The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-31 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, TUESDAY.
The Moniteur of yesterday publishes a report
from M. Billault, the French Minister of the In-
terior,
asking a credit of 3,000,000 f. (120,0001.) for
public works in the provinces. The rerort
report reis
pfool-
lowed by an Imperial decree approving the
and granting the money. The report is as follows
" Sire,—This year's harvest was atter
iderablone,
and the importation of foreign grain considerable,
gradual
fall, and on different points of the empire the price
per hectolitre was 25f.
" .Nevertheless, and despite the measures taken
by your orders to facilitate and cheapen the price
of grain, despite the great reduction obtaine
that view on the railway charges, sotne of hit dpartments almost entirely without, others with
very poor harvests, still suffer severely from the
high prices, and ask help from your Majesty.
' Doubtless, this paternal intervention of your
Government, which for three years has devoted to
the relief of the distressed suffering from
c; a
mi in
cannot
sp,loaocoe
placed
Omf 0
ncr
•wiantnhlte-850i6rn..
ses of each
11085‘,4t,h1e0r,m00i011,i000nOsf:
ak:d cease with the scourge which main tlxpen year,
dinary as it must remain
ex-
ceptional,it tries
to put down; it may now follow the decreasing pro-
gression, and 3,006;, 000 f. willsuffice,
I hope, for
1857.

i' The object in view is nt.:t so much to
giveprovide c h a-
rity to the indigent out of wo:k, as to
labour where it may be wante:l this winter, and to
lessen by charity, carefully distributed, that heavy
difference between the price of food a2cl the amount
of daily wages.
*I Thanks to the perfect tranquillity enjoyed i;v
the country, industry and commerce are in .full
activity. The fruitful impulse given to the great
public works multiplies throughout the country
the workshops in which the workman can find em-
ployment ; and the Emperor, with his wonted soli-
citude for the wants of the working classes, has
himself designated among the enterprises projected
by the State those which might at once provide
work where it is most wanted. For the districts
that will not benefit by these blessings I shall, if
necessary, promote works of municipal interest.
But what appears to me most especially to deserve
the favour of the Government, and what I shall
encourage as much as possible, are those charitable
institutions the ingenious activity of which,
avoiding costly measures, provides directly, and
at reduced prices, food and clothing for the
poor. Numerous establishments of this descrip-
tion are already in activity in different parts of
the empire, and, in endeavouring to re-establish
between the wants of a family and the daily wages
that balance which bad harvests have for the mo-
ment disturbed, they have obtained results the
benefits of which are duly appreciated by the work-
ing classes.
"To realise in this double point of view the
charitable intentions of your Majesty I only ask
for a credit of 3,000,000 f., for I shall find in the
country that immense auxiliary called charity.
Three successive years of sacrifices have neither
tired nor exhausted it, and the Government has
never appealed to it in vain. The prefects are well
aware that the zeal which best pleases the Emperor
is that which places itself at the head of all good
works, which promotes or seconds acts of devotion.
They will neglect nothing to fulfil, according to
your Majesty's desire, that duty of humanity and
of good government. The chief officials of the de-
partments will, I am sure, give them their cordial
support ; for simply to fulfil one's duty is not
taking an active and willing part in the generous
V109E3 of the Emperor ; it is only half serving him.
These efforts, these good examples, will bear fruit ;
the difficulty will be once more overcome, and it
will not be a sight without significance in the eyes
of the world—that courageous and patriotic resig-
nation with which our populations will have sup-
ported four consecutive years of bad harvj,vest.
Under other Governments a izit,,,le y-ar, ef 141?1
engendered disturbances ; for three yeats uothere the
. slightest emotion has been manifested ; for
are two things, Sire, of which the people are well
aware—your paternal solicitude for its sufferings,