The Express.
London, England, 1853-09-03 00:00:00

FRANCE.

VISIT OF THE EMPEROR TO BOULOGNE.
BOUWGNE, FRIO kV EVENING.

The Sous-Prefet has this moment got a despatch
stating that the Emperor will arrive here on Monday
about noon, if the weather be fine.

PAR'S, FRIDAY EVRNINO,

The decision to maintain the Price of bread at 80c.
was not come to without long hesitation. A council
of ministers was held to consider the question. M.
Dubois, Chef de Division at the Prefecture of Police,
and M. Durand, Inspector General of the Halles and
markets, were summoned to give evidence before the
council. It is from M. Dubois' department of the
prefecture that all the regulations relative to the ali-
mentation of the capital emanate. The ministers,
after hefting these two gentlemen, did nut feel suffi-
ciently enlightened, and sent for M. l'ietri, the Pre-
fect of Police. Ile arrived accompanied by M.
Boube, Lis chef de bureau, who was private
secretary to Caussidire in 1818. Their state-
ments were thought by the council so al firming, that,
while expressing their opinion that the price of bread
ought to be fixed at 90c., they thought it necessary
to refer the question to the Emperor for his personal
decision. It is from Dieppe, then, that the decree that
there should be no rise named. An unusual degree
of solemnity was given to its promulgation. The
news was brought to the Halles by an aide-de-camp
in full uniform. The circular of the bakers' syndicate,
which I sent yesterday, mentions that the decision
was taken in pursuance of "superior orders." The
bakers continue to be extremely dissatisfied. The
compensation promised them for being now forced to
make bread and sell it at a lots, supposing it can be
in any way equitably apportioned, will not be
in money, but will consist in the maintenance
of the present price of breed at some future time,
when corn may be cheaper. But nine tenths of the
trade are not in a position to make the requisite ad-'
winces at the present moment. A baker at Mont-
martre closed his shop yesterday, but the
police forced him to open it, threatening if he
refused to break open his window shutters. There
is no disguising the fact that this is governing upon
Jack Cads principles. However, there is this ex-
cuse, that the same thing has been done in Patio
within the present century. Several bakers say that
the true price of bread, if calculated according to ordi-
nary principles, would now be not 90c., but 95e. or
97c., and I have seen a calculation which makes this
out, at least plausibly. I understand it to be pri-
vately admitted in official circles, that the deficiency
in the harvest amounts to from 37 (that is the figure
adopted at the Prefecture of Police) to 45 days' con-
sumption far the entire population of France. Great
hopes are entertained of supplies from Odessa, and
America, and, with a view to prevent alarm, the
government journals strenuously affirm that these
resources are inexhaustible. With respect to
corn from America, however, the difficulty is
to find ships to bring it in, and freight
from Odessa is rising immensely at Mareilles.
It is reported to-day that freights have risen
from 3fr. to 10fr. Under these circumstances there
seems to be but little chance that government will be
able, without enormous sacrifices, to keep doe n the

price of bread in Paris for any length of time. The
prudence of the attempt is very generally questioned.
People who fancied themselves protectioui sis are now
unconsciously giving utterance to free-trade doctrines.
They talk of the blighting effects of all interference
between producers and consumers, and aver that the
probable consequence of the decree will be to hamper
the calculations of commerce, and consequently to
check the importation of corn. There are already
symptoms of excitement in the central and south-
western departments, where there were such serious
troubles during the scarcity of 1e46-17, and the in-
habitants of these provinces are likely to be furious
at the favour shown of Paris. Lettere from Nantes
received this evening speak of a slight effery scene
among the population there. The latest accounts
from several provincial markets speak of lower prices.
A decline of about lfr. :etc. per hectolitre took place
in the price of corn in the market of Lille on Wed-
nesday. The Havre jouruals announce that, at the
last market at Lilleboune, corn fell 3fr. 12e. per hee-1
tolitre; at Ceeleville the sack of 2011 kilogrutumes
fell Mfr. 71e.; and at Montivilliers from Sfr. to 9fr.
It was reported at the Bourse that similar advice.
had been received from several other markets. It
would not, however, be safe to form any estimate
of the gewral averages from these partial returns.
These lavourabie instances are carefully selected by
journals under the influence of the prefects, and great
efforts are made to suppress all intel hem nee of another
' kind. lam assured that the Conetitutionnel a day
or two since quoted flour as having fallen 10fr. at
the Marche du Temple, when in fact it had risen ISe.