1 JANUARY 1859, Page 5

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

THE duel between M. de Montalembert and the French Emperor has reached another, and, we presume, the final stage- for the present. Contrary to the anticipations of those who took excep- tion to the appeal of Count de Alontalembert from the insignifi- cant police court of Paris to a higher tribunal, the Chief of the State, without the addition of an insulting- epigram this time, has extended pardon to his powerful adversary ; and, as the smaller game, M. Douniol, could not well be imprisoned and fined when the larger escaped scot free, the Imperial grace is extended to the !grant of the Correspondent. The Emperor can now at t. leisure count the cost of the conflict. He has not been able "put down" the most eloquent man in France. He has not n able to prevent the circulation of the eases belli, even under e barrack loopholes of his Paris garrison. He has not been able to prevent two of the most able lawyers in France from ar- aigning his arbitrary system of government in his very courts f justice. He has only been able to try and to pardon. His orts have resulted in a negation. "The King of France and ten thousand men

. Went up a hill and came down again." *

its. The positive balance is all on the other side. The consequence seen even in the Government press, which has of late been en- larging on the benfits of free discussion ! , Mr. Gladstone's promenade through the Ionian Islands has at least been productive of a series of striking demonstrations