it would be im-
possible to repair. It would be a second occupation
of Rome without the glory of having defended a
great Principle.

M. Billault said that the lateness of the hour
compelled him to defer his answer for the day. But
he undertook to reply to all the accusations brought
against the Ministerial policy.

M. Jules Favre.—Oncondition that I may reply.
The sittings then terminated at six o'clock, and
the discussion adjourned till the subsequent day.
The debate was resumed on Saturday, when M.
l3illault, in a long and eloquent speech, defended
the Ministerial policy; and after a short reply from
M. J. Favre, the Corps Legislatif rejected the
amendment proposed by the five members, and
adopted, at the close of yesterday's sitting, the 3d
and 4th paragraphs relating to Mexico.

Mr. Colley Grattan, a gentleman known in the
London literary world, has been appointed Consul at
Teneriffe.

The Rev. Charles Merivale, rector of Law ford,
Essex, who has been recently appointed chaplain to the
House of Commons, in place of the;Rev. Henry Drury, de-
ceased, is brother to Mr. Herman Merivale, one of the
Under Secretaries of State, and is the author of " The His-
tory of the Romans under the Empire."

Mr. Walter Lacy has been appointed Professor of
Elocution at the Royal Academy of Music.
A further material for paper pulp has been dis •
covered in the fibre of :the Hibiscus Moschente.s, an indi-
genous tree which grows in great quantities throughout
Pennsylvania, and is said to yield seven tons per acro.
The " Hanging Committee" for the coming Royal
Academy Exhibition has been appointed, and is to consist
of Mr. W. P. Frith, R.A., Mr. Charles Landseer, RA"
and Keeper of the Academy, and Mr. Abraham Cooper,
R.A.—.7he Reader.
A FAIR PENSlON.—Mehemet Ali Pasha, ex-
grand admiral, has received a pension of 75,000 p. a month
—above £B,OOO a year. Considering that his highness is
already one of the richest grandees of the empire, this may
be regarded as a pretty fair " retiring allowance."—Levant
II eaid.

TUE CROWN OP GREECE.—The final answer of
the Duke of Saxe Coburg has now been received. His
Serene Highness has positively resolved, for several rea-
sons, not to allow his name to be put forward as a candi-
date for the Hellenic throne.—.llforning Post.

REDUCTIONS IN THE NAVY.—It will be seen by
the following statement that we have made a very
material reduction in our naval forces during the last six
months. On the Ist of August last we had in commission
322 ships, mounting 4,702 guns, manned by 60,058 officers,
men, marines, and boys. On this day we have only 232
ships in Commission, mounting 3,414 guns, and manned by
47,207 officers, men, marines, and boys ; showing a reduc-
tion of 90 ships and 12,851 men. The ships we shall doubt-
less find at their respective moorings; but, we may bo per-
mitted to ask, what has become or will become of the nearly
13,000 men ? They cannot all be accommodated on board
I
the Canopus and Hannibal, even when the marines are de-
ducted from the number.—Army and Navy Gazette.