The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-26 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, MONDAY EVENING.
The following is the draft of the Address in answer
to the Emperor's Speech, drawn up by the com-
mittee of the Senate :
"Sire,—When your Majesty decided by your decree of
November 24 to extend your communications with the great
State bodies, and those of the great State bodies with the
country, the Senate, as trustee of the fundamental compact,
immediately understood that the constitution remained
unchanged, and that it would be animated by mote ener-
getic actions. We congratulate oursel,. es, Sire, on the
august interpretation which your Majesty has given to
our interpretation. France likes neither an excess of liberty
nor an excess of power ; on that account she confidently
adheres to the Constitution of 1852, the wise limits of
which preclude power from degenerating into ebsolutism,
and preclude liberty from degenerating into license. The
author of that Constitution, the foundation of which rests in
the national ballot-box, your Majesty is its firmest support,
and it is not in your hands that it can depart from its
essential principles. But it is not deviating from it to open
the way for reforms which are in the nature of durable in-
stitutions, and which are repugnant only to constitutions
which rest on no solid basis. Tho reforms we hail with
gratitude, and we will show ourselves able to avail ourselves
of them with the independence which exists in our hearts
and in your wishes, and with the moderation which is part
of the duties of the Senate.

"The exposition of the state of the country at home and
abroad has shown us, by the most irrefutable documents,
the constant solicitude of your Majesty for the prosperity
and greatness of the empire.
"At home, order is united to security, and every one
lives in the enjoyment of that reasonable liberty which
France cannot do without (dont la France ne saurait se pas-
ser). Our finances do not appear likely to be disturbed by the
sacrifice o C9O millions of receipts, abandoned for the enfran •
chisement of objects of daily consumption. For to fill up the
void thus caused by your own free will, your Government
does not require either to resort to fresh taxes, generally un-
popular, or to appeal to public credit, always anxious to be
spared. If trade, made uneasy for a moment by the treaty
of commerce, husbands its finances during the transition,
it is merely to find, under the spur of competition, the
courage which leads to success. Meanwhile public works
are carried on with their wonted energy, without any ap-
prehension of the interruptions which excessive enterprise
could alone bring about.
"Capital is abundant and actively solicits employment.
Capitalists impatiently wait for the Anal settlement of the

" But more still—faithful to your summons, the French
army proceeded to the extremities of the East to raise the
cross thrown down by Asiatic superstition. Missionaries of
religion, avengers of French interests, our soldiers, united
to those of Great Britain, have opened a path for ideas, com-
merce, and civilisation, to the capital of the Celestial
Empire. It was a great day when, from the chair of the
restored cathedral, the Te Deum resounded for the Almighty,
and the Domine Salvum for the Emperor.
" If now, we turn our eyes towards the Italian peninsula,
we are struck with your Majesty with the events enacted
there since our last session. Two interests of the first order,
which the Emperor wished to conciliate, have come into col-
lision, and Italian liberty is engaged in a struggle with the
Court of Rome. To prevent and put a stop to that conflict
your Government attempted all that loyalty and political
skill could suggest. To one party you pointed out the
path of the law of nations, to the other that of compro-
mise. Whilst on the one hand repudiating any responsi-
bility in unjust aggressions, you on the other hand deplored
injudicious resistance, but always you felt deep sympathy
for noble misfortunes and melancholy ruins.

" Finally, all equitable means have been tried, and you
only recoiled before an appeal to arms ; for it is, not by
armed intervention that ideas of conciliation are realised.
Your Majesty, moreover, has not forgotten that at other
times it was the mistake of France to attempt to rule Italy,
after having delivered her, and you determined to disen-
tangle French policy from what had embroiled it, not
thinking that because it had been necessary to interfere in
favour of Italy, oppressed by the foreigner, it was
therefore necessary to interfere once more to coerce
the decisions of enfranchised Italy. That system 01
non-intervention, the best to prevent general congas
grations, will close the career of our secular rivalry with
Austria ; and if, notwithstanding sinister predictions, a
European war does not break out in the spring, it is because
your Majesty, preserving a wise and firm attitude, bas with.
stood the provocation of ardent passions, while you have
not yielded to the exigencies of reaction.

" And that peace will be as great a blessing for Italy as
for ourselves. For Italy will only be understood by the
world which now beholds her dawning existence, if she
proves that she has no wish to disturb Europe by her free-
dom, after having so often agitated it with her distress.
Let her remember above all that Catholicism has entrusted
her with the Head of the Church, the representative Of the
greatest moral force which holds power over mankind The
religious past of Franco makes it a duty fur her not to for-
get it; the friendly memories of Magenta and Solferino
make us hope that she will bear it in mind.
" But our firmest hope is in the indefatigable and tute-
lary hand of your Majesty. Your filial affection for a holy
cause which you do not confound with that of intrigues
which borrow it as a mask, has incessantly exerted itself
for the defence and the maintenance of the temporal power
of the Supreme Pontiff, and the Senate does not hesitate
to give its fullest sanction to all the acts of your byal and
moderate and persevering policy. For the future we will
continue to place our confidence in the monarch Who shields
the Papacy with the French flag, who has assisted it in its
hour of trial, and has constituted himself for Itotae and the
Papal throne the most faithful and vigilant of sentinels.

" Sire, looking at the questions which appear about to be
raised in Europe, France is perhaps the last country where
anything remains to be done in consequence Of what has
been done already. However, a nation such as ours can-
not remain inactive. Labour and progress are its destinies,
and from your Majesty the most fruitful impulses are
derived. Whatever may be the share reserved for the
Senate in the national movement, your gaiesty may rely
upon its zeal and its devotedness, its love of truth and of
the public good."

The discussion of the above project of address
has been fixed for Thursday next.

A letter from Paris, dated Feb. 25, says :—lt
was known for some weeks past that prince Napo-
leon intended to pay a visit to Italy at the end of
this or the beginning of next month; but, though
his Imperial Highness is still desirous of carrying
out his intention, the journey will not take place.
The Prince is not his own master, and the regula-
tion of his movements depends upon another: The
Emperor has forbidden his cousin to cross the moun-
tains, and, though the question of the temporal
sovereignty of the Pope is pretty Well resolved, so
far as his Majesty is concerned, yet, as his policy,
still hesitating and embarrassed, might experience
a rude impulsion from the undisguised and free
spirit of the Prince, who during his Italian tour
would most likely give hearty expression to his
anti-clerical opinions, as he has already done in the
committee-rooms of the Senate, the cautious Em-
peror thinks it more prudent not to expose him to
a temptation into which he would most assuredly
fall. Perhaps the prohibition would not be so
positive but for the success with the Prince's
anti-clerical oratory met with in the Senate the
other day. Be this as it may, immediately
after the discussion in the committee room, where
the Prince spoke so earnestly, and yet, as I am
assured, in suitable terms, against the temporal
power of the Pope, the Emperor and his cousin
had an animated conversation on the subject. His
Majesty seems to have reproached the Prince with
contravening his policy, acting inopportunely, and
expressing opinions which are not those of his
Government. The Prince replied with a certain
degree of warmth. He observed to his Majesty
that he did not pretend to speak in the name of the
French Government; he spoke simply in his own
name, as a member of the Senate and as a citizen;
and he moreover assured his 111,1jesty that he by no
means coveted the honour of advocating a political
system the tendencies and consequences of which
he was far from approving.

The Emperor rejoined that when a person had
the honour to be a French Prince, he had no longer
the right to detach himself from the policy of the
head of the State; that the public never regarded
or understood the fine distinctions between the
dynastic Prince and the senator or the citizen; and,
finally, and in order that he should not have too
frequent opportunities of putting forth his personal
opinions in so positive a manner on the important
subject of the temporal sovereignty of the Pope, he
prohibited him from carrying out, at this moment
at least, his project of visiting Italy.
Of course, there was nothing to be said, and no-
thing to be done but submit. '1 he Prince has sub-
mitted to his Imperial cousin's wishes, for wishes
under such circumstances are equivalent to corn
mands ; but he has submitted with moderation,
and those who know his frank character and his
habit of speaking without disguise will appreciate
his self control on this occasion.
BOURSE, Feb. 24.—There has been little busi-
nessand price
transacted, s
show
a slight decline
on those of Saturday, For the Account, Threes ,

A letter from Nbles, dated Feb. 19, says :—" I
was unable in my etter of yesterday to send you
more than a digest f the decrees affecting ecclesias-
tical matters, yet oilers remain which must at least
be noted. The llblication of the constitutional
statute of the Italin Monarchy of the 4th March,
1848, is ordered tcbe made in Gaeta and the neigh-
bourhood, and thEfall of that fortress is to be cele-
brated by the suPusion of the action of the law for
all political offences, and the pardon of all who have
been condemned for political offences up to this day.
The report of tde Legislative Commission is not
yet published, but following out its recom-
mendations, to civil laws, the laws of
civil procedures those touching commercial affairs,
and the law ofsxpropriation now in vigour will
remain so until uniform codes and laws for the
whole of Italy shall have been drawn up by the
National Parliament. With regard to criminal
laws the penal code of the 20th of November, 1859,
actually ill force in the ancient States of his
Majesty, as fso the code of penal procedure of the
same date, Rill come into operation on the Ist of
July, 1861.
A great number of other and admirable mea-
sures have been signed by the Lieutenant-Gene-
ral, and, all were executed, the country would
shortly ashme a vastly differeLt appearance—
but the difficulty is in getting them carried
into exeolgion. Corruption and feebleness charac-
terize every branch of the Administration, and I
must confess that I have little hope of full justice
being dote to the intentions of the Government
until we have a foreign element introduced here
to give a more energetic impulse to administrative
action. I could name many measures, passed
several months since, which are still a dead letter,
and which will continue to be so. Our primary
schools and infant asylums are still to be, and,
though the beggars were swept off by a decree
for tlvo or three days, they now swarm as
much as ever, and stumps of limbs and can-
cerous faces, and every disgusting form of
human ill meets one in every corner. It is with
touch anxiety, therefore, that I wait to see how
the ecclesiastical decrees will be carried out. I
fear that we have not the instruments here to do
justice to them. The changes which they introduce
involve the greatest revolution which has ever been
known in this country, and to be successful demand
a strong Government—strong in physical and
moral force.

Yesterday the short line of railway from Sarno te
Santa Severina was opened with great festivity.
There were present his Royal Highness the Prince
Carignano, the Cavaliere Nigra, several of the Mi-
nisters, and most of the civil and military authori-
ties. Invitations, too, were sent to all the gentle-
men of the press. Throughout the line and at the
extremity vast crowds had assembled, notwith-
standing that the rain poured down in torrents,
there being present among them about 10,000 of the
National Guard from the surrounding districts, and
upwards of 500 priests. As the benediction had
already been given, we may regard this as a political
demonstration on the part of the clergy in favour of
the present Government. There is a tunnel on this
line which was constructed by M. Verdinoisin seven
months and a-half, measuring 1,450 palms in extent.
A splendid buffet had been provided by the
managers of the railway. From what I hear there
has been a succession of festivities in Palermo.
Never was such a brilliant Carnival, never such
brilliant balls, and those of the Prince Butera and
Count Demerita are especially spoken of. The
news of the fall of Gaeta drove the people to mad-
ness of delight.

Two thousand of Franeis ll.'s soldiers have been
sent into quarters in Capri, and 400 Piedmontese
are lodged among the inhabitants as a guard. A
report prevails in town that Messina bas capitulated,
but up to this hour nothing is known in official
quarters of such a fact. The Governor had, indeed,
refused to surrender. From Gaeta an official re-
port has just been received, which states that
11,000 prisoners have been taken, from 700 to 800
cannon, and 60,000 muskets.

All Naples is delighted at the ecclesiastical de-
cree, but the largeness of the measure has struck
every one with astonishment, and it must take a
little time to recover from the surprise. There will
be a demonstration this evening in favour of
Ministers.