The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-03-20
lrnoh TIE PARIS ARcus1
LEGISLATIVE BODY.
Presidency Of the Count Of the Empire, Fon.one,
Sequel Of the sitting Of the 12th December.


Sequel Of the sitting of the 12ta December.
The following is fhe statement of the situation of
the Empire, at the fret Of December, 1909,
each as it svds read in the Legislative Body by his
Exceileney the Minister Of the Interisr.
Count Neutrality-suspicious., every time that
the situation of the empire has been laid before
you, the French nation had numbered fresh tri-
umphs.
Shining victories, generous peaces, the results
ofthe most profound political combinations. great
works undertaken, the internal order maintained
--such is the picture which all my predecessors
have had to draw; it is again what forms the his
tory of the year, which has Jest elapsed.
The return OF this enumeration of prosperity,
acquires every day more glorious character -
the memorable facts Of agar may belong to for
tune, to what is called hazard, the force or con,
stancy, the weakness or versatility of which are
hitherto unknown; but those which are every
day renewed the same, are necessarily tho work
OF genius and of hand, equally powerful
The former may transitorily belong to all times,
the Latter fix those eras which divide the course
OF centuries, and which subordinate long series
OF years, to every epoch which changes the face
of the world.
In the course of your last session, you co.ope.
rated in giving new criminal code to France,
by adopting the project prepared ia the council
OF state. and before the eyes Of his majesty HIM
self, the necessary of all laws and at that
very time the Emperor, as he had announced 10
you, was re placing his august brother upon the
throne of Madrid; he was forcing the English
to fly to their ships and ceased to pursue them,
only in order to approach the centre ofhis states,
for the purpose of being better able to study and
stop the projects of Austria.
Public WORKS.
The stay which his majesty than made at Pa.
rs, was marked by the care which he took to re-
satf hor pfs Cf q
his Empire. His orders gave fresh activity to
tile immense works which at no period of peace
were undertaken in such great numbers, or car
red on with so much ardor Prisoners of war
OF different nations. sent by victory, have finished
the canal of St. Quentin. Two leagues of an
awful subterranean cut open the communication
between the great rivers and the of the
north of the empire, the great rivers and the seas
o. the centre and the sourh.
Seven thousand laborers have never ceased
working Mt the canal of the North, and nearly
eiEht leagues OF this ncy way opened to the
Rhine and the Meuse, in order to bring their u.
nited waters TO Antwerp, without ever quitting
ehe territory OF present France, are executed
This canal so important for trade, will not be a
less benefit to agriculture. Heaths, equal in ex-
tent to several departments, will be peopled and
fertilized: A peaceable conquest of industry,
they will coon augment both our riches and our
prosperity.
Two millions have been nsefully expended in
1909 in the canal of Napoleon, which will unite
the Rhone TO the Rhine Marseilles, Cologne &
Antwerp will appear to be watered by the same
rivers.
This canal will communicates with the Seine.
by that OF Burgundy, the works of which, aban-
dOned by tho former government, have lust re-
ceived the greatest npulsion 1t is already na
vigable from Dole to Dion the works are now
carrying on between d ION and the bridge of Pa
ny, between the Yonne and ST. Fiorentin.
. INN rtnDt he. al tb
Aube, and the Somme, have been finished in
1909; the projects which tend TO improve the
former navigations, to prolong them, or to create
new ones, have been every WHARF, undertaken or
carried on with activity. NJ.
The maritime works have made great pro-
gress those of Cherburg already exhibit to the
astonshed eye, an immense port cut in the solid
rock. Its depth has been carried this year to
thirty eight feet below the level of the high tides
1t is secured from their invasion by dam, the ex-
ecution of which has been as perfect as the idea
of it was bold granite Innings give to the ports
and to its external quays the most awful appear
ance of grandeur and duration the port of Cher
burg will be dug sixteen feet lower so that there
will remain in it twentysix feet of water at the
lowest tides.
The siuice Of Havre is nearly completed !; it
will secure, by the middle of next summer, the
constant entrance Of ships into the channel.
AT Dunkirk, an octagonal sluce which is in
tended 20 drain some precious lands, and to Sc
cure an easy navigation, has been finished this
year.
The basin of Antwerp is dug throughout the
Whole oil its fore part and The sea s;uice is raised
above It's foundation.
The port of Cette has been decpened; it has
afforded an asylum to first rate ships.
The port OF Marseiiies affords anchorage ca
sier than il has ever been.
The roads Of Mount Cents, of the Simplan,
those which cross, in every direction, the Alps,
the Appearances, and the Pyrennees, have received
further degree of forwardness or of improve
1nent. Roads, Us fine us commodious, lead from
Alexandria TO Sayona, from the borders of the
Tanero and tie Fo, 10 the nearest shores of the
Mediterranean.
The great DRAWINGS of Bourgoin, those Of the
Gotentn and 0f Rocnefort, have already changed
into fertile lands, barren Marshes & their results
cause the government TO be blessed by the mia
bitanis, astoRshed at not having experienced a.
ny even OF the transitory evils which they were
made tc dread.
Worfs Of Paris.
Paris becomes every day more worthy, BY its
monuments, of being the metropolis of one of
those empires around which crowds, IN the his
tory of time, every thing that was cotemporary
At its skirts, the bridges OF Bezous, of Choisy,
and of Seyres, have just been begun that of
Ciiarsntom has been rs-cS;aI.stcd; .het of st.
Cloud is building. In its interior, tie fine
bridge Of Jena has been forwarded to the rising
of its arches thai Of ST. Michael has been die
embarrassed Of the houses by which il was OBJ
structed the quay Napoleon and the quay of the
Louvre, have been terminated that OF Jena ex-
tcpls beyond the espls ade Of the invalides, the
pot OF the RaPee IS executing upon grand
scale.
&c y,iSufy oil