The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-16 00:00:00

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of Saturday
and yesterday.
The new press law, according to the Constitution-
nel, contains the following provisions :
" The publisher of a journal or periodical must be a
Frenchman, and obtain a previous authorisation. Trial
by jury in cases of offences by the press is abolished.
Libels are to be tried in the police-office. In cases of
defamation of character no witnesses are to be beard.
The caution money for newspapers is raised to 50,000
francs. The stamp on papers to be six centimes, to be
raised to seven centimes when the paper contains a
romassfeuirieton. Journals which spread false reports
or publish incorrect
. reports of the proceedings of the
Corps LeTelaY, or of the tribunals, are to be con-
demned to fines, which must be paid within three days.
One condemnation for crime, or two for contravention
of the law, will cause suspension of the journal. The
signature law is abolished. Booksellers must take out
licenee
n previouslys.upoioreign
newspapers will be admissible in
France
obtained authorization, and sub-
ject to the same stamp duties as native journals."
With respect to foreign newspapers, it would seem
that the Government reserves a discretionary power
of licence to enter, so that should any English journal
deal freely with a system which, however needful, is
certainly not attractive, it is to be presumed that the
authorisation to enter will be refused or withdrawn.
As for native journals, it must be clear that few of
them can long subsist. M. DB LAMARTINE has taken
to writing biographical articles by way of substitute
for political disquisitions, and the attractiveness of his
style will probably keep the Civilisateur afloat. The
Debats may, by aid of its highly intellectual staff,
manage to become a sort of literary encyclopedia ;
but, as for newspapers in the proper sense of the
word, their doom is sealed. The police may spread
false news, but wo to the journalist who allows him-
self to be entrapped into giving it publicity. Any
one of the swarming functionaries of the Government
whose name is made free with has only to summon
the offending paper before a brother functionary,
sitting on a police bench, and as no hearing of wit-
nessesis to be allowed, judgment is at once issued.
A reporter brings in an account of a trial at the same
police-office, which the presiding functionary may not
like, and the paper is fined, and in case of previous
fine, Suspended. Under such circumstances how can
newspapers subsist ?
The Minister of Police has issued a circular, in
which he reminds his subordinates, that their duty
has been marked out by the Prince PRESIDENT
himself, which is to enlighten him as to the state of
public opinion. They are to communicate with all
public functionaries, but not to interfere with acts of
administration. They are to watch against conspi-
racies, and to combat party spirit—to keep the public
on its guard against false reports, and to explain the
acts of Government, and to encourage men devoted
to
Power by recommending their names to the mem-
bers of Government. They are to put down rnendi-
cahey, to purge the country of incendiary writings,
and to watch over associations of all kind. They
are to study the wants of populations, and with-
out ceasing to make reports of the state of public
opinion.
At Clamecy nine more convictions have been had
for taking part in the late insurrection, and sentence
of transportation passed on MILLELOT, sen., Nuns
MILLELOT, GUBRBET, SEROUDE, COQUEREL, FRANCIS
and AVENTIN CORNER, and FOULON.
The Constitutionnel states that Dr. VERON is the
Government candidate for the representation of the
arrondissement of Sceaux.
M. NAPOLEON BONAPARTE declines to allow him-
self to be put in nomination for Corsica, saying that
he retires from public life.
M. TOCQUEVILLB has addressed the following letter
to the Xcho de l' Oise :--

" Paris, Feb. 7.
" Mr. Editor,—l am asked from different places if I
will accept the functions of member of the Corps Legis-
a
lay, in case they should be conferred on me by the con-
fidence
whichl
hesitateelec tor
to
makes.Tahkee followingpuc:_ have not laid
hs my reply,
down my candidateship; it appears to have been pro-
posed
by public opinion; and it is thus only that it could
be honourable and desirable in my eyes. lam not a
new man in the department of the Oise, and it does not
therefore appear to me necessary to make long profes-
sions of faith. There is only one point on which the
electors can feel any uncertainty; it is as to whether
I intend to support the Government. I will simply say,
to reply to that doubt, that I formally expressed last
year, in the council general, the necessity for the country
to re-elect Prince Louis Napoleon in 1852; in the second
place, I thought right, on the 20th December last, to
deposit an affirmative vote in the ballot, So mach for
the past. As regards the future, I declare that I am
firmly resolved to give a loyal co-operation to the Presi-
dent of the Republic, who, after having energetically
repressed evil, will, I hope, consecrate all his vast power
to the public good."
The Courrier de Marseille says— •
" Letters from Algeria, via Toulon, inform us that the
departure of the packet has been anticipated by two
days, it having left on this occasion exceptionally on
the 6th, instead of the Btb. The arrival of the English
squadron off Mahon, an account of which had reached
Algiers, had induced the Governor-General to adopt
this measure, in order to immediately inform the French
Government of the movement of the English fleet."
The Assemblie Nationale states that it is not true
that the French Ambassador at Constantinople had
succeeded in his negotiations relative to the Holy
Sepulchre. In fact, nothing had been done.
RESCHID PACHA bad, it appeared, been restored to
power on the 28th, having been appointed Pre-
sident of the Council in the place of RIFAAT PACHA,
deceased.
The Presse says—

" Several journals have announced that the Rohan
family intended going back to the mysterious affair of
the Prince de Cond6 at St. Leu. We believe we can
affirm that this pretended design will never be carried
out. It WAS nothing but mere drawing-room gossip."
By a decree in the Moniteur, the military courts of
reviiion or appeal are reduced to twelve, and are to
sit in the following towns :—Paris, Lisle, Metz,
Lyons, Marseilles, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Rennes,
Bourges,.A.lgiers, Oran, and Constantine.
A credit is opened by decree to the Minister of
Finance, amounting to 522,019 f., for the payment of
that portion of the Greek debt guaranteed by the
French Government.
The Minister of Public Works is authorised to
concede the railway from Dijon to Besancon, with
a branch to Gray, to a public company.
The concession to Grimaldi for the construction of
a railway from Dole to Salins, is also approved.
One of the President's aides-de-camp having re-
cently solicited and obtained from M. de Rothschild
200 shares in the Lyons Rail way, the President
sharply rebuked him in presence of the principal
functionaries of his household. He declared that he
charged himself to provide for the old friends at-
tached to his person, and he demanded that the con-
duct complained of should not be renewed.
The celebrated collection of pictures known as the
Soult Gallery is to be sold by public auction in Paris,
about the end of April, by order of the executors of
the late Marshal Soult. This great sale will un-
doubtedly attract the attention of the amateurs of
the fine arts throughout Europe.
The following is a return of the situation of the Bank
of France on Feb. 12

ASSETS.

Cash in hand ...
Ditto in branch banks
Bills past due
••• ••• •••
Bills discounted, but not yet due, of
which 13,419.853 f. Oc. were received
from the Branch Banks ... ..•
Bills in the branch banks ..•
Advances on coins and ingots... •••
Ditto by the branch banks ...
Ditto on French public securities •••
Ditto by branch banks... ...
Ditto to the State on Bons du Tresor...
Ditto to the State on the Treaty of 30th
(iune,lB4B •••
Advanced to the Chi of Paris• on the
Provisional Loan of 20,000,000 f. •••
Rentes of the reserve fund •••
Rentes, disposable funds •**
Investments of the new branch banks in
the public funds
••• //OS
Elotel and furniture of the Bank •••
Real
Property of the branch banks ..•
Interest in National Discount Bank ...
Ditto branch banks
Expenses of administration of the Bank
Ditto of the Branch Banks ..• •••
Miscellaneous "'