The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-15 00:00:00

THE IXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, JANUARY 15, 1853.

the orders of the minister with whom alone it was in
correspondence. The ordinance of Nov. 20, 1861,
abolished the maritime prefects, and substituted the
old control for the system of inspectios. Sub- ,
sequently, on the 17th of Dec., 1828, the maritime
prefectures were revived in a modified form, the con-
trol was reorgnised, and again termed " inspection,"
but its action was so weakened that the in-
stitution could not fail to fall into decay.
On January 3. 1835, the commissariat of
the navy was created, tho corps of administration
and inspection were both absorbed in that body, and
thus all control was pretty nearly suppres.cd. The
author of that measure mistook the essential cha-
racter of the; of ject he desired to attain when he
blended two incompatible institutions, and founded
an administration with no other control than its own.
In consequence of loud and repeated complaints,
which speedily found an echo in tho Legislative
Chambers, the government, in 1844, increased the
powers of the maritime prefects, and re-established
the control. But this control was not constituted
according to the principles of the consular decree.
It consisted of permanent bodies, established in all
the ports. M. Duces then proceeds to say Blot,
with regard to the merits of the regulations of
1811, opinions have been much divided, but
that in his view they arc open to three main objec-
tions. The stationary comptrollers were liable to be
affected by local preferences and dislikes, the num-
ber of secondary agents to tho comptrollers was too
large, thus occasioning needless expense, and, worse
still, multiplying the formalities of supervision to a
vexatious extent, and the hierarchical organisatim
of the superintending savoured of the haste witli
which the measure a 1844 was passed, and was im-
perfect. Ile then explains that under the provisions
of the new decree the inspectors of the first class will
go the circuit of the different maritime ports, accord-
ing to orders from the minister of marine, with
whom they will have frequent opportunities of oral
communications. Ile is of opinion that a minister
may learn more in a quarer of an hour's conversation
with the inspectc,lis than he could from voluminous
Written reports, which fatigue the writer and ex-
haust the attention of the reader. He speaks of
extensive reforms being necessary in the organisation
of the ports and arsenals, end relies upon the ex•
ertions of the inspectors to aid in their rapid and
effectual execution. The decree creates four first
class inspectors, with salaries of 10,000 fr., and
1,200 fr. for lodgings; four second class inspectors,
with salaries of 8,000 fr., and 1,200 fr. for lodging ;
five inspectors, with 5,000 fr., and 960 fr. for lodging,
and several first and second class assistant inspectors,
with proportionate salaries. M. Ducos says, in con-
cluding his report, that by reason of the suppression
of many subordinate appointments, the whole annual
expense of the inspection will be but 232,000 fr.
instead of 282,000 fr.•, thus effecting an economy in
this department of 50,000 fr.

By a decree dated Jan. Ist, published to-day, a
large number of prefects and sub-prefects are ap-
pointed to, or promoted in, the legion of honour.

A decree dire is that the duty payable upon foreign
salt used in salting cod shall be calculated at the rate
of DO kilogrammes of salt for every 100 kilos. of fish.
M. Alphonse Karr has been arrested u the author
of a lampoon upon the Emperor, published in the
" Guepean consisting of these words —"Balinguy
eat un cog inaptiesant." This, in itself, appears non-
sense, but Ballow is one of the many nicknames
by which his Majesty is irreverently designated in
familiar conversation, and the public prosecutor will
have no difficulty in establishing that cog impuissant
is the hidden meaning of a phoase apparently des-
criptive of a feeble fowl.
The wording of the official contradiction of the
rumour relative to Marshal St. Arnaud's transactions
at the Bourse has excited a good deal of astonish-
ment. People think it anything but complimentary
to the Minister-at-War that the Emperor, desirous
of knowing the " truth " as to the nature and origin
of the rumour, should for a moment have thought it
necessary to pursue his inquiry further than asking a
question of the marshal himself. The admission that
an " investigation " was ordered is considered very
extraordinary. _ _ .

The Emperor yesterday presided in person in the
Council of State, where ho sat upwards of three
hours. The subject under consideration was a bill
for the regulation of pensions for civil servants.
Prince Napoleon Bonaparte was also present.

The budget for 1854 has been laid beforo the
Council of State.

By an error in the MS. of our telegraph despatch
yesterday, a portion of the figure 9 being illegible,
the figures 79 fr. were made to appear as 70 fr. The
context of the despatch fortunately prevented any
reader interested in French prices from being led
into error as to the real state of the market, the
exact amount of the variation in prices from the
previous day being stated in words at full length.

PARIS, TXTJILSINLY EVRXING.
A species of panic prevailed at the Bourse to-day.
The Three per Cents. were at one time as low as
79.20, and although they recovered from that ex-
treme point of depression, they, as well as every
other description of securities, closed at much lower
prices than yesterday.
Vely Pacha, the Turkish ambassador, had an au-
dience of his Majesty yesterday to present his new
letters of credence. Vely Pacha, as well as the se-
cretaries and attaches composing the Ottoman em-
bassy, 14 in number, were all dressed in the costume
of their country.
Another government paper says that the officers
were so affected that they simultaneously fell on
their knees to beg the Pope's blessing.
I learn, on what I believe to be good authority,
that General Gemeau is forthwith about te be re-
called from Rome.

By decree of the Emperor, on tho report of the
Minister of Public Instruction, a chair of the French
language and literature of the middle ages has been
instituted in the College de France. M. Paulin
Paris is appointed to the new professorship. A trifle
worth noticing is that, in the above report, M. For-
toul merely subscribes himself the Emperor's faithful
servant, and not his " subject," as he did immediately
after the proclamation of the empire.
--• •

The Emperor went yesterday to Vincetnes in an
open carriage, which he drove himself. His Majesty
passed through the Faubourg St. Antoine, and was
accompanied by Colonel Fleury, his first equerry.

The first ball under the empire was given last
evening at the Tuileries, and was most numerously
attended. The company assembled amounted to
more than 3,000, and the coup d'oil, from the splen-
did toilettes, glittering with diamonds, of the ladies,
and the various uniforms, was very striking. • The
corps diplongatique and their ladies were all present,
and also a great number of English officers in uni-
form. The rooms were fitted up with the greatest
magnificence. The Emperor, who wore the uniform
of a general, with white small-clothes and silk
stockings, opened the ball with the Princess Mathilde,
having for vis-a-vis Prince Napoleon and Lady Cow-
ley. Lord Cowley danced in the same set with Mrs.
Hope. Between the different dances, his Majesty
walked several times through the different
rooms, having the Princess Mathildo on his
arm. He was closely followed by Lord Cowley,
with whom he frequently conversed, and also spoke
to such English officers as he recognised. Among
the number was Sir Warwick Hele Tonkin, with
whom his Majesty entered into conversation, re-
marking, among other things, that Sir Warwick had
been long a resident in Paris, and hoped that he
would long continue to be so, and that he might fre-
quently have the pleasure of seeing him. Itefresh-
moots were provided in abundance during the even-
ing, and at 12 o'clock the company retired in parties
to the theatre, where supper was laid out, and the
tables were successively filled and refilled during
upwards of two hours. The supper-room was bril-
liantly lighted up, as were the whole of the rooms
in which the company was assembled. The expec-
tation that there would be a presentation to the Em-
peror in tho course of the evening was not realised.