FRANCE.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 270, 22 May 1860, Page 3

FRANCE.

THE OPENING OF THE LEGIELATUBfc—THE SPEECH

OF THE EMPEROK.

The following is a translation of the speech delivered by the emperor on the opening of the Legislative Session of 1860, on March 1:«~ Messieurs les Senateurs, Messieurs les Deputes, On the opening of last session, relying on the patriotism of France, I endeavored to fortify; your minds in advance against the exaggerated-appre-hensioni of a probable Drar. T<H»y. I n»v* at heart to teaferare you against the anxiety caused by peace itself. That.peace I desire uncerely, and shall neglect nothing to maintain it. I have cily ty wn|u*l«|ftta jnywlf m my

friendly relations with all the powers of Europe. The only points of the globe where our arms are still engaged are in the extreme cast; but the courage of oiirsailors anfl Ofbw soldiers, aided by the'hearty assistance of Spain, will doubtless soon 'lead to a treaty, of peace with Cochin-China. As :regards China, a serious expedition, combined with the forces of Great Britain, will inflict on her the chastisement of her perfidy. , , , In Europe difficulties approach, as I trust, their termination, and Italy is on the eve ofconstituting herself free. Without referring to the long negociatibns which have been dragging along for so many months,,! shall confine myself to a few principal points. ; ~ The dominant idea of the Treaty of Villafranca was to obtain the almost complete independence of Venitia at the price of the restoration of the Archdukes. That transaction having failed,- despite my most earnest endeavours, I have expressed my regret thereat at Vienna as well as at Turin, for the situation by being prolonged threatened to lead to no isfue. While it was the object of frank explanations between my government and that o/Austria, it suggested to England, to Prussia, to Russia, measures the whole of which clearly prove on the part of the great powers their desire to obtain a reconciliation^ of all the interests.

To second these dispositions it was necessary for France to present that combination the adoption of which would hare the greatest chance of being accepted by Europe. Guaranteeing Italy by my army against foreign intervention, I had the right to assign the limits of that guarantee. Therefore I did not hesitate to declare to the King of Sardinia that, while leaving him full liberty of action, I could not follow m*m in a- policy which had the fault of appearing in the eyes of Europe a desire to absorb ill the State* of Italy, find which threa-'tnS^l-s&£BTOflagiiß^oi^^'^^cfiiniel.led-him toi'e"pljj favorably to the wishes of the provinces which should' offer themselves •to him, but to maintain the independence of Tuscany, and to respect in principle the rights of the Holy See. If this arrangement does not satisfy everybody, it has the advantage of reserving principles, of calming apprehensions, and makes Piedmont a kingdom of more than 9,0Q0;000 souls. • .■..: Looking; to thi3 transformation of Nortliern Italy, which gives to a powerful State air the passes of the Alps, it was my duty, for the security of our frontiersj to,claim the French slopes of the mountains. This reassertion of a claim to a territory of small extent has nothing in it of a nature to alarm Europe, and give a denial to the policy of disinterestedness which I have proclaimed more than once, for France does not wish to proceed to this aggrandisement, however small it may be, either by military occupation or by provoked insurrection, or by underhand manoevves, but by frankly explaining the question to the Great Powers. _ They will, doubtless, understand in their equity, as France would certainly understand it for each of them under similar ciicwn~ stances, that the important territorial rearrangemeht which is about to take place gives us a right to a guarantee indicated by nature herself. I cannot pass over in silence the emotion of a portion of the Catholic world; it has given way suddenly to such inconsiderate impressions, it has given itself up to such passionate alarms. The past which ought to be a guarantee for the future, has been.so much overlooked, the services rendered so much forgotten, that I needed a very deep conviction and confidence—an absolute confidence in public common sense, to establish in the minds of the^ agitations endeavoured to be excited that calm which alone maintains us in a proper path. Fact 3 speak loudly for themselves, For the last eleven years I have sustained alone at Rome the power of the Holy Father, without haviug ceased a single day to revere in him the sacred character of the chief of our religion* On another side the population of the Romagna, abandoned all at once to themselves, have experienced a natural excitement, and sought during the war to make common cause with us. Ought.l to forget them in making peace, and to hand them over for an indefinite time to the chances of a foreign occupation? My first efforts have been to reconcile them to their sovereign, and, not having succeeded, I have tried at least to uphold in the revolted provinces the principle of the temporal power of the Pope. \ After what has been said, you will see, if all is not yet over, how it is still permitted to hope for a speedy solution. The moment, seems, then, to have arrived to put an end to these anxieties, which have lasted too long, and to seek for the means of inaugurating with boldness a new era of peace in France. Already has the army been reduced by 150,000 men; and this reduction.would have been more considerable but for the Chinese war and the occupation of Rome and of Lombardy. My government will immediately present to you a series of measures, the object of which is to facilitate production, to increase, by affording the means of living cheaply, the prosperity of those who labor, and to multiply our commercial relations. The first step to be taken in this path was to fix the period for the suppression of those impassible barriers which, under the name of prohibitions, have shut out from our markets many productions of foreign, industry, and constrained other nations to adopt an annoying reciprocity with regard to us. But something still more difficult still impeded us. It was the little inclination for a commercial treaty with England. I have therefore taken resolutely upon myself the responsibility of this great measure. A very simple reflection proves its advantages for both countries. Neither the one nor the other assuredly would have failed within a few years to take, each in its own interest, the initiative of the measures proposed; but then the lowering of tariffs not being simultaneous, they would have taken place on one side and on the other without immediate compensation. The treaty has done nothing more, then, than to anticipate the period of salutary modifications, and to give to indispensible reforms the character of reciprocal concessions, destined to strengthen the alliance of two great peoples. In order that this treaty may produce its be3t effects I invoke your most energetic co-operation for the adoption of the laws which will facilitate its practical adoption. I call on your attention, before all things, to the means of internal communications, which by their development can alone permit us to compete with foreign industry; but, as periods of transition are always those of suffering, and as it is our duty to put a stop to the state of uncertainty so hurtful to our interests, I appeal to your patriotism for the prompt examination of the laws which will be submitted to you. By liberating raw materials from all duties and reduce those which weigh on articles of common consumption the resources of the Treasury will find themselves severally diminished; nevertheless, the receipts and disbursinents of the year 1861 will be balanced without any appeal to credits or a recourse to new taxes. In sketching out to you a faithful picture of our political and commercial position, I have wished to inspire you with full confidence in our future prosperity, and to associate you in the accomplishment of a~vvork fruitful in grjtt results. The protection of Providence, so manifestly on our side during the war, will not fail to a peaceful enterprise whose object is the improvement of the lot of the greatest nuinbeiv .Let' us continue, then, firmly ourpath to progress, without allowing ourselves to be arrested either by the menaces of selfishness, or by the clamours of parties, or by unjust suspicions. France menaces no one; she desires to develops in peace, in the plentitudo of her independence, those boundless resource which Heaven Jits given her, and she will not awaken gloomy susceptibilities, since out of the state of civilisation in which we are that, truth springs day by day with greater force which consoles and reassures humanity—that the more a state is rich'and prosperous the more she contributes to the riches and prosperity of others. The above speech 4id little to allay tha agitation cauied throughout Europe by the critic.! : posture of aflairs in Italy. In England, the statement which refers to the annexation, of ''the French, slopes of the Alps" called forth, n many quarters, aloud andindJgoarit protest, . i\ ■ .

SPAIN. TfllJ WAR WIIH MOftOCCO. The conditions of peace offered to the Moors: by the Spaniards were:•—l. That a port on the Atlantic coast shall be conceded to Spain for ever. 2. That .40 square leagues of conquered territory shall also be given up to her for the establishment of such military posts as she think fit. 3. That an indemnity of 500,000,000 reals (125,000,000fr.) shall be paid in^ the space of six years. < And, 4. That the Spaniardi shall occupy Tetuan, and the banks of the river from that town to the sealu'ntij the indemnity be paid. A Madrid letter, published■ th?'^following anecdote referring to the preparation^. the above conditions:~ •...;; ■■ • . ' : ■ ■>:■; '•,• '■■' ■; ■••■v The queeiii received with1 great'kindness; General Ustaxiz, bearer of the Moorish propositions of peace, put many que3tibns ..'to ,him, /and expressed her satisfaction at the progress of events. At the council/of ministers; which: was subsequently lield to take the propositions: into consideration her majesty is stated to have thus expressed herself,—" No doubt my heart strongly inclines to peace ; but I must take iuto aocount the sacrifices made by the country^ and the fact that justice is on our side in -this^ war..-; Our couditisns of peacemust ;besuohi as behave the right to expect; and if they are-noi acceptedi me must continue the war with new vigforV'j The terms offered to them proyedioio1, exorbitant for the Moors, r and;were j'ejeotedj; .The war proceeded, but withput a tho, ocourifence of any incident of importance till^March 1%; when a Moorish messenger arrived at y ther Sgani^h camp and delivered a letter from the Eulp:eror ; ©f Morocco toi Marshal O'DonnslU eipressiog his desire for peace, and requesting the marihal to facilitate an arrangement advantageoui to both nations. Marshal O'Donnel!, consented to negotiate, but declared that he would not suspend his operations. This is our latest newflt