The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-03-23 00:00:00

FRANCE.

The Moniteur of Wednesday has the following :
"M. Pietri, Prefect of Police, had, some months put,
tendered his resignation to the Emperor on the plea of
ill health. His Majesty requested him to remain in
offioe until the conclusion of all proceedings concerning
the Ind attempt. M. Pietri having again tendered his
resignation, the Emperor accepts it with regret, expres-
sing to him in a letter how much he appreciates his seal
and devotion. M. Boittelle, Prefect of the Yonne, has
been appointed Prefect of Polbe in the stead of M.
Pietri." .

_ •
The Moniteur has lost no time in publishing the
despatch of Lord Malmesbury and the answer of M.
Walewski, both of which were, of course, laid on the
table of the House of Commons Monday night. lam
sorry to say that M. Walewski's "last" is not found to
be more satisfactory than his " first," and still lees does
it justify the description of the close of this epistolary
duello given in the House of Commons by Mr. Disraeli.
Among Englishmen hero the feeling seems rather strong
on the subject of Lord Malmesbury's note. It is re-
garded by them as exceeding the limits of conciliation,
and as much too honeyed for their taste; and this feel-
ing is the stronger as the French despatch seems far
from being couched in a corresponding spirit. If the
effect on the English be unfavourable, that on many of
the French is not very encouraging. There are probably
some who pretend to triumph, but there are several who
express regret and apprehension that a sorer feeling may
remain. The term I have heard applied to M. Walewskre
note is "cassant," which describes it well enough. I
cannot take it upon me to say how this oorrespondenee
will be received in Parliament, but here people are dis-
satisfied ; they look at each other and ask, " Was it for
such • production that Lord Palmerston IVY turned out
of office Was this the answer he was blamed for not
giving, and this the rejoinder we expected he would
elicit." It may be that people are too sensitive or
hypercritical, but I cannot conceal the feat that Lord
hialmesoury has not given satisfaction to his country-
men in Paris, and that M. Walewski has not improved
the feeling which previously existed, nor even obtained
general approbation among the French. M. Walewski
is unlucky in his diplomatic correspondence. His inten-
tions may be the best in the world, for aught we know ;
but some fatality seems to attend him as a writer of
despatches.
It is positively affirmed that M. de Persigny has
tendered his resignation as Ambassador in London, and
that, in the event of its being accepted, it is probable
he may be succeeded by the Duke de °raiment. This
last, however, is only conjecture as yet. The Ducheu
de Graminont is English and otherwise it Is thought
that such an appointment would be well received in
England. M. de Persigny's resignation has revived
ono more the rumour of M. Walewski's retirement,
and the appointment of the former to mooed him—with ,
what truth I cannot say.
The Emperor has, after several consultations with the
Committee of Artillery at the Tuileries, decided on the
charge of powder and the weight of shot to be employed
in the howitzer invented by His Majesty.
The Prince Imperial Tuesday entered on his third
year. A dtnner in honour of the event took place the I
preceeding day at the Tuileries, the members of toe
Imperial Family being specially invited. On Tuesday
the Ministers, grand dignitaries of State, the Diplomatic
Corps, and other personages of note paid a visit of
congratulation to their Majesties about noon. Later in
the day the band of the lot Grenadiers of the Guard I
gave a serenade to his Imperial Higluiess, who, it may I
be remembered, is inscribed on the muster-roll of the I
regiment. M. Magnier, the band-master, had two
pieces of his own composition executed on the occasion,
one entitled La Marche du Prince Imperial, and the
other Le Premier Pae. At night the principal theatres
were illuminated.

The director and the responsible editor of the Pensiero,
the radical journal of Oneglia, in Sardinia, have been
condemned to 15 days imprisonment and 200 f. fine for
an article offensive to the Emperor of the French.
ARREST OF AN ENGLISHMAN IN PARIS.—We under-
stand that one of the sons of Mr. Alderman Birkin, on
a recent visit to Paris, was placed under arrest or the
surveillance of the police, as a suspected political
refugee, and that he did not regain complete freedom
of action until a telegraphic communication had taken
place with Nottingham making inquiries respecting
him.

FRENCH CORRESPONDENCE.-It is well that it should
be widely known that there is no security accorded to
letters either received from or sent to persons residing in
France. A French gentleman, residing in Plymouth,
told no the other clay that he sent a letter to his
brother, who resides in Paris, and that although he first
gummed and then sealed it, it had been opened, and was
delivered open. Another gentleman who lives in this
neighbourhood informs us that his letters were delivered
in France after having been opened, and the letters
that he had received had been opened, and sealed with
the official seal. In one of these letters the writer
stated that there was a feeling in Paris of great n-
ccurity, and that the present dynasty was not wort.'
six months purchase. It is strange that the authorities
should have allowed such an opinion as this to travel.
On Saturday a resident in George-street, Plymouth,
received a letter from France. It had been opened, and
was sealed with two seals, each as large as a half-
penny piece. The letter was sent to us before it was
opened, for us to see it, the gentleman to whom it was
addressed being very indignant at the evidence it gave of
the system of espionage that now reigns throughout
France.—Plystodth Journal.

Tee EMPIRE IN 1858.—The empire is espionage. Its
incarnation is a moue/sand. It is not only that reeog.
nized agents of police are in every street and in every
public place, that the comings and goings of well-known
Democrats are watched, that the assemblies of Com-
munists are hunted out; but men of every rank, every
phase of character, every shade of political opinions, are
at the mercy of an iinmense army of spies, who pene-
trate everywhere, who follow the individual into the
confidenceeven of his family and his private life, and who
have spread distrust and apprehension throughout the
country. It has, indeed, long been the misfortune of
France that the security of private relations has been
weakened by the means used by Government to obtain
intelligence, and this fact has doubtless had no little
effect on society and domestic life; but it would seem
that now the evil has assumed fearful proportions. We
hear of professional spies of every apparent rank in life,
from the well-dressed gentleman to the workman in his
blouse ; we hear of lorettes paid for information con-
cerning those with whom they associate ; we hear of
hotels and restaurants being frequented by persons
whose duty it is to listen to the conversation of suspi-
cious visitors, and to endeavour to draw them into an ex-
pression of opinion. But the worst feature of all is the
encouragement of domestic treachery by the corruption
of private servants. No one can be secure that the man
who brushes his coat or the woman who attends on his
children is not in correspondence with the police. We
are not repeating any gobemenah gossip; we are stating
facts proved beyond a doubt, and commenting on prac-
tices which are not even denied. Domestic servants of
every degree are encouraged to report what passes in the
houses where they are employed—who comes, who goes,
what is said, what is proposed to be done. Such s sys-
tem as this, added to the new law of public security and
the appointment of General Espinasse, has naturally
thrown over the capital a gloom which seems not likely
to be dissipated. The baneful consequences, even in a
material point of view, are to be found in the sodden
depression of business and the general anxiety of the
mercantile world. The whole policy of the French Go-
vernment of late is indeed much to be regretted. No
one who has watched the career of the Emperor, and has
been his opportunities, can help regretting that he
should have allowed those who surround him to entan-
gle him in such a net. He has involved himself in a
system which no man can hope to control, and which
must every day become more unmanageable. He is
striving to take the whole of France into custody. To
have every man of wealth, or position, or political note
in the empire, every theorist, or fanatic, or vainglorious
democrat, or reckless desperado, under his eye' is the
purpose of the present ruler. That he must be unsuc-
cessful we know beforehand, and the question ill whether
the only evil will be the failure of his object.—Times.