3 JULY 1847, Page 8

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Pnussu.—The United Diet was closed on the 26th of Jane. At a re- tent sitting, the Diet had petitioned the King to dispense with their elect- ing a Standing Committee, and also to make certain modifications in the ordinances constituting the Diet. To this the King replied by a declara- tory message; which was followed up by a separate message on the subject of the finances. The purport of the two messages is as follows. The

King avers that he never intended to withhold from the Diet, during peace, full control over the finances; the public debt will not be increased without the cooperation and sanction of the Diet. The King will take into his seri- ous consideration the request that he shall convoke the Diet periodically, and limit the powers of the permanent Committee. He cannot, however, consent to waive the election of the Committee, because he has a project of law on the criminal code,on which the Provincial Diets have expressed their opinion; and he will shortly assemble the Committee to deliberate upon it. Accordingly, after some demur, the Diet appointed the Committee; but a few members, some of the most eminent and popular, declined to vote.

The King left Berlin for Breslau, on the morning of the 26th; and the

Diet was closed by M. Berlin, the Commissary, in a speech which contained little but complimentary and hopeful periods. One short passage, however, occasioned some remark-

" An inconsiderable number of the members, forgetful of the duty imposed upon them by the enjoyment of their political privileges, have, by refusing to take part in the concluding act of the session, dimmed this hoar. The Government knows how to make the laws respected."

FamccE.—The Girardin affair gave rise to an extraordinary scene in the Chamber of Deputies on Friday. Flushed, probably, with his dis- charge by the Peers, M. Emile Girardin attacked the Minister of the In- terior for having circulated throughout the country a garbled report of the speech of" a Deputy," whereby M. Girardin was defamed. To this accu- sation M. Duchatel gave the lie direct; which M. Girardin accepted "with all its consequences." A scene of violent excitement followed; during which M. Girardin called for "an inquiry." M. Duchatel's reasoning on this demand was rather curious. An attempt, he said, had been made to bury the accusations against the Ministry in a secret committee: the Ministry before courted publicity, but they now opposed any inquiry, be- cause there was no doubt about the matter; and the moment the Chamber had a doubt there would be a change of Ministry. M. Girardin said that he had called for a secret committee, because of a letter with "an august signature," which could only be produced before such a tribunal. There was only one thing, to order an inquiry; and to this demand he remained constant for the remainder of the sitting. The charges of the Presse were again brought up; and M. Girardin said he had nothing to retract. M. Benoit Fould declared that a peerage had never been offered to him, with or without payment. He admitted, however, that he had lost 60,000 francs as a shareholder in the Epoque. M. Callon Barret asked, why were not the law courts applied to? A sum of 100,000 francs had been given for a theatrical privilege: either the Ministry knew of this, and then was guilty of what was alleged against it; or the 100,000 francs had gone into other hands, and then there was swindling, to which article 405 of the Civil Code would apply. A stormy and desultory debate was at length. closed by a vote on a motion put by M. de Morin',' that "the Chamber, satisfied with the explanations, will pass to the order of the day." This was carried by 225 votes to 102; and consequently no inquiry will take place.

On Saturday, the preliminary proceedings relative to the conaession of the Gouhenans salt-mines were brought to a close. M. Renduard's report on the affair having been laid before the Chamber and read, together with the statement of M. Delangle, the Attorney-General, it was decided that an impeachment for corruption should be preferred against General Cu- bieres' Peer of France and late Minister of War; M. Pellapra, late Receiver- General, and M. Parmentier, advocate; also against General Cubieres and M. Pellapra, for having, on the same occasion, attempted to obtain money on fraudulent pretences of other parties; and finally, against M. Teste, Peer of France, and late Minister of Public Works, for having on the same occasion accepted offers, and received gifts and presents, as inducements to do certain official acts. M. Teste is impeached under the 177th and 179th articles of the Code which attaches to the crime of which he is charged an infamous punishment. MM. Cubieres and Pollapra are charged under the 405th article, which renders the acts of which they are charged escroquerie, or swindling.

As is usual in such eases, five days have been allowed to the accused for the choice of counsel and other preparations. M. Teste will be defended. by M. Paillet, General Cubieres by M. Baroche, M. Parmentier by M. Berryer, and M. Pellapra by M. Gauthier.

Preparations are making in Paris at the present moment for a great demonstration in favour of Parliamentary reform. The central committee of the Liberal electors of the department of the Seine, and the local com- mittees which signed the petitions in favour of reform, are preparing a grand political dinner, which will be attended by the Liberal electors of all shades of opinion, and by the Liberal members of the Chamber of De- puties. The dinner will be given by the electors; and a great number of Deputies belonging to the Centre Gauche, the Gauche, and the Extreme Gauche, will be invited as guests. The dinner is to take place on the 7th of July, in the gardens of the Chateau Rouge.

Allegations of corruption continue to be put forward against the Cabi- net. Ministers were charged by the Presse on Monday with having ab- sorbed an enormous mass of railway shares. M. Cunin Gridaine was spe- cially named as having received five hundred shares in a projected railway company. The answer made by M. Cunin Gridaine, in the Moniteur Pa- risien, is that he has personally no knowledge of the matter; that he had withdrawn from the general business of the mercantile house founded by his father at Sedan, and was a total stranger to their transactions. The Prase of the following day reaffirms the statement that the five hundred shares were subscribed for by the firm of Cunin Gridaine and Son.

Sr-um—The novelty at Madrid is a charge against Don Francisco de Paula, the Queen's uncle and father-in-law. The Government, it is said, had obtained information that the Prince was affiliated to a secret Repub- lican society, having for its object the overthrow of the monarchy: he is also said to be "a Freemason, a Carbonaro, a Communiste, and an Aven- ger of .AlibaucL' " The Infante admitted his connexion with these socie- ties, but pleaded ignorance of their designs. Seiior Pacheco gave a long lecture to the Prince; who is described as being quite struck with the re- presentation of his own folly, and to have been all penitence and submis- sion.

The trial of Don Angel de la Rive, for shooting at the Queen in her carriage, had resulted in a sentence of" death by the cord."

Three Carlists taken at Lerida and sentenced to be executed have received the Queen's pardon; which arrived just in time to save them. ITALY.—The promised edict for creating a Council of Ministers has been just issued by the Pope. It is dated from the Quirinal, on the 12th June, and begins thus-

" A Council of Ministers is instituted. It is composed of the Cardinal Secre- tary of State (far Foreign and Home Affairs); of the Cardinal Camerlingna (for Commerce, Agriculture, the Arts, &c.); of the Cardinal Prefecto delle "tie Strada (Public Works) ; of Mgr. the Governor of Rome (General of Police ; of Mgr. the Treasurer-General (Finances); and Mgr.Presidente delle Armi ( sr)." The Cardinal Secretary of State is to be President of the Council; and the delibe- rations of the Council "will remain absolutely consultative until they are ap- proved by the Sovereign."

The anniversary of the Pope's accession, the 18th of June, tad been celebrated with eclat.

UNITED STATES.—The arrival of the Hibernia puts us in possession of accounts from New York to the 15th, and from Boston to the 16th of June. The accounts from Mexico report no fresh military success; but internal dissension was doing the work of the enemy. Santa Anna was in the greatest disfavour; had been pelted by the populace; and had resigned the Presidency, on the 28th of May. It was expected that Herrera would be nominated his successor. Meanwhile, the invaders were advancing from Puebla on the capital, which they expected to reach on the 15th June. Colonel Doniphan's division had obtained some successes on its road from Santa Fe. The advanced guard had reached Saltine. General Taylor was preparing to advance on St. Louis Potosi, with a force not exceeding 2,000. It is rumoured that the jealousy of the Administration at Washing- ton has caused him to remain in forced inaction for want of troops and necessaries.

There is a talk about a treaty of peace, to be negotiated by Mr. Trist in conjunction with General Scott: but the probability of such an attempt is doubted by many.

Commercial accounts mention a great tendency to decline in the ex- change on London. The cotton market continued in a very sluggish state.

Cawana.—We have already mentioned that the Canadian Parliament was opened by the Governor-General on the 2d of June. A four-nights de bate on the address and amendments introduced by Mr. Baldwin gave the Ministry a majority of 2; being less by one vote than it would have been had Mr. Sherwood, the new Attorney-General, arrived from his election at Toronto. Mach of the debate which followed turned on aeons diens against Ministers for holding their places with so small an amount of legislative

support- A correspondence had been laid on the table relative to the Government negotiations with the influential French leaders of the Executive Council. A confidential memorandum' proposing an arrangement for a coalition, was in the first instance sent by Lord Elgin to M. Morin. On his reply in the negative, the Council forwarded it to M. Caron at Quebec; with whom negotiations were opened. It appears that three out of the seven seats in the Council were offered to M. Caron and his friends; but the French party demanded in addition a pledge for the exclusion of Mr. Daly from the Administration. It was not thought right to concede this point, as no exclusions were stipulated on the other side; and the negotiations were broken off. Soon afterwards, M. Caron was deprived of his office of Speaker of the Legislative Council; which was conferred on the Honourable Peter ItGill. This appointment was popular on account of the worth of the in- dividual, but it was thought a harsh proceeding towards M. Caron.

Lord Elgin has much impressed the colonists by the dignified neutrality which he observes with respect to elections.

Lady Elgin had arrived, with her brother the Earl of Durham and her sister.

Great alarm was felt at the torrent of emigration: 30,000 persons had arrived from England. The deaths at sea, at Grosse Isle, and on the pas- sage between Quebec and Montreal, have amounted to at least 3,000; and ' the number of sick is almost past computation. A contagious pestilence Is much feared."

Itenra.—The Indian mails of the 20th May have arrived. They bring no news of striking importance. At Hyderabad, there had been a mutiny among the Nizam's household troops, called " Linewallahs." It arose out of an offer by the Minister to give them five mouths' pay in full discharge of an arrear of twenty months. The soldiers, numbering 12,000, refused to accept this composition, or to obey the orders issued to them; and the city of Hyderabad was occupied by a small British force, to keep order. After some show of resistance, however, the Linewallaha consented to accept the arrears due to them, and to be disbanded.

Sir David Pollock was lying at Bombay so ill as to give no hope of his recovery.