FOREIGN NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 71, 15 May 1852, Page 2

FOREIGN NEWS.

FRANCE.

We published iv our journal of the lst inst. an interesting account of the late coup d'etat, written by a member of the National Assembly, hostile to the President: we now give extracts from a semi-official account published by M. Granier de Cassagnac, entitled " Secret History of the Coup d'Etat." The author says,— " In the middle of November the President yet remained master of his actions ; in a few months it would have been too late for him and for everybody else. He resolved to save the country. Three men were the confidants of his idea—General de St. Arnaud, minister at war ; M. de Morny, representative of the people ; and M. de Maupas, prefect of police. Louis Napoleon exposed to them the designs which he had formed, and asked for their concurrence. They all three promised it to him—M. de Morny for all the responsibility to encounter as Minister of the Interior, M. de St, Arnaud for the military operations, M. de Maupas for the action of the police.

" During more than fifteen days these three men planned with the President all the details of this immense act, an act which is not equalled by the 18th Brumaire either in difficulty, ability, or greatness. The most minute things were foreseen, concerted, detailed, prepared, with such marvellous secrecy, that the friends most to be depended upon, the agents the most necessary, had not a suspicion of what was to be done before the final moment for action arrived.

" The simultaneousness of all the measures to be taken was evidently the first condition of success. The principle of these measures were four in number ; the arrest of guilty or dangerous persons, the publication of the official proclamations, the occupation of the palace of the National Assembly, and the distribution of troops upon all the points judged necessary. The hour of quarter past six in the morning was fixed upon for the simultaneous execution of all these measures. It was necessary that the plan should not be divulged by anybody, or become known by piecemeal, but that it should burst forth at once in its entirety, and he at the same moment successful. At a*quarter past six the arrests were effected ; at half-past six the troops were at their posts; at seven the decree for the dissolution and the proclamation were spread over the walls of Paris."

At half-past six M. de Morny took possession of the Ministry of the Interior, accompanied by 250 of the Chasseurs de Vincennes, and remitted to M. de Thorigny a letter, in which the President thanked him for his services, and informed him of the steps which he had taken. M. de Bevelle, the President's orderly officer, was instructed to superintend the printing of the proclamations, and the compositors had been kept at the national printing office for a special service. At II o'clock the director of the printing-office was sent for, and at midnight the establishment was surrounded by gendarmes; sentries were immediately placed at every door and window, and then, and not till then, M. de. Bevelle produced the documents which had been confided to him, the printing of which he superintended himself, and remain" ed until their impression was completed, and then carried them to the Prefecture of Police.

The persons of whom the police were to render themselves masters were of two kinds—the representatives more or less mixed up with the absolute conspiracy, the chiefs of secret societies, and the commanders of barricades, always ready to execute the orders of the factions. Both had been for a fortnight under the surveillance of invisible agents of the police, and not one of* those' agents suspected the real object of his mission, having all received orders for imaginary purposes. The whole number of persons to be arrested was 78, of whom 18 were representatives, and 60 chiefs of secret societies and of barricades. The 800 sergens de ville and the brigades of surety had been kept at the Prefecture of Police, on" the Ist of December, until eleven o'clock at night, under a pretext of the presence in Paris of the refugees of London. At half-past three in the morning of the 2nd, the officers of peace and the forty commissaries of police were convoked at their houses. At half-past four every one had arrived, and were placed in small groups iv different apartments, for the purpose of not excitiujr suspicion. At five o'clock all the commissaries went down separately into the office of the prefect, mid re-

ceived from him a communication of the simple and entire truth, with the necessary indications and orders. The men had been selected with special care for the duty to be confided to them and all went away full*of seal and ardour, resolved to accomplish their duty at any price. None failed in his promise. A great number of carriages, prepared in advance, were statj'oned in groups on the quays in the neighbourly? 0 f the prefecture of police, so as not to picion. The arrests had been so arranged between the Prefect of Police and the Minister of War that they should precede, by a quarter of an hour, the arrival of the troops'ou the places indicated. The arrests were to be made at a quarter-past six, and the agents were ordered to be at the doors of the persons to be arrested at five minutes past six. All was accomplished with surprising punctuality, and no arrest took more than 20 minutes.

The task of securing the person of General Chaugaiiiier was confided to two men selected for their rare energy, Captain Baudinot, of the Republican Guard, and the Commissary of Police, Leras. They took with them no less a force than 15 picked police agents, 30 Republican Guards, and a picket of 10 cavalry. At five minutes past six they rang the bell at No. 3, Hue dv Faubourg St. Honore, where the general lived. The porter asked who was there, and being told to open the door for some one who wanted to speak to him, lie became suspicious, and refused to do so. The commissary then marched into a grocer's shop next door, from which he rightly guessed there must be a communication with General Chano-arnier's apartment. In an imperious tone he"demamled the key, which was instantly given to him. Followed by several of his men, he proceeded to the general's room, snatched the keys from the servant, whom he met upon the staircase, and rushed towards the general's bedroom. Gen. Changarnier by this time knew the designs of the intruders. He appeared at the door of his bedroom in his shirt, with a pistol in each handj* said, " What, are you going to do, General. We are not attempting your Jfe ; why should you defend it?" Changarnier Then gave up his pistols, saying, '' I am at your service ; let me dress myself." He begged that his servant, with whom he could not dispense, might not be separated from him. This favour was granted. On his way to prison, he said, " The President was sure of his re-election ; he need not have had recourse to a coup d'etat; he is giving himself much useless trouble." He afterwards added, " When the President shall have a foreign war, he will be glad to seek for m e to give me the command of an army." " The arrest of General Cavaignac was neither long nor difficult. M. Collin, the commissary of police, having entered the house in which the general resided, No. 17,Ruedu Helder, had the following conversation with the porter:— ' In what part of the house does General Cavaignac live ?' He is not at home,' said the porter. ' I know that he is at home, and I must see him.' 'He is not—at any rate he is asleep— you come too early—his lodging is on the entresol.' The commissary went up, knocked, and rang at the door, and enquired for the general. A female voice replied that the general was not at home. The commissary rang the bell again, and a male voice exclaimed, * Who is there ?' The commissary called, in the name of the law, for the door to be opened. The general replied, ' I will not open it.' The commissary said, 'If you do not open the door, I will break it open.' The general then opened it, and the commissary having entered, said, ' General, you are my prisoner, resistance would be useless, for all my measures are taken ; I have orders to arrb_t you,in virtue of a warrant which I will read to "* you.' The general would not hear the warrant read, and becoming greatly exasperated, abused the commissary, who advised him to"B|>%.oderate. The general then, looking the commissary, said, 'What! you arrest me—• what is your name ?' The commissary replied, ' I shall not conceal it, but this is not the time ; you must dress yourself and follow me.' The general then became more calm, and said, ' Well, sir, I am ready to follow you ; all I ask is for time to dress myself; let your attendants withdraw.' He then asked permission to write, and this was granted. When the general was ready, he said to the commissary, 'Now let us set out; but I ask as a favour that I may proceed to my destination with you alone.'" The request was complied with. On their way the General appeared to lie iv deep thought, and only spoke once, which was to ask if he alone had

been arrested, and where he was going. The commissary said he could not reply to the first question, but he was going to the prison Mazas." " When the commissary of Police, Blanchet, presented himself at the house inhabited by General de Lamoricicre, Hue Las Cases, No. 11, the concierge refused to give a light or to indicate the apartment of the General. The Commissary of Police rang at the apartment of the first story ; a domestic appeared, and suddenly closed the door again. Fie thought better <& 'it, am) returned holding a lamp in his hanuffand perceiving the scarf of the commissary suddenly blew out his light and fled to a secret staircase, crying out, " Thieves !" He was arrested by sergens de ville. and placed in . the street before the hotel. He then became resigned, and guided the commissary to the chamber of his master. At first the General did not say a single word; then he cast his eyes towards the chimney-piece, and asked his servant what had become of the money which he had laid there ? Thelatt.r having answered that it was safe, the General called for his clothes and dressed himself. The commissary said to him, " Sir, the observation you have just made is offensive and painful to me." "How do I know," replied the General, "' that you are not robbers ?" At these words the commissary showed him his scarf. The General kept silence. M. Blanchet said to him, " General, I have received from the Prefect of Police orders to treat you with all possible respect. It is therefore my wish to show you all imaginable indulgence, and if you give me your word of honour that you will not try to make your escape I will make it my duty to put yon in a brougham, where you will have only me for your guard." "I give you nothing, I will answer for nothing, do with me what you will." He was then made to enter a. hackney-coach with policemen. The General put his head out of window, and wanted to harangue the troops. The commissary did not give him time to utter a word, and warned him that he should be obliged to treat him with rigour if he made a fresh attempt. The General answered, " Do y.*hat you please." On his arrival at the prison "Mazas, the General showed himself much calmer. He begged the commissary not to seiz# his costly arms, and to send him some cigars, with *' the History of the French Revolution." The commissary complied with his request. " General Bedeau inhabited, in Rue de l'.Universite, No. 50, a large house with several staircases. The Commissary Hubaut, jun., did not know which conducted to the apartment of the General, or on what floor this apartment was situated. It was necessary to deal adroitly with the concierge. The Commissary entered alone. The concierge refused to indicate his lodging, and said, '• I have never seen you visit the General; in. these times people who prowl about at night are to be distrusted." He ended by yielding, and guided the commissary. The servant answered the door, which he partly opened. The commissary thrust it open and advanced. The servant fled, frightened ; the commissary followed him, reached the general, and showed him his warrant. The General was in consternation. Soon, however, recovering from his surprise, he protested against it, exclaimed that it was a violation of the constitution, and said to the commissary, " You have exceeded the law; you must not forget that I am a representative of the people—Vice-President of the assembly. You cannot arrest me, since you do not find me in flagrante delicto." He then protested that he had not conspired, and demanded the name of the commissary. He said that he had seen him favourably spoken of in the journals; that it astonished him very much that he could arrest ©sneral Bedeau, the Vice-President of the as- -*■ senibly; the soldier who had shed his blood for the ca'usfe of order; he who cared not for his life, and who could, if he had so desired, have overthyj-Vyvn some parties. The commissary rehe had no comment to make on his warrant, but only to execute it; that if the General had any intention of staking his life, he also was decided to sacrifice his in the accomplishment of his duty: that he must submit without violence, or otherwise he would be compelled to use force. He ordered the General to rise. The Genera] dressed with decided slowness. At the moment of setting out, the countenance of the General became sombre, and exhibited great anger. He leant against the chimney piece, and said, "I won't go. I will only go if you take me as a criminal—unless you

force me out of my house—unless you dare to take me by the collar—me, the Vice-President of the National Assembly." The commissary said to him, *• Remember that I have conducted myself in every respect with* courtesy towards you." •' Yes Sir," said the General. The Commissary then seized him. The General made the most determined resistance. He was carried to the carriage, crying, " Treason ! To arms ! lam the Vice-President of the assembly, and they arrest me." All was in vain; the carriage set out, and the Sergens de ville followed it.

When the commissary of Police, Huhaut, entered the bed chamber of M. Thiers, in the Place St. Georges, M. Thiers was sound asleep. The commissary withdrew the curtains, woke M. Thiers, and signified to him his functions and warrant. M. Thiers sat up hastily, rubbed his eyes, and said, "On what account?" "1 am come to make a search at your house; but do not be alarmed; no harm will be done to you ; your life is in no danger." This hist assurance appeared necessary, for M. 'Thiers was in great consternation. " But what do you intend to do? Do you know that lam a representative?" "Yes, but I cannot enter into any discussion on this point; I must execute my orders." " But what you do may bring you to the scaffold." " Nothing shall prevent the fulfilment of my duty." " But it is a coup d'etat that you are making." " I cannot answer your observations; I pray you to get up." "Do you know if I am the only one in the same predicament, are any of my colleagues in the same case?" "I do not know, Sir." M. Thiers got up, and slowly dressed himself, refusing the services of the agents of police. He all at once said to the commissary, " But, Sir, suppose I should blow out your brains ?" "I do not think you would be guilty of such an act, M. Thiers, but in any case I have taken my measures, and I know how to prevent you." *' But do you know the law? Do you know you violate the constitution ?" "It is not my business to enter into any discussion with you : and, besides, you are much better informed than I. I can only execute the orders which are given, and as I should have executed yours when you were Minister of the Interior." A search made in the chamber of M. Thiers did not lead to the discovery of any political correspondence. M. Thiers replied that he had his political correspondence addressed for some time in England, and that nothing would be found at his house. On being requested to descend and leave the house, M. Thiers was much affected, appeared alarmed, and was full of hesitation in his movements. He was led to believe that he was about to be conducted to the Prefect of Police. The direction taken by the carriage augmented his apprehensions, and he endeavoured e*i route by every sort of captious and subtle reasoning to turn the agents of police from the accomplishment of their duties. On his arrival at the prison of Mazas, M. Thiers asked if he could have his coffee, as was his custom. Every attention was shown him- His courage, it must be confessed, entirely abandoned him in prison.

"At the same time that the representatives were arrested in their beds, and without the least difficulty, the most dangerous chiefs of tlie secret societies and of the barricades weie arrested. This kind of arrest has been pursued without intermission, and has already given the greatest results.

" Although essentially delicate in its nature, the missiou confided to the army could not leave any doubt either in the President of the Republic or the Minister of War. It was only at half-past three in the morning, three hours before the moment fixed for the General Magnan, Commander-in-Chief of the army of Paris, was summoned to the Minister of War, and received from him at the same time the explanation of the measures to he taken, and the orders necessary to execute them. General Magnan had already received notice of this eventuality, aud he only asked to be informed of the moment when it should be necessary to mount his horse. There is so much discipline in the army of Paris, that each regiment was at its post at the moment indicated. ** All these measures had been executed so promptly and so simultaneously, with so much precision and so quietly, that Paris, stupified, rose on the 2nd of December to find an immense and irresistible fact accomplished. After the first surprise the population sought after the news, and crowded round the placards, which numerous agents posted on the walls."

UNITED STATES. Papers have been received at Sydney from the States to the 3rd of January:— The Kossuth mania was raging most furiously. The constant calls upon him for oratory had had the effect of injuring the great Magyar's powers of speech. He had literally talked himself hoarse. Deputations from mercantile establishments, clubs, and private persons, were tendering large sums of money for the assistance of Hungary.

The news consists almost wholly of a detail of his triumphant reception by the citizens of New York. A procession, including twelve regiments of militia, the carriages of the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor of the State, of the Senators and the Representatives in Congress and in the State Legislature, of officers of the army and navy, and of a committee of all the officials of New York, met him as he came from Staten Island, and conducted him into the city. -'At two o'clock," says the JVeiv York Herald, " there were probably not less than 250,000 in and near the Broadway." The populace were wild with excitement, and it is stated that many were hurt seriously in their endeavours to gain a sight.

The excitement, however, does not appear to have been wholly of a sympathetic character. "Justice compels me," says one very hearty admirer, "to admit that there is, for some cause or other, a strong undercurrent against Kossuth. It is imputed to his manners, his reserve, the influence of the Romish priests." It appears that his reply to the address of the Mayor of New York was made inaudible by antagonistic interruptions, and had to be supplied by his secretary.

The portions of his oratory specially interesting to the English reader, are those touching European politics.

He denned the practical object of his mission by an historical reference to the reception which their fathers gave to Lafayette. " Lafayette had great claims: he was the link of your friendly connexion with France—a. connexion the result of which were two French fleets of more than thirty-eight men of war; three thousand gallant men, who fought side by side with you against Cornwallis, before York town ; the precious gift of twenty-four thousand muskets, a loan of nineteen millions of dollars : and even the preliminary treaties of your glorious peace, negotiated at Paris by your immortal Franklin. I hope the people of the United States, now itself in the happy condition to aid those who are in need of aid, as itself was once in need, will kindly remember these facts : and you citizens of New York, you will yourselves become the Lafayettes of Hungary." But Kossuth comes only with the claims which the unfortunate possess on the sympathies of the happy, which the oppressed have for the sympathy and aid of the free. If these claims were insufficient, tell him so at once. Let' Europe know at once that she must fight the battle of Leonidas alone; trusting only to God, her right, and her good sword ; that there is no other help for oppressed nations on earth.

In a preceding portion of his speech, he had spoken in a more jubilant tone. *' Even this morning I was honoured, by the express order of the Government, by an official salute from the batteries of the United Suites, in a manner in which, according to the military rules, only a public high official capacity can be greeted." He made several sarcastic references to M. Hulsemann, the representative of Austria, at Washington. That gentleman might frown, and threaten to he off, but he would not be so willing to quit Washington. He had exceedingly well digested the caustic diplomatic pills already so gloriously administered to him by Mr. Daniel 'Webster. But alter all, if he did pack off, what would the sovereign people of the United States suffer or euro ? " It will not care a hit if Mr. Htiisemann take his passports to-morrow: bon voyage to him. He concluded by begging a few days' rest for calm reflection, to become acquainted with the ground on which he stood. To a deputation from the city of Philadelphia, requesting him to visit them, he gave an answer that threw a shadow over his relations with the Washington Cabinet. Some passage in the proceedings of Congress, which is not clearly reported, caused him to make the following observation. A resolution to bid him welcome in the Con-o-ress—" simply to bid him welcome"—had been

withdrawn, on account of expected opposition. Had he expected that, he might not have come from Europe at all, " His movements are now embarrassed ;" whether he could go beyond New York he could not yet say ; " he would not wish to intrude."

Mr. Clay's illness continued. The affair of the Prometheus was likely to lead to some unpleasant consequences between Great Britain and America; the following is the origin of the affair :—

" The steamer Prometheus, of Vanderbilt's line, arrived at Greytown in November last, and after receiving on board a large number of passengers for California, by the Nicaragua route, prepared to depart. While in the act of getting off, a bill was presented her captain from the authorities on shore, (of which Her B. M. Consul Green is head and front), for one hundred and fifty dollars, claimed as port charges. This the captain of the P. refused to pay, and an order was sent for his arrest. He disregarded the order, and immediately began to work out of the harbour, when her B. M. brig, Express, whose anchor had been hove short, as if in expectation of the course pursued by the captain of the Prometheus, loosened her topsails and got under weigh, standing out so as to intercept the Prometheus. The decks of the P. were crowded with passengers, whose first intimation of the intentions of the war vessel in steeriug after them, was received by a discharge from one of her ports. This summary method of reminding them that other port charges were behind, doubtless had its effect in councilling the return of the vessel to port, although it is said that Mr. Vanderbilt, who was on board at the time, declared his wish to be to put the Prometheus about, and run into the bullyiug Englishman. It was at first stated that the Express levelled her guns upon the Prometheus, but it is probable that she intended to throw a shot across her fore foot only. Four guns were fired, the shot striking ahead and astern of the steamer. The Prometheus then returned to her wharf. A boat was sent aboard the Express to demand the cause of the outrage, and the reply returned by the English captain that he meant to bring the steamer to, and that his next discharge would have been of canister and grape ! The captain of the Prometheus paid the port charges under protest, and after being detained several hours, was permitted to depart." Instructions have been given by the American President to Commodore Parker to repair to the harbour of San Juan, and protect all merchant vessels from such surveillance in future, which he is to notify to the British officers on his arrival. This looks ominous. SYDNEY. We have via Wellington, Sydney journals to the 17th uk., being a week biter than our previous advices. No later intelligence from Europe than that given in our last number had reached Sydney. The Papers are almost exclusively devoted to extracts from the English journals respecting the French Revolution. Nothing new has transpired in the auriferous Regions which are reaping an average amount of gold. His Excellency, the Governor General, has been on a tour "of inspection to them, and appears to have been received by the miners with great eclat, addresses of congratulation on his arrival and corresponsive replies being the order of the day. On the 14th and 15th April, a meeting of the Clergy of the Diocese of Sydney was held in the school room of St: Andrew's"Cathedral, to consider the necessary measures to be taken for obtaining a church constitution, and also for the purpose of deciding upon the proposal to admit the laity into the deliberations of the church. Tiie meeting was presided over by the Bishop, and was attended by thirty clergymen, a considerable number of laymen being- also present. The Bishop read a lengthy address which fills eight closely printed columns of the Empire. The non-receipt of either the herald or Empire of the Kith, prevents our giving the results of the meeting which had been adjourned to the 15th. We learn, however, from the Wellington Spectator that as far as can he gathered from the proceedings published in the Sydney Herald the desire appears to be nearly unanimous in favour of a Church Constitution in which the laity, as was observed by the Bishop, should " in an elective convention undertake, in conjunction with the Bishop and clergy, that superinttiiileuce of the ordinary

and current affairs of the Church as to its internal management, which the force of circumstances no longer suffers the Sovereign, as head of the Church, to administer." A good deal of discussion arose on the question whether the clergy and laity should deliberate apart or together,—whether they should meet together in one chamber or separately in two, —but it was ultimately decided by a considerable majority that " the two orders should meet and deliberate together, reserving to each order the right of discussing any question that may come before them, the concurrence of each order being necessary to give validity to any act." Some discussion also took place on the veto to be exercised by the Bishop on the proceedings of the convention. A Memorial to the Queen was adopted by the Meeting praying for the removal of the disabilities complained of, and for the power of assembling the clergy and laity together for the better ordering of'the affairs of the Church within the diocese.