The Express.
London, England, 1850-08-12 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARTS, 813VILDAT EVITIXO.
Considerable sensation has followed upon the hos-
tile attitude suddenly assumed by an important put
of the population of Lyons towards the President of
the Republic. The municipal comma of the suburb
of La Guillot4re, connected with Lyons by the Rhone
bridge, Dave reju cted, by a majority of 13 against 9,
the proposition made by the mayor, M. Desoombe, to
pay a collective visit to the President on his arrival.
The minority of the council immediately separated
themselves from the stern republicans their col-
leagues; and the mayor, with his three de-
putise, went the next day to the Prefect of
the Rhone, to protest against being held responsible
foe any pertimpation is an act so disrespectful to the
Dead of the state. Now the question occur', will the
government dissolve the municipal council of Ls
Cluillotiere ? It is evident the position is one of great
delicacy ; and s show of rigour might be attended
with very serious consequences, by provoking from
the population just on the eve of the President's visit
a demonstration of strong sympathy with the majority
of the council, which already undoubtedly exists in a
latent form.

The municipal council of Dijon have voted 7,000 fr.
to pay the expenePs of the reception of the President
2,000 fr. of this sum are to be distributed to the poor.
The vote was not carried without a strong opposition
by the minority.
The prefecture of police sent off to-day several cffi-
cers of the peice and a commissary of police, to visit
the line of the President's journey and wait for him
atj Tonnerre. General de Castellane will come to
meet the President with • strong detachment of
troops as far Dijon, and will escort him to Lyons,
and from thence to StrasbourN.
It is said that another military banquet is to be
given at the Elysee to-day. The e.ffieers and sub-
officers of • line regiment of the garrison are to be
treated this time.

law.

And wise reel divers inks, order, and replied ,ns have
from time to time been made by the commissioners of her
Maj, sty's custom', in pursuant' of the powers ceufemd are,
them by certain ens wised in animas unions of pediment,
some of which nets hare been since repeal.•d ; and docbee
have ernes whether seen rules, orders, and regulatiaus are
still of legal force and efficiency; he it therefore enacted,
that all ruin, orders, nod regulation, atm dy made or leased
by, or under the authority of the mid commiselooen, under,
or in pentagon of any sot or acts relating to the customs or
to trade or navigation, although such act or sets may bare been
repealed, shalt be and continuo in full force and effect, so
far as such rules, orders, and regulations ere c moisten( with
the provisions of the laws in force relating to the custom!, or
to trade or navigation, unless and until the aims shall be
revoked and rescinded, and that all ACTS tehatgocrer Donn,
or to be done, in pursuance of any sub orders, rules and
regulations, 'hall be valid and effiztual.
The "divers rules, orders, and regulations," are, cf
course, the large octavo volume which is the sabject
of such reverence and mystification at the Custom-
house. These "divers rules, orders, and regulations,"
are, ws are informed, not only in many respects of the
moat obnoxious character, but are grossly inconaistent
one with another, and are mostly framed with a spe-
cial view to oppress and restrict the mer-
chant. The "octavo volume," let it be ob-
served, is a sealed book. The rules, orders, and
regulations contained in it are not published. Any
one may neconaciously infringe them at any hour or
moment of his life, thereby subjecting himself to the
confiscation of hie property. These rules came down
from a very remote period. They are, in many cases,
adapted to circumstances and to a state of the law,
which in no degree exists at present, They are
rules made by ail sorts of persons—by "a Board"---
by a single Commissioner and the Secretary acting as
a Board—by any person "tiering under the authority"
of the Commissioners, by the Surveyor-Gene-
ral, by the Customs Solicitor, by any tide-waiter, or
landing waiter ! Snch is " the large octavo volume,"
and such are the ruler to which the CHANCELLOR or
he EXCHEQUER and the Board of Trade intend to
give all the force and power of the law.
Down to the reign of GEORGE 111. the duties ap-
pertaining to the Customs were principally carried en
under such " rules, orders, and directions" as those
in the octavo volume. Such were the hard-
ships and oppressions upon trade, such was
the complication of injury inflicted, and such was
tl c intricacy and confusion produced, that Mr. Net
was forced in 1787 to take the matter into his own
hands and introduce his Customs Consolidation Act,
which was based upon no less than 3,000 different
parliamentary resolutions! Several similar consoli-
dations were afterwards effected, but still the statutes
relating to the Customs increased in number. In 1823
they amounted to no less than 450, and they were
then again consolidated anti compressed into eleven
statutes, which were again reduced to four in the early
years of WILLIAM IV. Now what is to be thought of
a minister who proposes by a clause like this to revive
every 'rule, order, and regulation, not only made
under the 11 statutes of 1825, cot only made under
the 450 statutes which grew up in the earl part of
this century, but absolutely all the rules, order., and
regulations made in pursuance of the 3,000 resole-
doss of Mr. PITT, or even made in pursuance of the
LW/ which that minister repealed ! It is impossible
to conceive that in the 111:h century anything of this
kind could be proposed. We have the satisfaction of
believing that there is only one man Lying who could
propose it.
But these " rules, orders, and regulations" are to
have effect only "so far a. the same are consistent
with the provisions of the laws now in force." Why,
who is to interpret this word " consistent"? Who is
to decide what is " consistent," and what is " in-
If the Commissioners themselves
are to be the juages, who will suppose
that they will proclaim their own " rules,
orders, and regulations" to be contrary to or
inconsistent with the law ? But indeed it is impos-
sible that any rules, orders, and regulations of the StNtIAY EVINING.
Commissioners can be inconsistent with the provisions The second military barque!, which took place at
of the acts now in force. Those acts are enacting the Elysee yesterday, will not fail to furnish fresh
laws. They do not define what the Commissioners fuel to the fiery polemics which have already burst
shall not do : they only give them power to do car- forth from various organs on th's subject, and come
taro things. Now, we all know that there are various apropos to fillthe gap made by the close of the par-
ways of doing the same thing ; and the Commis- hamentary session. The ?nests upon this occasion
goners may adopt any of the different modes that consisted of the officers aad sub-officers of two line re-
offsr. The most oppressive and obnoxious regula- giments of the garrison, but were, according to all
tion, if it has only for its object to obtain the duty account., much less enthusiastic in their demonstra-
the Customs Commissioners arc authorised to levy, tier:
would be entirely "consistent with the laws in force." 1"e great topic of the day is the parliamentary
Such rules and regulations are to have the force of report of the Mountain, which is drawn up in a style
law unless and until the same shall be "revoked and remarkably free from the common defects of intim-
rescinded." Not " repealed:" no—that might give a tion and violence. It presents an excellent bird's-
handle for parliamentary interference. " Revoked eye view of the course of the session, and may perhaps
are the words, and they apply en-and rescinded "be acceptable from that cause to readers who do not
tirely to acts of the Commissioners. The Com- take the same line of opinion. The session came to a
nflimionere, therefore, are to have power close without any ceremony, and expired a day before
to " revoke and rescind" an Act of Par- its appointed time by pure inanition. Nevertheless,
Bement: for, if the rules they make are only, as there was a numerous attendance of members in the
they say, necessary to carry out the law, it follows Salle des Conferences, probably anxious to touch their
that a power of revoking and rescinding is a power August salary before starting for the country. To-
enabling them to frustrate the operation of the law, day at least 130 set forth from Paris on different
We say that whether it is a power to " revoke and lines, rejoicing in the prospect of a short reprieve
rtecind," or a power to make and manufacture an Act from their contentious !slicers. The Committee of
o(Parliament, it is a power equally dangerous to put Permanence will meet to constitute itself to-morrow.
Into the hands of this Commission, and equally uncon- To-day an important arrest was effected on the
stitutional for Parliament to delegate. person of M. L'Hetice, a leading personae in the
Let it be remembered, too, that there is no proviso secret club Nemesis, whose statutes were lately turned
attached to this clause requiring the Commissioners el' L'llerice was apparently an intimate of Caussi-
to report their ":rules, orders. and regulations." dire' who appointed him captain of Montagnards.
They are to be equally beyond the cognisance and the The papers found in Lis possession are mid to be
control of the legislature. There is no record of them highly important, as they compromise many persons
—no means of ascertaining the precise dates at which of authority in the democratic socialist party. This
they were made, or the peculiar circumstances to
may be all ez post agent in the cause was on the point of starting far
which they were applied. They
facto rules and regulations, like this bill itself,—rules Chances
Proserit has been interdicted in Prussia.
Englnid.
Chances new book appeared this morning. He
to legalism some improper act, just u this lea bill to
legalise illegal rifles.
For the last words of the clause distinctly prove sticks to his former statements about Caussidiere,
whomofhtehetanme
taunts
andwith Post for haovsiniabalibendLoned,fhtehefoPli"eclowini u
that this is not, as the CHANCELLOR of the Exenz-
lion
QUER would have the world believe, a clause simply la the passage
to " remove doubts." The concluding were. 'how &moraine to the rouge journals and their clique, the Live°
that something more is intended, for they legalize not des Conspirateurs constituted a tissue of lies, and the virtuous
only the " rules, orders, and regulations," but " all protector police was calumniatedcowardly manner hy a
acts whatsoever done or to be done in pursuance of litweithonut
Ire), s
pe opportunity,ri)li ie dby h
ishoewzielvee rtopartneabte:iiat
them." It is obvious that this aims at particular air- self for M. Causeidiete to prove that he was al'andered.
eamstancee, and that the object of the clause is only cited by the refugees of London, he instituted suits against
to validate some illegal seizures or other improper .th,,e.„,7.l,,,mtni,mae.dttek Mewrni,e,',96,„Platl,wit,ith it el rAti n.tea some
G.„
sets of the Custom House authorities. Actions al at
pro-
bably are pending against some of them for gross have been their disappotheir head, balled this einetinmelbnatbwhoa enbthe they ut how
theut
ea-
sots sots done without the sanction of any law and with- prefect shamefully discontinue his proceedings. The reuoe
oat any better warrant than the illegal authority of was, flee the b gal advisers of the two journals had positive
I the Commissioners. A law is to be made to legalize proofs of all I had advanced, that mon than forty witnesses,
each illegal deeds ! It is smuggled into parliament mostly creditors of Caussidiere, went with me to London to
tastily to the truth of these same facts. Overwhelmed by
thisial,
La cabinet minister on the very evo of the loadst of proof, Causidiere withdrew frolt
st the test of a
of a session, and pushed with indecent and thus admitted the veracity of my aeertlone

The members of the Committee of Permantnee held
a sitting to-day fur the purpose cf constituting the
committee.

The Legislative Assembly held nositting to-day.
The Mountain have published an address to the
people on the parliamentsry session, entitled,
" Compte-rendu par la Montague an Peuple," which
has been signed by 86 of their party. They declare
the necessity of waiting in a patient attitude of vigi-
lance until the elections of May, 18.2.
After the sitting of yesterday broke up, several re.
preerntatives of the Mountain remained a long while
talking together in the coulairs. Some of this pary
are going to Germany, and others to England, as
delegates to bring exiled democracy to more rational
and practical views. But the greater part of the
Mountain will remain at Paris daring the whole
recess. Last year a Montagnard committee was
formed, and no doubt some similar provision will be
made during the present vacation. An active corres-
pondence will be kept up with their colleagues in the
departments by secretaries appointed for this pur-
' pose. But the government will be very strict in pro-
hibiting all overt agitation in the provinces. The
prefects have the strictest orders on this head, and
will immediately suppress all clubs, banquets, or
demonstrations of a nature to excite the people on
political questions.
Yesterday morning a legitimist pasquinade was
found attached to the base of one of the statute before
the Palace of the National Assembly. This seditious
placard, which was printed, after several flourishes
about Henri V. and the Dochess of Berry, and taunts
at the republican party for their tame endurance of
the repeal of universal enfirege, finishes with the
following menace " Faites vos sacs, Messieurs, le
rappel va winner." The Commissary of Police of the
quarter having been informed of the crowds gathered
about this singular publication, proceeded to the spot
and tore it down.

The committee on fisheries has determined on send.
iog a deputation of their body to the coat of Scotland
and the Orkney Isles. to inquire into the numerous
abases complained of by the chambers of commerce of
the ports of the Channel; and into the cl.fficulties
encountered by French fi.hermin, in consequence of
the restrictions imposed by the convention of I bs9.
Ibis deputation, or sub-committee, consisting of
MM. Estateelin and Legros Devot, the representa-
tives of Diepoe and Calais ; of M. ado, a high finance
employe; of. M. fienrequin, en employe in the
miuistry of marine; and of M. d'Estremont de
Maucroix, captain of a frigate, are shortly to em-
, bark in the steamer Pelican.

The Moniteur publishes the law fixing the budget
of expeossa of 1851, the summary of which is as fol-
lows :—Ordinary ex pulses, 1,31;7,0ouo,00r. ; extraordi-
nary, 67,000,0110 f.; special services, 21,000,0001.;
departmental services, 104 000,000 f. ; colonial service,
18,000,0000.: total, 1,577,000,000 f.
The effective army to be maintained in Algeria,
according to the same law, is 75,000 men.
A new journal, representing a section of the
moderate party, is on tne eve of appearing, under the
title of Le Drupeats ,le 1432.
... . • .

M. Thiers laid arrived at Cologne on his way to
Although M. Thiel.' has been appointed by
the government Vice-President of the Superior
Coaccil of Public Instruction, whose sittings will
soon commence, it dces not appear probe* that he
will return to Pars for the sake of attending them.

A balloon ie at present bererinr a mile Lich above
Bouvelarde, from which discharges of cannon
come every now and then. The people observe with
wonder the long interval between the flub, gush of
smoke, and the report.