fforrigtt attb FRANCE. — One of those " scenes" which have of

late become compara- tively rare in the French Assembly occurred on Monday, upon the discus- sion of the articles of the budget. M. Passy, the Minister of Finance, having proposed an additional paragraph, authorizing the payment of the expenses incurred by the President of the Republic for receptions and other such matters,—also for the payment of the temporary employes of the department of Finance,—M. Dezeimeris rose, in the midst of " agitation" and " exclamations on the Left," to demand information: " Was this credit an increase of salary? The Assembly knew nothing of such expenses." Passy replied, that the proposal was in strict accordance with the re- port on the Constitution, drawn up by M. Marred. There were two spe- cial provisions; one of 600,000 francs a year for salary, and another of 50,000 francs a month as expenses of receptions, &c. Both sums had been set down in the budget drawn up by the late Finance Minister and coun- tersigned by General Cavaignac. It was a question of high propriety—(" No, no!")—yes, of the very highest propriety, that the President of the Republic should be in a position to worthily represent the dignity of the Republic. (" Oh, oh! ") It was, he maintained, for the dignity of the Republis- h. Robert—" Say of the Monarchy." (Agitation.)

M. Devine (from his place)—" You were Minister under the Monarchy, as you are under the Republic.* Another Voice—" This is again a question of dotation which you are bringing forward." [It was M. Passy who formerly brought forward the dotation question.) M. Passy—" The report of the Committee has guided the Government in what it has done."

The President—" Certainly, the views of the Committee were those stated by the honourable Minister."

The Minister of Finance—" My predecessor was precisely of the same opinion as I am about this question." M. Deville—"He was wrong; he was wrong !" The Minister of Finance—" General Cavaignac also looked at it in the same light."

M. Deville—" He also was wrong." (Loud interruption.) The President—" This is really intolerable. These frequent interruptions can- not be permitted. M. Deville, I call you to order." (Agitation.)

M. Deville—" How is it possible to remain quiet when such things are said." The President—" I again call you to order.' After much more squabbling of this sort, "la cloture" was demanded; and the additional sum for expenses of reception was voted, by 418 to 34h A private letter characterizes the present state of Paris-

" Everything is quiet, thank Heaven! but the commercial world is at a very low ebb. You have no idea of the quantity of soldiers here: I am sure that on an average every fifth man you see wears a uniform. The President is very po- pular so far. He shows himself as much as he can, and is always greeted by the most enthusiastic cheering. However, I once heard them shout in one day for five different forms of government: this is mere nervousness. The great po- litical interest is the trial at Bourges of the prisoners of Vinced8es. People are half afraid till it is over; but I think there is no danger now: every one is sick of Republics, be they Red,' or Socisle,' or even Tricolor.' Fashion is very poor this year: the leading houses have not even taken the trouble to get auything new, for fear of losing ; and all the éclat is reserved for the coming'exposition de l'industrie: "I must tell you of a fanny incident that happened a few nights ago at the Gymnase Theatre. It was the first representation of Les Grenouilles qui de- mandent un Rai; and after some couplets, of coarse against the actual state of things, one of them wound up with— 'Le met quo la France gagna

Est epldemlque Fla qu'les Romains clennent d'attra- per is Republic!'

It was loudly applauded, with some few exceptions. Amidst the cries of 'Non, non !' a gentleman in the balcon rose up, and with the greatest sang froid said, 'Main pourquoi pas? Y anrait-il, par hasard, des Repnblicains ici ? ' This sally was received by one roar of laughter, and the song was bis-ed' with great suc- cess. This has made the fortune of a very poor piece, and nobody talks of any- thing else. In fact, the great aim now seems to be, how to abuse the Republic most."

ITALY.—Advices from Naples, to the 6th instant, bring the unexpected news that the King has conceded a constitution for Sicily, as liberal as the English and French Admirals desired; and that both those officers had de- parted for Palermo with their whole fleets, for the purpose of inducing the Sicilians to return to their allegiance.. Some difficulty was raised by the latter respecting the armistice, from the operation of which he desired to exclude thirty-two of the leading insurgents; but the point was at last surrendered, with circumstances of personal compliment to the Admirals. "I will give you a proof of my confidence," said the King, according to the Naples correspondent of the Times: "I have no desire to persecute any of my subjects. Take this list; look well over those names; I place them altogether in your hands. Let them remain in the island, or depart from it for a short time, as you think proper. You alone are masters of their destiny." The Times has published the " Statute of the Constitution"; "the basis of which is the constitution of 1812, with the exception of those modifica- tions demanded by the change of circumstances and by the laws now in existence." It calls the Sicilians to return to their peaceful fields, and "re- store to the land of Ceres, by the force of your constant toil, its former fertility, which Divine Providence always yields to man as a recompense for the labour that it prescribes to him."

The following are the provisions of leading interest—

"Sicily, continuing to make an integral part of the united kingdom of the Two Sicilies, shall be governed by a Constitutional Monarchy. "When the King does not reside in Sicily, he shall be represented there by a Viceroy, with such attributes and such power as shall be determined by his Ma- jesty.

"There shall be in Sicily a sufficient number of Ministers; among whom shall be divided the departments of Grace and Justice, Interior, Finance, Public Works, Agriculture and Commerce, Ecclesiastical Affairs, Public Instruction, and Police. The Constitution reserving to the King the disposition of the Army and Navy, and the supreme direction of foreign relations, there shall be only one Minister of War and Marine, and one Minister of Foreign Affairs, for the whole Monarchy, who shall both reside near the King. Military and international questions which present themselves shall be considered by a delegation from the King, either through the Viceroy or through one of his Ministers.

"There shall reside, moreover, near the King, a Minister for the affairs of Sicily. "Ministers shall be responsible. "The King cannot grant a pardon to a Minister who is condemned, except on the explicit requisition of one of the two Legislative Chambers. "Every promiscuous arrangement of functions between Naples and Shay having ceased, the Ministers, the public functionaries, and all persons who are charged with any administrative power, shall be Sicilians, and all public benefices and ecclesiastical dignities which from henceforth are to be provided for shall be conferred on Sicilians alone.

" The budget shall be entirely separated." The Parliament is to consist., like that of 1812, of two Chambers—one of Peers, the other of Commons: and if a dissolution take place, the Parliament must be -convened again within the year. The Peers shall be named by the King, for life; their numbers unlimited.

The Parliament has the right to impose new taxes of every kind, and to alter those which are established.

In Naples itself, the two Chambers and the Cabinet are so much at va- riance, that the latter has represented to the King the impossibility of con- tinuing the Government without a dissolution and new elections; and the King, it is said, accedes.

AUSTEtTA.—The National Assembly of Austria at Kremsier has been cut short in its slow career, and the Emperor Francis Joseph has issued a

• constitution proprio mote. These changes are effected by a series of public documents issued early this month.

The first is an Imperial decree, dated at Olmiitz on the 4th March, signed by the Emperor and countersigned by his Ministers. It states the reasons for the measures now taken. It describes "the poverty which threatens the land once so blessed," the civil war in Hungary, and the dis- orders in other parts—" the sad fruits not of liberty but of its abuse." "Oar duty and our will is to check this abuse and end the revolution." The Assembly had been suffered to proceed with its work in the hope that it would bring its labours to a successful issue, but in vain—

"We regret to find that our expectations have not been realized. After many months' discussion, the constitutional work is uncompleted. Theoretical dis- quisitions, which are not only in antagonism with the existing relations of the monarchy, but oppose the establishment of a settled and regular system of laws in the state, have prevented the return of peace, confidence, and the reign of order; occasioning dark apprehensions to the well-minded citizens, and furnishing the revolutionary party, lately subdued in Vienna and still rearing its head in another part of the empire, with fresh courage and food for intrigue." The Emperor has therefore resolved to grant to the people such rights, liberties, and political institutions, as were promised by himself and the late Emperor—" a constitution embracing not merely those lands that are represented in Kremsier, but the whole empire." The Diet therefore is dissolved, and the constitution is proclaimed for "the united and indivisible empire of Austria."

"The unity of the whole, combined with the independence and free develop- ment of its separate parts; the appointment of a strong power, for preserving order and the authority,of the law in the whole empire, made reconcilable with the liberty of the individual, the communities, and the provinces of our realm and their differ- ent nationalities; the foundation of a powerful administration, which, far from a narrow centralization on the one hand, or a too self-dissolving subdivision on the other, shall afford the noble resources of the country ample scope for exercise, and be the warrant for peace at home and abroad; the creation of an economical state household, relieving the burdens of the citizens as much as possible, guaran- teed by publicity; the complete and final adjustment of state burdens in ex- change for a fair compensation, through the medium of the state; the security for genuine liberty through the law ;—these are the principles which guide us in framing and publishing the present constitution."

The second Imperial decree, also dated at Oh:Diaz on the 4th March, and countersigned by the Ministers, runs as follows-

" We, Francis Joseph the First, by the grace of God Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, ace., "Proclaim, for certain dependencies and Crown lands of the Austrian empire—viz. for the archdutchy of Austria on either bank of the Enna; for the dutchies of Salzburg and Styria ; for the kingdom of Illyria, that is to say for the dutchies of Karinthia and grain, the princely counties of Giirz and ()radiate, the margravate of Istria and the -city of Trieste, with the territories appertaining thereunto ; for the counties of Tyrol and Voralberg ; for the kingdom of Bohemia; • for the margravate of Moravia ; for the dutchies of Upper and Lower Silesia; fbr the kingdom of Gallicia and Lodomeria, with the dutchies of Auschwitz and Zator, and the grand dutchy of Cracow ; for the dutchy of Bukowina ; and lastly, for the kingdom of Dalmatia—in recognition and for the pro- tection or the political rights, guaranteed to the inhabitants of these countries by the constitutional form of state which we have accepted, we decree as follows : "Section I. The full enjoyment of political liberty, and the right of domestic exer- else of the religious confession, are guaranteed to every one. The enjoyment of civil and political rights is independent of the religious confession, but that religious confes- sion shall not be allowed to interfere with the political duties of the citizens.

"Section 2. Every church and religious society, if recognized by law, has the right of a common public exercise of its religion ; It has the independent care for, and ar- rangement of, its own affairs ; it remains in the possession and enjoyment of Its institu- tions, legacies, and funds, devoted to objects of worship, instruction, and charity; but, as every other company and association, it remains subject to the general laws of the state.

"Section 3. Science and scientific Instruction are free. Every citizen of the state is entitled to found or conduct institutions for instruction and education, after having given satisfactory proofs of his competency. Domestic Instruction is not subject to this limitation.

"Section 4. The general education of the people Is to be provided for by public insti- tutions; and in parts of the country which are inhabited by a mixed population, it will be provided for In such a manner, that the tribes which form the minority shall likewise .enjoy the necessary means for the culture of their language and for their education in the same. The instruction in religion in the national schools is to be taken care of by the respective churches or religious associations. The State has the supreme control over the affairs of instruction and education.

"Section 5. Everybody has the right of a free expression of his opinion, by words, by writing, by print, and by drawings or paintings. The press is not allowed to be put tinder a censorship. Repressive laws shall be published agaInse the abuses of the press.

"Section 6. The right of petitioning belongs to everybody. Petitions under a joint name shall not be made, unless it be by authorities or legally recognized associations.

"Section 7. Austrian citizens have the right to assemble and to form associations, if the end, or the means and the manner of the association, are not opposed to the law or -dangerous to the state. The law will limit the execution of this right, as well as the -conditions under which the rights of associations or corporations may be acquired, ex- ercised, and lost.

"Section 8. Individual liberty is guaranteed. The arrest of a person, with the ex- ception of a seizure inflagrante, shall not take place unless it be on the strength of a judicial warrant, in which the motives and reasons of the arrest are stated. This war- rant is to be shown to the arrested person either at the time of the arrest or within twenty-four hours after it has taken place.

" Section 9. The police are bound to liberate persons whom they have taken into custody, within forty-eight hours, or to deliver them into the hands of the judge of the district.

"Section 10. A man's domicile is inviolable. Domiciliary visits or the examination or seizure of papers is admissible only in the eases and under the forms provided by law.

" Section IL The secrecy of correspondence shall not be violated, and the letters shall not be seized unless in time of war, or on the strength of &judicial warrant.

"Section 12. In the case of a war, or of disturbances in the interior of the country, the provisions of the paragraphs S to 11 inclusive admit of a temporary and local sus- pension. Further particulars in this respect shall be provided by law.

"Section 13. Our Council of Ministers Is instructed to make draughts of provisional decrees for the execution of these paragraphs, and to submit the suns to our sanction."

On the 6th instant, a "Ministerial declaration " rendered all servants of the state strictly and personally responsible for their acts in office, and in- culcated the energetic performance of their duties, on pain of being at once required to resign. Contemporaneously with this declaration appeared the Charter of Con- stitution itself; of which the following are the main features. All the countries of the empire, including those excluded from the operation of the first Imperial decree, are enumerated under the name of Crown-lands; and it is declared that " these Crown-lands form the free, independent, indivisible, and indissoluble constitutional Austrian hereditary monarchy." All tribes have an equality of rights, and each tribe has a right to foster its nationality and

language. The empire forms one single area for customs and com- merce. The Emperor swears to the constitution. His person is inviolable, and he is irresponsible. He has the supreme military command; decides on peace or war; regulates foreign relations; is the supreme executive; and has the prerogatives of justice and mercy, and of coinage. He cannot impose burdens by any foreign treaty. He appoints and dismisses Ministers ; and no law is of force without the countersignature of a responsible Minister. For all peoples of the empire there is but one citizenship: serfdom is abolished; "a slave becomes free by touching Austrian ground, or going on board an Austrian ship "• the right of settlement in any part of the empire is given to every citizen; and the right of emigration—circumscribed only with reference to the duty of taking military service: the judgments of each tribunal are binding on all; all citizens are equal before the law; all may own lands, and practise any trade which the law permits: dues, works, and payments now attached to land, may be paid oft

The Imperial Diet shall consist of two Houses, Upper and Lower; to be con- voked in the spring of each year.

The Upper House to be elected by the Provincial Diets, and to number half the Lower: each Diet shall send two of its own members, and supplementary mem- bers shall also be sent, elected by the Provincial Diets from among those citizens who pay 441: direct taxes. A deputy of the Upper House must have been an Austrian citizen at least five years, and be at least forty years old. The Lower House proceeds from general and direct election; each Deputy being a citizen not under the age of thirty years. The direct franchise is given to every citizen of age, and in full enjoyment of civil rights, and who either pays a cer- tain amount of direct taxes or has a personal qualification. The Deputies are to be at the rate of one to every 100,000 souls of population. In towns of 10,000 the amount of taxation to qualify an elector shall be five florins (9s.); in towns of more than 10,000 population not less than ten florins (18s.); but twenty florins shall be the maximum. Votes oral and public. The Upper House Deputies unpaid ; those of the Lower House " to receive an indemnification." No Deputies to receive instructions, or to vote by proxy. The Diet sittings public: its members cannot be made answerable for opinions pro- nounced in either House. No member of the Diet to be imprisoned or prosecuted without leave of his House, except when caughtflagrante deticto. The Diet legislates on Imperial questions; and also on the framing of laws re- garding civic right, penal affairs, and judicial proceedings. "In So far, however, as these exist in Hungary, Transylvania, Croatia, and Sclavonia, as well as in the Croatian coast-land and Fiume, for the branches of legislation just introduced, peculiar legal forms and institutions, differing from those of the other countries appertaining to the Crown of Hungary, the sphere of activity of the Provincial Diets of the above-named countries (appertaining to the Crown) will be main- tained for that portion of legislation. Nevertheless, it will be the mission of the Diets of those countries to subject to a revision the laws hitherto existing with respect to the branches named, in order that, as soon as possible, the laws through- out the empire may be brought to a desirable accordance. Until this take place, the Deputies of that country (belonging to the Crown) in which the laws differ, in the branches referred to, from those of other countries, will refrain from sharing hi the discussions thereupon in the Imperial Diet." The constitution of the kingdom of Hungary will be upheld only inasmuch as the provisions of that constitution are in accordance with those of this Imperial one; and a guarantee is given that the equal rights of all races and nation Ian- guages,in all the relations of public and domestic life, will be maintained by pro- per institutions. The Waywodeschaft of Servia will have such institutions foe the protection of the church and nationality guaranteed to it, as are based on old charters and recent Imperial declarations. The peculiar institutions of Croatia, Slavonia, its coast-land, and of the town of Fiume; with its territory, will be up- held in complete independence of the kingdom of Hungary, and within the bond of union (prescribed by this Imperial constitution) of those countries with the empire. The internal arrangement and constitution of Transylvania will be es- tablished by a new provincial statute, on the basis of complete independence of Hungary and equality of rights of all the nations inhabitating that country. A special statute will determine the constitution and relations of the Lombardo-Ve- netian kingdom.

The progress of the war is still obscure with indications favourable to the Magyar cause. The Prince of Windishgratz has returned to Pesth- it is said, slightly wounded; having at all events not driven his opponents across the Theiss, as he promised himself on setting out against them. le is a notable fact, that the Ministerial press of Vienna is violently attacking the Prince with ridicule at his failure in the field: one of these organs speaks without mincing the matter of the late Hunger:an victory.

GERMANY.—The question of an united Germany has suddenly assumed a new phase in Frankfort. Mr. Welcker takes the initiative. He is the leader of those thirty members of' the Right who hitherto stood out for Directory instead of an Emperor, in order to afford Austria some participa- tion in the Imperial Government. He has now abandoned this cherished opinion, and has given notice of a string of resolutions asserting that the Empire is in danger, and declaring that "the hereditary dignity of Em- peror of Germany, as determined in the revised code of constitution, shall be conferred on his Majesty the King of Prussia"; inviting "his Majesty the Emperor of Austria, as sovereign over the German-Austrian lands, and the kindred races inhabiting those lands, singly and collectively, to en- ter into the German Federal State"; solemnly and eternally protesting "against any and every right assumed by the Government of the German- Austrian lands, or by those lands themselves, to detach itself or them- selves from the German fatherland, and from the constitution resolved upon by its collective will."

"A tremendous sensation was occasioned in the Frankfort Assembly on the 12th instant when these resolutions were read"; for many minutes the proceedings of the House were suspended, and members conversed ani- matedly in groups. Welcker ascended the tribune, and supported the ur- gency of his motion. "1 wished," he said, "to be convinced before I went to extremes. Willingly will I give my political friends the glory of having seen further than I did; but they must allow me also to be proud of having delayed the rupture with Austria so long as it was consistent with the welfare of our fatherland to do so. We have waited till to wait longer would be a crime. (Great cheering.) Shall I sup- pose that you will wait and hesitate till the intrigues of Cabinets have grown too powerful for you? No; wait or yield we will not. We will stand up in one con- solidated body confronting foreign powers; and if the contest comes, Germany shall be victorious." (Immense cheering both from the Members and from the Strangers' Gallery.) An attempt was made to recur to the order of the day; but the excite- ment caused by Welcker:s motion was so great that the President was obliged to state that he would fix an early day for its discussion, (probably Thursday,) and forthwith adjourn the House. Pausers.—" There is no longer the least doubt," writes a Berlin corre- spondent of the Daily News, "that a note has been received here from St. Petersburg declaring the intention of the Czar to interfere in Germany on behalf of menaced sovereignty; and founding the right of interference on the treaties of 1815. The answer from Berlin to the Czar's note is, that the first ste2 of interference on the part of Russia will be the signal for a declaration of war on the part of Prussia. This answer is already on its way to St. Petersburg, and in about ten days we shall have the Russian reply —peace or war. Meanwhile, all the orders for the move- ments of the troops are ready drawn up and signed, and wait only the date to be issued for fulfilment. Armaments are forming on the most ex- tensive scale."

RUSSIA.-A Vienna paper gives an account of a grand review at St. Petersburg, where the Czar addressed 40,000 of his troops in the following style. "In the present aspect of affairs in Austria, I hold you bound to assist my friend the Emperor, should he stand in need of further aid." Loud rivals for the Emperor of Austria rent the air at the conclusion of this speech.

War INDIES.—The mail steam-ship Avon arrived at Southampton on Tuesday; but has brought no news of importance.

The Jamaica adviees extend to the 7th February. The House of As- sembly resumed its sitting after the Christmas recess on the 23d January. Measures of retrenchment had passed the House unanimously, and some of the bills had been sent to the Council for their concurrence. The reduc- tions on public salaries were to be on this progressive scale—salaries above 1001. and under 3001., 10 per cent; thence to 5004 15 per cent; thence to 1,0001., 20 per cent; thence to 2,000/., 25 per cent; thence upwards 33 per cent. The Council had been petitioned by Judges Stevenson and Mac- dougal against the Retrenchment Bills, which contemplated to reduce the salaries of these officials (2,0001. each) 331 per cents. There was a strong feeling throughout the island in support of the Assembly and in favour of its measures of retrenchment, which would save 14,837/. per annum; as the expenditure far exceeded the income, and the banks declined to take notes issued on the credit of the island.

The Demerara news reaches to the 5th January. The despatch an- nouncing Mr. Barkley's appointment as Governor had arrived, and been read to the Court of Policy by the Lieutenant-Governor. Mr. Rose and Mr. Davison opened a debate on the subject; their tone being one of regret that nothing appeared in the despatch to warrant the Court to alter its de- cision of July last which suspended the passing of a tax ordinance. Mr. Davison moved a resolution to this effect; which was fully discussed, and ultimately carried with only one dissentient voice—that of the Collector of Customs. The Chief Justice and the Attorney-General declined to vote. On this decision, the Lieutenant-Governor adjourned the Court sine die.

The commercial accounts from most of the islands are less gloomy. The crops in Jamaica, Demerara, and Barbados, promise well, and prices have somewhat risen generally; the labourers were working better at reduced wages; and it is stated that on the largest estates cultivation may be yield- ing a profit.