EUROPEAN NEWS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 656, 15 November 1851, Page 3

EUROPEAN NEWS.

(From the San Franeisco Evening Picayune, September 9). England. The news from Great Britain, brought out by the last mail, is not important. The Great Exhibition still continues to absorb a great portion of the public interest, which is at present being somewhat aroused by the discussion of the propriety of removing or

preserving the Crystal Palace after the World’s Fair has been dosed.

In Parliament, nothing of any importance was being done, although the donble defeat of the Ministry in one day was somewhat talked of, and excited the ridicule of the opposition. The first defeat was on the motion of Sir Robert Grosvenor for leave to bring in a bill for the relief of attorneys, in the abolishment of the duty charged annually upon the practice of their profession. The Chancellor of ihe Exchequer opposed the motion strenuously, but it was carried by a vote of 165 to 132. Hardly had the hisses occasioned by this signal defeat subsided, when Mr. Berkeley renewed his motion for relieving voters by the use of the ballot ; this the Government also opposed, but without much vigour, trusting to the apathy of the house. To their surprise, however, it was carried by a vote of 87 to 50. No difficulty was anticipated from these defeats, as it was generally considered that the Ministry were ..used to them. The official returns of the amount of the quarterly revenue shows a dectease of 5. 95,354. The decrease is on the Customs, Taxes, Properly and Crown Taxes, amounting in all to £233,649, a large portion of which, however, is made up by the increase (£134,352,) on the Excise and Post Office. The returns for the year ending July sth, show a decrease in the revenue of £218,739. George Thompson, M.P., who has been for the last eight months lecturing on slavery in the United States, has returned to England, and expresses a desire to see his constituents for the purpose of explaining his position. FRANCE. The great topic of interest from France is M. de Tocqueville’s report on lhe revision of the constitution, a synopsis of which we gave yesterday. The bill which entails the renewal for another year of the act suppressing political clubs, was adopted by the Assembly on ihe 22nd of June. The minister of the Interior staling, however, that electoral meetings carried on in an orderly manner would in no manner be interfered with. The number of names attached to the petition having in view the prolongation of the power of the President would amount, it was supposed, to 200,000. Some very hard fighting had been done in Algeria, in which ihe French troops, beaded by General St. Arnaud, greatly distinguished themselves.

The President of the Republic left Paris on Sunday morning for Beauvais, to be present at the inauguration of the statute of Jeanne Hachette, the heroine of that town. x The reception of the President at Beauvais was exceedingly favourable. The National Guards of the town, and for fifteen leagues round, attended, and received him with enthusiastic cries of “Vive Napoleon.” At the dinner, lhe President, in answer to the speech of the Mayor, avoided all allusion to political matters. The report cf M. de Tocqueville, on the revision of the Constitution has been printed for the use of the members of the committee. The Constitutionnel says of the report: “ Notwithstanding lhe secresy enjoined, it has transpired that the report, which is drawn up with sufficient tact in the republic sense, was approved of as a whole by the half-republi-ctn, half-mom rclia' majority of the committee; but that nevertheless, it would give rise to violent attacks in certain passages, where, it being taken for granted that the revision is not adopted by three-four hs of the votes, the doctrine of the respect due to the letter of the Constitution appea rs to bo pushed to excessive consequences.” On Tuesday, after the reading of M. de Tocqueville’s report. M. de Melon read his report on the petition addressed to the Assembly on the same subject. In this latter report the inferior authorities are blamed for the part they took in getting up the petitions, but it is admitted that, on the part of the Minister of the Interior, nothing was done which can be considered illegal or an abuse of power. The debate on the revision of the Constitution is fixed for the 14th instant. Thirty members have inscribed their names as intending to speak in favour of the revision, the most important of whom are M.M. de Falloux, OdiHon Barrott, de Broglie, de Melun, de Bauchart, de Montalembert, de Kerdrel, de Riancy, &c. Twenty-five members have inscribed their names to speak against the measure, among whom are MM. de Mornay, P. Duprat, Charras, Leo de la Borde, Jules Favre. Creton, Genera! Ca= vaignac, Desmousseaux de Givre, and GeiJ. Fabvier. The papers make few remarks upon M. de Tocqueville s report, but the impression which it has made, is, upon the whole, favouris&S'i -I In the Legislative Assembly, on Wednesday, the discussion un the bill to encourage

the French cod and whale fisheries, was continued. It proposes to grant premiums both for tonnage of vessels, and for the take of the fish, when the crews of the French vessels engaged in the business shall consist of not less than two-thirds French subjects at least.

The bill was declared to be read a second time.

The trade of Paris had improved, a great number of foreigners having arrived from London, and made extensive purchases. Accounts are also favourable from the provinces. It is felt that the Great Exhibition had made buyers more difficult to please. They must have ornament, nothing plain will do. From Lyons the reports are satisfactory, even in the absence of foreign orders. The fair at Bocair will open with good prospects. The rise in wheat has been maintained, but it sells slowly. The disease is not general, and the improved state of the weather gives great hopes. Although silk is becoming, scarce, the price has not risen in the markets of the south. A plentiful vintage is expected. The new duty on spirits from beet-root and potatoes has caused a rise ■in brandy.