ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Press, Volume XIII, Issue 1730, 24 September 1868, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

(From the London Papers.)

M. Haussmann has sustained a somewhat severe defeat. The Corps Legislatif is fairly frightened by the debt which he is imposing upon Paris, and which threatens to make her present heavy taxation a permanent burden on the citizens. The members have, therefore, insisted on a Bill which provides that whenever the Prefect of the Seine spends more than £1200 on any undertaking he shall obtain the previous authorisation of the Legisla ture. This law will tie M. Haussmann's hands; and it is time. He is beginning to make work for work's sake, as in knockiug down the best part of the Rue de la Paix. What Paris now wants, first of all, is a high service of water. The speakers on the Loan in the French Chamber seem all to agree upon two points—that the Empire has spent on an average £12,000,000 a year since 1852 in excess of the revenue, and that the total budget of France cannot be considered less than £120,000,000 a year. At that rate the Empire has cost France £168,000,000 already, and in fifty years two thirds of her income would be mortgaged to the debt. Affairs are not really so bad as this, first, because the country is increasing in wealth, and, secondly, be- j cause the grand check, inability to! borrow, will arrive before that; but the policy of the Empire, if persisted j in, will really endanger the security of Rentes. A great war would be cheaper than this armed peace. The Skuptchina, or local Diet, has elected Prince Milano, the nephew of Michael, Prince of Servia, and he has been received in Belgrade as Sovereign. As he is only fourteen, the real question for the country is the Regency, on which nothing seems as yet to have been determined. The "Pays "is in a great state of mind. It appears that a meeting of Reds had been held in London, in which the Emperor Napoleon has been declared hors la loi, and therefore as the " Pays " thinks, liable to assassination. Thereupon the writer, supposed usually to be demi-official, thunders against England and Belgium, declares that " the right of asylum cannot be confounded with the right of im.DUnity," and bids the Queen of England and King of the Belgians beware " You have allowed your capital cities London and Brussels, to become the refuge of assassins, and to rival Algiers and Tunis, as they were of old, in nar _ bouring all our polical pirates." _£- j then Leopold is reminded of the death of Maximilian, and the Queen of her son's " assassination." " King of the Belgians and Queen of England, p-Q, vidence judges you." Are we to have another series of Colonels' letters i a the " Moniteur" ? or is France seeking a quarrel with Belgium ? or is the "Pays" "frozen," as the Americana say, for ft sensation P

The Emperor of the French, wishing to civilize his people, has introduced bull fights into Frunce. A grand spectacle of the kind was given at Havre o.n Saturday, the 4th inst., at which twelve bulls, tortured with burnin <» darts and spear thrusts, but with horns covered with indiarubber balls, were encouraged to rush at " matadors," " picadors," " chulos," and the rest of the performers for whom civilised Europe has not even names. Bloodshed was carefully avoided, the only attraction being torture to the beasts and risk of life to the men ; but all the correspondents report that after a ball or two had been led away, the spectators began to hunger for slaughter. It is not believed that the Emperor intends to reintroduce combats of gladiators, as that might involve a loss of subjects who would make good soldiers.

A little item of news comes home by the Cape mail of June 4th of which we may hear again. The Boers of the Transvaal Republic disapprove the protection which the British extend to the Basutos, and have sent home two agents, the Eev. G. Wandewall and Commandant de Villiers, to protest. Failing an audience in London, they are to solicit the good offices of any foreign power. Suppose North Germany accepts the Republic as a colony. She wants colonies, and though the Republic's territory is a little place, even admitting her own claims, not much bigger than France, still a powerful State owning it ought to rule all South Central Africa. The Boers do not want money, but immigrants, and Germans would just suit them. The Convention of the American Democratic party, held at New York on 4th July, have, after twenty-two ballots, nominated Mr Horatio Seymour for President. They have, however, at the same time, accepted a " platform " which it has not pleased Mr Reuters agent to send to England entire; but which, according to his summary, "favours" the taxation of the United States' coupons, and the payments of all debts in paper, unless expressly declared to be payable in gold. This is, of course, partial repudiation, and the platform would seem to annul the nomination. Mr Seymour is a Peace Democrat, upholds slavery, and is generally opposed to all sound ideas of politics; but he is a gentleman, and nothing in his history suggest that he would assist in robbing the creditors of the State by main force. If the temptation is too great for him, and he yields, his opponents will have only to raise the cry of " Grant and Honesty," to carry the whole country.