FOREIGN NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 8, 1 March 1851, Page 3

FOREIGN NEWS.

FRANCE. The resolutions of the Department Councils on the question of the revision of the Constitution, and their probable effect in bringing' about the coup d'etat which it is said Napoleon and his adherents meditate, with the view of prolonging his enjoyment of the chief executive power in the Republic, form the staple of the political disquisitions of the Paris press. The decisions of the Councils have been various. Twenty-one have not passed any resolution whatever on the subject. Ten had rejected resolutions which had been prepared in favour of revision, and two have put on record resolutions that the Constitution be respected. These thirty-three departments do not count, accordingly, as decidedly favourable to the views of the Government. On the other hand, forty-nine Councils have passed resolutions in favour of revision, but the great majority have accompanied their resolutions with ijiialiiications in favour of the Legislative Assembly, and in stipulations that nothingshould be done without the consent of the representatives of the people. There are three departments, whose resolutions, being of a special kind, cannot be distinctly classified. The journals which are in opposition to the Government, argue that the general result is such as to|disable the Government from quoting the resolutions of the General Councils in favour of any project they may have in prolonging the powers of the President, while the Government journals say that the great majority of these Councils having admitted the principles of the necessity of revision, it is permitted to Government to'undertake such revision according to what may be deemed most advisable for the interests of the country. Tracing, then, the evils of the moment to the uneasiness caused by the instability of power, they argue that the first thing to be done is to give permanency to the office held by the chief of the state—to the man who happens to exercise the greatest amount of personal influence, and whose popularity surpasses that of each and all of those

whom different (parties would, set up either as rivals in the shape of candidates for the honour of the Presidency or occupants for the throne.

The skilful game played by the President of the French Republic develops itself slowly. He has not awakened in the national mind so much enthusiasm as he probably expected ; but his tour to the eastern provinces has strengthened his cause perceptibly; and his more recent visit to the west has flattered the national pride in a manner that cannot tail to be highly serviceable to him hereafter. To be strong both upon land and upon sea, is the darling wish of the French multitude. That France is the greatest military power that ever was, will be, or can be, has long been an article of the popular faith. To make France equally strong at sea is a desire the skilful encouragement of which, a few years ago, made the Prince de Joinvillfc move populav than any member of the Orleans family. By his visit to the eastern provinces, Louis Napoleon appealed to the military reminiscences of his name, and checkmated the Count de Chambord in that quarter. By his visit to Cherbourg, he excited the passions of the French for a strong navy, and checkmated the Prince de Joinville, who might otherwise have run him hard as a candidate for the presidency. The Prince is skilful himself, and is in skilful hands, and warned by his early failures to overthrow Louis Philippe at Strasbourg and Boulogne, walks warily, and strengthens himself as he goes. We believe the determination to occupy this, the 'vantage of the Prince de Joinville, to be the sole reason for tlie naval display at Cherbourg, and that no unmeaning bravado against this country was ever dreamed of. The English people will take no offence at it and no alarm. All jealousy and fear of France have long been subsiding in the minds of Englishmen ; and while they rely as firmly as ever on our power to cope with our enemies—come whence thence they may—they look to peace with France as best for France, best for Great Britain, and best for the world. As for offence—intended or given—we are pretty certain that no one in England, unless it he the Prince de Joinville, is likely'to feel it, whatever naval evolutions the President'of the Kepublic may see lit to encourage- The President is playing his game ; the navy is one of his good cards ; in this instance he has played it well, and will probably win the game by it.

During the late review of the French fleet at Cherbourg by the President, a beautiful sight was presented by the visit of the British Royal Yacht Squadron. The Illustrated London News gives the following account of this ; accompaning it with a beautiful wood-cut shewing the Yacht Squadron saluting the French Fleet.

In the course of the day (Friday) the squadron of English Yachts presented lo the visitors a species of entertainment perfectly new to the I^rencli; and which none but Englishmen have the means of displaying ; nair.ely, a cruise of all their handsome yachls, accompanied by a variety of beautifully executed manoeuvres out of the bay at one extremity of the great breakwater, which they worked round, returning by the other again, to manoeuvre in the bay, to the great delight and surprise of the French of both sexes, who could hardly credit that such a scientific display of seamanship could be made, even in a Lilliputian fleet, by men not all of the naval profession. The manner of executing their evolutions, and getting up to their anchorage in two lines, gave so much satisfaction that they were loudly cheered by the people of the port The captain of the French line-of-battle ship Jemapess avowed his admiration by exclaiming that the display of their powers and tactics was " Superbe et tres-delicieuse." At eleven, A.M., the yachts got under weigh by signal, and stood out to the westward of the breakwater, where, by signal they formed into two lines. Starboard Division 1. Xari/a, schooner, Commodore, Earl of Wilton; 2. Brilliant, schooner, G. H. Acres, Esq., Commodore, K. V. Y. C.; 3. Alarm, cutter, J. Weld, Esq.; 4. Fair Rosamond, „" -— T, W. Lion, Esq., the Hon. H. T. L. Corry on ln,ard ; 5. Coral Queen, schooner, Earl ot'lvlountcliarles; 6. Anaconda, schooner, S. C. Ibbetson; 7. Arrow, cutter, T. Chamberlayne, Esq.; S. Snake, schooner; 9: Freak, cutter,. W. Curling, Esq.; 10. Rapid, cutter; 11. Aurfea, cutter, J. Le Marchant Thomas, Esq. ; l^t'lll-o'-the-Jfisp, cutter; 13. Hornet, cutter, T.^lnddy, Esq ; It Cygnet, H. Lambton, Esq.; 15. Manca, schooner, C. Webster, Esq. Pout Division. —1. Capricorn, schooner, ViceCommodore Talbot, M.P.; 2. Comstance, schooner,

Marquis of Conyngham, Commodore, Royal St. George's; 3, Mirage, schooner, Marquis ot Ormonde ;2. Leda, schooner, — Vane, Esq.; 5. Merlin, schooner, Colonel Markham ; 6. Talisman, cutter, Colonel Smith, R.E. ; 7. Lelia, cutter, T. Hodges, Esq., M.P.; 8. Storm Finch, cutter,. Colonel Bowers ; 9. Contest, schooner, "W. Peard, Esq.; 10. Eclipse, cutter ; 11. Medina, cutter ; 12. Forest Fly, cutter, J. Potter, Esq.; 14. Dar'mg, cutter; 15. Eliza, cutter.

Beaching to the eastward till 4 p.m. when, by signal, entering the east end of the breakwater on return to their anchorage. All dipped their colours to the flag-ship, the courtesy being returned ; the bands of several of the fleet while the yachts of each line were passing, that of the Admiral concluding with "God save the Queen.' Each line throughout the day was preserved with wonderful regularity, considering the difficulty of restraining the speed of several of the cutters, in relation to the schooners they had to follow according to station. The last signal from the Zarifa was in acknowledgment of the zeal displayed by all.

Denmaek.—The following particulars are related of the morganatic marriage of the King with the young lady, formerly milliner to the Court, now ennobled" as Countess Danner:— " The solemnity was performed in the Palace Chapel, and two Countesses were commanded to attend—the Countess Yon Ahlefeld (the lady of the Chief Clerk of the Closet) and the Countess Knuth. The youthful bride was led to the altar by Baron Lewetzan, Marshal of the Eoyal Household. The ceremony was performed in the presence of the whole Court, who wore full dress. After the marriage there was a grand dinner at the palace. The Hereditary Prince Ferdinald led'the Countess Danner to table, and the King the Countess Yon Ahlefeld. The ladies who attended Court, and who are highly indignant at this marriage, are under great apprehension lest they should receive commands to wait upon the Countess Yon Danner. This apprehension is the greater because it is known that the lady in question has declared that nothing will give her more satisfaction than to see the ladies upon whom she waited as their dressmaker now come and pay their court to her."