The Express.
London, England, 1846-10-07 00:00:00

LITERATURE,.

MUNICIPALITY OF F;111.. Etudes sue r Administration de
to li/Fe de Paris, et the Apartement de la Seine. l'sr
M. 'toil/MU SAY (' .4:lndies on the Administration t!/'the
Tows gi Pari., clod ys the Apartment if tAe Some').
_ . _

Paris, 1846. Pp. 484.
The author of this volume, a son of the late distin-
guished political economist, and creditably known as
the editor and anno•ator of several of his father's
writings, has been for some years a member of what
is called the General Council of the Department of
the Seine, as well as of the Paris Chamber of Com-
merce; and both his position and his tastes have led
him to devote much attention to a subject which even
in France is for the greater part a terra ineognila to
most persons. Yet it is one of considerable interest,
not only for the people of Paris and of Franco
generally, but even for foreigners. The political con-
stitution of such a capital as Paris, is as well worth
studying. as that of many an entire kingdom or state.
Paris with its million of inhabitants, and London
with its two millions, are both, in fact, c •nsiderable
states. And the concentration of so large a popula-
tion upon so limited a territory, gives a very peculiar
character to the case, and makes it in some respects
both more interesting and more instructive than that of
an equally numerous community spread over a wider
surface.
Upon the whole, the government of a million of peo-
ple confined within a space of some twenty or twenty-
five square miles, must be accounted a greater triumph
of civilisation, and a phenomenon better worth con-
templating, than that of a population of the same
amount distributed over a region of perhaps two
hundred times the extent. The difficulties arc oppo-
site in the two cases. In the latter, the action of the
governing power is enfeebled by the distance over
which it has to stretch ; in the former, it is hampered
and embarrassed by the proximity and close pressure
of everything. But the want of room is evidently
the worse evil of the two. In so far, indeed, as the ex-
istence and well-being of a community depend upon
combination, or the voluntary concurrence of all tho
individuals composing it, the *less they are scattered
the better; but government consists mainly, at least
has hitherto mainly consisted, in repression and provi-
sion ; both of which functions are by far most difficult to
fulfil when the population is congregated into dense
masses. A country without towns might almost
govern itself, or exist without any government at all;
that is to say, there might
abundance, but they would
disturbance or alarm to the

tions. Witness what takes place
the great North American U
maintenance for all public p
and authority of the Prcsidei
compatible with a condition
ness, or the unrestrained
mere law of the strongest
things, it is true, the weak
aside by the strong; but it iv

G be clinic and misery in
not be such as to give any
State in its publi .
s place in the 4 4-731 ig
Union : whe • , •
purposes of the., , •
tent and Congrae
n of nearly end* '
d social domitial. tha r
st. In such oi aof
• •
eak are apt ta.-bf
is wonderful illiatvg di
• -