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

FRANCE.

PARIS, WEDNESDAY EVENING.
The Montieur contains a decree nominating fifty.
five departmental commissioners of police. These are
new functionaries intended to supply the place of the
inspecto,-

~........aus-general and special of police, abolished some
time since. The majority of the commis-inners are
retired captains and subalterns in the army. Some
of them are juges-de-paix, and others ex-sub-pre.
fects, mayors, and government clerks. It would be
difficult to say what is the precise nature of their
duties. They aro to be the "eyes and ears" of the
government. Experience will show in what respect
they mad differ from spies and informers.
The trench minister at Frankfort exchanged, on
the 10th of April last, the ratifications of the literary
treaty with the Duke of Nassau and the Prince de
Reuss (elder branch). This treaty is similar to that
concluded with Hanover in 1831. French authors
will have the same rights against piracy in Nassau
and Reuse as the natives of those principalities.
Three months are allowed for selling off pirated
editions already existing. The principle of inter-
national copyright has now made considerable pro-
gress in Germany. The Duchy of Brunswick, the
Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt, and the Principa.
lity of Hesse Hombourg, have made literary con-
ventions with France within the last year.
A new government establishment of great commer-
cial importance was created by an imperial decree pub-
lished yesterday. It is known that textile substances,
such as silk and wool, absorb, according to the state
of the atmosphere, a mare or less considerable quan-
tity of water, which often makes it difficult to judge
of the true value of the article by weight. In Pied-
mont, for upwards of a century, there has been a
public office authorised by government to examine
all silk offered for sale, and to issue certificates of its
" condition," which certificates arc conclusive be-
tween the buyer and seller. In France there are
similar offices—at Lyons, Nismes, Avignon, and St.
Etienne; but up to the present time nothing of
the kind has existed in Paris. The Chamber of Com-
merce recommended the creation of such an estab-

lislitaent so long ago as February Vitt, but it has
been hitherto feared by government that the silk
chiefly used in Paris being of an inferior quality the
office would not pay its expenses. The Chamber of
Commerce at Lyons receives 50,000 L a year from
this source alone, and that of St. Etienne half of that
sum. The system is, however, now to be adopted in
Paris, and it is hoped that whatever deficiency may
be found in the proceeds from testing silk will be
made up by wool, to which the decree extends.
A bill has been laid before the Council of State to
extend the powers of the Prefect of Police of Paris,
by placing the whole of the ?mallow within his
jurisdiction. This is a measure similar to that
adopted about a year ago in Lyons, under the desig-
nation of the "Agglomeration Lyommise," and
which is said to have worked well. . .

The sentence of death passed by the court-martial
of Herault upon eight political prisoners, accused of
taking part in the insurrection at ltedarieux is
December, 1851, has been commuted to imprison-
ment with hard labour for life. .

The Moniteur publishes a decree convoking the
Council-General of the Aube for the 12th to deliberate
on a project tending to exonerate the department
from the effects of the guarantee stipulated in favour
of the holders of shares in the Troyes to Monterean
Railway, and on other urgent affairs to be submitted
to it by the prefect.
The Petrie says that the intended grand expedi-
tion into Kabylia is adjourned, but that there will
probably be one on a smaller scale in the course of
the year.
The activity previously noticed at the Bourse has
been again continued, all descriptions of public
securities having met with a good demand, and
closing generally at an increased quotation. In the
Three per Cents. for the account a rise of 35c.
occurred, with an advance of 20c. in the same de-
scription of stock for cash. The closing price of the
Four-and-a-Half per Cents. for money showed no
change from the previous day's quotation, but there
was an improvement of k. for the end of ;he month.
The concluding quotations were :—For cash: Theo
per Cents., 81f. 30c.; Four-and-a-Half per Cents.,
103 f. 50c. For the account : Three per Cents.,
81f. 70e.; Four and-a-Half per Cents., 103 f. 90c.
Bank Stock, 2,680 f.
In the railway share market there has been much
activity. Concluding prices :—Northerns, 922 f.;
Orleans, 1,121 f.; Paris and Strasbourge. 915 f.; Paris
and Lyons, 971 f.; Paris and Rouen, 1,180 E; Lyons
to the Mediterranean, 815 f.; Western of France,
810 f. 30c.; Rouen and Havre, 557 E