NEWS OF THE WEEK,
HE Emperor of the French has this year realized the expecta- tion of Europe by one of the weightiest speeches ever delivered from a throne. He has not declared specifically his intention to free Poland, but he has announced that the " fundamental pact " of the Continent—the treaties of 1815—has ceased to exist, and proposed, as the only Alternative to war, a Congress of all the Powers to settle all questions now in dispute in Europe. They are to " reconstruct the edifice " which is crumbling away, and to prepare for universal disarmament. We have commented on this magnificent, if impracticable, proposal at some length elsewhere, and have only here to notice the paragraphs devoted to France. They are all of a sanguine kind. The trade of the Empire has increased by nine and a half millions sterling, a thousand kilo- metres of new railway have been opened, only 600,000 children remain to be drawn into the primary schools, and the ex- peditions beyond sea, "commenced to defend French honour, will end in the triumph of French interests." Above all, the revenue has been continually rising, and the expenses in Mexico have been met without fresh credits. The speech was exceed- ingly well received, and the llfoniteur was probably right, though vain-glorious, when it prophesied on Friday that the speech "could not fail to re-echo loudly through Europe." The rumble of cannon in. inovement may be heard all through.
