Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-08-20
NATIONAL INTEL 6ENCER.


1.-The Constlnnonnel QtniS n'oi n'.S - !:
4 nformatios Of the Paie accords with our own IN
, rals.;on Z the new vase upon which the negotia-
{ tons noon the Eastern question have entered
n Tha Conditions a the arrangements lsays the
epaTel are altoysther Of character 10 be accept
nv tba Emneror of Russia, unless he is deter
,m;nsd II trouble the peace OF Europe. If the
Il Gar sheud reject the new propositions emanating
( from TIE Powers at Vienna, the Austrian Govern
/ ment he's formally engaged, it IS said, to make
common cause with France and England against
Rnssia. The reply of the Gar to these commu-
n;cations Is not expected till the 10th of August,
3 Or whereabouts" The Patrie adds: " At present
two things are evident: first, the refusal Of
France and England to accede to the conditions of
settlement proposed by NJ. BRUCK; and, secondly,
the harmonious concurrence of Austria, France,
and England to present in common new project
for the arrangement by compromise of this ques-
& ton. From these data we may regard as immi-
nent the settlement of the Eastern question. 1t
is not an ulimdtana that will be addressed to Rus
sia it is a sort of formal demand that she should
declare herself with entire cxpicitness; that she
should make known clearly what her intentions
are. IF she is not seeking conquests IT she does
not mean as she has declared often and over again,
to violate in any way the Sultans rights of
treignty if she attaches real value to the mante-
nance Of peace, she viii prove this before the
world in manner honorable for herself as for the
{ Powers"
The preceding extracts from two Of the semi-ofh-
cial journals contain the glst OF the news OF the
week in relation to the Eastern question. Appear
ances at present would indicate that France at least
is in favor Of requiring the prompt evacuation Of the
Danubian municipalities by Russia prior to the re-
trement Of the fleets from the mouth of the Dada
nelles. 1t is hardly to be presumed that Russia
will accede to this propositions and the ability OF
the allies to force her to accede is not very manifest
England is evidently averse to war, and france
mean the Emperor-though more than half Will
ling, is not quite ready. The idea held out by the
Patrie in the citation above that Austria is prepared
to make common cause with England and France II
the proposition Of the allies, Of which one OF the
leading stipulatons is understood to be the retire
ment Of the Russian troops promptly across the
Pruth, should not be accepted, is Of extremely i'm
probable realization. Rely upon it, if war follows,
Austria will not be found fighting against Russia
1t is probable that the winter will wear away with
tedious negotiations or if it does come to blows,
with indecisive hostilities.
/ reported some time ago the extraordinary deci-
sion of the Correctional Chamber of the Imperial
Court Of Paris, by which privats letters committed
to the post Office were liable to be opened by the
Projects in the departments and the Chief Of the
Police in Paris, whenever such letters might be sus-
pected to contain information or evidence in support
That decision was so contrary precedent in courts
of justice, and to the ayowed principles OF civilized
Governments, if not to their practice that general
though sfed discomfort the consequence Of the pub
LEGATION Of the decision 1t being known that the deci
sion was rendered from complaisance to the presumed
wishes Of Government this outrage upon the rights OF
the citizen and upon the dearest interests Of society,"
which all involved in the nvolate sacredness and Sc
curty Of private correspondence was being laid up as
of the acts for which the Government Of the ruling
dynasty was to be called account hereafter
That decision too gave the heaviest blow which has been
inflicted for years the public respect for and confidence
in the Frenclxiudicary touched upon this subject in
nv last letter. which reported the substance of the
decision which had just been rendered by the Court Of
Cessation upon the appeal brought before it by several Of
the defendants he foreign correspondents whose aro
trary arrest created such excitement Six months
ago upon whom the former sentence bore most heavily
But as in the former cases. have given the text OF the
decisions on which commented severely in the columns
of the ntegencer let me now give the text Of the de-
cision of the Court Of Cessation which places the sacred
ness Of private correspondence committed to the post
Office not perhaps upon sufficiently high ground, but in
much better position than that ID which was lett y e
courts below Here it is:
In view Of articles TO- SO, and l54 Of the Code Of
Criminal instruction seeing that If considerations OF
public order and social interest authorize courts OF JUS
tee in grave to allow themselves TO be stop
ned in their Investigations by the application OF the prn-
cpe Of the secresy Of letters and they may cause to
be seized even in the bureaux Of the post Office and to
be opened letters and packets which may contain papers
and objects useful for making manifest the truth such
power belongs only the examining magistrate who is
invested by article IS Of the Code Of Criminal
with general right of perquisiton in all places and has
been conferred upon the project OF ponce IN the de
partment of the Seine by any legislative provisions:
Whence it follows that in the trial below the Decree
subject of this appeal in declaring that perquisitons
made in the bureaux of the post office by order OF the
project Of the police regular and in permitting the
guilt Of the appellants to be declared and their condem
nation to be pronounced, upon testimony obtained by
seizures operated in the post Office by order Of the project
police has falsely interpreted and has consequently
violated the articles TO- So and l54 before mentioned
For these reasons, and without unnecessarily taking
M and examining other points which have been submit
ted the Court considers jointly the several appeals and
declaring them to be well founded and annus
the decree rendered the 28h May last by the Imperial
Court Of Paris Correctional Chamber) which sanctions
the seizures and consequently declares the appellants
guilty Of having introduced foreign journals without the
permission Of Government and condemns them TO mpri-
sonment fine, and costs:
And in conformity with the requirements Of the law in
such cases. the Court touching the appeal nteposed as
well by the prosecution against the four individuals ac
cused as by the accused themselves against the judgment
pronounced on the 18th April preceding by the Ccrrec-
tiorel Tribunal of the Seine RENTS the cause and the
parties before the Imperial Court of Rouen, Correctional
Chamber) the said court being charged with this trial
by advice taken in councilchamber Orders the restitu-
ton Of the fines paid" SC.
The highest judicial authority Of France has now pro-
nounced its decision upon this important questionable
inviolsbty Of letters committed to the post Office The