The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-17 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, FRIDAY.
The state of Prince Jerome's health is alarming

It was hoped yesterday, from the improvement
which set in and was maintained for some time,
that great danger had disappeared ; but from the
answer to inquiries at the Palais Royal at 4 o'clock
this evening, it would appear that the improve-
ment has not only not continued, but that the suf-
ferer is much worse. The Emperor has visited his
uncle three times since yesterday. Prince Napo-
leon, who has been always deeply and sincerely at-
tached to his father, is said to be in a state of great
affliction.

The Bulletin des Lois publishes a decree open-
ing to the Minister of Marine an extraordinary
credit, for 1859, of 42,743,600 f., of which 38,300,250 f.
were appropriated to the war in Italy, and
4,443,350 f. to the Indo-Chinese expedition. Another
decree opens to the same Minister a second extraor-
dinary credit of 6,300,000 f. for the Indo-Chinese
expedition; and a third decree authorises the sale,
for the benefit of the Treasury, of the Forest of
Bondy, containing about 1,160 hectores (2,900

acres).
Tilt BOURSE, Dec. 16.—The market has been
rather heavy. Threes, after having been done at
70f. 75c., declined to 70f. 50c., but are now at 70f,
60c. ; Mobilier varied from 850 f. to 855 f. ; Aus-
trian, 572 f. 50c. to 575 f, ; Lombard, 576 f. 25c. to
578 f. 75e. Orleans, 1,420 f. to 1,425 f. ; Lyons,
940 f. to 942 f. 50c. ; Northern, 975 f. to 977 f. 50c.
The following were the last quotations:—

4i per Cents. .... 97 Credit Foncier 725
Do. end month Belgian 43/4 99 50
3 per Cents 7O 45 Piedmon.tese (5) .. 85 50
Do. end month 7O 55 Roman B4 50
Bank Shares 2BBO Austrian

Credit Mobilier .. 852 50 Spanish Threes 45 75
Do. Account ..... 852 50 Home Debt 43a -

RAILWAYS.

Cash. Account.
Orleans
Northern 975 975
New ditto 862 50 .. 863 75
Lyons and Mediterranean 943 75 .. 940
Geneva 555
Southern
Western 582 50 .. 585
Eastern
Sardinian ....
Austrian
Lombard .... ..
Exchange on London, at sight, paper, 25f. 10c. ; money,
25f. 9c.; three months, paper, 24f. 95c.; money, 24f. 931 c.

TIIE FRENCH PRESS LAWS.

(From the—Moniteur.)

In some recent publications there have occurred,
on the subject of prosecutions of the press, certain
errors which it is of consequence to set right.
The magistrates have been reproached with arbi-
trarily violating the rules of the special procedure
introduced by the law of May 26, 1819. To this
reproach the answer is simple. The exceptional
procedure of the law of 1819 has ceased to exist—
it has been abrogated by the organic decree of
Feb.l7, 1852. Prosecutions of the press have been
restored to their previous condition of matters of
the common law ; they are submitted strictly to the
forms and stages of the code of criminal examina-
tion. Persons have also ventured to accuse the
magistrates of making use of- illegal precipita-
tion in the seizure of certain pamphlets; this second
charge rests on a confusion easy to clear up.
The regime of the press is applied to three distinct
orders of publications, books, journals, and political
pamphlets having less than ten sheets of printed
matter.
For books the law of 1814 is in operation ; no
new condition has been imposed on publications,
and it may be safely said that the liberty of the
book press has never been more complete or more
undisputed than it is now.
The periodical press has its special rules and its
own regime ; eight years of practice have proved
its wisdom and necessity.
The political pamphlet partakes more of the
nature of the journal than of that of the book ; it
offers the same dangers, the same facility of diffusion
without, however, being subjected to the same
guarantees. Before the law of July 27, 1859, ex-
hortations to civil war, outrages to religion and good
morals, attacks the most audacious on the principle
of property, could be spread by a hundred thousand
copies, and address themselves with impunity to
the passions of the multitude. The evil was irre-
parable when justice intervened.
, It is to avoid the danger, and to supply a want
long felt, that the Legislative Assembly introduced
into the law of July 27 a clause makiug it neces-
sary for the printer to lodge at the office of the
public prosecutor, twenty-four hours before every
publication and distribution, all writings treating
of political matters or matters of social economy
having less than ten sheets of printed matter. "It
has been desired," said the proposer of the law,
when he was explaining the reasons for this inno-
vation, " it has been desired to put an end to the
impotence of justice, and to prevent pamphlets
being distributed and the impression exhausted be-
fore the magistrate can invoke the action of the
law."
It is, then, an exceptional guarantee which the
law of 1849 has imposed on the publication of poli-
tical brochures. The seizure is not submitted to
any condition of time ; it is regular as soon as it has
been ordered by the examining magistrate, but it
is only definitively maintained in cases in which it
is established that the offence charged in the pro-
secution has been constituted, completed by an act
of publicity.
If, on the contrary, it is shown that no act of dis-
tribution or of exposure for sale has preceded the
seizure, there interposes a writ of withdrawal. The
writer then regains his liberty of action, but he is
anticipated, and if the work interdicted for an in-
srataanaterisispubbrolieshgehdt,htehfeorpertohseeceuotirreetisi
o n
and justice is enabled to ensure
respect for the law.
resumed,
altribunal,
of the Law of July 27, 1849.
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Rome,LO D
thatl N A LC -aNrir2ZA\ViTs.e -
man has V.icve()dhains
sraefaeut3h,eadt
11CdAoEnwhere ho has been cordially received by the other
members of the Sacred College, and has been favoured with
an interview with his Holiness the Pope. The illness of
the Cardinal, although of a serious character, is not, in the
opinion of his physicians, confirmed. Still it is not at all
unlikely that he will make the Eternal City his residence
for the future ; but until such time as he may tletertuilu,
upon either returning to England or reiigaink; his see his
episcopal, if not his legative, duties will be administered by
the Right Rev. Dr. Evrington, his coadjutor.