The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-21 00:00:00

REFORMS IN FRANCR.

PARIS, Jan. 20.
The following letter bas been addressed by the
Emperor to the Minister of State :
" Palace of the Tuileries, Jan. 10.

" Monsieur le Ministre,—For some years past the
question has been asked whether our institutions
have attained their limit of improvement or whether
new improvements are to be realised. hence a re-
gretable incertitude which it is important to remove.
" Up to the present you have had to strive cou-
rageously in order to repel inopportune demands, and
to leave with me the initiation of useful reforms
when the time should arrive. And now I believe
that it is possible to give to the institutions of the
empire all the development of which they are cap-
able, and to the public liberties a new extension with -
out compromising the power which the nation has
entrusted to me.

" The plan which I have traced out to myself
consists in correcting the imperfections which time
has revealed, ani in admitting that progress which
is compatible with our habits ; for to govern is to
profit by the experience which has been acquired
and to foresee the wants of the future.

" The decree of the 24th November, IE6O, had for
object to associate the Senate and the Corps Legis-
latif more directly with the policy of the Govern-
ment, but the debate on the address has not led to
the results which were to be expected from it; it
has sometimes uselessly excited public opinion, given
rise to sterile discussions, and occasioned a loss of
time most precious for the affairs of the country; and
I believe that without any diminution of the pre-
rogatives of the deliberative powers, the address
may be replaced by the privilege, prudently regu-
lated of putting questions to the Government.
"Another modification has appeared to me
necessary in the relations of the Government to-
wards the great bodies of the State. I have consi-
dered that by sending the Ministers to the Senate
and the Corps Legislatif to take part in certain de-
bates, by virtue of a special commission, I should
better utilise the strength of the Government, with-
out deviating from the terms of the Constitution,
which admits no solidarity among the Ministers,
and makes them dependent only upon the chief of
the State.

" But :the reforms which it is fitting to adopt
must not stop there. A law will be proposed for
assigning the jurisdiction over offences against the
press law exclusively to the correctional tribunals,
and thus suppress the discretionary power of the
Government. It is equally necessary to regulate
legislatively the right of assembly whilst restraining
it within the limits which public safety demands.
" I said last year that my Government wished to
walk upon a ground consolidated and capable of
sustaining power and liberty. By the measures I
have just pointed out my words became realised. I
do not shake the ground which 15 years of calm
and prosperity have consolidated, but I increase the
strength by rendering my relations with the public
powers more intimate, by securing to the citizens by
law fresh guarantees, by completing the crowning
of the edifice erected by the national will.
" On this, Monsieur le Ministre, I pray God to
have you in His holy keeping. " NAPOLEON."
The following is the full text of the decree which
accompanies the letter of the Emperor :
" Napoleon, by the grace of God and the national
will, Emperor of the French : To all present and to
come, greeting : Wishing to give to the discussions
of the great bodies of the State relative to the home
and foreign policy of the Government more utility
and precision, we have decreed and decree what fol-
lows :

" Art. 1. The members of the Senate and of the
Corps Legislatif may put questions to the Govern-
ment.

" Art. 2. Every demand for addressing questions
to the Government must be written or signed by
five members at least. This demand will briefly ex-
plain the object of the questions, and will be handed
to the president, who will communicate it to the
Minister of State, and refer it to the committees for
examination.
" Art. 3. If two committees of the Senate or four
committees of the Corps Legislatif deliver the
opinion that the questions may be put, the Chamber
will fix a day for their discussion.
"Art. 4. Upon the close of the debate the Cham-
ber will either simply declare the order of the day
or refer the questions to the Government.
Art. 5. The simple order of the day will always
have priority.

" Art. 6. The reference to the Government can
only be made in the following terms :—' The Senate
(or the Corps Legislatif) calls the attention of the
Government to the object of the questions.' In this
case a summary of the debate will also be trans-
mitted to the Minister of State.

" Art. 7. Any of the Ministers may, if specially
delegated by the Emperor, be charged, in concert
with the Minister of State, and the presidents and
members of the Council of State, to represent the
Government in the Senate or Corps Legislatif dur-
ing debates on general questions or bills.

" Art. 8. Articles 1 and 2 of our decree of NOT.
24, 1860, providing that the Senate and Corps
Legislatif shall every year, at the opening of the
session, vote an address in reply to our speech, are
hereby repealed.
Art. 9. Our Minister of State is charged with the
execution of the present decree.
" Done at the Palace of the Tuileries, Jan. 19, 1867.
"By the Emperor, NAPOLEON.
" E. ROUIIER, Minister of State."

With reference to the vacant Treasurership of
the Household, we have good reason for believing that the
statements made by some of our contemporaries are un-
authorised and premature. No step is likely to bo taken
for filling up the post until after the burial of the late
Marquis of Exeter. The same remark applies to the Garter
and the lord-lieutenancies held by the deceased marquis.
Sir Eric R. T. Farquhar, Bart., Second Secretary of Lega-
tion at Pekin, has boon transferred, in the same capacity,
to her Majesty's mission at Stockholm. Mr. Hugh Fraser,
Second Secretary of Leglation at Stockholm, is transferred
to Pekin. Mr. A. de C. Crowe, British Vice-Consul at
Christiania, is appointed British Vice-Consul at Copen-
hagen. Mr. E. Grevillo Sartoris, having served six months
in the Foreign-office, has been appointed Attaché to her
Majesty's Embassy at Vionna.—Sunday Gazette.
THE ACTIONS AGAINST EX-GOVERNOR EYRE.—
On Saturday an application was made to Mr. Baron
Bramwell at the Judges' Chambers, Chancery-lane, by
Mr. Rose, solicitor for ex-Governor Eyre, in respect of the
indictments to be preferred against him, the nature of his
application being that all further proceedings in the
actions brought by Mr. Phillips and Dr. Bruce, of
Jamaica, to recover damages for false imprisonment,.
flogging, and other injuries sustained by them, during the
late rebellion, might be stayed until the plaintiffs had
given Mr. Eyre security for his costs. The ground of the
application was that the plaintiffs were resident beyond the
jurisdiction of the court, and could not therefore be taken
in execution for Mr. Eyre's costs in case he should be
successful in the actions that wore pending against him.
After some argument, Mr. Baron Bramwell decided that
Mr. Rose's application was both premature and irregular,
and ordered it to be adjourned sine die.