The Express.
London, England, 1852-10-28 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 28, 1852.

FRANCE.

than,..twenta companies resting upon solid founds-
thine, iiiiiiisetof these have been formed by ausalga-
mations& as small undertakings. For example,
the Aasin=ny, which employs 7,000 workmen,
cionivissi Coven coacessions • the Blaney Company
comprises Ave, the Great Comb. twelve, and the
/ Loire General Mining Company, twenty-seven. It
was upon the occasion of the formation of this latter
company several years ago that serious appriihen-
-1 lions area IV the public mind as to the possible coo-
: sequences of these large monopolies. It was feared i
that a few powerful companies might command the
market and make their own prices, to the prejudice I
of the consumer. The legality of the amalgamation
1 was questioned upon the strength of certain clauses
in • law of 1806, which the company contended was
I abolished by the subsequent law of 1810, alluded to
in the decree of the 23rd instant. However this
may be, the fact that no steps were taken at
the time to set aside the amalgamation, is a strong
' presumption in favour of its legality, and it is proved
by various bills for regulating mining amalgamations
for the future, which were laid before the Chamber of
Deputies, and tho Constituent and Legislative Amon-
' blies, that successive governments were of opinion
that legislation was necessary to remedy the alleged
evils. Norio of these bills passed, the Loire company
' was not interfered with; and it continued its opera-
' tions up to the present hour. The immediate object
, of the promulgation of the decree of Oct. 23 is now
understood to have been to ;prevent the amalgama-
tion agreed upon, if not actually carried out, between
the latter company and the Great Combs. But it
seems to be quite clear that the decree oversteps the
' legal boundaries of the executive power. It refers in
the preamble to the law of 1810 and to Art. G
of the constitution of 1852. But that law enacted
that mines should be alienable and transmissible like
other property, with the single exception that they
should not be sold ordivided without theauthority of the
government. This, so far from being a provision against
uniting several mines into one, merely prohibits one
mine from being divided into several parcels, and,
moreover, as I have stated above, the legal question
about the Loire Company was raised upon the ground
that a former law, not alluded to in the decree, re-
mained nnrepealed. It was taken for granted that
this law ot 1810 did not restrict amalgamation. The
6th article of the constitution gives the President of
the Republic power to make such regulations and
decrees as may be necessary for the execution
ot laws already made, but not to make new ones or
to interpret those which exist.
The Constilutionnel to-day in defending the decree
uses an argument which admits its vice. This jour-
nal says the measure is not intended to have a retro-
spective operation, and therefore it will not affect
the original amalgamation of the Loire Company,
which will remain legal, assuming that it was so
under tho law of 1810. This does not touch the
complaint made by the companlee, which is that the
President assumes to interfere with their property by
his single decree in a way which can only lawfully
be done by au act of the President, senate, and Corps
Legislatif. The question will doubtless bo brought
before a court of law, and unless the Council of State,
as in the case of the Orleans property, should receive
orders to quash the proceedings there can be little
doubt of the result.
A number of bills of importance have just been
laid before the Council of State. Among them are,
a bill for a credit of Zioo,ooofr. for the national
breeding stud, a bill for regulating the butchers'
trade, and a senate. consukisin for mottling the con-
' stitution of Algeria.
The tone of the ministerial prints with regard to
Belgium is much more conciliatory than when lei.
Granter de Cassagnac was employed to prophecy the
war of tariffs which is now being carried on. In-
deed, since the famous text, "L'Empire c'est la
pair," was given out at Bordeaux, the
utmost pains is taken to use soft words with respect
to all foreign countries. The government organs,
' not concealing their preference:for the catholic party,
, now scrupulously admit the right of Belgium to
choose for herself, and even go so far as to express
regret that the liberal cabinet contemplated by
M. de Brouckere did not succeed as a ministry of
conciliation. The moral which they take occasion
to draw from the present crisis, is that it furnishes
• striking instance of the evil of parliamentary
government.
To show the increasing prosperity of Paris, the
Moniteur observes as follows upon the last returns
of the petrol duties:—
. The receipts of the octrui of Paris up to the 16th inst.
were 30,323,0001, or 2,4.57,000 f. more than up to the urns
' period of 1651, deduction being mode of six per cent. on
the receipts since the Ist of May, 1851. If that propor-
tion continues, the total receipts of 1852 will amount t
38,463,600 f., wb:ch will be 3,932,600 f. above what was al-
misted on in the budget.
At the Bourse, the Four-and-a-Half per Cents. fell
.5c., closing at 106.55; tho 'three per Cents. fell 5c.,
' and closed at 82.05. The Northern Railway was in
' immense request, and rose 37.50. Orleans rose 30;
Bordeaux ani Teste, 18.75; Havre and Strasburg,
17.50; St. Germain, 15; Lyons, 6.25; Rouen, 3;
Marseilles, 3.75. Western fell 10; Paris to Caen and
' Dieppe, 5 each.

ITALY.

SARDINIA.

...... .
Our Correspondent, writing from Turin, on Sun-
day morning last, informs us of the expected minis-
terml crisis having taken place. The whole of the
previous day had been spent by Count de Cevour
with the King and the Chevalier d'Azeglio. Henoe
it is inferred that a new ministry will be formed
which will include in its list the names of both those
statesmen.

AUSTRIAN ITALY.
The Augsburg Gazette has the following under the
head of " The Po," but without naming the place :
An Englishman, who had purchased a bouquet and
Geed it to his breast, was arrested by the gendarmerie, who
probably regarded it as a political usblem.