Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-17 00:00:00

FRANCE

PARIS, MONDAY EVENING.

de Romand, a former prefect of the Saone-et"
Loire, and now an opposition candidate for that
department, sends a remarkably piquante letter to
the Sieele, in which he accuses the present prefect,
M• Ponsard, of taking upon himself, " with an
audacity that surpasses all imagination, to re-
establish a preventive censure of the press, and
being guilty of illegal acts which may have the
effect of rendering the election null and void. The
quarrel as it stands is such a very pretty one that
I subjoin the whole story :

TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SIECLE."

Macon, June 13.

Monsieur le Redacteur —Having been attacked by name
on the subject of my candidature by the Journal de Saone
e Loire, the organ of the Prefecture, and at the same time,
the oLly newspaper authorised to appear at Macon, I
required the insertion of my answer in this journal, but I
bare just received on the subject a notification of a Pre-
fectoriul decree which re-establishes the preventive
censure with an audacity which passes all imagination. I
Subjoin this curious document, which seems to me well
worthy the attention both of the public and the govern-
tient

To MONSIEUR ROMAND, EX-PREFECT OF THE SAONE AND

LOIRE.

I have the honour to send Sou herewith copy of a prc-
hihition juet received from the prefecture against the
ins:rtion in the Journal de Saone ct Loire of a part of the
letter which 37, u yesterday addressed to the editor of that
journal.—Receive, PROTAT,
Printer and director of the journal.
DECREE OF THE PREFECT.

We, the prefect of Saone and Loire, seeing the letter
dated June 11, addressed to the Journal de Saone et Loire,
by M. Romand, candidate for the Corps Legislatif, and
requiring the insertion of such letter in the next number
of the paper—considering that this letter, beginning with
the words and ending with the words
Written with a view only to his election, contains malevolent
and even calumunious insivations against the dignity and
good faiqi of the administration, prohibit the Journal de
Saone et Loire from giving place in its columns to that
Part of the letter commencing with the word Post scriptum
and ending with the two lines hereinbefore transcribed.
The Prefect, H. PONSARD.
Done at the Prefecture, Macon, June 12, 1857.
I will now transcribe the P.S. the publication of which
Itt 'Macon is interdicted by M. Prefect Ponsard

I.S.—One of my friends, after having read my letter,
observes that I have not answered that part of yonr article
which says tha t I had carefully avoided speaking, in my
electoral address, of the reception which my overtures
relative to my extra-official candidature met with from the
government and the prefect. My answer shall be simple
and categorical. I was authorised by the Minister of the
Interior's circular to propose myself openly as a candidate,
and the prefect, M. Ponsard, both directly and indirectly,
Invited me to abstain on condition (as is reported to me by
M. Pillars, the Mayor of Macon), that he, the prefect,
Would undertake, upon his honour, to obtain for me the
firer candidature that might become vacant in the depart-
!tent. Strong in my right, as laid down by the ministe-
rial circular, and impressed with the importance of the
cause with which I had associated myself, I rejected a pro-
position Which honour, conscience, conviction, and duty,
alike prevented me from accepting. I, therefore, here
renew
with ray to all' ray
through friends my solemn engagement to go
task, and remain true to them to the
last.

After the prefectural decree given above, I now repeat
that all the statements in my interdicted postcript are
Strictly true, and I am ready to produce three witnesses
to prove It. Truth, in spite-of all the prefeetoral decrees
in the world, cannot cease to be truth, and it is permis-
sible to defend one-self by the truth against those who
tax you with falsehood. The decree of Prefect Ponsard
is incompatible with all the principles of legislation which
govern the press, and the violence of its language shows
in what way M. Prefect Ponsard supports the " free and
sincere practice of universal suffrage," which the Emperor
Rm. In the name of freedom of election I protest
against these illegalities, which may have the effect of ren-
dering null and void the operations thef are intended to
favour, I shall be' very thankful to you, Mr. Editor, if
Yee will open your columns to this protest, the publication
of which will, perhaps, act as a salutary check to such
a
ouses.—Reeeive, &c., GUSTATIC DE ROMAND,
Ex-Prefect of the Saone and Loire.
It is
quite refreshing to see abuses of authority
denounced in this bold way through the Paris press.
tv long this .saturnalia of liberty in the metro-
pollsth may be permitted to last no one can tell, but
e prefects in the provinces seem disposed to
give plenty of work to the writers, who now make
free to call out loudly for fair play, The Prefect
it the Dordogne tells the mayors to have his
,etter, recommending the Government candi-
dates, read at the church doors after mass, the
ruPasople being called to attend it by beat of
m- The Siecle asks whether it does
that follow, from M. Billault's " Circular,"
Tat an opposition candidate should also have the
right to summon people by beat of drum to hear
profession of faith ? This same Prefect of the Dor-
dogne, by the way, discourses as follows on the na-
ture of the liberty to he enjoyed by the opposition :
The government desires the triumph of its can-
didates just as God wishes good, while leaving
every man free to do evil." The Mayor of Chaton
naively recommends the Government candidate on
account of his having lately married the prefect's
daughter. "Who," h©
says, " can so fitly re-
present the prefect's views in the Chambers
as his son-in-law ?" The worthy Mayor would be
quite right only that the mission of the Corps
Legislatif does not happen to be to represent the
Prefects. At Senlis the prefect of the Oise has
Positively prohibited the two local journals from
Publishing the electoral address of M. Pontalba,
the Opposition candidate. I understand that most
of the opposition candidates in the departments
re put to the inconvenience and expense of
Paris,
their addresses for placarding printed in
the country printers being generally afraid
to 'print them.
fv.The Constitutionnel re-echoes the complaints of
%Lie
General
4-able respecting the intention attributed to
to Cavaignac an lother candidates of refusing
take the oath in the event of their being elected.
That journal thus concludes its remarks :—" We
address to the candidates of the two lists, and in
default to the journals which are their organs, this
veal 4 question—' Will you, or will you not, take
r:ath '' To this insidious question the Prase
cuii" Properly replies that the Constitutionnel's
itY Will not be satisfied. The constitution
litt,
tt„lii insisted upon an oath as a qualification for
n""dateship, but merely as a preliminary to tak-
gla seat in the house. General Cavaignac has as
has t to stand for Paris as Baron othschild
less Standthe for London. Noower in then state,much
his cons Constitutionne/, has a right now to probe
The titncieneo or that of his fellow candidates
arrived. rn
e for considering the oath question has not
Cavai The Pays affects to know that General
gnat
to take and the rest have made up their minds
vote for the oath, and warns the electors that to
lature en, Will be to introduce into the legis-
that the Pinires of the Emperor. I believe, however,
Makes theaal: speaks wholly without warrant, and
vokin above affirmation with the view of,
pro-
of in
agnoathoontradiction, which could be made use
The foll another point of view.
11. itaya °vying is from the Siecle :—•
hint for the eatr has not accepted the candidateship offered
tile arrondissement 10th electoral district. Some liberal electors of
upon him
wititinetlllet ofh Sceaux have the intention of waiting
await the resultstheirol?e of changing his resolution ; we
visit.