The Express.
London, England, 1851-04-25 00:00:00

FRANCE.

IPARIS, THURSDAY EVISINO.
The announcement that M. Guizot will take the
field for the representation of the Landes, which I
mentioned in • preceding letter, has produced a good
dial of sensation, as the contest between him and M.
Duclerc, the republican candidate, will be the first
electoral struggle between the declared partisans of
monarchy and the republic. The question of mo-
narchy or republic, which was proposed by Laroche-
jaoquelin a year ago to be referred to the people, is
Incoming daily more and more distinctly the great
argument on which parties are being divided. An
electoral contest is at hand which will present a signal
occasion for putting public opinion to the test on
this question. The electoral colleges of the Landes
will be assembled on the 11th of May.
The public manner in which M. Guizot is new
advocating, in the columns of the .riasemoble
Nationale, a return to the legitimate monarchy,
I gives to his candidature at this moment a
special meaning in reference to the question of the
day. Great interest is therefore excited by the
struggle in prospect between the new convert to
legitimacy and M. Duclerc, the champion of the
republican party. The text upon which the
Aniembke preaches to-day is that the republic must
be got rid of, as leading inevitably to socialism.
The plain answer to that
.argument is that the mo-
narchy led to the revolution of 1848 ; and nothing
would be so likely to end in social cataclysm as the
restoration. The main fallacy of Guizot and the
monarchy men, is entirely to ignore any ground in
human progress or political development for the
revolution of 1848 ; whereas the republicans regard
the acquisition of universal suffrage as a no less me-
morable destruction of privilege—which can never be
firmly re-established—than the wreck of feudalism in
the first revolution. So long as the royalists treat
the revolution of February as an accident, or mere
surprise, the possible triumph can never be
regarded as a durable arrangement or as
anything more permanent than that prolonga-
tion of the President's powers which they.stigma-
tise as a mere continuation of the provisormni and
perpetuation of anarchy. It is only by attaching
same reality and justice to the franchises achieved in
1848 that the eventuality of a civil war can be pre-
vented from recurring not only once, but repeatedly.
But to identify the extension of suffrage and the
maintenance of the republican form with the triumph
of socialist principles of government, is to beg the
question, without making a single practical step in
udvunce, for the republic will never be killed by
calling it names.
The democratic party. have determined to abstain
from voting in the elections of the Landes.
The sittings of the Assembly were resumed to-day.
The motion of MM. pascal-Duprat and Daze, relative
to the street-sale of journals, stood first on the order
of the day. After M. Friction had supported the
motion of M. Pascal-Duprat, on the ground of public
justice and convenience, M. Langlais, the reporter, I
claimed for the government the right of settling all
matters connected with street police. If newspaper
vendors established themselves on the boulevards,
other trades, on the principle of equality, appealed to
by the advocates of M. Duprat's proposition, might
demand the same privilege. M. INladier de Monjau
spoke next in defence of the motion ; and, after some
short remarks from MM. Bass and Duprat, the taking
of it into consideration was rejected by 403 against
276. The increasing figure of the republic minority
was hailed by the Left with much satisfaction.
The Assembly then decided, by tiBsis-el-len!, to take
into consideration the proposition of M. Bazc. All
the Mountain voted in favour of it, because it does
away with the arbitrary inequality between news-
papers of opposed politics, by abolishing the street
sale of both.
The Assembly then proceeded to discuss the bill on
the Western Railway, an outline of which I sent
previously. M. Hennequin spoke in favour of con-
struction and working by the state, and opposed the
concession recommended by the committee to an
English company. M. Cremieux demanded the
adjourmnent of the bill until the report on the
Avignon Railway Bill was presented. M. Gustavo
de Beaumont strenuously opposed this delay, and
insisted upon the mischief of postponing projects of
utility. M. Crcmicux having renewed his proposal,
which was opposed by M. Lacrosse, the Assembly
voted that the bill should be read a second time, and
rejected the adjournment moved by M. Creinicaz.
The house then rose.
The committee on the Avignon Railway decided
to-day upon the execution of the section passing
through the city of Lyons, but reserved the moment
of execution. A subcommittee, consisting of MM.
Dufaure, Gouin, and Chapot, was appointed to exa-
mine the two systems of the right and left bank, and
estimate the expenses and receipts of the whole line
M. de Nlarescalchi, late secretary of the French
embassy in London, has been appointed minister to
the court of Portugal, in the place of M. Adolphe
Barrot, who is expected from Lisbon by the Caffa-
relli steamer.

Admiral Romain•Dcefoeses has arrived on board
the steamer Chaptal in the Pincus, having sailed
from Brest on the 3rd ult.

The municipal council of Dijon has just voted, on
the proposition of M. Magnien-Philippon, member
of the Constituent Assembly, a sum of 25,1100 fr. for
the reception of the President of the Republic, on
the occasion of the inauguration of the railway from
Paris to Dijon. This vote, says a journal of the lo-
cality, has been passed in order to induce the first
magistrate of the republic to preside at the fete,
which, it is thought, will thus draw a crowd of stran-
gers to the place.
The Moniteur du Soir was adjudicated to-day to
M. de Montferrier, its present responsible editor, for
230 fr., together with the liabilities. The gradual
fall of the Bonapartist papers is noted as a sign of
the sinking fortunes of this cause. It is but a week
or two since the Pays turned republican.
A council of ministers was held yesterday. The
Portuguese question is said to have been the object
of deliberation. The President could not receive on
Monday, in consequence of a severe pain in his foot,
which some attribute to gout.
M. Forth-Rouen. late charge d'affaires in China,
is named minister at Athens. M. Desmeloiczs, chef
de cabinet of the late minister of foreign affairs, is
appointed consul-general at Amsterdam, in the place
of M. Bernard Desessarts.
The Bourse still continues heavy, and the funds
decline. The Fives closed at 92fr. 5c., with a fall of
lsc. The Threes fell 10c., and closed at .57fr.