The Express.
London, England, 1861-04-16 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(nom on ow

PARIS, MONDAY Emma.

M. de Pereigny's new administrative measure,
announced in the Moniteur as an extension of the
principle of decentralisation which he laid down
in 1862, is, I am disposed to think, a good one as
far as it goes, but his description of it is a misnomer.
When people talk of decentralisation they mean an
extension of the powers of the communes—they
mean local self-government as distinguished from
an administration utterly dependent upon the

highly centralised government of the Tuileries.
M. de Peasigny's reforms are no more decentral-
ising than would be an order of a colonel of a regi-
ment authorising corporals to perform certain duties
formerly appertaining to sergeants. He augments
the powers and the patronage of the prefects and
sub-prefects, and thereby, nodoubt, enables them to
do without delay many useful things which hitherto
have been liable to be hung up indefinitely by the
tortuous formalities of a reference to Paris. But this
is aIL The prefects and sub-prefects are the de-
pendent servants of the Emperor just as the
ministers are. To give them more power is not
decentraliaation. What the partisans of local
self-government want to see is freedom of muni-
cipal elections, and the extension of the elective
principle to the office of mayor. With mayors
nominated by the government, and the municipal
elections conducted as the prefects know bow to
conduct them, the communes have no power at
all. Nevertheless, M, de Persigny, who is, I
doubt not, a sincere believer in the merits of his I
own system, is entitled to credit for having
simplified the ramifications of the adminis-
tration, and especially for his disinterestedness
in giving up a very large amount of patronage
to the prefects. K de Persigny warns
the prefects that their additional powers
entail upon them additional responsibility, and
that their actions will be watched with greater
'attention than ever by the central government.
This flourish in the minister's despatch is, however,
a very poor guarantee to the departments against
tyranny and jobbery on the part of the prefects.
It is very seldom indeed that abuses of power on
their part can be brought efficaciously to the notice
of the central government by private individuals,
and they are practically almost relieved from the
surveillance of a local press. On the latter point
the Sick observes that the monopoly of judicial
advertisements makes it almost impossible for any
journal to live in the departments unless it is
patronised by the prefects.
The Afonifeur, at the head of its "Faits divers,"
announces the seizure, at K Dumineray's, of •
pamphlet entitled " A Letter on the History of
France." It, however, abstains from mentioning
the name of the author. It is • curious fact that,
notwithstanding the decree of Nov. 24, not a single
newspaper dares to allude to the event of which all
Paris is talking more than any other, except in the
precise words of the Monitenr. The inclipenclance
Beige is seized on account of its containing the letter,
and no doubt all the English papers will be seized
to-morrow.

The Bourse was extremely dull. The Bente rose
100. both for cash and account, closing at 67fr. 66c.
in each case. Mobilier rose 3fr. 750. In railways
there was scarcely any change.
Groups of people " did business " in the Duke
d'Aumsle's pamphlet. As much as 40fr. was given
foe a single oopy for immediate delivery, but bar-
gains were made at 10fr., 15fr., and 20fr. for time.
This is a fact.

M. Dronyn de Lliuys had a private audience
of the Emperor yesterday.
There is a talk of M. Pietri making an excursion
to the Rhine. This would not be an event of
sufficient importance to record were it not that
this gentleman, having played such a prominent
part in the affair of Savoy and Nioe, may be sup-
posed to travel with his " annexation " spectacles
on.

M. Peyrat says, in the Prase, of the Peace
Society's address, that it is very sensible in so far
as it expresses a wish for a good understanding
between the French and English peoples, but
altogether chimerical when it calls for arbitration
instead of war as a universal system :

Everybody knows and feels that the blood of the people
cannot in them days be shed so lightly as formerly ; but
now, as ever, and as it ever will be, war is the last resort
of offended honour, and contemneff rights of nations.
This is what the Peace Society will not understand, and
for want of this knowledge they run the risk of becoming,
agalmt their will, the allies of the oppressor.

Vely Paella has arrived in Paris from Constan-
tinople. The secretary of the new ambassador,
K Garin de Lamordan, is the author of the pam-
phlet in reply to the attacks upon Vely Puha on
account of bis government of Crete.
M. Paul d'lvoi, the celebrated feui/ktoniate
(whose real name was Charles Deleutre), died last
night. Another death, which is a cause of general
mourning for the French press, is that of M. Leon
Martin, a young painter of much promise, the son
of M. Henry Martin, the eminent author of the
History of France.