The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-05-02 00:00:00

FOREIGN AND COLONIAL.

FRANCE.

M. Ledru Rollin and his Commissioners have in every
district in the provinces exercised the Most odious tyranny
to procure if possible the return of those who will be
willing to aid him, either as dupes or accomplices, in his
schemes for betraying the rei üblic. At Rouen the com-
munal schoolmasters, who are all on the pay of the Mi-
nister of Public Instruction, were convened and com-
manded ,to sign collectively an engagement to vote for
the government candidates or resign their places. At a
little town called Neufchatel a body of two hundred con-
scripts were stopped by the mayor, put into the Hotel de
Ville, and there kept under lock and key until they had
voted. Instances are given of electors being stopped on
their way, their lists taken from them, and they obliged
to return home, by hired ruffians. The Memorial de
.Rouen says it is useless making complaints to the Go-
vernment Commissioner, "who is so good a man that he
refuses to believe any evil of others," The Journal de
.Rouen contains accounts of men being beaten, and the
lists taken from them, because they were not democratic.
The Gazette de Lyons contains accounts of similar pro-
ceedings in its neighbourhood. It says that in the Place
des Terreaux they were burning heaps of lists of names
which had been violently taken from electors.
It is generally believed, however, that all the attempts
of the Ledru-Rollin faction to carry the elections of Paris
have proved abortive. M. de Lamartine is at the head of
the poll; and General Cavaignac, the Governor-General
of Algiers, second.
On Mbnday night there was a " scene " in the Cabinet
of the Provisional Government between M. Lamartine
and M. 'Ledru Rollin. The latter desired the further
postponement of the meeting of the Assembly—the for-
mer peremptorily opposed it ; the latter threatened a
popular demonstration—the former treated the menace
with contempt. M. Ledru Rollin then declared that he
would have Paris covered with barricades. M. Lamartine
rose and declared that he set his colleague at defiance,
that the majority of the government were quite prepared
for any measure of that description promoted by the Mi-
nister of the Interior, and that they would resort to effec-
tual measures of defence. After this, report says, M.
Ledru Rollin lowered his tone.

A letter from Marseilles of the 22nd instant, says :
" Last evening, all the democratic clubs assembled about
nine o'clock, in number from 3500 to 4000, and paraded
the streets with about 200 lighted torches, bellowing out
Vire Ledru Rollin !" A bas les aristocrats !" A has les
culottes (clergy) ! ' In the foremost ranks were young
women, representing the goddess of liberty. A portion
of the sans culottes were headed by the band of the
custom-house officers. This is too bad, and too strongly
identifies the government with the mob. Notwithstand-
ing this chaotic state of affairs, I feel certain all will go
off quietly here, the National Guard being determined on
maintaining order. coute qui coute. I feel also certain
that, unless there be foul work, Thiers and Berryer will
be returned. When all this will end, Heaven only
knows ; in the meantime France is ruined, and it will
require many a long year before she again can raise her
head."

Complaints have been raised both of fraud and the
exercise of improper influence at the late elections both
in Paris and in tile provinces. To comprehend the fraud,
it must be understood that each elector claiming to vote
presents himself at the mairie, and receives there a "carte
electorale," which entitles him to deposit his vote in the
ballot-box. The plan works practically in this manner :
The same individual presents himself over and over again
at the same inairie, and receives several " cartes," or he
may present himself successively at different mairies, and
thus obtain multiple " cartes," which it is said have
openly been offered for sale at prices varying from five to
twenty francs.
The Provisional Government have adopted a decree
abolishing slavery in all the colonies and possessions of
the French republic. The decree is to take effect two
months after its publication in the colonies. An indem-
nity is to be granted to the slave-owners, the amouift and
form of which will be fixed by the national assembly. All
introduction by hire or otherwise of negroes into the colo-
nies is also forbidden. This clause is especially intended
to preverit the introduction of negroes from Senegal by
any system similar to that of the Hill Coolies in the Eng-
lish colonies.
The terms on which the Provisional Government have
determined to dispossess the railway companies of the
finished lines are stated to be as follows :—The shares of
the companies will be valued at the average of the prices
which they bore. according to the official returns of the
Bourse, for the six months preceding the revolution of
February ; and this price will be paid by the Government
to the country in five per cent. stock, to be also valued
at its average price during the same interval.
It was stated on Wednesday, and generally believed,
that M. Gamier pages has, after all, determined to aban-
don his scheme for taking the railways, leaving the
national assembly to decide on the matter.
From a return published in the Moniteur, it appears
that the duties levied on the import and export of differ-
ent articlesduring the month of March last, was 5,538,472 f.,
whilst in the month of March, 1847, it was 12,030,657 f.,
and in the same month of 1846, 12,355,650 f. The Cour-
rier du Havre says that a reduction of fifteen francs per
100 kilogrammes on colonial sugar is talked of.
The minister of the United States waited on Wednesday '
on M. deLamartine, and presented him with a letter from
the President of the United States, formally accrediting
him as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
to the French Republic. In presenting the letter, Mr.
Rush expressed the anxiety which the President of the
United States feels for the prosperity of France, and his
desire to cultivate amicable relations with it. M. de
Lamartine, in reply, said that, as France had been the
first to recognise the independence of the United States,
it belonged, by a just return of Providence, to the United
States to be the first to make an official recognition of the
French republic ; and, so to speak, place its name the first
on the certificate of the birth of French democracy in Eu-
rope. lie-predicted that the French republic would be-
come stroeg and prosperous, and he expressed the warmest
sentiments towards the American republic, observing that
the French people felt for those of the United States with '
the " healt of Lafayette."
SUCCESS OF THE MODERATE PARTY IN THE ELECTIONS.
Though the result of the elections is not officially an-
novnced. there is no doubt that the moderate party has
been successful in Paris, where the strength of the eralt‘s
mainly lies ; and it is certain that men of moderate opi-
nions will.mostly be returned by the departments. It ap-
pears that 210,000 voted in Paris, and nearly 60,900 in the
rmdissements of Siena in 1 St. Dennis, and only 40
lists an hour can be examined in each section. The Na-
tional, however, contains the following :
" According to the estimates which have reached us
from a great number of sections, the following is the pro-
bable result of the Paris elections. The nomination of
these 28 candidates appear certain—Larmartine, Dupont
(de i'Eure), F. Arago, A. Marrast, Gamier Pages, Marie,
Wronger; Cremieux, Cornot, Bethmont, General Duvi-
vier, Lasteyrie, Schmidt, Perdiguier, Pagnerre, Lamen-
nais, Caussidiere, Cormenin, Ledru Rollin, Albert, Flo-
con, and Louis Blanc. The candidates who, after these,
appear to have the best chance, are—M.M. Bastide,
Goudchaux, Pascal, Vellin, Daugny, David (d'Angers),
Wolowski, Garnon, Degoussie, General Guinird, the
Pastor Coquerel, and Berger."
If the National be rightly informed, Ledru Rollin
would only come twenty-fourth in order, while Lamartine
heads the poll. Lasteyrie and Vavin, who came after
General Duvivier, were formerly deputies, Buchcz and
Recourt are deputy mayors of Paris. Peupin is a watch-
maker, belonging the original Society of Prud'hommes.
Corbon is the editor of the Atelier, the organ of the work-
ing classes. Schmidt is a sort of a French Cobbett, whose
Chatechise des Ouvriers, having first appeared in succes-
sive numbers of the Constitutionnel, was reprinted, and
30,000 copies brought up in a short time. He it was who
made the curious calculation, that allthe money in France,
if divided, would only give 31f. as money capital, to each
individual, and all the money and land only 63f. His re-
turn so high on the list is a significant and important fact,
as testing the sentiments of the working classes. Perdi-
guier is a:working cabinet maker, whose name appears on
a great many lists. Pagnerre is the bookseller who took
so active a part in organizing the electoral banquets, and
is one of the secretaries of the government. Among
those most likely to be returned is Bastide, one of the
editors of-the National, now considered the conservotive
organ of the republic. Goudchaux was the predecessor of
Gamier Pages. Pascal is a printer, who fills the the office
of lieutenant-colonel in the 11th legion of national guards.
Vellin is a young carpenter, who is decidedly opposed to
communism. Daugny is a printer who figures on the
moderate lists. David (d'Angers) is the famous statuary.
Wolowski is the professor of industrial legislation at the
Arts et Metiers. He is a moderate man, an excellent
speaker, and is brother-in-law of Leon Faucher, the well
known ex-deputy. Gannon was formerly a deputy.
Degouisse is a civil engineer, and chef de bataillon of the
3d legion-of national guards. The Pastor Coqucrel is a
well known protestant minister, and Berger, the last on
the list, is an ex-deputy of the centre quache, or Thiers'
Section.
The Paris papers of Friday confirm our previous report
that the eight moderate members of the Provisional Go-
vernment will be at the top of the list of the 34 deputise
elected for Paris, while the four members of a more vie-
lent tendency will be nearly at the bottom of it.
The elections in the departments were, on the whole,
of a simUar character.
These facts suggested fears that the ultra-Republicans
might make an attempt to dissolve the Chamber by force,
but up to the moment when our despatch left Paris every-
thing was tranquil.
The Government was, however, fully prepared to meet
an danger that might present itself.
The Paris papers of Saturday contain the official an-
nouncement of the result of the Paris elections. It nosy
be only accessary to observe here that the first name on
the list of the 34 deputies elected to represent Paris in
the National Assembly is that of M. Lamartine ; the
24th, that of M. Ledru Rollin; the 26th, that of M.
Flocon ; and the 27th, that of M. Louis Blanc.
These facts speak plainly in confirmation of what we
have repeatedly stated, that the Assembly will be Repub-
lican, but moderate. Among the representatives of Paris
are four ex-journalists. The number of voters amounted
to 300,000, and Lamartine obtained 259,800 votes, whilst
Ledru Rollin had only 131,587.
By a decree of the Provisional Government, the Palace
of the Louvre is ordered to be completed, and to assume
the name of " Palace of the People." It is to be appro-
priated for the exhibition of the works of art, the produc-
tions ofmational industry, and the national library. The
Rue de Rivoli is to be continued on the same plan. The
works relative to the construction of the Palace of the
People are declared works of public utility ; and the " ex-
propriation" of the houses intervening is to commence
forthwith.
The National announces on authority that M. Guizot
was married in London three years since to the Princess
Lieven; It was agreed for political reasons that the mar-
riage should be kept secret as long as M. Guizot remained
in office.