The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-31 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING-, DECEMBER 31, 1851:.

represented who affirmed the policy of 1848, seems- ,Thers wreath:se esompid ths
tine rdetend is seitestehisk4oflet
to be the likeliest chance for the present prime minis-
two selmsees *sly had vs Yobs. TM mai-
ter's lengthened retention of his plate. auks of et the . Stair Wawa try
Under any circumstances—whatever ally be the nicht to dr Coml. elemilsoiet
issue of the present state of tighlic affairs—one thin_ jg, ents, if end
Itpeeare to be in the hest degree decirable. the ..• star tie odes I
mama.
time has gone by when important ministerial
changes, whether they be the result of court :11.17..wmegassisamweb:irsa rouvettiviv jeg la:
um.
aridelleis:
intrigues, of cabinet squabbles, or of great vans- minmst Inoue the coops
Ys
always dons.
tioos in a nation's policy—the time has gone by, Deolaradem elver, the et pease, anima, solasr
we say, when, under any circumstances, important twee, ware =4, llameek piemalpaml
changes of this sort ought to be made without the as mattessohses was Is sash sommairi
Jugs de pail, elected for three-
fullest and earliest explanations being afforded to the arn"'am'm.
the beer leTZtet *is the tribunals of lett
people, We, therefore, with the utmost seriousness, y
„„ti„:„, this tribimb sow ; aiming
I demand of Lord. Iwo Resent that not a moment's matters, it admitted a jeer seseestion end a Sir et
unnecessary delay be allowed to intervene between judgment, sad ice simple -esels, a tribunal of emir
the commencement of the year and the meeting of the ti°llll,rll of lifejudil4l_7it_houall the l juries. The law n
fhb tr 4
islataleed
parliament. We would not unnecessarily harem the
Prime Minister in any attempts he may be making to a„,=.1716'' '''"7lllTri'pemeed7rirThe mml.
reconstruct his cabinet upon a more popular and with** exegetes etthajuresisiistx, wen he
solid basis; but these efforts must in a very short time life. Tbe law sunsuaded Udlvidaal liberty with some
either result in success or terminate in failure. In it.ditev tes "attic brume's:glitz tame
at bus
either case it seems to us highly, necessary. that the
wtotoeb;elU;sultbjeet:dtaithe colonies es
le ea exceptional %glean
government should lose no time in submitting them- Ibtall. it expressly stiputated that the constitution of Ms
selves to the assembly of the nation. Constitutional an VIII. should not be declared valid until atm hawses
principles require this : the exigencies of the period been
French presented, without delay, to the aomptseisa die
require it. The court may approve the recent Prof
change ; the whigs may approve it. We demand, M. Ronciere-le-Noury, staff-officer of the ministry
on the part of the people, that the House of Com- of marine, has been despatched to Brest on anextraor-
mons should have the earliest opportunity of approv- dinary mission. He is to study the means of accele-
ing it, or otherwise, us the case may be. rating the equipment of ships of war, which now take
a couple of months in getting ready for sea. It
is believed that by abridging certain formalities this
period may be considerably shortened. The trans.
portation squadron is to be got ready for sailing to
Cayenne with all despatch.
M. de Persigny has returned from his minion to
Brussels.
The consultative commission will continue to-day
and to-morrow to examine the returns of the poll,
and to-morrow afternoon will approve in a general
sitting the partial reports of the bureau, which will
be presented the same evening to the President.
The following decree appears in the Moniteur:
1. The result of the votes delivered on the 20th and 21st
of December, 1851, in consequence of the appeal to the
people, shall be proclaimed, published, and posted in the
communes of the republic. 2. A national fete shall be
celebrated Jan. 1, 18.52, in all the capitals of departments,
and on Jan. 11, 1852, in all the communes of trance. A
re beam shall be chaunted in all the churches.
The following decree is published :
1. No café, tavern, or other place for the sale of drinks
to be consumed on the premises, can be opened for the
future without the previous permission of the authorities.
2. The closing of the establishments designated in the pre-
ceding article, which exist at present, or shall be autho-
rised for the future, may be ordered by the prefect of police
RN arf enure of public security. 3. Contraventions of the
above provisions ere punishable by a fine, from 25L
WU, and imprisonment, from six days to six months.
The government claims great credit for the het
edict as a measure of public safety. Were this mew
sure confined to Paris it would be less objectionable;
but it will open an endless field to the tyranny of
prefects and sub-prefects in the provinces, where
every extensien of arbitrary power is committed to
the rude constructions of a servile zeal.
Advantage has been taken of the decree uniting
the administration of the customs and indirect taxes,
to dismiss a great number of functionaries appointed
by the provisional government.
The decorations of the cathedral of Notre Dame for
the fete on New Year's-day are proceeding rapidly.
I Ten tall masts, like those before the cathedral of St. I
Mark, at Venice, are to be planted before the front of
the church, to be surmounted with great tricoloured
banners, and dressed with trophies with the cipher
of LN. in the midst. A great velariutn, like that
which is suspended on the facade of St. Peter's on
lEaster-day, only crimson with gold stars, is to hang
labove the portal. Above the Gallery of Kings
will be hung the banners of the 86 departments,
with their armorial bearings; and from the Gothic
rose window of the centre of the facade will project an
immense faisceau of flags. The towers on either
hand will be decorated to match. The inside of the
cathedral will be lined with hangings, garlands, ban-
ners of all colours, covered with a profusion of L.N.'s,
mad the columns clothed with brocade. The Pre-
sident's chair and canopy will be set in the
transept, having the seat of the Archbishop on the
aht of the altar, and the assisting bishops on the
Three hundred singers and 200 instruments
old
the extremity of the choir a to perform
teedpe lusic, composed by Lesucr, for the re
mere of the
ATM old fetes of the carnival, disused during latter
yeses, are to be restored in 1852.
The electric telegraph is opened to Nantes for pri-
vate despatches.
M. Croce-Spinella, the rich jeweller at the corner
of the Place de la Bourse and Rue Vivienne, has
'been set at liberty. His shop is re-opened, but he
retires from business.
The five following companies have applied to be
allowed to send in tenders for the Lyons to Avignon
Railway: Seguin, Brothers, and Co.; the company
of General Daulle ; that of the iron masters; that of
the national messageries ; and that of Jules Seguin
and Co.
The Mint has been very busy all the week coining
gold pieces of 10 and 20f., and silver of 5,2, and If.
Several millions of francs in silver have also been
coined at the lame establishment for the Swiss go-
vernment
The only Belgian paper allowed in France is the
Emancipation Beige. A revised and correc'ed edi-
tion is made for this purpose, containing a cones-
pendent* MEI Paris favourable to the actual regime,
The Jrilipsisisisse is to be allowed to circulate again
here as rho some conditions.
From the keguent changes in the distribution of
=Weary post% it should seem that scarce a night
=without some alarm, although the attitude of
so ins never more quiet. Thus, last night,
kit NM 10111111 or other unknown, the private hos-
pitel situated in the Faubourg St. Denis,
we occupied by two companies of infantry of the line.
It is said that the President wishes to purchase
the Chateau of Neuill7 from the Orleans family.
The 29 representatives now detained at Sete-
Pdlagie are divided into three categories :-1. 'These
who were arrested at their houses between 6 gni II
o'clock in the morning of the 2nd., viz., MM. Nadler%
I Greppo, Valentin, and C.Lagrange. 2. Those who
were arrested at the maine of the 10th arreadhae•
ment : MM. Joret, Paulin Durieu, Teilbard Lab-
rime, Antony Thonry, Pascal Duprat, Latmde Been,
Renaud, and Marc Dufraisiie. 3. Those who have
been arrested since the 2nd inst.: MM. Belin, Choi-
bat, Richard, Burgard, Gambol], Colfavru, Laboulaye,
Racouchot, Delbetz, Chair, Perdiguier, Faure, Benoit,
Madet, Huguenin, and Lafond.
It is by error that M. Canet has been included in
the list of refugee representatives at Brussels. He
has not left Paris.
The Journal du Cher announces that M. Viguier
and M. Miot, ex-representatives of the Cher and the
Nievre, arrived on the 26th at Bourges, under an
escort of police, and were immediately placed in the
prison of that place. Fifty-five prisoners have just
been removed from that establishment to another
place prepared for their reception at the new semi-

The ample report which we give in another column
of the meeting of engineers, at the Hall of Commerce, last
evening—convened for the special purpose of supplying the
ant wer to the previous meeting of employers—will put the
public in complete possession of the workmen's side in a
controversy which each day increases in imoortanee. The
whole case is now before us; and the workmen will at
least not have to complain that tiny have not received the
Justin of an impartial hearing. Everybody who reads
oar report will admit that the tone and character
of last night's demonstration reflect credit upon
that portion of the working classes whose in-'
wrests are so deeply concerned in the ultimate decision of
this question. There is no doubt that the thronged assem-
blage of hard-handed artisans was ardently and deeply in
earnest—believing themselves to be in the right, and reso-
lute to risk the utmost in the pursuit of their two specified
objects. It will also be seen that their advocates who ad-
dressed them—the leaders whom they follow—spoke in a
tone which for moderation and feeling was unob-
jectionable. In Mr. Newton's speech, for instance,
which was warmly cheered throughout, there were

none of those senseless and mischievous clap-traps
which at other times, with similar bodies, hare been
substituted for reason and fact. It was a meeting to re-
monstrate with the public and with the masters, to
state facts, and to declare opinions; and while the view
which the employers have taken of the attempted dictation
will remain unchanged, those masters will certainly be
somewhat more disposed, and be probably better enabled, to
accede to some compromise. The men complain that the
masters have been raided, and are acting altogether upon
deficient knowledge ; and Mr. Newton, the recognised agent
of the amalgamated society, offered, amid the warmest ap-
plause, to leave the whole issue to honest arbitration. The
idea of a strike on the lit of January is repudiated. It is
to be hoped, therefore, that the whole affair may be ami-
cably settled without further contest, or any recourse to
those extremities by which both parties must be injured,
but which must throw the heaviest amount of injury on
those least able to bear it—the workmen and their families.

FRANCE.

PARIS, TVISDAT EvisiNo.
The total number of votes in favour of Louis Na-
poleon given by the last official returns is 7,120,000.
Political circles are chiefly occupied to-day with
speculations regarding the constitution which is on
the eve of promulgation. You will remember that
the memorable " Appeal to the People" of the
2nd Ike. enunciated the leading features of the
proposed charter, and added that this system,
created by the First Consul, at the beginning of the
century, had already given to Frame repose and
prosperity, and would secure those blessings once
more. People have been therefore scanning atten-
tively the polity thus proposed as a model, which is
ummonly known by the constitution of the year VIII.
But before I proceed to give you a summary of the
provisions of the pattern, I will briefly state what I
have been able to extract from good sources as to the
(T.is said by persons well informed, that the new
esastitution will contain the following provisions:
The Senate will be composed of 150 members,
own among Frenchmen possessing an income of
23,000 fr. per annum, or, in detault of this qualification,
loving rendered distinguished services to the state.
'blotter are to receive a salary of 25,0001 r. per ann.
Ind attributions of the senate are to be as nearly as
three of the senate of the empire ; its de-
W
111 not be open to the public.
The bglelative body is to be composed of 250
wowthers only ; each electoral arrondissement is to
aeon three members, among whom the executive
will select one as legislator. Hence there would be
750 candidates elected, of whom 250 would be
appointed. Nothing is yet decided as to the
degree of publicity to be given to the debates
in the legislative body. In fact, if the pro-
visions of the constitution of the year VIII. are
to be sallied out, the legislative corps is to be simply
a voting wedience, who are to listen to three speakers
appoialsibithe government from the Conseil d'Etat,
to esphda mud defend bills, which the ministry alone
haw tbs. light of initiating, and to three
ted by the Tribunate, a body of 100,
=eh gririenate out of eaptibles elected by the
aIIISIMIL Thus, the part of the corps kgislaq is
,lurid to that of mutes in this funeral of all
Now take the following digest of the contents of
the pattern :
deelesellest of rights sad duties preceded the consti-
tution cede ha Vll,l- lint of all, it regulated the eter-
i• edr Odd of siemens. sad the conditions which
mesa the of Yeah oldies to be lost or .acquired.
The din. el these Asir wee sleuths, which manifested
itself by the bee ties item lies. The lbw of these was
oiliest the lie ef esediese beeleheed the rem of those
wino the se oldie obsess weep by seerniess de-
r et folillhe web Inbar haidoss ;
th▪ e
aweber Omar= vows a Nadi shirt of the deeds.
It was bum die eseemedd Est Oat the public funetideries
of the arremelimemed led to be idea ; ore their pert the
citizens pissed ea the Ile of immildence assembled at the
ebet-lies of shalt eneedessamils, and designated a
wash sessepe thee, wise Iterml Dew category of notables,
4=W lira frees edge were chosen the public
of the depertemett. The Meet of this second
Mai bf • tenth of their
such;eser= ~sutradulliriaL ballot • third
list, seed the atiliael list, which emptied in each de-
de Arm eligible for Modems ef higher order.
flees Wes suns, 1111 1, eak
_wed revised every three
yews. The mairetha oarsmeees created a end con-
avvralemr. The tease we impend of 80 'ambers, no•
war el he Ilk sad seed et bee 40. Only 00 were no-
meisseei t two aeubletioes a yeer suede during 10 years
beets distiest iserbeeW weer of 80. The as-
des bed the asseatica of its owe .sabers. It had
to diem hem three smoddstes, preented, the first
the
the 11161141 w seeps. the read by the tribunal,
third the Meet Osesel. The haste wee obliged
to Waft seellftee who el& be prepesed at
the seas gem by the Owe ere sefteriees. A se-
rater was &dared he me diemedild he my ether pub-
lie fiesess. The surd amsette be resered to it the
maimed list ef each deeermat. rod bee that list it elected
itself the legislators, the trade% the ensids, the judges
as ode. re the amelesiesses of seems as. it run-
bred w sailed ell the Not whisk were referred to it as'
saseastitatinal by the Whoosh is the Revenumer. Re-
dness were set epee ie the erases of the erste
and inch weber el do body enjoyed obey of nos
her the 16,000 tr. The *Mega et fts mate wee sat
rabid me emeeleesies 11118111111111141 agreed in le-
swielbe peaty; the perement sleep regrind Ile
b•ss. end then laws, reersiested Ant Se =
reed eat be reaseirrial seal after they bad
the erislisa of tbe asps higistatif The triburatereener
wed ef 11l remben, aged 23 years at least, ,sawed
sash yaw by Mk, bat indefinitely re-eligible se beg
r *Mr armee awed on the national list. The lei.
bane dbeeleedl blle. Ned voted the adoption or eddies
of the.. Aid this rate, it charged three of is e
submit te the trope Wisiistif the motives of its
or its veimmi. The tarps kgesistif was composed 761
--boot bpi :Son at lust, and who wen as be se.
newel ems" lime a fifth. This assembly, esessiliss
the lawr whenuted it, was to contain se Moe we
diem et midi department of the republic. ♦ =dig
kebilee seal set be re-eleete I until atter • padsit
desk babe wee *dewed to fulfil the dudes ellammth
The sedan ed the corps legistatif the
er
the Ist itimise (21st Nov.), but emit set be
beret he sassalla The orps
"mg
discussion.
tne 11%114 the
let
the as_ pone peewit at either dem* meld
elu Oh Tbe lideas at tier ese gime
rkgialstse woe seleelell by the mama

nary.
The number of persons now detained in the prison ,
of Beziers amounts to more than 300. The arrests in
the arrondissement since the 4th inst. exceed 430.
The Ordre says that when the constitution shall
have determined the conditions of the peas, it will
inform its readers what steps it will take.
One of the gatekeepers of the Bois de Boulogne
was arrested the day before yesterday, and sent to
the prefecture. At his residence were seized several
muskets, pistols, poignards, demagogical writings,
and a portrait of RaspaiL
The number of works printed in all languages at
Paris during
.the year is 7,350 ; and during the last
ten years it is 64,368. In the present year there
have also been printed 48.5 musical works, 1,014 en-
gravings and lithographs, and 133 maps and plans.
The Prefect of the Lot has ordered that the words
Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity" shall be erased
throughout his department. It is curious that these
words, described by the prefect as the emblems of
pillage, murder, violation, arson, anarchy, and civil
war should still be allowed to remain upon all the
public buildinp in Paris. Moreover the obnoxious
words have been used by the President himself
sines the coup dad, as a heading to one of the moat
arbitrary decrees yet issued. We know that prefects
, leave" no passion of their own," and act only in the
I spirit of the orders they. receive from Paris. It is
therefore rather to be inferred that the formidable
protesting minority of 96,000 men, who in spite of
' the extensive weeding of the population by trans.
potation and imprisonment, are yet left with-
in the walls of Paris, inspire the govern-

klu
meet will' 'some degree of wholesome respect.
It is doubtless this consideration which has
"therto suspended the execution of the design to
establish a censorship upon books in the capital,
although, as you are aware, that measure is in actual
operation in some departments, and has been recom-
mended to all the prefects by a ministerial circular.
The Procureur-General of Toulon has addressed a
circular to the jades-de-paix of the department of the
Var, telling them that they must now aid the clergy
in exhorting the people to reject the poisonous doc-
trines of communism, and yid a submissive obedi-
ence to the authorities.
The railway round Paris, which is to unite all the
stations. has already been begun between La Vil-
lette and La Chappelle. Although the concession of
this portion to the Strasbourg Company allows a
year for its completion, the contractor has engaged
to finish it before the end of January.
M. Nicolas, the master of a public school at Dudes
(Indre), has been suspended and deprived of his
salary for a month, for having attended a banquet at
which the principal demagogues of 'the arrondisse-
ment were asembled.
M. Grenier, Professor of the Faculty of Sciences at
Besancon, has been suspended by the Minister of
Public Instruction.
The electors of France have in very many in-
stances departed from the instructions given them to
put a simple Yes or No into the balloting boxes. A
great many added their signatures. This has been held
a departure from the principle of ballot, and the signed
voting papers have been treated as void. Several
bulletins bore the name Napoleon, or Louis Napoleon.
These were considered as affirmative votes. Others
bearing other names, such as for instance Cavaignac,
or Ledru-Rollin, ought perhaps in fairness to have
been reckoned as Noes, but they have been set aside
as void. One elector wrote, " I vote Yes, upon condi-
tion that Napoleon set at liberty my friend Cavaig-
, nac." This was counted as a good vote, and, with
I much reason, the condition having been already
performed; but the principle upon which a vote
" upon condition that the 200 fr. allowed to the cure
i of my parish for a low mass shall be suppressed"
i was allowed is . not so obvious. Perhaps it

tenth, "Itegleinent pour les Voyages ;" the eleventh,
" Bermens;" and the twelfth, " do la Cour."
It is sufficiently piquant to think of Napoleon Louis
smelting oaths fradn his sefvants, after he has showa
how much his own oath is to be relied upon.
Some of the maxims of the imperial legislator on
etiquette will be extremely applicable to the court
of his nephew. For example, we are told, in the
21st article of the Bth chapter, of the Ist title, "Bien
nest an dessous des aides-dc-camp pour le service."
The military hangers-on of Napoleon Louis have in-
deed shown that there is no dirty work too low for
them.
The minuteness of the instructions for setting out
the dinner table is amusing : " On pose nue serviette
sur la nappe I la place oft doit etre mis le convert de
l'Empereur et cclui de l'lmperattice. Cette serviette
dolt tomber de la mita de so longueur au mins, de
manure d pouvoir etre rejetee sur le couvert lorsgu'il
est place, et le courrir tout-afait."
In the Imperial Court the minimum number of ,
pages was 36, the maximum 60. The followiug re-
gulation suggests a curious picture. The multitude
of pages clambering urn, and clinging to, the imperial
carriage must have given it pretty much the appear-
ance of an old-fashioned stage-coach at the " breaking
up " of some school for the holidays : " Quand S. M.
se sort de sa voiture de ceremonie, il en monte antant
que possible derriere la voiture, et six derriere to
cocher."
Napoleon I. seems to have been extremely anxious
to obtain the reputation of a good shot ; he took pre-
cautions to have credit given him for every beast or
bird he brought down : " Le gibier tub aux tires de
l'Empereur est porte dans les paniers que fait suivre
le grand Ecuyer ; un des Pages marque to giblet qui
a ete tue par an Nlajeste." As Napoleon Louis was
not present in person at the late great butter on the
Boulevards, none of the gibier brought down on that
occasion could be marked as havinghad the honour to
be " tue par sa Majeotb."
What fine sights there will be for the Parisians
after the coronation of Napoleon 11.

was upon the legal ground than an inipioui
condition ought never to be recognised. Some modest
electors wrote that they declined to vlte on account
of their inexperience in politics. These were of
course carried to the list of nullities, but generally
spciking the addition of comments, whether comph•
mentary or otherwise, to the words Yes or No have
not been hold to vitiate the votes.

The Pays gives the following details relative to
the prisoners at Ham :
'What was at first stated as to their being in solitary con-
finement is perfectly true. Nut only were they prevented
from having any communication with persons without, but
they had no intercourse with each other, and their keepers
ob-erved the most complete secrecy towards them. Lech
of them was ignorant as to who were his companions in
captivity, and particularly of what events had token place
in l'Aris and the departments from the moment of his
arrest. The utmost attention was paid to them, nod in this
respect they have all rendered full justiee to the manner in
which they have been treated. It was only at the end of
ten lays that they were allowed to communicate with each
other. and from that time their families and friends were
permitted to visit them, and alleviate the ennui of their
contnement. There now remain at Ham, MM. Changer-
nier, Bedeau, Lamoriciere, Charms, Base, and Leflo. They
all dine together, and are served by sub-officers, who pay
them the greatest attention Mesdames Liunoriciere, Ledo,
and Base share the captivity of their husbands, the first in
particular, by the affability of her manners, beguiling the
tedious hours of imprisonment. Madame Lotto is
unfortunately labouring under great depression of
spirits, having, since she has been at Ham, lost one of bar
children. General Changarnier, whose cold stoicism pre-
sents such a contrast with the vivacity of Colonel Charms,
and the energetic ardour of General Lamorieiere, has again
restmed that imnsobilite which has distinguished him during
his political life. He seldom keeps up • regular converse-
don, and it is ditficult to know the secret thoughts which
agitate his grave and serious mind. He occupies the same
apartment as General Lamonciere. As to the latter, with
the rapidity of intelligence for which he is distinguished, he
soon understood the bearing and character of the act of
December 2, and he easily resigned himself to • fact which
adverse opinions may well criticise, but the power and
authority of which it is no longer permitted to misunder-
stand. lie loudly protests against any idea on his part of
conspiring; and, although he may'couceive the necessity of
his arrest at the first moment, he does not imagine that any
more rigorous measures can ever be adopted against him.
Colonel Chartas, while sharing in the seine convictions,
admits the serious fault which the republican party has
committed by linking itself with socialism, the de-
feat of which might, by a movement of irresistible
reaction, lead to the fall of the Republic itself. None
of the prisoners appear so crest-fallen as M. Base.
lie fears that the documents seized at his house may com-
promise him more seriously than his companions in cap-
tivity, and the idea of exile inspires him with great sorrow.
He has no fortune, and the impossibility of exercising his
profession of avocet in a foreign country, makes him fear
serious embarrassment and great privations. It is, however,
positively stated that General Bedeau takes upon himself
all the responsibility of the documents found at the resi-
dence of the ex-questor. It is he who, as Vice-President
of the Assembly, is said to have had them drawn up and
printed. These papers, however, de not show any con-
spiracy against the President of the Republic, and the
general expresses his astonishment that his military honour
could be su-pected of plotting against the chief of the
executive power. The conduct of General Bedeau is dis-
tinguished by more than common piety. He is • fervent
Christian, who takes refuge in meditation and prayer
against the instability of human affairs. It is not now for
the first time that these religious sentiments are manifested
by the g I. Our soldiers remember having frequently
seen him in Africa, at the moment of combat, alight from
his horse and invoke in silent prayer the protection and
support of the god of battles. It is in conversations where
each prisoner expresses his personal impressions, that the
days which successively bring their captivity nearer to its
termination are passed.
At the Bourse the Five per Cents fell 60c., and
closed at 101.23. The Three per Cents feU 33c. and
closed at 66.43. Railways fully maintained the rise
of yesterday.