,furtigu nuh tutunifil.

FTIAIWZB...-The Emperor's managers in the Senate met with great ap- parent opposition in passing the Se,natUs-consultum modifying the con- stitution promulgated soon after the coup d' 'kat of the 2d December 1851, the principal articles of which we have several times described. It is stated that the articles empowering the Emperor to make and revoke commercial treaties, and to modify the constitution of the Senate at his pleasure, passed by only slight majorities ; and that among the hostile Senators, were hi. Charles Dupin, M. Segur d'Aguesseau, M. Boulay (de la Meurthe), Count d'Argout, the Marquis d'Audiffret, General de la Hate, General Baragney d'Hilliers, and M. Ernest de Girardiu. The article limiting the vote of the Legislative Corps to the bare acceptance Or rejection of the budget by totals also passed by a small majority. During this discussion, and subsequently, the Emperor was hunting at Compiegne. Alarming reports daily reached Paris, of horrible accidents which had happened to him and his courtiers. But they turned out to be false; and, though suffering from a "slight indisposition," Louis Napo- leen returned to Paris late on Tuesday. The Senators had been sum- moned for two o'clock on that day, to receive a communication from the Government,. This proved to be a simple Imperial donee closing the Se- nate, and convoking it for the 14th February 1853. Next day the Em- peror presided at a Council of hliaisters; and in the evening he appeared at the opera. The credentials of the Envoys from the Northern Courts have not been presented. It is understood that the French Foreign Minister hesitates to receive any recognition which does not salute Louis Napoleon as "Monsieur mon frere," and append the figure " III " to the name of Napoleon- It is even said that missives locking these essentials have been returned to the Northern Powers, for "further consideration." The Monoteur of Wednesday contains an article approving of the late meeting of the Emperor of Austda and the Kin g of Prussia, end look- ing upon it not as menacing to France but a guarantee of peace. The same journal also conspicuously printed the following letter, dated Vienna, December 24- I' The Emperor has just given orders for a considerable reduction in the effective of the Austrian army. The reduction is not only to be applied to the infantry, but also to the cavalry and the artillery ; the horses of the dismissed soldiers to be sold. It is chiefly in the army of Italy that the reduction is to take place."

Lord and Lady Cowley, who attended the Imperial Court to Com- piegne, returned with it on Tuesday.

STATIC—Queen Isabella received General Aupick, the French Ambas- sador, on Thursday seunight, to present his new credentials. She replied to the Ambassador's address, that she was pleased to consider " the Em- peror as the best fitted to maintain and to heighten the friendly relations subsisting between France and Spain."

Although it is reported that the hicelerados are in friendly communica- tion with the Government, and that they are disposed to follow a policy of conciliation, still a demand of Narvaez to be allowed to return to Spain has been rejected at a Council of Ministers.

PMDSIONT.—The Civil Marriage Bill was withdrawn by the Cavour Cabinet on the 22d December. There are sonic curious circumstances at- tending this. As the bill stood, when M. d'Azeglio first brought it into the Chamber of Deputies, it provided that the performance of the religious ceremony in a marriage should be optional. But the Senate quite altered the character of the measure, by depriving the marriage of two Catholics of all validity unless it were solemnized by the Church. Although this amendment was carried on the 20th December, by a majority of only one, on the 22d the Ministers withdrew the bill. On the 20th a letter from the Pope to King Emanuel, strongly adverse to the bill, was pub- lished; and on the 21st a letter from Franzoni, the deposed Archbishop of Turin, was first read in the churches and afterwards published, de- nouncing the bill, and predicting the most horrible consequences should it be adopted. Both Houses have, by large majorities, granted the sup- plies to the Cavour Ministry.

PRUSSIA.—Constitutional history has been curiously illustrated in Ber- lin. Many months ago, the old Upper Chamber ceased to exist, and no new one was provided for. But as an Upper Chamber was necessary, the Ministers convoked one on their own responsibility, to be elected under conditions devised by them. When it met, the other day, the first thing required of its members was the recognition of the legality of their ex- istence. This was readily acceded to ; but their next act shows what value they set upon constitutional privileges. By a majority of 75 to 13, they passed the new project of law enacting that Parliaments should be held at intervals of two years; and as a consequence, the budget will be estimated for the same period.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Estates, abolished in 1848, and the Council of State so long in abeyance, have been revived. This is reverting, not to the status quo ante 1848, but to the status quo ante 1847. It remains to be seen, however, whether the Lower Chamber will accept the biennial summoning of Parliament, and the biennial budget.

Ixres.—The papers brought by the last overland mail furnish intelli- gence from Rangoon to the 18th November. No further progress had been made. General Godwin was at Rangoon; and there was no sign indica- tive of a campaign, except the constant arrival of fresh troops. A small force of Burmese, scarcely outnumbering the British detachments in Pmme, was stationed at a short distance from that city. Four steamers, 1100 men, and two heavy guns, had been sent against Pegu. It is expected that the next move will be an advance on Ava by land and water : boats and small steamers are to be used in the latter service. The dilatory con- duct of General Godwin was generally censured by the Indian journals. The rumour that Pegu will be annexed was stronger than ever.

AUSTRALIA.—The clipper-ship Marco Polo arrived at Liverpool on Sunday, having made a remarkable passage from Melbourne in sixty- eight days ; the entire voyage out and home in five months and twenty- one days.

When the Marco Polo arrived at Melbourne, boats surrounded her, and their crews threw small nuggets of gold among the passengers. Her commander, Captain Forbes, had his crew imprisoned, and detained until the time for returning arrived, when the men were reembarkcd, and so brought her home.

The Victoria diggings yielded the great quantity of 366,193 ounces in the three weeks between the 3d and 26th September. Their total yield up to the latter date has been 2,898,615 ounces, valued at 70 shillings per ounce. The gross annual yield has been estimated at 14,560,000/. The number of diggers was calculated at over 70,000; and their average weekly gains are reckoned at an ounce per man. It is remarked that the yield of the gold-fields increases as the diggers increase, and that their fertility appears limitless. Emigrants were fast arriving at Melbourne in September : house-rent, the prices of provisions, and other things in pro- portion, was rising enormously. Land for building was selling at prices vastly greater than would have been given three years ago ; and fears of a famine are expressed by the journals.

The Legislative Council of New South Wales had rejected a motion postponing the Committee of Supply until December ; and had instead agreed to an amendment pledging the House not to pass the estimates of 1854 unless a favourable reply to the remonstrance of December 1851 be received from England, Meanwhile, a new constitution for the colony was in preparation by a select Committee of the Legislature. It is proposed that there shall be two Chambers,—a Legislative Assembly elected by the people, of not less than 72; and an Upper House or Senate, of not less than 21, appointed by the Crown, two-thirds of whom must be gentlemen who have been elected at any time to a seat in the Legislature : the revenues of the country to be controlled by the Lower House ; and the two Chambers to be styled the Parliament of New South Wales.

The Legislative Assembly of South Australia was opened on the let September, by Sir Henry Young. The estimated revenue for 1853 was 96,0001. ; the estimated expenditure 95,000/.

In Van Diemen's Land the Legislature had agreed to a memorial to the Queen expressing that they had no confidence in Sir William Denis' on. The ground alleged is this. Sir William had promised, in the name of the Imperial Government, that, in obedience to the frequently expressed wishes of the colonists, no more crinrinele alectekl etaupporte4 thither: but afterwards, in his reply to an address of the Legislative Council, voted on the 10th September, he used expressions which were re- garded as an announcement of his intention to oppose the efforts of the Council and the colonists to abolish a system destructive of their best in- terests. Therefore, they declare their want of confidence in Sir William Denison, and their belief that during his administration it will be impos- sible to preserve that harmony and good understanding which should exist between the Legislature and the Executive. [Sir William had declared his "firm conviction" that the discontinuance of transportation would "in no respect ameliorate the moral condition of the people of the colony." He had previously stated that the character of the prisoners remained un- changed, and that "their presence had a most injurious effect on the po- pulation, and created an evil which could not in any way admit of a monetary compensation.' "J

An address to the Lieutenant-Governor was afterwards agreed to, pray- Ting him to forward the memorial to the Secretary for the Colonies, for the purpose of being laid before the Queen.

UNITED STATES.—The Baltic arrived at Liverpool on Friday, and the Europa on Monday, bringing journals from New York to the 12th and 15th December respectively. The purely domestic intelligence brought by these steamers is ex- tremely scanty. Indeed, the only fact of interest is, that a resolution had been submitted to the House of Representatives, for" a bill to reduce the revenues from imports to an amount which may be required for a sound administration of the Government." The resolution was moved by a Whig and a Protectionist. The reason he gave for desiring the diminution of the duties was, that the present rates yield one-third more revenue than is required to meet the expenditure. The formal resolution (for a Com- mittee of the whole House) was lost ; but the discussion is held to have been beneficial to the cause of commercial freedom. A similar discussion took place in the Senate, but without any result.

The New York journals note and comment upon two occurrences in which French influence is distinctly at work on the American continent and among the islands. It was some time since reported that the pro- vince of Sonora had revolted against the Mexican Government and de- feated the Mexican forces; this is now confirmed: the province pro- claimed itself independent and annexed to France. The hero of this re- volution is one "Count Raonsset Boulbon," formerly an officer in the African army. The revolution was effected by French settlers, and the final act is said to have been consummated by the advice of the French Consul.

A French naval force has taken possession of the peninsula of Semen°, on the Northern coast of St. Domingo. This, it is said, has been done to protect the little Republic of Dominica against the Emperor Soulouque of Hayti; and the American papers denounce it as the result of an intrigue which has for a long time been carried on between the French Consul at Port-au-Prince and Baez, President of Dominica. Samana, say the Yankees, commands the Mona passage, between Hayti and Porto Rico ; and in the event of a war with the United States, France would thus hold the key of the West Indies.

The Californian news is a budget of disaster. Fire, man's worst enemy in this region, has again destroyed a great part of San Francisco and Marysville, and devastated the whole city of Sacramento. Many lives were lost; and the damage is estimated at ten millions of dollars. But within forty-eight hours of its destruction, the inhabitants began to re- build; and, no doubt, there is again by this time a more substantial city of Sacramento.