The Express.
London, England, 1852-01-21 00:00:00

1'
F
THIS DAY'S NEWS.

''ll
r, NV

MILITARY REGULATIONS.

TELEGRAPH.)

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDINT.
PARIS, WEUNRSDAT MORNING.
The decree of the Provisional Government on the
recruiting of the army, ordering that voluntary en-
listments could only be for two years, is abolished.
Tho duration of voluntary enlistment is fixed at
seven years.
The names of the banished ex•representatives,
Chums, Cholat, Millottc, and &dentin, are erased
frum tho army list.

PARIS, TOUSDAT MOUSING.

The Minister of the Interior has addressed tho
following important circular to the prefects on the
approaching elections of the Corps Legislatif:

Monsieur le Prefet,—You will soon have to proceed to'
the election of the legislative body. This is a grave opera-
tion, which will either be • corollary or • contradiction of
the vote of December 20, according to the nee which you
will know how to make of your legitimate influence. Imbue
yourselves with the idea that universal suffrage is
a new and unknown element, easy to gain over
(conyairir) to a glorious name, unique in history,
representing to the " Yes " of population authority and
power, but very difficult to fix on secondary individualities;
so that it is not by following the old erroneous ways that
you will succeed in this task. I desire to make known to you
the idea of the head of the state; you see that the oonstitu-
' titan has meant to set aside all the theatrical dramatic part
of assemblies by interdicting the publication of the speeches.
By this means the members of these assemblies no longer
absorbed by the effect to be produced by the words which
they utter at the tribune, will be more intent
upon doing seriously and plainly the business of
their country. The electoral law will pronounce certain
disqualification ; the situation of functionaries in a political
assembly is always delicate ; by voting on the side of power,
they diminish their own character; by voting against it,
they weaken the principle of authority. The exclusion of
functionaries, the suppression of all indemnity, ought neces-
sarily to limit in a country when fortunes are so divided
as in ours, the number of men who may wish or be able to
fulfil this mission. Nevertheless, as the government is
firmly decided never to use corruption, direct or indirect,
and to respect all consciences, the beat means of securing
to the legislative body the confidence of the popu-
lation, is to call to it men perfectly indepen-
dent by their situation and character. When a man
has made his fortune by work, industry, agricul-
ture, if he has busied himself about ameliorating the
lot of his workmen, if he has rendered himself popular by a
noble use of his fortune, he is preferable to what is maven-
teeny styled a political man. for he will bring to the compo-
sition of the laws • practical spirit, and will second the go-
vermin:at in its work of pacification and re-edification. As
soon as you shall have indicated to me in the couditions
above-mentioned the candidates who appear to you to
have the beet chance of uniting the majority of
suffrages, the government will not hesitate to re-
commead them openly to the choice of the electors.
Hitherto it has been the cunom in France to form electoral
committees and =Minas of delegates. This system was
very useful when the vote took place accordingly to the
scrulin de lisle, which excited such a confusion, such a ne-
cessity of actinic in concert, and coming to a common un-
demanding that the action of a committee was indispen-
sable; but at the present time such meetings would have no
sort of advantage since the election will take place in a
single name ; they would only have the inconvenience of
creating premature ties, and appearances of acquired
rights, which would only hamper the population,
and take away from them all liberty. Therefore, dissuml-
the partisans of the government from organising electoral
committees. Formerly when the suffrage was restricted,
when the electoral influence was divided between certain
families, the abuse ore these influences was odious. A
few ill-deserved decorations,-4 few places—were able to
secure the success of an election in • small college. It
was natural that this abuse should revolt consciences, and
that the abstinence of the administration from all osten-
sible interference should have been insisted on. Its
action, its preferences, were then occult, and by
that very reason compromised its digni y and
authority. But at the present time by what favours
is it to be imagined that the goy, roment could *educe
this prodigious number of electors ? By places 1 The
administration of France has not code,, sufficiently vast to
contain the p potation of a canton. By money i Without
speaking of their honourable susceptibility the whole public
treasure would nut suffice. You remember, on December 10,
1848, to what the result !AMC to of all the efforts of the

administration in favour of the candidate for the Presi-
dency who was then in power; that was s because with
universal suffrage there is but one powerful Mullen.' spring,
which no human nand can compress nor turn from the current
that directs it; that spring is public opinion; that imper-
cerible, indefinable sentiment which abandons or accom-
panies governments, without their being able to account for
it; nothing is indifferent to universal suffrage; it appre-
ciates not only acts but it guesses tendencies; it forgets
nothing, forgiv i nothing, because it has and can have but
one moving principle, thu egotistical interest of each indi-
vidual; its sensitive to everything, from the great policy
which emanates from the chief of the government,
down to the minutest proceedings of local sdnainistration ;
and the political °Anion of a department depends
more than may be thought upon th.it spirit and cordnct of
its administration. For a long while past the local admi-
nistrations have been subordinate to parliamentary exi-
genres ; they thought much more about pleasing • few
' influential men in Paris than of satisfying the ►egitimate
interest of the communes and the population. Those times,
happily, have passed away. Let it be well understood by
all functionaries that they are carefully to occupy them-
selves with the interests of all; and it is the hum-
blest and the weakest who is to be welcomed with the
most eagerness, the most kindness. The best policy is that of
considerations for persons, facility for interests; bureau-
cracy is not to suppose itself created to make objections, to
set up obstacles, and to cause delays, while it is instituted
only for expedition sad regularity. If I attach so much
importance to these details, it is that I have had opportu-
nities of remarking that inferior agents often think they
increase their own importance by making difficulties and
embarrassments. They do not know that they arc sowing
melodic:time and unpopularity for the central government ;
this administrative spirit must be radically modified, that
depends upm you; enter with firmness upon that path.
Be assured that then, instead of seeing enemies in the
government and the local administration, the people will
only see in them • support and an assistance. And when
you shall come afterwards, in the name of the loyal and
paternal government, to recommend a candidate to the
c►oice of the electors, they will listen to your voice, and
follow your counsels. All the old accusations of opposi-
tion will fall to the ground before this new and simple
policy, and people in France will in the end understand that
order, labour, and security, can only be established iu •
durable meaner in a country, under a government that is
listened to and respected.
Receive, M. le Prefet, the assurance of my distinguished

The Minister of the Interior, A. Di boast.
The Peerie Gaya :
No dukes has as yet been coon to relative to the period
foe ories=this deputies to the legislative body. The
will be allowed laths AGMs oniadidatas.
f= los bur essmarsd. to maim from
this olmildoiss the moditim of essidmos. We think we can
airs Andra that as alaitivespama his as yet been fixed in '
what mimes to the sow lowislotios he the press. Ws have
even roma for belie,* that As definitive decision of
this qualm will sot bo isms to for some days.
' On the progooklea of the Minister of Public
Works a &tam io poonolgated granting two millions
of francs for the notithation of the high roads. In
the draft of the bedrt he 1852 the government had
demanded 4,000,000 francs for this purpose ; but
the National Assembly only allowed 2,600,000 francs.
It is to restore the two millions thus retrenched that
the present decree is passed. The report of the
minister is addressed "To the Prince-President of tho
French -Itopublic," and addresses him by the title of
Monseigneur."
Another decree increases the number of the
Hygienic Council, recently appointed for attending
to matters of salubrity in tho department of the
Seine, from 12 to 15. . .

A third decree repeals the ordinances of May 18
and September 1, 1843, regulating the weight and
dimensions of certain Indian cloths called " guineas "
fur the trade of tienal.
A fourth decree orders the sale of the site of the
oldlasaretto, at.llarseilles, the proceeds to be devoted
to the construction of a new Isearetto. Among other
improvements of the same port is ordered a system
of aqueducts, for the purification of the old harbour.
M. Antoine Bonaparte, ex-representative of the
people, has just set out for Italy.

TVZSDAT
To-day the Bourse was greatly agitated by the
rumours which prevailed of the probable retirement
of M. Fould from the cabinet, and the entrance of
M. de .Persigny. I have already dwelt on
this subject in previous letters, and explained
that the motive of the ministerial crisis
is the decree ordering the confiscation of the pro-
perty. of the house of Orleans. I still hear that, if
M. do Persigny comes into power, it will be
the signal for promulgating this spoliatory or-
dinance. The reported retreat of Fould makes
naturally in immense sensation, as ho is
regarded as the last obstacle to measures of
the most serious innovation in the financial depart-
ment. I mentioned already on Saturday that M.
Fould wanted to give his departure from the ministry
an honourable motive by opposing the project
of confiscation. Probably the Minister of Pi-