The Express.
London, England, 1848-03-17 00:00:00

NOTICE.

DEPUTATION OF BAKERS TO THE HOME-OFFICE.
—Yesterday a deputation of master and journeyman bakers
waited upon the Secretary of State for the Home Depart-
ment, by appointment, to solicit the support of government
in the application they are about to make to parliament for
a legislative enactment for the abolition of night work and
for the limitation of the hours of labour. The deputation
was accompanied by Lord Robert Grosvenor, M.P., and
Mr. Wakley, M.P.—Lord Robert Grosvenor introduced the
deputation to Sir George Grey, and briefly alluded to the
object they had in view, and which he said would be fully
explained in the course of the interview. His lordship said
he wished it to be understood that the masters and the
workmen were willing to arrange the matter themselves, but
it was found upon inquiry that nothing but a legislative en-
actment would be effectual to carry out the desired objects.—
Mr. Wakley, M.P., said, the case mule out on the put of
the bakers was certainly one beyond all precedent, and un-
doubtedly called for parliamentary interference, as well for
the interests of the trade itself as for the sake of the work-
men. The system of night-work was most destructive of
health, and in no trade was life so shortened as in the
baking trade. It had been proved by the statisties of
London that the bakers were shorter lived than even the
white-lead manufacturers or the eciasor-grinders of Shedield.
Sir G. Grey said be hoped they would not expect him to
give any hasty decision upon so important a question. Be
would promise them that he would give the matter due con-
sideration, and he amid say that government would net
stand in the way of any practicable measure that would be
deemed fair to all parties—Mr. Wakley, after again calling
the attention of Sir G. Grey to the shortness of the duration
of life among the journeymen bakers, said that a similar in-
terference to that now sought had been practised by govern-
ment in the case of the coalwhippers of London, and he
would add with the most beneficial results—Mr. Johnatoo,
en the part of the deputation, expressed their thanks to Sir
G Grey for the cocrteous reception they bad experienced.—
: The deputation th, o withdrew.

.
Tau number of STAMPS noted to the DAILY NEWS
by the authorities of the Stamp-office, during In i 7, re,s :
From lAN. 1, to Disc. 31, 3,447,009
This, we believe, is within eight per cent. of .ne amber -
issued to the Morning Herald, Morning Chronicle, .El' •
Morning Post, ALL PVT TUOETHER.
In addition to the above, issued to the DAILY NEWS,
Mornina Paper, there were issued for the Evening Edition,
THE EXPRESS,
From JAN. 1, to DEC. 31 778,714
Which was more, we believe, than were ism d tither M
the Globe or Standard, Evening Papers.

TO CORRESPONDENT&
re tun rem. to doubt the eeereemirs at ivithi • Ciais. Watees.
..b,t.tr:OVXM

lIIOIIITATIS AT 1A)30011 11111ot'.
1La1....L2=-110.....m1,47ut5. gem 0 ,
j ANIII•0114. I.

LONDON, FRIDAY, MARCII 117.
IT would seem that the difference of opireon known
to exist between the members of the French Pro-
visional Government was about to produce a rupture. .
M. LEDRU ItOLLIN, the most decidedly democratic of
that body, and the one possessing most influence
over, and connexion with, the republican and opera-
tive masses, had given offence to his more moderate
colleagues by the fierce and somewhat autocratic tom
' of his famous circular.
The moderate party has evidently raised its head
of late, begun to speak with more frankness and
courage in its journals, its friends in the national
guard assuming an attitude not to be mistaken. A
club of the moderates taking the name of the club
of the national guard was a bold step. It was
rendered necessary, by the decree of the government
abolishing the flank companies of each legion, thereby
affording a pretext for remodelling all the companies,
and proceeding to a new election of officers.
It was rumoured that, in consequence of the de-
cided remonstrances of Messrs. LAMARTINS.,
CRa-
stIEUX, MARIE, and GARNIER PAGES, Ll=
ROLLIN had resigned, and was to be succeeded by M.
CORMENIN, as Minister of the Interim. Nothing
ot
could be more unlikely. M. LEDRU ROLLIN i 8
the man to resign of his own free will, and there is
no power to force him. Indeed, any attempt of the
kind would bring the armed bands who wen
the victors of February in collision with such
of the national guard as might come forward to
defend the moderates. Such extremities were beet
avoided, especially until the great arbiter between
contending. parties, the National Assembly, shall have
met to decide peaceably betwixt them.
For our part we were_meee_ amused than shocked
or terrified by the very grandiloquent and dictatorial
words of M. LEDRU'S circular. It has been our good
fortune to witness the advent of some of these for-
midable envoys of the republican government. And,
in truth, we were anxious to behold the successors of
those famed representants do people, who put their
feet on the neck of the provinces, decimated the popu-
lation, confiscated their property, and made armies,
as w ell as the generals at the head of armies, tremble.
M. LEDRU ROLLIN may speak very big, bat hit
envoys came down clothed with no such terror.
They are in general men of letters, editors of
country journah, boys of the Polytechnic School,
but not Gorgon'. They are so young and so polite,
so utterly devoid of either authority or terror, that
they really have the air more of commis royageurt
than of the delegates of a fierce republic. One of
these envoys proceeded the other day to displace a
sous prefet, whereat the old functionary, being wroth,
scolded M. Wien Hou.rs's young envoy so fiercely,
that the latter actually burst into tears. In r 793 he
would have sent the sous prefet to the gui:lotine.
Throughout the whole range of French towns and
departments the French Provisional Government
have not committed one harsh, dictatorial, or unwar-
rantable act. At least we have not heard of any. Its
only errors and absurdities, for crimes it has certainly
not committed, have been the promulgation of circa-
lam or manifestos harmonising neither with their
conduct nor with the spirit of the age.
That of M. LEDRU ROLLIN to the agents des-
patched by him, as Home Minister, to the provinces,
has drawn down most animadversion. M. LEDRU
ROLLIN, as an orator, is certainly not a man of taste.
His eloquence is turgid, and he has ever been an in-
trepid utterer of big and unmeaning words. His cir-
cular is composed of these. And no Frenchman is
deceived with respect to them. Whereas if each
words be presented to the English reader as serious,
and meaning all they say, they would recall the red-
hot times of the old revolution.
M. LEDRU ROLLIN first tells his agents they art
all-powerful. Poor youths ! They come down upon
the rural districts by the train or the diligence. They
may displace the mayor, and have another elected
by the municipality. They: piny take the command
of the score of gendarmes, which form the police of
the place. But the national guard—how can they
order or deal with it ? LEDRU ROLLIN tells his
agents that they have authority over the military
commander, but at the same time lie rec.immends them
not to exercise it so as to excite any difference or colli-
sion: they are to respect military susceptibilities. So that
whilst the military division and its officers form one
independent power, the national guard and munici-
pality another, the poor delegate of LEDRI: ROWS
must go about begging for such little support as
either may deign to grant him.
Another of the Provisional Government who he.
been repreanted as an insolent monster, and whose circu-
lars have been animadverted upon, is CARNOT, Minister
of Public Instruction. Yet scarcely any change has
been made iu that department, except the appoint-
ment of a valuable commission to inquire into and
provide for the state of education. The Ministry of
Public Instruction is now a nest of philosophers -of
men who have studied, and written, and philoso-
phised—who are visionary, perhaps, but who would
be the last men in France to invite the aid, and pro-
claim the reign, of ignorance. CARNOT has devoted
all the years of his life to the furthering of popular
education. RETNAUD, and CIURTON his friend and
secretary, have written and laboured more perhaps
than any two men in France in the same cause. One
of the acts of CARNOT has been to name BERANGIII
the poet to be one of the councillors of the university.
At,d BERANGER, who never would accept pla,c
pension from BouRBON or ORLEANS, has consented to
fill this office. We may fear that CARNOT'S adminis-
tration of public instruction may be too visionary, too
theoretic, but as to its being of the absurd and dan-
gerous tendency so misrepresented, the slightest
knowledge of the individuals would instantly con-

tradict.
What is far more dangerous than M. LEDRC 110L-
LI1iS or M. Csusor's circulars, is the attempt now
making by M. Lours BLANC, in the name of the
government, to found communism in the shape of
social workshops. When we recollect that one of the
institutions denounced by NI. LOUIS BLANC is the
savings banks, which he stigmatises as a selfish
and anti-social system ; and when we couple
each doctrines with the decree of the Finance
Minister, we must own that we much fear M. LOUIS
BLANC'S disorganisation of labour. But LANARTI
cnt,
NE
and the more sensible of the Provisional Go
vernta
have tolerated M. BLANC'S nonsense from the convic-
tion that his theories would either evaporate or
refute themselves. Let them extend the same toler-
ance to M. LEnne-Itottit4's big words. At least it
is time enough to denounce them when any authori
ties, provincial or metropolitan, shall consider themes
serious—and that there seems no chance of any one

IF we may judge from the temper of the House of
Commons, last night, the minister of the New Poor
Law will have an easy berth of it. Instead of being
b. dgered, as his predecessors were, by the press and