19 MAY 1849, Page 8

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FRANCE.—The elections absorb all political attention in Paris. The counting of the suffrages is now in progress, and enough is not known to show whether any party has obtained a decided victory. A calculation in the Journal des Dibats, of the votes given by the various sections of Paris, places General Bedean at the head; De Lamoriciere, Odilon Barrot, Ca- vaignac, and Dufaure, among the next in order of the twenty-eight candi- dates for that department; Ledru-Rollin and the candidates of the Moun- tain among the last. In the provinces, the Bonapautists are likely to ob- tain a decided lead. The army is supposed to have voted numerously for Socialist candidates.

Early in the week, there was much rumour of a threatened outbreak, and mention was made of the disclosure of plots and the discovery of arms; but perfect tranquillity prevails.

Some political interest was excited also by what seemed a Cabinet crisis. Last week, M. Ldon Faucher announced to thirty-two departments, by telegraph, a vote in favour of the Government; and in doing so, he said- " This vote consolidates the public peace. The agitators were only wait- ing for a vote of the Assembly hostile to the Ministry to run to the barri- cades and renew the days of June." To this note he appended lists of the Deputies who had voted for the motion, those who had voted against it, and those who were absent. The Mountain took affront at the expres- sions of the note, and charged M. Ltign Faucher with indirectly pointing candidates whose return would be agreeable to the Ministry. After a de- bate in which all parties reprobated the note, and M. Leon Faucher ex- asperated the case by personal hauteur and want of tact, a resolution con- demning the terms of the despatch was carried by 519 to 5. M. Faucher immediately tendered his resignation.

ITALY.—Little change has occurred in the position of the Roman inter- vention. General Oudinot, on the 8th instant, maintained his position at Palo and at Civita Vecchia; and was at the head of nearly 17,000 men. The accounts concur in the surmise that he was endeavouring to secure by negotiation an entry into Rome exclusively of Austria and Naples. This project receives an air of probability from the proceedings of the Ro- man Triumvirate, who on the 3d instant took the remarkable step of libe- rating the French soldiers, some hundreds, made prisoners in the encoun- ter of the 30th instant. These men have been treated as brethren by the Romans; tenderly cared for when wounded, and shown the sights of Rome. The Triumvirate, in a decree, declare that they do not hold the men re- sponsible for fighting under the orders of a deceived Government; and send them back with fraternal applause, and with greetings to their com- rades at Civita Vecchia, the brave soldiers of the sister French Republic.

On their Southern side, the Romans have gained a second success in arms: Garribaldi having beaten an advanced force of Neapolitans, and taken two cannons and some sixty prisoners. It is said that he meditates a counter-blow against the invaders, by a dash at Naples itself; with the intention of raising the country in the King's rear.

The Sicilian rebellion has somewhat revived. Palermo has not surren- dered, as it had been officially announced. The proposal to submit is said to have been a reactionist plot, which has failed. On the 6th, the town was again completely in the hands of insurgent leaders; who were resolved to resist to the utmost.

• Ausraia.—The Russian intervention is semi-officially announced in Vienna journals, but it remains uncertain what troops have actually marched. It is announced that 106,000 troops are on the move under the personal command of Prince Paskievitsch; and it is said that 17,000 of them were to have crossed the Austrian frontier on the 4th instant, and 22,000 on the next day. Other corps of 15,000,26,000, 17,000, and 9,000 men were to have entered Hungary by Tarnogrod and Brody on the 8th, Wolosezy on the 9th, and Hussyatim on the 11th. Generals Rudiger and TsheodajefF command under Prince Paskievitsch.

The more recent proceedings of the Hungarians are not certainly known. It seems probable that they are turning Northwards against the Russians.

Paussta.—The Prussian Government has struck another decisive blow at Frankfort. On the 14th instant, an Ordinance was published declaring that "the commission of the Deputies elected in the Prussian State to the German National Assembly is expired"; and adding an injunction on those Deputies "to abstain from taking any part in the further proceedings of the Assembly."

The Rhine provinces continue in a critical state, but the accounts are not full or clear. Elberfeld, Neuss, Fuhrt, and Gladbach, still refuse entrance to the Royal troops: the Landwehr supporting the Frankfort Go- vernment. Dusseldorf has been reduced to order only by the proclamation of martial law. The movement has also shown itself in the North: the Common Council of Konigsberg have convened a meeting, and, despite protests received from Berlin, have determined to hold it, for the purpose of considering the German question.

GERMANY.—The National Assembly, on the 10th instant, passed reso- lutions, that "the gross violation of the peace of the empire of which the Prussian Government has been guilty, by its unauthorized interference in the kingdom of Saxony, shall be repressed by all available means." A de- putation was chosen and sent to the Regent, calling upon him to form a Cabinet which would execute the resolutions. The Regent treated the deputation "with something like a sneer," and said he would choose such a Ministry as he thought fit at the time he thought fit. The matter was referred to a Committee; who next day recommended, among other things, that the Germanic Government be summoned to take the oath of the Em- pire, and to place their armies at the disposal of the Assembly.

The Baden troops in the Federal citadel of Rastadt have revolted against their officers, mortally wounding some of them, and declared for the Cen- tral Government. A revolution broke out at Carlsruhe on the 13th; and the Grand Duke fled.

CANSDA.—The steam-ship Europa, which left New York on the 2d in- stant, and Halifax on the 5th instant, arrived at Liverpool on Monday, with important intelligence from Montreal. The Earl of Elgin had ac- tually signed the Rebellion Losses Indemnity Bill, on the 25th of last month. An immediate outbreak ensued. The Governor-General was in- sulted and pelted on his way from the Provincial Parliament; the Parlia- ment House itself was burnt down; the leading Ministers were chased from their homes; and meetings were held, in Montreal and various other parts of Canada, to pass condemnatory resolutions, and forward petitions to the Queen for Lord Elgin's recall. For the fullest detail of these proceedings we are beholden to sources unfriendly to the local Government and Legis- lature: with this warning to our readers, we lay before them a copious se- lection from the miscellaneous mass.

Events of the 25th and 26th April—From a Montreal Letter, dated the 26th, addressed to the New York Herald. "Yesterday afternoon, it was known in all the places of resort that his Excellency would go down to Parliament and sanction numerous bills, particu- larly the one relating to the Customs. It was never presumed for one moment, however, that the notorious and detested Rebel Bill' was to be one of them. At four p.m., the hour appointed for the ceremony, a fair assemblage of people were collected in front of the Parliamentary buildings. It was not till five p.m. that the Governor entered the Council Chamber, and took his seat on the throne. In the mean time, a rumour had got abroad that the Rebel Bill' was indeed to be assented to. The report quickly spread, and before the conclusion of the ceremony a crowd numbering about 1,600 persons were collected together to receive the representative of British sovereignty with the long-announced honours. The Royal sanction was given to forty-eight bills; amongst which, the crowd were informed by those who had been in the interior of the buildings, was the ob- noxious bill. About six o'clock his Excellency entered his carriage, and was driven off at a rapid rate, amidst curses, yells, hootings, and a shower of rotten eggs, dirt, and stones. Lord Elgin had to run the gauntlet of the various mis- siles for the distance of a hundred yards. The carriage-windows were down, and Colonel Bruce was inside with him, Three eggs entered the carriage, and some struck his Lordship in the face. Horses, equipage, footmen, &c., were all completely covered with the unsavoury missiles. 1 he Staff fared very little better. The fact of the Royal sanction having been given to the Rebellion Losses Bill now spread like wildfire. By seven o'clock, alarm- bells were ringing all over the town, and cries went through the streets calling a mass meeting to be held on the Champ de Mars at eight o'clock. By the appointed time, upwards of 2,000 people had assembled, and by nine o'clock it had swelled to 5,000." [Several resolutions were passed.]

'One of the leaders of the mob got upon a chair, and addressed them in a violent and inflammatory manner, amidst continued and deafening cheers. The following sentences will give an idea of his speech. The time for action has arrived. We must work. We have passed resolutions enough—they have been disregarded. To the Parliament House!' A chord in the hearts of the vast multitude had been touched which every heart reechoed. The moving thou- sands, preceded by torches, marched at a furious rate in the direction of the Le- gislature. By ten p.m. eight thousand persons were in front of the buildings, where the Assembly was in full session at the time. A shower of stones, 'as thick as leaves in Vallombrosa,' were poured upon the windows; which, from the brilliant manner in which they were lighted, afforded a most tempting mark. When the stones came pouring into the windows, the members of the Assembly thought it time to beat a retreat, and retired into the lobby, there to await the issue of events. No sooner had the members left, than about one hundred of the mob, armed to the teeth, rushed into the Assembly Room; and their leader' swear- ing he would come Oliver Cromwell over them, placed himself in the Speaker's Chair, assumed the bat, and announced, with stentorian lungs, Gentlemen, the French Parliament is dissolved!' adding, 'and we are all going to Hell!' One brawny fellow then seized hold of the mace, (which, from the House being in Committee at the time, lay on the table,) and having shouldered it marched off. The rest set to work, and the destruction commenced.

"Whilst this body of men were smashing everything inside the Legislative As- sembly Room, a cry of fire was suddenly raised. In the mean time Colonel Gugy heading the members, clerks, and ladies, rushed through the hall of the House, and ont at the principal door, agreeably surprised at not finding themselves stopped. The fury and rapidity with which the flames spread can hardly be ima- gined: in less than fifteen minutes the whole of the wing occupied by the House of Assembly was in dames; and, owing to the intimate.communicanons between the two Houses, the Upper House was rapidly involved in the same destruction. " The mob had now amounted to almost incredible-'numbers, and remained stoical spectators of the scene. The truops arrived shortly afterwards, and Were received with loud cheers, which several companies of the Twenty-third Regiment returned. One soldier, a private, fired his musket in the air: he was immediately arrested, and sent to the guard-house. By eleven o'clock, nothing but the smoul deriug ruins of the House—in which a measure fraught with injustice and in- iquity was introduced, passed, and received the Royal assent—now remain; a fit- ting tribute to the rage of an insulted people. None regrets the loss of the buildings ; every one that of the splendid libraries,

in which were the archives and records of Canada for hundreds of years: valuable works from every quarter of the globe were heaped in profusion within those walls ; eleven hundred volumes of records of the British House of Commons, of which no other copy was extant, were destroyed. Not eighty dollars' worth of property was saved. The loss is irreparable, and is regretted by all. The Queen's picture was saved from the burning buildings, but destroyed in the streets. The party in charge of the mace carried it to Donegana's Hotel, and there placed it in the hands of Sir Allan M'alab. No lives were lost. T. B. Turner, Esq., of the Montreal Courier Sir Allan APNab, and the Honourable W. Badgely, in attempt-

ing to save some books from the library were nearly lost. They were obliged to drop the works and rash for the Legislative Council Chamber door; which, to their horror, they found locked. Their cries were heard by a party in the library of the Council, who had axes, and the panel was smashed in; they then escaped by a ladder from the balcony. It was rumoured amongst the mob that the I rench members were hid in the cellars, and would be destroyed by the fire. The announcement was received with the most brutal cheers. At twelve o'clock, sa- tisfied with the work of the evening, the multitude dispersed. "His Excellency the Governor-General, with his family, came in to town, and remained all night under the protection of a large guard at Government House. Early this morning, Messrs. Mack, Howard, Montgoinerie, Esdaile, and Ferries proprietor of the Montreal Casette, were arrested on a charge of arson. They were taken before the Police Magistrates, and, after an examination of a few hours, remanded to gaol till tomorrow. The excitement during the day was intense. A mob of 3,000 persons accompanied them to the gaol. Through the influence of their leaders, the mob were prevented from any outbreak. Had they chosen to do so, the hundred soldiers who guarded the cabs would have soon been settled. But it was represented that more good would arise from their incarceration for a few hours.

"In the evening, it was announced that a meeting would be held on the Champ

de Mars tomorrow at two o'clock,—the Honourable George Moffatt to be in the chair,—when the peace and safety of the country will be discussed. A French Magistrate named Arniot, who went to the gaol with the prisoners' was nearly torn to pieces by the mob. An assemblage of persons was collected outside the Government House daring the whole day, for the purpose of laying hold of the Ministry, and were only prevented from entering the house by the presence of the military; with whom it is the determination of the British party not to quarrel, and it was also the military's desire. The soldiery enjoyed the fun excessively; and many were the scoff's and jeers passed by both officers and men on the French party. Every now and then, one of the Ministry would make his appearance at the door, and quickly retire at the precious howls of the mob that greeted his presence. The Governor was not in town, he having left in the morning. Half a regiment is stationed at Monklands. About eight o'clock the mob was aug- mented to several thousands. Messrs. Lafontaine and Holmes determined to make an attempt to get out in a cab through the mob; which they succeeded in doing, after the cab bad been turned round half-a-dozen times, the lives frightened out of them, and their clothes torn and bespotted with the yolk of eggs. The frontier of the mob then gave way, and one of the leaders having given the word,

To Mr. Hincks's house!' the multitude moved off in the direction of Beaver Hall.

Three cheers were given for the military as they passed the guard-house. Having arrived at Mr. Hincks's residence, the work of destruction began; and all the win- dows and doors of Messrs. Hincks, Holmes, and Wilson's (a Radical) dwellings were smashed to pieces. Luckily at that mqment a cry was made, lo Mr. La- fontaine's!' which, together with the account that Mr. Hineks had moved during the day, completely drew off the mob. Immediately upon arriving, the house of Mr. Lafontaine which was quite new and finished, also the property of Mr. La- fontaine himself, (although he had not moved into it,) was furiously attacked. The out-buildings were set on fire, and the house completely gutted, furniture smashed, magnificent pier-glasses broken to pieces, feather-beds ripped up, and every sort of destruction possible. Three times the house was on fire, but put out by the leaders. After the work was accomplished and the mob retiring, they suddenly found themselves in the presence of a regiment of troops, for whom they immediately gave three cheers, and pasted by. "Thus ended the second night."

Some of the accounts represent the picture of the Queen to have been saved-

" All hopes of rescuing the libraries were now at an end ; but there was a ru- mour that a beautiful full-length picture of our most, Gracious Sovereign the Queen had been saved; and this simple act told eloquently of the loyal feeling of the crowd." " The only articles saved from the general destruction are the mace of the Lower House, the very tine portrait of the Qoeen, to save which every one seemed to contend in earnest rivalry, and a cart-load of books." It is said that the officers of Government made an attempt to stop the transmission of political news by the electric telegraph; but the telegraph people refused to comply.

At nine o'clock on the evening of the 26th, a great meeting was held in the Champs de Mars,—Mr. A. Heward in the chair; and resolutions were passed denouncing the Indemnity Bill and demanding the recall of Lord Elgin-

" Their labours were soon disturbed by cheering in the streets; and on looking out a number of men were seen in advance of a caleche, in which two persons were seated, bearing the mace of the House of Assembly, the crowd singing the national anthem and cheering for the Queen." The same night, Lord Elgin was sent for to a meeting of the Executive Council, at the Government Office: a clerk made an affidavit accusing the five gentlemen who had been arrested, including Mr. Heward ; and next morn- ing they were conveyed to gaol under a strong military escort. The escort was swelled by a mob of 2,000 people cheering.

Proceedings in Parliament on the 27th.

"The Parliament met on the morning of the 27th, at the Bonsecours Market Hall, under the protection of a guard of soldiers. The debate was of a rather stormy character. The Ministers attempted to defend their conduct in not having taken _precautions against the evident disturbance; but they made a very lame affair of it. Sir Allan M'Nab reproached them bitterly for the way in Which they had degraded the Governer-General,-in. making him sneak down to the House to pass the bills without the usual notice; and told them plainly, that had the thing been done openly and properly there would have been no disturbance. Mr. Baal- ton (Toronto) declared, that he had been told by a gentleman, that one of the Governor-General's own Staff had told him that his Excellency came down to the House in the way that he did because he was afraid to meet the storm of public indignation. Some member declared Mr. Boulton to be out of order, as it was disreputable thus to speak of the representative of the Sovereign. Sir Allan

M'Ilab said, it might be considered disreputable, but it was still in order; he had heard much worse language than that used with respect to the Sovereign's repre- sentative." After various amendments moved by the Opposition, an address in support of Government was carried by 36 to 16.

Meeting of Inhabilatsts of Montreal on the 27th.

"On Friday the 27th of April, a number of the leading merchants of the city determined to hold a mass meeting, at which resolutions would be submitted of a nature to subdue the spirit of riotous excitement and turn the public mind into a constitutional channel, and to memorialize her Majesty to remit Lord Elgin. A numerously signed requisition was got up for the holding of such a meeting on the Parade Ground of the Champ de Mars; which requisition was posted on the walla of the town. After this step had been taken, rumours were current that the Government had determined on the suppression of this legitimate method of reaching the ears of our beloved Sovereign; and that those rumours were founded on truth was evident from furious movements which took place among the mili- tary. However, at the eleventh hour, all objections to holding the meeting were withdrawn; although the soldiers were placed under arms, to be ready at a mo- meta's notice if called upon. The people, therefore, there assembled; and, not- withstanding the rumour bad got abroad that the meeting would not take place, there could not be fewer on the ground than three thousand." A great public meeting to address the Queen accordingly took place on that day; the Honourable George Moffatt in the chair. The following petition was adopted.

To her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen.—The humble petition of the undersigned your Majesty's dutiful and loving subjects, residing In the Province of Canada, Showell), That your Majesty's representative in this Province, the Right Honourable the Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, by giving the Royal assent to a bill for compensating rebels for losses inflicted by your Majesty's troops, and by others of your loyal subjects acting under the orders of your Majesty's officers, bath seriously impaired your Ma. jeaty's Royal authority, and endangered the peace and tranquillity of the Province.

"That your petitioners feel most acutely the outrage thus offered to your Majesty's Royal authority, and the Insult to themselves ; an outrage and an insult, they believe, unexampled in the history of nations, and which strihes at the foundations of allegiance and obedience, winch are reciprocal with government and protection.

"And they humbly pray that your Majesty will graciously be pleased to recall the said Earl of Elgin and Kincardine from the government of this Province, which he can no longer administer with safety to the State or honour to your Majesty ; and that your Majesty will also disallow the said bill, which is an insult and a robbery to every man who in the time of trial stood forth to defend your Majesty's crown and dignity.

"And your petitioners will ever pray, &c."

Latest News and Rumours.

"There was no subsidence of the excitement after the holding of the meeting on Friday. It was reported in the evening that the French party were being sworn in as special constables and armed. It proved correct. The British por- tion were persuaded by the leaders to wait till armed; and an encounter took place between about twenty English gentlemen and these constables, who fired on them. Only a few of the small party had arms, which they discharged upon the mass, and slowly retreated, bearing off one of the party wounded in the leg by a pistol-ball. During the whole night these were drilled, armed with cutlasses and pistols, in the Bonsecours Market. The military were under arms all night, and the artillery were kept drawn up in the square. It is stated that Sir Benjamin D'Urban, Commander of the Forces, at a meeting of the Executive Council on the previous evening, made remarks to the following purport to Colonel Tactics one of the Ministry. He demanded to know by whose authority those men had been armed. He said he was there to protect her Majesty's do- minions; and, by the aid of Heaven, he would do that. It was uncon- stitutional to arm one portion of the population against the other. Turning round to General Gore, he said, Go to his Excellency the Governor-General, and say, I send him a body of British troops to protect him, and that I will not consent to this clandestine arming of the French population. Disarm these men, and find by whose authority they were armed.' It was understood that Colonel Brace and Colonel Tache did it, on an order from the Government.

" There cannot be a question of doubt but that a bloody conflict would have taken place in the streets had not the Governor-General resolved to take away the arms from the French. We have news that the British population in Beau- harnois and Mississquoi are in a state almost approaching to insurrectipn, and have declared their intention to march to the assistance of their countrymen in Montreal, if they are required. One shopkeeper in the townships sold 50 pound of lead in two days, to be cast into bullets for the rifles of the stout fellows on the frontier."

Successive telegraphic despatches from Montreal contain these passages. April 28th.—" Upper Canada is in a fearful state of excitement. At Coburg, the Governor was burnt in effigy. The light could be seen at the lake, thirty miles off. The whole Upper Provinces are arming. In the Eastern Townships, imniense quantities of lead have been sold, and large bodies of sturdy riflemen are expected to.the assistance of the British. On the Ottawa, the lumbermen are also preparing to assist Montreal."

April 30th.—" It was reported in town yesterday afternoon, that the house of Mr. J. S. Macdonald, Member for Glengarry, at Cornwall, had been burnt by the populace on Saturday night ; that Mr. Macdonald had fled for his life; and that the brave Highlanders of Glengarry are arming by thousands to come to the as- sistance of the British population of Lower Canada, if need be." May lst —" At Quebec, the Governor has been burnt in effigy; but the authori- ties are using strenuous efforts to preserve the public peace. At Brockville also, the Governor has been burnt in effigy; and the authorities were compelled to as- sist in the ceremony."

May 2d.—" We continue in a most excited state. All sorts of rumours are fly- ing about. The Royalists from various districts are reported as marching on the town, and that in their progress conflicts are occurring with the French habitans. Mobs of people have been moving in the neighbourhood of the city during the past night, in expectation of arrivals of French habitans: if these should come in any armed body, we shall have sad work. It was reported yesterday that a deputation was coming from Quebec, to present an address to the Governor-Ge- neral. This created a great deal of excitement; and a large mob, numbering some 6,000 or 7,000, assembled to prevent their landing ; but, notwithstanding their efforts to prevent them, they succeeded in effecting a landing at the Cross, about three miles below Montreal. Large meetings are being held in Toronto and Kmg- ston; and numerous petitions are getting up to her Majesty the Queen for a recall of Lord Elgin."

Lord Elgin had been dismissed from the patronship of the St. Andrew's Club and the Thistle Curling Club.