The Express.
London, England, 1856-03-24 00:00:00

FIRST PETITION TO THE PRINCE IMPERIAL

OF FRANCE.

The following curious petition appears in the
leading column of Figaro :

.. TO MONSEIGNEUR LII PRINCE IMPERIAL

_ _ ..... _
PARIS. MARCH 20, 18.56

" Monselgoeur,—Ferry years ego there ass a prioce born
in the Tuileries. A few days after this event a person came
to the palace with a petition for the King of RAMC Tin
Emperor, your ancestor, willed t-at this petition should be
presented to his heir in person. Then he sa'd to the peti-
tioner, ' What answer did the King of Roue make ? ' He
sa,d nothing, sire ; but, as siPecei gives consent, I am jut
•ified in thinking that the prince gr.nts my request.' Napo-
, lean ratified the tacit agreement of his son.
Monseigneur, under the auspices of this precedent,
117oro now preeenis is you his bumble petition.
The 101 guns which saluted your birth brought
hope to us, for we knew that you came into the
w rid with soar hands full of pardon and indulgent..
But, monarigneur, you have not these:it of as; you will
h sue been told that we are greet attain els corruptorsof the
public mind, the terror of fathers of families. People are
deceiving you already, moaseigneur. Here is the troth. Two
yeses prior to your birth we founded a little newspaper
of a free but not a liceatious character. We never expected
our paper to be adopted in seminaries for the education of
yourg ladles. We proposed to collet—once or twice a
week—the refarss perdue and enfant grouter of French
repast, the anecdote, the mot, and even the onlant adven-
ture at the dsy—thines which frightened neither Francis 1.,
aor Henry IV., nor Louis XIV., who leashed at the crudi
ties of I should not venture to remind a princess
of these souvenirs, but among men, mouseignrue we may
talk rfsnch thinge at an boor when little giro are gone
to bed. L'evrit Fran fair, that it might the better
circulate in Europe,ltas ever been lightly clad, and not much
veiled, and in the very went days of rolitical rese-i me nn
rower has ever yet tbounht of putting the apra Fran coin.
into mourning. Ani it is sot the government that we now
amen et ill-treating as. We admit that in return for oar
satire submission to the laws of the country, and for a lite-
rary probity of which we are proud, we have 'twain met
with most paternal oonsideration from the administrative
asthorities. Sometimes they have said to no, ' Figaro, my
friend, calm you/self ; you are a good fellow, but somewhat
heedless ; people like you bemuse you have wit, bat recol-
Int that the present eget is won fastidious than that of our
forefathers. Be more decent than N. de Voltaire—and if
you break winds •a, break them as robbers do, without
makings noise.' We are fain to oonfess,nionseigneur, that it
has now sad then happened to 1111 OS to break a window as that
the pieces have tumbled in the street. Oar pen is not a
dimmed. When this happens the pladstineas group together,
sad all the virtuous venous of the rissei-monde cner their
hoes sad coy ' help, murder.' This, mrnseignear, is oar
mime. We have unmasked some bypicrisies and wounded
some vanities. The judges have been made to believe that
we WI pagans without country or family, and the judges
have sentenced us to fire end imprisonment. Coriesqupotly
—pursuant to the present laws of the press—Figaro ('he
patrimoey of • family) is on the brink of the grave. And
yet the Mind of Beaumarchais was not born to die. He
embodies the tnditiou of that supple sad lively wit which
ender aver, regime has prevailed spins: the calumny of
Betide. You may ventilate and interims him, but
ass day be will jump up again like a jack
in-the-boa. Thereto's, it has occurred to /Vero.
as a wise prises you will say to yourself on coming into
the world, ' I have dried many tears. PO2lO is eertaialy
lest of a cairn tt an most of these that I have pardoned.
Let as resters Figaro to life sad liberty, sad let him lean
from as to be indulgent even ti vice and folly.' There,
Id wi selgueur ear t etitioa Is in your hands. Don't
say ao, sad Pigaro is saved.
"Dolga to swept, monmigasur, the amaranth of my pro-
found reaped. *. name:).

" A tn.; eopy.
The editor is disgrace, H. de Villemement."
Our Paris eencspeadeut, writing yesterday evening,
my.:
" W de Villemeesset, the reeketeter of the Fyroro, Wee
summoned to appear before the director of public safety
today, to be takes to task for the eatraerdieery freedom of
hi. puition to the Imperial Prince. I bear that If. de
Vt.leassesaat defeaded himself so sisterly that he will pro-
bat 17 terry hie point. It is carious that of the three prin•
clips' editors of the Figaro, one Is as °demist, one a re-
, pablima, sari ewe a legitimist. I h.ar it stated today that
as moiety for all press offetees will be pliblightd
diately."

The somelled Mimions " of the followers of
Itemise Loyola (Jesuits) sad Liguori's (Betimoroeists)
are sew is vogue at Weans. Net lmg Male Coast Osa-
&shaves, a Llguerbeat es Itedewp•.ieaiet prise% while
yrseehies ta a shame is the ..herb of leseplistedt, averred
that the ormtied ember seeds a =limbs whin. agar ha,.
Ma takes the Masser, he maid "It is dabbed." "By you
wiskedams," mid the presebar, elands( the WWI;
" the sefferip Mae &Meer ere prolonged, sad they will
'sly asses whoa yes came to eta. Now, hem oa the spot,
seeks a seisms Tow serer to lie aisle." ♦ part of the
essiregatlee, which was shiest emlasively composed of
woman, repeated aloud atm the priest, " We solemnly vow
to Ms as more ;" bat sissy memo let the sated mils*
is disgust.

The widow of the late Heerieh Hein• writes to
tie Wogs respeties the proposed erodes of a namlmee
seer t►e nessiss of her hulloed :—" I emit permit say
oee, limieur, to share with se the duty of prepuiag a
Mt sad plot. ratting place for the am of guise, who did
■e the Meow' t" modete his life to Mae, sad who m-
aenad for is., up to his lest hear, hit beet sad met etc.
Meats 'estimate."