Philippe, and containing only the bride and bride-
groom. The carriage was entirely surrounded by plate-
glass windows, so that the occupants were distinctly
visible. When the party entered the Cathedral, the
clergy proceeded down the aisle, with the Archbishop
of Paris at their head, to meet the Emperor and the
Empress. The Archbishop having offered them a
morsel of the true cross to kiss, four ecclesiastics held
a rich dais over the heads of the Imperial pair, and the
procession advanced up the church. The Empress was
exceedingly pale, but perfectly composed. She looked
neither to the right nor to the left, and advanced
steadily. The Emperor was dressed in the uniform of
a general officer, and wore the grand collar of the
Legion of Honour which had belonged to Napoleon,
and the collar of the Golden Fleece which had been
suspended from the neck of Charles V., and which the
Queen of Spain had sent him. The Emperor and
Empress took their places on the throne, and the
ceremony commenced. The Archbishop addressing the
Emperor and Empress, said, "Do you present yourself
here to contract marriage in the presence of the
Church?" They answered, "Yes, Monsieur." The
Archbishop then turning towards the Emperor, said—
"Sire, you declare, acknowledge, and swear, before
God, and before his Holy Church, that you now take
Mademoiselle de Montijo, Comtesse de Téba, here
present, for your wife and legitimate spouse?" The
Emperor answered with a firm and sonorous voice,
"Yes, Monsieur." The Prelate continued—"You
promise and swear to be faithful in all things as a faithful
husband should be to his spouse, according to the
commandment of God?" The Emperor again responded,
"Yes, Monsieur." The Archbishop then turning to
the Empress, addressed the same interrogatories to her
Majesty, and received like affirmative answers. The
Archbishop then gave the pieces of gold and the ring
to the Emperor; who presented them to his bride, with
the words, "Receive the signs of the marriage-covenant
between you and me." The Empress then handed the
gold pieces to the Duchesse de Bassano, her maid of
honour; after which, the Emperor placed the ring on
the finger of her Majesty, with the usual words. The
ceremony was concluded in the usual form of the ritual. In
the evening, the government offices were illuminated, but
very few houses. The marriage was followed by a series
of fêtes given by the various Ministers at their hotels.

An amnesty has been granted to persons convicted of
political offences. The decree proclaiming it contains
the names of 4312 individuals, but the exiled generals
are not in the list, nor is pardon extended to any one of
note. On the other hand, a great number of political
arrests have taken place. Before daybreak, on the
morning of Sunday the 6th instant, in the same way as
on the morning of the 2d December, 1851, separate bodies
of police made the arrests at the same hour. How many
were compromised in the arrest is not accurately known;
but it is believed all the correspondents of the German,
and nearly all those of the Belgian, Spanish, and Italian
journals. The prisoners were placed au secret in the
prison of Mazas. No charge of conspiracy, or even of
hostility, was brought against them. General de St.
Priest, the well-known Legitimist, said to have been
arrested by mistake, was afterwards liberated: his papers,
however, were examined; and some swords, much prized
by him on account of their donors—the King of Prussia,
the Emperor of Russia, and others—were carried off.
Among the other names specified are those of the Duke
de Rovigo, a son of Savary, M. Coëtlogon, M.
Villemessent, M. de la Pierre, editors of the Corsaire;
M. Tanski, a naturalised Pole connected with the
Journal des Débats, and the Augsburg Gazette;
M. Gerard, M. Pagès-Dupart, M. Paul Foucher, and
M. Carpellas, all foreign correspondents; M. Planiol, of
the Gazette de France, since released; Count de
Mirabeau, a Bonapartist, arrested by mistake for his
Legitimist brother the Marquis; and Michel Carré, the
farce-writer. It is remarked that M. Paul Foucher is a
clerk in the Police Department, and M. Gerard, a clerk
in the office of the Minister of the Interior. Two Italians
were arrested at the Batignolles. The officers fired on the
Italians; alleging afterwards that they were armed, and
would have fired on them. The reason alleged by the
government journal for the arrests is, that the Emperor
could no longer tolerate the concoction of a defamatory
and anarchical correspondence which tends to abuse
Europe as to the Government which France has freely
given herself.

The Senate and the Legislative body formally opened
their sittings on the 14th inst. They met first in their
separate chambers, and proceeded to the Tuileries
escorted by cavalry. Here they were received in state
by the Emperor, who was accompanied by the Empress;
and his Majesty delivered the following characteristic
speech:—

"Senators and Deputies,—A year since, I called you
together in this place to inaugurate the Constitution, promulgated
in virtue of the powers which the people had conferred
on me. Since that period, tranquillity has not been disturbed.
The law, in resuming its sway, has allowed the majority of
the men who were made the subject of necessary severity to
return to their homes. The riches of the nation have increased
to such a point that that portion of our floating capital, the
value of which can be estimated, amounts to about two
milliards. The activity of labour develops itself in every
branch of industry. The same progress is being realised in
Africa, where our army has distinguished itself by heroic
successes. The form of the Government has been changed,
without any shock, by the free suffrages of the people. Great
works have been undertaken without the creation of any new
tax, and without a loan. Peace has been maintained without
servility. All the Powers have recognised the new Government.
France has now institutions which can defend
themselves, and the stability of which do not depend on the life of
one man.

"These results have not cost great efforts, because they
were in the minds and for the interest of all. To those who
would doubt their importance, I will reply, that scarcely
fourteen months ago France was delivered up to the hazards
of anarchy. To those who may regret that a wider field has
not been given to liberty, I will reply, that liberty has never
aided in founding a durable political edifice; it crowns it
when it has been consolidated by time. Let us, besides, not
forget that the immense majority of the country has
confidence in the present and faith in the future. There still
remain incorrigible individuals, who, forgetful of their own
experience, of their past terrors, and of their disappointments,
obstinately persist in paying no attention to the national
will, deny the reality of facts, and in the midst of a sea which
every day grows more and more calm, call for tempests in
which they would be the first to be swallowed up. These
occult proceedings of the different parties serve no purpose
but to show their weakness; and the Government, instead of
being disturbed at them, only thinks of governing France
and tranquillising Europe. For this double object it has the
firm determination to diminish expenses and armament, and
to devote to useful purposes all the resources of the country;
to keep up with good faith international relations, in order to
prove to the most incredulous that when France expresses
her formal intention to remain at peace, it may be believed,
for she is strong enough not to deceive any one.

"You will see, gentlemen, by the budget which will be
presented to you, that our financial position has never been
better for the last twenty years, and that the public revenue
has increased beyond all anticipation. Nevertheless, the
effective force of the army, already reduced by 30,000 men in
the course of the last year, is about to be immediately
reduced by 20,000 more.

"The majority of the laws which will be presented to you
will not go beyond necessary exigencies; and that is the
most favourable indication of our situation. The people are
happy when governments do not find it necessary to resort to
extraordinary measures.

"Let us, therefore, thank Providence for the visible
protection which it has accorded to our efforts; let us persevere
in this course of firmness and moderation, which reassures
without irritating, which leads to good without violence, and
so prevents all reaction. Let us always reckon on God and
on ourselves, as on the mutual support which we owe to
ourselves; and let us be proud to see in so short a time
this great country pacified, prosperous at home, and honoured
abroad."

The reduction of the army announced in the above
speech is little more than nominal. The 30,000 men
sent home before, and the 20,000 men to be sent home
now, are the most worthless portion of the French army.
Not a single officer is reduced, not a regiment disbanded.
The cavalry, artillery, and engineers—the portion of an
army which it takes time to organise—are kept in the
fullest efficiency; while the only troops sent away are
those who are useless, and who at the same time cost
money and eat rations.

A pamphlet has appeared in Paris, full of animosity
against the English nation. It is the work of an ardent
Legitimist, a provincial advocate, named Frederick