The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-10 00:00:00

THE FRENCH EMPIRE.

The Government having resolved to send the
persons arrested to trial on the charge of having
taken part "in secret agencies, with the object of
addressing to foreign journals false news on the state
of France, and of discrediting the French Govern-
ment in the eyes of Europe," the Journal des Debats
pays a tribute of respect to the character of M.
Tanski, who, after attaining the rank of captain in
the foreign legion, " has made for himself an
honourable position on the press, an su et au vu de
tout le monde, which has placed him in relations of
friendship with eminent men of all parties." It
appears that General de St. Priest was arrested in
place of his son, M. Charles de St. Priest. The
police also searched the house of M. de Chantilange,
son of Charles X.'s minister, but found nothing.
In the Presse, M. Emile do Girardin expresses
himself with some warmth against the examina-
tion of the papers of suspected persons by the
police. This, however, is a course not peculiar
to the present Government. It was practised
under the Restoration, under the constitutional
Government of Louis Philippe, and even under the
provisional government of the Republic of 1848,
which professed to have so much regard for right
and liberty. There is in fact no period of history
for centuries past in which the French Govern-
ment did not, in virtue of what is called a juve-
ment administratif, exercise the power of arrest
and seizure of papers without the previous autho-
risation of a legal tribunal, or even of any high
legal functionary. It is quite reasonable to object
in principle to this exercise of power, but it
would be wrong to impute it exclusively to the
Imperial regime. All governments in France have
exercised it more or less, and all on the ground of
its being necessary for their protection against
secret machinations. The Union also contains
an energetic protest against the character of these
arrests, and there could be no doubt whatever that
the French public views these proceedings of the
government with regret, if not with feelings of in-
dignation. We read in the Journal des Debuts :
" Amongst the persons arrested is M. Joseph
Tanslo, who has been attached for several years to
our journal. M. Tauski is a polish refugee, but
naturalised a Frenchman nearly ten years ago; lie
served with distinction in Africa in the foreign
legion, and arrived at the grade of captain. Pro-
scribed and without means of existence, without
any other resource than his rare intelligence and
indefatigable activity, lie was able to create for
himself iu the Parisian press an honourable position
which placed him in relation with the most eminent
and most important men of all parties and of all
regimes which have succeeded each other. The no-
bleness of his character, the moderation of his mind,
the prudence of his political opinions, suffice to de-
fend him against the accusation brought against
him. We consequently do not doubt that the tri-
bunals, now that they are charged to pronounce on
his fate, will soon restore him to liberty." A pre-
liminary warning has been given by the Prefect of
the Bouches-du-Rdone to the Gazette du Midi for
publishing an article offensive to the government.
By an imperial decree, dated the sth, the follow-
ing admirals have, on their application, been called
from the retired list, and placed on the second
section of the Staff :—Vice-Admiral Baron Hugon,
Rear-Admiral de Martineng, Rear-Admiral De
Helle, Rear-Admiral Mengin du Val d'Ailly, and
Honorary Rear-Admiral Bouvet.
Although the Bourse was more than usually at-
tended yesterday than for some days past there
was not much business transacted. The specula-
tors appeared to have congregated to discuss the
affairs of Italy, and the insurrection at Milan an-
nounced in the Moniteur in the morning, and the
suppression of which was subsequently an-
nounced. The Three per Cents. opened at
79f.' fell to 78f. 80c., and closed at 78f. 95c. for
the end of the month. The Four-and-Half per
Cents. closed at 104 f. 90c. ; Orleansßailway Shares,
4092 f. 50c. ; Rouen, 950 f.; Havre, 447 f. 50c ; Paris
and Strasburg, 747 f. 50c ; Paris and Lyons, 850 f. ;
Lyons to the Mediterranean, 712 f. 50c. ; Bor-
deaux and Cette, 547 f. 50c. ; Western of France,
645 f. ; Caen to Cherbourg, 583 f. 75c. ; Shares of
the Bank of Credit Mobilier, 695 f.