The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-04 00:00:00

and that from Lyons to Mignon to a separate com-
pany. The government then brought forward a
scheme for conceding the railway to two companies,
and this scheme was, about four months since, referred
to a committee, of which M. Dufaure was the re-
porter. This committee has recently made two
reports. One recommends the concession of the line
from Lyons to Avignon to Talabot's company. But
the other report, which was carried only by the cast-
ing vote of M. Dufaure, rejects the government plan
with respect to the line front Paris to Lyons, and
proposes an immediate loan of .11) millions of francs
for the purpose of completing the line to Lyons with
all possible speed by the state The grounds urged
b M. Dufaure for this conclusion were mainly two.
First, that in his opinion none of the companies
offered any sufficient security that they would really
complete the line. Second, that the terms proposed
were exceedingly unfavourable to the state. Ho
insisted that it was of unspeakable importance that
this great national undertaking should be finishe
with the least possible delay, and that when it was
finished it might be sold to a company on much more
advantageous terms than now. However, a.. violent
outcry has been raised against M. Dufaure s report.
The ministers are firmly resolved to resist it. They
maintain that it is possible to concede the line to a
solid company upon advantageous terms, and com-
plain that :Nl:Dufour° has objected in a general way
to the offers of the companies, but has made no sug-
gestions which might have been considered and
have produced amended offers. Meanwhile, tho ad-
vanced period of the session renders it next to im-
possible for the Assembly to deliberate with suffi-
cient care on so grave a question before the proroga-
tion, especially as ministers insist upon having the
two reports discussed together. In this state of
things the Minister of Public Works, M. Magna,
applied to the Assembly on Friday for a vote of 8
millions as a temporary measure to enable the go-
vernment to go on with the works during the recess.
M. Dufaure perseveringly demanded a vote of ur-
gency for the consideration of his project. The only
decision of the Assembly on Friday was, that the
question of urgency, as well as the general question,
should be postponed till Monday, and that in the
meantime the opinion of the committee of the bud-
get should be asked for. At the sitting of the As-
sembly yesterday M. Pussy, on behalf of the com-
mittee of the budget, stated his reasons for die.
agreeing with the conclusions of M. Dufaure's report.
If on the one hand the special committee of the rail-
way were of opinion that it was not at present
possible to make a concession of the line upon admis-
sible terms, the Ministers of Public Works and of
Finance persisted in declaring that a Luna
,fide and
reasonable offer had been made. Nothing
but a full discussion could enable the As-
sembly to decide between these conflicting opi-
nions. If the Assembly felt unable to resolve this
important question before the prorogation it was
material that they should make a temporary provi-
sion for continuing the works. But any vote beyond
the amount immediately neeessarr for the purpose
would sensibly alter the financial position of the
country and change the whole economy upon which
the budget for 1852 was based. It was besides desi-
rable not to prejudice the principle which had been fre-
quently laid down by former votes of the Assembly
with respect to the advantages of leaving railway
undertakings to private enterprise. The budget com-
mittee were therefore of opinion that the financial
combinations proposed by the railway committee ought
not to be adopted, and that the Assembly, in default
of a definitive resolution, should simply provide the
necessary funds for carrying on the works, either
during the prorogation or to the end of the
financial year The discussion stands fixed for
to-morrow. It is next to certain that only a tem-
porary measure will be passed, and that the ministry
will be disposed to listen to any offers that may be
made by private companies during the recess.
The grand design of prolonging the Rue de Rivoli
to the hotel de Ville has been in contemplation fur
at least forty years. The question of ways and means
has hitherto been a stumbling-block in the way of
every government that has successively considered
project. The Assembly yesterday, in adopting
the two first articles of M. Vitet's report in favour
of the measure proposed by government, have decided
that this splendid improvement to the city shall be
carried into effect forthwith. The fifty-eiglit millions
of francs at which the works are estimated are thus
distributed: Eleven millions for the construction of
eight central markets, twenty millions for the pur-
chase of the ground on which the markets arc to
stand, six millions for the enlargement of the six prin-
cipal streets abutting upon the market, and twenty-
one millions for the demolition of the houses neces-
sary to be removed for the prolongation of the Rue
de ltivoli. To provide for these expenses the city of
Paris is authorised to raise fifty millions by way of
loan on city bonds; and to ensure the due payment
of the bonds, without embarrassing the ordinary
resources of the city, the extra oetroi duty on wines
and spirits is exclusisely appropriated for that pur-
pose up to the 31st of December, 1870. The remaining
eight millions will be found by the city. out of its ordi-
nary resources. On the principle that the works should
be undertaken the Assembly was very generallyagreed,
and the Ist article of the bill. authorising the loan to
be contracted, passed without a division. But the
2nd article, relating to the oetroi duties, met with a
warm opposition. It was contended that the article
2 prejudiced by a side-wind the general question of
the policy of the duties on drinks. That it was a
tax which fell upon the wine-grower, who ought not
to be made to pay for improving the city of Paris,
or upon the working classes in Paris, who would not
benefit by the improvement so much as the boar-
geosie. That the demolitions would send at least
10,000 people in search of new lodgings, to the ma-
nifest advantage of the proprietary class; and that
the same class would reap all the advantages of spe-
culating in the purchase of old materials and the
construction of new buildings. On the other hand,
it was represented that the octroi did not diminish
the consumption of drink. That it was a tax cheer-
fully paid by the workpeople, because they know that
the produce enabled the city to find employment for
them to an immense extent. That unless this certain
means of repayment were provided, the loan could
not be effected. That it was of great importance with
reference to the public tranquillity. that the works
should be going on during the ensuing winter. That
the stagnation in the building trade was greater than in
any other, and that this would give inimc:diate employ-
ment to from 1,300 to 2,000 working masons. Finally,
that, besides the realisation of this magnificent pro-
ject, which had been the dream of Napoleon, who
had said that the markets would be the people's
Louvre, the benefits of demolishing a mass of nar-
row, crowded streets would be very great in point of
solubrity. The latter arguments prevailed, and the
article 2 was carried by 333 to 288. It is calculated
that the new part of the Rue de Rivoli will afford
space for the construction of 80 first-class houses. As
an encouragement to builders to construct these it is
intended that they shall be exempted front the door
and window tax for 20 years; but this article re-
mains to be voted.
At the end of the sitting M. Pascal Duprat ob-
tained leave to put a question to the Minister of
Commerce, on Wednesday next, on the subject of
the recent disastrous irregularities in the tontine
societies.
M. Michel (de Bourges) has gone to Lyons to de-
fend M. Gent, the most important of the prisoners
accused of being implicated in the Lyons conspiracy.
The important question will be raised whether, in
cases where a department is in a state of siege, it is
legal to arrest a man in another part of France and
bring him before a court-martial in the district where
the state of siege prevails.
The President of the Republic has awarded silver
medals of the Ist class t.. Captain James Myhe, of
the English brig Eliza, and Captain Lawrance, of the
English ship Steadfast, for having received on board
some French sailors in distress.
To-day a meeting of the Left takes place, for the
purpose of appointing a committee of surveillance in
opposition to the committee of permanence.
The final poll in the elections of the Nord presents
the following result. Electors inscribed, 143,000;
voters, 80,437, M. Waisse, ministerial candidate,