28 JANUARY 1860, Page 7

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fraurt.—The Treaty of Commerce between England and France was signed on Monday. The Patrie of Wednesday published the fol- lowing as a summary of its contents :—

" The import duty on French wines will be reduced in England from 150 to 30 per cent. Silk will be admitted free. The duty on iron imported into France will be 7 francs per 100 kilogrammes. Wool and cotton manu-

facturers will be protected by a duty not exceeding 30 per cent, which will be fixed after the ,termination of the inquiry. Materials of primary im- portance will enter France free of duty after July, 1861. The prohibitions will be removed on the 1st of October. The treaty will be executed by England from the date of its promulgation, about the beginning of February, 1860."

According to the Memorial of Amiens, M. Rouher, Minister of Public Works, and an active promoter of the measure, described its basis as follows, in an interview with a deputation from Lille :-

" The removal of the prohibitions will not be completed under two years, with the conditions of protective rights already indicated. There will be

in the two next years five successive phases :-1. Tho continuance of the present state of things for some months. 2. The lowering of the duties on raw materials. 3. The reduction upon coal and iron. 4. The lowering of the duties upon machinery. 5. The lowering of the duties upon threads and textures."

The Conatitutionnel has published several of the articles of the commer- cial treaty between France and England, which are as follows- " On and after the let of July 1860, the import-duties on cotton and wool will be suppressed. " English pit coal and coke will be subjected to the same duty as in the Belgian tariff. " After October 1860, a duty of 7 franca will be substituted for the actual duty on iron. "-From December 1860, the dirties on the importation of machinery will be diminished.

" From January 1861, the duty on sugar will be reduced. " From June 1861, the prohibition on the importation of threads, tissues, and hemp, will be replaced by a duty not exceeding thirty per cent. " From October 1861, all remaining prohibitions will be abolished.

" The advantages granted to France by the treaty will be stated shortly." Great praise is given to M. Michel Chevalier, M. Itouher, M. Fould, and M. Baroche, for their exertions in bringing about the free-trade changes ; but Mr. Cobden gets the lion's share. His conferences with the Emperor, it is said, brought the matter to an issue. The Meniteur Industriel, a Prohibitionist organ, has published an address to the Emperor, from 176 manufacturers, cotton-spinners, and iron masters, denouncing the impending changes in the tariff. They assert that the Emperor promised an inquiry, and yet that without giv- ing them a hearing he is about to accomplish enormous changes. They went to Paris 400 strong, to see the Emperor, but they experienced " the painful regret of not being able to make known to the Emperor the real position of national labour." The measure is "an economical and social revolution." They do not contest the Emperor's right to make treaties; but they say he has endangered their existence, and add- " And where is the remedy when we are bound by treaty ? We shall have to do one of two things,—either to undergo the disastrous consequences it produces, or to have recourse to war, and tear it by cannon-shot. Such is the terrible alternative in which we are going to place ourselves." It is stated that M. Magna and M. Billault are opposed to the policy of the Emperor,—a policy they have always reprobated; and it is sur- mised that they are using their official influence to prevent its realiza- tion.

M. Thouvenel intimated to the Foreign Ambassadors on Tuesday that he had been intrusted with the department of Foreign Affairs.

M. Magne has made a report to the Emperor on the budget. He says that the budgets of 1855-'56 and '57, are balanced without deficit ; that 1858 yields a surplus of twelve millions; that the floating debt has been greatly reduced ; that taxes advance ; that commerce has increased eighty per cent in five years ; and that the monetary circulation is enriched by a milliard and five hundred millions.

The Pattie has published an article favouring the idea of annexing Savoy to France. On the subject of the annexation of Savoy to France, the Paris corre- spondent of the Morning Post makes this statement :—

I believe it is no longer any secret that Napoleon III. considered long since that, by augmenting Piedmont, Savoy and Nice might be made over to France as a compensation for the Emperor having presented Victor Emma- nuel with Lombardy, gained by the sword of France. The Emperor, how- ever, would make no claim, neither would he feel the less friendly to Italy if no such negotiations were entered into. It was perhaps Victor Emma- nuel himself who considered that what may really be called his French do- minions might be transferred as a tribute of gratitude to the Sovereign and nation who had delivered Piedmont from invasion, and added such fair lands to the old frontiers. But at the time these exchanges of ideas be- tween the allied chiefs of the Italian war were going on there was little pro- bability of the kingdom of Piedmont embracing Tuscany, Parma, and Mo- dena, and the Piedmontese Ministry opposed the annexation to France of either Savoy or Nice. I believe the Emperor Napoleon would have even given at one time Piedmont financial compensation for Savoy and Nice. But the whole proposition was blown away at the time by a rapid succession of events. Now that Tuscany, Parma, and Modena, appear more likely to be attached to Piedmont, the annexation of Savoy and Nice to France is perhaps more probable. At all events the French papers speak of the possi- bility of new arrangements being made." M. Rouland, Minister of Public Instruction, addressing the students at the distribution of prizes at the Polytechnic and Philotechnic Associa- tion, said that Italy would become French through gratitude, owing to France alone the price of her freedom. He would not speak of unfore- seen events that would compel modifications in the most loyal resolution. France is Catholic, and will nowhere become the promoter of anarchy and impiety. Count d'Haussonville has had a lawsuit with his printer. He was about to publish an article ; the printer accepted the contract, but " warned" by the authorities he refused to do so. Count d'Hsussonville brought his action ; and the printer suffered the judgment to go against him by default. The Count lately, in conjunction with a M. Leymarie, bought a newspaper, the Courrier de Paris, from a M. Guerard. The Minister of the Interior, pursuant to powers reserved to him by Napo- leonic legislation refused d to approve of the transfer, and the new pro- prietors cannot take possession. But this refusal does not, it appears, annul the contract in a court of law, and thus the property remains in nubibus, withdrawn from one man and not vested in another.

Sifilli•—Count Cavour has succeeded in forming a Ministry. The list of members of his Cabinet was formally published in the official journal on the 21st. It is as follows :- " President of the Council of Ministers, Minis- ter for Foreign Affairs, and ad interim of the Interior Count Cavour. War General Fanti.

Justice Signor Cassinis. Finances Signor Vegezzi. Public Instruction Signor Mamiani. Public Works Signor Jacini.

" The new Ministers will take the oath in the course of the day." On the same day, the official Piedmontese Gazette contained a decree dissolving the former Chamber of Deputies, and ordering some new arrangements in the composition of the electoral lists. Lombardy, of course, will be included.

A treaty of commerce is in course of negotiation between Sardinia and Prussia, acting on behalf of the German Zollverein. An attempt has been made at Florence to assassinate Ricasoli, Sal- vagnuli, and Peruzzi. The plan was this :—Shells filled with fulmi- nating powder were placed one under the dining-room of Ricasoli's palace, the other under Salvagnoli's portico, and a third near the resi- dence of Peruzzi. While the people were rejoicing on the 18th to bear that Cavour had returned to power, the shell under Ricasoli's dining- room exploded, injuring three men ; that fixed to Salvagnoli's house ex- ploded also ; but, happily, in neither case did the assassins attain their ends. It was with difficulty that the crowd were prevented from doing summary execution upon well-known partisans of the ex-Ducal house. Several persons were arrested. In the evening Count Ricasoli himself appeared in a balcony, and addressed the crowd that thronged the doors of his palace. He said, with the utmost calmness— "It cannot have been intended to assassinate me, for nothing is easier than to come near me. I go about alone day and night. What is intended is to alarm the city, and, perhaps, to give the signal for some desperate coup de main. But, as you see, you may judge of these men by their works. They throw a bomb in the dark, not knowing or caring who may be the vic- tims. Their conduct is as cowardly as it is infamous.' The Modena Gazette of the 20th of January published various decrees issued by Governor Farini, and countersigned by the Ministers. These decrees are worded " During the reign of his Majesty Victor Emmanuel, the Governor of the Royal Provinces of the /Emilia decrees, &c." The first decree orders the promulgation of the electoral law of Sardinia. The number of Deputies for the Royal Provinces of the /Emilia is to be 70, viz :—Bologna, 12 ; Ferrara, 7; Forli, 7 ; Massa and Carrara, 4 ; Mo- dena, 10; Parma, 8; Piacenza, 7; Ravenna, 7 ; Reggio, 8. The second decree orders a new coinage on the decimal system to be struck; the silver coins to have the effigy of King Victor Emmanuel on one side, and the Royal arms of Savoy on the reverse, with the following inscription : —" Dio protegge l'Italia." The silver coins are to consist of pieces of 6 lire, 2 lire, 1 lira, and 50 centimes. The gold coins are to be of the value of 20 lire, 10 lire, and 5 lire. They are also to have the effigy of King Victor Emmanuel, with the inscription, " Vittorio Emmanuele II., 1860 ; ' on the reverse the value of the coin in a laurel wreath, with the inscrip- tion, " Regle Provincie dell' Emilia." in English frigate entering the harbour of Leghorn on the 17th fired a salute, the first since the expulsion of the Grand Duke. The town was in ecstasies at this recognition of the fall of the House of Lorraine. The statement that Verona had been declared in a state of siege is said to be "premature." Serious signs of disaffection have been mani- fested at Venice. The Filangieri Ministry has resigned. Its fall " was attributed to the project of the Ring to order the Neapolitan troops to enter the Papal States."

fi r BIM—Little is now known of the progress of the war in Africa. Even the telegrams do not carry us further than we were last week. The Spaniards, much distressed by the weather, had arrived before Tetuan. They had passed the river, and were replenishing their stores. We know nothing further.

;Alia Stilt e5.—Advices have been received to the 13th of January. The House had not then succeeded in choosing a Speaker, and everything was at a stand-still.

The Pemberton Mills, at Lawrence, in the state of Massachussetta, suddenly crashed down on the 10th of January and buried six hundred workpeople beneath them. " Two or three acres " were covered by the ruins. The whole mass fell inwards from one end like a pack- of cards. Underneath them until midnight, and our accounts reach no further, lay the dead, the mangled, and those unhurt. In a short space thousands assembled and went to work upon the wreck, in the hope of extricating as many as possible. Up to nine in the evening eighteen dead bodies, twenty-five persons mortally wounded, and fifty seriously hurt, had been recovered. Surgeons hastened to the spot from all quarters. One of the mortally wounded men cut his own throat to escape the torment Of his hurts. The fire-brigades rushed to the spot, but all their efforts did not prevent a still more terrible result—the ruins burst into flames. The latest report says "the. ruins have been burnt up, and it will be days before a true knowledge of the killed and wounded can be arrived at."

It is stated that these mills were built some seven years ago, and were then thought to be " a sham." " Indeed before the machinery was put in, the walls had spread to such a degree that some twenty toils of iron plates were put in to save it from falling by its own weight." If this be - true then the calamity was no "accident' It was recklessly prepared seven years ago. Mr. Letcher, the new Governor of Virginia, in a message to the Legis- lature, strongly advises that a resolution should be passed calling for a Convention of all the States to settle the existing questions between the ' North and South on the subject of slavery. " If the differences are irre- conctileable, let the question of a peaceful separation be discussed. In the meantime he calls for militia, minute-men, and munitions of war. The latest reported casualties in this terrible accident are 115 killed or missing and 165 wounded.