The Express.
London, England, 1852-05-25 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, MONDAY EYININO.
To-day the Conseil d'Etat held a sitting, at which
Louis Napoleon presided. The remaining clauses of
the bill on public instruction were addipted without
change, and the bill will be forthwith communicated
to the Corps Legislatif. The substance of the bill is
to concentrate the establishments of public instruo-
tion in the chief cities instead of the capitals of de-
partments, and to subject them more immediately to
the control of the government. In general these
features are not liked by the clergy, whose influence,
now that the University is broken down, predomi-
nates in proportion to the absence of control on the
part of the government.
An Annie has taken place at the Ecole de Saumnr,
a military establishment for training cavalry officers.
Some of the scholars took to singing republican
songs, and the others legitimist; so that the battle
lay between " Vive Henri IV. and La Belle
Gabrielle" on one side, and the " Marseillaise " and
the ..Oirondins" on the other, while the cypher of
Prince Louis Napoleon was trodden under foot.
General ltampon, having put down the row by
calling in some troops, punished the refractory
youths by eight days' of arrest. Ho then wrote a
report of the affair to General de St. Arnaud, who
sent back orders to increase the term of arrest up to
a month. _ _

The Duchess of Orleans, I hear, hu addressed two
letters—one to Marshal Loban, and another to the
de l'Aiglc, begging them to use their intlence with
all their friends to prevent as many tunctionasies as
possible from taking the oath. The duchess adds,
that she makes this request in order not to cross
the wish of her family ; an expression which implies
that she makes a sacrifice of her own feelings, which
would have prompted her to abstain from making
such a request, in order to comply with the duiirc of
her relations. This circumstance tends to confirm

the prevailing reports of the completion of the re-
conciliation between the two branches. According
to a letter from Widabaden, which appears in the
Worse Gazette, the Count de Chambord is expected
at Ems, where, it is said, the Queen Marie Ainclie
and the Dukes de Nemours, flatmate, and Mon tpensier
will meet him.

The manifesto of the Count de Chambord was not
issued without much previous discussion. Eight of
the Prince's advisers were in favour of the measure,
and eight against. The Count do Chambord settled
the matter by giving his casting vote in favour of the
' latter. The Marquis do Pastoret, who was regarded
as the most confidential agent of the elder branch
resident in France, has taken the oath twice to the
present government, as member of the commission of
historical monuments, and of the commission of pub-
lic assistance. The Bulletin de Paris declares that
M. de Fellows gives symptoms of decided adhesion
to the government.
• I mentioned the nature of M. Mole's intended re-
ply to Oranier de Cassagnac. It was all ready
written; but M. Mole's friend dissuaded him from
sending it, as the subject glanced too near the per-
son of the President. They added that, as nu one
would put his word into the balance against that of
the notorious writer in the Constitulumnel, silence

would be the most dignified course. The shortness
of General Bedean's letter declining the oath, and
its comparative moderation, have been noticed. 10
am rightly informed, this general, who belonged to
the tiers-parkin the National Assembly, wished to
avoid the acrimonious tone which has constantly
characterised the language held by Venerate Chan-
gamier and Lamoriciere on the President's account.
It appears that recently the alarming rumours that
prevailed in Belgium, and the fears which were en-
tertained in December and January of forcible an-
nexation to France have been revived, insomuch that
several letters from Brussels have been received here
by members of the government dwelling on the ill
effect which was produced by those alarms, and the
tendency which they had to alienate the court cif
Leopold. In consequence of these representations,
understand that the Conslitutionnel has received
instructions from the government here to publish a
semi-official article contradicting completely all such
rumours, and explaining the independent footing
upon which France desire' to remain with Belgium.
The affair of the repulse of the Charlemagne,
screw-steamer, at the Dardanelles, has produced a
good deal of irritation. The Univers, always anxious
to catch at a motive for blowing the coal of jealousy
against England, ascribes the refusal of the Sultan to
British influence. It were much to be wished that
British influence were considerable enough in that
part of the world to weigh with the Porte. But
everybody knows that at Constantinople notuing is
done save with the good pleasure of Russia.
You are aware that it is a part of the President's
system to oblige his ministers and the highest paid
functionaries of the state to give great fetes, balls,
and dinner parties. One of the most notable of
these entertainments took place yesterday, at the
ministry of public works, one of the fine old hotels in
the faubourg St. Germain. The spacious garden was
turned for the nonce into a sort of miniature of the
Champs Elysees, and the most infantine sorts of
diversion, such as discharging crossbows at Turks,
Punch and Judy, &c., hc., were provided for the
VI:4M. Abbattucci, the Minister of Justice, has
w shirked the costly obligation of giving a
grand entertainment. But the President, deter-
mined not to admit any exception, has expressed his
absolute wish that the keeper of the seals should
lone cards for a fete on the same monster scale as
those already given by MM. Peraigny, St. Arnaud,
Bineau, Lefebvre Durafle, and the other ministers.
Numerous arrests have been made in the bahlieue,
at Boulogne, Montrouge, and Clichy, in connection
with the publication of seditious bulletins.
It appears from the budget that the government
proposes to increase the stipend of the Archbishop of
Paris from 40,000 fr. to 60,010 fr., those of fourteen
archbishops from 15,000 fr. to 20,000 fr., and of sixty-
five bishops from 10,0006. to 12,000 fr. It also pro-
pos-a to increase the stipends of the vicare-general
by 500 fr., to improve the position of some of the
lower clergy, to increase the allowance to the Chap-
ter of St. Denis and to grant 180,0006. for increasing
the choirs of cathedrals.
The purchases of the President of the Republic in
the Bologna consist of two estates, the chateau of
La Grillaire, and the chateau of La Motte-Beuvron,
with the lands attached to them. They were bought
together for the pum of 1,600,000 franca. It is the
intention of the Prssidmt,it is said, to make on these
estates an essay of agricultural colonisation.
The Monikeur contains a circular from M. Fortonl,
minister of public instruction, to the rectors. It ap-
pears that the decree of April 10th relating to edu-
cation in public schools and colleges, has been unfa-
vourably received. A host of objections have been
raised against tho valise of divorce pronounced by
that decree between literary and scientific education.
A main feature of the new scheme is that lads having
eceivod the rudiments of education in the lower
forms, should, at the age of 13 or 14, elect between
one of two courses of study with reference to his fu-
ture vocation in life. The decree assumes that the
peculiar aptitude or inclination of a boy's mind will
then be sufficiently developed to enable him, with
the Melee of his relatives and instructors, to make
choice of a trade or profession. It has been objected,
with much reason, that the choice of a cab* is
practically in many, perhaps in most, instances go-
verned by accident and opportunity. It is seldom
possible for parents to foresee four or five years be-
forehand in what path of life their influence may be
most advantageously used in furtherance of their
children's interests. The field of enterprise is ever
liable to be affected by the fluctuations of commerce,
the caprices of fashion, the progrehs of invention, by
' plague of famine, by peace. or war. Again, the
power of choice is dependent upon the vicissitudet of
fortune, upon station, offices friends, family claims,
and family expectations. Upon an infinite variety
of cherunitanwe subject to daily and hourly change.
People have, theireFore, been alarined at the prospect
of their childrip receividg a special education from
an early age; *ten it "at necessarily be uncertain
whether the opportunity of using their spe-
cial knoWledge may - ever occur. It is feared
that general sequirements which may bo rapidly
brined to any nireount as occasion may arise, wit; be
aeglected for tho sake of ' dn unbound theory. IL
'Porton', however, now says that•the decree has been
misunderstood. He asserts thin the separate course
of study now complained of hailang existed, from
the very nature of things, only it has heretofore ex-
isted without regularity or guidvace. The object of
the decree was to put a stop to this sort of anarchy.
The criticisms that have been made overlook, he
says, the Important provison that " futqa
gramma shall indicate those Antos vriVr
.ICAA
:-.6* •

common to both courses." These programmes are
at this moment the subject of an attentive considers.
ticii. It is far faun' the intention of the government
to cramp the youthful mind by premature apeeial
studies. The object is to provide, on the ono
suth a scientific education us is fitting for a man of
letters, and on the other such a literary one as ought
tabs given to a mathematician. Facilities will In-
sides be given for changing from ono course to ano-
ther in case a scholar may find that he has mistaken
the bent of his genius or application. It is clear,
however, that NI. Fortoul's commentary on the de-
cree is written in • very different spirit from the
text. I believe the explanation of the diversity lies
in thy.—that on Saturday the President of the Re-
public presided at a meeting of the Cuenca of State
to discuss the Public Instruction Bill, and then per-
ceived the necessity of correcting the bud impression
made by the decree.
The Pet me, in its weekly commercial review, says:
The retail trade, which bad suffered materially since the
Mouth of January, has, during the last fortnight improved,
but the small mauula.turers have nut yet benefited mach
by the movement. There has been more doing for ex-
portation than fur the provinces, or for Paris. In the de-
partments, the large manufacturers have been very busily
migsged during the teat mouth ; but the retail trade
has suffered This may be captained by the facility gives
by the railways to private individuals to cane to l'atis to
snake purchases, which they Mrmerly did from the asp la
their neighbourhood. The building Deists alligginglem
very actively, and every branch of business stimmengail wr
It is fully employed, and a want of workmen is emus.
plainest of fur the numerous railways which are Week
progress, or on the p.iut of being commenced.
At the Bourse the Four-and-a-Half per Cents. ram
20c., clo,:rig at 99.95 ; the Threes rem 25c., and
closed at 70.90. Railways were better. Orleans
and St. Urentaio rase 15f. each; Bordeaux, 6-25;
Central, 10; Rotten and Marseilles, sf. each;
Northern and Strasbourg, 3•70 each; Tours and
Nantes and Lyons, 1.2.5.