The Express.
London, England, 1849-12-26 00:00:00

Y EVENING, DECEMBER 26, 1849.
. .

anThTl----he members of the committee. 1134. Montalem-
bed and Thiers—the former especially, who had per-
suaded the President to abandon the project—oom-
plaised with great bitterness of Louis Napoleon's
waded. M. Thiess informed M. de Parlez' that his
law wee meeting with the greatest opposition from all
quarters, and that it might possibly be rejected iM.
de Parieu, however, mid that be should persst in
pressing it. "Do you think, then," M. Thins is re-
ported to have raid, "that you as be long successful
ha thus ?laying against the Assembly. M. de Patten
then tented, leaving the committee a prey to great
discontent. M. de Persigny has not yet left for
Berlin, and it is said that his departure will be yet
further delayed. lam credibly informed that the
Austrian minister here went to ask the President of
the Republic questions as to the truth of the alleged
object of M. de Penigny's minion. That object was
stated to be to spread at Berlin the assurance that
France, in conjunction with England, was favourable
to the efforts of that power as against the absolutist
tendencies of Austria.
The President is said to have assured the Austrian
ambassador that there was no foundation for this
rumour, and that gentleman left, it is said, unsatisfied
with his interview, he not believing much of what he
had heard.
I eztract tte following, relative to the alleged
change in the passport system, from Galignatis

Mesienger :
We copied lately from a London paper a statement that
the President of the Republic had announced to the
English gentlemen who waited upon him on the occasion
of their experimental trip to show the rapidity with
which the postal communication with England could
be carried on via Boulogne and Folkestone, that
the passport system was abolished. Discredit hums
been thrown upon this statement by the National,
we wrote to Boulogne and Calais to ascertain whether
any orders heel been reeeived at either of those places
in stnformity with the announcement said to have
been made by the President. The answers reached us yes-
terday, and we ri gist to say they inform us that the passport
sus m has as yet neither been abolished nor undergone any
modification. We trust, however, that the promised eme.io-
radon has been rarely delayed, by a regard for the neces
city of precautions, in a partial concession, where the pus-
port system is merely vexatory without offering any real
security to the government, in order at the 84M0 tints to
retain the restrictions on other points of the territory
where, for the present at least, any relaxation might afford
additions: facilities to the admission of persons whose pre-
sence in France without the means of controul now exer-
cised might be regarded as dangerous to the sate. The
Nationta, in throwing discredit on the announcement
banded its disbelief on the fact that it bed not
beard of the revoestion of any of the laws or decrees
re-
lative to the passport system. This, however, would of it.
self be no resent for doubting the determination of the go-
vsrament to relax the system as regards the intercourse
with England. The laws and decrees on the subject of
passports do net impale upon the government the obligation
of demanding that foreigners visiting France shall be pro-
vided with passports; they merely authorise the govern
stunt to impose such restrictions if they be consider d
necessary. It is in the power of the government, therefore,
without an application to the legislature, to give orders for
granting additional facilities to intercourse in any part of
the territory where the old restrictions are no leeger ne-
s vary for public security ; and es it is impominle fer any
min to say with truth that there is any necessity for con-
tinuing the passport system u regards Englishmen visiting
France, we again express a hope that the promised modifica-
tion will soon take place.
The Moniteur publishes a report from the minister
of commerce to the President of the Republic, pro-
posing the formation of a special commission to be
charged with the preparation and pub .icadon of eta-
tistical charts of k ranee, which may be of more ready
reference that tie pondercus volumes now published,
and thus become of more utility to the agricultural,
commercial, and industrial interests of the country.
The report was approved of by the President.
Oil the recent visit of the minister of commerce to
the Bourse, the president and members of the Cham-
ber of Commerce laid before Lim him the great indus-
trial inquiry which they had been charged to make
out. From it it appears that labour in Paris has very
much improved during the last few montue, and it
some special branches of industry are still suffering.
it is merely owing to temporary causes, which the
minister has promised to examine attentively, with the
hope of being able to apply a prompt remedy.
The proposition of M. Nadaud and a number of re-
presentatives, recently presented to the Assembly,
for extending the decree of the constituent as-
sembly of 15th July, 1848, on workmen's aesocia-
tions, was to enable such associations to undertake, by
direct concession or artjudication, pubic works and
manufacturing and agricultural enterprises. The pro-
position was couched in such terms as to change radi-
cally the organisation of public works and the condi.
rionsoflabour. The committee of the Assembly charged
to examine the proposition, after, as has been stated,
pi-posing to reject it, recommends to the Aseembly to
decree that the law of 15th July shall be applicable to
all works by the state, the departments,communes, and
public establishments; and that associations of work-
men who present themselves to contract for such works
shall be relieved from the necessity of depositing cau-
-1 tion-money. In its report, the committee states that
I of the associations which have been formed, those in
which masters have joined the workmen are likely to
I be successful, whilst those consisting of workmen
alone have been, or are likely to be, unsuccessful.
Tne administration has frequently been obliged to
interfere, either to increase the subventione, to re-
establish harmony between the membi Ts of the asso-
ciations, or to assist the management with advice
It has been ascertained from official reports that the
equality of wages bas almo.t always caused d:scord
and disunion between the members of the associa-
tions, that discipline is almost impossible in them,
that those which have had the moat success have
only twelve or fifteen workmen, and that the works
executed by the associations are generally not satis-
factory. An association of workmen for the paving of
Paris has, however, succeeded : it obtained a contract
exceeding 200,0901 r., at such a price am, whilst en-
abling toe municipality to effect a very important
saving, gave to each man 4fr. 50c. a day, besides a
share in the surplus profits, calculated to be 178 fr.
each man. But it is stated that these paviours are the
of their class, that the nature of their work is ex-
ceptional, that they maintain the strictest discipline,
that they had a private capital to commence with, and
that, though they adopted the principle of equal
wages for themselves, they did not apply it to the
men they employed.
M. de St. Priest has presented a proposition,
having for object to place Ander the guarantee of the
public treasury the transmissit n by the Post-office of
bark nctes, bills of excharigii, beakers' papers, S:c.
It has been referred to the Committee of Parliamentary
Initiative.
The Jegrinal des ll:bats 'aye :—" The following
nominations are announced as baring been decided on :
M. Bout ie, consul-general at Berme, to replace M.
de Chtsteau at Tangiers, in the same quality ; M. de
Lespsrda, consul ai Trieste, to proceed as consul gene-
ral to Ileyrout ; M. Lean Roches, secretary of lega-
tion at Tangiers, to be consul at Trieste; M. Villamus,
corisol at Porto-Rico, to go as consul to Venice; and
M. Flory. consular agent at Girgenti, to be consul at
Mogador."
Tne Societe de Bienfaisance of Biomes, department
of the I ere, has sent an address to the President of
the Republic, expressing their gratitude for the bill
on e` aritable sssociations which to caused to be pre-
f., rated to the Assembly, and which they say will se-
cure a better fortune to the working classes.
The lie f,rea, was seized yesterday for printing,
trom the Northern Star, an address from the exiles
in Lord in to the democrats of E glsrei, which con-
cluded with the words, " Vie.. it Republique Demo-
crkceic et Si.ciee. Being Christmas-day, there was
no Bourse.

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