The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-04 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, TUESDAY Evxmo.
The four commissioners appointed to make a tour
of inspection in the provinces were admitted yester-
day to an audience with the Emperor, in order to re-
ceive his instructions. The official journal states
that one of the principal effect' of their mission will
be to place before his Majesty the expression of the
wishes of the country, and to point out various im-
provements, the execution of which will be beneficial
to the public generally.
The Chamber of Commerce of Bordeaux are about
to have the speech delivered by the Emperor at the
time of his visit to that city, engraved on tablets and
placed in the interior of the Bourse opposite the
grand staircase. This is the speech, you will re-
member, whish contained the famous phrase, "L'Em-
piro c'est la Pail."
It is very generally reported that M. Pietri, the
prefect of police, is about to be relieved from his
office, and at the same time created a senator by way
of consolation. M. Balestrino now the head of a
department at the Prefecture, will ie that case be the
new prefect of police.
M. Oscar Lafayette, the grandson and representa-
tive of the family of the famcus General Lafayette,
has refused to take the oath of allegiance to the
Emperor, required from him as a captain of artil-
lery, and has in consequence been deprived of his
commission. M. 0. Lafayette was successively a
member of the Chamber of Deputies cud the Logic.
lades and Constituent Assemblies. Before entering
on political life, he distinguished himself in the
African campaigns; since the events of December 2
he has not been in active service.

The Revue des Beaux Arts, a journal connected
with the court, gives the following account of the
circumstances under which the inauguration of the
Emperor's tomb at the Invatides was postponed :
Tree company of Pampas Foutebres had been called upon
to furnish estimates of the expense of the grand ceremonial
so fares concerned hangings and funeral decorations. The
first estimate was 122,000 fr., but this was reduced to
100,000 fr. The money question being thus to far arranged,
the programme rem daed to be settled. A council was held
fur this purpose at the Tuileries, at which the Emperor pre-
sided, and all the ministers, the staff of the Invalid.., Mar-
shal Jerome Bonaparte the honorary governor, General
Ornano the governor, and General Sauboul the command-
ant of the palace were present. After • trifling discussion ,
on matters of detail, General Sauboal roes as if a new light
had suddenly flashed upon him, and observed, that Napo-
leon I. being one of a line of French sovereigns, it would
be es conformable to national customs as to the idea of the
Emperor himself, to do what had been done in the case
of other monarchs since the time of St. Louis, namely to
divide his remains into two parts ; the body might remain
in the triumphal m.usoleum of the lavalides, and the heart
be removed to St. Denis. Prince Jerome instantly started
up, and with much energy declared that so long as he lived
be would never be a party to the mutilation of the remains i
of his glorious brother. The Emperor, alter • moment's'
reflection, declared the council at an end, and that the in-
suguratiou should be postponed till 1864, but without say-
ing/Al:ere it should take place.
Steele to-day points out the perils of the state
of political apathy into which France has fallen, and
in which the government prints find so mach matter
for rejoicing. No doubt it is easy for the moment to
govern a people who blindly confide in their ruler,
and like the Romans of the lower empire call only
forposeon et eireenses. While this disposition lute,
not only may the police and garrison arrangements
of the state be made without trouble, but material
prosperity may perhaps be really advanced, and the
absolute head of the state may, like the conqueror of
Actium, boast of leaving a city of marble which he
had found of plaster. But in imperial Rome this
regime speedily deteriorated the stuff of which the
people were made, and when a foreign invader
appeared he found them an easy prey. The work of,
training a nation to be politically indifferent had
been so effectually accomplished, that no soldiers were
forthcoming to fight on behalf of their raters, and in
many towns the inhabitants did not even quit the
circus at the approach of the barbarian'.
The Sleek continues:

We ought to think seriously of it. The political
indifference into which France has fallen, an indif-
ference explained by the events which agitated her be.
yond bounds, as well as by the laws which regulate the
press, has doubtless its seductive aspect. Vast enter-
prim, public works, may appear to replace with advantage
the effervescence of the forum. but let us look a little
deeper, and candidly ask ourselves whether it is good for a
nation to become progressively materialised, and to forget
political life. Is not indifference akin to estrangement?
When we shall have become indifferent to ever thing bat
our personal interests and the physical amelioration of our
existence, shall we not he ready to fella moral prey to the first
occupant ? It is for the government itself to think of this
question. We doubt not that on examination it will be con-
vinced that in the first place it bas gone too far in regulat-
ing political life, and in the next, that side by side with
material development it should provoke and encourage an-
other of a higher and less useful kind.
I notice this, not for the sake of the historical
comparison, which is unquestionably strained, but as
a sympton of the impatience with which the yoke of
the existing tyranny is supported, an impatience
which every now and then finds expression in spite
of laws against the press too severe to be long acted
upon.
Two provincial journals, the Union de la Sarlhe
and the Maine, were lately prosecuted for having,
owing to a typographical error, omitted two words in
a "communique," the insertion of which was or-
dered by the prefect. The tribunal of correctional
police has pronounced a verdict of acquittal, to the
great satisfaction of the inhabitants of the depart-
ment where these journals are very much read.
The sentence of six months' imprisonment lately
passed by the correctional police upon a cabinetmaker
named Ledra for wearing a Ileur de lys in his button
hole, has been reduced to one month by the Court of
Appeal.
M. de Larochejaquelin's long-talked of pamphlet'
is to be published on the 10th. It contsios some